Meta Platforms has been granted a patent for a waveguide assembly that expands image light by reducing or eliminating pupil gaps. The assembly includes two pupil-replicating waveguides that propagate the input beam to obtain an intermediate beam, and then propagate the intermediate beam to obtain an output beam. The method described in the patent involves propagating the input beam in the first waveguide and then propagating the intermediate beam in the second waveguide. GlobalData’s report on Meta Platforms gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Meta Platforms, Personalized content delivery was a key innovation area identified from patents. Meta Platforms's grant share as of September 2023 was 62%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Waveguide assembly for expanding image light
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11774753B1) describes a method for expanding image light using pupil-replicating waveguides. The method involves propagating an input beam of image light in a first pupil-replicating waveguide to obtain an intermediate beam with multiple offset portions. This intermediate beam is then propagated in a second pupil-replicating waveguide to obtain an output beam with multiple offset portions.
The patent claims that the replication offset between the offset portions of the input beam is smaller than the replication offset between the offset portions of the intermediate beam. Additionally, the offset portions of the input beam in the first waveguide are offset in non-parallel directions. The spot size of the intermediate beam is greater than the spot size of the input beam but less than twice the spot size of the input beam.
The method involves reflecting the input beam from opposed surfaces of a substrate and diffracting it on a diffraction grating supported by the substrate in the first waveguide. Similarly, the intermediate beam is reflected from opposed surfaces of a second substrate and diffracted on a second diffraction grating supported by the second substrate in the second waveguide.
The second substrate may be longer or thicker than the first substrate, and the second diffraction grating may have a larger angular dispersion than the first diffraction grating.
The patent also describes a method for providing image light to a viewer using multiple light sources and pupil-replicating waveguides. The first light source provides an input beam of image light, which is received by a first waveguide to obtain an intermediate beam with multiple offset portions. This intermediate beam is then received by a second waveguide to obtain an output beam with multiple offset portions.
The method can be extended to include second and third light sources providing additional input beams of image light. These input beams, representing different color channels, are received by additional pupil-replicating waveguides to obtain intermediate beams, which are then received by further waveguides to obtain output beams.
In summary, the granted patent describes a method for expanding image light using pupil-replicating waveguides. The method allows for the manipulation of offset portions of the input beam to obtain an expanded output beam. The patent also describes a method for providing image light to a viewer using multiple light sources and waveguides. These methods have potential applications in various fields, including display technologies and imaging systems.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
