Separated pupil optical systems for virtual and augmented reality and methods for displaying images using same

Abstract

An imaging system includes a light source configured to produce a plurality of spatially separated light beams. The system also includes an injection optical system configured to modify the plurality of beams, such that respective pupils formed by beams of the plurality exiting from the injection optical system are spatially separated from each other. The system further includes a light-guiding optical element having an in-coupling grating configured to admit a first beam of the plurality into the light-guiding optical element while excluding a second beam of the plurality from the light-guiding optical element, such that the first beam propagates by substantially total internal reflection through the light-guiding optical element.

1 . An imaging system, comprising:
 a light source configured to produce light beams having a plurality of spatially separated sub-pupils within a single super pupil;   a condenser configured to direct the plurality of spatially separated sub-pupils to a common spatial light modulator;   an injection optical system configured to receive the plurality of spatially separated sub-pupils from the common spatial light modulator and selectively couple a respective sub-pupil of the super pupil with at least one light guiding element through an in-coupling grating disposed at an area of intersection between a respective pupil and the least one light guiding element.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the spatial light modulator is configured to synchronously encode the plurality of spatially separated sub-pupils for simultaneous projection. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the spatial light modulator is configured to sequentially project the plurality of spatially separated sub-pupils. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one sub-pupil of the spatially separated sub-pupils differs in at least one light property. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one light property comprises color. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one light property comprises polarization. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising a controller configured to coordinate a synchronous display, wherein the at least one light property is a temporal encoding. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one light property is a temporal encoding and the spatial light modulator temporally multiplexes the at least one sub-pupil of the spatially separated sub-pupils. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of sub-light sources. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sub-light sources are spatially separated from each other. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sub-light sources comprises at least first and second groups of sub-light sources, and wherein sub-light sources of the first group are displaced from sub-light sources from the second group in an orthogonal x-direction to an optical path of the imaging system. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sub-light sources comprises at least first and second groups of sub-light sources, and wherein sub-light sources of the first group are displaced from sub-light sources from the second group in an orthogonal y-direction to an optical path of the imaging system. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sub-light sources comprises at least first and second groups of sub-light sources, and wherein sub-light sources of the first group are displaced from sub-light sources from the second group in a z-direction along an optical path of the imaging system. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light source is a unitary light source configured to produce the plurality of spatially separated sub-pupils. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a mask overlay configured to segment light from the light source into separate emission areas and positions. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a mask configured to modify a shape of a super pupil formed by the sub-pupils of the plurality of spatially separated sub-pupils. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an optical element configured to modify a size of a super pupil by the sub-pupils of the plurality of spatially separated sub-pupils. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light source and the injection optical system are configured such that the respective sub-pupils have a plurality of sizes.