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 method for generating an image in a near-eye display may include operating a light source to emit the image as incident light. The light source may be configured such that incident light as received by the light reflecting elements compensates for the chromatic reflectance of the light reflecting elements. The method may include coupling the incident light into a light-transmitting substrate, thereby trapping the light between first and second major surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate by total internal reflection and coupling the light out of the substrate by the light reflecting elements having chromatic reflectance.

Abstract: A method of moderating chromaticity of ambient light in an environment reflected back into the environment by a component comprised in a lens of glasses through which a user of views the environment, the method comprising: determining a first set of tristimulus values that characterizes ambient light reflected by the component surface as a function of angle of reflection ? in a bounded span of angles of reflection; determining a second set of tristimulus values for angles in the bounded span of angles so that light characterized by the second set of tristimulus values combined with light reflected by the component would be perceived substantially as white light; and providing an optical coating that reflects ambient light from the environment so that the reflected light is substantially characterized by the second set of tristimulus values.

Abstract: An optical system employs a waveguide including a first set of partially-reflecting surfaces (“facets”) for progressively redirecting image illumination propagating from a coupling-in region towards a second region, and a second set of facets in the second region for progressively coupling-out the redirected image illumination towards the eye of a viewer. The first set of facets includes at least a first facet close to the coupling-in region, a third facet fare from the coupling-in region, and a second facet located on a medial plane between the first and the third facets. The second facet is located in a subregion of the medial plane such that image illumination propagating from the coupling-in region to the third facet passes through the medial plane without passing through the second facet.

Abstract: Optical sample characterization facilitates measurement and testing such as transmittance or reflectance at any discrete angle in a full range of angles of light propagation through a coated glass plate having a higher than air index of refraction. A rotatable assembly includes a cylinder having a hollow, and a receptacle including the hollow. The receptacle also contains a fluid having a refractive index matching the refractive index of the cylinder and coated plate. An optical light beam is input normal to the surface of the cylinder, travels through the cylinder, then via the index matching fluid through the coating, the coated glass plate, the fluid, the other side of the cylinder, and is collected for analysis. Due at least in part to the index matching fluid surrounding the coated plate, the plate can be rotated through a full range of angles (±90°, etc.) for full range testing of the coating.

Abstract: A transparent substrate has two parallel faces and guides collimated image light by internal reflection. A first set of internal surfaces is deployed within the substrate oblique to the parallel faces. A second set of internal surfaces is deployed within the substrate parallel to, interleaved and in overlapping relation with the first set of internal surfaces. Each of the internal surfaces of the first set includes a first coating having a first reflection characteristic to be at least partially reflective to at least a first subset of components of incident light. Each of the internal surfaces of the second set includes a second coating having a second reflection characteristic complementary to the first reflection characteristic to be at least partially reflective to at least a second subset of components of incident light. The sets of internal surfaces cooperate to reflect all components of light from the first and second subsets.

Abstract: Optical sample characterization facilitates measurement and testing at any angle in a full range of angles of light propagation through an optical sample, such as a coated glass plate, having a higher than air index of refraction. A rotatable assembly includes a cylinder having a hollow, and a receptacle including the hollow. The receptacle also contains a fluid with a known refractive index. An optical light beam is input normal to the surface of the cylinder, travels through the cylinder, then via the fluid, to the optical sample, where light beam is transmitted and/or reflected, then exits the cylinder and is collected for analysis. Due at least in part to the fluid surrounding the optical sample, the optical sample can be rotated through a full range of angles (±90°, etc.) for full range testing of the optical sample.

Abstract: A method of moderating chromaticity of ambient light in an environment reflected back into the environment by a component comprised in a lens of glasses through which a user of views the environment, the method comprising: determining a first set of tristimulus values that characterizes ambient light reflected by the component surface as a function of angle of reflection ? in a bounded span of angles of reflection; determining a second set of tristimulus values for angles in the bounded span of angles so that light characterized by the second set of tristimulus values combined with light reflected by the component would be perceived substantially as white light; and providing an optical coating that reflects ambient light from the environment so that the reflected light is substantially characterized by the second set of tristimulus values.

Abstract: A display device (10) for producing images to be viewed by an observer includes an optical system (14) and a control unit (20). The optical system receives input light indicative of an image into a light propagation channel (14A) and produces, at an exit pupil (14B), output light having a field of view (FOV) corresponding to the image to be presented to the observer (18). The light propagation channel has an intensity transfer function map I1(x,?) of the optical system across a lateral dimension x of the exit pupil and an angular 20 span ? of the FOV.

Abstract: A transparent substrate has two parallel faces and guides collimated image light by internal reflection. A first set of internal surfaces is deployed within the substrate oblique to the parallel faces. A second set of internal surfaces is deployed within the substrate parallel to, interleaved and in overlapping relation with the first set of internal surfaces. Each of the internal surfaces of the first set includes a first coating having a first reflection characteristic to be at least partially reflective to at least a first subset of components of incident light. Each of the internal surfaces of the second set includes a second coating having a second reflection characteristic complementary to the first reflection characteristic to be at least partially reflective to at least a second subset of components of incident light. The sets of internal surfaces cooperate to reflect all components of light from the first and second subsets.

