Patent · US Expired

Waveguide hologram illuminators

US5515184A · kind A · utility

217Cited by
9References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 23, 1992
Grant dateMay 7, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 23, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03H2001/2226
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A waveguide hologram illumination system is based on thin substrate waveguides bearing a hologram on the surface through which light is diffracted out. A light source is optically coupled to the waveguide such that light emitted from the source is caused to propagate along the waveguide, being diffracted out at intersections with the surface of the waveguide on which the hologram is formed. The selective emission through the hologram can be advantageously used to illuminate display holograms or spatial light modulators. Provisions are made for rendering the amount of light emitted through the hologram uniform along the length of the hologram.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.