By Partial Reflection At Beam Splitting Or Combining Surface Patents (Class 359/629)
  • Patent number: 11686944
    Abstract: A method and system for increasing dynamic digitized wavefront resolution, i.e., the density of output beamlets, can include receiving a single collimated source light beam and producing multiple output beamlets spatially offset when out-coupled from a waveguide. The multiple output beamlets can be obtained by offsetting and replicating a collimated source light beam. Alternatively, the multiple output beamlets can be obtained by using a collimated incoming source light beam having multiple input beams with different wavelengths in the vicinity of the nominal wavelength of a particular color. The collimated incoming source light beam can be in-coupled into the eyepiece designed for the nominal wavelength. The input beams with multiple wavelengths take different paths when they undergo total internal reflection in the waveguide, which produces multiple output beamlets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Lionel Ernest Edwin, Ivan Li Chuen Yeoh, Brian T. Schowengerdt, Kevin Richard Curtis, William Hudson Welch, Pierre St. Hilaire, Hui-Chuan Cheng
  • Patent number: 11573427
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical viewing system and a method of aligning an eyepiece image and an image of a camera that is part of an optical viewing system, which enables both the observation of an optical image with one eye and the capturing of the optical image with the camera. The optical viewing system comprises an optical device, an eyepiece with field diaphragm, a beam splitter, and a camera with image capturing level. According to the method, an image mask is adjusted to the eyepiece image for the camera image of the camera as follows: The eyepiece is illuminated from its side facing away from the optical device, and light passes through the eyepiece to the beam splitter so that the light is partially reflected from the first semi-reflective surface to the second semi-reflective surface and from the second semi-reflective surface to the camera, resulting in the camera capturing an image of the field diaphragm of the eyepiece as a light spot on the image capturing level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: XION GMBH
    Inventor: Holger Müller
  • Patent number: 11543668
    Abstract: A method includes configuring a first plurality of beamsplitters in a network of interconnected beamsplitters of an optical circuit into a transmissive state. The optical circuit is configured to perform a linear transformation of N input optical modes, where N is a positive integer. The first plurality of beamsplitters is located along a beam path within the optical circuit and traversing a target location. The method also includes configuring a second plurality of beamsplitters in the network of interconnected beamsplitters of the optical circuit into a reflective state to reconfigure the optical circuit into a reconfigured optical circuit. The reconfigured optical circuit is configured to perform a linear transformation on M input optical modes, where M is a positive integer less than N. The second plurality of beamsplitters is located along at least one edge of the optical circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Kamil Bradler, Ish Dhand
  • Patent number: 11520155
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an optical device of a projector. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an optical device including a beam splitter which reflects a light beam of a display panel unit and transmits a light beam sensing an image of the screen, or transmits a light beam of the display panel unit and reflects a light beam sensing the image of the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: PRAZEN.CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Heekyung Kim
  • Patent number: 11448816
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: LUMUS LTD.
