Granted Patent B2

US 12,650,546 · App. 18/328,290 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Inventors: Guolin Peng (Sunnyvale, CA); Elson Y Liu (Santa Clara, CA); Yuan Chen (Campbell, CA); Khoa Nguyen (San Jose, CA); Kaikai Guo (Sunnyvale, CA); Zhibing Ge (Sunnyvale, CA); Seung Hoon Lee (Santa Clara, CA); Se Hyun Ahn (Santa Clara, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

G02B5/3083G02B17/08G02B27/0172G02B27/286G06F1/163

Abstract

Claims (38)

1 . An electronic device, comprising:

a display panel configured to produce light; and

a lens assembly that receives the light from the display panel, wherein the lens assembly comprises:

a first curved lens;

a second curved lens, wherein the second curved lens is a removable lens that is configured to be selectively attached to the lens assembly;

a partially reflective mirror that is interposed between the first curved lens and the display panel;

a curved reflective polarizer that is interposed between the first curved lens and the second curved lens when the second curved lens is attached to the lens assembly;

a planar quarter wave plate that is interposed between the curved reflective polarizer and the second curved lens when the second curved lens is attached to the lens assembly; and

a curved linear polarizer that is interposed between the curved reflective polarizer and the planar quarter wave plate, wherein an air gap is interposed between the curved linear polarizer and the curved reflective polarizer.

2 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the planar quarter wave plate is a first quarter wave plate and wherein the lens assembly further comprises:

a second quarter wave plate that is interposed between the first curved lens and the curved reflective polarizer, wherein the second quarter wave plate is a curved quarter wave plate.

3 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly comprises a fixed lens assembly portion that comprises the first curved lens, the partially reflective mirror, the curved reflective polarizer, the planar quarter wave plate, and the curved linear polarizer.

4 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly comprises a fixed lens assembly portion that comprises the first curved lens, the partially reflective mirror, the curved reflective polarizer, and the planar quarter wave plate.

5 . The electronic device defined in claim 4 , wherein the fixed lens assembly portion has first and second opposing surfaces, wherein the first surface is a curved surface, and wherein the second surface is a planar surface.

6 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly further comprises:

an anti-reflection layer on the planar quarter wave plate.

7 . The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the anti-reflection layer is interposed between the curved reflective polarizer and the planar quarter wave plate.

8 . The electronic device defined in claim 6 , wherein the anti-reflection layer is interposed between the planar quarter wave plate and the second curved lens when the second curved lens is attached to the lens assembly.

9 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly comprises a removable lens assembly portion that includes the second curved lens.

10 . The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the lens assembly further comprises:

a third lens that is interposed between the planar quarter wave plate and the second curved lens when the second curved lens is attached to the lens assembly.

11 . An electronic device, comprising:

a display panel configured to produce light; and

a lens assembly that receives the light from the display panel, wherein the lens assembly comprises a fixed lens assembly portion and a removable lens assembly portion, wherein the fixed lens assembly portion comprises a first lens, a partially reflective mirror that is interposed between the first lens and the display panel, and a reflective polarizer, wherein the first lens is interposed between the partially reflective mirror and the reflective polarizer, wherein the removable lens assembly portion comprises a quarter wave plate and a second lens, and wherein the quarter wave plate is interposed between the reflective polarizer and the second lens when the removable lens assembly portion is attached to the fixed lens assembly portion.

12 . The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein the quarter wave plate is a first quarter wave plate and wherein the fixed lens assembly portion further comprises a second quarter wave plate that is interposed between the first lens and the reflective polarizer.

13 . The electronic device defined in claim 11 , wherein the removable lens assembly portion further comprises:

a linear polarizer, wherein the quarter wave plate is interposed between the linear polarizer and the second lens.

14 . An electronic device, comprising:

a display panel;

a first lens element;

a partially reflective mirror that is interposed between the first lens element and the display panel;

a first quarter wave plate;

a reflective polarizer, wherein the first quarter wave plate is interposed between the first lens element and the reflective polarizer;

a second quarter wave plate, wherein the reflective polarizer is interposed between the first quarter wave plate and the second quarter wave plate;

a second lens element, wherein the second quarter wave plate is interposed between the reflective polarizer and the second lens element and wherein the first and second lens elements are non-removable lens elements; and

a third lens element adjacent to the second lens element, wherein the third lens element is a removable lens element.

15 . The electronic device defined in claim 14 , further comprising:

a linear polarizer that is interposed between the reflective polarizer and the second quarter wave plate.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (21)