Waveguide Eyepiece Beam Cloning for Higher Wavefront Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image display systems using waveguide eyepieces suffer from low resolution due to sparse output beamlets, leading to artifacts like the 'screen door' effect, which cannot be effectively addressed by reducing substrate thickness alone.
Innovation Solution
The method involves cloning and offsetting incoming light beams to generate multiple beamlets within the waveguide, using optical devices with partially reflective and reflective surfaces to increase beamlet density independently of substrate thickness, and employing wavelength-sensitive diffraction to further enhance beamlet generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If substrate thickness is reduced to increase beamlet density, then resolution improves, but manufacturing complexity and difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single incoming beam to multiple cloned beams propagating at different angles within the waveguide. This angular dimensionality change allows multiple beamlets to be generated without reducing substrate thickness, as each cloned beam creates a distinct propagation path through the waveguide medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs beam cloning techniques where a single incoming light beam is replicated into multiple copies with different angular orientations. These cloned beams are then in-coupled into the waveguide, creating multiple output beamlets that enhance wavefront resolution without requiring thinner substrates.
2Measurement precision
If multiple beamlets are generated through wavelength-sensitive diffraction, then beamlet density increases, but optical system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes wavelength-sensitive diffraction to manipulate light propagation parameters. By exploiting the wavelength-dependent diffraction angles, the system generates multiple beamlets with different angular orientations from a single incoming beam, increasing beamlet density through parameter variation rather than structural complexity.
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 approach significantly enhances wavefront resolution, reducing the 'screen door' artifact and improving image quality by increasing the density of output beamlets without altering the substrate thickness, thereby enhancing the visual experience.
Implementation Method 1
the image light beam undergoes total internal reflection (TIR) inside the waveguide eyepiece
Implementation Method 2
employing wavelength-sensitive diffraction to further enhance beamlet generation
Implementation Method 3
using optical devices with partially reflective and reflective surfaces to increase beamlet density
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and system for increasing dynamic digitized wavefront resolution, i.e., the density of output beamlets, can include receiving a single collimated source light beam (710) and producing multiple output beamlets (730) spatially offset when out-coupled from a waveguide. A 2D array is created by four prisms (701, 702, 703, 704) and is fed to a waveguide (740).