Patents by Inventor Stephen Paul Mason

Stephen Paul Mason has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220317347
    Abstract: There is provided a method for fabricating a waveguide master grating imprint tool. The method comprises: coating a substrate with at least one photoresist layer; selectively exposing a first diffraction grating master profile onto a first area of the at least one photoresist layer; selectively exposing a second diffraction grating master profile onto a second area of the at least one photoresist layer; and processing the substrate to form the first diffraction grating master profile and the second diffraction grating master profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason
  • Publication number: 20220317362
    Abstract: There is provided a method for fabricating a waveguide. The method comprising fabricating a first master grating tool comprising a first tool substrate having a surface with an area corresponding at least to the area of a surface of the waveguide and having a first grating profile formed over substantially all of the surface of the first tool substrate. Fabricating a second master grating tool comprising a second tool substrate having a surface with an area corresponding at least to the area of the surface of the waveguide and having a second grating profile formed over substantially all of the surface of the second tool substrate. Using the first master grating tool to replicate the first grating profile over substantially all of a surface of a first waveguide substrate. Using the second master grating tool to replicate the second grating profile over substantially all of a surface of a second waveguide substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason
  • Publication number: 20200393682
    Abstract: An optical waveguide for a head up display having two optical input regions. Optical gratings direct light injected into the optical input regions towards and output region and to be trapped in the optical waveguide by total internal reflection. Beam splitters are provided to expand the pupil in two dimensions. Light from each input region is directed to different areas of the output region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason
  • Patent number: 10409059
    Abstract: The present invention provides a projection display, for displaying an image to a viewer. An image-providing light source device is arranged to inject an input pupil of multi-spectral image bearing light into a waveguide assembly. The waveguide assembly comprises first and second diffraction regions arranged respectively for expanding the input pupil in first and second generally orthogonal dimensions and outputting an exit pupil expanded in the first and second dimensions from the waveguide assembly. The diffractive regions of the waveguide assembly are matched to cause zero or substantially zero net chromatic aberration. A combiner is arranged to direct the exit pupil towards the viewer for viewing an image and to transmit light from a real world scene through the combiner so that the image overlays the light from the real world scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason
  • Patent number: 10394022
    Abstract: A display apparatus (1) for use in displaying an image to a viewer, comprising a transparent optical waveguide display unit (2) arranged for receiving image-bearing light (4) into the optical waveguide display unit, for guiding the received light therealong to an output area (24) thereof, and for outputting from the output area the image-bearing light (6) collimated to present a viewable image. A light-emitting display screen (3) arranged adjacent to and behind the output area of the optical waveguide display unit is visible therethrough behind the output area (24). This combines the light from the light-emitting display screen (e.g. imagery) with the viewable image (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason
  • Patent number: 10126551
    Abstract: A display apparatus for use in displaying an image to a viewer (4), comprising an optical waveguide (8) arranged to receive image-bearing light (2) into the optical waveguide to guide the received image-bearing light therealong to an output part (5) of the optical waveguide for output therefrom. A combiner (70) is arranged adjacent to the output part of the optical waveguide for reflecting image-bearing light output by the waveguide in a direction which passes back through the optical waveguide and for allowing light (6) from an external scene to pass through the combiner in said direction through the optical waveguide to combine with the reflected image-bearing light so that the image-bearing light overlays light from the external scene for viewing by a viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason
  • Patent number: 10088633
    Abstract: An optical waveguide is provided having at least first and second diffraction regions, the first diffraction region being arranged to diffract image-bearing light propagating along the waveguide so as to expand it in a first dimension and to turn the image-bearing light towards the second diffraction region, the second diffraction region being arranged to diffract the image-bearing light so as to expand it in a second dimension and to release it from the waveguide as a visible image. The first diffraction region is formed by first diffraction grating embedded within the waveguide, arranged to present a substantially similar profile to the image-bearing light when incident upon the grating from a given angle above or below the grating such that the polarization of the image bearing light is rotated by substantially similar amounts, but in opposite directions, by successive interactions with the first diffraction region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS, plc
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason
  • Publication number: 20170329132
    Abstract: A display apparatus (1) for use in displaying an image to a viewer, comprising a transparent optical waveguide display unit (2) arranged for receiving image-bearing light (4) into the optical waveguide display unit, for guiding the received light therealong to an output area (24) thereof, and for outputting from the output area the image-bearing light (6) collimated to present a viewable image. A light-emitting display screen (3) arranged adjacent to and behind the output area of the optical waveguide display unit is visible therethrough behind the output area (24). This combines the light from the light-emitting display screen (e.g. imagery) with the viewable image (6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: STEPHEN PAUL MASON
  • Publication number: 20160284319
    Abstract: A display apparatus and method are provided for at least partially compensating for undesirable image degradation arising from the processing of a generated image prior to display at a viewing surface, such as a combiner. The degradation is such that a viewer perceives a reduction in contrast ratio of a portion of the image content appearing in one or more regions of the field of view of the display, for example against an external scene being viewed through the combiner. In the invention, control means are provided to at least partially compensate for the reduction in contrast ratio by decreasing the resolution of the portion of the generated image content intended for display in the region of perceived reduced contrast ratio prior to input to the processing function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Stephen Paul MASON, Ian MARSHALL, Paul Stewart MORANT, Iain King WILMINGTON
  • Publication number: 20160274356
    Abstract: A display apparatus for use in displaying an image to a viewer (4), comprising an optical waveguide (8) arranged to receive image-bearing light (2) into the optical waveguide to guide the received image-bearing light therealong to an output part (5) of the optical waveguide for output therefrom. A combiner (70) is arranged adjacent to the output part of the optical waveguide for reflecting image-bearing light output by the waveguide in a direction which passes back through the optical waveguide and for allowing light (6) from an external scene to pass through the combiner in said direction through the optical waveguide to combine with the reflected image-bearing light so that the image-bearing light overlays light from the external scene for viewing by a viewer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS PLC
    Inventor: Stephen Paul MASON
  • Publication number: 20140240834
    Abstract: An optical waveguide is provided having at least first and second diffraction regions, the first diffraction region being arranged to diffract image-bearing light propagating along the waveguide so as to expand it in a first dimension and to turn the image-bearing light towards the second diffraction region, the second diffraction region being arranged to diffract the image-bearing light so as to expand it in a second dimension and to release it from the waveguide as a visible image. The first diffraction region is formed by first diffraction grating embedded within the waveguide, arranged to present a substantially similar profile to the image-bearing light when incident upon the grating from a given angle above or below the grating such that the polarisation of the image bearing light is rotated by substantially similar amounts, but in opposite directions, by successive interactions with the first diffraction region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: BAE SYSTEMS plc
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason
  • Publication number: 20140043689
    Abstract: The present invention provides a projection display, for displaying an image to a viewer. An image-providing light source device is arranged to inject an input pupil of multi-spectral image bearing light into a waveguide assembly. The waveguide assembly comprises first and second diffraction regions arranged respectively for expanding the input pupil in first and second generally orthogonal dimensions and outputting an exit pupil expanded in the first and second dimensions from the waveguide assembly. The diffractive regions of the waveguide assembly are matched to cause zero or substantially zero net chromatic aberration. A combiner is arranged to direct the exit pupil towards the viewer for viewing an image and to transmit light from a real world scene through the combiner so that the image overlays the light from the real world scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Mason