Abstract: Techniques for implementing a partially curved lightguide with pupil replicators are disclosed. A partially curved lightguide includes an embedded collimator with surfaces that act to collimate light for display prior to the light encountering a surface in a pupil expansion region of an exit pupil expander. By collimating the light within the lightguide rather than collimating the light prior to entering the lightguide, the requisite volume of a form factor of an AR display is minimized by eliminating select collimating optics and thus enabling a less bulky volume of the AR display in the region of the light source. Using techniques disclosed herein, a partially curved lightguide with pupil replicators is achievable in an eyewear display system having a form factor similar to traditional eyeglasses and curved, thin lenses.

Abstract: A head mounted display includes a combiner configured to receive display light from a micro-display. The world-facing surface of the combiner has a curvature that corresponds to a user's vision correction prescription. The head mounted display also includes a corrective layer having a second curvature that corresponds to the user's vision correction prescription. The corrective layer is disposed on the eye-facing surface of the combiner such that the focal point of the display light is adjusted for the specific user as the display light exits the combiner towards the user's eye.

Abstract: An eyewear device includes a lightguide having a world-side surface and an eye-side surface, a display oriented to emit light toward the lightguide, and a beam steering element that includes a first polarization grating positioned along an optical path between the display. The first polarization grating diffracts light emitted by the display into orders having different polarizations and the orders are selectively conveyed into different eyeboxes. The eyewear device also includes a frame that supports the lightguide, the display, and the first polarization grating. In some cases, the different polarizations include a right circular polarization or a left circular polarization and the beam steering element includes a polarization dependent filter that filters right circularly polarized light in a first state and left circularly polarized light in a second state.

Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) system employs a holographic element in the optical path of the HMD to direct light to a user's eye. The HMD includes a micro-display, a lightguide, and a holographic element coupled to the lightguide. The holographic element is coupled to a polarization film, and together the element and film reflect and transmit light of different polarities in a specified pattern to assist the lightguide in directing light to the user's eye. For example, the hologram and polarization film can be configured to pass R-polarized light and reflect L-polarized light, thereby directing light from the waveguide along a specified path.

Abstract: A head mounted display includes a combiner configured to receive display light from a micro-display. The world-facing surface of the combiner has a curvature that corresponds to a user's vision correction prescription. The head mounted display also includes a corrective layer having a second curvature that corresponds to the user's vision correction prescription. The corrective layer is disposed on the eye-facing surface of the combiner such that the focal point of the display light is adjusted for the specific user as the display light exits the combiner towards the user's eye.

Abstract: A head-wearable display device is configured to support a plurality of combiners (e.g., at least two combiners) to expand an eyebox associated with the head-wearable display device. The plurality of combiners may expand the pupil and the head-wearable display device may be configured to align the magnification between the plurality of combiners, such that a single magnified virtual image with an expanded eyebox may be delivered to the user.

Abstract: An optical device includes a frame supporting a lightguide, a microdisplay, and a field lens positioned therebetween that directs light from the microdisplay into a top surface of the lightguide. Four optical surfaces of the lightguide include: a curved surface where light from the microdisplay enters a top of the lightguide, curved eye-side and world-side surfaces providing total internal reflection, and a combiner surface. The eye-side surface is used twice. Once in total internal reflection, and a second time as a refractive surface when light is reflected from the combiner surface and is thereby refracted out of the lightguide and directed towards a user's eye. The field lens has a curved first surface oriented toward the microdisplay and a curved second surface oriented toward the top of the lightguide. The combiner surface combines ambient light from a world-side of the lightguide with light from the microdisplay.

Abstract: An optical device includes a lightguide and a display at a top of a head mountable frame. The display is oriented toward an eye-side of the optical device. A reflector is positioned at an eye-side of the optical device and directs light into the lightguide. This orientation and arrangement of components reduces light leaking out of the optical device. The lightguide includes curved first and second surfaces. The device reflects light through the curved first surface to a user eye for augmented reality vision. A head mountable frame supports the display, the reflector, and the lightguide.

Abstract: A mobile computing device includes an emissive display panel, where the panel is used as a grating, and spectrometer optics positioned behind/below the emissive display panel. A mobile computing device includes an emissive display panel and a spectrometer positioned below the emissive display panel. The emissive display panel includes a first periodic pattern of pixels that include one or more LEDs and a second periodic pattern of circuit elements that control the pixels, where the first and second periodic patterns are configured to diffract light received from outside the device, which passes through the emissive display, and where the diffraction is wavelength-dependent. The spectrometer is configured to detect intensities of different wavelength ranges of the diffracted light.

Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) device and method of manufacturing the same. The HMD includes a frame housing a micro-display to project display light, a lightguide configured to receive the display light from the micro-display, and a corrective layer having a world-side surface coupled to the eye-side surface of the lightguide. The lightguide is further configured to have a world-side surface with a radius of curvature based on an ophthalmic corrective prescription and an eye-side surface having an outcoupler feature formed thereon such that the coupled lightguide and corrective layer form a lens configured to fit within the frame.

