Abstract: A hexahedral polarization beamsplitter is constructed with four substantially triangular prisms with a polarizing beamsplitter located within each of the interfaces between the assembled prisms. An input side of the assembly receives an unpolarized beam and two opposing output sides of the assembly transmit orthogonally polarized portions of the unpolarized beam in opposite directions. The polarizing beamsplitters are arranged at the interfaces so that each of the orthogonally polarized portions of the unpolarized beam is both reflected by one of the polarizing beamsplitters and transmitted by another of the polarizing beamsplitters.

Abstract: A near-eye display for conveying virtual images within a real-world view includes a projector arranged to compensate for undesirable color gradients in the virtual images. The projector includes an illuminator with an extended light source having a plurality of cells each containing different color 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 color outputs of the cells to provide a color distribution over the illumination plane to compensate for the color gradients within the virtual images.

Abstract: An imaging light guide has waveguide for conveying image-bearing light beams from an image source to an eyebox within which a virtual image can be viewed. First and second in-coupling diffractive optics direct first and second sets of the image-bearing light beams into the waveguide along different first and second paths. First and second turning diffractive optics disposed along the respective paths expand the image-bearing light beams of the first and second sets in a first dimension and direct the expanded image-bearing light beams of the first and second sets to first and second out-coupling diffractive optics. The first and second out-coupling diffractive optics further expand the image-bearing light beams of the two sets in a second dimension and direct the further expanded image-bearing light beams of the two sets from the waveguide toward the eyebox.

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: A frame supports a display apparatus against the head of a viewer. A projector fitted within the frame generates a beam of image-bearing light. A light guide coupled to a forward section of the frame has a waveguide, an in-coupling diffractive optic formed on the waveguide for directing image-bearing light beams into the waveguide, a turning optic formed on the waveguide for expanding the respective image-bearing light beams from the in-coupling diffractive optic in a first dimension, and an out-coupling diffractive optic formed on the waveguide for expanding the respective image-bearing light beams in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension and forming a virtual image within a viewer eyebox. A mount supports the light guide in front of the viewer and provides a hinge for angular adjustment of the waveguide with respect to the projector.

Abstract: An image light guide for conveying a virtual image has a waveguide that conveys image-bearing light, formed as a flat plate having an in-coupling diffractive optic with a first grating vector diffracting an image-bearing light beam into the waveguide and directing diffracted light. An out-coupling diffractive optic is formed as a plurality of overlapping diffraction gratings including a first grating pattern having first grating vector k1 and a second grating pattern having a second grating vector k2 for expanding and ejecting the expanded image bearing beams from the waveguide into an expanded eyebox within which the virtual image can be seen.

Abstract: A head-mounted display for an augmented reality application includes an image light guide arranged within the aperture of an eye rim section of the head-mounted display for directing angularly related image-bearing light beams encoding a virtual object toward an eyebox for the viewing the virtual object at a hyperfocal to near infinite focusing distance to the eyebox. A negative-power optic between one side of the image light guide and the eyebox diverges the image-bearing beams in advance of the eyebox for viewing the virtual object at a closer distance to the eyebox that is less than the hyperfocal distance. A positive-power optic on an opposite side of the image light guide compensates for the negative-power of the negative-power optic for viewing a real-world object at its actual distance to the eyebox. A corrective optic located between the image light guide and the eyebox reduces the viewer's aberrations for viewing of both the real-world object and the virtual object.

Abstract: A beam separator has a composite prism having an external input face and an external output face co-planar to the input face. At least one polarization beam splitter surface is encased within the composite prism and has an edge that defines a boundary between the external input face and the external output face. A first reflective surface is disposed to redirect, along a direction orthogonal to the input face, light of a first polarization that reflects from the at least one polarization beam splitter.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus has a projector apparatus that projects light for forming a first image and a second image. A first pupil expander lies in the path of projected light and is configured to direct light to a viewer to form a first virtual image at infinity focus. A second pupil expander lies in the path of the projected light and is configured to direct light through a first lens and to the viewer to form a second virtual image near a focal plane of the first lens. A second lens is disposed to condition light from a visual scene lying beyond the second pupil expander.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for forming dual virtual images includes a planar waveguide, an in-coupling diffractive optic that directs a set of image-bearing light beams into the waveguide, and an out-coupling diffractive optic that directs the set of image-bearing light beams from the waveguide toward a viewer eyebox. The out-coupling diffractive optic includes an array of contiguous diffractive zones, each of which has a set of diffractive features having at least one of a common orientation and a common pitch. A succession of the zones along one dimension of the array have respective sets of diffractive features that progressively vary in at least one of orientation and pitch in a stepwise manner. The out-coupling diffractive optic is arranged together with the array of contiguous diffractive zones for forming a virtual image that is viewable from the eyebox at a near focus distance.

Abstract: An image light guide for conveying a virtual image has a waveguide that conveys image-bearing light, formed as a flat plate having an in-coupling diffractive optic with a first grating vector diffracting an image-bearing light beam into the waveguide and directing diffracted light. An out-coupling diffractive optic is formed as a plurality of overlapping diffraction gratings including a first grating pattern having first grating vector k1 and a second grating pattern having a second grating vector k2 for expanding and ejecting the expanded image bearing beams from the waveguide into an expanded eyebox within which the virtual image can be seen.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an in-coupling diffractive optic directs image-bearing light beams into a planar waveguide, an out-coupling diffractive optic directs the image-bearing light beams from the waveguide toward a viewer eyebox, and a turning diffractive optic directs the image-bearing light beams along the waveguide between the in-coupling and out-coupling diffractive optics. The grating vectors of the in-coupling and out-coupling diffractive optics differ in magnitude and orientation while the grating vectors of all three diffractive optics sum to substantially zero. The turning diffractive optic is further arranged to preserve a desired angular relationship of the propagating image bearing beams within the waveguide.

