Granted Patent
B2
US 12,493,209 · App. 18/540,082 · Granted Dec 9, 2025
Switchable micro-lens array for augmented reality and mixed reality
Assignee:
e-Vision Smart Optics, Inc.
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Abstract
A see-through near eye display, which can be modulated in such a manner to synchronize with electronic enabled micro-lenses of a switchable micro-lens array, wherein when pixels of the near eye display are lit the micro-lenses of the micro-lens array are present; thus, a virtual image can be formed and seen by the eye of a user. When the see-through near eye display is not lit, the micro-lenses are not present, thus permitting a real image to be present.
Claims (11)
1 . A system for augmented and/or mixed reality, the system comprising:
a near-eye display; and
a switchable micro-lens array in optical communication with the near-eye display and configured to switch between a first state in which the switchable micro-lens array is configured to transmit light rays from a real-world environment transmitted through the near-eye display and to form a virtual image from light emitted by the near-eye display and a second state in which the switchable micro-lens array is configured to transmit the light rays from the real-world environment transmitted through the near-eye display without forming the virtual image from the light emitted by the near-eye display,
wherein the switchable micro-lens array comprises:
a first micro-lens array;
a second micro-lens array with foci laterally offset from foci of the first micro-lens array; and
a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first micro-lens array and the second micro-lens array.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the near-eye display is a sparse near-eye display.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the near-eye display is a see-through near-eye display.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first micro-lens array comprises convex lenses and the second micro-lens array comprises concave lenses.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the light rays from the real-world environment form a real image.
Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
Recorded Mar 21, 2024
From: BLUM, RONALD
To: NEWSIGHTREALITY, INC.
Reel/Frame 066854/0671 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST
Recorded Mar 21, 2024
From: NEWSIGHTREALITY, INC.
To: E-VISION SMART OPTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 066854/0849 →
Continuity (65)
Provisional Application
62848636
· May 16, 2019
Provisional Application
62847427
· May 14, 2019
Provisional Application
62830645
· Apr 8, 2019
Provisional Application
62796388
· Jan 24, 2019
Provisional Application
62796410
· Jan 24, 2019
Provisional Application
62794779
· Jan 21, 2019
Provisional Application
62793166
· Jan 16, 2019
Provisional Application
62790514
· Jan 10, 2019
Provisional Application
62790516
· Jan 10, 2019
Provisional Application
62788993
· Jan 7, 2019
Provisional Application
62788995
· Jan 7, 2019
Provisional Application
62788275
· Jan 4, 2019
Provisional Application
62787834
· Jan 3, 2019
Provisional Application
62785284
· Dec 27, 2018
Provisional Application
62783603
· Dec 21, 2018
Provisional Application
62783596
· Dec 21, 2018
Provisional Application
62780396
· Dec 17, 2018
Provisional Application
62780391
· Dec 17, 2018
Provisional Application
62778960
· Dec 13, 2018
Provisional Application
62778972
· Dec 13, 2018
Provisional Application
62775945
· Dec 6, 2018
Provisional Application
62774362
· Dec 3, 2018
Provisional Application
62771204
· Nov 26, 2018
Provisional Application
62770210
· Nov 21, 2018
Provisional Application
62769883
· Nov 20, 2018
Provisional Application
62756542
· Nov 6, 2018
Provisional Application
62756528
· Nov 6, 2018
Provisional Application
62755626
· Nov 5, 2018
Provisional Application
62755630
· Nov 5, 2018
Provisional Application
62754929
· Nov 2, 2018
Provisional Application
62753583
· Oct 31, 2018
Provisional Application
62752739
· Oct 30, 2018
Provisional Application
62739907
· Oct 2, 2018
Provisional Application
62739904
· Oct 2, 2018
Provisional Application
62732138
· Sep 17, 2018
Provisional Application
62732039
· Sep 17, 2018
Provisional Application
62728251
· Sep 7, 2018
Provisional Application
62720116
· Aug 21, 2018
Provisional Application
62720113
· Aug 20, 2018
Provisional Application
62717424
· Aug 10, 2018
Provisional Application
62711669
· Jul 30, 2018
Provisional Application
62703909
· Jul 27, 2018
Provisional Application
62703911
· Jul 27, 2018
Provisional Application
62700621
· Jul 19, 2018
Provisional Application
62700632
· Jul 19, 2018
Provisional Application
62694222
· Jul 5, 2018
Provisional Application
62648371
· Mar 26, 2018
Provisional Application
62638789
· Mar 5, 2018
Provisional Application
62626660
· Feb 5, 2018
Provisional Application
62624201
· Jan 31, 2018
Provisional Application
62619752
· Jan 20, 2018
Provisional Application
62613313
· Jan 3, 2018
Provisional Application
62607582
· Dec 19, 2017
Provisional Application
62546473
· Aug 16, 2017
Provisional Application
62542168
· Aug 7, 2017
Provisional Application
62530638
· Jul 10, 2017
Provisional Application
62522866
· Jun 21, 2017
Provisional Application
62513828
· Jun 1, 2017
References Cited (126)
US 5499138A
· Iba
· 1996
[cited by applicant]
US 6349001B1
· Spitzer
· 2002
[cited by applicant]
US 6356392B1
· Spitzer
· 2002
[cited by applicant]
US 6376819B1
· Neal et al.
· 2002
[cited by applicant]
US 6945648B2
· Schindler et al.
· 2005
[cited by applicant]
US 7192136B2
· Howell et al.
· 2007
[cited by applicant]
US 7195353B2
· Blum et al.
