IP Library Granted Patent US 10,444,509
Granted Patent B2
US 10,444,509 · App. 15/635,025 · Granted Oct 15, 2019

Near eye diffractive holographic projection method

Inventor: Ryan Ries (La Canada, CA)
Assignee: DAQRI, LLC
G02B27/0172G02B26/0833G03H1/2205G03H1/2294G03H1/2645G06T19/006G02B2027/0174G03H2001/2221G03H2001/2242G03H2001/2284G03H2225/21G03H2225/24G03H2227/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,444,509
App. No.
15/635,025
Granted
Oct 15, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An augmented reality display device (such as a head mounted device) includes a partially transparent and partially reflective lens, a laser light source, a radio frequency source, a display controller, an acousto-optical modulator, and a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device. The laser light source generates light. The radio frequency (RF) source generates a RF signal. The display controller generates a synchronization signal. The acousto-optical modulator receives at least a portion of the light, modulates the light based on the RF signal, and provides modulated light. The MEMS device receives the synchronization signal from the display controller and reflects the modulated light towards the partially transparent and partially reflective lens. The MEMS device determines a direction in which the modulated light reflects based on the synchronization signal and the partially transparent and partially reflective lens reflecting the modulated laser light towards an eye of a user of the augmented realty display device.

Claims (77)

1. An augmented reality display device comprising:

a partially transparent and partially reflective lens;

a laser light source configured to generate light;

a radio frequency source configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal;

a display controller configured to generate a synchronization signal;

an acousto-optical modulator configured to receive at least a portion of the light, modulate the light based on the radio frequency signal, and provide modulated light; and

a microelectromechanical (MEMS) device configured to receive the synchronization signal from the display controller and reflect the modulated light towards the partially transparent reflective lens, the MEMS device determining a direction in which the modulated light reflects based on the synchronization signal and the partially transparent and partially reflective lens reflecting the modulated laser light towards an eye of a user of the augmented realty display device.

2. The augmented reality display device of claim 1 , wherein the partially transparent reflective lens comprises a parabolic lens including a concave side, a convex side, and a partially reflective layer applied to the concave side, wherein the parabolic lens forms a focus point located about the eye of the user.

3. The augmented reality display device of claim 1 , wherein the partially transparent and partially reflective lens combines an external light reflected off a physical object with the modulated laser light at the eye of the user.

4. The augmented reality display device of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more processors configured to generate augmented reality content and to send a data signal of the augmented reality content to the display controller.

5. The augmented reality display device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

identify a physical object imaged by a camera of the augmented reality display device;

retrieve the augmented reality content associated with the physical object; and

identify a depth of the physical object and encode a depth of the augmented reality content into the RF signal, the depth of the augmented reality content being coded based on the depth of the physical object.

6. The augmented reality display device of claim 5 , wherein the display controller comprises:

a graphics processing unit (GPU) configured to render an image of the augmented reality content and generate a GPU output signal corresponding to the rendered image;

an RF source configured to generate the RF signal;

an RF mixer configured to mix the GPU output signal with the RF signal; and

a laser source configured to generate the laser light based on the mixed GPU output signal.

7. The augmented reality display device of claim 1 , wherein the display controller comprises:

a graphics processing unit (GPU) configured to render an image of an augmented reality content and generate a GPU output signal corresponding to the rendered image, the augmented reality content independent of data from a camera of the augmented reality display device;

an RF source configured to generate the RF signal;

an RF mixer configured to mix the GPU output signal with the RF signal; and

a laser source configured to generate the laser light based on the mixed GPU output signal.

8. The augmented reality display device of claim 1 , wherein the display controller comprises:

a graphics processing unit (GPU) configured to render an image of an augmented reality content and generate a GPU output signal corresponding to the rendered image, a depth of the rendered image independent of data from a camera of the augmented reality display device;

an RF source configured to generate the RF signal;

an RF mixer configured to mix the GPU output signal with the RF signal; and

a laser source configured to generate the laser light based on the mixed GPU output signal.

9. The augmented reality display device of claim 1 , wherein the MEM S device is synchronized with the display controller via a reference timing, the reference timing further synchronizing the display controller with the acousto-optical modulator.

10. The augmented reality display device of claim 1 , wherein the MEMS device reflects and spreads a single beam of the modulated laser light in different directions based on the RF signal towards the partially transparent reflective lens.

