Patents by Inventor Michael David Simmonds

Michael David Simmonds has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11841510
    Abstract: Point to point transmission holograms are used to provide a scene camera for an augmented reality glasses display system. A glass or plastic substrate acts as spectacle style lens. A holographic medium is applied to a surface of the substrate, within which is recorded a series of point to point transmission holograms. The construction points of the holograms are arranged at the eye and at the pupil of a camera placed, ideally, to the temple side of the user's eye. The recorded transmission holograms act by diffracting a portion of the light from the scene surrounding the user that is heading for the user's eye towards the scene camera. The hologram efficiency is balanced so that the user is still able to see the surrounding scene. The perspective of the view seen by the scene camera is substantially identical to that seen by the user through the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 11536969
    Abstract: Point to point transmission holograms are used to provide a scene camera for an augmented reality glasses display system. A glass or plastic substrate acts as spectacle style lens. A holographic medium is applied to a surface of the substrate, within which is recorded a series of point to point transmission holograms. The construction points of the holograms are arranged at the eye and at the pupil of a camera placed, ideally, to the temple side of the user's eye. The recorded transmission holograms act by diffracting a portion of the light from the scene surrounding the user that is heading for the user's eye towards the scene camera. The hologram efficiency is balanced so that the user is still able to see the surrounding scene. The perspective of the view seen by the scene camera is substantially identical to that seen by the user through the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 11262581
    Abstract: An image projection system utilising a digital mirror device with pivotable mirrors and an asymmetric angular illumination of the mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Rory Thomas Alexander Mills, Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 11119316
    Abstract: A waveguide structure for a head up display in which a reflective output coupling structure is formed of a separate, but connected, component to a main waveguide. Light is coupled from the main waveguide to the output coupling structure by evanescent wave coupling. In a method of manufacture for such a waveguide the output coupling structure is attached to the main waveguide using an optical feedback technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
    Inventors: James Raymond Leighton, Michael David Simmonds, Rory Thomas Alexander Mills
  • Publication number: 20210208405
    Abstract: Point to point transmission holograms are used to provide a scene camera for an augmented reality glasses display system. A glass or plastic substrate acts as spectacle style lens. A holographic medium is applied to a surface of the substrate, within which is recorded a series of point to point transmission holograms. The construction points of the holograms are arranged at the eye and at the pupil of a camera placed, ideally, to the temple side of the user's eye. The recorded transmission holograms act by diffracting a portion of the light from the scene surrounding the user that is heading for the user's eye towards the scene camera. The hologram efficiency is balanced so that the user is still able to see the surrounding scene. The perspective of the view seen by the scene camera is substantially identical to that seen by the user through the lens.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, Michael David Simmonds
  • Publication number: 20210132376
    Abstract: An image projection system utilising a digital mirror device with pivotable mirrors and an asymmetric angular illumination of the mirrors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Rory Thomas Alexander Mills, Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 10955677
    Abstract: Point to point transmission holograms are used to provide a scene camera for an augmented reality glasses display system. A glass or plastic substrate acts as spectacle style lens. A holographic medium is applied to a surface of the substrate, within which is recorded a series of point to point transmission holograms. The construction points of the holograms are arranged at the eye and at the pupil of a camera placed, ideally, to the temple side of the user's eye. The recorded transmission holograms act by diffracting a portion of the light from the scene surrounding the user that is heading for the user's eye towards the scene camera. The hologram efficiency is balanced so that the user is still able to see the surrounding scene. The perspective of the view seen by the scene camera is substantially identical to that seen by the user through the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Topliss, Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 10871649
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for producing an optical display comprising an optical waveguide including a first diffractive part arranged to receive display light and to diffract the display light into an angle for guided propagation along the optical waveguide. A second diffractive part of the waveguide is optically coupled to the first diffractive part by the optical waveguide and is arranged to receive and to diffract light from the first diffractive part to an angle for output from the optical waveguide. Those external surfaces of the waveguide against which guided light reflects internally are coated with a meta-material having a refractive index of value less than 1.0 (one).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 10795165
    Abstract: An optical system for a colour head up display, the optical system being for guiding image light from an image projection system to an exit pupil. First and second waveguides are utilised, each waveguide guiding a predetermined set of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Michael David Simmonds, Rory Thomas Alexander Mills
  • Patent number: 10746991
    Abstract: A waveguide structure for a head up display in which a reflective output coupling structure is formed of a separate, but connected, component to a main waveguide. In a method of manufacture for such a waveguide the output coupling structure may be formed by depositing a material on a main waveguide, impressing the reflective structure into that material, and curing the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: James Raymond Leighton, Rory Thomas Alexander Mills, Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 10663728
    Abstract: A binocular display device comprising two ocular assemblies (1A, 1B) to be worn by a user concurrently with one respective ocular assembly at each eye. Each ocular assembly comprises an outer optical part having a positive optical strength (2A, 2B), an inner optical part (4A, 4B) having a negative optical strength and a transparent slab waveguide display part (3A, 3B) in between them. Substantially collimated display light is output from the waveguide for display, and external light of an external scene is transmitted through the waveguide from the outer optical part for viewing concurrently with the display light. The inner optical part imposes a divergence on the received display light to generate a virtual focal point (f) substantially common to each ocular assembly. In use, an image conveyed by the display light is superimposed on the external scene as a three-dimensional (3D) image when viewed through the binocular display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 10642039
