Local dimming in a device

US11209676B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Facebook Technologies, LLC · US

Inventors

• Matthieu Charles Raoul Leibovici · Seattle, US
• Jasmine Soria Sears · Redmond, US
• Christophe Hurni · Seattle, US
• Nathan Matsuda · Redmond, US
• Guohua Wei · Redmond, US
• Yu Shi · Redmond, US
• John Michael Goward · Ayr, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 15, 2020
• Grant date: Dec 28, 2021
• Expiry date: Apr 15, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H05B45/00
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical assembly is configured to receive visible scene light at a backside of the optical assembly and to direct the visible scene light on an optical path toward the eyeward side. The optical assembly also includes a dimming layer disposed on the optical path, where the dimming layer includes a photochromic material that is configured to darken in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths. An activation layer, included in the optical assembly, is also disposed on the optical path and includes an in-field dimmer. The in-field dimmer is configured to selectively emit an activation light within the range of light wavelengths to activate a darkening of a region of the dimming layer to dim the visible scene light within the region.