Microsoft's new patent: Flat lenses make HoloLens 3 more compact

IT Home reported on October 30 that Microsoft HoloLens was launched in 2015 as the world's first independent MR mixed reality computing device. Currently, Microsoft has only released the HoloLens developer version and commercial package version. One of the problems is that the field of view is not large enough. Another problem is the oppressive feeling caused by the weight of the HoloLens device when worn for a long time. This is because HoloLens contains necessary sensors.

One of them is a Kinect-type depth sensor, which uses an infrared projector and an infrared camera to sense the spatial depth of the environment. In order to produce a slimmer HoloLens, Microsoft needs to streamline components such as sensors.

Now a new Microsoft patent shows that Microsoft has come up with a solution.

The patent shows that Microsoft will use new flat lens technology that can make the structure of projectors or cameras more compact than current designs, thereby reducing the size and weight of the device.

The patent was filed by Michael Wang, an expert in mobile imaging and display, AR/VR & LiDAR, and is described as follows:

The present invention discloses a planar lens imaging device and system. In one embodiment, the device includes an infrared emitter configured to emit at least one wavelength of infrared light spectrum at a radiation angle. The device also includes an infrared planar lens configured to receive the infrared emitter and adjust the radiation angle of at least one infrared light wavelength to provide an adjusted radiation angle, wherein a beam shaping function is performed.

　　

Flat lenses have risen to prominence in the last year due to advances in metamaterials technology.

It uses special surface structures, possibly made of tiny pillars of silicon (as shown in the illustration), to instantaneously bend light using the lens surface, rather than using glass of varying thicknesses to refract it. Because it works using microscopic surface structures, it is actually easier and cheaper to integrate into CMOS chip designs, and allows for the inclusion of infrared emitters and sensors in very thin optical designs.

However, we cannot yet confirm that Microsoft will install the new lens on the HoloLens 3 device. However, there are reports that the HoloLens 3 will be lighter and have a larger field of view than the current HoloLens.