A head-mounted display including a first optical system is described. The first optical system includes a partial reflector and a multilayer reflective polarizer disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the partial reflector. The multilayer reflective polarizer is curved about orthogonal first and second axes and includes at least one layer that is substantially optically uniaxial at at least one location. Each chief ray that passes through the first optical system is first incident on the multilayer reflective polarizer at an angle of incidence less than 30 degrees.

The invention relates to an apparatus for generating light, comprising a plurality of light sources (1), a control device (2), which drives the light sources (1), and a superimposition optical unit, which superimposes the light emitted by the light sources (1) in an exit opening (3). It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which is improved compared with the prior art. For this purpose, the invention proposes that the superimposition optical unit comprises a first concave mirror (4), in the focal plane of which the light sources (1) are situated, an optical grating (5), onto which the first concave mirror (4) reflects the light (6) emitted by the light sources (1), and a second concave mirror (7), which reflects the light (8) diffracted at the optical grating (5) onto the exit opening (3) situated at the focus of the second concave mirror (7).

An optical system includes a first optical element including a first reflecting region having a convex shape toward an enlargement side, a second optical element having a reduction-side surface having a convex shape toward the enlargement side, and a third optical element having an enlargement-side surface having a convex shape toward the enlargement side, wherein the reduction-side surface of the second optical element or the enlargement-side surface of the third optical element includes a second reflecting region, wherein the third optical element includes a refracting region having positive power, and wherein light from the enlargement side proceeds to a reduction side sequentially through a refracting region of the first optical element, the second reflecting region, the first reflecting region, a refracting region of the second optical element, and the refracting region of the third optical element.

An optical system includes a first optical element including a refractive surface convex to an enlargement side, a second optical element including a catadioptric surface convex to the enlargement side, a third optical element including a reflective surface of a concave shape with respect to light incident thereon, and a fourth optical element that is a refractive element having positive power, wherein light from the enlargement side travels to a reduction side via the refractive surface, a reflective region of the catadioptric surface, the refractive surface, the reflective surface, the refractive surface, a refractive region of the catadioptric surface, and the fourth optical element in succession, and wherein a medium between the refractive surface and the reflective surface has a refractive index lower than that of the first optical element.

An optical system including at least a first lens, a partial reflector and a reflective polarizer is described. The optical system has an optical axis such that a light ray propagating along the optical axis passes through the first lens the partial reflector and the reflective polarizer without being substantially refracted. At least one major surface of the optical system is rotationally asymmetric about the optical axis. A major surface of the optical system may have a first portion defined by a first equation and a second portion adjacent the first portion defined by a different equation. The first lens may have a contoured edge adapted to be placed adjacent an eye of a viewer and substantially conform to the viewer's face.

A shaped reflective polarizer has different maximum sags in different directions and has an interior portion rotationally symmetric about a principle axis and a peripheral portion adjacent the interior portion and rotationally asymmetric about the principle axis. An optical system includes a partial reflector and an optical stack including an optical lens and the shaped reflective polarizer disposed on a curved major surface of the optical lens. The optical lens may have a contoured edge adapted to be placed adjacent an eye of a viewer and substantially conform to the viewer's face.

Optical systems including an image surface and an exit surface are described. First second and third optical lenses, a partial reflector, a multilayer reflective polarizer and a retarder are disposed between the image surface and the exit surface. At least one location on at least one layer of the multilayer reflective polarizer is substantially uniaxially oriented. Each chief light ray that passes from the image surface to the exit surface is incident on the multilayer reflective polarizer with an angle of incidence less than about 30 degrees. The optical system may include a plurality of major surfaces disposed between the image surface and the exit surface where each major surface is convex toward the image surface and where at least six different major surfaces have six different convexities.

An optical system includes an optical system axis, a display and at least one lens, the optical system forming a virtual image of an image emitted by the display for viewing by an eye, the eye having an optical eye axis, such that a first retinal image of the virtual image at a first virtual image location and an associated first field angle, the first field angle between about 5 degrees and about 30 degrees, has a first image resolution when the eye axis is substantially coincident with the system axis, and a second image resolution when the eye is rotated so that the eye axis is substantially coincident with a first field axis extending between the eye and the virtual image at the first field angle, wherein the second image resolution is greater than the first image resolution.

Methods of making optical films and optical stacks are described. A method of making an optical lens molded to a first curved optical film includes providing a first optical film including alternating first and second polymeric layers; providing a thermoform tool having a curved surface; heating and conforming the first optical film to the curved surface to form a first curved optical film; and molding an optical lens onto the first curved optical film.

A head-mounted display including a first optical system is described. The first optical system includes a partial reflector and a multilayer reflective polarizer disposed adjacent to and spaced apart from the partial reflector. The multilayer reflective polarizer is curved about orthogonal first and second axes and includes at least one layer that is substantially optically uniaxial at at least one location. Each chief ray that passes through the first optical system is first incident on the multilayer reflective polarizer at an angle of incidence less than 30 degrees.