Abstract: A method for generating an image in a near-eye display may include dividing an image into first and second sub-images, sequentially transmitting the first sub-image and the second sub-image through a channel, extracting light corresponding to the first sub-image in a first polarization and light corresponding to the second sub-image in a second polarization, deflecting a first order of the light in the first polarization in a first direction, and deflecting an opposite order of the light in the second polarization in a opposite direction different from the first direction. The resulting image width corresponding to a wider field of view.

Abstract: An optical device may include a first and second polarization-selective surfaces, each configured to reflect a first polarization of incident light and transmit a second polarization of incident light orthogonal to the first polarization, the first polarization-selective surface disposed between first and second optical input surfaces at a first angle ? relative to an optical axis of the device and the second polarization-selective surface disposed between the first and second optical input surfaces at a second angle ? relative to the optical axis.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a waveguide and one or more partially reflective surfaces embedded inside the waveguide, wherein each of the one or more partially reflective surfaces includes a multi-layer coating structure, wherein a first portion of the multi-layer coating structure induces an overall phase shift of light propagating through the first portion of the multi-layer coating structure and wherein a second portion of the multi-layer coating structure is selected to decrease the overall phase shift.

Abstract: An optical system includes (a) a light-guide optical element (LOE) and (b) an image projector. The LOE is formed from transparent material and has at least first and second mutually-parallel major external surfaces for supporting propagation of an image by internal reflection at the first and second major external surfaces. The LOE includes a coupling-out arrangement for coupling out the image towards an eye of the user and a coupling-in arrangement. The image projector includes an image generator for generating an image and an image conjugate generator for generating a conjugate image.

Abstract: An optical system has a hollow mechanical body having first and second ends. An optical assembly has a plurality of optical components arranged in a stack configuration. Each of the optical components has a set of engagement configurations. For each pair of adjacent optical components in the stack configuration, at least some of the engagement configurations of a first optical component in the pair engage with at least some of the engagement configurations of a second optical component in the pair. Some of the engagement configurations of the optical component at a first end of the stack configuration engage with corresponding engagement configurations of the hollow mechanical body at the first end of the hollow mechanical body to position the other optical components of the stack configuration within the hollow mechanical body. An emissive display device is deployed at the second end of the hollow mechanical body.

Abstract: An optical system for directing image illumination injected at a coupling-in region to an eye-motion box for viewing by an eye of a user, including a light-guide optical element (LOE) formed from transparent material that includes: a first region containing a first set of planar, mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces having a first orientation; a second region containing a second set of planar, mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces having a second orientation non-parallel to the first orientation; a set of mutually-parallel major external surfaces extending across the first and second regions, and an optical retarder deployed between the first region and the second region so as to rotate a polarization of light deflected by the first set of partially-reflecting surfaces prior to reaching the second set of partially-reflecting surfaces.

Abstract: The waveguide includes a pair of major surfaces that are parallel to one another and an aperture configured to receive a plurality of beams. The aperture includes a pair of sub-apertures that are co-planar and offset in one dimension. The waveguide also includes a first set of facets that are configured to receive the beams from the aperture and at least partially reflect the beams towards a second set of facets. The second set of facets are configured to receive the beams from the first set of facets and at least partially reflect the beams out of the lightguide. The sub-apertures are offset in the one dimension by an offset distance that corresponds to a projected distance along the one dimension that the beams travel while the beams traverse one trip between the major surfaces between the first set of facets and the second set of facets.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing waveguides for head mount displays may include bonding a first set of waveguide elements with one or more adhesives sensitive to thermal or chemical removal and a second set of waveguide elements with one or more adhesives insensitive to thermal or chemical removal to form a waveguide stack, cutting the waveguide stack to form waveguide structures with embedded facets or diffractive elements, and removing portions corresponding to the first set of waveguide elements using a thermal or chemical removal while portions corresponding to the second set of waveguide elements remain bonded.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing waveguides for head mount displays may include bonding a first set of waveguide elements with one or more adhesives sensitive to thermal or chemical removal and a second set of waveguide elements with one or more adhesives insensitive to thermal or chemical removal to form a waveguide stack, cutting the waveguide stack to form waveguide structures with embedded facets or diffractive elements, and removing portions corresponding to the first set of waveguide elements using a thermal or chemical removal while portions corresponding to the second set of waveguide elements remain bonded.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a compound light-guide optical element (LOE) is provided. A bonded stack of a plurality of LOE precursors and a plurality of transparent spacer plates alternating therebetween is bonded to a first optical block having a plurality of mutually parallel obliquely angled internal surfaces. The block is joined to the stack such that first plurality of partially reflective internal surfaces of the block is non-parallel to the internal surfaces of the LOE precursor. After bonding, a second optical is thereby formed. At least one compound LOE is sliced-out of the second optical block by cutting the second block through at least two consecutive spacer plates having a LOE precursor sandwiched therebetween.