    Abstract: The invention relates to a display device for displaying an image over a field of view. The device comprises: an optical arrangement for directing image bearing light from an image source so that the light has rays at a range of angles relative to an injection axis; and an optical waveguide having an input grating for diffracting into the waveguide said light over said range of angles such that all of the diffracted light is totally internally reflected within the waveguide and so that image bearing light output from the waveguide has a field of view corresponding to said range of angles, wherein the input grating is a surface relief grating having a profiled reflective surface and at least one layer of dielectric material conforming to the surface for diffracting light over said range of angles into the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Michael David Simmonds, Mohmed Salim Valera
  • Patent number: 10042096
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a waveguide for a display apparatus comprising providing a planar optical waveguide part (20), depositing upon the optical waveguide part a fluid material (11) curable to form an optically transparent solid, impressing (30) upon the fluid material an impression defining an input diffraction grating region, an intermediate diffraction grating region and an output diffraction grating region wherein the fluid material of the intermediate diffraction grating region is continuous with the fluid material of at least the input diffraction grating region, curing (45) the impressed fluid material to solidify said impression. The physical location of the input diffraction grating is located wholly within the geographical area of the intermediate grating, and the grating vectors of the input diffraction grating and the intermediate diffraction grating are oriented in different respective directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Michael David Simmonds, Anthony Robert Ferns
  • Patent number: 9946068
    Abstract: An optical method of displaying an expanded color image comprising extracting from input light bearing said colored image a first spectral portion and a second spectral portion such that together the two portions contain sufficient information for the image to be displayed in substantially its original colors, separately expanding the two spectral portions each in two dimensions and recombining the expanded spectral portions to display the expanded color image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Mohmed Salim Valera, Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 9946069
    Abstract: An optical component for a display apparatus comprises an optical waveguide part (11) arranged to guide light therealong between surface parts thereof by internal reflection, an input part (13) arranged to receive light and direct the received light into the optical waveguide part, and an output part comprising a partially transmissive angularly reflective optical coating (25) arranged upon a surface part of the optical waveguide part. The output part is optically coupled to the input part by the optical waveguide part to receive guided light and to transmit some but not all of said guided light out from the optical waveguide part. The angularly reflective optical coating extends along a dimension of the optical waveguide part to expand the guided light in said dimension along the output part by repeated partial transmission thereof for output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Mohmed Salim Valera, Michael David Simmonds, Maha Fares
  • Patent number: 9874667
    Abstract: A waveguide for a display apparatus comprising a planar optical waveguide part (20) for guiding light to be displayed, an input diffraction grating (21) to diffract received light (7) along the optical waveguide part for guiding thereby, an intermediate diffraction grating (22) to receive diffracted light from the input diffraction grating and to expand the received light in a first dimension by diffraction (8), and an output diffraction grating (23) to receive the expanded light and to output the received expanded light (10) from the optical waveguide part by diffraction for display. The input diffraction grating is positioned so as to be located wholly within the geographical area of the intermediate grating, and the grating vectors of the input diffraction grating and the intermediate diffraction grating are oriented in different respective directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Michael David Simmonds, Anthony Robert Ferns
  • Patent number: 9684170
    Abstract: A display apparatus is described that comprises an optical ocular part (3) arranged for viewing a scene therethrough, and a waveguide display part (6) arranged for guiding image-bearing light to a transparent display output area (16) thereof and thereat displaying the image. The ocular part and/or the waveguide display part are positioned, or are arranged to be positioned, mutually in register for viewing simultaneously the scene with the displayed image incorporated in it, through the transparent display output area. A focuser part (17) positioned in register with the display output area focuses simultaneously the scene and the incorporated image for focused viewing by a user (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Michael David Simmonds
  • Patent number: 9664824
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for producing an optical display comprising an optical waveguide (1) and a pair (10, 16) of switchable diffraction gratings that are switchable between a diffractive state and a non-diffractive state. A pair of non-switchable diffraction gratings (2, 14) is arranged to receive diffract light from one switchable grating for guided propagation along the optical waveguide and out to the other switchable grating for viewing. The pair of non-switchable gratings are tuned to a first operating wavelength of light, while the pair of switchable gratings are tuned to a different operating wavelength of light to diffract that light into/from a field of view in common with that of the non-switchable gratings such that light of two wavelengths occupies the same field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventors: Michael David Simmonds, Mohmed Salim Valera
  • Patent number: 9618750
    Abstract: A head-mounted or helmet-mounted display apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an optical element which in use is disposed in front of the eyes of a user. The optical element comprises a waveguide portion. The apparatus further includes a first light source and a second light source of image-bearing light. The apparatus further includes first diffraction element for propagation of image-bearing light of the first light source through the optical element. The apparatus further includes a second diffraction element for propagation of image-bearing light of the second light source through the optical element. The first light source and the second light source is disposed such that relative angular movement of the first light source and the second light source about an axis of symmetry of the optical element adjusts the inter-pupillary spacing of a first visible image and a second visible image presented to a respective eye of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
    Inventors: Michael David Simmonds, Mohmed Salim Valera
  • Patent number: 9618751
    Abstract: A head-mounted or helmet-mounted display apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an optical element which in use is disposed in front of the eyes of a user. The optical element has a waveguide portion. The apparatus further includes a light source of image-bearing light and two diffraction elements. Each diffraction element is configured for propagation of image-bearing light of the light source through the optical element. Each diffraction element is arranged to release the image bearing light from the optical element. The apparatus further includes a switching element for switching the image-bearing light repeatedly between the first diffraction element and the second diffraction element to provide a first visible image or a second visible image to the respective eye of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
    Inventors: Michael David Simmonds, Mohmed Salim Valera