US 12,259,686 B2
Waveguide geometry for improved display performance
Arkady Bablumyan, Tucson, AZ (US); and Chen Liang, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by A9.com, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed on May 21, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/327,519.
Prior Publication US 2022/0373971 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G02B 5/32 (2006.01); G03H 1/26 (2006.01)
CPC G03H 1/26 (2013.01) [G02B 5/32 (2013.01); G03H 2223/16 (2013.01); G03H 2270/32 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A waveguide comprising:
a. an optically transparent substrate having top and bottom surfaces; and
b. a plurality of optical elements optically coupled with the substrate, the plurality of optical elements comprising:
i. a first incoupling optical element configured to incouple a first light beam into the substrate such that the first light beam propagates through the substrate along a first primary beam path;
ii. a first outcoupling optical element configured to outcouple the first light beam from the substrate;
iii. a first redirection optical element configured to redirect the first light beam such that the first light beam propagates through the substrate toward the first outcoupling optical element along a first secondary beam path;
iv. a second incoupling optical element configured to incouple a second light beam into the substrate such that the second light beam propagates through the substrate along a second primary beam path;
v. a second outcoupling optical element configured to outcouple the second light beam from the substrate;
vi. a second redirection optical element configured to redirect the second light beam such that the second light beam propagates through the substrate toward the second outcoupling optical element along a second secondary beam path;
vii. a third incoupling optical element configured to incouple a third light beam into the substrate such that the third light beam propagates through the substrate along a third primary beam path;
viii. a third outcoupling optical element configured to outcouple the third light beam from the substrate; and
ix. a third redirection optical element that forms a stack with the second redirection optical element and that is configured to redirect the third light beam such that the third light beam propagates through the substrate toward the third outcoupling optical element along a third secondary beam path that is parallel to the second secondary beam path, wherein the third redirection optical element and the second redirection optical element are separate from the first redirection optical element;
wherein the first, second, and third outcoupling optical elements are overlapping, the first, second, and third incoupling optical elements are non-overlapping,
wherein at least the first and second outcoupling optical elements form a stack of optical elements, the stack having a first side and a second side that is adjacent to the first side, the first secondary beam path being incident to the first side and the third secondary beam path being incident to the second side, and
wherein the first secondary beam path intersects with the first side, and the third secondary beam path intersects with the second side.