Patents by Inventor Michael Nevin Miller
Michael Nevin Miller 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).
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Publication number: 20220035091Abstract: A multi-waveguide optical structure, including multiple waveguides stacked to intercept light passing sequentially through each waveguide, each waveguide associated with a differing color and a differing depth of plane, each waveguide including: a first adhesive layer, a substrate having a first index of refraction, and a patterned layer positioned such that the first adhesive layer is between the patterned layer and the substrate, the first adhesive layer providing adhesion between the patterned layer and the substrate, the patterned layer having a second index of refraction less than the first index of refraction, the patterned layer defining a diffraction grating, wherein a field of view associated with the waveguide is based on the first and the second indices of refraction.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2021Publication date: February 3, 2022Inventors: Frank Y. Xu, Michael Nevin Miller, Kang Luo, Vikramjit Singh, Michael Klug
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Patent number: 11231612Abstract: A display device comprises a waveguide configured to guide light in a lateral direction parallel to an output surface of the waveguide. The waveguide is further configured to outcouple the guided light through the output surface. The display device additionally comprises a broadband adaptive lens assembly configured to incouple and to diffract therethrough the outcoupled light from the waveguide. The broadband adaptive lens assembly comprises a first waveplate lens comprising a liquid crystal (LC) layer arranged such that the waveplate lens has birefringence (?n) that varies in a radially outward direction from a central region of the first waveplate lens and configured to diffract the outcoupled light at a diffraction efficiency greater than 90% within a wavelength range including at least 450 nm to 630 nm. The broadband adaptive lens assembly is configured to be selectively switched between a plurality of states having different optical powers.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2018Date of Patent: January 25, 2022Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.Inventors: Chulwoo Oh, Ravi Kumar Komanduri, Roy Matthew Patterson, Charles Scott Carden, Michael Nevin Miller, Vikramjit Singh
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Patent number: 11181681Abstract: A multi-waveguide optical structure, including multiple waveguides stacked to intercept light passing sequentially through each waveguide, each waveguide associated with a differing color and a differing depth of plane, each waveguide including: a first adhesive layer, a substrate having a first index of refraction, and a patterned layer positioned such that the first adhesive layer is between the patterned layer and the substrate, the first adhesive layer providing adhesion between the patterned layer and the substrate, the patterned layer having a second index of refraction less than the first index of refraction, the patterned layer defining a diffraction grating, wherein a field of view associated with the waveguide is based on the first and the second indices of refraction.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2019Date of Patent: November 23, 2021Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.Inventors: Frank Y. Xu, Michael Nevin Miller, Kang Luo, Vikramjit Singh, Michael Klug
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Publication number: 20210341661Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a liquid crystal device including depositing a layer of liquid crystal material on a substrate and imprinting a pattern on the layer of liquid crystal material using an imprint template are disclosed. The liquid crystal material can be jet deposited. The imprint template can include surface relief features, Pancharatnam-Berry Phase Effect (PBPE) structures or diffractive structures. The liquid crystal device manufactured by the methods described herein can be used to manipulate light, such as for beam steering, wavefront shaping, separating wavelengths and/or polarizations, and combining different wavelengths and/or polarizations.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2021Publication date: November 4, 2021Inventors: Michael Anthony Klug, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Michael Nevin Miller, Vikramjit Singh, Christophe Peroz, Pierre St. Hilaire, Jie Sun
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Publication number: 20210294103Abstract: Very high refractive index (n>2.2) lightguide substrates enable the production of 70° field of view eyepieces with all three color primaries in a single eyepiece layer. Disclosed herein are viewing optics assembly architectures that make use of such eyepieces to reduce size and cost, simplifying manufacturing and assembly, and better-accommodating novel microdisplay designs.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2019Publication date: September 23, 2021Inventors: Michael Anthony Klug, Kevin Richard Curtis, Vikramjit Singh, Kang Luo, Michal Beau Dennison Vaughn, Samarth Bhargava, Shuqiang Yang, Michael Nevin Miller, Frank Y. Xu, Kevin Messer, Robert Dale Tekolste
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Publication number: 20210223700Abstract: An imprint lithography method of configuring an optical layer includes selecting one or more parameters of a nanolayer to be applied to a substrate for changing an effective refractive index of the substrate and imprinting the nanolayer on the substrate to change the effective refractive index of the substrate such that a relative amount of light transmittable through the substrate is changed by a selected amount.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 5, 2021Publication date: July 22, 2021Inventors: Vikramjit Singh, Michael Nevin Miller, Frank Y. Xu, Shuqiang Yang
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Patent number: 11067732Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a liquid crystal device including depositing a layer of liquid crystal material on a substrate and imprinting a pattern on the layer of liquid crystal material using an imprint template are disclosed. The liquid crystal material can be jet deposited. The imprint template can include surface relief features, Pancharatnam-Berry Phase Effect (PBPE) structures or diffractive structures. The liquid crystal device manufactured by the methods described herein can be used to manipulate light, such as for beam steering, wavefront shaping, separating wavelengths and/or polarizations, and combining different wavelengths and/or polarizations.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2020Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.Inventors: Michael Anthony Klug, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Michael Nevin Miller, Vikramjit Singh, Christophe Peroz, Pierre St. Hilaire, Jie Sun
