Abstract: An image projector with a high optical efficiency projects an image at an arbitrary distance from an observer. The image projector includes an illumination module having at least one spatially coherent light source; a phase image generator with an array of optical phase shifting elements; an electronic image controller connected electrically to the phase image generator; and a waveguide which includes at least one embedded partial reflector. The waveguide may be positioned either between the illumination module and the waveguide, or between the waveguide and the observer. The phase image generator may include phase shifts for canceling speckle, correcting optical aberrations, and/or compensating interference caused by light rays having different optical path lengths.

Abstract: An optical system includes a light-guide optical element (LOE) (10) having mutually-parallel first and second major external surfaces (11, 12) for guiding light by internal reflection, and a projector (100) that projects illumination corresponding to a collimated image from an aperture (101). The projector injects light in to the LOE via a coupling prism (30) attached to the first major external surface (11) that projects an image injection surface. A reflective polarizing beam splitter (51) is deployed at an interface between the major external surface (11) and the coupling prism (30) parallel to the major external surfaces, to selectively transmit illumination from the coupling prism into the LOE while trapping light already within the LOE so as to propagate within the LOE by internal reflection.

Abstract: A display includes a light-guide optical element (LOE) (20) and a projector arrangement (10a) for injecting an image into the LOE so as to propagate within the LOE by internal reflection at a pair of major faces. The image is coupled out from the LOE by a coupling-out arrangement, exemplified here as internal partially-reflecting surfaces (22b). The image is coupled out from the LOE in a direction away from the eye of the observer (24b), and a reflector (30) reflects the coupled-out image back through the LOE (32), towards the eye of the observer (26). Reflector (30) is preferably a selective partial reflector, and may be convex to provide a desired apparent image distance.

Abstract: An optical system including a light-guide optical element (LOE) with first and second sets (204, 206) of mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces at different orientations. Both sets of partially-reflecting surfaces are located between parallel major external surfaces. A third set of at least partially-reflecting surfaces (202), deployed at the coupling-in region, receive image illumination injected from a projector (2) with an optical aperture having a first in-plane width and direct the image illumination via reflection of at least part of the image illumination at the third set of at least partially-reflective facets towards the first set of partially-reflective facets with an effective optical aperture having a second width larger than the first width.

Abstract: A stack has first and second faces and multiple LOEs that each has two parallel major surfaces and a first plurality of parallel internal facets oblique to the major surfaces. A first block has third and fourth faces and a second plurality of parallel internal facets. The first block and the stack are bonded such that the second face joins the third face and the first and second facets are non-parallel, forming a second block. The second block is cut at a plane passing through the first face, forming a first structure having an interfacing surface. A third block has fifth and sixth faces and a plurality of parallel internal reflectors. The third block and the first structure are bonded such that fifth face joins the interfacing surface and the internal reflectors are non-parallel to all the facets, forming a second structure. Compound LOEs are sliced-out from the second structure.

Abstract: An image projector with a high optical efficiency projects an image at an arbitrary distance from an observer. The image projector includes an illumination module having at least one spatially coherent light source; a phase image generator with an array of optical phase shifting elements; an electronic image controller connected electrically to the phase image generator; and a waveguide which includes at least one embedded partial reflector. The waveguide may be positioned either between the illumination module and the waveguide, or between the waveguide and the observer. The phase image generator may include phase shifts for canceling speckle, correcting optical aberrations, and/or compensating interference caused by light rays having different optical path lengths.

Abstract: A method for generating an image in a near-eye display may include dividing an image into first and second sub-images, sequentially transmitting the first sub-image and the second sub-image through a channel, extracting light corresponding to the first sub-image in a first polarization and light corresponding to the second sub-image in a second polarization, deflecting a first order of the light in the first polarization in a first direction, and deflecting an opposite order of the light in the second polarization in a opposite direction different from the first direction. The resulting image width corresponding to a wider field of view.

Abstract: An optical system provides two-stage expansion of an input optical aperture for a display based on a light-guide optical element. A first expansion is achieved using two distinct sets of mutually-parallel partially-reflecting surfaces, each set handing a different part of an overall field-of-view presented to the eye. In some cases, a single image projector provides image illumination to two sets of facets that are integrated into the LOE. In other cases, two separate projectors deliver image illumination corresponding to two different parts of the field-of-view to their respective sets of facets.

Abstract: A stack has first and second faces and multiple LOEs that each has two parallel major surfaces and a first plurality of parallel internal facets oblique to the major surfaces. A first block has third and fourth faces and a second plurality of parallel internal facets. The first block and the stack are bonded such that the second face joins the third face and the first and second facets are non-parallel, forming a second block. The second block is cut at a plane passing through the first face, forming a first structure having an interfacing surface. A third block has fifth and sixth faces and a plurality of parallel internal reflectors. The third block and the first structure are bonded such that fifth face joins the interfacing surface and the internal reflectors are non-parallel to all the facets, forming a second structure. Compound LOEs are sliced-out from the second structure.

Abstract: An optical system includes a light-guide optical element (LOE) (10) having mutually-parallel first and second major external surfaces (11, 12) for guiding light by internal reflection, and a projector (100) that projects illumination corresponding to a collimated image from an aperture (101). The projector injects light in to the LOE via a coupling prism (30) attached to the first major external surface (11) that projects an image injection surface. A reflective polarizing beam splitter (51) is deployed at an interface between the major external surface (11) and the coupling prism (30) parallel to the major external surfaces, to selectively transmit illumination from the coupling prism into the LOE while trapping light already within the LOE so as to propagate within the LOE by internal reflection.

