US 12,228,741 B2
Augmented reality near-eye pupil-forming catadioptric optical engine in glasses format
David Kessler, Rochester, NY (US); Michael H. Freeman, Tulsa, OK (US); Mitchael C. Freeman, Tulsa, OK (US); Jordan Boss, Tulsa, OK (US); and Behnam Rafiee, Tulsa, OK (US)
Assigned to RAYTRX, LLC, Tulsa, OK (US)
Filed by Raytrx, LLC, Tulsa, OK (US)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/531,248.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/430,858, filed on Dec. 7, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0192498 A1, Jun. 13, 2024
Int. Cl. G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G02B 5/30 (2006.01); G02B 27/09 (2006.01); G02B 27/28 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 27/0172 (2013.01) [G02B 5/3058 (2013.01); G02B 5/3083 (2013.01); G02B 27/0955 (2013.01); G02B 27/0977 (2013.01); G02B 27/283 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0178 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A compact augmented reality (AR) display system comprising:
an eyeglass frame including a support housing extending along a longitudinal axis between a pair of opposing temple support arms; and
a pair of near-eye pupil forming catadioptric optical engines mounted to the eyeglass frame and spaced along the longitudinal axis, each of the near-eye pupil forming catadioptric optical engines including:
an image generator forming a 2D image;
an optical imaging assembly mounted to the support housing and orientated along a first optical axis, the optical imaging assembly configured to form an exit pupil along the first optical axis for viewing the 2D image by a viewer, the optical imaging assembly including a spherical combiner and a first beam splitter positioned between the spherical combiner and the exit pupil; and
an optical image relay assembly positioned within the support housing and orientated along a second optical axis orientated at an oblique vertical angle from the first optical axis, the optical image relay assembly configured to conjugate the formed 2D image from the image generator to a viewer retina and to relay an intermediate exit pupil of the optical image relay assembly to a viewer iris along a third optical axis that is perpendicular to the second optical axis;
wherein the optical image relay assembly includes:
a mangin mirror positioned along the second optical axis and configured to reflect the 2D image along the second optical axis; and
a polarizing beam splitter positioned along the second optical axis between the mangin mirror and the image generator for transmitting the reflected 2D image from the mangin mirror towards the third optical axis.