Light Field and Waveguide AR Display for Wide Field of View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional HUDs suffer from a limited field of view and poor image quality due to manufacturing challenges, making it difficult to scale up light sources for wider views, and existing waveguides have low light efficiency and small sizes, limiting their effectiveness in providing situational awareness.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a light field display unit and waveguide display unit to create a synthetic light field, combining real-world and virtual content, with tracking means to determine user location and generate inputs for each display unit to achieve a wide field of view and high-quality image presentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional projector systems with complex optics are used to produce collimated images, then the optical focus can be achieved at infinity, but the field of view becomes very limited (10x5 to 20x10 degrees)
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the field of view into multiple discrete regions or zones, each optimized for specific functions. The waveguide display handles central high-resolution content while peripheral areas provide additional information, allowing each segment to be optimized independently rather than requiring a single wide-field solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D display planes to volumetric light field displays that add a depth dimension. By creating multiple focal planes at different distances (including infinity), the system expands the effective viewing volume without necessarily increasing the angular field of view, thus resolving the contradiction between focus precision and viewing area.
2Measurement precision
If waveguide displays are used to present images at infinity, then the collimated image output is achieved, but the field of view remains limited and manufacturing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a computational intermediary layer that processes and prepares content specifically for waveguide display characteristics. This computational mediation allows standard manufacturing processes to be used while achieving the desired optical infinity output, as the complexity is shifted from physical manufacturing to software processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes in the waveguide optics, such as varying the thickness, refractive index, or grating periods in different regions of the waveguide. These parameter variations enable optimized light coupling and extraction without requiring fundamentally new manufacturing processes, thus achieving infinity focus while maintaining manufacturability.
3Area of stationary object
If the size of the waveguide is increased to provide wider field of view, then the viewing area expands, but scaling up the light source becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple smaller light sources or display elements that are replicated and arranged in arrays within the waveguide structure. Instead of scaling up a single light source, multiple copies of smaller, more manageable light emitters are used, each contributing to the overall wide field of view through the waveguide's light guiding and extraction mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple light fields from different sources or different regions of the waveguide to create a unified wide-field display. By combining several narrower light fields that are spatially or angularly multiplexed within the waveguide, the system achieves a wide effective field of view without requiring any single light source to be excessively large or complex.
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
The system provides a wide field of view (20-60 degrees) for augmented reality, enhancing situational awareness with realistic and high-quality virtual content presentation, suitable for vehicles like cars and aircraft, and supports real-time simultaneous presentation of virtual images to multiple users.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one optical combiner is employed to reflect the part of the synthetic light field emanating from the at least one light field display unit towards the eyes of the at least one user
Implementation Method 2
at least one waveguide display unit comprising a display and a waveguide
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C~2
AI summary
An image is generated, based on a relative location of a head or eyes (116a-b) of a user (118) with respect to a waveguide. An input is generated, based on a relative location of the head or the eyes with respect to an optical combiner (106). The image is displayed via a display of a waveguide display unit (108), while the input is employed at a light field display unit (104), to produce a synthetic light field (120). An optical combiner is employed to reflect a part of the synthetic light field emanating from the light field display unit towards the eyes of the user, whilst optically combining said part of the synthetic light field with a real-world light field (114). Said part of the synthetic light field and the real-world light field are optically combined with another part of the synthetic light field emanating from the waveguide display unit.