NVIDIA recently filed a patent for AR glasses, which is expected to enter the AR glasses market alongside Apple, Meta, and others by 2025. The patent describes a digital holography display system that aims to enhance optical occlusion and reduce power consumption, offering a natural field of view and improved outdoor visibility.

The patent, picked up by 'seti_park' on X, explains that the AR glasses use sophisticated self-interference techniques with incoherent light to achieve superior occlusion performance while significantly reducing power consumption and form factor compared to conventional backlit AR displays. This subtractive display approach represents a fundamental shift from traditional additive AR display methods.

The full patent details various operational mechanisms, including a natural field of view with improved outdoor visibility, reduced optical distortion, and comfort for long-term wear. The design is lightweight with a slimmer form factor, less face coverage, and better heat management. Practical benefits include high contrast in bright environments, minimal power consumption, a simple optical structure, and better social acceptability compared to existing models like Apple Vision Pro or older Google Glass headsets.

Imagine the NVIDIA AR glasses as adaptive transition lenses that can selectively darken specific areas of your view, saving power while maintaining natural vision elsewhere. This selective darkening approach is similar to modern car windows with specific tinted regions while keeping the rest clear, and uses ambient light instead of generating its own light, making the system more efficient like e-paper displays compared to traditional LCD screens.