Abstract: Display devices include waveguides with in-coupling optical elements that mitigate re-bounce of in-coupled light to improve overall in-coupling efficiency and/or uniformity. A waveguide receives light from a light source and/or projection optics and includes an in-coupling optical element that in-couples the received light to propagate by total internal reflection in a propagation direction within the waveguide. Once in-coupled into the waveguide the light may undergo re-bounce, in which the light reflects off a waveguide surface and, after the reflection, strikes the in-coupling optical element. Upon striking the in-coupling optical element, the light may be partially absorbed and/or out-coupled by the optical element, thereby effectively reducing the amount of in-coupled light propagating through the waveguide.

Abstract: Very high refractive index (n>2.2) lightguide substrates enable the production of 70° field of view eyepieces with all three color primaries in a single eyepiece layer. Disclosed herein are viewing optics assembly architectures that make use of such eyepieces to reduce size and cost, simplifying manufacturing and assembly, and better-accommodating novel microdisplay designs.

Abstract: A wearable display system includes an eyepiece stack having a world side and a user side opposite the world side. During use, a user positioned on the user side views displayed images delivered by the wearable display system via the eyepiece stack which augment the user's field of view of the user's environment. The system also includes an optical attenuator arranged on the world side of the of the eyepiece stack, the optical attenuator having a layer of a birefringent material having a plurality of domains each having a principal optic axis oriented in a corresponding direction different from the direction of other domains. Each domain of the optical attenuator reduces transmission of visible light incident on the optical attenuator for a corresponding different range of angles of incidence.

Abstract: An augmented reality system includes a light source configured to generate a virtual light beam. The system also includes a light guiding optical element, the light guiding optical element is transparent to a first real-world light beam, wherein the virtual light beam enters the light guiding optical element, propagates through the light guiding optical element by total internal reflection (TIR) and exits the light guiding optical elements. The system also includes a lens disposed adjacent and exterior to the surface of the light guiding optical element. The lens is configured with a gradient tint that transmits less real-world light at a world side top portion of the lens and transmits more real-world light at a world side bottom portion of the lens, wherein rainbow artifacts, generated from inadvertent diffraction of the overhead real-world light by the light guiding optical element, is minimized.

Abstract: Display devices include waveguides with in-coupling optical elements that mitigate re-bounce of in-coupled light to improve overall in-coupling efficiency and/or uniformity. A waveguide receives light from a light source and/or projection optics and includes an in-coupling optical element that in-couples the received light to propagate by total internal reflection in a propagation direction within the waveguide. Once in-coupled into the waveguide the light may undergo re-bounce, in which the light reflects off a waveguide surface and, after the reflection, strikes the in-coupling optical element. Upon striking the in-coupling optical element, the light may be partially absorbed and/or out-coupled by the optical element, thereby effectively reducing the amount of in-coupled light propagating through the waveguide.

Abstract: A wearable display system includes an eyepiece stack having a world side and a user side opposite the world side, wherein during use a user positioned on the user side views displayed images delivered by the system via the eyepiece stack which augment the user's view of the user's environment. The wearable display system also includes an angularly selective film arranged on the world side of the of the eyepiece stack. The angularly selective film includes a polarization adjusting film arranged between pair of linear polarizers. The linear polarizers and polarization adjusting film significantly reduces transmission of visible light incident on the angularly selective film at large angles of incidence without significantly reducing transmission of light incident on the angularly selective film at small angles of incidence.

Abstract: Diffraction gratings provide optical elements in head-mounted display systems to, e.g., incouple light into or out-couple light out of a waveguide. These diffraction gratings may be configured to have reduced polarization sensitivity. Such gratings may, for example, incouple or outcouple light of different polarizations with similar level of efficiency. The diffraction gratings and waveguides may include a transmissive layer and a metal layer. The diffraction grating may comprises a blazed grating.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system may include an optically transmissive substrate, an input coupling grating (ICG) region, a multi-directional pupil expander (MPE) region, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) region. The ICG region may receive an input beam of light and couple the input beam into the substrate as a guided beam. The MPE region may include a plurality of diffractive features which exhibit periodicity along at least a first axis of periodicity and a second axis of periodicity. The MPE region may be positioned to receive the guided beam from the ICG region and to diffract it in a plurality of directions to create a plurality of diffracted beams. The EPE region may overlap the MPE region and may out couple one or more of the diffracted beams from the optically transmissive substrate as output beams.