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Publication number: 20210199868Abstract: Architectures are provided for selectively incoupling one or more streams of light from a multiplexed light stream into a waveguide. The multiplexed light stream can have light with different characteristics (e.g., different wavelengths and/or different polarizations). The waveguide can comprise in-coupling elements that can selectively couple one or more streams of light from the multiplexed light stream into the waveguide while transmitting one or more other streams of light from the multiplexed light stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2021Publication date: July 1, 2021Inventors: Michael Anthony Klug, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Michael Nevin Miller, Vikramjit Singh, Christophe Peroz, Pierre St. Hilaire, Jie Sun
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Patent number: 11048164Abstract: An imprint lithography method of configuring an optical layer includes imprinting first features of a first order of magnitude in size on a side of a substrate with a patterning template, while imprinting second features of a second order of magnitude in size on the side of the substrate with the patterning template, the second features being sized and arranged to define a gap between the substrate and an adjacent surface.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2020Date of Patent: June 29, 2021Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.Inventors: Vikramjit Singh, Michael Nevin Miller, Frank Y. Xu
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Publication number: 20210170668Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for double-sided imprinting are provided. An example system includes first rollers for moving a first web including a first template having a first imprinting feature, second rollers for moving a second web including a second template having a second imprinting feature, dispensers for dispensing resist, a locating system for locating reference marks on the first and second webs for aligning the first and second templates, a light source for curing the resist, such that a cured first resist has a first imprinted feature corresponding to the first imprinting feature on one side of the substrate and a cured second resist has a second imprinted feature corresponding to the second imprinting feature on the other side of the substrate, and a moving system for feeding in the substrate between the first and second templates and unloading the double-imprinted substrate from the first and second webs.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2021Publication date: June 10, 2021Inventors: Roy Patterson, Charles Scott Carden, Satish Sadam, Ryan Christiansen, Matthew S. Shafran, Christopher John Fleckenstein, Vikramjit Singh, Michael Nevin Miller, Kang Luo
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Patent number: 11022748Abstract: Techniques are described for using confinement structures and/or pattern gratings to reduce or prevent the wicking of sealant polymer (e.g., glue) into the optically active areas of a multi-layered optical assembly. A multi-layered optical structure may include multiple layers of substrate imprinted with waveguide grating patterns. The multiple layers may be secured using an edge adhesive, such as a resin, epoxy, glue, and so forth. A confinement structure such as an edge pattern may be imprinted along the edge of each layer to control and confine the capillary flow of the edge adhesive and prevent the edge adhesive from wicking into the functional waveguide grating patterns of the layers. Moreover, the edge adhesive may be carbon doped or otherwise blackened to reduce the reflection of light off the edge back into the interior of the layer, thus improving the optical function of the assembly.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2019Date of Patent: June 1, 2021Assignee: Molecular Imprints, Inc.Inventors: Michael Nevin Miller, Frank Y. Xu, Vikramjit Singh, Eric C. Browy, Jason Schaefer, Robert D. TeKolste, Victor Kai Liu, Samarth Bhargava, Jeffrey Dean Schmulen, Brian T. Schowengerdt
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Publication number: 20210132394Abstract: A display device includes a waveguide assembly comprising a waveguide configured to outcouple light out of a major surface of the waveguide to form an image in the eyes of a user. An adaptive lens assembly has a major surface facing the output surface and a waveplate lens and a switchable waveplate assembly. The switchable waveplate assembly includes quarter-wave plates on opposing sides of a switchable liquid crystal layer, and electrodes on the quarter-wave plates in the volume between the quarter-wave plates. The electrodes can selectively establish an electric field and may serve as an alignment structure for molecules of the liquid crystal layer. Portions of the adaptive lens assembly may be manufactured by roll-to-roll processing in which a substrate roll is unwound, and alignment layers and liquid crystal layers are formed on the substrate as it moves towards a second roller, to be wound on that second roller.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2021Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventors: Roy Matthew Patterson, Chulwoo Oh, Ravi Kumar Komanduri, Charles Scott Carden, Michael Nevin Miller, Vikramjit Singh, Shuqiang Yang
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Publication number: 20210109278Abstract: In some embodiments, a head-mounted, near-eye display system comprises a stack of waveguides having integral spacers separating the waveguides. The waveguides may each include diffractive optical elements that are formed simultaneously with the spacers by imprinting. The spacers are disposed on one major surface of each of the waveguides and indentations are provided on an opposite major surface of each of the waveguides. The indentations are sized and positioned to align with the spacers, thereby forming a self-aligned stack of waveguides. Tops of the spacers may be provided with light scattering features, anti-reflective coatings, and/or light absorbing adhesive to prevent light leakage between the waveguides. As seen in a top-down view, the spacers may be elongated along the same axis as the diffractive optical elements. The waveguides may include structures (e.g.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 1, 2019Publication date: April 15, 2021Inventors: Christophe Peroz, Chieh Chang, Sharad D. Bhagat, Victor Kai Liu, Roy Matthew Patterson, David Carl Jurbergs, Mohammadreza Khorasaninejad, Ling Li, Michael Nevin Miller, Charles Scott Carden