    Inventors: Yochay Danziger, Ronen Chriki, Jonathan Gelberg
  • Patent number: 11422453
    Abstract: A lens has a first transmissive surface, a reflective surface, and a second transmissive surface sequentially arranged from a demagnifying side toward a magnifying side. The first transmissive surface and the reflective surface are located at the lower side of an imaginary axis extending in an axis-Z direction, and the second transmissive surface is located at the upper side of the imaginary axis. The reflective surface has a concave shape, and the second transmissive surface has a convex shape protruding toward the magnifying side. An imaginary line that connects an upper intersection to a lower intersection inclines with respect to an imaginary vertical line perpendicular to the imaginary axis in a plane YZ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eiji Morikuni
  • Patent number: 11415729
    Abstract: A multi-focal optical device comprises an image output unit outputting optical information, a linear polarizer uni-directionally polarizing the optical information, a first light reflector including a first polarizer transmitting light only in a first direction and reflecting the light transmitted through the first polarizer, a second light reflector including a second polarizer transmitting light only in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and reflecting the light transmitted through the second polarizer, a light splitter splitting the optical information transmitted through the linear polarizer into the first light reflector and the second light reflector and reflecting the optical information reflected by one of the first light reflector or the second light reflector to allow the reflected optical information to form one focus, and a controller configured to control the linear polarizer to vary a direction of polarization of the linear polarizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Inventors: Seonkyu Yoon, Dongkil Lee, Kwanghoon Lee, Yanggyu Kim
  • Patent number: 11347070
    Abstract: The present application relates to an optical isolation device. The present application provides an optical isolation device having an excellent isolation ratio which can be formed simply and at low cost. Such an optical isolation device can be applied to various applications such as the field of optical communication or laser optics, the field of security or privacy protection, brightness enhancement of displays, or a use for hiding and covering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventor: Sang Choll Han
  • Patent number: 11277602
    Abstract: An eyepiece unit for projecting an image to an eye of a viewer includes an eyepiece having a world side and a viewer side opposite the world side. The eyepiece includes an input coupling diffractive optical element, an orthogonal pupil expander diffractive optical element, and an exit pupil expander diffractive optical element. The eyepiece unit also includes a curved cosmetic lens disposed adjacent the world side of the eyepiece and a polarizer disposed adjacent the world side of the eyepiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: Hui-Chuan Cheng, Ivan Li Chuen Yeoh, Lionel Ernest Edwin
  • Patent number: 11262586
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a light transmissive unit including an incidence surface and an emission surface oriented in two different directions, first reflectors disposed on a first surface, and second reflectors disposed on a second surface spaced apart from the first surface; and a display unit disposed adjacent to the incidence surface to direct light toward the first reflectors and the second reflectors; wherein the first reflectors and the second reflectors are offset from each other, when viewed through the incidence surface and the emission surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Seok Kim, JaeJoong Kwon, JeongWoo Park, Soomin Baek, Subin Jung, Juhwa Ha
  • Patent number: 11243398
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical device usable in a head-mounted display which comprises a light conducting element and at least one wafer, and to a head-mounted device which is configured to provide an informative display of augmented reality for a wearer of the head-mounted device and which comprises such an optical device. This optical device (1) comprises: a light conducting element (4) which has two first and second opposite main faces (4a and 4b) and which inputs and conducts by total internal reflections a light (6) received from the light source (5) and partially outputs it out of said element, at least one wafer (2, 3) which comprises an internal surface (2a, 3a) facing a said first main face of said light conducting element, and interposition means in contact with said first main face and said internal surface and defining a gap (11a, 11b) optically isolating said element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Essilor International
    Inventors: Mathieu Meynen, Marius Peloux, Dominick Hubacz, Ludovic Jouard, Marc Reignault
  • Patent number: 11226492
    Abstract: A three-dimensional image projection apparatus includes a display having a first output section that outputs a first hologram image and a second output section that outputs a second hologram image, and a prism array that is located in front of the display and refracts light rays of the first hologram image and the second hologram image, and the prism array is slanted at a first angle relative to the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: KT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seung Cheol Kim, Jong Heum Kim, Tae Gil Yang, Sang Hoon Han
  • Patent number: 11194158
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Vuzix Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Schultz, Paul J. Travers
  • Patent number: 11187902
    Abstract: An optical reflective device including a waveguide and longitudinal light homogenizing structures mounted to a surface of the waveguide are disclosed. The light homogenizing structures may receive input light and produce longitudinally homogenized light by homogenizing the input light along a longitudinal dimension of the waveguide. A cross-coupler in the waveguide may receive the longitudinally homogenized light from the light homogenizing structures and may produce two-dimensionally homogenized light by redirecting the longitudinally homogenized light along a lateral dimension of the waveguide. The light homogenizing structures may include partially reflective layers, stacked substrate layers with refractive index mismatches, and/or a combination of partially and fully reflective layers. The cross coupler and/or partially reflective layer may be formed using sets of holograms. A prism or a slanted substrate surface may couple the input light into the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Akonia Holographics LLC
    Inventors: Adam Urness, Mark R. Ayres, Friso Schlottau, Kenneth E. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11118355
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a skylight assembly for an enclosure having an enclosure panel with an opening. The skylight assembly includes a lens, a gasket, and a nut. The lens includes an annular lens flange and a lens stem extending axially away from the annular lens flange. The gasket is receivable around the threaded lens stem and is adapted to be seated on the lens flange. The nut includes an annular nut flange and nut stem extending axially away from the nut flange. The nut stem is configured to engage the lens stem to secure the skylight assembly to the enclosure panel and compress the gasket against the enclosure panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Wabash National, L.P.
