Abstract: Architecture and designs of wearable display devices for are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a wearable display device is equipped with an external display device facing outwards. In other words, the external display device is not meant for the wearer of the wearable display device but used for the wearer to engage with a person before or in the vicinity of the wearer. The external display device may be turned on manually or automatically to display an expression. Depending on implementation or application, the expression may be a text, a symbol or an emoji with or without reference to the content being displayed in the wearable display devices.

Abstract: Architecture and designs of wearable display devices for are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a wearable display device is equipped with an external display device facing outwards. In other words, the external display device is not meant for the wearer of the wearable display device but used for the wearer to engage with a person before or in the vicinity of the wearer. The external display device may be turned on manually or automatically to display an expression. Depending on implementation or application, the expression may be a text, a symbol or an emoji with or without reference to the content being displayed in the wearable display devices.

Abstract: Architecture and designs of wearable devices for viewing multimedia in 3D are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device is made in form of a pair of glasses. A separate enclosure is provided to generate content for display on the glasses. The content is optically picked up by an optical cable and transported by one or more optical fibers in the optical cable to the glasses, where an image polarizer receives the content and produces an alternating polarized content sequence. An optical cube is provided to decouple the alternating polarized content sequence into two orthogonally polarized image sequences are respectively projected onto two lenses.

Abstract: Architecture and designs of wearable display devices are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, at least one optical conduit is embedded in or integrated with a temple of the wearable display device. The optical conduit is used to transport an optical image from one end to another end, where the optical image is generated in an image source (e.g., microdisplay) in accordance with image data. The microdisplay is powered and receives the image data and control signals via an active optical cable.

Abstract: Circuits for displaying an input image in improved perceived resolution are described. A circuit includes memory cells, a horizontal decoder and a vertical decoder. Each of the memory cells is provided to store a pixel value to drive a pixel element on a display. The horizontal decoder (X-decoder) includes horizontal switches, each of the horizontal switches provided to address at least two rows of the cells simultaneously. Each of the horizontal switches is controlled by a horizontal switch signal to toggle among three rows of the cells with the middle row of the cells always selected. The vertical decoder (Y-decoder) includes vertical switches, each of the vertical switches provided to address at least two columns of the cells simultaneously. Each of the vertical switches is controlled by a vertical switch signal to toggle among three columns of the cells with the middle column of the cells always selected.

Abstract: Techniques for reducing weight on wearable display devices are described. In one embodiment of the present invention, an active optical cable is used to transmit image data as well as control signals along with various instructions. The active optical cable is used between a wearable device and a control box (portable device) or extended all the way to a frame holding an integrated lens via a temple. An exemplary active optical cable includes one or more optical fibers for transporting control signals, image data and various instructions while a minimum number of wires are used (e.g., for power and ground).

Abstract: Techniques for reducing weight on wearable display devices are described. In one embodiment of the present invention, an active optical cable is used to transmit image data as well as control signals along with various instructions. The active optical cable is extended all the way to a frame holding an integrated lens via a temple, where an image source including an optical cube with a microdisplay device (e.g., LCOS) and a light source generates an optical image per the image data. The optical image is then projected into the integrated lens for view by a user or a wearer of the wearable display device.

Abstract: Designs of display devices using one or more planar lenses are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a planar lens includes at least a substrate and a plurality of nanosized studs. Depending on the implementation, the objects may be in different heights, spaced evenly or unevenly and oriented towards or outwards a focal point. When the planar lens is used with a lightguide guide that receives an image projected from a source, the image can be seen in the lightguide guide enlarged through the planar lens, provided that nanosized studs are properly structured, sized, oriented and arranged in a predefined pattern.

Abstract: Designs of a laser-based display engine for wearable display devices are described. A laser source is provided to produce a laser dot in one of three primary colors. The laser dot is projected upon a lens before it hits an optical unit, wherein the optical unit then produces a laser plane from the laser dot. An optical cube, formed by two triangular prisms, includes a transmissive reflector disposed between two sloping rectangular sides of the triangular prisms. A collimation lens is provided to collimate the laser plane and project the collimated laser plane into the optical cube, where the collimated laser plane is reflected by the transmissive reflector to a microdisplay. The reflected laser beams from the microdisplay transmit through the transmissive reflector and eventually are projected in a waveguide. Depending on the implementation, the optical unit may include a collimation lens or a micro lens array (MLA).

Abstract: Designs of integrated frames for wearable display devices are described. An exemplary wearable device includes a pair of integrated lenses, a lens frame accommodate the integrated lenses and two temples coupled respectively to two opposite ends of the lens frame. The integrated lens includes a transparent optical waveguide. Each of the temples includes a conduit to accommodate a cable received at one end thereof and an enclosure on an inner side thereof, wherein the enclosure includes electronic parts powered by wires in the cable and optical parts receiving optical signals from at least two optical fibers in the cable. Depending on the implementation, the temples and/or the lens frame glows when one of the optical fibers is coupled to a light source being turned on.

