Abstract: An optical element for implementation in a heads-up display or other near-eye display system includes a lightguide and an incoupler optically coupled to the lightguide. The incoupler receives a display beam incident upon the lightguide at a first incidence position. The incoupler directs a first portion of the display beam into the lightguide to form an incoupled beam and causes a second portion to remain non-incoupled relative to the lightguide to form a non-incoupled beam. The optical element further includes a reflector to receive the non-incoupled beam and to reflect the non-incoupled beam towards the incoupler to form a reflected beam incident upon the incoupler at a second incidence position. The incoupler direct a corresponding portion of the reflected beam into the lightguide to form a further incoupled beam.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for optical waveguides that are well-suited for use in wearable heads-up displays (WHUDs) are described. An optical waveguide includes a volume of optically transparent material, a first holographic optical element (HOE) and a second holographic optical element, wherein the first HOE and the second HOE are carried by the volume of optically transparent material, and the first HOE is positioned across a width of the volume of optically transparent material from the second HOE. Light enters the optical waveguide and is propagated down a length of the waveguide by reflection between the first HOE and the second HOE. Propagation of the light within the optical waveguide does not require total internal reflection. The optical waveguide may include means to in-couple the light into the waveguide and means to out-couple the light from the waveguide. WHUDs that employ such optical waveguides are also described.

Abstract: A wearable heads-up display includes a power source, laser sources, and a lightguide. A photodetector is positioned to detect an intensity of a test light emitted at a perimeter of the lightguide from an optical path within the lightguide. A laser safety circuit provides a control to reduce or shut off a supply of electrical power from the power source to the laser sources in response to an output signal from the photodetector indicating that the detected intensity is below a threshold.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for optical waveguides that are well-suited for use in wearable heads-up displays (WHUDs) are described. An optical waveguide includes a volume of optically transparent material, a first holographic optical element (HOE) and a second holographic optical element, wherein the first HOE and the second HOE are carried by the volume of optically transparent material, and the first HOE is positioned across a width of the volume of optically transparent material from the second HOE. Light enters the optical waveguide and is propagated down a length of the waveguide by reflection between the first HOE and the second HOE. Propagation of the light within the optical waveguide does not require total internal reflection. The optical waveguide may include means to in-couple the light into the waveguide and means to out-couple the light from the waveguide. WHUDs that employ such optical waveguides are also described.

Abstract: An optical combiner includes a lightguide having an input region, an output region, a relay region intermediate between the input region and the output region, and one or more stress raisers positioned to define a line of weakness in the lightguide. The line of weakness is intermediate between the input region and the output region and extends across the relay region. An in-coupler is disposed at the input region to receive an incident light with a field of view and couple the incident light into the lightguide. An out-coupler is disposed at the output region to couple light out of the lightguide. The optical combiner may be integrated with one or more lenses for use as a combiner lens in a wearable heads-up display.

Abstract: An optical combiner lens includes a lens, a protective enclosure embedded in the lens, and a lightguide contained in the protective enclosure. First spacers are arranged between a first surface of the lightguide and the protective enclosure to provide a first gap between the lightguide and the lens. Second spacers are arranged between a second surface of the lightguide and the protective enclosure to provide a second gap between the lightguide and the lens. A wearable heads-up display including the optical combiner lens is disclosed.

Abstract: An optical combiner lens for a wearable heads-up display includes a first lens, a second lens, and a lightguide disposed between the first lens and the second lens to form a stack. A first medium gap is defined within the stack and between the first lens and the lightguide, and a second medium gap is defined within the stack and between the lightguide and the second lens. An in-coupler is positioned to receive light into the lightguide. An out-coupler is positioned to output light from the lightguide.

Abstract: An optical combiner lens includes a lens and a lightguide with a gap defined between the lens and the lightguide. Spacers are disposed in the gap to maintain the gap at a set height. A method of making the optical combiner lens and a wearable heads-up display including the optical combiner lens are disclosed.

Abstract: An optical combiner lens includes a first lens, a second lens, and a lightguide in stack with the first lens and second lens. A first gap is defined between the first lens and the lightguide, and a second gap is defined between the second lens and the lightguide. Spacers are disposed in the first and second gaps to maintain each of the gaps at a set height. A wearable heads-up display including the optical combiner lens is disclosed.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for light guide based wearable heads-up displays (“WHUD”) are described. Display uniformity may be improved via incoupler double bounce uniformity or eyebox mapping. Grating cosmetic effects may be reduced. FOV may be enhanced by multiple EPEs. Bandwidth may be increased by laser wavelength offsets. The couplers may be a single contiguous photopolymer.

