Beam combiner for a scanned beam display

A beam combiner has a first coating on a first side capable of imparting a first polarization rotation, and a second coating on a second side capable of imparting a second polarization rotation. A first beam impinging on the first side passes through the first and second coatings as a first beam component. Second and third beams impinging on the second side partially reflect off the second coating as a second beam component, and partially transmit through the second coating to reflect off the first coating and exit through the second coating as a third beam component. The first, second and third beam components are disposed at selected positions and have respective selected polarizations as a combined beam spot. The positions and polarization of the beams components result in a projected image having increased allowable brightness and/or having reduced speckle.

BACKGROUND

In scanned beam displays or the like, it is often desirable to increase the display brightness in order to project a brighter projected image for a given amount of ambient light. One way to increase the display brightness is to simply increase the power of the projector. The greater the power applied to the light source or sources that generate the scanned image, the greater the brightness in the resulting scanned image. However, governmental regulatory bodies typically place limits on the amount of power for the scanned beam for a given beam spot size. Furthermore, in scanned beam displays interference patterns from the scanned beam may result in speckle artifacts in the projected image. Although the presence of speckle in the display may be tolerable and even unnoticeable to the user, it still may be beneficial to reduce the amount of speckle in the projected image to provide an image that is more aesthetically pleasing. Thus, two overall goals for a scanned beam projector or the like may include the ability to provide a brighter projected image without exceeding regulatory limits, and also to reduce speckle in the projected image.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, if considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding and/or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of claimed subject matter. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and/or circuits have not been described in detail.

In the following description and/or claims, the terms coupled and/or connected, along with their derivatives, may be used. In particular embodiments, connected may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical and/or electrical contact with each other. Coupled may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical and/or electrical contact. However, coupled may also mean that two or more elements may not be in direct contact with each other, but yet may still cooperate and/or interact with each other. For example, “coupled” may mean that two or more elements do not contact each other but are indirectly joined together via another element or intermediate elements. Finally, the terms “on,” “overlying,” and “over” may be used in the following description and claims. “On,” “overlying,” and “over” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical contact with each other. However, “over” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other. For example, “over” may mean that one element is above another element but not contact each other and may have another element or elements in between the two elements. Furthermore, the term “and/or” may mean “and”, it may mean “or”, it may mean “exclusive-or”, it may mean “one”, it may mean “some, but not all”, it may mean “neither”, and/or it may mean “both”, although the scope of claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. In the following description and/or claims, the terms “comprise” and “include,” along with their derivatives, may be used and are intended as synonyms for each other.

Referring now toFIG. 1, a diagram of a projector having a beam combiner in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. As shown inFIG. 1, a projector100may include a beam combiner110to combine the output beams from one or more light sources such as a blue laser116, a green laser122, and a red laser124to generate a red-green-blue (RGB) color image. Although projector100will be discussed for purposes of example having three color lasers, projector100may have more or fewer color light sources with visible or invisible wavelengths, which may be lasers or other types of light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

As shown inFIG. 1, blue laser116may emit a blue beam (B)120that may be passed through input optics118which may comprise a collimating lens, a top hat lens, and so on, to provide desired shaping of the beam profile. Likewise, green laser122and red laser124may emit a green beam (G)123and a red beam (R)125, respectively, that may pass through input optics126which may be the same or similar to the input optics118for blue laser116. Furthermore, input optics126may comprise a beam combiner to combine the green beam123and the red beam125into a combined beam (G+R)128. As will be discussed in further detail with respect toFIG. 2, below, beam combiner110combines the blue beam120with the combined beam128such that three total output beams or beam groups, beam132, beam134, and beam136, may generate a spot142on a mirror142of an imaging platform138. The blue beam120enters beam combiner110from side110and exits out the other side114of beam combiner110as beam136. When combined beam128impinges on side114of beam combiner110, a portion of the combined beam128is reflected as combined beam134. Another portion of combined beam128enters into beam combiner as beam130aand is reflected off of side112as beam130bto exit beam combiner110as beam132. Blue beam136is generally located in between the two resulting combined output beams, beam132and beam134, which are separated by a separation distance152to form the beam spot142on mirror140of imaging platform138. It should be noted that blue beam136may be disposed at any location between beam132and beam134such as in the center between the two other beams but also at other non-central positions, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