Abstract: An integrated lens for wearable display devices is described. The integrated lens includes at least a lens, a protecting sheet, an optical waveguide integrated with the lens, and a clear sheet. The waveguide is smaller than the lens in size. The clear sheet is provided to supplement the waveguide to match the lens in size. The optical waveguide is sandwiched between the lens and the protecting sheet.

Abstract: Architecture and designs of wearable display devices are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, at least one optical conduit is embedded in or integrated with a temple of the wearable display device. The optical conduit is used to transport an optical image from one end to another end, where the optical image is generated in an image source (e.g., microdisplay) in accordance with image data. The microdisplay is powered and receives the image data and control signals via an active optical cable.

Abstract: Techniques for displaying a video or images in perceived better resolution are described. An input image is expanded into two frames based on the architecture of sub-pixels. A first frame is derived from the input image while the second frame is generated based on the first frame. These two frames are of equal size to the input image and displayed alternatively at twice the refresh rate of the input image.

Abstract: Architecture and designs of display devices are described, where the display devices possesses high spatial resolution as well as high intensity resolution and may be readily used in various display applications. According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device includes an array of image elements, each of the image elements further includes an array of sub-image elements. A portion of an image element area, namely some of the sub-image elements, is turned on, which has the same perceived brightness level of turning on an entire image element for a specific time. In addition, various designs of an image element or a sub-image element are described.

Abstract: Techniques related to a see-through optical system are disclosed. According to one aspect of the techniques, the optical system includes a lens unit for enlarging an image light displayed on a display panel, a horizontal light guide includes an inclined plane of a sawtooth shape to totally reflect the enlarged image light and expand an exit pupil distance along a horizontal direction, a vertical light guide placed under the horizontal light guide to totally reflect the enlarged image light transferred from the horizontal light guide to expand the exit pupil distance in a vertical direction. Optionally, a compensation prism for reflecting the image light with the exit pupil distance expanded in both horizontal and vertical directions is used.

Abstract: Architecture and designs of wearable devices using optical fibers are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device is made in form of a pair of glasses and includes a minimum number of parts to reduce the complexity and weight thereof. A separate enclosure is provided as portable to be affixed or attached to a user (e.g., a pocket or waist belt). The enclosure includes all necessary parts and circuits to generate content for a microdisplay device that in return produces optical images. The optical images are picked up and transported by one or more optical fibers in a cable to the glasses, where the optical images are projected respectively to the lenses specially made for displaying the optical images before the eyes of the wearer.

Abstract: Architecture and designs of wearable devices for viewing multimedia in 3D are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device is made in form of a pair of glasses. A separate enclosure is provided to generate content for display on the glasses. The content is optically picked up by an optical cable and transported by one or more optical fibers in the optical cable to the glasses, where an image polarizer receives the content and produces an alternating polarized content sequence. An optical cube is provided to decouple the alternating polarized content sequence into two orthogonally polarized image sequences are respectively projected onto two lenses.

Abstract: Architecture and designs of wearable devices for virtual reality and augmented reality applications are described. According to one aspect of the present invention, a display device is made in form of a pair of glasses and includes a minimum number of parts to reduce the complexity and weight thereof. A separate enclosure is provided as portable to be affixed or attached to a user (e.g., a pocket or waist belt). The enclosure includes all necessary parts and circuits to generate content for virtual reality and/or augmented reality applications. The content is optically picked up by an optical cable and transported by one or more optical fibers in the optical cable to the glasses, where the content is projected respectively to the lenses specially made for displaying the content before the eyes of the wearer.

Abstract: Techniques for displaying a video or images in perceived better resolution are described. An input image is expanded into two frames based on the architecture of sub-pixels. A first frame is derived from the input image while the second frame is generated based on the first frame. These two frames are of equal size to the input image and displayed alternatively at twice the refresh rate of the input image.

Abstract: Circuits in analog and digital for displaying an input image in improved perceived resolution are described, In one aspect, a circuit is designed to include a set of memory cells, a horizontal decoder and a vertical decoder. Each of the memory cells is provided to store a pixel value to drive a pixel element on a display, wherein N and M are different or equal integers. The horizontal decoder includes a plurality of horizontal switches, each of the horizontal switches provided to address at least two rows of the cells simultaneously, wherein each the horizontal switches are controlled by a horizontal switch signal to toggle among three rows of the cells with the middle row of the cells always selected.