    Inventor: John Robert Clark, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11048031
    Abstract: A see-through display apparatus includes a display device, and an optical coupler configured to obtain a combined image by combining a first image from the display device with a second image from a path different from a path of the first image, and emit the obtained combined image. The optical coupler includes a first surface on which the first image is incident, a second surface on which the second image is incident, and an exit surface through which the combined image is emitted. A noise reduction prism is disposed between the display device and the optical coupler, and includes inclined surfaces configured to perform path conversion so that, among light of the first image, effective light of a predetermined angle range is incident on the optical coupler and noise light of a remaining angle range remaining from the predetermined angle range is not incident on the optical coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Changkun Lee, Sunil Kim, Wontaek Seo, Geeyoung Sung, Bongsu Shin, Hongseok Lee
  • Patent number: 10996475
    Abstract: An arrayed waveguide, a display device, and a spectacles device are disclosed. The arrayed waveguide includes a first waveguide layer and a second waveguide layer stacked. The first waveguide layer includes a first main expanding portion having a plurality of first optical medium layers configured to expand, in the first direction, the first light beam incident into the first main expanding portion and reflect it towards the second waveguide layer. The second waveguide layer includes a second main expanding portion having a plurality of second optical medium layers configured to expand, in the second direction, the second light beam incident into the second main expanding portion and reflect it to exit from a side of the second waveguide layer away from the first waveguide layer. The second main expanding portion is further configured to transmit the expanded first light beam therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Naifu Wu
  • Patent number: 10983291
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally directed to a holder element, also generally referred to herein as a welding element, configured to couple an optical coupling receptacle to a substrate and provide an integrated optical arrangement to redirect light received from the optical coupling receptacle along a receive light path to an output light path that is offset from the receive light path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Liu, Kai-Sheng Lin, Hsiu-Che Wang
  • Patent number: 10962784
    Abstract: An optical device, including a light waves-transmitting substrate has two major surfaces and edges, optical means for coupling light into the substrate by total internal reflection, and a plurality of partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) carried by the substrate. The partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) are parallel to each other and are not parallel to any of the edges of the substrate, one or more of the partially reflecting surfaces (22a, 22b) being an anisotropic surface. The optical device has dual operational modes in see-through configuration. In a first mode, light waves are projected from a display source through the substrate to an eye of a viewer. In a second mode, the display source is shut off and only an external scene is viewable through the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: LUMUS LTD.
