# 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. - **Patent:** US 12386177 - **Original title:** Compact augmented reality / virtual reality display - **Owner:** Disney Enterprises - **Granted:** 2025 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 1 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, telecommunications, gaming ## What it does 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. ## 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. ## 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. ## Real-world examples 1. Microsoft HoloLens 2. Magic Leap One 3. Google Glass (early AR concepts) 4. Future AR glasses for entertainment and theme parks ## Why it matters 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. ## 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. **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12386177/compact-augmented-reality-virtual-reality-display **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US12386177 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [How AR Glasses Make Virtual Objects Look Solid](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10573086/opacity-filter-for-display-device) — This patent describes how augmented reality glasses can make virtual objects appear more distinct by selectively blocking real-world light behind them using a special pixelated filter. - [How Sony's Smart Glasses Share Content During Voice Calls](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10003680/apple-pay) — A patent for wearable smart glasses that let you see digital information overlaid on the real world and share that content with someone else during a phone call. - [How Two People's Body Movements Are Tracked in Augmented Reality](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10444502/method-and-apparatus-for-multiple-user-self-relative-tracking-for-augmented-real) — This patent describes a system for two users to accurately track their body parts, like a limb, relative to their own head-mounted display using magnetic fields, then display these virtual limbs in a shared augmented reality. - [How Snap's AR Tech Measures Distance for Virtual Button Presses](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12008152/vision-pro-persona) — A method for mobile devices to calculate exactly when a user's finger or controller touches a virtual object in augmented reality by measuring precise distances from the camera. - [How Devices Detect Touch Using Heat Signatures](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20210117042/method-and-device-for-detecting-a-touch-between-a-first-object-and-a-second-obje) — This patent describes a system that uses a thermal camera to detect when two objects, like a finger and a screen, touch by looking for a specific temperature change at their contact point.