US 12,277,658 B2
Systems and methods for mixed reality
Brian T. Schowengerdt, Seattle, WA (US); Mathew D. Watson, Bellevue, WA (US); David Tinch, Laramie, WY (US); Ivan Li Chuen Yeoh, Tampa, FL (US); John Graham Macnamara, Plantation, FL (US); Lionel Ernest Edwin, Plantation, FL (US); Michael Anthony Klug, Austin, TX (US); and William Hudson Welch, Fort Lauderdale, FL (US)
Assigned to Magic Leap, Inc., Plantation, FL (US)
Filed by Magic Leap, Inc., Plantation, FL (US)
Filed on Feb. 2, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/431,758.
Application 18/431,758 is a division of application No. 18/296,141, filed on Apr. 5, 2023, granted, now 11,935,206.
Application 18/296,141 is a continuation of application No. 17/389,684, filed on Jul. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,651,566, issued on May 16, 2023.
Application 17/389,684 is a continuation of application No. 16/903,279, filed on Jun. 16, 2020, granted, now 11,107,288, issued on Aug. 31, 2021.
Application 16/903,279 is a continuation of application No. 15/980,947, filed on May 16, 2018, granted, now 10,755,481, issued on Aug. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/509,499, filed on May 22, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/506,841, filed on May 16, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0177429 A1, May 30, 2024
Int. Cl. G06T 19/00 (2011.01); G02B 5/18 (2006.01); G02B 26/08 (2006.01); G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G02B 27/09 (2006.01); G02B 27/10 (2006.01); G02B 27/30 (2006.01); G02B 27/42 (2006.01); G02B 6/12 (2006.01)
CPC G06T 19/006 (2013.01) [G02B 5/18 (2013.01); G02B 26/08 (2013.01); G02B 27/0172 (2013.01); G02B 27/0944 (2013.01); G02B 27/0955 (2013.01); G02B 27/0972 (2013.01); G02B 27/10 (2013.01); G02B 27/106 (2013.01); G02B 27/30 (2013.01); G02B 27/42 (2013.01); G02B 2006/1215 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0123 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0178 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A virtual image generation system comprising:
a planar optical waveguide comprising a plurality of substrates including a primary substrate having a first thickness and at least two secondary substrates having second thicknesses, and at least two semi-reflective interfaces respectively disposed between the substrates;
a pre-pupil expansion (PPE) element configured for using one or more beam-multiplication techniques to pre-expand an entrance pupil of a collimated light beam from an image projection assembly;
an in-coupling (IC) element configured for optically coupling the collimated light beam from the PPE, for propagation as an in-coupled light beam within the planar optical waveguide, wherein the at least two semi-reflective interfaces are each configured for splitting the in-coupled light beam into a plurality of primary light beamlets that propagate within the primary substrate; and
one or more diffractive optical elements (DOEs) associated with the planar optical waveguide for further splitting the plurality of primary light beamlets into an array of out-coupled light beamlets that exit a face of the planar optical waveguide,
wherein the substrates are optically transparent materials and each of the at least two semi-reflective interfaces comprises a semi-reflective coating.