US 12,287,484 B2
Polarization-based processing of unpolarized image light
Yang Zhao, Woodinville, WA (US); Afsoon Jamali, Issaquah, WA (US); Junren Wang, Kirkland, WA (US); Wai Sze Tiffany Lam, Lynnwood, WA (US); Lu Lu, Kirkland, WA (US); and Douglas Robert Lanman, Bellevue, WA (US)
Assigned to Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 31, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/129,620.
Application 18/129,620 is a division of application No. 16/730,293, filed on Dec. 30, 2019, granted, now 11,686,942.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/899,431, filed on Sep. 12, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0251489 A1, Aug. 10, 2023
Int. Cl. G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G02F 1/137 (2006.01); G03B 13/36 (2021.01)
CPC G02B 27/0172 (2013.01) [G02F 1/13718 (2013.01); G03B 13/36 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
propagating unpolarized image light through a sequence of polarization-selective optical elements of a display system to obtain two orthogonally polarized light beams, each of which being switchable in at least one beam characteristic, the at least one beam characteristic comprising at least one of:
a beam convergence characteristic; or
a beam deflection angle; and
using an optical polarizer disposed downstream of the sequence of polarization-selective optical elements to select one of the two orthogonally polarized light beams as an output light beam for forming an image; and
propagating polarized image light through a depolarizer to obtain the unpolarized image light for providing to the sequence of polarization-selective optical elements, the depolarizer comprising a liquid crystal (LC) bilayer with a randomized in-plane optic axis.