Non-Pupil-Expansion Optical Waveguide Sight for Accurate Aiming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reflective sights, such as red dot and holographic sights, suffer from issues of large size and poor display performance, including chromatic aberration and aiming errors.
Innovation Solution
An optical waveguide sight is developed, comprising a light source, collimating element, and a non-pupil-expansion optical waveguide that redirects and transmits light beams for stable image presentation at infinity, minimizing chromatic aberration and aiming errors while maintaining a compact structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If red dot sights are used to achieve simplicity and compact size, then device complexity and size are reduced, but field of view becomes narrow and chromatic aberration occurs affecting aiming accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into distinct functional regions: in-coupling region for light entry, total internal reflection region for light redirection, and out-coupling region for light exit. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized independently, achieving both compact size and high aiming accuracy through the waveguide structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical waveguide acts as an intermediary component between the light source and the user's eye. It mediates the light transmission process by using total internal reflection to redirect light paths, thereby expanding the effective field of view and eliminating chromatic aberration while maintaining a compact form factor.
2Measurement precision
If holographic sights are used to eliminate chromatic aberration and improve stability, then aiming accuracy is improved, but device size and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex holographic optical systems with a simpler waveguide-based optical system. The waveguide uses total internal reflection—a fundamental optical phenomenon—instead of complex holographic elements, thereby achieving similar or superior performance with reduced structural complexity and lower manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental optical parameters by using a waveguide structure with specific refractive index differences between the core and cladding layers. This parameter change enables total internal reflection, which provides chromatic aberration-free image transmission comparable to holographic sights but with simpler construction.
3Volume of moving object
If traditional optical waveguides are used to reduce device size, then compactness is achieved, but optical efficiency loss increases due to pupil expansion requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of expanding the pupil to maintain optical efficiency (as in traditional waveguide designs), this invention inverts the approach by using total internal reflection to redirect light paths within the waveguide. This inversion allows the optical system to maintain high efficiency while keeping the device compact, as the light is reflected rather than expanded.
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 optical waveguide sight achieves a broad field of view, reduces optical efficiency loss, and enhances user experience by ensuring image area consistency and minimizing light loss, thus addressing the issues of large size and poor display performance.
Implementation Method 1
The collimating element is configured to collimate a light beam emitted from the light source to form a first parallel light beam
Implementation Method 2
The non-pupil-expansion optical waveguide is configured to redirect and transmit the first parallel light beam to an out-coupling region of the non-pupil-expansion optical waveguide
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are an optical waveguide and an optical waveguide sight, relating to optics technical field. In the optical waveguide sight, a light source and a collimating element are sequentially arranged along an in-coupling channel of a non-pupil-expansion optical waveguide. The collimating element is configured to collimate light beam emitted from light source, forming first parallel light beam, which is transmitted to the in-coupling region. The non-pupil-expansion optical waveguide is configured to redirect and transmit the first parallel light beam to an out-coupling region thereof to form second parallel light beam that is emitted to human eyes. The non-pupil-expansion optical waveguide enables efficient transmission and expansion of optical path with compact structure, broadening effective observation field of view while maintaining small footprint. Moreover, precise light-guiding characteristics of the optical waveguide prevents refraction deviations of light when it propagates at edges, reducing chromatic aberration and aiming errors, thereby enhancing display effect.