公开(公告)号：US10437073B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-08

申请号：US15852205

申请日：2017-12-22

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： Lloyd Frederick Holland ,  Joshua Moore

IPC: G02B27/14 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B27/01 ,  H04N9/31

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for beam combining within laser projectors are described. A laser projector includes first, second, and third laser diodes to generate red, green, and blue laser light respectively, a controllable scan mirror, and a heterogeneous beam splitter system. The red, green, and blue laser light have distinct maximum powers. The heterogeneous beam splitter system splits at least one of the red, green, and blue laser light and combines respective first portions of all three into an aggregate beam. Second portions of laser light are excluded from the aggregate beam. At the maximum power of each laser light the aggregate beam is white as defined by a target white point. The heterogeneous beam splitter system directs the aggregate beam towards the controllable scan mirror which scans the beam onto a projection surface. Decreasing the power of the laser light post-generation provides a larger range of aggregate beam colors.

公开(公告)号：US10430980B1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-01

申请号：US16167018

申请日：2018-10-22

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： Rachel Kreutzkamp ,  Ryan Alexander West ,  Brent Bisaillion ,  Steven M. Eggert

IPC: G06T11/00 ,  G06T1/60 ,  G06T11/60

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods that display visual symbols are described. A visual symbol has a color and a linewidth. Multiple instances of the symbol are concurrently and progressively drawn, one on top of the other, in the display area of a display device. Each respective instance has a respective intermediate color. The respective intermediate colors combine to produce the color of the symbol where the respective instances overlap in the display area. Each respective instance also has a respective linewidth and the respective linewidths converge to the linewidth of the symbol as each instance is progressively drawn. A backwards progression through the same sequence is employed to regressively undraw a symbol from the display area of the display device. Computer program products comprising processor-executable instructions for performing the methods are also described.

公开(公告)号：US20190271944A1

公开(公告)日：2019-09-05

申请号：US16290645

申请日：2019-03-01

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： John Cormier ,  Laleh Mokhtarpour ,  Sylwia Agnieszka Lyda ,  I-Hsiang Albert Chen

IPC: G03H1/26 ,  G03H1/02 ,  G02B27/01

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for controlled hologram playback shifting are described. The playback of a hologram may be shifted to a longer wavelength by diffusing donor material into the hologram in a controlled manner. A hologram may include a set of fringes, holographic recording medium and donor material. An apparatus to controllable shift playback angle of a hologram can include a hologram film holder, donor film holder, one or more light sources, light sensor, and curing lamp. A method may include monitoring playback light until an amount of playback shift occurs, and in response fixing a piece of hologram film and physically de-coupling a donor film therefrom.

公开(公告)号：US20190265487A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-29

申请号：US16282960

申请日：2019-02-22

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： Lloyd Frederick Holland ,  Joshua Moore ,  Stephen E. Orzel

IPC: G02B27/01 ,  G02C5/00 ,  G02C5/14

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for wearable heads-up displays (WHUD) are described. A WHUD includes a front frame with two openings each with one recess which extends along at least a portion of the periphery of the openings, two arms including frame portions and temple portions, two lenses, a projector to generate light, and a holographic optical element (HOE) carried by a lens to redirect light to an eye of a user. Frame portions insert into the recesses and are held in place when the lenses are inserted into the recesses, wherein when the WHUD is assembled the projector and HOE are positioned correctly to create a display for the user. The assembled WHUD is inflexible where the front frame and arms are attached such that when worn the projector maintains a fixed position relative to the HOE and the display remains undistorted and visible to the user.

公开(公告)号：US10397535B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-27

申请号：US15911498

申请日：2018-03-05

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： Lucio Kilcher ,  Faouzi Khechana

IPC: G03B21/14 ,  G06F3/03 ,  G06F3/0354 ,  G06T11/60 ,  H04N9/31 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G06F3/01 ,  G02B26/08

Abstract: An optical micro-projection system comprising the following components: at least one laser light source (200, 400, 402, 600); at least one movable mirror (102, 103, 203) for deviating light from said light source to allow generation of images on a projection surface (104, 301, 303, 306, 603); a self mixing module for measurement of the distance (604) between the projection source and a projection surface, said self mixing module comprising: —at least one photodiode (401, 601) for monitoring the light emission power of the laser light source; —an optical power variation counter for counting optical power variations (605); successive displacements of said mirror allowing the self mixing module providing successive projection distance measurements of a plurality of points of said projection surface. A projection method for optical micro-projection system and a distance measurement method are also provided.

公开(公告)号：US20190258062A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-22

申请号：US16269385

申请日：2019-02-06

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： Idris S. Aleem ,  Andrew S. Logan

IPC: G02B27/01 ,  G06F3/01 ,  G02B26/12

Abstract: An eye tracking system for tracking an eye of a user includes at least one infrared laser diode to output an infrared light and an optical scanner positioned to receive the infrared light outputted by the at least one infrared laser diode and controllable to scan the infrared light over a target area. A holographic optical element is positioned at the target area to receive the infrared light from the optical scanner and redirect the infrared light to the eye of the user. An infrared detector is aligned to detect at least a portion of the infrared light returned from the eye of the user. An infrared filter is disposed in a position to selectively block transmission of infrared wavelengths through the holographic optical element from a side of the holographic optical element. An eyeglass lens, a wearable heads-up display, and a method of eye tracking are also described.

