An eyepiece for use in front of an eye of a viewer includes a waveguide having a surface and a diffractive optical element (DOE) optically coupled to the waveguide. The DOE includes a plurality of first ridges protruding from the surface of the waveguide and arranged as a periodic array having a period, each respective first ridge has a first height and a respective first width. The DOE also includes a plurality of second ridges, each respective second ridge protruding from a respective first ridge and having a second height greater than the first height and a respective second width less than the respective first width. At least one of the respective first width, the respective second width, or a respective ratio between the respective first width and the respective second width varies as a function of a distance from a first edge of the DOE.

An optical apparatus includes an image source, a relay optical system, and an optical processing system. The image source is configured to display an image. The relay optical system is configured to project the image displayed by the image source to the optical processing system, and to image at infinity. The optical processing system is configured to project incident light from the relay optical system in a same direction to at least two preset directions sequentially.

A waveguide display includes light sources, a source waveguide, an output waveguide, and a controller. Light from each of the light sources is coupled into the source waveguide. The source waveguide includes gratings with a constant period determined based on the conditions for total internal reflection and first order diffraction of the received image light. The emitted image light is coupled into the output waveguide at several entrance locations. The output waveguide outputs expanded image lights at a location offset from the entrance location, and the location/direction of the emitted expanded image light is based in part on the orientation of the light sources. Each of the expanded image light is associated with a field of view of the expanded image light emitted by the output waveguide.

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.

An optical device for exit pupil expansion (EPE) for improving a field of view (FOV) and luminance uniformity, and a display apparatus including the same are provided. The optical device includes: an input part into which a virtual image is input; and an EPE part configured to receive the virtual image from the input part, perform one-dimensional (1D) EPE and two-dimensional (2D) EPE to combine the virtual image with an external real image, and output the combined image.

A head-mounted computing device having a waveguide optical engine assembly is disclosed. The waveguide is enclosed in a housing to limit or minimize exposure of the waveguide to ambient light. Further, the waveguide optical engine assembly comprises a compact footprint by allowing the other components of the waveguide optical engine assembly, such as a microprojector, a prism assembly, and the like, to be placed behind a rear surface of the waveguide. In addition to the compact footprint of the waveguide optical assembly, the configuration of the waveguide optical assembly disclosed, allows for maximization of advantages provided by the waveguide as related to eye box and eye relief. Additionally, the power requirements of the waveguide are greatly reduced, which also results in a prolonged battery life powering the head-mounted computing device.

A device is provided. The device includes a light guide having a curved surface. The device also includes an out-coupling element coupled with the light guide at an output portion of the light guide. The device further includes a reflective layer disposed at the output portion of the light guide. The out-coupling element is configured to couple a first ray propagating inside the light guide out of the light guide as a plurality of second rays propagating in non-parallel directions toward the reflective layer. The reflective layer is configured to reflect the plurality of second rays as a plurality of third rays propagating in parallel directions toward the out-coupling element and the light guide.

Systems and methods of disabling user control interfaces during attachment of a wearable electronic device to a portion of a user's clothing or accessory are disclosed. The wearable electronic device can include inertial measurement units (IMUs), optical sources, optical sensors or electromagnetic sensors. Based on the information provided by the IMUs, optical sources, optical sensors or electromagnetic sensors, an electrical processing and control system can make a determination that the electronic device is being grasped and picked up for attaching to a portion of a user's clothing or accessory or that the electronic device is in the process of being attached to a portion of a user's clothing or accessory and temporarily disable one or more user control interfaces disposed on the outside of the wearable electronic device.

A display engine adapted for use in a head-mounted display (HMD) device includes a reflective liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) spatial light modulator (SLM) that is illuminated using a backlight illumination module and a pair of optical prisms providing a total internal reflection (TIR) function. In an illustrative mixed-reality embodiment, the TIR prism pair guides light to the LCoS SLM from the backlight illumination module and projects virtual images reflected from the LCoS SLM, through projection optics, to a diffractive waveguide combiner for viewing by an HMD user.

A head-mounted display (HMD) system includes a lens element supported by a support structure. The lens element includes a waveguide that includes an incoupler, an outcoupler, and an exit pupil expander. The incoupler is disposed within a first area of the waveguide. The outcoupler is disposed within a second area of the waveguide. The exit pupil expander is disposed within a third area of the waveguide. An anti-reflection coating is formed via fabrication used to form the incoupler, the outcoupler, and the exit pupil expander. The anti-reflection coating is disposed within a fourth area of the waveguide different than the first, second, and third areas of the waveguide.