    Inventor: Yaakov Amitai
  • Patent number: 10951827
    Abstract: The DNVG includes a digital light sensor, a digital display, and an eyepiece. The digital light sensor is arranged to detect visible and near infrared light from an object and provide a digital signal based on the detected light. The digital display is arranged to provide a digital image of the object based on the digital signal provided by the digital light sensor. The eyepiece is configured to provide the digital image from the digital display to an eye of a user of the night vision goggles. The eyepiece includes a lens assembly and a reflector having a reflector surface, the lens assembly imaging light from the digital image via the reflective surface to the eye of the user. Alternatively, the eyepiece includes waveguide optics transporting imaging light from the digital image to the eye of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby D. Foote, Ty O'Brien
  • Patent number: 10935723
    Abstract: A surface grating coupler for polarization splitting or diverse includes a planar layer and an array of scattering elements arranged in the planar layer at intersections of a first set of concentric elliptical curves crossing with a second set of concentric elliptical curves rotated proximately 90 or 180 degrees to form a two-dimensional (2D) grating. Additionally, the grating coupler includes a first waveguide in double-taper shape and a second waveguide in double-taper shape respectively for split or diverse an incident light into the 2D grating into two output light to two output ports with a same (either TE or TM) polarization mode or one output port with TE polarization mode and another output port with TM polarization mode. The polarization diverse grating coupler is required to test multiple polarization sensitive photonics components and can be used with other single polarization grating coupler via a fiber array to perform wafer-level testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: INPHI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Samira Karimelahi, Masaki Kato
  • Patent number: 10893793
    Abstract: An objective optical system includes a lens group and an optical path splitting element. The optical path splitting element is disposed on an optical path of the lens group, the optical path splitting element includes an optical path splitting surface configured to form a first optical path and a second optical path, an optical path length in the first optical path is different from an optical path length in the second optical path, a sum total of the number of transmissions of light and the number of reflections of light in the second optical path is larger than a sum total of the number of transmissions of light and the number of reflections of light in the first optical path, and an optical surface satisfying following conditional expression (1) is disposed on the first optical path, 0.8?MR650/MR550?0.9??(1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroshi Tsuyuki
  • Patent number: 10877285
    Abstract: An optoelectronic apparatus includes an enclosure including a front face and a rear face. An array of emitters is contained in the enclosure and configured to generate first beams of optical radiation at a first wavelength and second beams of radiation at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. Projection optics contained in the enclosure have an entrance face and an exit face and are configured to receive the beams of optical radiation through the entrance face and to project the beams through the exit face. A wavelength-based spatial multiplexer is contained in the enclosure and positioned to intercept the projected beams and configured to direct the first beams through the front face and the second beams through the rear face. A controller is coupled to selectively drive the array so as to control relative proportions of the optical radiation that are emitted through the front and rear faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Neil MacKinnon
  • Patent number: 10871650
    Abstract: A light guide system includes a transparent light guide portion that guides light beams incident from one end side to a light-emitting portion. The light guide portion includes a plurality of partial reflection surfaces that are disposed between a first surface and a second surface which are parallel to each other and are inclined at the same angle such that a first end portion is positioned closer to the one end side than a second end portion is. Intervals between the partial reflection surfaces in a first direction are widened from the one end side toward another end side. In a state where the light guide portion is disposed in front of an eye of an observer, the light guide portion is inclined such that the another end side is further away from a face of the observer than the one end side is.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hayato Matsuki, Takashi Takeda, Shohei Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10859768
    Abstract: A waveguide apparatus, comprises: disposed in at least one layer: an input coupler; a first fold grating; a second fold grating; an output coupler; and a source of light optically coupled to the waveguide providing at least first and second polarizations of the light and at least one wavelength. The input coupler is configured to cause the first polarization light to travel along a first total internal reflection (TIR) path and the second polarization light to travel along a second TIR path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: DigiLens Inc.
    Inventors: Milan Momcilo Popovich, Jonathan David Waldern, Alastair John Grant
  • Patent number: 10809528
    Abstract: There is provided an optical system, including a light-transmitting substrate (20) having at least two major surfaces (26) and edges, an optical prism (54) having at least a first (58), a second (56) and a third (60) surface, for coupling light waves having a given field-of-view into the substrate by total internal reflection, at least one partially reflecting surface located in the substrate, the partially reflecting surface being orientated non-parallelly with respect to the major surfaces of the substrate, for coupling light waves out of the substrate, at least one of the edges (50) of the substrate is slanted at an oblique angle with respect to the major surfaces, the second surface of the prism is located adjacent to the slanted edge of the substrate, and a part of the substrate located next to the slanted edge is substantially transparent, wherein the light waves enter the prism through the first surface of the prism, traverse the prism without any reflection and enter the substrate through the slanted
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: LUMUS LTD.