Abstract: There is provided an optical element which includes a medium including a diffractive optical element (DOE). The medium is to receive a beam of light via a light guide. If the beam is incident upon the medium at an incidence angle within a first range of angles, the DOE is to direct a first portion of the beam out of the light guide along a second direction to form an outcoupled beam, and cause a second portion of the beam to propagate towards a surface of the light guide. Furthermore, if the incidence angle is within a second range of angles, the DOE is to split from the beam a third portion and a fourth portion each propagating towards the surface of the light guide. The third and fourth portions are to propagate along a third and a fourth direction respectively, which third direction is different than the fourth direction.

Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a wearable heads-up display (WHUD), which method includes generating first and second lights having respectively first and second wavelengths within about 50 nm of one another. The method also includes directing the first and second lights onto an incoupler of a display optic of the WHUD along first and second ranges of input angles respectively. The first and second ranges of input angles correspond to positions of pixels of first and second portions of an image to be displayed by the WHUD. The incoupler has first and second angular bandwidths corresponding to the first and second wavelengths respectively. A combination of the first and second ranges of input angles is larger than each of the first and second angular bandwidths. Moreover, the method includes directing the first and second lights into a field of view of a user to form the image.

Abstract: There are provided holographic optical elements (HOEs) and methods of making the same. An example of such methods includes recording a first hologram in a contiguous holographic recording medium of the HOE. The first hologram may receive a beam of light and direct at least a portion of the beam into a light guide to form an incoupled beam. The method also includes recording a second hologram in the contiguous holographic recording medium. The second hologram may receive at least a portion of the incoupled beam and direct the portion of the incoupled beam out of the light guide to form an outcoupled beam. In addition, the method includes affixing the holographic recording medium to the light guide.

Abstract: An optical combiner includes an optical substrate. An in-coupler grating is positioned to receive an incident light with a FOV and couple a first portion of the incident light into a first propagation path within the optical substrate and a second portion of the incident light into a second propagation path within the optical substrate. The first light portion includes light of a first color, while the second light portion excludes light of the first color. The optical combiner includes fold gratings to expand the first light portion and second light portion and direct the expanded light towards an out-coupler grating, which couples the expanded light out of the optical substrate at multiple exit pupils.

Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a wearable heads-up display, which display includes a light source, a light guide, and an incoupler carried by the light guide. The method includes emitting first and second beams having first and second wavelengths respectively, directing the first and second beams towards the incoupler, and directing, by the incoupler, at least a portion of the first and second beams into the light guide. Moreover the method includes internally reflecting, by the light guide, the portions of the first and second beams to form first and second reflected beams respectively. The first and second beams respectively may have first and second incoupling losses. Furthermore, the method includes adjusting a beam characteristic of at least one of the first and second beams to control a difference between their respective incoupling losses.

Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a wearable heads-up display (WHUD). The WHUD may include a light source, a spatial modulator, and a display optic. The method may include generating, by the light source, an output light to form an image viewable by a user of the WHUD. The method may also include receiving a position of a pupil of the user relative to an eyebox of the WHUD, and obtaining an image correction map based on the position of the pupil. Moreover, the method may include adjusting the output light to form an adjusted output light. The adjusted output light may be adjusted based on the image correction map to reduce at least one of an intensity non-uniformity and a color balance non-uniformity of the image. The method may also include directing, by the display optic, the adjusted output light into a field of view of the user.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for expanding the eyebox of a wearable heads-up display are described. A light guide with an expanded eyebox includes a light guide material, an in-coupler, an outcoupler, and a gradient refractive index (GRIN) material. The in-coupler and the out-coupler may comprise a GRIN material. An eyeglass lens with expanded eyebox includes a light guide with expanded eyebox. A wearable heads-up display includes an eyeglass lens including a light guide with an expanded eyebox.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for optical waveguides that are well-suited for use in wearable heads-up displays (WHUDs) are described. An optical device comprises an optical waveguide including a volume of optically transparent material having a first longitudinal surface positioned opposite a second longitudinal surface across a width of the volume, an in-coupler, a liquid crystal out-coupler, and a controller to modulate a refractive index of the liquid crystal out-coupler. Light is in-coupled into the waveguide and is propagated along a length of the waveguide by total internal reflection between the longitudinal surfaces before being out-coupled by the liquid crystal out-coupler on a path that is dependent on the modulated refractive index of the liquid crystal out-coupler. In this way, light signals can be steered to create an image and/or to move an exit pupil of an image. WHUDs that employ such optical waveguides are also described.

Abstract: An optical combiner lens for a wearable heads-up display includes a first lens, a second lens, and a lightguide disposed between the first lens and the second lens to form a stack. A first medium gap is defined within the stack and between the first lens and the lightguide, and a second medium gap is defined within the stack and between the lightguide and the second lens. An in-coupler is positioned to receive light into the lightguide. An out-coupler is positioned to output light from the lightguide.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for for exit pupil expansion in a curved lens with embedded light guide are described. Exit pupil expansion in a curved lens may be achieved with a light guide comprising an outcoupler with minimized second order diffraction, where the outcoupler applies an optical power to outcoupled light.