How Disney's Compact AR Display Uses Special Mirrors
Disney's patent describes a compact augmented reality display that uses a clever arrangement of three special wavelength-splitting mirrors to efficiently show digital images layered over the real world.
Original patent title: “Compact augmented reality / virtual reality display”
Disney's patent describes a compact augmented reality display that uses a clever arrangement of three special wavelength-splitting mirrors to efficiently show digital images layered over the real world. Granted to Disney Enterprises in 2025 with 20 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2039.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes an augmented reality (AR) display device designed to show digital images layered onto a user's view of the real world. It achieves this with a specific optical arrangement of three mirror elements. First, a 'dichroic beam splitter' (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1) reflects some light from a display. This reflected light then hits a second mirror, which also has a 'dichroic surface' (Claim 1) designed to reflect red, green, and blue light. Finally, a third mirror reflects this light again, sending it *through* the first mirror element and into the user's 'field of view' (Claim 1). The third mirror is also a 'see-through mirror' (Claim 9), allowing background light from the real world to pass through, combining it with the digital image. For example, a user could wear this device and see digital characters appear to stand on a real-world table.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover AR displays that use only conventional mirrors, rather than dichroic (wavelength-splitting) mirrors, for the first and second mirror elements.
- Does not cover AR displays where the display light is not reflected sequentially by a first, then a second, then a third mirror element.
- Does not cover AR displays where the final reflected display light does not pass *through the first mirror element* to the user's field of view.
- Does not cover virtual reality (VR) displays that completely block the user's view of the real world, as the third mirror element is 'see-through'.
- Does not cover AR displays that do not specifically reflect red, green, and blue wavelengths using the second dichroic surface.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in the specific, folded optical path using multiple dichroic mirrors. By reflecting and transmitting light based on wavelength and angle, the design efficiently combines digital images with the real world while keeping the overall device compact and maximizing light reaching the user.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Microsoft HoloLens
Magic Leap One
Google Glass (early AR concepts)
Future AR glasses for entertainment and theme parks
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent addresses the challenge of making AR displays smaller and more efficient, which is crucial for widespread adoption beyond industrial uses. Disney, as the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, has a strong interest in immersive entertainment experiences, from theme parks to consumer products. A compact AR display could enable new forms of interactive storytelling and entertainment, seamlessly blending digital content with physical environments.
Filed
October 9, 2019
Granted
August 12, 2025
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major technology companies like Meta, Apple, Google, and Microsoft are heavily investing in augmented and virtual reality hardware, including compact display technologies. Startups such as Magic Leap also continue to develop advanced AR headsets. Disney itself, as the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is likely exploring applications for its theme parks and entertainment properties.
Market impact
The development of compact and efficient AR display technologies is critical for the broader adoption of augmented reality. This patent contributes to the ongoing effort to reduce the size and improve the performance of AR headsets, potentially enabling more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing devices. Such advancements could expand the AR market beyond specialized industrial uses into mainstream consumer electronics and entertainment, creating new product categories and user experiences.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes an augmented reality (AR) display device designed to show digital images layered onto a user's view of the real world. It achieves this with a specific optical arrangement of three mirror elements. First, a 'dichroic beam splitter' (Claim 1) reflects some light from a display. This reflected light then hits a second mirror, which also has a 'dichroic surface' (Claim 1) designed to reflect red, green, and blue light. Finally, a third mirror reflects this light again, sending it *through* the first mirror element and into the user's 'field of view' (Claim 1). The third mirror is also a 'see-through mirror' (Claim 9), allowing background light from the real world to pass through, combining it with the digital image. For example, a user could wear this device and see digital characters appear to stand on a real-world table.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in the specific, folded optical path using multiple dichroic mirrors. By reflecting and transmitting light based on wavelength and angle, the design efficiently combines digital images with the real world while keeping the overall device compact and maximizing light reaching the user.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover AR displays that use only conventional mirrors, rather than dichroic (wavelength-splitting) mirrors, for the first and second mirror elements.
- Does not cover AR displays where the display light is not reflected sequentially by a first, then a second, then a third mirror element.
- Does not cover AR displays where the final reflected display light does not pass *through the first mirror element* to the user's field of view.
- Does not cover virtual reality (VR) displays that completely block the user's view of the real world, as the third mirror element is 'see-through'.
- Does not cover AR displays that do not specifically reflect red, green, and blue wavelengths using the second dichroic surface.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
13/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$88K – $281K
Midpoint $176K · 13.1 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
20 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
GOSLIN, M. P., OLSON, J. L., & Haseltine, E. C. (2025). How Disney's Compact AR Display Uses Special Mirrors (U.S. Patent No. 12,386,177). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12386177/compact-augmented-reality-virtual-reality-display
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Disney's Compact AR Display Uses Special Mirrors cover?
Disney's patent describes a compact augmented reality display that uses a clever arrangement of three special wavelength-splitting mirrors to efficiently show digital images layered over the real world.
Who owns patent US 12386177?
Disney Enterprises owns this patent, granted in 2025.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on October 9, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 12386177 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent addresses the challenge of making AR displays smaller and more efficient, which is crucial for widespread adoption beyond industrial uses. Disney, as the assignee, has a strong interest in immersive entertainment experiences, from theme parks to consumer products. A compact AR display could enable new forms of interactive storytelling and entertainment, seamlessly blending digital content with physical environments.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover AR displays that use only conventional mirrors, rather than dichroic (wavelength-splitting) mirrors, for the first and second mirror elements.
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