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Patent number: 10969692Abstract: An imprint lithography method of configuring an optical layer includes selecting one or more parameters of a nanolayer to be applied to a substrate for changing an effective refractive index of the substrate and imprinting the nanolayer on the substrate to change the effective refractive index of the substrate such that a relative amount of light transmittable through the substrate is changed by a selected amount.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2020Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.Inventors: Vikramjit Singh, Michael Nevin Miller, Frank Y. Xu, Shuqiang Yang
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Patent number: 10948642Abstract: Architectures are provided for selectively incoupling one or more streams of light from a multiplexed light stream into a waveguide. The multiplexed light stream can have light with different characteristics (e.g., different wavelengths and/or different polarizations). The waveguide can comprise in-coupling elements that can selectively couple one or more streams of light from the multiplexed light stream into the waveguide while transmitting one or more other streams of light from the multiplexed light stream.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2019Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.Inventors: Michael Anthony Klug, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Michael Nevin Miller, Vikramjit Singh, Christophe Peroz, Pierre St. Hilaire, Jie Sun
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Patent number: 10926452Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for double-sided imprinting are provided. An example system includes first rollers for moving a first web including a first template having a first imprinting feature, second rollers for moving a second web including a second template having a second imprinting feature, dispensers for dispensing resist, a locating system for locating reference marks on the first and second webs for aligning the first and second templates, a light source for curing the resist, such that a cured first resist has a first imprinted feature corresponding to the first imprinting feature on one side of the substrate and a cured second resist has a second imprinted feature corresponding to the second imprinting feature on the other side of the substrate, and a moving system for feeding in the substrate between the first and second templates and unloading the double-imprinted substrate from the first and second webs.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2018Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.Inventors: Roy Patterson, Charles Scott Carden, Satish Sadam, Ryan Christiansen, Matthew S. Shafran, Christopher John Fleckenstein, Vikramjit Singh, Michael Nevin Miller, Kang Luo
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Publication number: 20210041783Abstract: Micro- and nano-patterns in imprint layers formed on a substrate and lithographic methods for forming such layers. The layers include a plurality of structures, and a residual layer having a residual layer thickness (RLT) that extends from the surface of the substrate to a base of the structures, where the RLT varies across the surface of the substrate according to a predefined pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2020Publication date: February 11, 2021Inventors: Vikramjit Singh, Kang Luo, Michael Nevin Miller, Shuqiang Yang, Frank Y. Xu
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Patent number: 10890769Abstract: A display device includes a waveguide assembly comprising a waveguide configured to outcouple light out of a major surface of the waveguide to form an image in the eyes of a user. An adaptive lens assembly has a major surface facing the output surface and a waveplate lens and a switchable waveplate assembly. The switchable waveplate assembly includes quarter-wave plates on opposing sides of a switchable liquid crystal layer, and electrodes on the quarter-wave plates in the volume between the quarter-wave plates. The electrodes can selectively establish an electric field and may serve as an alignment structure for molecules of the liquid crystal layer. Portions of the adaptive lens assembly may be manufactured by roll-to-roll processing in which a substrate roll is unwound, and alignment layers and liquid crystal layers are formed on the substrate as it moves towards a second roller, to be wound on that second roller.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2018Date of Patent: January 12, 2021Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.Inventors: Roy Matthew Patterson, Chulwoo Oh, Ravi Kumar Komanduri, Charles Scott Carden, Michael Nevin Miller, Vikramjit Singh, Shuqiang Yang
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Publication number: 20200348589Abstract: An imprint lithography method of configuring an optical layer includes imprinting first features of a first order of magnitude in size on a side of a substrate with a patterning template, while imprinting second features of a second order of magnitude in size on the side of the substrate with the patterning template, the second features being sized and arranged to define a gap between the substrate and an adjacent surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 21, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Vikramjit Singh, Michael Nevin Miller, Frank Y. Xu
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Patent number: 10823894Abstract: A method of manufacturing a waveguide having a combination of a binary grating structure and a blazed grating structure includes cutting a substrate off-axis, depositing a first layer on the substrate, and depositing a resist layer on the first layer. The resist layer includes a pattern. The method also includes etching the first layer in the pattern using the resist layer as a mask. The pattern includes a first region and a second region. The method further includes creating the binary grating structure in the substrate in the second region and creating the blazed grating structure in the substrate in the first region.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2019Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: Magic Leaps, Inc.Inventors: Christophe Peroz, Mauro Melli, Vikramjit Singh, David Jurbergs, Jeffrey Dean Schmulen, Zongxing Wang, Shuqiang Yang, Frank Y. Xu, Kang Luo, Marlon Edward Menezes, Michael Nevin Miller