Eyewear waveguide with reflector

A method for presenting an image on eyewear to be worn by a user, the eyewear having a lens including first and second surfaces defining at least one waveguide, the first surface facing an eye of the user and the second surface facing away from the eye of the user when the eyewear is worn, the method comprising:

• projecting light into an input light coupler on one of the first surface or the second surface adjacent a perimeter of the lens and configured to couple the projected light into at least one waveguide;
• coupling, with an output light coupler for the at least one waveguide that is positioned in a viewing area on the first surface of the lens, a first portion of projected light including the image out of the at least one waveguide toward the eye of the user and to reflect a second portion of the projected light into the at least one waveguide;
• and
• redirecting back toward the output light coupler with a first reflector on the second surface of the lens opposite the output light coupler the second portion of the light received from the output light coupler having an angle of incidence with respect to the second surface of the lens that would result in the second portion of the light exiting the at least one waveguide through the second surface of the lens in the absence of the first reflector, wherein the second portion of the light redirected by the first reflector is coupled by the output light coupler out of the at least one waveguide toward the eye of the user with the first portion of the light so as to increase brightness of the light including the image projected toward the eye of the user.

A method for forming eyewear to be worn by a user, the method comprising:

• forming an output light coupler on a first surface of a lens, the output light coupler configured to at least one of couple light into a first waveguide or a second waveguide or couple light out of the first waveguide or second waveguide, the output light coupler coupling a first portion of light including an image out of the first waveguide or second waveguide toward an eye of the user and reflecting a second portion of light including the image into the first waveguide or second waveguide;
• forming an input light coupler on one of the first surface or the second surface adjacent a perimeter of the lens and configured to couple projected light into the first waveguide or the second waveguide;
• and
• forming a first reflector on a second surface of the lens opposite the output light coupler, the first reflector configured to redirect back toward the output light coupler the second portion of light from the output light coupler having an angle of incidence with respect to the second surface of the lens that would result in the second portion of the light exiting the first waveguide or second waveguide through the second surface in the absence of the first reflector, wherein the second portion of the light redirected by the first reflector is coupled by the output light coupler out of the first waveguide or second waveguide toward the eye of the user with the first portion of the light including the image so as to increase brightness of the light including the image projected toward the eye of the user.