Abstract: An image light guide system including an image light guide having an out-coupling diffractive region. The out-coupling diffractive region includes one or more sub-regions having diffractive features arranged to diffract at least a first portion of image-bearing light toward an eyebox. The image light guide system also includes a blocking region having a plurality of blocking features arranged to prevent a second portion of image-bearing light reflected from the one or more sub-regions from exiting the image light guide system in a direction opposite the eyebox. In son examples the blocking region is disposed on a surface of the image light guide, on a surface of a low-index cladding layer, or on a surface of a support substrate positioned a distance from the image light guide.

Abstract: An image light guide for conveying a virtual image including a substrate operable to propagate image-bearing light beams along a length thereof. An in-coupling diffractive optic is formed along the substrate and is operable to diffract image-bearing light beams from an image source into the substrate in an angularly encoded form. An out-coupling diffractive optic is formed along the substrate, wherein the out-coupling diffractive optic is operable to diffract the image-bearing light beams from the substrate in an angularly decoded form. The in-coupling diffractive optic has three pluralities of periodic diffractive structures symmetric about three equidistant axes and the out-coupling diffractive optic has two pluralities of periodic diffractive structures having a periodicity equivalent to two of the three pluralities of periodic diffractive structures of the in-coupling diffractive optic.

Abstract: A near-eye display system that employs a volume holographic element containing distinct but overlapped planar volume gratings, each corresponding to a subset of pixels in the display. The volume gratings are illuminated using light incident from angles, and at wavelengths, that match the conical diffraction conditions for each grating, thereby achieving both high diffraction efficiency and a wide field of view. A single volume grating can thus be used to display thousands of pixels independently with high efficiency.

Abstract: A near-eye display for conveying virtual images within a real-world view includes a projector having an illuminator with an extended light source including a plurality of cells, each containing light sources, and a partial homogenizer for partially overlapping light from the plurality of cells at an illumination plane of a spatial light modulator. A controller adjusts the outputs of the plurality of cells to alter a distribution of the light over the illumination plane.

Abstract: An image light guide for conveying a virtual image, including a waveguide, an in-coupling diffractive optic operable to direct image-bearing light beams into the waveguide, and an out-coupling diffractive optic operable to direct the image-bearing light beams from the waveguide toward an eyebox. The out-coupling diffractive optic having two or more zones each including a set of diffractive features, wherein a first zone includes a first set of diffractive features and a second zone includes a second set of diffractive features and is located adjacent to the first zone. The out-coupling diffractive optic includes a first interface region formed by the first zone and the second zone, and the first interface region includes a first set of sub-regions and a second set of sub-regions. The first set of sub-regions includes the first set of diffractive features, and the second set of sub-regions includes the second set of diffractive features.

Abstract: An image light guide system for conveying a virtual image that includes a first waveguide having a first refractive index and a second waveguide having a second refractive index. The first waveguide includes diffractive optics arranged to in-couple and out-couple image-bearing light beams of a first wavelength range. The second waveguide includes diffractive optics arranged to in-couple and out-couple image-bearing light beams of at least a second wavelength range. An image light guide system for conveying a virtual image that includes a first waveguide having a first refractive index and a second waveguide having a second refractive index. The first waveguide includes diffractive optics arranged to in-couple and out-couple image-bearing light beams of a first wavelength range. The second waveguide includes diffractive optics arranged to in-couple and out-couple image-bearing light beams of at least a second wavelength range.

Abstract: An image light guide, including a substrate operable to propagate image-bearing light beams of a first wavelength range and a second wavelength range, an in-coupling diffractive optic including a first input region and a second input region, the first input region operable to couple image-bearing light of the first wavelength range into the image light guide and the second input region operable to couple image-bearing light of the second wavelength range into the image light guide, and an out-coupling diffractive optic including a first set of diffractive features and a second set of diffractive features, wherein the first set of diffractive features and the second set of diffractive features at least partially overlap within the out-coupling diffractive optic, wherein the first and second set of diffractive features introduce an optical power to change a focusing distance of the first wavelength range and the second wavelength range of image-bearing light beams.

Abstract: An image light guide system for conveying a virtual image that includes a first waveguide and a second waveguide operable to propagate image-bearing light beams. The first waveguide includes a first in-coupling diffractive optic formed along the first waveguide, wherein the first in-coupling diffractive optic is operable to diffract a first portion of image-bearing light beams from a first image source into the first waveguide in an angularly encoded form and a first out-coupling diffractive optic formed along the first waveguide, and wherein the first out-coupling diffractive optic is operable to replicate the first portions of image-bearing light beams and direct the replicated image-bearing light beams from the first waveguide in an angularly decoded form.

