Digital projector for local dimming in a device

US11422390B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Meta Platforms 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: Aug 23, 2022
• Expiry date: Dec 14, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02C7/12
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A device includes an optical assembly and a digital projector. The 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 an eyeward side. The optical assembly includes a dimming layer disposed on the optical path. The dimming layer includes a photochromic material that is configured to darken in response to exposure to a range of light wavelengths. The digital projector is disposed on the eyeward side of the optical assembly and 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.