As will be discussed in more detail with respect toFIG. 7, below, controller148controls a vertical drive circuit144and a horizontal drive circuit144to cause imaging platform138to scan the reflection of the spot142as a scanned output beam. Although such an arrangement of imaging platform138comprises a two-dimensional scanner, other types of scanners may likewise be utilized, for example a one-dimensional scanner or two one-dimensional scanners to create a two-dimensional image, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects. In one or more embodiments, imaging platform138may comprise a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device fabricated from silicon or the like, however the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. When the projector100is provided as an integrated package or unit, projector100may be referred to as a photonics module or integrated photonics module.

The output beam scanned by imaging platform138may comprise the reflection of spot142as an output beam scanned onto a display surface154wherein the scanned beam comprises the individual beams, beam132, beam134, and beam136wherein beam136is generally between beams132and134, and wherein beams132and134have are separated by separation distance152or offset. In one or more embodiments, the output beam optionally may pass through output optics150to control and/or shape the resulting projected image and may include, for example, one or more mirrors, total internal reflection (TIR) surfaces, prisms, wedges, and/or lenses, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. The scanning of the output beam generated on a projection surface154results in a projected image.

As will be discussed in further detail, below, beam combiner110provides a desired separation distance or offset of beams132and134, and further provides a desired polarity in the beams to affect the image displayed by projector100, for example to increase an allowable amount of brightness and contrast in the displayed image, and to reduce speckle artifacts in the displayed image. Details of the operation of beam combiner110to achieve such results are discussed with respect toFIG. 2, below.

Referring now toFIG. 2, a diagram of the beam combiner ofFIG. 1showing the combining of multiple beams with a desired beam separation and polarization in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed.FIG. 2shows the details of operation of the beam combiner110in a display such as scanned beam display ofFIG. 1, wherein the beam combiner110combines a blue beam120with a combined green and read beam128. Blue beam120is projected onto side112of beam combiner110wherein side112has a coating210disposed thereon that is essentially transmissive to the blue beam120so that the blue beam120passes through beam combiner110as beam160and exits side114of beam combiner110as blue beam136with an expected offset from blue beam120due to the difference between the index of refraction of beam combiner and the index of refraction of air via the operation of Snell's law. Furthermore, coating210on surface112of beam combiner110may comprise a polarization rotator or retarder which rotates beam120by one-quarter wavelength such that if beam210is P polarized then internal beam160is circularly polarized. Beam160then exits surface114which likewise may have a coating214that may comprise a polarization rotator or retarder which rotates beam160by another one-quarter wavelength such that blue beam136is S polarized when it exits beam combiner110. Alternatively, polarization rotation may be achieved on one or both sides of beam combiner110via an internal coating, structure, or material built in or fabricated within the interior of beam combiner. Similarly, the combined green and red beam128may be P polarized and projected onto side114of beam combiner such that a portion of the combined beam128is reflected as combined beam134, and another portion passes through side114as combined beam130awith an expected refraction and circular polarization via coating214. The coating210on side112is selected to be reflective for the combined beam130awhich is rotated in polarization such that the reflected combined beam130aexits side114of beam combiner110as combined beam132with S polarization. Due to refraction of combined beam128as it passes through beam combiner as beam130aand beam130b, beam132is emitted from side114at a separation distance (d)152from beam134. The amount separation distance152is a function of the thickness (T)212of beam combiner110and the index of refraction of beam combiner110. The thickness212and the index of refraction of beam combiner110are selected to result in a desired separation distance152between beam132and beam134. Since beam134is a first, reflected version of combined beam128, beam134may be referred to as a primary beam, and beam132may be referred to as a secondary beam. Optionally, side114may include an additional coating to help select the polarization of combined beam134, although the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

