Abstract: An optical assembly a substrate having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite to and substantially parallel with the first surface. The first surface has a first curved profile and the second surface has a second curved profile. The optical assembly also includes a beam splitter on the first surface and a reflector on the second surface. The optical assembly is configured to transmit image light received at the first surface in an optical path that includes reflection at each of the reflector and the beam splitter before the image light is output from the second surface. The optical assembly is also configured to transmit ambient light received at the first surface such that the second light is output from the second surface without undergoing reflection at either the reflector or the beam splitter. A method of transmitting light through the optical assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: Various embodiments set forth high-resolution liquid crystal displays and components thereof. In some embodiments, light emitted by a high-resolution green color liquid crystal display is combined, via a combiner, with light emitted by at least one lower-resolution red and blue color liquid crystal display. The red and blue color display(s) may include a single display or two displays positioned on opposing sides of the combiner. The combiner may be a dichroic or polarization-based combiner. Combined light from the green color display and the red and blue color display(s) is passed through collimating optics, such as a pancake lens or a Fresnel lens, toward a viewer's eye.

Abstract: A scanning projector of a near-eye display device may be coupled to a waveguide and include a multi-ridge light source to provide a light beam. A distance between ridges of the light source may be larger than one pixel and the ridges may be aligned horizontally, vertically, or at an angle. A two-dimensional (2D) beam scanner optically coupled to the light source may generate a light field by performing a biresonant scan of the light beam. The projector may also include or be coupled to a controller to cause the beam scanner to scan the light beam about a first axis and a second axis within a field of view following a coherent Lissajous pattern while varying a brightness of the light beam to provide the image.

Abstract: A display device includes a light source, a spatial light modulator, and an optical assembly. The light source is configured to provide illumination light and the spatial light modulator positioned to receive the illumination light. The optical assembly includes an optical element and a curved reflector that is distinct and separate from the optical element. The curved reflector is disposed relative to the light source so that at least a portion of the illumination light is reflected by the curved reflector toward the optical element, is reflected by the optical element toward the curved reflector, and is transmitted through the curved reflector. A method performed by the display device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A directional illuminator includes a light source, a pupil-replicating lightguide, and a tiltable reflector coupling the light source to the pupil-replicating lightguide. The exit beam angle of the light outputted by the pupil-replicating lightguide follows the in-coupling angle, and accordingly depends on the tilting angle of the tiltable reflector. The directional illuminator with steered light beam may be used to illuminate a display panel. Steering the illuminating light by the tiltable reflector enables one to steer the exit pupil of the display device to match the user's eye location(s).

Abstract: A display device includes an optical diffuser configured to, in response to receiving image light, output diffused image light having a same polarization as the image light. The optical diffuser is also configured to transmit ambient light. The display device also includes an optical assembly that includes a substrate, a reflector coupled to the substrate, and a beam splitter coupled to the substrate. The optical assembly is configured to transmit the diffused image light at a first optical power by reflecting the diffused image light at the reflector and at the beam splitter and to transmit the transmitted ambient light at a second optical power that is less than the first optical power without reflection at the reflector or the beam splitter. A method for transmitting light through the display device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A pupil-replicating lightguide includes a slab of transparent material, a switchable out-coupling grating for out-coupling portions of image light to propagate towards an eyebox, and a switchable tracking grating for redirecting tracking light carrying an eye image towards an eye tracking camera. One of the two gratings may be turned ON while the other is turned OFF, in a time-sequential manner, allowing the combined use of the pupil-replicating lightguide for carrying image light and eye tracking light.

Abstract: An optical device includes an optical waveguide and a plurality of reflective polarizers. The plurality of reflective polarizers include a first reflective polarizer and a second reflective polarizer disposed inside the optical waveguide so that the first reflective polarizer receives light propagating inside the optical waveguide, redirects a first portion of the light in a first direction, and transmits a second portion of the light in a second direction non-parallel to the first direction. The second reflective polarizer receives the second portion of the light from the first reflective polarizer, redirects a third portion of the light, and transmits a fourth portion of the light. A ratio between the first portion and the second portion of the light has a first value and a ratio between the third portion and the fourth portion of the light has a second value distinct from the first value.

Abstract: A see-through illuminator for a reflective display panel provides a better image contrast when the illuminator is configured to direct a leakage light beam exiting the lightguide from a side opposing the display panel to propagate non-parallel to an image light formed by reflection of an illuminating light beam from the display panel. An objective lens may concentrate the image and leakage light beams at different locations, enabling a user's eye placed at a location of the image light beam to see the projected image without interference from the leakage light beam.

Abstract: A lightguide assembly includes a stack of optically separated lightguide plates for conveying image light to an eyebox. At least one lightguide plate of the stack includes an in-coupler configured for switchably in-coupling the image light into the lightguide plate. The switchable in-coupler(s) may be used to time-sequence through different lightguides of the stack, each lightguide carrying a portion of the image such as a field of view portion or a color channel of the image. The time-sequencing through the lightguides allows one to compensate for image offsets due to the lightguide being non-parallel to one another, by providing corresponding offsets in the image portions being carried by different lightguides.

