Selective attenuation of outside light in an augmented or virtual reality device

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 method comprising:
 receiving light from an outside environment;   directing the light to a selective attenuator; and   selectively attenuating, through the selective attenuator, the received light in different portions of a visual field of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method 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 method of  claim 1 , wherein the select is a DMD. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the spatial light modulator is a DMD array. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein light is directed to the one or more spatial light modulators through one or more waveguides. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising recoupling light back to the waveguide, causing light to partially exit toward the user's eye. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the waveguide is oriented substantially perpendicular to the selective attenuator. 
     
     
         8 . The method 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.