Furthermore, beam combiner110operates to provide a desired polarization of the output beams. The combined beam128may have a random polarization, circular polarization, or linear polarization, and the beam combiner110operates to impart polarization diversity to the primary and secondary beams. In the example shown, the primary beam, beam134, has a first polarization, P polarization in this example, and the secondary beam, beam132, has a second polarization, S polarization in this example, that is orthogonal to the polarization of the primary beam. The blue beam136is selected to have a polarization that results in a desired output polarization, S polarization in this example, of the secondary beam, beam132. As a result of such beam combing by beam combiner110, in one or more embodiments the resulting spot142is generated on imaging platform138from three component beams or beam groups, a first combined green and red beam134having P polarization, a second combined green and red beam132having S polarization, and a blue beam136also having S polarization, wherein the first combined green and red beam134and the second combined green and red beam132are separated by a separation distance152. The separation of the primary and secondary combined green and red beams results in an increase in the C6 constant which results in a brighter allowable display. The C6 constant is a scale factor defined by the International Electromechanical Commission (IEC) and refers to the ration of the angles of the actual beam versus the diffraction limited beam based on the limit of the human eye. The angles are calculated by calculating the angle between the 1/e value of a Gaussian beam over the minimum focus of the human eye, which is about 100 millimeters (mm). If the beam or beams that produce the spot142on the imaging platform138result in a tighter, non-diffracted spot142, the C6 value of the beam is at or near C6=1. By changing the spot146to be less tight and more diffracted via some separation of the beams, the C6 value may be increased which results in a brighter allowable displayed image. In one or more embodiments, the amount of separation distance152between the primary and secondary combined beams, beam132and beam134, results in an increase in the C6 value of approximately 40% to about 50% compared to unseparated beams, and in some embodiments the C6 value may be approximately doubled compared to unseparated beams, although the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the resulting polarization diversity of the combined beams132and134via operation of beam combiner110operates to reduce speckle artifacts in the resulting projected image wherein that interference between beams132and134is reduced due to the beams having orthogonal, or nearly orthogonal, polarizations which reduces speckle in the image.

AlthoughFIG. 1andFIG. 2illustrate one example arrangement of the blue, green, and red beams, and the resulting polarizations of the beams as a result of the operation of beam combiner110, it should be noted that other combinations of the beam colors may be provided, and/or other polarizations may be provided, without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter and without substantial change to the operation of projector100or beam combiner110, or the resulting allowable brightness or speckle in the projected image. For example, the position of blue laser116may be interchanged with either one of green laser122or red laser124. Furthermore, although the primary combined beam134may have P polarization and the secondary combined beam may have S polarization, these polarizations may be interchanged in one or more alternative embodiments. In general, green laser122is combined with red laser124and which are in turn separated into a primary beam having a first polarization and a secondary beam having a second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization, at a selected separation distance since the red and green beams have more impact on the C6 value than the blue beam, and further the red and green beams have more impact on speckle than the blue beam. Additionally, the polarization of the blue beam136is selected to be the same polarization as the secondary beam132, although the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects. Furthermore, althoughFIG. 1andFIG. 2illustrate a beam combiner110to achieve the results of a brighter allowable displayed image and speckle reduction in the displayed image via operation of the beam combiner110, alternatively a fold mirror may be utilized to achieve such results as shown in and described with respect toFIG. 3, below.

Referring now toFIG. 3, a diagram of a fold mirror as an alternative to the beam combiner ofFIG. 2in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. As shown inFIG. 3, a fold mirror310may be utilized in lieu of the beam combiner110shown in and described with respect toFIG. 1andFIG. 2. The fold mirror310operates in essentially the same manner as beam combiner110except that the blue beam120may be directed toward fold mirror310from the same side114that combined green and red beam128are directed toward fold mirror310. In some embodiments, side114may have a coating214that is reflective of blue beam120such that blue beam120reflects off of side113of fold mirror310as beam136. Alternatively, via appropriate selection of the coating210and positioning of the point of incidence of the blue beam120, the blue beam could instead enter into fold mirror310and be reflected off of side112to exit fold mirror310as blue beam136. The polarization of the incoming blue beam120may be selected so that the output blue beam136may have the desired resulting polarization that matches that of the secondary combined beam132, S polarization in this example. Furthermore, alternative arrangements and alternative structures for fold mirror310may likewise be provided to result in the desired separation of the combined green and red beams132and134, and with the desired polarizations, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects. In one or more embodiments, one or more additional beams314may be applied to surface112in a manner substantially similar to blue beam120as shown in and described with respect toFIG. 2such that fold mirror310provides a beam combiner function to combine the one or more additional beams314with the blue, green, and red beams. In such embodiments, the one or more additional beams314may comprise beams having one or more additional wavelengths different than blue, red, or green, and may be visible wavelength beams or invisible wavelength beams such as infrared or ultraviolet. In some embodiments, the polarization of such one or more additional beams may be selected to combine with beam132, beam134and beam136, for example to provide a three-dimensional projected image when viewed by the user, with or without polarized glasses for viewing a three-dimensional image. However, this is merely one example application for the one or more additional beams, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

