Nose-Bridge Projector Layout for Binocular Waveguide Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices, such as head-mounted displays, face challenges with bulky components and suboptimal optical performance, particularly in ensuring binocular alignment and minimizing the size of the nose bridge without compromising image quality.
Innovation Solution
The use of scanning mirrors and wavelength-specific optical couplers within the nose bridge optics to direct image light to waveguides, combined with binocularly combined freeform prisms, allows for compact projection systems that maintain optical performance and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If display panels and optical couplers are mounted within the nose bridge, then binocular alignment is improved, but the nose bridge size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing the left display projector and right display projector within the nose bridge structure, which itself contains waveguides and optical couplers. The left waveguide and right waveguide are positioned within the nose bridge, creating a nested arrangement where projectors, waveguides, and couplers are contained within the compact nose bridge volume. This nested configuration achieves precise binocular alignment while minimizing the overall nose bridge size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial arrangement by positioning display panels, optical couplers, and waveguides in multiple dimensions within the nose bridge. The left and right projectors are arranged in stereo configuration with waveguides extending in different spatial directions, allowing compact integration through volumetric utilization rather than simple linear arrangement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If scanning mirrors are used to direct image light, then field of view is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning mirrors are integrated into the nose bridge optics to serve multiple functions: directing image light from display panels to waveguides, expanding the field of view, and maintaining binocular alignment. The same optical path accommodates both the projection function and the scanning function, reducing the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
3Manufacturing precision
If wavelength-specific optical couplers are used, then optical performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies wavelength-specific optical couplers at specific locations within the optical path where they are most effective. Different regions of the nose bridge contain couplers optimized for specific wavelengths, allowing high optical performance for each wavelength band while managing manufacturing complexity by placing specialized components only where necessary rather than throughout the entire system.
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
This configuration minimizes the size of the nose bridge while ensuring high-resolution, binocularly aligned image projection, reducing the need for resource-intensive alignment adjustments and maintaining user comfort.
Implementation Method 1
display panels that emit image light
Implementation Method 2
Optics in the nose bridge may direct the image light to the left and right waveguides
Implementation Method 3
Optical couplers may couple the image light into the waveguides and may couple the image light out of the waveguides and towards the eye boxes
Implementation Method 4
The scanning mirrors may scan the image light over different portions of the fields of view of the left and right eye boxes
Implementation Method 5
a binocularly combined freeform prism that directs image light from both projectors to the left and right waveguides
Data Source
AI summary
A head-mounted device may have a nose bridge that joins a first and second waveguides. The first and second waveguides may overlap respective eye boxes. The device may include display projectors in the nose bridge. The display projectors may include display panels that emit image light. The nose bridge may include optics that direct the image light to the first and second waveguides. Optical couplers on the first and second waveguides may couple the image light into the first and second waveguides and may couple the image light out of the first and second waveguides and towards the eye boxes. The optics in the nose bridge may include scanning mirrors, additional waveguides, and/or a binocularly combined freeform prism.