Optical waveguide devices, methods and systems incorporating same

Abstract

An optical device includes a range of angularly selective reflectors are contained within an optical waveguide substrate and substantially optimized according to their reflector order within the sequence of reflectors. This configuration of reflectors ensures that the required angular information is passed through to the correct reflector within the sequence. The angular response in addition reduces or eliminates formation of secondary images carried to successive reflectors, resulting in undesired artefacts.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory, the processor executing instructions stored in the memory to:
 receive designation of optical properties of an optical waveguide substrate; 
 receive a definition of a plurality of reflectors spatially distributed in a sequence along the optical waveguide substrate; 
 for each reflector, receive designation of surface properties and associating the surface properties with the reflector within the waveguide substrate; 
 simulate a light ray source at an eye-box plane; 
 reverse tracing light rays from the light ray source into said optical waveguide, 
 based on the defined reflector surface properties and waveguide geometry, determine the angles of incidence of the light rays from the eye-box light source that are incident on the reflectors; 
 determine the optimized or required selective notch filter angular optical response of each reflector according to the determined angles of incidence of the rays incident on the reflectors; 
 determine a specific selective notch filter angular transflectance band of each reflector to pass desired angular optical image information to the successive reflectors in the sequence according to requirements of an imaging application; and 
 determine whether portions of the specific transflectance bands of the plurality of reflectors all overlap one another at a substantially similar angular position in the range of angles of incidence with respect to the optical reflectors. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said optical waveguide substrate is an augmented reality optical combiner. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein said augmented reality optical combiner is a near-ear augmented reality optical combiners. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 ,
 wherein the definition of a plurality of reflectors spatially distributed in a sequence along the optical waveguide substrate comprises:   the plurality reflectors are disposed in spaced apart parallel planes which are inclined relative to the propagation axis of the optical wave guide substrate.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein
 the designation of surface properties includes designation of the optical reflector to have a similar angular response for light rays incident on the front and back, respectively, of the reflector.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein
 the designation of surface properties includes designation of at least one of said plurality of reflectors is a multi-layer dielectric coating or thin film.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein
 determine the optimized or required selective notch filter angular optical response of each reflector according to the determined angles of incidence of the rays incident on the reflectors comprises:   determine the maximum reflectance of respective selected specific transflectance bands of at least some of the reflectors progressively decreases according to the reflector order in the reflector sequence.   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein
 determine the optimized or required selective notch filter angular optical response of each reflector according to the determined angles of incidence of the rays incident on the reflectors comprises:   determine the angular position of respective selected specific transflectance bands of at least some of the reflectors are different from one another.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein
 determine the optimized or required selective notch filter angular optical response of each reflector according to the determined angles of incidence of the rays incident on the reflectors comprises:   determine the angular position of respective selected specific transflectance bands of at least some of the reflectors progressively decrease according to the reflector order in the reflector sequence.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein
 determine the optimized or required selective notch filter angular optical response of each reflector according to the determined angles of incidence of the rays incident on the reflectors comprises:   determine the angular range of respective selected specific transflectance bands of at least some of the reflectors are different from one another.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein said optical waveguide substrate is an augmented reality optical combiner. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein said augmented reality optical combiner is a near-ear augmented reality optical combiners.