Ar headsets with improved pinhole mirror arrays

Abstract

Augmented reality headsets. A plurality of tilted pin-mirrors imbedded between an inner surface and an outer surface of a combiner, where the plurality of tilted pin-mirrors are configured to reflect the guided image light towards the eye box, and wherein the plurality of pin-mirrors include one or more gaps between them wherein the one or more gaps allow the passage of an ambient light through the combiner towards the eye box.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A projection augmented reality head set (ARHS) display having a pin-mirror combiner, comprising:
 an imager;   a combiner;   imaging optics configured to provide imaging light received from the imager to an inner surface of the combiner;   the combiner comprising an imbedded array of pin-mirrors that are configured to re-direct the image light towards back through the inner surface of the combiner and towards the eye box, and wherein gaps between the pin-mirrors in the array of pin-mirrors allow ambient light to pass through the combiner to the eye box, and   wherein the pin-mirrors within the imbedded array of pin-mirrors have a spatially variant tilt.   
     
     
         2 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the imbedded array of pin-mirrors is optimized relative to a combiner curvature, an angular output range of the imaging optics, and a field-of-view (FOV) supported by the ARHS display. 
     
     
         3 . The ARHS display of  claim 2 , wherein the imbedded array of pin-mirrors are optimized and spatially-variant tilted within the combiner such that the combiner curvature and/or the angular output range are reduced in magnitude. 
     
     
         4 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the imbedded array of pin-mirrors are optimized relative to the light efficiency of providing image light and/or ambient light to the eye box. 
     
     
         5 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the spatially-variant tilt of the pin-mirrors in the embedded array of pin-mirrors is optimized relative to a combiner curvature. 
     
     
         6 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the pin-mirrors and the gaps between the pin-mirrors in the embedded array of pin-mirrors are spatially variant across the combiner. 
     
     
         7 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pin-mirrors or gaps between the pin-mirrors in the embedded array of pin-mirrors is small enough to provide a pinhole mirror effect to reduce image blur. 
     
     
         8 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the embedded array of pin-mirrors create an apparent pinhole and the apparent pinhole size, as seen by a viewer, is nominally constant across the combiner. 
     
     
         9 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the combiner defines a curvature. 
     
     
         10 . The ARHS display of  claim 9 , wherein the curvature defined by the combiner or falls within a particular range. 
     
     
         11 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging optics and combiner create a wide field-of-view over a particular range. 
     
     
         12 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the incident angles to the combiner, while supporting a particular wide field-of-view, are within a particular range. 
     
     
         13 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the combiner comprises an AR coating. 
     
     
         14 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the pin-mirrors and gaps in the embedded array of pin-mirrors have nominal physical sizes within a particular range. 
     
     
         15 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the pin-mirrors and gaps in the embedded array of pin-mirrors have a maximum size. 
     
     
         16 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the pin-mirrors and gaps in the embedded array of pin-mirrors have a minimum size. 
     
     
         17 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the individual pin-mirrors are formed onto localized scalloped areas. 
     
     
         18 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein at least one linear array of micro-mirrors is formed onto an internal curved surface of the combiner. 
     
     
         19 . The ARHS display of  claim 1 , wherein the imaging optics include a phase only liquid crystal device path to direct the image light to select pin-mirrors in the embedded array of pin-mirrors.