Smart Glasses Planar Waveguide Eyepieces for View Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart glasses with optical structures often interfere with the user's field-of-view or appear aesthetically unappealing to onlookers due to visible decorations that are not integrated into the optical operation, leading to negative responses.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an onlooker-functional portion in the eyepiece that is shaped to be aesthetically pleasing and not optically coupled to the display, while the user-functional portion maintains optical functionality, with features like diffractive or reflective layers and coatings designed to minimize interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If decorations are added to the eyepieces for onlooker enjoyment, then aesthetic appeal to onlookers is improved, but the user's field-of-view is interfered with or blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The eyepiece is segmented into two distinct portions: a user-functional portion that maintains optical clarity for the user's field of view, and an onlooker-functional portion that contains aesthetic decorations. This segmentation allows each portion to serve its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between aesthetic appeal and field-of-view integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the eyepiece are assigned different optical qualities: the user-functional portion maintains high transparency and optical performance, while the onlooker-functional portion incorporates decorative features. This local differentiation of quality allows aesthetic decorations to be added without uniformly degrading the optical properties across the entire eyepiece.
2Shape
If optical structures are made visible to onlookers, then aesthetic appeal may be improved with proper design, but unpleasant or distracting views are created
Solution Approach 1:
The eyepiece incorporates an onlooker-functional portion with specific aesthetic designs that are optimized for visual appeal to onlookers, while maintaining a user-functional portion with standard optical properties. This local quality differentiation ensures that visible optical structures contribute to aesthetic appeal rather than creating unpleasant or distracting views.
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 enhances the user's experience by minimizing optical interference and providing an appealing appearance to onlookers, promoting positive reactions and reducing discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
a planar waveguide configured to transmit the light rays from the image generation engine
Implementation Method 2
at least one optical element configured to couple the light rays into, and to provide the light rays from, the planar waveguide
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable device for augmented reality applications including an image generation engine to generate multiple light rays forming an image, and an eyepiece including a display to project the image to a user for an augmented reality application, is provided. The eyepiece includes a planar waveguide configured to transmit the light rays from the image generation engine. The wearable device also includes at least one optical element configured to couple the light rays into, and to provide the light rays from, the planar waveguide and through an eyebox limiting a volume that includes a pupil of the user, and a user-functional portion of the eyepiece including the at least one optical element, the user-functional portion shaped according to a pre-selected format that is aesthetically appealing to an onlooker when the immersive reality device is worn by a user.