Abstract: A method for generating an image in a near-eye display may include operating a light source to emit the image as incident light. The light source may be configured such that incident light as received by the light reflecting elements compensates for the chromatic reflectance of the light reflecting elements. The method may include coupling the incident light into a light-transmitting substrate, thereby trapping the light between first and second major surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate by total internal reflection and coupling the light out of the substrate by the light reflecting elements having chromatic reflectance.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed that includes at least one processor configured to determine a target coupling-out facet, identify an optical path to the target coupling-out facet, identify an active wave plate corresponding to the optical path, determine a target state of the active wave plate that corresponds to the optical path, set the active wave plate to the identified target state and cause a projection device to project a light beam comprising an image field of view component along the identified optical path.

Abstract: A method for generating an image in a near-eye display may include operating a light source to emit the image as incident light. The light source may be configured such that incident light as received by the light reflecting elements compensates for the chromatic reflectance of the light reflecting elements. The method may include coupling the incident light into a light-transmitting substrate, thereby trapping the light between first and second major surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate by total internal reflection and coupling the light out of the substrate by the light reflecting elements having chromatic reflectance.

Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed that includes at least one processor configured to determine a target coupling-out facet, identify an optical path to the target coupling-out facet, identify an active wave plate corresponding to the optical path, determine a target state of the active wave plate that corresponds to the optical path, set the active wave plate to the identified target state and cause a projection device to project a light beam comprising an image field of view component along the identified optical path.

Abstract: An optical system includes a light-guide optical element (LOE) (10) having mutually-parallel first and second major external surfaces (11, 12) for guiding light by internal reflection, and a projector (100) that projects illumination corresponding to a collimated image from an aperture (101). The projector injects light in to the LOE via a coupling prism (30) attached to the first major external surface (11) that projects an image injection surface. A reflective polarizing beam splitter (51) is deployed at an interface between the major external surface (11) and the coupling prism (30) parallel to the major external surfaces, to selectively transmit illumination from the coupling prism into the LOE while trapping light already within the LOE so as to propagate within the LOE by internal reflection.

Abstract: An optical system including a light-guide optical element (LOE) with first and second sets (204, 206) of mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces at different orientations. Both sets of partially-reflecting surfaces are located between parallel major external surfaces. A third set of at least partially-reflecting surfaces (202), deployed at the coupling-in region, receive image illumination injected from a projector (2) with an optical aperture having a first in-plane width and direct the image illumination via reflection of at least part of the image illumination at the third set of at least partially-reflective facets towards the first set of partially-reflective facets with an effective optical aperture having a second width larger than the first width.

Abstract: An optical device includes a first waveguide, having parallel first and second faces and parallel third and fourth faces forming a rectangular cross-section, that guides light by four-fold internal reflection and is associated with a coupling-out configuration that couples light out of the first waveguide into a second waveguide. The first or second face is subdivided into first and second regions having different optical characteristics. The optical device also includes a coupling-in configuration having a surface that transmits light into the first waveguide. The surface is deployed in association with a portion of the third or fourth face adjoining the second region such that an edge associated with the surface trims an input collimated image in a first dimension, and a boundary between the first and second regions trims the input collimated image in a second dimension to produce a trimmed collimated image that advances by four-fold internal reflection.

Abstract: A display for providing an image to an eye of a user has a compound light-guide arrangement formed from juxtaposed first and second slab waveguides (10, 20). Image illumination from a projector (100) is introduced, part into each waveguide, so as to propagate by internal reflection within the waveguide. A coupling-out configuration of the first waveguide (10) includes a first set of obliquely-angled internal partially-reflecting surfaces (11) in a first region of the compound light-guide arrangement for coupling-out a first part of the field of view, and a coupling-out configuration of the second waveguide (20) includes a second set of obliquely-angled internal partially-reflecting surfaces (21) in a second region of the compound light-guide arrangement, at least partially non-overlapping with the first region, for coupling-out a second part of the field of view.

Abstract: An optical system for directing image illumination injected at a coupling-in region to an eye-motion box for viewing by an eye of a user, including a light-guide optical element (LOE) formed from transparent material that includes: a first region containing a first set of planar, mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces having a first orientation; a second region containing a second set of planar, mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces having a second orientation non-parallel to the first orientation; a set of mutually-parallel major external surfaces extending across the first and second regions, and an optical retarder deployed between the first region and the second region so as to rotate a polarization of light deflected by the first set of partially-reflecting surfaces prior to reaching the second set of partially-reflecting surfaces.

Abstract: A stack has first and second faces and multiple LOEs that each has two parallel major surfaces and a first plurality of parallel internal facets oblique to the major surfaces. A first block has third and fourth faces and a second plurality of parallel internal facets. The first block and the stack are bonded such that the second face joins the third face and the first and second facets are non-parallel, forming a second block. The second block is cut at a plane passing through the first face, forming a first structure having an interfacing surface. A third block has fifth and sixth faces and a plurality of parallel internal reflectors. The third block and the first structure are bonded such that fifth face joins the interfacing surface and the internal reflectors are non-parallel to all the facets, forming a second structure. Compound LOEs are sliced-out from the second structure.