Optical systems including a partial reflector, a reflective polarizer, and a retarder disposed between the partial reflector and the reflective polarizer are described. The reflective polarizer is curved about two orthogonal axes and includes at least one layer that is substantially optically uniaxial at at least one location. The optical system is adapted to provide an adjustable focus.

A viewing devices includes an optical assembly comprising a display, an optical system forming of this display an image at infinity and a light guide for expanding a pupil in two spatial directions. The guide comprises three planar mirrors and two semi-reflective plates, the optical axis of the optical assembly being inclined with respect to the surface of the first planar mirror by an angle different from zero and strictly smaller than 90 degrees, the light beams output from the optical assembly propagating inside the light guide via successive reflections from the planar mirrors and the semi-reflective plates, the transmission of the light beams output from the optical assembly to outside of the light guide occurring via successive transmissions by the second semi-reflective plate.

An optical system includes a partial reflector having an average optical reflectance of at least 30% in a desired plurality of wavelengths, a display panel disposed to emit image light toward the partial reflector, and a multilayer reflective polarizer disposed proximate the partial reflector. The multilayer reflective polarizer is curved about two orthogonal axes and includes at least one layer substantially optically uniaxial at at least one location. The image light is transmitted by the multilayer reflective polarizer after it is first reflected by the multilayer reflective polarizer. A quarter wave retarder may be disposed between the reflective polarizer and the partial reflector.

An optical device includes a first polarization selective reflector; a second polarization selective reflector positioned relative to the first polarization selective reflector so that the first polarization selective reflector directs first light toward the second polarization selective reflector and the second polarization selective reflector directs at least a portion of the first light toward the first polarization selective reflector as second light. The optical device includes a first reflector positioned relative to the first polarization selective reflector so that the first polarization selective reflector directs at least a portion of the second light received from the second polarization selective reflector toward the first reflector as third light and the first reflector directs at least a portion of third light toward the first polarization selective reflector.

A beam splitter/combiner includes a first light-transmitting substrate, a first light transmission element, and a second light transmission element. The first light-transmitting substrate has a first optical surface facing incident light and a second optical surface opposite to the first optical surface. The first light transmission element is disposed on the first optical surface. The second light transmission element is disposed on the second optical surface. A first color beam incident on the first light-transmitting substrate is reflected by the first light transmission element and leaves the first light-transmitting substrate. A second color beam incident on the first light-transmitting substrate passes through the first light transmission element, is reflected by the second light transmission element, then passes through the first light transmission element, and leaves the first light-transmitting substrate. Paths of the first color beam and the second color beam incident on or leaving the first light-transmitting substrate coincide.

An electronic device may provide foveated images at an eye box. The device may have a first display module that produces a low resolution portion of the image and a second display module that produces a high resolution portion of the image. A reflective input coupling prism may be mounted to a waveguide. A steering mirror may overlap the prism. The mirror may receive the high resolution portion through the waveguide and the prism. The mirror may reflect the high resolution portion back into the waveguide and may be adjusted to shift a location of the high resolution portion within the image. For example, the steering mirror may adjust the position of the high resolution portion to align with the gaze direction at the eye box. A reflective surface of the prism may reflect the low resolution portion of the image into the waveguide.

An electronic system for generating panoramic light fields is provided. The electronic system includes a camera, a depth estimation circuit, and a light field generation circuit. The camera is configured to capture a panoramic image of a scene. The depth estimation circuit is configured to estimate panoramic depth information of the scene based on the panoramic image captured by the camera. The light field generation circuit is configured to generate a panoramic light field based on the estimated panoramic depth information.

A near-eye light-field display apparatus is provided, which includes a display module, a first lens module, an aperture device, and a second lens module. The display module displays light-field data. The first lens module collimates light rays emitted from the display module. The aperture device generates a plurality of coded apertures. The collimated light rays are modulated by the coded apertures. The second lens module focuses the modulated light rays on an image plane to form a real image.

An optical device includes a first polarization selective reflector; a second polarization selective reflector positioned relative to the first polarization selective reflector so that the first polarization selective reflector directs first light having a first nonplanar polarization toward the second polarization selective reflector and the second polarization selective reflector directs at least a portion of the first light toward the first polarization selective reflector as second light. The optical device includes a first reflector positioned relative to the first polarization selective reflector so that the first polarization selective reflector directs at least a portion of the second light having a second nonplanar polarization toward the first reflector as third light.

Provided is a head up display for a vehicle. The head up display for the vehicle may include an imaging mechanism for emitting a linearly-polarized light in a first direction and a linearly-polarized light in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, a first reflection mirror for reflecting a light to a windshield of the vehicle, a polarization reflection mirror spaced apart from the first reflection mirror wherein the polarization reflection mirror transmits the linearly-polarized light in the first direction and reflects the linearly-polarized light in the second direction, and a second reflection mirror spaced apart from the polarization reflection mirror wherein the second reflection mirror reflects the light transmitted through the polarization reflection mirror to the polarization reflection mirror. The imaging mechanism may include a separating partition for preventing mutual interference between the linearly-polarized light in the first direction and the linearly-polarized light in the second direction.