Referring now toFIGS. 4A and 4B, diagrams of the beam separation and polarization achieved with the beam combiner ofFIG. 2in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. As shown inFIG. 4A, the spot142impinging on mirror140of imaging platform138may comprise three spot components from the corresponding combined green and red beam132, combined green and red beam134, and blue beam136. The operation of beam combiner110or fold mirror310results in the two combined green and red beams to be separated by separation distance152or offset as discussed herein, above. The separation of the combined green and red beams results in the resulting spot142being less tight, that is not as concentrated in a smaller sized area, and more diffused, which results in a higher C6 value and therefore a brighter displayed image. As shown inFIG. 4B, the beams generating the three spot components have the indicated polarization wherein the first combined green and red beam132has a first polarization (P polarization) that is orthogonal, or nearly orthogonal, to the polarization (S polarization) of the second combined green and red beam134and the blue beam136. Such polarization diversity of the separated beams results in speckle reduction in the displayed image. The amount of increase in brightness and/or the reduction in speckle may be controlled by the amount of separation distance152or offset achieved between combined beam132and combined beam134. A greater amount of separation distance may result in a greater amount of increase in allowable brightness and speckle reduction. Since the separation of the beams also results in a generally larger size of spot142, which may result in lower resolution in the displayed image, the amount of allowable brightness and speckle reduction may be balanced against any decrease in resolution by varying the separation distance152to a desired or selected value accordingly, for example according to the application for which the projector100is intended. The desired separation distance152may be selected via selecting an appropriate thickness212and/or index of refraction of the beam combiner110or fold mirror310. It should be noted that blue beam136and its resulting spot may be disposed at any location between beam132and beam134and their respective spots such as in the center between the two other beams and spots but also at other non-central positions, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

Referring now toFIGS. 5A and 5B, diagrams of the beam separation and polarization achieved with the beam combiner ofFIG. 2wherein a thicker beam combiner results in greater beam separation in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed.FIGS. 5A and 5Bare substantially similar toFIGS. 5A and 5B, respectively, except that the separation distance152between the spot components from combined beam132and combined beam134is greater inFIG. 5AandFIG. 5Bthan the separation distance152or offset shown inFIG. 4AandFIG. 4B. The increased separation distance152or offset may be achieved via a thicker beam combiner110or fold mirror310, and/or by increasing the index of refraction of the beam combiner100or fold mirror310. It should be noted that blue beam136and its resulting spot may be disposed at any location between beam132and beam134and their respective spots such as in the center between the two other beams and spots but also at other non-central positions, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

Referring now toFIG. 6, an isometric view of a projector having the beam combinerFIG. 2in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. The projector600ofFIG. 6represents one example application of projector100having a beam combiner110as discussed herein. Projector600may comprise a housing610housing projector100including beam combiner110among other components such as a battery, input/output circuits, and so on. The housing610may include a power button614and a menu button616, and may include an input/output (I/O) port618for providing a video signal to be displayed to projector600, which optionally may also include a power line for powering the projector600and/or for charging the battery. An example of such a projector is a SHOWWX+PICOP projector available from Microvision, Inc. of Redmond, Wash., USA.

