Nighttime Heads-Up Display Waveguide for Night Vision Burn-In Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable heads-up display devices, such as night vision goggles, suffer from 'tube burn-in' due to the injection of monochrome light, which can damage the device over time.
Innovation Solution
A 'clip-in' architecture using an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display coupled with a waveguide display is employed, where light carrying data is input to the waveguide without passing through the night vision apparatus, preventing damage and providing an augmented reality view without reducing situational awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If monochrome light is injected into the night vision goggle's objective lens, then digital data can be transmitted to the user, but tube burn-in occurs which damages the device over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the light injection function from the night vision goggle's objective lens by introducing a separate waveguide display component. This waveguide display delivers digital data light through a different optical path that does not pass through the night vision lens, thereby eliminating the tube burn-in problem while maintaining digital data transmission capability
Solution Approach 2:
The waveguide display acts as an intermediary component between the digital data source and the night vision goggle. It receives digital data, converts it to light, and delivers it through an intermediate optical path via the waveguide, avoiding direct injection into the night vision lens and preventing damage
2Loss of information
If clip-on architecture with monochrome light injection is used, then digital data can be provided to the user, but situational awareness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the optical paths into two separate channels: one for night vision imaging and another for digital data display through the waveguide. This segmentation allows both functions to operate simultaneously without interfering with each other, maintaining situational awareness while providing digital information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the night vision imaging function and digital data display function into a single integrated system where both optical paths converge at the user's eye. The waveguide display combines digital data light with the night vision image light, providing enhanced situational awareness while maintaining digital data transmission
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 solution achieves a significant power savings of up to 80% compared to LCOS and DLP displays, while eliminating 'tube burn-in' and maintaining situational awareness in night operations.
Implementation Method 1
An Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display is used to bring display light carrying 'data' to a user's eyes
Implementation Method 2
The waveguide display is designed to optically fuse the emitted light with light from a night vision apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods are taught to optically fuse first output light containing visual data with second output light emitted from a night vision device. A waveguide display is aligned relative to an eyepiece of the night vision device. When the waveguide display is in an ON state and second output light exits the eyepiece, the second output light passes through the waveguide display. A display has an input and is configured to receive a display input signal containing visual data. The display is configured to emit light responsive to the display input signal. An optical device is disposed between the display and the waveguide display. The optical device couples emitted light from the display into the waveguide display. When in the ON state, the waveguide display emits first output light which optically fuses with second output light.