# US 2021/0239986 A1 · Display module and display device

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- Number: US 2021/0239986 A1
- Document ID: US20210239986A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/161,672
- Filed: 2021-01-29
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-31
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Masatoshi YONEKUBO; Mitsutaka IDE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210239986A1

## CPC

- G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features}
- G02B 27/4211: {correcting chromatic aberrations (G02B27/0056, G02B27/4222, G02B27/4227 take precedence)}
- G03H 1/0248: {Volume holograms}
- G02B 2027/011: {comprising device for correcting geometrical aberrations, distortion}
- G02B 2027/0112: {comprising device for genereting colour display}
- G02B 2027/0174: {holographic}
- G02B 2027/0178: {Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C)}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G03H: HOLOGRAPHIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS (holograms, e.g. point holograms, used as ordinary optical elements G02B5/32; producing stereoscopic or other three-dimensional effects G02B30/00; diffraction-grating systems G02B27/44; systems using moiré fringes G02B27/60; optical logic elements G02F3/00; stereo-photography G03B35/00; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; {stereo-photographic or similar processes G03C9/00}; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D; analogue computers performing mathematical operations with the aid of optical elements G06E3/00; authentication by radiation, of concealed information carried by holograms or diffraction gratings G06K19/16; holographic storage G11B7/0065, G11C13/04; {stereoscopic or other three dimensional effects in television systems H04N13/00})

## Abstract

A display module includes an image light generation device configured to generate image light, a first diffraction element including a first surface and a second surface and configured to diffract the image light, a first reflection section configured to reflect the image light, and a second diffraction element including a third surface and configured to diffract the image light. The first diffraction element is configured to transmit the image light incident on the first surface and emit the image light toward the first reflection section, the first reflection section is configured to reflect the image light toward the second surface, the first diffraction element is configured to diffract the image light incident on the second surface and emit the image light toward the second diffraction element, and the second diffraction element is configured to diffract the image light, emit the image light, and form an exit pupil.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A display module comprising:
an image light generation device configured to generate image light;
a first diffraction element including a first surface and a second surface and configured to diffract the image light;
a first reflection section configured to reflect the image light; and
a second diffraction element including a third surface and configured to diffract the image light, wherein
the first diffraction element is configured to transmit the image light incident on the first surface from the image light generation device and emit the image light from the second surface toward the first reflection section,
the first reflection section is configured to reflect the image light emitted from the first diffraction element toward the second surface of the first diffraction element,
the first diffraction element is configured to diffract the image light incident on the second surface from the first reflection section and emit the image light from the second surface toward the second diffraction element, and
the second diffraction element is configured to diffract the image light incident on the third surface from the first diffraction element, and emit the image light from the third surface, thereby forming an exit pupil.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The display module according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second reflection section configured to reflect the image light diffracted by the first diffraction element toward the second diffraction element.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The display module according to claim 1, wherein
the first diffraction element is configured to transmit the image light emitted from the image light generation device from the first surface toward the second surface as zero-order diffraction light, and emit the image light emitted from the first reflection section from the second surface toward the second diffraction element as first-order diffraction light.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The display module according to claim 3, wherein
the first diffraction element is composed of a volume hologram having an interference fringe including, alternately, a low refractive index portion having a relatively low refractive index and a high refractive index portion having a relatively high refractive index and
a difference between a refractive index of the low refractive index portion and a refractive index of the high refractive index portion is less than 0.020 and greater than or equal to 0.005.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The display module according to claim 1, wherein
the first diffraction element includes a light transmission section configured to transmit the image light emitted from the image light generation device, and is configured to transmit, through the light transmission section, the image light emitted from the image light generation device from the first surface toward the second surface, and emit, in a portion other than the light transmission section, the image light emitted from the first reflection section from the second surface toward the second diffraction element.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The display module according to claim 5, further comprising:
a focusing optical system configured to focus the image light emitted from the image light generation device onto the light transmission section.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The display module according to claim 1, wherein
the first diffraction element is configured to diffract the image light at a diffraction efficiency highest in a first direction when the image light is incident from a normal line direction of the second surface,
the second diffraction element is configured to diffract the image light at a diffraction efficiency highest in a second direction when the image light is incident from a normal line direction of the third surface, and
the first diffraction element and the second diffraction element are disposed so that
when a sum of a number of times the image light is reflected and a number of times an intermediate image is generated between the first diffraction element and the second diffraction element is an even number, an orientation of the first direction relative to the normal line direction of the second surface and an orientation of the second direction relative to the normal line direction of the third surface are in a same direction when viewed from a normal line direction of a virtual plane including a normal line of the second surface and a normal line of the third surface and
when the sum is an odd number, the orientation of the first direction relative to the normal line direction of the second surface and the orientation of the second direction relative to the normal line direction of the third surface are in different directions when viewed from the normal line direction of the virtual plane.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A display device comprising:
the display module according to claim 1 and
a housing configured to accommodate the display module.
