Abstract: According to examples, an optical lens assembly for head-mount display (HMD) devices may include an optical lens configuration with a first optical element and a second optical element. The first optical element and the second optical element may be affixed together along a peripheral edge to form a gap between the two optical elements and may compensate chromatic dispersion characteristics. The optical lens configuration may also include a reflective polarizer layer, a quarter wave layer, and a semi-transparent mirror provided on selected surfaces of the optical elements. In some examples, the gap may be filled with air or an inert gas.

Abstract: A device includes an array of light emitters configured to generate multiple light beams to form an image, the image having a field of view and a planar waveguide having an edge configured to receive multiple light beams from the array of light emitters, each light beam associated with a portion of the field of view. The device also includes a lens array comprising multiple lenses linearly extended to overlap an edge portion of the planar waveguide, the lenses optically coupling the light beams into the planar waveguide, and one or more output couplers in the planar waveguide configured to direct the light beams into an eyebox, wherein the eyebox forms an area that includes a pupil of a viewer of the image.

Abstract: A virtual reality headset includes a peripheral display including light emitting pixels, an eyebox delimiting a location of a pupil in a user’s eye, and an optical assembly. The optical assembly includes an angularly selective element configured to transmit, without reflecting, an input light impinging at a selected angle, through a first curved optical element, and a second curved optical element in optical series with the first curved optical element and configured to reflect the input light back to the first curved optical element, the first curved optical element reflecting the input light in a radial direction, for transmission through the second curved optical element.

Abstract: A display device may include a plurality of tiled spatial light modulators (SLMs) imparting image information upon respective light beams to obtain image beams. Pupil steering optics are configured to steerably direct the image beams towards a same or different exit pupil locations within an eyebox of the display device, providing exit pupil replication and/or an expanded field of view. An eye tracking system provides location information of the user's eye, enabling the pupil steering optic to direct at least some of the image beams to a desired exit pupil location.

Abstract: A display device with a transparent illuminator and an liquid crystal (LC) display panel is disclosed. The transparent illuminator includes a light source and a transparent lightguide, which may be based on a slab of transparent material with zigzag light propagation of the illuminating light in the slab and/or a transparent photonic integrated circuit with singlemode ridge waveguides for spreading the illuminating light in a plane parallel to the plane of LC display panel. The lightguide includes a plurality of grating out-couplers whose position is coordinated with positions of LC pixels for higher throughput. A reflective offset-to-angle optical element may be provided to form an image in angular domain through the LC panel and through the transparent illuminator, resulting in an overall compact and efficient display configuration.

Abstract: A headset for virtual reality imaging is provided. The headset includes a first display configured to generate multiple light beams from a central portion of a field of view in an image provided to a user, a first optical element configured to provide the light beams forming a central portion of the field of view through an eyebox of the headset that limits a volume including a pupil of the user, and a second display configured to provide a peripheral portion of the field of view for the image through the eyebox, wherein the second display includes multiple light emitting pixels arranged in a two-dimensional surface. A system and a method for using the above headset are also provided.

Abstract: A device includes a light source configured to output a first beam, and a light guide coupled with an in-coupling element and an out-coupling element. The device includes a display panel and a lens assembly disposed at opposite sides of the light guide. The in-coupling element is configured to couple the first beam into the light guide as a second beam. The out-coupling element is configured to couple a first portion of the second beam out of the light guide as a third beam propagating toward the display panel to illuminate the display panel, and couple a second portion of the second beam out of the light guide as a fourth beam propagating toward the lens assembly. A normal of a surface of the light guide where the out-coupling element is disposed is tilted by a predetermined angle with respect to an axis of the display panel.

Abstract: An illumination assembly includes one or more light sources and an optical assembly. The one or more light sources is configured to provide illumination light. The optical assembly includes a first optical component, a second optical component, and a third optical component. The first optical component, the second optical component, and the third optical component are positioned so that the illumination light is (i) received by the first optical component, (ii) transmitted through the first optical component toward the second optical component, (iii) reflected at the second optical component toward the third optical component, (iv) reflected at the third optical component toward the second optical component, and (v) transmitted through the second optical component. A method of providing illumination using an optical assembly is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical device includes a substrate, a plurality of optical elements positioned on the substrate, and one or more switchable cells. A respective optical element of the plurality of optical elements is configured to redirect light having a first polarization and transmit light having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. The plurality of optical elements includes a first optical element located on a first region of the substrate and a second optical element located on a second region of the substrate. A respective switchable cell of the one or more switchable cells includes optically anisotropic molecules. The one or more switchable cells include a first switchable cell located on a first cell location of the substrate between the first region and the second region of the substrate. Also disclosed are a display device including the optical device and a method performed by the optical device.

Abstract: In various embodiments, an apparatus comprises a composite backplane that modulates light from a light source, where the composite backplane comprises an electronics layer disposed on a substrate, a photonics integrated circuit (IC) layer disposed on the electronics layer that causes light from the light source to propagate in a first direction, and an active light modulation (ALM) interface layer disposed on the photonics IC layer controls an ALM interface layer in order to control the light propagating in the first direction.