Referring now toFIG. 7, a diagram of the projector ofFIG. 1illustrating the projection of an image via the scanning of one or more beams in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. AlthoughFIG. 7illustrates one type of a scanned beam display system for purposes of discussion, for example a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based display, it should be noted that other types of scanning displays including those that use two uniaxial scanners, rotating polygon scanners, or galvonometric scanners as well as systems that use the combination of a one-dimensional spatial light modulator with a single axis scanner as some of many examples, may also utilize the claimed subject matter and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. Furthermore, projectors that are not scanned beam projectors but rather have two-dimensional modulators that introduce the image information in either the image plane or Fourier plane and which introduce color information time sequentially or using a filter mask on the modulator as some of many examples, may also utilize the claimed subject matter and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. In one or more embodiments, imaging platform138may comprise a digital light projector (DLP) or similar device, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

As shown inFIG. 7, projector100comprises a light source710, which may be a laser light source such as a laser or the like, capable of emitting a beam712which may comprise a laser beam. In some embodiments, light source710may comprise two or more light sources, such as in a color system having red, green, and blue light sources, wherein the beams from the light sources may be combined into a single beam. In one or more embodiments, light source710may include a first full color light source such as a red, green, and blue light source, and in addition may include a fourth light source to emit an invisible beam such as an ultraviolet beam or an infrared beam. The beam712is incident on an imaging platform138which may comprise a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based scanner or the like in one or more embodiments, and reflects off of scanning mirror140to generate a controlled scanned output beam620. In one or more alternative embodiments, imaging platform138may comprise a diffractive optic grating, a moving optic grating, a light valve, a rotating mirror, a spinning silicon device, a digital light projector device, a flying spot projector, or a liquid-crystal on silicon device, digital light projector, or other similar scanning, switching or modulating devices. A horizontal drive circuit146and/or a vertical drive circuit148modulate the direction in which scanning mirror140is deflected to cause output beam620to generate a raster scan716, thereby creating a displayed image720, for example on a display screen and/or image plane718. A display controller148controls horizontal drive circuit146and vertical drive circuit148by converting pixel information of the displayed image into laser modulation synchronous to the imaging platform138to write the image information as a displayed image720based upon the position of the output beam620in raster pattern716and the corresponding intensity and/or color information at the corresponding pixel in the image720. Display controller148may also control other various functions of projector100.

In one or more embodiments, for two dimensional scanning to generate a two dimensional image720, a horizontal axis may refer to the horizontal direction of raster scan716and the vertical axis may refer to the vertical direction of raster scan716. Scanning mirror140may sweep the output beam620horizontally at a relatively higher frequency and also vertically at a relatively lower frequency. The result is a scanned trajectory of output beam620to result in raster scan716. The fast and slow axes may also be interchanged such that the fast scan is in the vertical direction and the slow scan is in the horizontal direction. However, the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

Referring now toFIG. 8, an isometric view of an information handling system having a projector with the beam combiner ofFIG. 2in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. As shown inFIG. 8, information handling system800may comprise any of several types of computing platforms, including cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), netbooks, notebook computers, internet browsing devices, tablets, pads, and so on, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respects. In the example shown inFIG. 8, information handling system800may comprise a housing810to house projector100having a beam combiner110or fold mirror310as discussed herein to provide a scanned output beam620to project an image. Information handling system800optionally may include a display812, keyboard814or other control buttons or actuators, a speaker or headphone jack816with optional microphone input, control buttons818, memory card slot820, and/or input/output (I/O) port822, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, information handling system800may have other form factors and fewer or greater features than shown, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

Referring now toFIG. 9, a block diagram of an example architecture of the information handling system ofFIG. 8in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. AlthoughFIG. 9shows one example architecture of the information handling system800ofFIG. 8, information handling system800may include more or fewer elements and/or different arrangements of the elements than shown inFIG. 9, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects. Information handling system800may comprise one or more processors such as processor910and/or processor912, which may comprise one or more processing cores in some embodiments. One or more of processor910and/or processor912may couple to one or more memories916and/or918via memory bridge914, which may be disposed external to processors910and/or912, or alternatively at least partially disposed within one or more of processors910and/or912. Memory916and/or memory918may comprise various types of semiconductor based memory, for example volatile type memory and/or non-volatile type memory. Memory bridge914may couple to a video/graphics system920to drive a projector100which may comprise a photonics module, coupled to information handling system800. The photonics module may comprise the projector100ofFIG. 1and/orFIG. 7including beam combiner110or fold mirror310. In one or more embodiments, video/graphics system920may couple to one or more of processors910and/or12and may be disposed on the same substrate or die as processor910and/or912, although the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect.

