Attenuating outside light for augmented or virtual reality

Abstract

Configurations are disclosed for presenting virtual reality and augmented reality experiences to users. The system may comprise an image-generating source to provide one or more frames of image data in a time-sequential manner, a light modulator configured to transmit light associated with the one or more frames of image data, a substrate to direct image information to a user's eye, wherein the substrate houses a plurality of reflectors, a first reflector of the plurality of reflectors to reflect transmitted light associated with a first frame of image data at a first angle to the user's eye, and a second reflector to reflect transmitted light associated with a second frame of the image data at a second angle to the user's eye.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 at least one waveguide to receive light from an outside environment and direct the light to one or more spatial light modulators, wherein the one or more spatial light modulators selectively attenuate the received light in different portions of a visual field of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one waveguide comprises a first and second waveguides, and wherein the second waveguide is configured to deliver light exiting the SLMs to the user's eye. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a set of display optics, wherein the set of display optics is positioned between the user's eye and the outside environment. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more spatial light modulators are cholesteric LCDs. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more spatial light modulators are positioned such that the user views an outside world through the one or more spatial light modulators, wherein the one or more spatial light modulators is at least semi-transparent. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more spatial light modulators comprise at least one of a number or liquid crystal arrays, a number of digital mirror device elements of digital light processing systems, a number of micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) arrays, or a number of MEMS shutters. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selective attenuation is based at least in part on one or more characteristics of one or more frames of image data to be presented to the user. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprises a color scale of the one or more frames of image data. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more frames of image data comprises a dark virtual object.