Abstract: One or more shock absorbers may be disposed between the layers of an optical assembly, which may be used in a head-mounted display (HMD) device for the display of augmented and/or virtual reality (AR/VR) content. In one example, an optical component positioned adjacent to a waveguide in the optical assembly may have one or more shock absorbers positioned on the surface which faces the waveguide. The shock absorbers may either touch the surface of the waveguide or may not touch the waveguide but rather have a gap (i.e., a stand-off shock absorber). The shock absorbers may take the form of, e.g., a pillar, a cone, an inverted cone, an inverted pillar, a spring, a double helix, a three-dimensional mesh, a strap, or a high aspect ratio 3D mesh tower.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for eye-glow suppression in waveguide systems is disclosed herein. Some embodiments of the methods and the apparatus include a source of image modulated light; a waveguide having an eye-facing surface and an external surface facing the outside world; an input coupler for coupling the light into a total reflection internal path in the waveguide; at least one grating for providing beam expansion and extracting light from the waveguide towards an eyebox; a polymer grating structure comprising a modulation depth and a grating pitch. The modulation depth is greater than the grating pitch across at least a portion of the polymer grating structure. Advantageously, the polymer grating structure is configured to diffract light entering the waveguide from the outside world or stray light generated within the waveguide away from optical paths that are refracted through the external surface into the outside world.

Abstract: An optical assembly to be used in a head-mounted display (HMD) device or similar may include a first optical component and a second optical component, where the first optical component and the second optical component are layered in the optical assembly. The optical assembly may also include a waveguide positioned between the first optical component and the second optical component. One or more shock absorbers may be positioned on surfaces of the first optical component and the second optical component facing the waveguide. The shock absorbers may be a support that touches a surface of the waveguide or a stand-off that extends toward the waveguide with a gap. The shock absorbers may also include a pillar, a cone, an inverted cone, an inverted pillar, a spring, a double helix, a three-dimensional mesh, a strap, a bumper, a sphere, or a high aspect ratio 3D mesh tower.

Abstract: Gratings may be used in waveguides. Deep surface relief gratings (SRGs) may offer many advantages over conventional SRGs, an important one being a higher S-diffraction efficiency. Deep SRGs can be implemented as polymer surface relief gratings or evacuated periodic structures (EPSs). EPSs can be formed by first recording a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) periodic structure. Removing the liquid crystal from the cured periodic structure provides a polymer surface relief grating. Polymer surface relief gratings have many applications including for use in waveguide-based displays.

Abstract: A display waveguide is configured to direct a first portion of display light to an eye along a first optical path. A disparity waveguide is configured to direct a second portion of the display light to a disparity sense circuit along a second optical path separated from the first optical path.

Abstract: Optical binocular disparity detection devices may include an optical combiner and a single image sensor. The optical combiner may include a left input for receiving a left image and a right input for receiving a right image. An output of the optical combiner may be configured to direct the left image and the right image out of the optical combiner. The single image sensor may be configured to receive and sense the left image and the right image from the output and to generate data indicative of a disparity between the left image and the right image. Various other related systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A near-eye optical assembly includes a display waveguide and an optical structure. The display waveguide is configured to receive display light and to direct the display light to an eye of a user. The optical structure includes an input coupler, an optical path, and an output coupler. The input coupler is disposed to receive a portion of the display light that propagates through the waveguide. The optical path directs the portion of the display light from the input coupler to an output coupler that is configured to provide the received portion of the display light to a disparity sense circuit.

Abstract: A near-eye optical assembly includes a display waveguide and an optical structure. The display waveguide is configured to receive display light and to direct the display light to an eye of a user. The optical structure includes an input coupler, an optical path, and an output coupler. The input coupler is disposed to receive a portion of the display light that propagates through the waveguide. The optical path directs the portion of the display light from the input coupler to an output coupler that is configured to provide the received portion of the display light to a disparity sense circuit.

Abstract: A waveguide display system includes a waveguide transparent to visible light, a projector configured to project disparity test light onto the waveguide, an input coupler configured to couple the disparity test light into the waveguide, and a set of gratings on the waveguide. The set of gratings is configured to guide the disparity test light to propagate along two different paths in the waveguide, and couple the disparity test light propagating along the two different paths out of the waveguide at a peripheral region of the waveguide. The set of gratings includes two disparity gratings having different grating vectors or a two-dimensional grating having two different grating vectors. The disparity test light on a longer primary path includes the full color spectrum of the disparity test light, while the disparity test light on a shorter secondary path includes only disparity test light having shorter wavelengths.

Abstract: Semi-retro-reflective total internal reflection-based image displays may be equipped with at least one dielectric layer. The at least one dielectric layer may be deposited on one or more of a front electrode layer, rear electrode layer or pixel walls. This may lead to displays with enhanced brightness, improved electrophoretic particle responsiveness, improved grayscale and chemical stability in the presence of an electrophoretic medium, and improved resistance to high electric fields and high temperatures. In one embodiment, a total internal reflection-based image display comprises a dielectric layer formed by one or more of methods molecular layer deposition, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhance chemical vapor deposition, spin coating or slot die coating. In another embodiment, a total internal reflection-based image display comprises at least one dielectric layer and at least one surface modification layer.

