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US 11,726,323 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for generating input images for holographic waveguide displays
AssigneesDigiLens Inc., Rockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsMilan Momcilo Popovich, Jonathan David Waldern, Alastair John Grant
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image generation device includes: a spatial light modulator; a source of light; a beam deflector; an illumination waveguide and an image transport waveguide, each waveguide containing at least one switchable grating; and a coupler for directing scanned light into a first set of TIR paths in said illumination waveguide. A switchable grating in the illumination waveguide diffracts light onto said SLM, a switchable grating in said image transport waveguide diffracting image-modulated from the SLM into a waveguide path.
Claims16
An image generation device comprising:
- an image source configured to project collimated image-modulated light of a first wavelength over a field of view comprising a plurality of portions of the field of view;
- and
- a waveguide supporting a plurality of switchable gratings each switchable between a non-diffracting state and a diffracting state and configured to couple said image-modulated light into said waveguide,
- wherein said plurality of switchable gratings:
- are configured to switch into their diffracting states in synchronism with the projection of one or more selected portions of said field of view by said image source,
- in their diffracting states, provide an aperture for coupling light into said waveguide,
- are configured to provide a different aperture for each said field of view portion,
- are recorded in a liquid crystal and polymer holographic recording material, and
- exhibit high diffraction efficiency with no voltage applied and low diffraction efficiency with a voltage applied.
6 more elements
An image generation device comprising:
- an image source configured to project collimated image-modulated light of a first wavelength over a field of view comprising a plurality of portions of the field of view;
- a waveguide supporting a plurality of switchable gratings each switchable between a non-diffracting state and a diffracting state and configured to couple said image-modulated light into said waveguide;
- and
- at least one of a collimating lens or a despeckler,
- wherein said plurality of switchable gratings:
- are configured to switch into their diffracting states in synchronism with the projection of one or more selected portions of said field of view by said image source
- in their diffracting states, provide an aperture for coupling light into said waveguide,
- are configured to provide a different aperture for each said field of view portion, and
- are recorded in a liquid crystal and polymer holographic recording material.
6 more elements
An image generation device comprising:
- an image source configured to project collimated image-modulated light of a first wavelength over a field of view comprising a plurality of portions of the field of view;
- and
- a waveguide supporting a plurality of switchable gratings each switchable between a non-diffracting state and a diffracting state and configured to couple said image-modulated light into said waveguide,
- wherein said plurality of switchable gratings:
- are configured to switch into their diffracting states in synchronism with the projection of one or more selected portions of said field of view by said image source,
- in their diffracting states, provide an aperture for coupling light into said waveguide,
- are configured to provide a different aperture for each said field of view portion, and
- are recorded in a liquid crystal and polymer holographic recording material,
- wherein said image source comprises:
- a spatial light modulator;
- a source emitting first wavelength light;
- a beam deflector for forming said light into a scanned beam;
- an illumination waveguide containing at least one switchable grating disposed in at least one layer;
- an image transport waveguide containing said at least one switchable grating disposed in at least one layer;
- and
- a coupler for directing said scanned beam into a first set of total internal reflection paths in said illumination waveguide,
- wherein said at least one switchable grating in said illumination waveguide is configured to diffract light out of said first set of total internal reflection paths onto said spatial light modulator, and
- wherein said at least one switchable grating in said image transport waveguide is configured to diffract the image-modulated light from said spatial light modulator into a second set of total internal reflection paths in said image transport waveguide.
15 more elements
An image generation device comprising:
- an image source configured to project collimated image-modulated light of a first wavelength over a field of view comprising a plurality of portions of the field of view;
- and
- a waveguide supporting a first plurality of switchable gratings each switchable between a non-diffracting state and a diffracting state and configured to couple said image-modulated light into said waveguide,
- wherein said plurality of switchable gratings:
- are configured to switch into their diffracting states in synchronism with the projection of one or more selected portions of said field of view by said image source,
- in their diffracting states provide an aperture for coupling light into said waveguide, and
- are configured to provide a different aperture for each said field of view portion, and
- wherein said image source provides image-modulated light of a second wavelength and said waveguide supports a second plurality of switchable gratings for diffracting said second wavelength image-modulated light.
5 more elements
An image generation device comprising:
- an image source configured to project collimated image-modulated light of a first wavelength over a field of view comprising a plurality of portions of the field of view;
- and
- a waveguide supporting a first plurality of switchable gratings each switchable between a non-diffracting state and a diffracting state and configured to couple said image-modulated light into said waveguide,
- wherein said plurality of switchable gratings:
- are configured to switch into their diffracting states in synchronism with the projection of one or more selected portions of said field of view by said image source,
- in their diffracting states provide an aperture for coupling light into said waveguide,
- are configured to provide a different aperture for each said field of view portion, and
- include at least one grating selected from the group consisting of:
- a uniform modulation holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) grating, a non-switching HPDLC grating, a reverse mode HPDLC grating, and a surface relief grating.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.