US 12,422,680 B2
Optical systems including light-guide optical elements with two-dimensional expansion
Eitan Ronen, Rechovot (IL); Ronen Chriki, Lod (IL); and Tsion Eisenfeld, Ashkelon (IL)
Assigned to Lumus Ltd., Ness Ziona (IL)
Filed by Lumus Ltd., Ness Ziona (IL)
Filed on Jan. 4, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/403,794.
Application 18/403,794 is a continuation of application No. 17/422,491, granted, now 11,885,966, previously published as PCT/IL2020/051354, filed on Dec. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/005,367, filed on Apr. 5, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/954,744, filed on Dec. 30, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0134202 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. G02B 27/01 (2006.01); F21V 8/00 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 27/0172 (2013.01) [G02B 6/0018 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0178 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical system for delivering an output image to an eye-motion box for viewing by an eye of a user, the optical system comprising:
a light-guide optical element (LOE) formed from transparent material, said LOE comprising an out-coupling set of planar, mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces and a set of mutually-parallel major external surfaces, said out-coupling set of partially-reflecting surfaces being located between said major external surfaces;
a first image projector configured to project first collimated image light corresponding to a first part of the output image from a first optical aperture, the first collimated image light following a first light path from said optical aperture into said LOE so as to propagate within said LOE by internal reflection at said major external surfaces and to be progressively coupled-out from said LOE by said out-coupling set of partially-reflecting surfaces towards the eye-motion box;
a second image projector configured to project second collimated image light corresponding to a second part of the output image from a second optical aperture, the second collimated image light following a second light path from said optical aperture into said LOE so as to propagate within said LOE by internal reflection at said major external surfaces and to be progressively coupled-out from said LOE by said out-coupling set of partially-reflecting surfaces towards the eye-motion box, said first and second parts of the collimated image combining at the eye-motion box to provide the output image;
a first optical expansion component comprising a first set of planar, mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces having a first orientation, said first optical expansion component being deployed in said first light path so as to expand an effective optical aperture of said first image projector and to direct the first collimated image light towards said out-coupling set of partially-reflecting surfaces; and
a second optical expansion component comprising a second set of planar, mutually-parallel, partially-reflecting surfaces having a second orientation, said second optical expansion component being deployed in said second light path so as to expand an effective optical aperture of said second image projector and to direct the second collimated image light towards said out-coupling set of partially-reflecting surfaces.