Waveguides with extended field of view

A method for using an optical waveguide to replicate an image associated with an input-pupil to an output-pupil, the method comprising:

• coupling light corresponding to the image associated with the input-pupil, and having a corresponding field of view (FOV), into the optical waveguide;
• splitting the FOV of the image coupled into the optical waveguide into first and second portions by diffracting a portion of the light corresponding to the image in a first direction, and diffracting a portion of the light corresponding to the image in a second direction, wherein the first and second directions differ from one another, and wherein the first and second portions of the FOV differ from one another;
• and
• after the light corresponding to the image has travelled through portions of the optical waveguide by way of total internal reflection, combining the light corresponding to the first and second portions of the FOV, and coupling the light corresponding to the combined first and second portions of the FOV out of the optical waveguide so that the light corresponding to the image and the combined first and second portions of the FOV is output from the optical waveguide and viewable from the output-pupil.

A head-mounted display (HMD) or a heads-up display (HUD) system, comprising:

• a display engine configured to produce an image;
• an optical waveguide including an input-coupler, first and second intermediate-components, and an output-coupler;
• the input-coupler configured to:
• couple light corresponding to the image produced by the display engine, and having a corresponding field of view (FOV), into the optical waveguide;
• and
• split the FOV of the image coupled into the optical waveguide into first and second portions by diffracting a portion of the light corresponding to the image in a first direction toward the first intermediate-component, and diffracting a portion of the light corresponding to the image in a second direction toward the second-intermediate component, wherein the first and second directions differ from one another, and wherein the first and second portions of the FOV differ from one another;
• and
• the output-coupler configured to combine the light corresponding to the first and second portions of the FOV, which travel from the first and second intermediate-components to the output-coupler by way of total internal reflection, and couple the light corresponding to the combined first and second portions of the FOV out of the optical waveguide so that the light corresponding to the image and having the combined first and second portions of the FOV is output from the optical waveguide.