Method of selecting a state of a switchable half waveplate and selecting an optical power of a liquid lens structure in optical series with a liquid crystal lens in a head-mounted display

A head-mounted display (HMD) comprising:

• a varifocal block that receives content from an electronic display, and presents the content over a plurality of image planes that are associated with different optical powers of the varifocal block, the varifocal block comprising:
• a liquid crystal (LC) lens,
• a liquid lens structure in optical series with the LC lens, the liquid lens structure having a range of optical power, and
• a switchable half waveplate (SHWP) that is in optical series with the liquid lens structure and the LC lens,
• wherein the HMD is configured to:
• select a state of the SHWP,
• select an optical power of the liquid lens structure from the range of optical power;
• and
• adjust the SHWP to the selected state and the liquid lens structure to the selected optical power, and
• wherein a range of adjustment of optical power for the varifocal block is based in part on the state of the SHWP and the range of optical power of the liquid lens structure.

A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store program code instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

• selecting a state of a switchable half waveplate (SHWP) of a varifocal block;
• selecting an optical power of a liquid lens structure of the varifocal block from a range of optical power, the liquid lens structure in optical series with a liquid crystal (LC) lens and the SHWP;
• and
• adjusting the SHWP to the selected state and the liquid lens structure to the selected optical power,
• wherein a range of adjustment of optical power for the varifocal block is based in part on the state of the SHWP and the range of optical power of the liquid lens structure.