Abstract: A waveguide display is used for presenting media to a user. The waveguide display includes light source assembly, an output waveguide, and a controller. The light source assembly includes one or more projectors projecting an image light at least along one dimension. The output waveguide includes a waveguide body with two opposite surfaces. The output waveguide includes a first grating receiving an image light propagating along an input wave vector, a second grating, and a third grating positioned opposite to the second grating and outputting an expanded image light with wave vectors matching the input wave vector. The controller controls the scanning of the one or more source assemblies to form a two-dimensional image.

Abstract: A waveguide display includes light sources, a source waveguide, an output waveguide, and a controller. Light from each of the light sources is coupled into the source waveguide. The source waveguide includes gratings with a constant period determined based on the conditions for total internal reflection and first order diffraction of the received image light. The emitted image light is coupled into the output waveguide at several entrance locations. The output waveguide outputs expanded image lights at a location offset from the entrance location, and the location/direction of the emitted expanded image light is based in part on the orientation of the light sources. Each of the expanded image light is associated with a field of view of the expanded image light emitted by the output waveguide.

Abstract: A transparent waveguide for use in eye tracking includes an input-coupler and an output-coupler. The input-coupler comprises a plurality of curved grating lines having a radially varying pitch. When positioned in front of an eye illuminated with infrared light, infrared light beams reflected from the eye and incident on the input-coupler enter the waveguide at the input-coupler, propagate through the waveguide by way of total internal reflections, and exit the waveguide proximate the output-coupler.

Abstract: A first optical arrangement is configured to couple into an apparatus a first component of a light beam having a wavelength within a first spectral range; a second optical arrangement configured to couple a second component of the light beam having a wavelength within a different second spectral range; a third optical arrangement configured to expand the first component in a first dimension to create an expanded first component; a fourth optical arrangement configured to expand, in a second dimension, the expanded first component to create a further expanded first component, and to output the further expanded first component; a fifth optical arrangement configured to expand the second component in the second dimension to create an expanded second component; and a sixth optical arrangement configured to expand, in the first dimension, the expanded second component to create a further expanded second component, and to output the further expanded second component.

Abstract: A waveguide display includes a source assembly, an output waveguide, and a controller. The source assembly includes a light source and an optics system. The light source includes source elements arranged in a 1D or 2D array that emit image light. The optics system includes a scanning mirror assembly that scans the image light to particular locations based on scanning instructions. The output waveguide receives the scanned image light from the scanning mirror assembly and outputs an expanded image light. In some embodiments, the waveguide display includes a source waveguide and the 1D array of source elements. The source waveguide receives a conditioned image light from the source assembly. The controller generates the scanning instructions and provides the scanning instructions to the scanning mirror assembly. In some embodiments, the controller provides the scanning instructions to an actuator assembly of the source waveguide.

Abstract: A waveguide display includes a light source, a conditioning lens assembly, a scanning mirror assembly, and a controller. The light source includes a plurality of source elements that are configured to emit image light in accordance with scanning instructions. The conditioning lens assembly transmits conditioned light based in part on the image light. The scanning mirror assembly scans the conditioned image light to particular locations as scanned image light in accordance with scanning instructions. The output waveguide includes an input area and an output area, receives the scanned image light emitted from the scanning mirror assembly at the input area, and outputs the expanded image light from a portion of the output area based in part on a direction of the expanded light output from the scanning mirror assembly. The controller generates the scanning instructions and provides the scanning instructions to the light source and the scanning mirror assembly.

Abstract: A display system comprises an optical waveguide and a light engine. The light engine generates multiple input beams which form a virtual image. An incoupling grating of the waveguide couples each beam into an intermediate grating of the waveguide, in which that beam is guided onto multiple splitting regions. The intermediate grating, formed by modulations on a first surface of the waveguide, splits that beam at the splitting regions to provide multiple substantially parallel versions of that beam. Those multiple versions are coupled into an exit grating of the waveguide, in which the multiple versions are guided onto multiple exit regions. The exit grating diffracts the multiple versions of that beam outwardly. The multiple input beams thus cause multiple exit beams to exit the waveguide which form a version of the virtual image. A polarization state of each beam interacting with the modulations is controlled by a retarder film.