    Inventor: Yaakov Amitai
  • Patent number: 10698200
    Abstract: An optical projection system provides part of a display system that presents a displayed virtual image at a predetermined distance in front of a viewing position. Said display system comprises a projection system and a primary reflecting optic that deflects an off-axis incoming optical signal from the projection system toward the viewing position. Said projection system is arranged to provide an adapted output image signal that compensates for optical aberration effects introduced by the reflecting optic to ensure provision of a reduced aberration display image to the viewing position, and where the reflecting optic comprises a grating structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: The Technology Partnership Plc
    Inventors: Neil Griffin, Nick Wooder, Luis Diaz-Santana
  • Patent number: 10690545
    Abstract: A hybrid image-pupil optical reformatter and method for optional use with a spectrometer is disclosed, which performs beam slicing in pupil space and stacks replicas of the input source generated from the pupil beam slices in image space. The optical reformatter comprises a collimator which receives an input light and produces a collimated beam; a first optical element which receives the collimated beam, redirects portions of the collimated beam back toward the collimator as reimaged beams and permits portions of the collimated beam to pass; a second optical element which receives the reimaging beams and redirects the reimaging beams back toward the collimator and the first optical element; to form an output beam comprising the portions of the collimated beams that are not redirected toward the collimator by the first optical element. Also disclosed is the use of the reformatter for reformatting the input light of a spectrometer system, and the use of the reformatter as part of a spectrometer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TORNADO SPECTRAL SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Brandon Joseph Desroches, Bradford Bartholomew Behr, Jeffrey Thomas Meade, Yusuf Bismilla, Andrew T. Cenko
  • Patent number: 10656435
    Abstract: A system for imaging in the air including an image source, a transflector, and a retroreflective element. Light rays emitted by the image source are reflected by the transflector to irradiate on the retroreflective element, and are subjected to reflection on the retroreflective element, before being emitted along an original incident path in an opposite direction and being transmitted through the transflector to form a real image. By means of the present system, it is possible to directly present images in the air, even in vacuum, without the aid of any medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: FUTURUS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junfeng Xu
  • Patent number: 10649272
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display which emits display light, an optical element including a transmission axis which transmit first linearly polarized light, which reflects second linearly polarized light crossing the transmission axis and a retroreflective element which retroreflects the display light, and the retroreflective element includes a first portion including a first surface, a second portion including a second surface and a third portion disposed between the first surface and the second surface, and an angle made by the first surface and the second surface is greater than 0° and less than 180°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yudai Numata, Takeo Koito
  • Patent number: 10613328
    Abstract: Eye-tracked head-mounted displays are provide which, in one aspect, may utilize the same optics for eyetracking and image viewing, with a selected portion of the optics used for an eyetracking optical path and a selected portion of the display optics used for an image viewing optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignees: THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, AUGMENTED VISION INC
    Inventors: Hong Hua, Chunyu Gao
  • Patent number: 10582851
    Abstract: A device (100) for ophthalmic radiation is provided. The device comprises a radiation interface (102), an optical branch coupler (104), and a plurality of ophthalmic units (106, 108, 110, 112). The radiation interface is adapted to at least one of output and capture radiation on an optical path (124). The optical path is directable towards a patient's eye. The optical branch coupler is adapted to couple output radiation from a plurality of optical branches (118, 119, 120, 122, 123) into the optical path and to couple captured radiation from the optical path into the optical branches. The captured radiation is spectrally split by the optical branch coupler into the optical branches. Each of the optical branches has a different spectral range. Each of the plurality of ophthalmic units is arranged to couple to one of the optical branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner
  • Patent number: 10582133
    Abstract: An optical assembly allows video imagery to be imported into a night vision device and exported therefrom. The assembly can be an insert that is installed between the image tube and eyepiece of an existing night vision device to retrofit the device for superimposing images. Images imported—e.g., images captured by thermal detectors, maps, compass information, training video, etc.—are received wirelessly and injected into the optical train of the night vision device such that both the night vision scene from the goggle and the injected imagery can be simultaneously observed at the eyepiece. Combined images can be transmitted to external systems for observation purposes such as real-time active mission feedback. The insert provides sensor fusion and interconnection to the digital battlefield for presently-fielded night vision goggles. It receives power and optical information from the existing goggle. Goggles using this device can have full functionality and performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Maranon, Inc.
