Optical system for head-mounted display

A head-mounted device configured to present images to a user, comprising:

• a support structure configured to be worn on a head of the user;
• a display system supported by the support structure that produces circularly polarized light for the images;
• and
• a catadioptric optical system supported by the support structure that focuses the light as the light passes to the user from the display system, wherein the catadioptric optical system includes a first lens element having a first surface that is convex and having an opposing second surface, a partially reflecting mirror on the first surface, a quarter wave plate at the second surface, a second lens element having a third surface at the quarter wave plate and an opposing fourth surface that is concave, and a reflective polarizer at the fourth surface having a polarization reflection axis and having a polarization pass axis that is perpendicular to the polarization reflection axis, wherein the first and second lens elements, the quarter wave plate, and the reflective polarizer are adhesively bonded together to form a solid lens assembly, wherein the catadioptric optical system further comprises a linear polarizer, wherein the second lens element is interposed between the linear polarizer and the quarter wave plate, and wherein the polarization pass axis of the linear polarizer is parallel to the polarization pass axis of the reflective polarizer.

A head-mounted device configured to present images to a user, comprising:

• a support structure configured to be worn on a head of the user;
• a display system supported by the support structure that produces circularly polarized light for the images;
• and
• a catadioptric optical system supported by the support structure that focuses the light as the light passes to the user from the display system, wherein the catadioptric optical system includes a first lens element having a first surface that is convex and having an opposing second surface, a partially reflecting mirror on the first surface, a quarter wave plate at the second surface, a second lens element having a third surface at the quarter wave plate and an opposing fourth surface that is concave, and a reflective polarizer at the fourth surface having a polarization reflection axis and having a polarization pass axis that is perpendicular to the polarization reflection axis, wherein the first and second lens elements, the quarter wave plate, and the reflective polarizer are adhesively bonded together to form a solid lens assembly, wherein the second and third surfaces are mating cylindrical surfaces, and wherein the quarter wave plate is bent along only one axis by a cylindrical surface when adhesively bonded into the solid lens assembly.

A head-mounted device configured to present images to a user, comprising:

• a support structure configured to be worn on a head of the user;
• a display system supported by the support structure that produces circularly polarized light for the images;
• and
• a solid catadioptric optical lens assembly supported by the support structure that focuses the light as the light passes to the user from the display system, wherein the catadioptric optical lens assembly includes a first lens element having a first surface that is aspherically convex and having an opposing second surface that is cylindrically concave, a partially reflecting mirror on the first surface, a quarter wave plate with cylindrical surfaces at the second surface, a second lens element having a third surface at the quarter wave plate that is cylindrically convex and an opposing fourth surface that is aspherically concave, a reflective polarizer at the fourth surface with aspherical surfaces having a reflection axis and having a pass axis that is perpendicular to the reflection axis and wherein the lens elements, the quarter wave plate and the reflective polarizer are bonded together with adhesive.

A head-mounted display configured to display images viewable by a user, comprising:

• an array of pixels configured to produce the images;
• a linear polarizer through which light associated with the images passes;
• a first planar quarter wave plate that receives the light from the linear polarizer;
• a first lens element having a first surface that is convex and having an opposing second surface;
• a partially reflecting mirror on the first surface;
• a second quarter wave plate at the second surface;
• a second lens element having a third surface at the second quarter wave plate and an opposing fourth surface that is concave;
• and
• a reflective polarizer at the fourth surface having a polarization reflection axis and having a polarization pass axis that is perpendicular to the polarization reflection axis.