Abstract: A virtual reality headset includes a peripheral display including light emitting pixels, an eyebox delimiting a location of a pupil in a user’s eye, and an optical assembly. The optical assembly includes an angularly selective element configured to transmit, without reflecting, an input light impinging at a selected angle, through a first curved optical element, and a second curved optical element in optical series with the first curved optical element and configured to reflect the input light back to the first curved optical element, the first curved optical element reflecting the input light in a radial direction, for transmission through the second curved optical element.

Abstract: A display device with a transparent illuminator and an liquid crystal (LC) display panel is disclosed. The transparent illuminator includes a light source and a transparent lightguide, which may be based on a slab of transparent material with zigzag light propagation of the illuminating light in the slab and/or a transparent photonic integrated circuit with singlemode ridge waveguides for spreading the illuminating light in a plane parallel to the plane of LC display panel. The lightguide includes a plurality of grating out-couplers whose position is coordinated with positions of LC pixels for higher throughput. A reflective offset-to-angle optical element may be provided to form an image in angular domain through the LC panel and through the transparent illuminator, resulting in an overall compact and efficient display configuration.

Abstract: A scanning projector is disclosed, including a light engine for providing a light beam, a beam scanner for scanning the light beam about two axes, and a controller operably coupled to the light engine and the beam scanner and configured to cause the beam scanner to non-linearly scan the light beam about the first and second axes within the field of view while varying brightness of the light beam to provide the image. The nonlinear scanning is performed such that consecutive scans provide conterminous portions of the image. This enables one to increase a local rate of providing the image across at least 75% of an area of the field of view is greater than 1500 degrees per second. The high local rate results in a significant reduction of artifacts caused by motion of displayed object, the users eyes or head, etc.

Abstract: An optical device includes a substrate, a plurality of optical elements positioned on the substrate, and one or more switchable cells. A respective optical element of the plurality of optical elements is configured to redirect light having a first polarization and transmit light having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. The plurality of optical elements includes a first optical element located on a first region of the substrate and a second optical element located on a second region of the substrate. A respective switchable cell of the one or more switchable cells includes optically anisotropic molecules. The one or more switchable cells include a first switchable cell located on a first cell location of the substrate between the first region and the second region of the substrate. Also disclosed are a display device including the optical device and a method performed by the optical device.

Abstract: The disclosure describes artificial reality (AR) systems and techniques that enable a change in focus of virtual image content without substantially changing magnification of real-world content. For example, an AR system includes a virtual image content output device, a first tunable lens on a real-world side of the virtual image content output device, a second tunable lens on an eye side of the virtual image content output device, and at least one compensating lens. The at least one compensating lens is configured to substantially eliminate magnification changes of real-world light between a real-world end of the optical system and an eye-side end of the optical system as a focal power of at least one of the first tunable lens or the second tunable lens changes.

Abstract: A see-through illuminator for a reflective display panel provides a better image contrast when the illuminator is configured to direct a leakage light beam exiting the lightguide from a side opposing the display panel to propagate non-parallel to an image light formed by reflection of an illuminating light beam from the display panel. An objective lens may concentrate the image and leakage light beams at different locations, enabling a user's eye placed at a location of the image light beam to see the projected image without interference from the leakage light beam.

Abstract: According to examples, a phase plate may include a transparent substrate and a photopolymer layer attached to the transparent substrate. The photopolymer layer may adjust a backlight via a phase adjustment and focusing. The phase plate may focus a plurality of red, green, and blue components of the backlight onto respective red, green, and blue subpixels of a thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer deposited thereon. A distance between the photopolymer layer of the phase plate and the plurality of red, green, and blue subpixels of the thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer may be in a range from about 200 ?m to about 500 ?m. In some examples, the phase plate may be part of a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus along with a red, green, blue (RGB) laser to provide backlight; a grating light guide to transmit the backlight; and a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer on the thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer.

Abstract: A waveplate is provided. The waveplate includes a first liquid crystal (“LC”) layer including LC molecules that are in-plane switchable by an external field to switch the waveplate between states of different phase retardances. The waveplate includes a second LC layer and a third LC layer sandwiching the first LC layer. Azimuthal angles of effective refractive index ellipsoids of the second LC layer and the third LC layer are different.

Abstract: A display device includes a display, an optical assembly, and a display-moving assembly connected to the display for moving the display between a first position and a second position. When in the first position, the display outputs image light in a first direction substantially parallel to an optical axis of the optical assembly. When in the second position, the display is positioned away from the optical axis of the optical assembly. The display device also includes a partial reflector and a partial reflector-moving assembly connected to the partial reflector for moving the partial reflector between a third position and a fourth position. When the partial reflector is in the third position, the display is in the first position and the display is disposed between the optical assembly and the partial reflector. When the partial reflector is in the fourth position, the display is in the second position.

Abstract: A display device includes a directional illuminator providing a light beam, a display panel downstream of a directional illuminator, for receiving and spatially modulating the light beam, and a beam redirecting module downstream of the display panel, for variably redirecting the spatially modulated light beam. Steering the illuminating light by the beam redirecting module enables one to steer the exit pupil of the display device to match the user's eye location(s).