Floating Image Display With Tunable Optical Power for Wide Field of View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmented reality devices struggle to display high-quality, volumetric floating images with a wide field of view without additional diffusing media, while also requiring moving parts and lacking a safe, non-contact user interface.
Innovation Solution
A floating image display device utilizing a tunable optical power system with a polarizer, positive and negative optical power elements, and a tunable optical element to project and form floating images at desired distances, along with a waveguide system to enhance the field of view and a non-contact user interaction system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If augmented reality glasses based on waveguide with in-coupling and out-coupling diffractive optical elements are used, then the device structure is compact, but the image field of view is small and image brightness is highly dependent on viewing angle
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into multiple functional components: waveguide system for light multiplication, tunable optical power system for focal plane control, and projection unit for light field generation. This segmentation allows each component to optimize for its specific function, achieving wide field of view through waveguide multiplication while maintaining image brightness through dedicated optical power adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a tunable optical power system that can dynamically adjust the optical power of the waveguide and projection unit based on the desired floating image distance. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to maintain optimal image brightness and focus across different viewing distances and angles, resolving the contradiction between wide field of view and consistent image brightness
2Area of stationary object
If multiple in-coupling, out-coupling and multiplying DOEs are used to increase field of view, then the image field of view increases, but the size of floating image becomes small and it is difficult to achieve good brightness and image quality when scaling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the optical parameters (optical power, focal length) of the waveguide and projection unit to scale the floating image size while maintaining image quality. By adjusting these parameters, the system can produce large-scale floating images with good brightness and quality, overcoming the limitation of small image size in conventional multi-DOE systems
3Area of stationary object
If a system displays floating image with wide field of view viewable by multiple users, then the field of view is enlarged, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it multiplies light beams to expand field of view, guides light from the projection unit to the observer's eye, and enables viewing by multiple users from different angles. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each function, thereby managing system complexity while achieving wide field of view
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the display of high-quality, volumetric floating images with a wide field of view, viewable from multiple angles, without moving parts and with a safe, non-contact user interface, improving image brightness and uniformity.
Implementation Method 1
The polarizer is configured to polarize the multiplied light beams out-coupled from the waveguide system such that polarization direction of said light beams coincides with polarization direction of the tunable optical element
Implementation Method 2
The tunable optical element is configured to introduce a phase delay to wavefront of the passing light field, thereby changing the distance at which a floating image is to be formed in a space
Implementation Method 3
The waveguide system is optically coupled to the tunable optical power system and is configured to multiply light beams making up said light field
Implementation Method 4
The element with a first optical power is configured to direct the polarized light beams that have passed through the polarizer toward the tunable optical element
Implementation Method 5
The element with a second optical power is configured to focus said light beams making up the light field corresponding to the initial image and out-coupled from the tunable optical element, in the space, forming a floating image at a distance corresponding to the voltage applied to the tunable optical element
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to optical engineering and provides augmented reality devices that form volumetric floating images in a free space. A floating image display device comprises an image source, an electronic control unit including circuitry, a tunable optical power system including an optically active material, a projection unit including a projector, and a waveguide system including at least one waveguide.