US 12,379,614 B2
Eyewear waveguide with reflector
Jonathan M. Rodriguez, II, La Habra, CA (US); Julio Cesar Castañeda, Redondo Beach, CA (US); Samuel Bryson Thompson, Downers Grove, IL (US); and Michael Christian Ryner, Santa Monica, CA (US)
Assigned to Snap Inc., Santa Monica, CA (US)
Filed by Snap Inc., Santa Monica, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/757,959.
Application 18/757,959 is a continuation of application No. 18/116,203, filed on Mar. 1, 2023, granted, now 12,085,787.
Application 18/116,203 is a continuation of application No. 16/425,204, filed on May 29, 2019, granted, now 11,609,441, issued on Mar. 21, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/678,051, filed on May 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0345420 A1, Oct. 17, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G02C 7/00 (2006.01); G02B 6/124 (2006.01); G02C 5/00 (2006.01); G02C 7/08 (2006.01); G03B 21/14 (2006.01)
CPC G02C 7/088 (2013.01) [G02B 6/1245 (2013.01); G02C 5/006 (2013.01); G03B 21/142 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Eyewear comprising:
a projector configured to project light;
a lens having a first surface facing an eye of a user and a second surface facing away from the eye of the user to form at least one waveguide defined by the first and second surfaces;
an input light coupler on one of the first surface or the second surface adjacent a perimeter of the lens and configured to couple the projected light into the at least one waveguide;
an output light coupler for the at least one waveguide on the first surface of the lens that is positioned in a viewing area of the lens when the eyewear is worn to couple a first portion of the projected light out of the at least one waveguide toward the eye of the user and to reflect a second portion of the projected light into the at least one waveguide; and
a first reflector on the second surface of the lens opposite the output light coupler on the first surface of the lens, the first reflector positioned on the second surface in the viewing area of the lens to redirect back toward the output light coupler the second portion of the projected light from the output light coupler having an angle of incidence with respect to the second surface that would result in the second portion of the projected light exiting the at least one waveguide through the second surface in the absence of the first reflector, wherein the second portion of the projected light redirected by the first reflector is coupled by the output light coupler out of the at least one waveguide toward the eye of the user with the first portion of the projected light so as to increase brightness of the light projected toward the eye of the user.