Abstract: An image light guide system that manages focusing discrepancies between real-world and virtual objects presented to the viewer and manages vision problems affecting the focusing capabilities of the particular viewer as well as reducing demands on the viewer's eyes for viewing virtual objects together with real-world objects within the same field of view. The image light guide system includes a negative-power optical element and a positive-power optical element arranged to focus a virtual object at a distance less than optical infinity with respect to an eyebox while ensuring that the focusing distance of real-world objects in the same field of view remain unchanged. The image light guide system also includes one or more optical elements that provide one or more corrective optical contributions to correct for the viewer's specific optical aberrations.

Abstract: An image light guide for conveying a virtual image including a first surface and a parallel second surface, an in-coupling diffractive optic arranged along the first surface and/or the second surface, wherein the in-coupling diffractive comprises a first zone having a first set of diffractive features and a second zone having a second of diffractive features, and an out-coupling diffractive optic arranged along the first surface and/or the second surface, wherein the out-coupling diffractive optic comprises a first area having two or more zones and a second area having two or more zones.

Abstract: An image light guide system including an image light guide having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, an in-coupling diffractive optic operable to couple image-bearing light beams into the image light guide, an out-coupling diffractive optic operable to direct at least a first portion of the image-bearing light beams from the image light guide toward an eyebox and direct a second portion of the image-bearing light beams from the image light guide away from the eyebox, and an interference filter configured to reflect at least a sub-portion of the second portion of the image-bearing light beams and direct the sub-portion of the second portion of the image-bearing light beams towards the eyebox.

Abstract: A virtual image display apparatus including a projector operable to direct image-bearing light beams along a projection axis, a waveguide having an in-coupling diffractive optic and an out-coupling diffractive optic, wherein the waveguide is oriented at an obtuse angle with respect to the projection axis, and an optical coupler configured to receive the image-bearing light beams along the projection axis, reorient the projection axis to an acute angle of incidence with respect to the waveguide, rotate the image-bearing light beams from a first orientation to a second orientation with respect to the projection axis, and direct the rotated image-bearing light beams along the reoriented projection axis to the in-coupling diffractive optic.

Abstract: An image light guide including a surface having a coating, a first plurality of diffractive features arranged in the coating, and a second plurality of diffractive features arranged in the coating. Wherein at least one of the first and second pluralities of diffractive features comprise a sub-wavelength stepped pattern configured to diffract incident light as if the stepped pattern diffractive features were linear diffractive features.

Abstract: An image light guide system for conveying a virtual image including a first waveguide and a second waveguide. A first in-coupling diffractive optic formed along the first waveguide and operable to diffract a first set of image-bearing light beams into the first waveguide in an angularly encoded form. A second in-coupling diffractive optic formed along the first waveguide and operable to diffract a second set of image-bearing light beams into the first waveguide in an angularly encoded form. A first out-coupling diffractive optic formed along the first waveguide and operable to expand at least a portion of the first and second sets of image-bearing light beams and direct the expanded image-bearing light beams from the first waveguide in an angularly decoded form. A first intermediate diffractive optic formed along the first waveguide and operable to direct the second set of image-bearing light beams to the first out-coupling diffractive optic.

Abstract: An image light guide having a planar waveguide including a transmissive substrate having a first refractive index and at least one outer layer of transmissive material having a second refractive index, wherein the second refractive index is higher than the first refractive index. The transmissive substrate including a front surface and a back surface, wherein the at least one outer layer of a transmissive material is engaged with at least one of the front and back surfaces of the transmissive substrate. The image light guide further including at least one of an in-coupling optic and an out-coupling optic formed in or on the at least one outer layer of transmissive material, wherein the at least one of the in-coupling optic and the out-coupling optic is operable to couple image-bearing light beams into or out of the planar waveguide, respectively.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a substrate includes providing a substrate having a flat surface and a beam writing system operable to write in a first direction and a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction, The method further includes providing a diffraction grating layout pattern having a first diffraction grating, a second diffraction grating, and a third diffraction grating. The method also includes locating the substrate in the beam writing system, whereby the beam writing system is operable to write into the flat surface, and aligning one of the first, second, and third diffraction gratings parallel with the beam writing system first direction. Additionally, the method includes writing the diffraction grating layout pattern into the substrate flat surface via the beam writing machine.

Abstract: An imaging light guide for conveying a virtual image comprises a first planar waveguide. The first planar waveguide includes first and second co-located in-coupling diffractive optics. each comprising a plurality of periodic diffractive structures, wherein the first in-coupling diffractive optic is operable to diffract a first portion of image-bearing light beams into the first planar waveguide in an angularly encoded form.

Abstract: A near-eye display for conveying virtual images within a real-world view includes a projector having an illuminator with an extended light source including a plurality of cells, each containing light sources, and a partial homogenizer for partially overlapping light from the plurality of cells at an illumination plane of a spatial light modulator. A controller adjusts the outputs of the plurality of cells to alter a distribution of the light over the illumination plane.