Granted Patent B2

US 12,204,112 · App. 18/563,733 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Inventors: Alexandra Crai (Abingdon, GB); Ciaran Phelan (Wallingford, GB); Mohmed Salim Ibrahim Valera (Sutton Coldfield, GB); David Nicholas Crosby (Oxford, GB)

Assignee: Snap Inc.

G02B27/0172G02B5/1819G02B27/0037G06T19/006

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A waveguide for use in a virtual reality, VR, or augmented reality, AR, device, the waveguide comprising:

an input region configured to couple light into the waveguide so that it propagates under total internal reflection (TIR) within the waveguide; and

an output region comprising optical structures configured to receive image bearing light from the input region in a direction along a first axis, the output region providing diffractive interactions for light that propagates under TIR within the waveguide including a first diffractive interaction that outcouples light that is propagating along the first axis to a viewer, a second diffractive interaction that outcouples light that is propagating along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to a viewer, and a third diffractive interaction that turns light such that it is caused to propagate under TIR within the waveguide along an axis that is perpendicular to the axis in which it is propagating prior to the third diffractive interaction;

wherein the output region comprises a plurality of zones each having different non-zero diffraction efficiencies for the first, second, and third diffractive interactions, the plurality of zones comprising:

a first zone; and

a second zone, located at a position along the second axis with respect to the first zone, wherein in the second zone the diffraction efficiency of:

the first diffractive interaction is: greater than the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the second zone, and is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the first zone, so as to reduce rainbow artefacts;

or

the second diffractive interaction is: greater than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the second zone, and is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the first zone, so as to reduce rainbow artefacts.

2. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein when the second zone has a diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction that is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the first zone, the second zone has a diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction that is less than the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the first zone; or

wherein when the second zone has a diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction that is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the second zone, the second zone has a diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction that is less than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the first zone.

3. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein when the second zone has a diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction that is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the second zone, the second zone comprises optical structures that are continuous along the second axis; or

wherein when the second zone has a diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction that is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the second zone, the second zone comprises optical structures that are continuous along the first axis.

4. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein each zone comprises:

a first rectangular periodic array of optical structures arranged on a plane defined by the first and second axis, wherein a period of the first rectangular array is defined by a spacing between neighbouring optical structures of the first rectangular array, the first rectangular periodic array forming a first 2D lattice with rectangular symmetry; and

a second rectangular periodic array of optical structures arranged on the plane, wherein a period of the second rectangular array is defined by a spacing between neighbouring optical structures of the second rectangular array, the second rectangular periodic array forming a second 2D lattice with rectangular symmetry;

wherein the first rectangular array of optical structures is overlaid on the second rectangular array of optical structures in the plane such that the arrays are spatially offset from one another on the plane;

wherein the first array of optical structures is offset from the second array of optical structures by a factor which is different to half the period of the first or second rectangular array.

5. The waveguide of claim 4 ,

wherein when the second zone has a diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction that is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the second zone, the second zone comprises the first and second array of optical structures arranged such that:

the first array of optical structures is offset from the second array of optical structures in the first axis by a factor which is different to the period of the first or second rectangular array and different to half the period of the first or second rectangular array such that the optical structures of the first and second array form a continuous structure along the second axis;

or

wherein when the second zone has a diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction that is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interactions in the second zone the second zone comprises the first and second array of optical structures arranged such that:

the first array of optical structures is offset from the second array of optical structures in the second axis by a factor which is different to the period of the first or second rectangular array and different to half the period of the first or second rectangular array such that the optical structures of the first and second array form a continuous structure along the first axis.

6. The waveguide of claim 4 , wherein the first zone comprises optical structures arranged such that the first array of optical structures are offset from the second array of optical structures by a factor which is different to half the period of the first or second rectangular array along the second axis, and the first array of optical structures are offset from the second array of optical structures by half the period of the first or second rectangular array along the first axis.

7. The waveguide of claim 4 , further comprising a third zone, that receives light directly from the input region, the third zone having a diffraction efficiency of the third diffractive interaction that is higher than the diffraction efficiency of both the first and second diffractive interactions of the third zone; and

wherein the third zone is located at a position along the first axis with respect to the first zone, and the first zone has a diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction that is greater than a diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction of the third zone.

8. The waveguide of claim 7 , wherein when the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the second zone is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the first zone the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the second zone is also greater than the diffraction efficiency of the first diffractive interaction in the third zone, and when the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the second zone is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the first zone the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the second zone is also greater than the diffraction efficiency of the second diffractive interaction in the third zone.

9. The waveguide of claim 7 , wherein the third zone comprises optical structures arranged such that the first array of optical structures are offset from the second array of optical structures by a factor which is different to half the period of the first or second rectangular array along the second axis, and the first array of optical structures are offset from the second array of optical structures by half the period of the first or second rectangular array along the first axis.

10. The waveguide of claim 9 , wherein the factor by which the first array of optical structures is offset from the second array of optical structures along the second axis in the third zone is smaller than the factor by which the first array of optical structures is offset from the second array of optical structures along the second axis in the first zone.

11. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the optical structures in the second zone each have a cross sectional area in a plane defined by the first and second axis that is greater than the cross sectional area of the optical structures in the first zone.

12. The waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the input region is a 1D linear grating.

13. The waveguide of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth zone arranged at a position along the second axis with respect to the first zone and along the first axis with respect to the second zone, wherein the fourth zone predominantly diffracts the light through the third diffractive interaction so as to selectively turn the light towards the second zone along the first axis.

14. The waveguide of claim 1 , further comprising a fifth zone, the fifth zone having the same diffraction efficiencies as the second zone and arranged at a position on an opposite side of the first zone with respect to the second zone along the second axis.

15. An augmented reality or virtual reality display comprising the waveguide according to claim 1 .

16. An augmented reality or virtual reality display comprising the waveguide according to claim 4 .

17. An augmented reality or virtual reality display comprising the waveguide according to claim 7 .

18. An augmented reality or virtual reality display comprising the waveguide according to claim 9 .

19. An augmented reality or virtual reality display comprising the waveguide according to claim 10 .

20. An augmented reality or virtual reality display comprising the waveguide according to claim 11 .

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (15)