An augmented reality headset may include a reflective holographic combiner to direct light from a light engine into a user's eye while also transmitting light from the environment. The combiner and engine may be arranged to project light fields with different fields of view and resolution to match the visual acuity of the eye. The combiner may be recorded with a series of point to point holograms; one projection point interacts with multiple holograms to project light onto multiple eye box points. The engine may include a laser diode array, a distribution waveguide, scanning mirrors, and layered waveguides that perform pupil expansion and that emit wide beams of light through foveal projection points and narrower beams of light through peripheral projection points. The light engine may include focusing elements to focus the beams such that, once reflected by the holographic combiner, the light is substantially collimated.

Disclosed is an improved diffraction structure for 3D display systems. The improved diffraction structure includes an intermediate layer that resides between a waveguide substrate and a top grating surface. The top grating surface comprises a first material that corresponds to a first refractive index value, the underlayer comprises a second material that corresponds to a second refractive index value, and the substrate comprises a third material that corresponds to a third refractive index value.

A diffractive optical element exerts a diffractive action on a display light that is emitted from a display unit. A folding mirror is provided on the opposite side of the diffractive optical element from the display unit to reflect the display light. The diffractive optical element includes a transmissive action part and a diffractive and reflective action part. The transmissive action part exerts a transmissive action to transmit therethrough the display light, which is incident from the display unit and is in a first polarization state, toward the folding mirror. The diffractive and reflective action part exerts a diffractive and reflective action to diffract and reflect the display light, which is reflected by the folding mirror and is in a second polarization state opposite to the first polarization state, toward the projection portion on an optical path.

A volume hologram is arranged inside a transparent portion of a pane of a display device for a vehicle. The display device further includes a light source by which light is coupled into the volume hologram. An image appearing three-dimensional to a human observer can be generated by use of the volume hologram. A camera includes a light-sensitive image sensor to acquire images via an optical unit which is at least partially formed by the transparent portion of the pane.

A head-up display is described. A spatial light modulator is arranged to display a diffractive pattern of first picture content and/or second picture content. A screen assembly has first and second diffusers arranged in a stepped configuration so that the first diffuser is spatially offset from the second diffuser by a perpendicular distance. A light source is arranged to illuminate the diffractive pattern such that the first picture content is formed on the first diffuser and/or the second picture content is formed on the second diffuser. An optical system comprising at least one optical element having optical power is arranged so that the first and second diffusers have different object distances to the optical system.

Systems, articles, and methods integrate photopolymer film with eyeglass lenses. One or more hologram(s) may be recorded into/onto the photopolymer file to enable the lens to be used as a transparent holographic combiner in a wearable heads-up display employing an image source, such as a microdisplay or a scanning laser projector. The methods of integrating photopolymer film with eyeglass lenses include: positioning photopolymer film in a lens mold and casting the lends around the photopolymer film; sandwiching photopolymer film in between two portions of a lens applying photo polymer film to a concave surface of a lens and/or affixing a planar carrier (with photopolymer film thereon) to two points across a length of a concave surface of a lens.

Disclosed is an improved diffraction structure for 3D display systems. The improved diffraction structure includes an intermediate layer that resides between a waveguide substrate and a top grating surface. The top grating surface comprises a first material that corresponds to a first refractive index value, the underlayer comprises a second material that corresponds to a second refractive index value, and the substrate comprises a third material that corresponds to a third refractive index value.

The image display device includes an image generating unit that emits first image light, a pupil expanding element that expands a diameter of a light flux included in the first image light from the image generating unit to obtain second image light, a first light condensing optical system that condenses the second image light and forms an intermediate image, and a second light condensing optical system that condenses light from the intermediate image and generates a virtual image on eye of a viewer, in a plane including at least the image generating unit, the pupil expanding element, and the eye of the viewer, a maximum emission angle of the first image light is smaller than a maximum viewing angle of the virtual image, and the diameter of the light flux included in the second image light is greater than that of a light flux included in the virtual image.

The display apparatus of the present disclosure includes an imaging light generating device and an optical system on which imaging light emitted from the imaging light generating device is incident. The optical system includes a first optical unit having positive power, a second optical unit having a positive power and including a first diffraction element, a third optical unit having positive power, and a fourth optical unit having positive power and including a second diffraction element forming an exit pupil, the first optical unit, the second optical unit, the third optical unit, and the fourth optical unit being aligned in order along an optical path of the imaging light. The second diffraction element is constituted of a volume hologram and has, in a cross-sectional view of the volume hologram, interference fringes continuously varying in pitch and inclination thereof from one end toward another end of the second diffraction element.

A light pipe includes at least two optical structures having different refractive indices. An interface between the two optical structures is oblique to a longitudinal axis of the light pipe such that an output ray from an output surface at a distal end of the light pipe is non-parallel to an input ray that is parallel to the longitudinal axis at an input surface at a proximal end of the light pipe. Light refracts inside the light pipe between the (at least) two optical structures altering the direction of an optical path of the light through the light pipe, thereby allowing higher degrees of freedom for the selection of the angle of deviation (folding angle) of the light pipe. By optimizing various parameters of the light pipe, a desired output optical axis angle (i.e., folding angle) can be achieved that suits the desired optical engine envelope.