Abstract: A transparent waveguide for use in eye tracking includes an input-coupler and an output-coupler. The input-coupler comprises a plurality of curved grating lines having a radially varying pitch. When positioned in front of an eye illuminated with infrared light, infrared light beams reflected from the eye and incident on the input-coupler enter the waveguide at the input-coupler, propagate through the waveguide by way of total internal reflections, and exit the waveguide proximate the output-coupler.

Abstract: A waveguide has a front and a rear surface, the waveguide for a display system and arranged to guide light from a light engine onto an eye of a user to make an image visible to the user, the light guided through the waveguide by reflection at the front and rear surfaces. A first portion of the front or rear surface has a structure which causes light to change phase upon reflection from the first portion by a first amount. A second portion of the same surface has a different structure which causes light to change phase upon reflection from the second portion by a second amount different from the first amount. The first portion is offset from the second portion by a distance which substantially matches the difference between the second amount and the first amount.

Abstract: A transparent waveguide for use in eye tracking includes an input-coupler and an output-coupler. The input-coupler comprises a plurality of curved grating lines having a radially varying pitch. When positioned in front of an eye illuminated with infrared light, infrared light beams reflected from the eye and incident on the input-coupler enter the waveguide at the input-coupler, propagate through the waveguide by way of total internal reflections, and exit the waveguide proximate the output-coupler.

Abstract: A diffraction grating modelling systems and methods are disclosed. A database comprises a plurality of records, each labelled by a diffraction parameter set that describes a diffraction scenario. A scattering map describes a field transformation induced in that scenario. Various techniques for maintaining and using the database are disclosed.

Abstract: A substantially transparent optical component, which comprises polymer, is molded. The optical component has substantially matching grating imprints on respective portions of its surface, which imprints have a substantially zero relative orientation angle. Substantially transparent molten polymer is forced between two surfaces of a molding component. The molten polymer is forced into contact with surface modulations which form two substantially matching gratings. An alignment portion is located so that light which has interacted with both gratings is observable when the substantially transparent polymer is between the surfaces. While the polymer is still liquid, the molding component is reconfigured from a current configuration to a new configuration in which the fringe spacing of a fringe pattern formed by the two gratings is substantially maximal, thus aligning the gratings to have a substantially zero relative orientation angle. The new configuration is maintained while the polymer sets.

Abstract: A wearable image display system comprises a headpiece, a light engine, and an optical component. The light engine is mounted on the headpiece and configured to generate beams, each of the beams being substantially collimated so that the beams form a virtual image. The optical component located to project an image onto an eye of a wearer and comprising an incoupling structure and an exit structure. The beams are directed from an exit aperture of the light engine to the in-coupling structure of the optical component. The exit structure is arranged to guide the beams onto the eye. The optical component is located between light engine and the eye. The optical component is angled relative to the light engine such that any outwardly reflected versions of the beams propagate clear of the exit aperture.

Abstract: A display system comprises an optical waveguide and a light engine. The light engine generates multiple input beams which form a virtual image. An incoupling grating of the waveguide couples each beam into an intermediate grating of the waveguide, in which that beam is guided onto multiple splitting regions. The intermediate grating, formed by modulations on a first surface of the waveguide, splits that beam at the splitting regions to provide multiple substantially parallel versions of that beam. Those multiple versions are coupled into an exit grating of the waveguide, in which the multiple versions are guided onto multiple exit regions. The exit grating diffracts the multiple versions of that beam outwardly. The multiple input beams thus cause multiple exit beams to exit the waveguide which form a version of the virtual image. A polarization state of each beam interacting with the modulations is controlled by a retarder film.

