METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DIFFRACTIVE OPTICS EYEPIECE ARCHITECTURES INCORPORATING AN OPTICAL NOTCH FILTER
An augmented reality system includes a projector assembly and a set of imaging optics optically coupled to the projector assembly. The augmented reality system also includes an eyepiece optically coupled to the set of imaging optics. The eyepiece has a world side and a user side opposite the world side and includes one or more eyepiece waveguides. Each of the one or more eyepiece waveguides includes an incoupling interface and an outcoupling interface operable to output virtual content toward the user side. The augmented reality system further includes an optical notch filter disposed on the world side of the eyepiece.
1 . An augmented reality system comprising:
a projector assembly;
a set of imaging optics optically coupled to the projector assembly;
an eyepiece optically coupled to the set of imaging optics, wherein the eyepiece has a world side and a user side opposite the world side and includes one or more eyepiece waveguides, wherein each of the one or more eyepiece waveguides includes an incoupling interface and an outcoupling interface operable to output virtual content toward the user side; and
an optical notch filter disposed on the world side of the eyepiece.
2 . The augmented reality system of claim 1 wherein the optical notch filter is separated from the one or more eyepiece waveguides by a predetermined distance.
3 . The augmented reality system of claim 1 wherein the eyepiece further includes a coating on the one or more eyepiece waveguides and the optical notch filter is joined to the coating.
4 . The augmented reality system of claim 1 wherein the outcoupling interface comprises a combined pupil expander including orthogonal expansion diffractive elements and output diffractive elements.
5 . The augmented reality system of claim 1 wherein:
each outcoupling interface of the one or more eyepiece waveguides is characterized by an area measured in a plane orthogonal to the one or more eyepiece waveguides;
the optical notch filter is characterized by the area; and
each outcoupling interface and the optical notch filter overlap in plan view.
6 . The augmented reality system of claim 1 wherein:
the one or more eyepiece waveguides consists of a single eyepiece waveguide; and
the optical notch filter is characterized by a single reflection band.
7 . The augmented reality system of claim 1 wherein the optical notch filter comprises multiple reflection bands.
8 . The augmented reality system of claim 1 wherein the projector assembly comprises a set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) including:
a blue LED emitting light at 455 nm;
a green LED emitting light at 525 nm; and
a red LED emitting light at 628 nm.
9 . The augmented reality system of claim 8 wherein the optical notch filter comprises:
a first reflection band characterized by a first reflectance greater than 0.5 at 455 nm;
a second reflection band characterized by a second reflectance greater than 0.5 at 525 nm; and
a third reflection band characterized by a third reflectance greater than 0.5 at 628 nm.
10 . An augmented reality system comprising:
a projector assembly operable to generate first illumination light having a first color and second illumination light having a second color;
a set of imaging optics optically coupled to the projector assembly; and
an eyepiece optically coupled to the set of imaging optics, wherein the eyepiece has a world side and a user side opposite the world side and includes:
a first eyepiece waveguide including a first incoupling interface operable to receive the first illumination light and a first outcoupling interface operable to output first virtual content toward the user side;
a first optical notch filter disposed on the world side of the first eyepiece waveguide;
a second eyepiece waveguide including a second incoupling interface operable to receive the second illumination light and a second outcoupling interface operable to output second virtual content toward the user side; and
a second optical notch filter disposed on the world side of the second eyepiece waveguide.
11 . The augmented reality system of claim 10 wherein the first optical notch filter is characterized by a reflection band including the first color.
12 . The augmented reality system of claim 10 wherein the second optical notch filter is characterized by a reflection band including the second color and a second reflection band including a third color different from the second color.
13 . The augmented reality system of claim 10 wherein the second incoupling interface is further operable to receive third illumination light having a third color and the second outcoupling interface is further operable to output third virtual content toward the user side.
14 . The augmented reality system of claim 13 wherein the second optical notch filter is characterized by a reflection band including the second color and the third color.
15 . The augmented reality system of claim 10 wherein:
the first optical notch filter is separated from the first eyepiece waveguide by a first predetermined distance; and
the second optical notch filter is separated from the second eyepiece waveguide by the first predetermined distance.
16 . The augmented reality system of claim 10 wherein the eyepiece further includes:
a first coating on the first eyepiece waveguide and the first optical notch filter is joined to the first coating; and
a second coating on the second eyepiece waveguide and the second optical notch filter is joined to the second coating.
17 . The augmented reality system of claim 10 wherein:
the first outcoupling interface comprises a first combined pupil expander; and
the second outcoupling interface comprises a second combined pupil expander.
18 . The augmented reality system of claim 10 wherein the first optical notch filter or the second optical notch filter comprises multiple reflection bands including:
a first reflection band between 450 nm and 500 nm;
a second reflection band between 500 nm and 550 nm; and
a third reflection band between 600 nm and 700 nm.
19 . The augmented reality system of claim 10 wherein the projector assembly comprises a set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) including:
a blue LED emitting light at 455 nm;
a green LED emitting light at 525 nm; and
a red LED emitting light at 628 nm.
20 . The augmented reality system of claim 19 wherein the first optical notch filter or the second optical notch filter comprises:
a first reflection band characterized by a first reflectance greater than 0.5 at 455 nm;
a second reflection band characterized by a second reflectance greater than 0.5 at nm; and
a third reflection band characterized by a third reflectance greater than 0.5 at 628 nm.