公开(公告)号：US20190250563A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-15

申请号：US16276051

申请日：2019-02-14

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： Robin W. Tsen

IPC: G03H1/26 ,  G03H1/02 ,  G02B27/01

CPC classification number: G03H1/26 ,  G02B27/0172 ,  G02B2027/0174 ,  G02B2027/0178 ,  G03H1/0236

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for side lobe control in holograms are described. The magnitude of the side lobes of a hologram depends on the distribution of refractive index modulation (Δn), therefore control of side lobe magnitude may be achieved by controlling the distribution of Δn. The distribution of Δn may be controlled by replicating a hologram from a master with two reference beams, where the wavelength and angle of each reference beam, the playback angle of the master hologram, and the thickness of the master hologram, the copy holographic recording medium (HRM), and the recording substrate are carefully chosen to achieve a pattern of meta-interference within the HRM that matches the desired distribution of Δn.

公开(公告)号：US10365492B2

公开(公告)日：2019-07-30

申请号：US15848388

申请日：2017-12-20

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： Lloyd Frederick Holland ,  Joshua Moore

IPC: G02B27/01 ,  G02B26/08 ,  G02B27/14 ,  H04N9/31 ,  G03B21/20 ,  G03B33/12 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B26/10

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for beam combining are described. A monolithic beam combiner includes a solid volume of optically transparent material having two orthogonally positioned planar input surfaces, an output surface, and at least two planar dichroic reflectors positioned within the solid volume. Multiple light sources input light into the solid volume through the two planar input surfaces such that each light beam from a respective source is initially incident on one of the planar dichroic reflectors. The light is reflected by and transmitted through the reflectors and an aggregate beam is created. Because the reflectors are within an optically transparent material the beam combiner can be made more compact than a conventional beam combiner. This monolithic beam combiner is particularly well suited for use laser projectors and in wearable heads-up displays that employ laser projectors.

公开(公告)号：US20190196227A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-27

申请号：US16231273

申请日：2018-12-21

Applicant: NORTH INC.

Inventor： Joshua Moore ,  Kai Zhang ,  George Shaker

IPC: G02C11/00 ,  G02B27/01 ,  G02C13/00 ,  G02C3/00 ,  G02C5/22 ,  H04B7/005 ,  H01Q1/27

CPC classification number: G02C11/10 ,  G02B27/017 ,  G02B2027/0178 ,  G02C3/003 ,  G02C5/14 ,  G02C5/22 ,  G02C13/001 ,  H01Q1/273 ,  H04B7/005

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for eyeglasses frames and eyeglasses frames assemblies for wearable electronic devices, and particularly systems, devices, and methods that employ an antenna in eyeglasses frames and eyeglasses frames assemblies for wearable heads-up displays, the systems, devices and methods including a pair of eyeglasses having a first arm housing a radio and a core wire, wherein the core wire is communicatively coupled to the radio as an antenna by an electrically conductive path including a hinge in the first arm or an electrically conductive path that is electrically isolated from the hinge and a power source coupled to the first arm or a second arm and electrically coupled to the radio via a second electrically conductive path.

公开(公告)号：US20190196197A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-27

申请号：US16216944

申请日：2018-12-11

Applicant: North Inc.

Inventor： Jörg Pierer ,  Rony Jose James ,  Stefan Mohrdiek ,  Douglas R. Dykaar ,  Martin Joseph Kiik ,  Syed Moez Haque

IPC: G02B27/01 ,  H01S5/40 ,  H01S5/022 ,  G02B6/13 ,  G02B6/124 ,  G02B6/12

CPC classification number: G02B27/0172 ,  G02B6/12004 ,  G02B6/124 ,  G02B6/13 ,  G02B6/42 ,  G02B6/4214 ,  G02B27/0101 ,  G02B27/0176 ,  G02B27/1086 ,  G02B27/141 ,  G02B27/18 ,  G02B27/4205 ,  G02B2006/12107 ,  G02B2006/12147 ,  G02B2006/12164 ,  G02B2027/011 ,  G02B2027/0114 ,  G02B2027/0116 ,  G02B2027/0134 ,  G02B2027/014 ,  G02B2027/015 ,  G02B2027/0178 ,  G03B21/008 ,  G03B21/2033 ,  G03B21/2066 ,  G03B33/12 ,  H01S5/02208 ,  H01S5/02224 ,  H01S5/02248 ,  H01S5/0226 ,  H01S5/02272 ,  H01S5/02288 ,  H01S5/02292 ,  H01S5/02296 ,  H01S5/4012 ,  H01S5/4093 ,  H04N9/3129 ,  H04N9/3161

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods of manufacturing optical engines and laser projectors that are well-suited for use in wearable heads-up displays (WHUDs) are described. Generally, the optical engines of the present disclosure integrate a plurality of laser diodes (e.g., 3 laser diodes, 4 laser diodes) within a single, hermetically or partially hermetically sealed, encapsulated package. Photonic integrated circuits having grating couplers thereon may be used to wavelength multiplex beams of light emitted by the plurality of laser diodes into a coaxially superimposed aggregate beam. Such optical engines may have various advantages over existing designs including, for example, smaller volumes, better manufacturability, faster modulation speed, etc. WHUDs that employ such optical engines and laser projectors are also described.