    Inventor: Nils I. Thomas
  • Patent number: 10522106
    Abstract: A viewing system is provided including an active transparency modulation film in the form of addressable arrays of electrochromic pixel structures. The viewing system may be used in, for instance, a head-mounted display (HMD) or head-up display (HUD). The film is located on one side of a viewing lens of the system and is selectively variable from opaque to transparent at certain regions on the lens to provide an opaque silhouetted image upon which a virtual image is projected. The viewing system including the film and pixel structure therefore provide improved viewing by minimizing the undesirable effects of image ghosting in a viewed scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Ostendo Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Siddharth S. Hazra, Hussein S. El-Ghoroury
  • Patent number: 10514553
    Abstract: A polarizing beam splitting system is described. The polarizing beam splitting system may include first and second prisms where the volume of the first prism is no greater than half the volume of the second prism. The first prism includes first and second surfaces and a light source may be disposed adjacent the first surface and an image forming device may be disposed adjacent the second surface. The first prism has a first hypotenuse and the second prism has a second hypotenuse. A reflective polarizer is disposed between the first and second hypotenuses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: 3M INNOVATIvE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Andrew J. Ouderkirk, Zhisheng Yun, Erin A. McDowell, Timothy L. Wong, Kandyce M. Bohannon
  • Patent number: 10512148
    Abstract: A system for generating extreme ultraviolet light, in which a target material inside a chamber is irradiated with a laser beam to be turned into plasma, includes a first laser apparatus configured to output a first laser beam, a second laser apparatus configured to output a pedestal and a second laser beam, and a controller connected to the first and second laser apparatuses and configured to cause the first laser beam to be outputted first, the pedestal to be outputted after the first laser beam, and the second laser beam having higher energy than the pedestal to be outputted after the pedestal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Nagano, Yasunori Wada, Tatsuya Yanagida, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 10502969
    Abstract: The present application discloses a 3D imaging method and apparatus, which divide a source 3D image light into two polarized light beams carrying image information through a birefringence effect, adjust optical paths of the two polarized light beams obtained through birefringence, and control the two polarized light beams to be alternately irradiated, thereby achieving 3D imaging; since the implementation of the above imaging method only requires one imaging apparatus having corresponding functions, the present application can simplify the system structure and reduce the system cost relative to a conventional 3D projection technology that requires two imaging devices; moreover, a viewer can directly see, with no need to wear corresponding 3D glasses, a 3D image due to the parallax caused by alternate irradiation of two polarized light beams carrying image information out of a projection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Guangzhou UC Network Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jie Liang, Yankun Zhen
  • Patent number: 10481739
    Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an information handling system comprises a scanning system to scan one or more component wavelength beams into a combined multi-component beam in a first field of view, and a redirecting system to redirect one or more of the component wavelength beams into a second field of view. A first subset of the one or more component wavelength beams is projected in the first field of view and a second subset of the one or more component wavelength beams is projected in the second field of view. The first subset may project a visible image in the first field of view, and user is capable of providing an input to control the information handling system via interaction with the second subset in the second field of view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Microvision, Inc.