Information handling system800may further comprise input/output (I/O) bridge922to couple to various types of I/O systems. I/O system924may comprise, for example, a universal serial bus (USB) type system, an IEEE 1394 type system, or the like, to couple one or more peripheral devices to information handling system900. Bus system926may comprise one or more bus systems such as a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) express type bus or the like, to connect one or more peripheral devices to information handling system800. A hard disk drive (HDD) controller system928may couple one or more hard disk drives or the like to information handling system, for example Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (Serial ATA) type drives or the like, or alternatively a semiconductor based drive comprising flash memory, phase change, and/or chalcogenide type memory or the like. Switch930may be utilized to couple one or more switched devices to I/O bridge922, for example Gigabit Ethernet type devices or the like. Furthermore, as shown inFIG. 9, information handling system800may include a baseband and radio-frequency (RF) block832comprising a base band processor and/or RF circuits and devices for wireless communication with other wireless communication devices and/or via wireless networks via antenna934, although the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

In one or more embodiments, information handling system800may include a photonics module which may include any one or more or all of the components of projector100ofFIG. 1and/orFIG. 7such as beam combiner110or fold mirror310, controller148, horizontal drive circuit146, vertical drive circuit148, and/or light source710such as blue laser116, green laser122, and/or red laser124. In one or more embodiments, the photonics module may be controlled by one or more of processors910and/or912to implements some or all of the functions of controller148ofFIG. 1orFIG. 7. In one or more embodiments, the photonics module provides a scanned output beam620to project an image720. The embodiments discussed herein are merely example implementations of information handling system800, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

Referring now toFIG. 10, a diagram of a dash of a vehicle including the projector ofFIG. 1having the beam combiner ofFIG. 2deployed as a head-up display in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. Projector100is shown mounted in a vehicle dash1010to project the head-up display image720. Although an automotive head-up display is shown inFIG. 10, the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. For example, various embodiments may include head-up displays in avionics applications, air traffic control applications, and other applications. In some embodiments, although a head-up display deployed in an automobile may not experience speckle artifacts, projector100may still take advantage of the speckle reduction achieved herein since the projector100may be optionally removable from the dash1010of the vehicle to be used external to the vehicle. Alternatively, the image720may be optionally redirected to a direct viewing display surface (not shown) for use by a passenger. During such alternative or external vehicle use, projector100may take advantage of the speckle reduction features discussed herein, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

Referring now toFIG. 11, a diagram of eyewear including the projector ofFIG. 1having the beam combiner ofFIG. 2deployed as a head worn head-up display in accordance with one or more embodiments will be discussed. Eyewear1110includes projector100to project a displayed image720in the eyewear's field of view. In some embodiments, eyewear1110comprises see-through lenses and in other embodiments, eyewear1110comprises opaque lenses. For example, eyewear1110may be utilized in an augmented reality application wherein a wearer can see the displayed image720from projector100overlaid on the view of the physical world. Furthermore, eyewear1110may be utilized in a virtual reality application wherein a wearer's entire view comprises the displayed image720generated by projector100. Although only one projector100is shown inFIG. 11, the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in this respect. For example, in some embodiments eyewear1110may include two projectors, one projector for each eye. In some embodiments, an eyewear display may not experience speckle artifacts, projector100may still take advantage of the speckle reduction achieved herein since the projector100may be optionally removable from eyewear1110of the vehicle to be used external to the eyewear1110. Alternatively, the image720may be optionally rotated and/or redirected, or the lens of the eyewear1110may be optionally removed to a direct viewing display surface (not shown) for viewing by other viewers besides the wearer of eyewear1110. During such alternative or external eyewear use, projector100may take advantage of the speckle reduction features discussed herein, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is not limited in these respects.

Although the claimed subject matter has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it should be recognized that elements thereof may be altered by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and/or scope of claimed subject matter. It is believed that the subject matter pertaining to a beam combiner for scanned beam display and/or many of its attendant utilities will be understood by the forgoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and/or arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and/or spirit of the claimed subject matter or without sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof, and/or further without providing substantial change thereto. It is the intention of the claims to encompass and/or include such changes.