Stacked Waveguide Near-Eye Display Brightness Enhancement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Near-eye display devices face challenges in enhancing the brightness and angle of view of projected images, particularly in waveguide-based systems used for augmented and virtual reality applications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a near-eye display device with a stack of first waveguide structures, ingoing and outgoing coupling grating structures, and an excitation light source, where the outgoing coupling grating structure, potentially made from photoluminescent materials like quantum dots, is irradiated to enhance the brightness and angle of view by exciting and outputting light corresponding to pixel colors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If waveguide structures are used to convey light in near-eye display devices, then the device can project images to the user's eyes, but the brightness and angle of view of the projected images are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide structure is divided into multiple stacked waveguide layers, each layer responsible for specific color channels (RGB). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each layer's optical properties, enabling enhanced brightness and viewing angle while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-plane grating structure to a three-dimensional stacked waveguide configuration with gratings positioned at multiple depths and orientations. This dimensional expansion enables simultaneous control of light coupling, propagation, and outcoupling, resolving the contradiction between brightness enhancement and structural complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional waveguide structures are used, then light transmission is achieved, but the angle of view and brightness of the displayed image are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the waveguide structure are assigned different optical properties - specific grating periods, orientations, and depths are tailored for different color channels and viewing angles. This local optimization enables wide angle of view across all color channels while maintaining high brightness through region-specific light coupling efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite waveguide structures combining multiple materials with different refractive indices and optical properties in a stacked configuration. This composite approach enables simultaneous achievement of wide viewing angle through total internal reflection control and high brightness through optimized light extraction at each interface
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 improves the brightness and angle of view of the near-eye display device by effectively transmitting and outputting light with increased intensity and directional emission, enhancing the overall visualization experience.
Implementation Method 1
the ingoing coupling grating structure is configured to transmit the light of pixel colors emitted by the projection-based display into the first waveguide structures
Implementation Method 2
the outgoing coupling grating structure, potentially made from photoluminescent materials like quantum dots, is irradiated to enhance the brightness and angle of view by exciting and outputting light corresponding to pixel colors
Implementation Method 3
Waveguides may be used in a near-eye display device to convey light representing artificially-generated images from an image generation component of the device to the eyes of a user
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a near-eye display device and a near-eye display system. The excitation light source structure provides excitation light to the first waveguide structure, and the outgoing coupling grating structure corresponding to the first waveguide structure receiving the excitation light may be further irradiated by the excitation light, and be excited and output the light with a pixel color corresponding to the first waveguide structure. That is, the outgoing coupling grating structure corresponding to the first waveguide structure receiving the excitation light can derive the light with the corresponding pixel color emitted by the projection-based display, and be excited by the excitation light emitted by the excitation light source structure to output light with a pixel color corresponding to the first waveguide structure.