# US 11,442,306 B2 · Optical display system, method, and applications

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- Number: US 11,442,306 B2
- Document ID: US11442306B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/435,171
- Filed: 2019-06-07
- Published: 2019-09-19
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-09
- Assignees: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
- Applicants: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
- Inventors: Yun-han Lee; Fenglin Peng; Guanjun Tan; Yishi Weng; Shin-Tson Wu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442306B2

## CPC

- G02F 1/133528: {Polarisers}
- G02B 5/3083: {Birefringent or phase retarding elements (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001)}
- G02B 6/0056: {for producing polarisation effects, e.g. by a surface with polarizing properties or by an additional polarizing elements}
- G02B 6/3522: {the optical element enabling or impairing total internal reflection (using evanescent coupling G02B6/3536)}
- G02B 17/086: {wherein the system is made of a single block of optical material, e.g. solid catadioptric systems}
- G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features}
- G02B 30/25: using polarisation techniques
- G02F 1/133504: {Diffusing, scattering, diffracting elements (associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133606)}
- G02F 1/133526: {Lenses, e.g. microlenses or Fresnel lenses}
- G02B 2027/0174: {holographic}
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

An optical display system includes an information display (image-generating) component, a polarization rotator, a polarization dependent optical element, an input holographic coupler, a light guide and an output holographic coupler. By controlling the polarization of the displayed light through the polarization rotator, the polarization dependent optical element changes the viewable content to different distances from the viewer. This enables the generation of a proper light field which will then be coupled into the light guide through the input holographic coupler, and finally go through the output holographic coupler to a user's eye.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical display system, comprising:
an optical image-generating apparatus having an optical axis, including:
a programmable/controllable (virtual) image-generating component adapted to generate a polarized image output;
a polarization rotator disposed to accept the polarized image output and adapted to control a polarization state of the image output between at least two different polarization states; and
a polarization dependent component disposed to accept an output from the polarization rotator and having a different focal length for each of the different polarization states of the image output; and
an optical image-viewing apparatus, including:
a single total internal reflection (TIR) light guide disposed transverse to the optical axis or the optical image-generating apparatus;
a single input holographic coupler disposed at an input region of the TIR light guide; and
a single output holographic coupler disposed at an output region of the TIR light guide
wherein different image distances of the image seen by a viewer can be displayed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical display system or claim 1, wherein the polarized image output is linear polarized or is circular polarized.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The optical display system of claim 1, wherein a distance between the polarization rotator and the polarization-dependent component is equal to or less than 10 cm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The optical display system of claim 1, wherein the polarization-dependent component comprises a diffractive liquid crystal wave-plate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The optical display system of claim 1, wherein the polarization-dependent component is a combination of a diffractive liquid crystal wave-plate and a polarization-independent lens disposed adjacent or in contact.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The optical display system of claim 1, wherein the optical image-viewing apparatus further comprises a second TIR light guide, wherein the second TIR light guide includes a single second input holographic coupler disposed correspondingly adjacent to the single first input holographic coupler and a single second output holographic coupler disposed correspondingly adjacent the first output holographic coupler, wherein the first input holographic coupler operationally deflects a green component of the output from the optical image-generating apparatus in the first TIR light guide and operationally transmits a red and a blue component of the output from the optical image-generating apparatus, wherein the second input holographic coupler operationally deflects the red and the blue components in the second TIR light guide, wherein the second output holographic coupler operationally deflects the red and the blue components to the output holographic coupler, and wherein the first output holographic coupler operationally deflects the green component and operationally transmits the red and the blue components in the form of an output image of the optical display system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The optical display system of claim 1, further comprising a support structure such that the optical display system is wearable by a viewer.

### Claim 8

An optical image display/view system, comprising:
a programmable/controllable image-generating component adapted to generate a polarized image output;
a polarization rotator disposed to accept the polarized image output and adapted to control the polarization of the polarized image output between desired polarization states; and
a polarization dependent component disposed to accept an output from the polarization rotator and having a different focal length for each of the different polarization states of the image output.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The optical image display/view system of claim 8, further comprising a reflector disposed optically after the polarization dependent component.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The optical image display/view system of claim 8, further comprising an engineered free-form lens adapted so that light can be guided into the lens disposed at the output side or the polarization dependent component.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The optical image display/view system of claim 8, further comprising a lens disposed either optically in front of or behind the polarization dependent component.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The optical image display/view system of claim 8, wherein a distance between the polarization rotator and the polarization-dependent component is equal to or less than 10 cm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The optical image display/view system of claim 8, wherein the polarization-dependent component is a diffractive liquid crystal wave-plate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The optical image display/view system of claim 8, wherein the polarization-dependent component is a combination of a diffractive liquid crystal wave-plate and a polarization-independent lens disposed adjacently or in contact.

### Claim 15 (depends on 8)

The optical image display/view system of claim 8, wherein the polarization-dependent component is a combination of a birefringent lens and a polarization-independent lens disposed in adjacent or in contact.

### Claim 16

A method of providing a viewable image to a viewer, comprising:
providing an optical image-generating apparatus having an optical axis, including a programmable/controllable (virtual) image-generating component adapted to generate a polarized image output; a polarization rotator disposed to accept the polarized image output; and a polarization dependent optical element disposed to accept an output from the polarization rotator;
using the polarization rotator to controllably change a polarization state of the polarized image output between at least two polarization states; and
using the polarization dependent optical element to obtain a different focal length corresponding to a respective polarization state
wherein different image distances of the image seen by a viewer can be displayed.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method or claim 16, further comprising inputting an output from the polarization dependent optical element to an optical image-viewing apparatus including at least one total internal reflection (TIR) light guide disposed transverse to the optical axis of the optical image-generating apparatus; a single input holographic coupler disposed at an input region of the TIR light guide; and a single output holographic coupler disposed at an output region of the TIR light guide.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising electrically changing the polarization state of the polarized image output.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising generating at least one of a linear polarized image output and a circular polarized image output.