Abstract: A display (10) includes a flat light-guide optical element (LOE) (100) having first and second progressive deflection arrangements associated with first and second regions (110, 120) of the LOE. A support arrangement (106), such as a glasses frame, supports the LOE in facing relation to the eye of the user. An image projector (200) injects a collimated image into the LOE via a reflective coupling-in surface (131). The reflective coupling-in surface is preferably obliquely oriented to both the major horizontal and vertical axes of the LOE. A multi-component wedge (132) is preferably used to compensate for chromatic aberration.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed that includes at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to select a light source from a plurality of lights sources based at least in part on a location of a pupil of an eye relative to an eye motion box. The selected light source is configured to illuminate a portion of the eye motion box that corresponds to the location of the pupil with a light beam. The at least one processor is further configured to activate the selected light source to illuminate the portion of the eye motion box.

Abstract: A display includes a lightguide arrangement in which at least part of the image light is not coupled-out from the lightguide during a first pass of a coupling-out arrangement, and is recirculated so as to pass repeatedly the coupling-out arrangement. In one set of embodiments, recirculation of light is performed via a separate lightguide. In another set of embodiments, light is recirculated within a single lightguide, employing polarization management to avoid unwanted interactions between the light and the coupling-out arrangement.

Abstract: A display and method for providing an image to an eye of a viewer is provided. The display comprises at least two projector assemblies. Each projector assembly comprises a light-guide optical element (LOE), and an image projector arrangement for generating a partial image and being deployed to introduce the partial image into the LOE for coupling out towards the eye of the viewer. The at least two projector assemblies cooperate to display the image to the eye of the viewer with partial overlap. The display further comprises a controller associated with the image projector arrangements and configured to reduce a pixel intensity of selected pixels in a region of partial overlap between the first and second part of the image so as to enhance a perceived uniformity of the image.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed that includes at least one processor configured to determine a target coupling-out facet, identify an optical path to the target coupling-out facet, identify an active wave plate corresponding to the optical path, determine a target state of the active wave plate that corresponds to the optical path, set the active wave plate to the identified target state and cause a projection device to project a light beam comprising an image field of view component along the identified optical path.

Abstract: A projector for projecting an image includes an LED array (2) having separately-controllable LEDs for illuminating a spatial light modulator (SLM) (10) via illumination optics (8) with a converging beam. Projection optics (12) projects the image generated by the SLM. A reflective arrangement (16) typically having four planar reflectors, is deployed between the LED array (2) and the illumination optics (8) so that light from each of LED illuminates a first region of the SLM by direct transmission from the LED via the illumination optics and additional regions of the SLM via reflection in the planar reflectors.

Abstract: An optical waveguide combiner having an output coupler comprising an array of embedded partially reflective dielectric mirrors expanding and coupling a virtual, optionally color, image generated by a laser display engine into a user EMB, wherein the dielectric mirrors are configured having a wavelength band for each lasing band of the laser display engine that includes wavelengths of light in the lasing band and in a range of wavelengths over which the lasing band is expected to drift, a reflectivity angular range exhibiting a first reflectivity, a transmittance angular range exhibiting a second reflectivity less than the first reflectivity, and a see-thru angular transmittance range having high transmittance for natural light incident on the facets.

Abstract: According to an example, an optical device may include a light-guide optical element having a front surface and a rear surface that are parallel to each other, a reflector configured to receive a plurality of guided image beams and reflect a plurality of reflected guided image beams, the plurality of guided image beams and plurality of reflected guided image beam being propagated within the light-guide optical element between the front surface and the rear surface; a first aperture expander having a first plurality of partially reflecting parallel facets configured to expand the plurality of reflected guided image beams and provide a first plurality of expanded image beams; and a second aperture expander having a second plurality of partially reflecting parallel facets configured to expand the first plurality of expanded image beams and provide a second plurality of expanded image beams configured to exit from the rear surface.

Abstract: An optical system may include a light-guide having a light input and mutually-parallel first and second major external surfaces for guiding the light by internal reflection, a projector configured to project light corresponding to an image from an aperture, the light exiting the aperture with a chief ray defining an optical axis of the projector and with an angular field about the chief ray, and a prism disposed adjacent the light input and having an image injection surface and a partially reflective surface parallel to the first and second major external surfaces, the projector being associated with the image injection surface and oriented such that the chief ray and at least some of the angular field about the chief ray are injected through the image injection surface, some rays corresponding to the angular field partially reflected and some partially transmitted by the partially reflective surface prior to entering the light-guide.

Abstract: Examining a light optical element (LOE) may include placing a first slit optically between a projector configured to emit light and the LOE's first major surface and placing a second slit optically between the LOE's second major surface and a detector. Facet parallelism between two facets may be deduced based on a shift of the image reflected from the first facet to the second facet relative to light transmitted normal to the first and second major surfaces through a portion of the substrate not including a facet. Facet refractive index homogeneity or deviation may be deduced based on the light transmitted through the facet relative to light transmitted normal to the first and second major surfaces through a portion of the substrate not including a facet.