Structured Optical Surface for HMD Field of View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional near-to-eye optical systems in HMDs suffer from limited field of view and bulkiness, restricting their practical applications due to the use of flat mirrors and input lenses, which cannot effectively reflect divergent rays to a single destination point and result in a small eyebox.
Innovation Solution
A structured optical surface with an array of tiltable mirror structures configured to direct divergent light rays to specific destination points, increasing the field of view and allowing for point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and multipoint-to-multipoint reflections, enabling a wider angle of view and improved image acuity by adjusting tilt angles and positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If flat mirrors are used to reflect light in conventional optical systems, then the system structure is simple, but the field of view is limited and image acuity is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides a single flat mirror surface into multiple discrete mirror structures arranged in an array. Each mirror structure can be independently tilted to control light reflection. This segmentation enables the system to capture light rays from a wider angular range, thereby expanding the field of view while maintaining a compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces tiltability to the mirror structures, allowing them to dynamically adjust their orientation. This dynamic capability enables each mirror element to redirect light rays from different angles to the appropriate destination points, significantly expanding the effective field of view and improving adaptability without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional optical systems use flat mirrors and input lenses, then manufacturing is straightforward, but the eyebox size is small and image focus is difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the mirror surface into multiple controllable elements, the system achieves precise control over light ray trajectories. Each mirror structure can be independently adjusted to direct specific rays to their intended destinations, enabling accurate image focusing and larger eyebox size while maintaining manufacturability through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the orientation parameter (tilt angle) of each mirror structure to control light reflection. By adjusting these parameters, the system can precisely control where light rays converge, achieving accurate image focus and optimizing the eyebox size without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
3Device complexity
If flat mirrors are used, then the reflective properties are uniform and simple, but divergent rays cannot be reflected to a single destination point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mirror surface into multiple independently controllable structures, allowing each segment to be tilted at different angles. This enables the system to take divergent light rays from a source and reflect them to a single destination point or distributed destination points, achieving precise light ray control that flat mirrors cannot provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different tilt angles to different local regions (mirror structures) of the optical surface. This local differentiation allows each mirror element to handle specific light rays appropriately, enabling the system to converge divergent rays to specific destination points while maintaining overall system simplicity.
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 structured optical surface significantly enhances the field of view and image acuity, allowing for augmented reality displays with increased eyebox size and improved resolution, while maintaining image focus by manipulating light ray trajectories and convergence angles.
Implementation Method 1
A structured optical surface with an array of tiltable mirror structures configured to direct divergent light rays to specific destination points
Data Source
AI summary
An optical structure includes an array of mirrors disposed on a substrate. The mirrors are disposed over a surface of the substrate and oriented at a plurality of different oblique angles relative to the surface of the substrate. The substrate comprises a clear substrate to pass external light through interstitial gaps between the mirror structures such that the optical structure is partially transparent and partially reflective. The optical structure may optionally be illuminated with an image source that emits substantially a single light ray per pixel of the image source to provide an optical system.