· 2007
[cited by applicant]
US 7318646B2
· Bernard et al.
· 2008
[cited by applicant]
US 7663805B2
· Zaloum et al.
· 2010
[cited by applicant]
US 7667783B2
· Hong et al.
· 2010
[cited by applicant]
US 7791809B2
· Filipovich et al.
· 2010
[cited by applicant]
US 8177361B2
· Sessner et al.
· 2012
[cited by applicant]
US 8508830B1
· Wang
· 2013
[cited by applicant]
US 8847851B2
· Yamamoto
· 2014
[cited by applicant]
US 8970962B2
· Filipovich et al.
· 2015
[cited by applicant]
US 9164284B2
· Olsson et al.
· 2015
[cited by applicant]
US 9189829B2
· Komori et al.
· 2015
[cited by applicant]
US 9285592B2
· Olsson et al.
· 2016
[cited by applicant]
US 9507153B2
· Filipovich et al.
· 2016
[cited by applicant]
US 9551872B1
· Kress et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9552676B2
· Wong et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9557152B2
· Starner et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9584705B2
· Nordstrom et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9710058B2
· Gustafsson et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9720257B2
· Han et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9753287B2
· Chow et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9759917B2
· Osterhout et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9766482B2
· Cazalet et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US D800118S
· Xing et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 9977245B2
· Mack et al.
· 2018
[cited by applicant]
US 9983408B2
· Vieira
· 2018
[cited by applicant]
US 9989765B2
· Jepsen
· 2018
[cited by applicant]
US 20020075202A1
· Fergason
· 2002
[cited by applicant]
US 20060082768A1
· Wilson et al.
· 2006
[cited by applicant]
US 20060250574A1
· Grand et al.
· 2006
[cited by applicant]
US 20070215793A1
· Gruhlke et al.
· 2007
[cited by applicant]
US 20090046143A1
· Hiddink et al.
· 2009
[cited by applicant]
US 20090231722A1
· Filipovich et al.
· 2009
[cited by applicant]
US 20100002217A1
· Fiolka et al.
· 2010
[cited by applicant]
US 20130021226A1
· Bell
· 2013
[cited by applicant]
US 20130099091A1
· Nemirovsky et al.
· 2013
[cited by applicant]
US 20130208175A1
· Ono
· 2013
[cited by applicant]
US 20150169070A1
· Harp et al.
· 2015
[cited by applicant]
US 20150235445A1
· Schowengerdt
· 2015
[cited by applicant]
US 20150277123A1
· Chaum et al.
· 2015
[cited by applicant]
US 20160327798A1
· Xiao
· 2016
[cited by applicant]
US 20170090557A1
· Raffle et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 20170227779A1
· Kato et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 20170235161A1
· Hilkes et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 20170249862A1
· Border
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 20170336634A1
· Mack et al.
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
US 20180045964A1
· Jones et al.
· 2018
[cited by applicant]
US 20180130226A1
· Meess et al.
· 2018
[cited by applicant]
US 20190057957A1
· Xie
· 2019
[cited by applicant]
AU 2014400408B2
· 2018
[cited by applicant]
CN 106873161A
· 2017
[cited by examiner]
EP 1300716A1
· 2003
[cited by applicant]
EP 1590699B1
· 2006
[cited by applicant]
FR 2842591B1
· 2004
[cited by applicant]
FR 20020008969B1
· 2004
[cited by applicant]
JP 2006251329A
· 2006
[cited by applicant]
JP 2017212475A
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
WO 2008084751A1
· 2008
[cited by applicant]
WO 2010105201A1
· 2010
[cited by applicant]
WO 2013025672A2
· 2013
[cited by applicant]
WO 2013036888A2
· 2013
[cited by applicant]
WO 2013025672A3
· 2013
[cited by applicant]
WO 2016004998A1
· 2016
[cited by applicant]
WO 2016135727A1
· 2016
[cited by applicant]
WO 2017151872A1
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
WO 2017169345A1
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
WO 2017171157A1
· 2017
[cited by applicant]
WO 2018217253A1
· 2018
[cited by applicant]
English translation of CN 106873161 A, Jun. 20, 2017 (Year: 2017).
[cited by examiner]
Commander et al., “Microlenses immersed in nematic liquid crystal with electrically controllable focal length,” in Third European Optical Society ‘Microlens Arrays’ Topical Meeting, 1995, 7 pages.
[cited by applicant]
Co-Pending International Application No. PCT/US2018/035424 filed May 31, 2018, Search Report and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority, dated Aug. 31, 2018, 16 pages.
[cited by applicant]
Co-Pending International Application No. PCT/US2018/037561 filed Jun. 14, 2018, Search Report and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority, dated Sep. 21, 2018, 13 pages.
[cited by applicant]
Co-Pending International Application No. PCT/US2019/020168 filed Feb. 28, 2019, Search Report and Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority, dated May 23, 2019, 15 pages.
[cited by applicant]
Fan et al., “Liquid Crystal Microlens Arrays With Switchable Positive and Negative Focal Lengths,” Journal of Display Technology, pp. 151-156, Aug. 22, 2005, IEEE.
[cited by applicant]
Ren, Hongwen, Tunable micro-lens arrays using polymer network liquid crystal, Optical Communication, vol. 230 (2004), pp. 267-271.
[cited by applicant]
Villa et al., “CMOS imager with 1024 SPADs and TDCs for single-photon timing and 3-D time-of-flight.” IEEE journal of selected topics in quantum electronics 20.6 (2014): 364-373.
[cited by applicant]
Cited By (1)