Microlens collimator for scanning optical fiber in virtual/augmented reality system

A virtual image generation system for rendering a virtual image, comprising:

• an optical fiber that emits light form a distal end of the optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber comprises a longitudinal direction in a nominal position and is driven to vibrate in one or more scan patterns about a fulcrum along the longitudinal direction;
• a collimation element that is operatively coupled to the optical fiber and comprises a single lens collimates the light emitted from the distal end of the optical fiber into collimated light in a direction proximate to the longitudinal direction;
• a waveguide apparatus that is operatively coupled to the collimation element and receives the collimated light;
• a graphics processing unit that is operatively coupled to the waveguide apparatus and generates a stereoscopic virtual image at least by diffracting the collimated light at a plurality of focal depths with at least an optical diffractive element in the waveguide apparatus;
• and
• a microprocessor that executes an instruction stored in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, wherein execution of the instruction by the microprocessor causes the microprocessor to increase a field of view of a user of the virtual image generation system at least by increasing a range of movement of the distal end of the optical fiber with an additional weight of the collimation element.

A virtual image generation system for rendering a virtual image, comprising:

• an optical fiber that emits light form a distal end of the optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber comprises a longitudinal direction in a nominal position and is driven to vibrate in one or more scan patterns about a fulcrum along the longitudinal direction;
• a collimation element that is operatively coupled to the optical fiber and comprises a single lens collimates the light emitted from the distal end of the optical fiber into collimated light in a direction proximate to the longitudinal direction;
• a waveguide apparatus that is operatively coupled to the collimation element and receives the collimated light;
• a graphics processing unit that is operatively coupled to the waveguide apparatus and generates a stereoscopic virtual image at least by diffracting the collimated light at a plurality of focal depths with at least an optical diffractive element in the waveguide apparatus;
• and
• a microprocessor that executes an instruction stored in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, wherein execution of the instruction by the microprocessor causes the microprocessor to configure the collimation element to include a collimation direction for receiving the light emitted from the distal end of the optical fiber without having a different collimation angle for the collimation element to accommodate a sweep of the optical fiber when the optical fiber vibrates in a scan pattern of the one or more scan patterns.

A virtual image generation system for rendering a virtual image, comprising:

• means for emitting light from a distal end of an optical fiber in the virtual image generation system, wherein the optical fiber comprises a longitudinal direction in a nominal position and is driven to vibrate in one or more scan patterns about a fulcrum along the longitudinal direction;
• means for collimating the light emitted from the distal end of the optical fiber into collimated light in a direction proximate to the longitudinal direction using at least a collimation element having a single lens;
• means for receiving the collimated light at a waveguide apparatus of the virtual image generation system;
• means for generating a stereoscopic virtual image at least by diffracting the collimated light at a plurality of focal depths with at least an optical diffractive element in the waveguide apparatus;
• means for generating diverged light, which diverges from the longitudinal direction, from the light emitted from the distal end of the optical fiber at least by driving, using a drive assembly of the virtual image generation system, at least the distal end of the optical fiber according to a scan pattern of the one or more scan patterns;
• means for converging the diverged light in the plurality of off-axis directions towards a central portion of an optical waveguide as converged light by using at least an optical modulation apparatus of the virtual image generation system;
• and propagating the converged light to an exit pupil of the virtual image generation system with at least the optical waveguide, wherein
• the diverged light is generated in a plurality of off-axis directions that deviates from the longitudinal direction when the optical fiber is in the nominal position.