Abstract: An HMD employs a multifocal module having one or more voltage controlled optical elements. By changing the voltage applied to the one or more optical elements, the HMD can change the focal length of an image generated by the micro-display. The multifocal module can include a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) element and a polarizer switch. By controlling the voltage applied to each of the CLC element and the polarizer switch, the HMD can change the focal length of the image passed through the multifocal module. The HMD can thereby change the focal length of any image generated by the micro-display.

Abstract: A lightguide includes an incoupler configured to receive light emitted from a microdisplay and to direct the received light into the lightguide, a first non-planar major surface and a second non-planar major surface configured to reflect the light directed into the lightguide by the incoupler, and an outcoupler comprising a non-planar, angle selective hologram configured to receive light reflected from at least one of the first major surface and the second major surface and to selectively direct the light out of the lightguide based on the angle of incidence at the hologram.

Abstract: A head mounted display includes a combiner configured to receive display light from a micro-display. The world-facing surface of the combiner has a curvature that corresponds to a user's vision correction prescription. The head mounted display also includes a corrective layer having a second curvature that corresponds to the user's vision correction prescription. The corrective layer is disposed on the eye-facing surface of the combiner such that the focal point of the display light is adjusted for the specific user as the display light exits the combiner towards the user's eye.

Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) provides multiple fields of view of a single micro-display by time-multiplexing the provision of light of different polarizations. The HMD includes a micro-display, a lightguide, and a plurality of combiners coupled to the lightguide, wherein each combiner is configured to combine light of a different polarization. For example, the HMD can include two combiners, with one combiner configured to combine P-polarized light and the other combiner configured to combine S-polarized light. A polarizer switch is included in a filter stack for the lightguide, and a control module controls the switch to alternate the provision of light having P-polarization and S-polarization, respectively. The light of each polarization provides a different field of view of the micro-display.

Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) system includes a display for emitting light toward an eye-ward side of the system and which allows both ambient light and emitted light to reach an eye of a user. The system provides augmented reality (AR) based viewing and includes a rotatable substrate supporting a set of light emitting elements (301). Each light emitting element is oriented toward a world side of the HMD system. A rotatable reflective surface is positioned on the world side of the set of the light emitting elements. The reflective surface reflects emitted light toward a user eye. A motor, coupled to the rotatable substrate and the rotatable reflective surface, rotates these elements about a common axis and a display driver selectively activates the light emitting elements during this rotation in accordance with an illumination sequence so as to provide an image.

Abstract: An optical device includes a display that emits light toward a lightguide. Display light reflects from lightguide surfaces by total internal reflection (TIR). The display is mounted proximate to the lightguide. The optical device includes a first surface at an eye-side of the optical device and a second surface at a world-side. The optical device includes a first material having a first Abbe number and a second material having a second Abbe number different from the first Abbe number. The first material and the second material cause a color correction to light from the display or alters a chromatic aberration of the light from the display. A head mountable frame supports the display and the lightguide including the first and second materials.

Abstract: An optical apparatus for a near-eye display includes a microdisplay to emit image light and one or more field lenses positioned to receive the image light from the microdisplay. The one or more field lenses have a combined optical power to form a curved intermediate image. A freeform combiner, having an eyeward side and an external side, is positioned to receive the image light from the one or more field lenses and reflect the image light. A curved intermediate image is formed between the freeform combiner and the one or more field lenses.

Abstract: An optical device includes a display that emits light toward a lightguide. Display light reflects from lightguide surfaces by total internal reflection (TIR). The display is mounted proximate to the lightguide. The optical device includes a first surface at an eye-side of the optical device and a second surface at a world-side. The optical device includes a first material having a first Abbe number and a second material having a second Abbe number different from the first Abbe number. The first material and the second material cause a color correction to light from the display or alters a chromatic aberration of the light from the display. A head mountable frame supports the display and the lightguide including the first and second materials.

Abstract: An optical device includes a display that emits light through a polarization grating and then through a field lens toward a lightguide. Display light reflects from lightguide surfaces by total internal reflection (TIR). The display is mounted proximate to the lightguide. The optical device includes a first surface at an eye-side of the optical device and a second surface at a world-side. The optical device includes a first material having a first Abbe number and a second material having a second Abbe number different from the first Abbe number. The polarization grating, the first material, and the second material cause a color correction to light from the display or alter a chromatic aberration of the light from the display. A head mountable frame supports the display and the lightguide including the first and second materials.

Abstract: A head mounted display (HMD) system employs a holographic element in the optical path of the HMD to direct light to a user's eye. The HMD includes a micro-display, a lightguide, and a holographic element coupled to the lightguide. The holographic element is coupled to a polarization film, and together the element and film reflect and transmit light of different polarities in a specified pattern to assist the lightguide in directing light to the user's eye. For example, the hologram and polarization film can be configured to pass R-polarized light and reflect L-polarized light, thereby directing light from the waveguide along a specified path.