Abstract: A see-through illuminator for a reflective display panel provides a better image contrast when the illuminator is configured to direct a leakage light beam exiting the lightguide from a side opposing the display panel to propagate non-parallel to an image light formed by reflection of an illuminating light beam from the display panel. An objective lens may concentrate the image and leakage light beams at different locations, enabling a user's eye placed at a location of the image light beam to see the projected image without interference from the leakage light beam.

Abstract: A device for illuminating a spatial light modulator includes a light source and an optical element. The light source is configured to provide illumination light. The optical element has a first surface, a second surface that is distinct from and non-parallel to the first surface, and a third surface that is distinct from and non-parallel to the first surface and the second surface. The optical element is configured to receive the illumination light at the first surface, propagate the illumination light via total internal reflection, and output the illumination light from the third surface. Also disclosed is a method performed by the device.

Abstract: According to examples, a phase plate may include a transparent substrate and a photopolymer layer attached to the transparent substrate. The photopolymer layer may adjust a backlight via a phase adjustment and focusing. The phase plate may focus a plurality of red, green, and blue components of the backlight onto respective red, green, and blue subpixels of a thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer deposited thereon. A distance between the photopolymer layer of the phase plate and the plurality of red, green, and blue subpixels of the thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer may be in a range from about 200 ?m to about 500 ?m. In some examples, the phase plate may be part of a liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus along with a red, green, blue (RGB) laser to provide backlight; a grating light guide to transmit the backlight; and a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer on the thin-film-transistor (TFT) layer.

Abstract: According to examples, a method for phase plate fabrication may be described herein. The method may include providing an interferometer configuration to generate a hologram of a plurality of pinholes. In some examples, the interferometer configuration includes a substrate for photopolymer attachment, a photopolymer having a predetermined thickness, and an exposure mask with a plurality of pinholes. The method may also include exposing the photopolymer with collimated light, via a laser source, through the exposure mask with a plurality of pinholes, wherein the collimated light passes through the exposure mask itself to create a collimated beam, and the plurality of pinholes of the exposure mask to create a spherical wavefront. The collimated beam and the spherical wavefront may help generate the hologram on the photopolymer for use as a phase plate for improved light transmissivity in display systems.

Abstract: A display device includes a display, an optical assembly, and a display-moving assembly connected to the display for moving the display between a first position and a second position. When in the first position, the display outputs image light in a first direction substantially parallel to an optical axis of the optical assembly. When in the second position, the display is positioned away from the optical axis of the optical assembly. The display device also includes a partial reflector and a partial reflector-moving assembly connected to the partial reflector for moving the partial reflector between a third position and a fourth position. When the partial reflector is in the third position, the display is in the first position and the display is disposed between the optical assembly and the partial reflector. When the partial reflector is in the fourth position, the display is in the second position.

Abstract: An optical device includes a light source configured to provide illumination light and a waveguide. The waveguide has an input surface, an output surface distinct from and non-parallel to the input surface, and an output coupler. The waveguide is configured to receive, at the input surface, the illumination light provided by the light source and propagate the illumination light via total internal reflection. The waveguide is also configured to redirect, by the output coupler, the illumination light so that the illumination light is output from the output surface for illuminating a spatial light modulator.

Abstract: A display device includes a directional illuminator providing a light beam, a display panel downstream of a directional illuminator, for receiving and spatially modulating the light beam, and a beam redirecting module downstream of the display panel, for variably redirecting the spatially modulated light beam. Steering the illuminating light by the beam redirecting module enables one to steer the exit pupil of the display device to match the user's eye location(s).

Abstract: A display device includes a light source, a spatial light modulator (SLM), and an optical assembly that includes a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface that is opposite to the first reflective surface. The light source is configured to provide illumination light. The optical assembly is configured to receive the illumination light. At least a first portion of the illumination light received by the optical assembly is transmitted through the first reflective surface toward the second reflective surface, is reflected by the second reflective surface toward the first reflective surface, is reflected by the first reflective surface toward the second reflective surface, and is transmitted through the second reflective surface. The SLM is configured to receive and modulate the portion of the illumination light transmitted through the optical assembly, and to output the modulated light. A method performed by the display device is also disclosed.

Abstract: A multipass scanner usable e.g. in a near-eye display is disclosed. The multipass scanner scans a light beam angularly, forming an image in angular domain. The multipass scanner includes a light source, a tiltable reflector, and a multipass coupler that couples light emitted by the light source to the tiltable reflector, receives the reflected light and couples it back to the tiltable reflector to double the scanning angle. Then, the multipass coupler couples the light reflected at least twice from the tiltable reflector to an exit pupil of the scanner. A pupil-replicating waveguide disposed at the exit pupil of the scanner extends the image in angular domain. Multiple reflections of the light beam from the tiltable reflector enable one to increase the angular scanning range and associated field of view of the display without having to increase the angular scanning range of the tiltable reflector.

Abstract: An illuminator for a display panel includes a slab of transparent material for propagating illuminating light between outer surfaces of the slab, an out-coupling grating supported by the slab for out-coupling portions of the illuminating light along one of the outer surfaces of the slab, and an amplitude and/or phase mask for forming an array of light spots from the out-coupled illuminating light portions downstream of the focusing element for illuminating pixels of the display panel. The array of light spots may be repeated at a distance from the mask due to Talbot effect. A beam redirecting element such as a tiltable reflector and/or a steering surface may be provided to shift the lateral location of the illuminating light spots.