Patent ID: 8548290

Claim:
A waveguide system for a near-eye display comprising a transmissive waveguide for conveying image information in the form of a plurality of different angle beams for forming a virtual image, an input aperture for receiving the plurality of different angle beams and for directing the plurality of different angle beams along the transmissive waveguide, a controllable output aperture for ejecting the plurality of different angle beams from the waveguide toward an eyebox from which the virtual image can be viewed and for providing a view of an ambient environment from the eyebox through the controllable output aperture and the waveguide, and the controllable output aperture including a transformable diffraction grating that is switchable between a first state for diffracting the plurality of different angle beams from the waveguide toward the eyebox from which the virtual image can be viewed and a second state for restoring the view of the ambient environment from the eyebox through the controllable output aperture and the waveguide.