    Inventors: P. Selvan Viswanathan, Roeland Collet, George Thomas Valliath, Jari Honkanen, Matthieu Saracco
  • Patent number: 10473969
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a display device includes first and second retroreflective elements which retroreflect incident light, an optical element which is located between the first retroreflective element and the second retroreflective element, and includes a first surface facing the first retroreflective element and a second surface facing the second retroreflective element and a display unit which is located on a side facing the first surface and emits display light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yudai Numata, Takeo Koito
  • Patent number: 10473841
    Abstract: An optical assembly for optical aperture expansion combines facet reflective technology with diffractive technology. At least two diffractive components having opposite optical power (matching) are used, so that chromatic dispersion introduced by the first diffractive component will then be cancelled by the second diffractive component. The two diffractive components are used in combination with a reflective optical component to achieve more efficient aperture expansion (for near eye display), reducing distortions and noise, while also reducing design constraints on the system and individual components, as compared to conventional techniques. The assembly eliminates and/or reduces the need for polarization management, while enabling wider field of view. In addition, embodiments can have reduced nonuniformity, as compared to conventional single technology implementations, since the distortion patterns of the two technologies do not correlate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Lumus Ltd.
    Inventor: Yochay Danziger
  • Patent number: 10447424
    Abstract: An optoelectronic apparatus includes an enclosure having mutually-opposing first and second faces. An array of emitters contained in the enclosure is configured to emit beams of optical radiation. Projection optics contained in the enclosure have an entrance face and an exit face and are configured to receive the beams of optical radiation through the entrance face and to project the beams through the exit face. A polarization-based spatial multiplexer is contained in the enclosure and positioned to intercept and direct the projected beams such that the optical radiation having a first polarization is transmitted through the first face, while the optical radiation having a second polarization, orthogonal to the first polarization, is emitted through the second face. A controller is coupled to control a polarization of the optical radiation and thereby control a direction in which the optical radiation is emitted from the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventor: Neil MacKinnon
  • Patent number: 10416389
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a photonic integrated circuit (10) and a method for interrogating a ring resonator (3) comprised therein. The circuit (10) comprises an optical port (4) for coupling light (L) into and out of the circuit (10). The circuit (10) further comprises a first waveguide (1) for receiving light (L1) from the optical port (4), and a second waveguide (2) for sending back light to the optical port (4). The ring resonator (3) is arranged between the first waveguide (1) and the second waveguide (2) for coupling a resonant wavelength (?) of the light therein between. The optical port (4) comprises a polarization splitting coupler for coupling light of a first polarization (P1) to and from the first waveguide (1) and coupling light of a second polarization (P2), orthogonal to the first polarization (P1), to and from the second waveguide (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
    Inventors: Bart Michiel de Boer, Peter Johan Harmsma
  • Patent number: 10401635
    Abstract: Disclosed is a laser array beam combiner. A laser array emits a laser beam bundle that is incident on and transmits through a fast-axis collimator to form a one-dimensional quasi-parallel beam bundle A. The first quasi-parallel beam bundle is then incident on and transmits through the cylindrical lens to form a two-dimensional quasi-parallel beam bundle B. The quasi-parallel beam bundle B is then incident on and transmits through the dispersion unit and returns along the original path to the cylindrical lens, and then transmits through the cylindrical lens to be focused onto a common image point. Thus, the wavelengths of various light emitting spots of the laser array can be locked and the individual array beams can be automatically synthesized as a single-point beam bundle, improving the brightness of the laser array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: WENZHOU FIBRE LASER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Steven Qinyue Yu, JingFu Hu
  • Patent number: 10310280
    Abstract: A laser array includes laser diodes arranged in a stepped form; a shaping optical system deposited at the emitting side of each one of the diodes in the laser array; and a beam combining optical element deposited at the emitting side of the shaping optical system, the beam combining optical element having reflecting surfaces arranged in a stepped form and corresponding to each of the laser diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: II-VI Suwtech, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuan Shen, Dashan Li, Jintao Yang, Yaping Zhao, Xiaobin Sun
  • Patent number: 10302835
    Abstract: An optical assembly for optical aperture expansion combines facet reflective technology with diffractive technology. At least two diffractive components having opposite optical power (matching) are used, so that chromatic dispersion introduced by the first diffractive component will then be cancelled by the second diffractive component. The two diffractive components are used in combination with a reflective optical component to achieve more efficient aperture expansion (for near eye display), reducing distortions and noise, while also reducing design constraints on the system and individual components, as compared to conventional techniques. The assembly eliminates and/or reduces the need for polarization management, while enabling wider field of view. In addition, embodiments can have reduced nonuniformity, as compared to conventional single technology implementations, since the distortion patterns of the two technologies do not correlate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: LUMUS LTD.