Abstract: A substantially transparent optical component, which comprises polymer, is moulded. The optical component has substantially matching grating imprints on respective portions of its surface, which imprints have a substantially zero relative orientation angle. Substantially transparent molten polymer is forced between two surfaces of a moulding component. The molten polymer is forced into contact with surface modulations which form two substantially matching gratings. An alignment portion is located so that light which has interacted with both gratings is observable when the substantially transparent polymer is between the surfaces. Whilst the polymer is still liquid, the moulding component is reconfigured from a current configuration to a new configuration in which the fringe spacing of a fringe pattern formed by the two gratings is substantially maximal, thus aligning the gratings to have a substantially zero relative orientation angle. The new configuration is maintained whilst the polymer sets.

Abstract: A wearable image display system comprises a headpiece, a first and a second light engine, and a first and a second optical component. The first and second light engines generate a first and a second set of beams respectively, each beam substantially collimated so that the first and second set form a first and a second virtual image respectively. Each optical component is located to project an image onto a first and a second eye of a wearer respectively. The first and second sets of beams are directed to incoupling structures of the first and second optical components respectively. Exit structures of the first and second optical components guide the first and second sets of beams onto the first and second eyes respectively. The optical components are located between the light engines and the eyes. Both of the light engines are mounted to a central portion of the headpiece.

Abstract: A display system comprises an optical waveguide and a light engine. The light engine generates multiple input beams which form a virtual image. An incoupling grating of the optical waveguide couples each beam into an intermediate grating of the waveguide, in which that beam is guided onto multiple splitting regions. The intermediate grating splits that beam at the splitting regions to provide multiple substantially parallel versions of that beam. Those multiple versions are coupled into an exit grating of the waveguide, in which the multiple versions are guided onto multiple exit regions. The exit grating diffracts the multiple versions of that beam outwardly. The multiple input beams thus cause multiple exit beams to exit the waveguide which form a version of the virtual image. The incoupling and intermediate gratings are substantially contiguous, separated by no more than 100 micrometres in width along a common border.

Abstract: A waveguide has a front and a rear surface, the waveguide for a display system and arranged to guide light from a light engine onto an eye of a user to make an image visible to the user, the light guided through the waveguide by reflection at the front and rear surfaces. A first portion of the front or rear surface has a structure which causes light to change phase upon reflection from the first portion by a first amount. A second portion of the same surface has a different structure which causes light to change phase upon reflection from the second portion by a second amount different from the first amount. The first portion is offset from the second portion by a distance which substantially matches the difference between the second amount and the first amount.

Abstract: A display system comprises an optical waveguide and a light engine. The light engine generates multiple input beams which form a virtual image. An incoupling grating of the waveguide couples each beam into an intermediate grating of the waveguide, in which that beam is guided onto multiple splitting regions. The intermediate grating splits that beam at the splitting regions to provide multiple substantially parallel versions of that beam. Those multiple versions are coupled into an exit grating of the waveguide, in which the multiple versions are guided onto multiple exit regions. The exit grating diffracts the multiple versions of that beam outwardly. The multiple input beams thus cause multiple exit beams to exit the waveguide which form a version of the virtual image. One or more surfaces of the intermediate grating comprise surface variations such that a visible banding effect is eliminated from the version of the virtual image.

Abstract: Microfabrication processes and apparatuses for fabricating microstructures on a substrate are disclosed. The substrate has a current diffraction grating pattern formed by current surface modulations over at least a portion of the substrate's surface that exhibit a substantially uniform grating linewidth over the surface portion. An immersion depth of the substrate in a fluid for patterning the substrate is gradually changed so that different points on the surface portion are immersed for different immersion times. The fluid changes the linewidth of the surface modulations at each immersed point on the surface portion by an amount determined by the immersion time of that point, thereby changing the current diffraction grating pattern to a new diffraction grating pattern formed by new surface modulations over the surface portion that exhibit a spatially varying grating linewidth that varies over the surface portion.