Abstract: An imaging light guide has a waveguide and an in-coupling diffractive optic formed on the waveguide and disposed to direct image-bearing light beams into the waveguide. An array of two or more at least partially reflective surfaces are oriented in parallel and disposed to expand the image-bearing light beams from the in-coupling diffractive optic in a first dimension and to direct the expanded image-bearing light beams toward an out-coupling diffractive optic. The out-coupling diffractive optic is formed on the waveguide and disposed to expand the image-bearing light beams in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension and to direct the image-bearing light beams toward a viewer eyebox.

Abstract: A hexahedral polarization beamsplitter is constructed with four substantially triangular prisms with a polarizing beamsplitter located within each of the interfaces between the assembled prisms. An input side of the assembly receives an unpolarized beam and two opposing output sides of the assembly transmit orthogonally polarized portions of the unpolarized beam in opposite directions. The polarizing beamsplitters are arranged at the interfaces so that each of the orthogonally polarized portions of the unpolarized beam is both reflected by one of the polarizing beamsplitters and transmitted by another of the polarizing beamsplitters.

Abstract: A head-mounted imaging apparatus includes a frame that houses a left-eye and a right-eye imaging apparatus. Each imaging apparatus forms a virtual image to an eye of an observer and includes a projector, a planar waveguide, and an optical coupler. The projector is supported by a temple member of the frame and emits a central projected light beam along a projection axis. The planar waveguide accepts the projected light beam through an input aperture and forms an expanded light beam that is output from an output aperture and directed toward the observer's eye. The optical coupler receives the central projected light beam along a first axis that is at an obtuse angle with respect to the waveguide surface, and the optical coupler redirects the central projected light beam along a second axis that is at an acute angle with respect to the waveguide surface.

Abstract: An imaging light guide for conveying a virtual image has a waveguide with first and second color channels for directing light of a first and second wavelength range toward a viewer eyebox. Each color channel has an in-coupling diffractive optic to diffract an image-bearing light beam into the waveguide and a reflector array having a partially reflective surface and a dichroic filter surface in parallel. Reflector array surfaces expand the respective light beam of the channel from the in-coupling diffractive optic in a first dimension and direct the expanded light beams toward an out-coupling diffractive optic. The dichroic surface reflects light of the color channel toward the reflective surface and transmits other light out of the waveguide. The out-coupling diffractive optic expands the image-bearing light beam orthogonally to the first dimension and directs the further expanded light beam toward the viewer eyebox.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus for conveying a virtual image superimposed within a view of an ambient environment has a wave-guide having first and second surfaces. An in-coupling diffractive optic on one of the planar surfaces is disposed to direct image-bearing light beams into the waveguide. An out-coupling diffractive optic on one of the planar surfaces of the waveguide is disposed to direct the image-bearing light beams from the waveguide toward a viewer eyebox. An outer cover protects as least part of the waveguide from undesirable environmental influences of an ambient environment while supporting views of the ambient environment from the eyebox. A circular polarizer interposed between waveguide and the outer cover blocks the return of stray light into the waveguide.

Abstract: An imaging light guide for conveying a virtual image has a waveguide that conveys image-bearing light, formed as a flat plate having a front and a back surface and having an in-coupling diffractive optic on the front surface with a first grating vector diffracting an image-bearing light beam into the waveguide and directing diffracted light. An out-coupling diffractive optic is formed on the front or back surface as a diffractive array and with a first subset of diffractive elements, each having a second grating vector k2 offset from the first grating vector by about +60 degrees and a second subset of diffractive elements, each having a third grating vector k3 offset from the first grating vector by about ?60 degrees. Each diffractive element of the first subset is immediately adjacent to at least one diffractive element of the second subset and the diffractive elements are mutually non-overlapping.

Abstract: A head-mounted imaging apparatus has a projector that is energizable to project image-bearing light and a light-conditioning element that directs and shapes the image-bearing light from the projector to form a real image plane. A lenslet array is positioned adjacent to the real image plane and optically disposed at substantially one focal length away from a curved mirror, wherein the surface of the curved mirror is substantially spherical. There is a beamsplitter in the path of light from the real image at the lenslet array and disposed to direct at least a portion of the light from the real image toward the curved mirror. The curved mirror directs light from the beamsplitter to form a virtual image for an observer who wears the head-mounted imaging apparatus.

Abstract: A waveguide apparatus for conveying a virtual image has first and second parallel planar surfaces. A first in-coupling diffractive optic on the first planar surface directs a first subset of image-bearing light beams into the waveguide and a second in-coupling diffractive optic on second planar surface directs a second subset of the image-bearing light beams into the waveguide. The first and second in-coupling diffractive optics are offset with respect to each other along the first and second parallel planar surfaces to independently direct the respective first and second subsets of the image-bearing light beams into the waveguide.