Abstract: An optical assembly to be used in a head-mounted display (HMD) device or similar may include a first optical component and a second optical component, where the first optical component and the second optical component are layered in the optical assembly. The optical assembly may also include a waveguide positioned between the first optical component and the second optical component. One or more shock absorbers may be positioned on surfaces of the first optical component and the second optical component facing the waveguide. The shock absorbers may be a support that touches a surface of the waveguide or a stand-off that extends toward the waveguide with a gap. The shock absorbers may also include a pillar, a cone, an inverted cone, an inverted pillar, a spring, a double helix, a three-dimensional mesh, a strap, a bumper, a sphere, or a high aspect ratio 3D mesh tower.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a holographic mixture including nanoparticles used to form gratings through holographic exposure. In various embodiments, exposure of the holographic mixture causes the nanoparticles to diffuse to dark fringe regions which creates nanoparticle rich regions and nanoparticle poor regions. Some embodiments include a multi-layer grating which includes a layer formed through the exposed holographic mixture and another layer directly applied above the exposed holographic mixture. The other layer may also be exposed through a holographic recording beam.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for eye-glow suppression in waveguide systems is disclosed herein. Some embodiments of the methods and the apparatus include a waveguide based display including a waveguide including an in-coupling optical element and an out-coupling optical element, where the in-coupling optical element is configured to in-couple image containing light and the out-coupling optical element is configured to out-couple the image counting light towards a user, where the waveguide comprises an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to the outer surface, and wherein the inner surface is closer to the user than the outer surface; and a partially light blocking layer above the outer surface of the waveguide opposite to the user, where the partially light blocking layer is configured to keep eye glow light from entering the environment outside the outer surface of the waveguide.

Abstract: Various embodiments of this disclosure relate to a piecewise varying rolled K-vector grating structure including: a first grating section containing a grating with a first K-vector, a second grating section containing a grating with a second K-vector; and a first boundary region positioned between the first grating section and the second grating section. The first boundary region is a multiplexed grating region including both the first K-vector and the second K-vector. Further disclosed is a method for recording such a grating structure utilizing a holographic recording process. Providing a multiplexed grating in the first boundary region may largely remove line exposure artifacts between adjacent sections of the P-RKV grating.

Abstract: Improvements to gratings for use in waveguides and methods of producing them are described herein. Deep surface relief gratings (SRGs) may offer many advantages over conventional SRGs, an important one being a higher S-diffraction efficiency. In one embodiment, deep SRGs can be implemented as polymer surface relief gratings or evacuated periodic structures (EPSs). EPSs can be formed by first recording a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) periodic structure. Removing the liquid crystal from the cured periodic structure provides a polymer surface relief grating. Polymer surface relief gratings have many applications including for use in waveguide-based displays.

Abstract: Improvements to gratings for use in waveguides and methods of producing them are described herein. Deep surface relief gratings (SRGs) may offer many advantages over conventional SRGs, an important one being a higher S-diffraction efficiency. In one embodiment, deep SRGs can be implemented as polymer surface relief gratings or evacuated periodic structures (EPSs). EPSs can be formed by first recording a holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal (HPDLC) periodic structure. Removing the liquid crystal from the cured periodic structure provides a polymer surface relief grating. Polymer surface relief gratings have many applications including for use in waveguide-based displays.

Abstract: Methods and systems for forming holographic gratings are described herein. The methods and systems may decrease the amount of haze produced during exposure of a holographic recording medium. In some embodiments, the methods and systems include a holographic recording medium; a master hologram containing a grating; and a light source and moveable deflector configured to diffract light through the master hologram into the holographic medium to form a holographic interference pattern. The moveable deflector is configured to move in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the grating. Advantageously, moving the light in this direction allows the holographic interference pattern to remain stationary while there is a spatio-temporal displacement and cancellation of unwanted intensity nonuniformities.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for eye-glow suppression in waveguide systems is disclosed herein. Some embodiments of the methods and the apparatus include a source of image modulated light; a waveguide having an eye-facing surface and an external surface facing the outside world; an input coupler for coupling the light into a total reflection internal path in the waveguide; at least one grating for providing beam expansion and extracting light from the waveguide towards an eyebox; a polymer grating structure comprising a modulation depth and a grating pitch. The modulation depth is greater than the grating pitch across at least a portion of the polymer grating structure. Advantageously, the polymer grating structure is configured to diffract light entering the waveguide from the outside world or stray light generated within the waveguide away from optical paths that are refracted through the external surface into the outside world.

Abstract: Semi-retro-reflective total internal reflection-based image displays may be equipped with at least one dielectric layer. The at least one dielectric layer may be deposited on one or more of a front electrode layer, rear electrode layer or pixel walls. This may lead to displays with enhanced brightness, improved electrophoretic particle responsiveness, improved grayscale and chemical stability in the presence of an electrophoretic medium, and improved resistance to high electric fields and high temperatures. In one embodiment, a total internal reflection-based image display comprises a dielectric layer formed by one or more of methods molecular layer deposition, atomic layer deposition, chemical vapor deposition, plasma enhance chemical vapor deposition, spin coating or slot die coating. In another embodiment, a total internal reflection-based image display comprises at least one dielectric layer and at least one surface modification layer.