US 8,783,931 B2 · Light injection system and method for uniform luminosity of waveguide-based displays

Abstract

The attenuation of light per unit length in a waveguide as a result of active pixels (i.e., open pixels) may be corrected or mitigated by injecting apodized light into the waveguide. A light injection system and method is provided to enhance the luminous uniformity of the active pixels in a waveguide-based display. Embodiments of the present invention include a slab waveguide having a first edge and a second edge that intersect at a vertex, a first light source disposed along the first edge, and a second light source disposed along the second edge. The first light source, or the second light source, or both, comprises an apodized light source.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A light system comprising:

a slab waveguide comprising a first edge and a second edge that intersect at a vertex;
and
a light source disposed along at least part of the first edge;
wherein:
no light source is disposed along the second edge;
the light source comprises an array of at least four constituent light sources located along an entire distance from the vertex to a center of the first edge;
and
each constituent light source in the array located along the entire distance from the vertex to the center of the first edge is separated from each neighboring constituent light source by a spacing distance, each spacing distance larger than the preceding spacing distance located closer to the vertex along the entire distance from the vertex to the center of the first edge.

5 more elements

A light system comprising:

a slab waveguide comprising a first edge, a second edge, and a third edge, the first edge intersecting the second edge and the third edge at respective vertices;
and
a light source disposed along the first edge comprising an array of constituent light sources located along an entire distance from one of the respective vertices to a center of the first edge, wherein:
no light source is disposed along the second and third edges;
and
each constituent light source in the array located along the entire distance from the one of the respective vertices to the center of the first edge inputs light into the slab waveguide with less intensity than the preceding constituent light source located closer to the one of the respective vertices over the entire distance from the one of the respective vertices to the center of the first edge.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/086,775Filed 14 Apr 2011 · continuation in part

Priority

3 Dec 2007

Published

US 2011/0013423 A129 Sep 2011

Granted

22 Jul 2014

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G02B 6/0073
Characterised by the light source being coupled to the light guide: light emitting diode [LED]
G02B 6/0031
Provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source: reflecting…
G02B 6/005
Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide: provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed on the light…
G02B 6/0068
Characterised by the light source being coupled to the light guide: arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources

Family

Application60/992,080Us provisional application · filed 3 Dec 2007

PCT/US2008/085442Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Dec 2008

US 2011/0235365 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Sep 2011

Application12/746,138Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2011/0013423 A1Published application

US 8,783,931 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Light injection system and method for uniform luminosity of waveguide-based displays

Life of this patent

Light injection system and method for uniform luminosity of waveguide-based displays

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26