Abstract: An augmented reality display system. The system can include a first eyepiece waveguide with a first input coupling grating (ICG) region. The first ICG region can receive a set of input beams of light corresponding to an input image having a corresponding field of view (FOV), and can in-couple a first subset of the input beams. The first subset of input beams can correspond to a first sub-portion of the FOV. The system can also include a second eyepiece waveguide with a second ICG region. The second ICG region can receive and in-couple at least a second subset of the input beams. The second subset of the input beams can correspond to a second sub-portion of the FOV. The first and second sub-portions of the FOV can be at least partially different but together include the complete FOV of the input image.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system may include an optically transmissive substrate, an input coupling grating (ICG) region, a multi-directional pupil expander (MPE) region, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) region. The ICG region may receive an input beam of light and couple the input beam into the substrate as a guided beam. The MPE region may include a plurality of diffractive features which exhibit periodicity along at least a first axis of periodicity and a second axis of periodicity. The MPE region may be positioned to receive the guided beam from the ICG region and to diffract it in a plurality of directions to create a plurality of diffracted beams. The EPE region may be positioned to receive one or more of the diffracted beams from the MPE region and to out couple them from the optically transmissive substrate as output beams.

Abstract: Techniques for artifact mitigation in an optical system are disclosed. Light associated with a world object is received at the optical system, which is characterized by a world side and a user side. Light associated with a virtual image is projected onto an eyepiece of the optical system, causing a portion of the light associated with the virtual image to propagate toward the user side and light associated with an artifact image to propagate toward the world side. A dimmer of the optical system positioned between the world side and the eyepiece is adjusted to reduce an intensity of the light associated with the artifact image impinging on the dimmer and an intensity of the light associated with the world object impinging on the dimmer.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system. The eyepiece waveguide can include an input coupling grating (ICG) region. The ICG region can couple an input beam into the substrate of the eyepiece waveguide as a guided beam. A first combined pupil expander-extractor (CPE) grating region can be formed on or in a surface of the substrate. The first CPE grating region can receive the guided beam, create a first plurality of diffracted beams at a plurality of distributed locations, and out-couple a first plurality of output beams. The eyepiece waveguide can also include a second CPE grating region formed on or in the opposite surface of the substrate. The second CPE grating region can receive the guided beam, create a second plurality of diffracted beams at a plurality of distributed locations, and out-couple a second plurality of output beams.

Abstract: Display devices include waveguides with in-coupling optical elements that mitigate re-bounce of in-coupled light to improve overall in-coupling efficiency and/or uniformity. A waveguide receives light from a light source and/or projection optics and includes an in-coupling optical element that in-couples the received light to propagate by total internal reflection in a propagation direction within the waveguide. Once in-coupled into the waveguide the light may undergo re-bounce, in which the light reflects off a waveguide surface and, after the reflection, strikes the in-coupling optical element. Upon striking the in-coupling optical element, the light may be partially absorbed and/or out-coupled by the optical element, thereby effectively reducing the amount of in-coupled light propagating through the waveguide.

Abstract: An eyepiece waveguide for an augmented reality display system may include an optically transmissive substrate, an input coupling grating (ICG) region, a multi-directional pupil expander (MPE) region, and an exit pupil expander (EPE) region. The ICG region may receive an input beam of light and couple the input beam into the substrate as a guided beam. The MPE region may include a plurality of diffractive features which exhibit periodicity along at least a first axis of periodicity and a second axis of periodicity. The MPE region may be positioned to receive the guided beam from the ICG region and to diffract it in a plurality of directions to create a plurality of diffracted beams. The EPE region may be positioned to receive one or more of the diffracted beams from the MPE region and to out couple them from the optically transmissive substrate as output beams.

Abstract: An anti-reflective waveguide assembly comprising a waveguide substrate having a first index of refraction, a plurality of diffractive optical elements disposed upon a first surface of the waveguide and an anti-reflective coating disposed upon a second surface of the waveguide. The anti-reflective coating preferably increases absorption of light through a surface to which it is applied into the waveguide so that at least 97 percent of the light is transmitted. The anti-reflective coating is composed of four layers of material having different indices of refraction that the first index of refraction and an imaginary refractive index less than 1×10?3 but preferably less than 5×10?4.