    Inventor: Yochay Danziger
  • Patent number: 10281325
    Abstract: A hybrid image-pupil optical reformatter and method for optional use with a spectrometer is disclosed, which performs beam slicing in pupil space and stacks replicas of the input source generated from the pupil beam slices in image space. The optical reformatter comprises a collimator which receives an input light and produces a collimated beam; a first optical element which receives the collimated beam, redirects portions of the collimated beam back toward the collimator as reimaged beams and permits portions of the collimated beam to pass; a second optical element which receives the reimaging beams and redirects the reimaging beams back toward the collimator and the first optical element; to form an output beam comprising the portions of the collimated beams that are not redirected toward the collimator by the first optical element. Also disclosed is the use of the reformatter for reformatting the input light of a spectrometer system, and the use of the reformatter as part of a spectrometer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: TORNADO SPECTRAL SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Brandon Joseph Desroches, Bradford Bartholomew Behr, Jeffrey Thomas Meade, Yusuf Bismilla, Andrew T. Cenko
  • Patent number: 10261323
    Abstract: Eye-tracked head-mounted displays are provide which, in one aspect, may utilize the same optics for eyetracking and image viewing, with a selected portion of the optics used for an eyetracking optical path and a selected portion of the display optics used for an image viewing optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignees: THE ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, AUGMENTED VISION INC
    Inventors: Hong Hua, Chunyu Gao
  • Patent number: 10254549
    Abstract: A head-mounted display includes an image forming part, a half mirror reflecting a part of an image light emitted by the image forming part toward an optical pupil position, and a wall part. Given that an intersection point between the half mirror and an optical axis of the image light is defined as a first intersection point, an intersection point between the wall part and the optical axis is defined as a second intersection point, a distance between the first intersection point and the second intersection point is defined as a first distance, and an angle at which the wall part inclines with respect to the optical axis is defined as a first angle, the first angle and the first distance are set such that the image light passed through the half mirror and reflected by the wall part reaches a position different from an optical pupil position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomomi Katano, Yusuke Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10200675
    Abstract: The invention presents an omnidirectional system capable of collecting horizontal disparities in multiple angles. The user of the display system will be able to move its head, changing yaw and tilt. Another incarnation to the invention also allows for roll. The system is composed of a series of prisms and/or mirrors arranged in a circular pattern. The prisms or mirrors provide a 90 degree shift of the imagery collected, enabling a single camera to perform the image acquisition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: ROBOTIC RESEARCH, LLC
    Inventors: Alberto Daniel Lacaze, Karl Nicholas Murphy
  • Patent number: 10180576
    Abstract: A half mirror layer has an angle dependency in which when an angle of incidence becomes larger than the angle of incidence range of image light, reflectance increases, such that it is possible to prevent unintended light, which is emitted to a light transmitting member from a light guiding member and is reflected inside a light transmitting member, from being returned to a Eight emission portion of the light guiding member after passing through the half mirror layer as a reflective film at a relatively large angle of incidence. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the image light passed through the light transmitting member from becoming ghost light while mitigating the demand for increasing processing accuracy of the light transmitting member, and bonding accuracy between the light guiding member and the light transmitting member, to provide a high quality virtual image displayed by a virtual image display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Totani, Masayuki Takagi, Toshiaki Miyao, Akira Komatsu, Takashi Takeda