Abstract: A system for uniform optical illumination of an image light provider in a smaller (compact) configuration than conventional implementations includes a lightguide having: a first external surface and a second external surface mutually parallel, and a first sequence of facets, at least a portion of which are: a plurality of parallel, partially reflecting, and polarization selective surfaces, at an oblique angle relative to the first and second external surfaces, and between the first and second external surfaces, and a front-lit reflective polarization rotating image modulator: deployed to spatially modulate light coupled-out from the first external surface, outputting reflected light corresponding to an image, and deployed such that the reflected light traverses the lightguide from the first external surface via the first sequence of facets to the second external surface.

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: An optical system includes an image redirecting arrangement with at least two reflectors to direct a collimated image from an image projector so as to propagate within a light-guide optical element (LOE) in first and second directions, to be subsequently reflected by corresponding first and second sets of partially-reflecting internal surfaces towards a coupling-out optical arrangement. A part of a field of view (FOV) adjacent to the right side of the collimated image propagating in the first direction crosses a plane of one of the sets of partially-reflecting internal surfaces or a plane parallel to the major external surfaces, thereby forming self-overlap of a part of the collimated image in a region of the field of view which does not reach the eye of a user.

Abstract: A display has an image projector projecting collimated image illumination along a projection direction, and an optical element having two major surfaces and containing partially reflective surfaces which are internal to the optical element, planar, mutually parallel and overlapping relative to the projection direction. Each ray of the collimated image illumination enters the optical element and is partially reflected by at least two of the partially reflective surfaces so as to be redirected to exit the first major surface along a viewing direction. An alternative implementation, a first reflection from one of the partially reflective surfaces redirects part of the image illumination rays so as to undergo total internal reflection at the major surfaces of the optical element. The rays are then redirected by further reflection from another of the partially reflective surfaces to exit the optical element along the viewing direction.

Abstract: A method for producing light-guide optical elements (LOEs) (16, 18, 56, 58) each having a set of mutually-parallel partially-reflecting surfaces (17) located between, and oriented non-parallel to, a pair of major external surfaces, and at least one region (30a, 30b, 30c) without partially-reflecting surfaces. The method includes bonding together parallel-faced plates (4) at interfaces to form a stack (42) of plates with partially-reflecting coatings between them. The stack is cut and polished to form a boundary plane (48, 48a, 48b) intersecting the interfaces, and a block (50, 50a, 50b) of transparent material is bonded to the stack. The resulting precursor structure (52, 52?) is sliced along parallel planes to form slices, each containing a part of the stack for the active region of the LOE and a part of the block.

Abstract: A transparent substrate has two parallel faces and guides collimated image light by internal reflection. A first set of internal surfaces is deployed within the substrate oblique to the parallel faces. A second set of internal surfaces is deployed within the substrate parallel to, interleaved and in overlapping relation with the first set of internal surfaces. Each of the internal surfaces of the first set includes a first coating having a first reflection characteristic to be at least partially reflective to at least a first subset of components of incident light. Each of the internal surfaces of the second set includes a second coating having a second reflection characteristic complementary to the first reflection characteristic to be at least partially reflective to at least a second subset of components of incident light. The sets of internal surfaces cooperate to reflect all components of light from the first and second subsets.

Abstract: An optical device includes a lightguide having a first pair of external surfaces parallel to each other, and at least two sets of facets. Each of the sets including a plurality of partially reflecting facets parallel to each other, and between the first pair of external surfaces. In each of the sets of facets, the respective facets are at an oblique angle relative to the first pair of external surfaces, and at a non-parallel angle relative to another of the sets of facets. The optical device is particularly suited for optical aperture expansion.

Abstract: An optical system employs a waveguide including a first set of partially-reflecting surfaces (“facets”) for progressively redirecting image illumination propagating from a coupling-in region towards a second region, and a second set of facets in the second region for progressively coupling-out the redirected image illumination towards the eye of a viewer. The first set of facets includes at least a first facet close to the coupling-in region, a third facet fare from the coupling-in region, and a second facet located on a medial plane between the first and the third facets. The second facet is located in a subregion of the medial plane such that image illumination propagating from the coupling-in region to the third facet passes through the medial plane without passing through the second facet.

Abstract: An optical device includes a lightguide having a first pair of external surfaces parallel to each other, and at least two sets of facets. Each of the sets including a plurality of partially reflecting facets parallel to each other, and between the first pair of external surfaces. In each of the sets of facets, the respective facets are at an oblique angle relative to the first pair of external surfaces, and at a non-parallel angle relative to another of the sets of facets. The optical device is particularly suited for optical aperture expansion.

Abstract: A display device (10) tor producing images to be viewed by an observer includes an optical system (14) and a control unit (20). The optical system receives input light indicative of an image into a light propagation channel (14A) and produces, at an exit pupil (14B), output light haying a field of view (FOV) corresponding to the image to he presented to the observer (18). The light propagation channel has an intensity transfer function map I1(x,?) of the optical system across a lateral dimension x of the exit pupil and an angular 20 span ? of the FOV.