Systems, devices, and methods for curved waveguides integrated with curved eyeglass lenses
Systems, devices, and methods that implement waveguides in curved transparent combiners that are well-suited for use in wearable heads-up displays (WHUDs) are described. Waveguide structures with in-couplers and out-couplers are integrated with curved eyeglass lenses to provide transparent combiners that substantially match the shape, size, and geometry of conventional eyeglass lenses and can, in some implementations, embody prescription curvatures to serve as prescription eyeglass lenses. The waveguides and in-/out-couplers are planar or curved depending on the implementation. WHUDs that employ such curved transparent combiners are also described.
1. A transparent combiner for use in a wearable heads-up display, the transparent combiner comprising:
a molded curved eyeglass lens comprising:
a molded curved waveguide portion that includes a first planar area and a second planar area; and
a first additional molded lens portion physically coupled to the first planar area of the molded curved waveguide portion to provide a substantially uniform curvature over a surface of the molded curved eyeglass lens;
a planar out-coupler physically coupled to the first planar area of the molded curved waveguide portion in between the molded curved waveguide portion and the first additional molded lens portion; and
a planar in-coupler physically coupled to the second planar area of the molded curved waveguide portion.
2. The transparent combiner of claim 1 wherein the in-coupler and the out-coupler are each selected from a group consisting of: a hologram, a holographic optical element, a volume diffraction grating, a surface relief diffraction grating, a transmission grating, and a reflection grating.
3. The transparent combiner of claim 1 wherein the first planar area of the molded curved waveguide portion to which the out-coupler is physically coupled is an area on an outer surface of the molded curved waveguide portion.
4. The transparent combiner of claim 1 wherein the second planar area of the molded curved waveguide portion to which the in-coupler is physically coupled is an area on an inner surface of the molded curved waveguide portion.
5. The transparent combiner of claim 1 , further comprising a volume of additional eyeglass material that encompasses at least a portion of the molded curved eyeglass lens.
6. The transparent combiner of claim 5 wherein the molded curved eyeglass lens is completely contained in the volume of additional eyeglass material.
7. The transparent combiner of claim 1 wherein the molded curved eyeglass lens is a prescription eyeglass lens.
8. The transparent combiner of claim 7 wherein the prescription eyeglass lens has a prescription curvature, and wherein the substantially uniform curvature over the surface of the molded curved eyeglass lens matches the prescription curvature of the prescription eyeglass lens.
9. The transparent combiner of claim 1 wherein the molded curved eyeglass lens includes a convex world-side surface and a concave eye-side surface.
10. The transparent combiner of claim 9 , wherein the out-coupler is operable to out-couple display light from the molded curved waveguide portion, and wherein the out-coupler is positioned and oriented to apply a compensatory optical function to display light when the out-coupler out-couples display light from the molded curved waveguide portion, the compensatory optical function matched to an optical function of the convex world-side surface of the molded curved eyeglass lens.
11. The transparent combiner of claim 1 wherein a length of the molded curved waveguide portion extends across a full width of the molded curved eyeglass lens.
12. The transparent combiner of claim 11 wherein the first planar area of the molded curved waveguide portion to which the out-coupler is physically coupled is positioned at or proximate a center of the molded curved eyeglass lens.
13. The transparent combiner of claim 1 wherein the in-coupler is a transmission grating and the out-coupler is a reflection grating.
14. The transparent combiner of claim 1 wherein the molded curved eyeglass lens further comprises a second additional molded lens portion physically coupled to the second planar area of the molded curved waveguide portion to extend a length of the molded curved eyeglass lens.
15. The transparent combiner of claim 14 wherein the planar in-coupler is physically coupled to the second planar area of the molded curved waveguide portion in between the molded curved waveguide portion and the second additional molded lens portion.