An assortment of Cognitive Load Reduction (CLR) systems is disclosed. The systems are worn by a user, rather than appearing on displays in front of the user. This arrangement allows the systems to be movable and less confining. This in turn results in the wearer employing the CLR systems in a wider variety of environments than earlier mechanisms.

An imaging apparatus for conveying a virtual image including a waveguide having first and second surfaces. An in-coupling diffractive optic and an out-coupling diffractive optic arranged along one of the first and second surfaces, wherein the in-coupling diffractive optic is operable to direct image-bearing light beams into the waveguide for propagation by total internal reflection, and wherein the out-coupling diffractive optic is operable to direct at least a portion of the image-bearing light beams from the waveguide through the second surface toward an eyebox. An at least partially transparent outer cover located adjacent to the first surface, and a circular polarizer arranged between the waveguide and the outer cover, wherein the circular polarizer is operable to circularly polarize at least a portion of image-bearing light beams transmitted through the first surface and to prevent at least a portion of image-bearing light beams transmitted through the first surface from reentering the waveguide as a result of reflection from the outer cover.

An optical system includes a light source configured to emit irradiation light, an optical modulation element having a plurality of reflection planes by which an incident light is reflected in a different direction, and an optical element having an interface through which the irradiation light emitted from the light source is emitted to the optical modulation element as the incident light and a first exit light reflected by the optical modulation element in a first direction is guided to a projection surface. Each one of the plurality of reflection planes is inclined with reference to a surface of the optical modulation element to reflect the incident light as the first exit light, and the surface of the optical modulation element is inclined with reference to the interface.

Examples are disclosed relating to tunable attenuation of incident light using a switchable grating. One example provides an optical attenuator comprising a switchable grating configured to diffract light within a wavelength band at a diffraction angle. The optical attenuator further comprises an electrode pair configured to apply a voltage across the switchable grating to tune a proportion of incident light diffracted at the diffraction angle, and an optical dump to receive the proportion of incident light diffracted.

The disclosure relates to a head-mounted-display and a sensor included in a fixation component of the head-mounted-display, wherein the sensor is configured for the detection of ambient light, wherein the display element has a coupling feature configured for a direction of ambient light impinging on the coupling feature onto the sensor.

An augmented reality system (2) is disclosed for use in bright external conditions. The augmented reality system includes: a projector (6), a substantially transparent optical component (4) that provides augmented reality light to a user, and a stray light rejection layer (12). The stray light rejection layer (12) further comprises a plurality of slats (16) arranged at a plurality of respective angles to effectively reduce high angle incident light from the external environment from reaching the transparent optical component (4).

Optical combiners are provided. The optical combiner may have a see through optically transparent substrate and a patterned region included in the optically transparent substrate and disposed along a wave propagation axis of the substrate. The patterned region may be partially optically reflective and partially optically transparent. The patterned region may comprise a plurality of optically transparent regions of the optically transparent substrate and a plurality of optically reflective regions inclined relative to the optical transparent substrate wave propagation axis. Augmented reality optical apparatus, such a head up display, may include the optical combiner.

Apparatus, systems, and/or methods are disclosed relating to augmented reality welding systems. In some examples, an augmented reality welding system is configured to apply a visual effect to a simulated rendering of the augmented reality welding system when a simulated arc is present, so as to emulate an auto-darkening lens of a welding helmet. In some examples, the visual effect is impacted by several user adjustable settings. The settings may be adjusted by a user, such as via a helmet interface and/or the user interface of the augmented reality welding system, for example. In some examples, the settings may emulate auto-darkening settings found on conventional auto-darkening welding helmets (e.g., shade, sensitivity, and/or delay). In some examples, the settings may also include other settings unique to the augmented reality welding system, such as, for example a helmet model/type, a difficulty setting, a realism setting, and/or an effect area setting.

Methods, devices and systems are provided for harmonizing output display characteristics of one component with those of other components onboard a vehicle, such as an aircraft. A line-replaceable unit (LRU) suitable includes a display driver to be coupled to a display command bus, a data storage element to maintain calibration information for the display driver, and a control module coupled to the display driver and the data storage element to identify a current state of an input command signal from the display command bus, identify an adjustment for the display driver based on the calibration information using the current state of the input command signal, and automatically operate the display driver in accordance with the adjustment.

A method for operating smart glasses includes an input unit and/or output unit and a gaze detection arrangement, wherein the gaze detection arrangement detects any eye movement of an eye including the steps of irradiating at least one wavelength-modulated laser beam to the eye, detecting an optical path length of the emitted laser beam based on laser feedback interferometry of the emitted laser radiation with backscattered radiation from the eye, detecting a Doppler shift of the emitted and backscattered radiation based on the laser feedback interferometry, and detecting an eye velocity based on the Doppler shift, and wherein the input unit and/or output unit is operated based on the optical path length and/or the eye velocity.