Varifocal waveguide display with dynamically bent waveguide
A waveguide display is used for presenting media to a user. The waveguide display, includes a light source, a projection assembly (PA), a source waveguide (SW), and an output waveguide (OW). The light source emits light, the PA reshapes the wavefront of the light and the SW receives the light from the PA, expands the light in a first dimension and outputs the expanded light. The SW has an adjustable curvature along the first dimension expanding the light with a curved wavefront. The OW receives the expanded light emitted from the SW, expands the expanded light in a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension to form image light and outputs the image light. The wavefront curvature from the light source, the curvature of the OW along the second dimension and the curvature of the SW control a location of an image plane of the image light.
1. A waveguide display, comprising:
a source waveguide including an entrance area and an exit area, the source waveguide configured to receive light at the entrance area, expand the light in a first dimension and output the expanded light from the exit area, the source waveguide having an adjustable first curvature along the first dimension; and
an output waveguide including an entrance area and an exit area, the output waveguide coupled to receive the expanded light emitted from the source waveguide at the entrance area, expand the expanded light in a second dimension to form image light and output the image light using the exit area, and a second curvature of the output waveguide along the second dimension and the first curvature of the source waveguide control a location of an image plane of the image light.
2. The waveguide display of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tunable projection assembly configured to emit light with a dynamically tunable wavefront curvature in at least one of the first dimension and the second dimension.
3. The waveguide display of claim 2 , further comprising:
a controller configured to generate display instructions and provide the display instructions to the tunable projection assembly, the source waveguide and the output waveguide.
4. The waveguide display of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to control the tunable projection assembly and to provide wavefront curvature to a light source.
5. The waveguide display of claim 3 , wherein the controller further comprises:
an actuator assembly comprising a first actuator and a second actuator, and the first actuator is configured to adjust the first curvature of the source waveguide and the second actuator is configured to adjust the second curvature of the output waveguide.
6. The waveguide display of claim 5 , wherein the actuator assembly comprises at least one of: one or more bimorph strip actuators, one or more fluidic membrane actuators, one or more piezo actuators, or some combination thereof.
7. The waveguide display of claim 5 , wherein the actuator assembly adjusts a curvature of the output waveguide along the first dimension in accordance with the display instructions provided by the controller.
8. The waveguide display of claim 2 , wherein the tunable projection assembly is configured to control wavefront of a light source in one or more dimensions by at least one of: a movable lens, a zoom lens, a liquid lens, a liquid crystal lens, or some combination thereof.
9. The waveguide display of claim 1 , further comprising:
a freeform lens configured to receive the image light outputted by the output waveguide, adjust an optical power of the image light in at least one dimension, and direct the adjusted image light toward an eyebox.
10. The waveguide display of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tunable lens at a first optical power of a first range of optical powers in the first dimension, the tunable lens configured to apply the first optical power to adjust a wavefront of light from a light source prior to providing the adjusted light to the entrance area of the source waveguide.
11. The waveguide display of claim 1 , further comprising:
a static lens that has a fixed optical power in the first dimension, the static lens positioned between the source waveguide and the output waveguide, and configured to impart the fixed optical power on the expanded light.
12. The waveguide display of claim 1 , further comprising:
a static lens that has a fixed optical power in the second dimension, the static lens positioned between the output waveguide and an eyebox, and configured to impart the fixed optical power on the image light.
13. A near-eye display (NED), comprising:
a frame configured to be worn by a user;
a waveguide display that is integrated into the display, the waveguide display comprising:
a light source configured to emit light;
a source waveguide including an entrance area and an exit area, the source waveguide configured to receive the light at the entrance area, expand the light in a first dimension and output the expanded light from the exit area, the source waveguide having an adjustable curvature along the first dimension; and
an output waveguide including an entrance area and an exit area, the output waveguide coupled to receive the expanded light emitted from the source waveguide at the entrance area, expand the expanded light in a second dimension to form image light and output the image light using the exit area, and a curvature of the output waveguide along the second dimension and the curvature of the source waveguide control a location of an image plane of the image light.
14. The NED of claim 13 , further comprising:
a tunable projection assembly configured to emit light with a dynamically tunable wavefront curvature in at least one of the first dimension and the second dimension.
15. The NED of claim 14 , further comprising:
a controller configured to generate display instructions and provide the display instructions to the tunable projection assembly, the source waveguide and the output waveguide.
16. The NED of claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to control the tunable projection assembly and to provide wavefront curvature to a light source.
17. The NED of claim 14 , wherein the controller further comprises:
an actuator assembly comprising a first actuator and a second actuator, and the first actuator is configured to adjust the first curvature of the source waveguide and the second actuator is configured to adjust the second curvature of the output waveguide.
18. The NED of claim 17 , wherein the actuator assembly comprises at least one of: one or more bimorph strip actuators, one or more fluidic membrane actuators, one or more piezo actuators, or some combination thereof.
19. The NED of claim 14 , wherein the tunable projection assembly is configured to control wavefront of a light source in one or more dimensions by at least one of: a movable lens, a zoom lens, a liquid lens, a liquid crystal lens, or some combination thereof.
20. The NED of claim 14 , further comprising:
a freeform lens configured to receive the image light outputted by the output waveguide, adjust an optical power of the image light in at least one dimension, and direct the adjusted image light toward an eyebox.