11. A method of forming a holographic image at a head mounted device, the method comprising:

generating a radiofrequency (RF) signal, a laser light, and a synchronization signal at a display controller of the head mounted device;

receiving the RF signal and the laser light at an acousto-optical modulator;

modulating the laser light based on the RF signal at the acousto-optical modulator;

projecting the modulated laser light to a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device;

providing the synchronization signal and the modulated laser light to the MEMS device; and

directing the MEMS device to reflect the modulated laser light in a direction based on the synchronization signal towards a partially transparent and partially reflective lens of the head mounted device, the partially transparent reflective lens reflecting the modulated laser light towards an eye of a user of the head mounted device.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the partially transparent and partially reflective lens comprises a parabolic lens including a concave side, a convex side, and a reflective layer applied to the concave side, wherein the parabolic lens forms a focus point located about the eye of the user.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the partially transparent and partially reflective lens combines an external light reflected off a physical object with the modulated laser light at the eye of the user.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

generating an augmented reality content with an augmented reality application implemented in one or more processors in the head mounted device;

sending data signal of the augmented reality content to the display controller.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

identifying a physical object imaged by a camera of the augmented reality display device;

retrieving the augmented reality content associated with the physical object;

identifying a depth of the physical object; and

encoding a depth of the augmented reality content into the RF signal, the depth of the augmented reality content being coded based on the depth of the physical object.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

rendering an image of the augmented reality content with a Graphical Processing Unit (GPU);

generating a GPU output signal corresponding to the rendered image;

generating the RF signal with an RF source;

mixing the GPU output signal with the RF signal using an RF mixer; and

generating the laser light based on the mixed GPU output signal.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

rendering an image of an augmented reality content with a GPU;

generating a GPU output signal corresponding to the rendered image, the augmented reality content independent of data from a camera of the augmented reality display device;

generating the RF signal with an RF source;

mixing the GPU output signal with the RF signal using an RF mixer; and

generating the laser light based on the mixed GPU output signal.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

rendering an image of an augmented reality content with a GPU;

generating a GPU output signal corresponding to the rendered image, a depth of the rendered image independent of data from a camera of the augmented reality display device;

generating the RF signal with an RF source;

mixing the GPU output signal with the RF signal using an RF mixer; and

generating the laser light based on the mixed GPU output signal.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

synchronizing the MEMS device with the display controller via a reference timing and

synchronizing the display controller with the acousto-optical modulator using the reference timing.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

generate an RF signal, a laser light, and a synchronization signal at a display controller of the head mounted device;

receive the RF signal and the laser light at an acousto-optical modulator;

modulate the laser light based on the RF signal at the acousto-optical modulator;

project the modulated laser light to a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device;

provide the synchronization signal and the modulated laser light to the MEMS device; and

direct the MEMS device to reflect the modulated laser light in a direction based on the synchronization signal towards a partially transparent and partially reflective lens of the head mounted device, the partially transparent reflective lens reflecting the modulated laser light towards an eye of a user of the head mounted device.

Assignments (12)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 3, 2022
From: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060936/0494 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2021
From: RPX CORPORATION
To: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 056777/0588 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2020
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
To: RPX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054486/0422 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 23, 2020
From: RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC; RPX CORPORATION
To: BARINGS FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054198/0029 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 23, 2020
From: RPX CLEARINGHOUSE LLC; RPX CORPORATION
To: BARINGS FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 054244/0566 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2020
From: AR HOLDINGS I, LLC
To: DAQRI, LLC
Reel/Frame 053498/0580 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 14, 2020
From: RPX CORPORATION
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 053498/0095 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 5, 2020
From: DAQRI, LLC
To: RPX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053413/0642 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2019
From: SCHWEGMAN, LUNDBERG & WOESSNER, P.A.
To: DAQRI, LLC
Reel/Frame 050805/0606 →
LIEN Recorded Oct 8, 2019
From: DAQRI, LLC
To: SCHWEGMAN, LUNDBERG & WOESSNER, P.A.
Reel/Frame 050672/0601 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2019
From: DAQRI, LLC
To: AR HOLDINGS I LLC
Reel/Frame 049596/0965 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 28, 2017
From: RIES, RYAN
To: DAQRI, LLC
Reel/Frame 043730/0422 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62355112 · Jun 27, 2016
Related Publication 20170371163A1 · Dec 28, 2017