A switchable optical assembly comprises a switchable waveplate configured to be electrically activated and deactivated to selectively alter the polarization state of light incident thereon. The switchable waveplate comprises first and second surfaces and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second surfaces. The first liquid crystal layer comprises a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. Said first and second surfaces may be curved. Said plurality of liquid crystal molecules may vary in tilt with respect to said first and second surfaces with outward radial distance from an axis through said first and second surfaces and said liquid crystal layer in a plurality of radial directions. The switchable waveplate additionally comprises a first plurality of electrodes to apply an electrical signal across said first liquid crystal layer.

Examples of light projector systems and methods of use. A method can include providing an optical device having a first surface, a second surface normal to the first surface, and a third surface arranged at an angle to the second surface. The third surface can be reflective to light of a first state and transmissive to light of a second state. An input beam having the first state can be normally incident on the first surface. A transmissive diffractive optical element on the first surface can convert the input beam into at least a first diffracted beam directed toward the third surface, where it is reflected by the third surface in a direction substantially parallel to the first surface. The reflected first diffracted beam can be modulated with image information using a spatial light modulator to produce a modulated light beam having the second state.

According to one embodiment, an eye movement detecting device comprises first, second, third, fourth and fifth electrodes. A line connecting the first and the third electrodes passes through the right eye and a line connecting the second and the fourth electrodes passes through the left eye on at least one of a front view, a plan view or a side view. A distance between the fifth and the first electrodes is equal to a distance between the fifth and the second electrodes. A distance between the fifth and the third electrodes is equal to a distance between the fifth and the fourth electrodes. The detector respectively detects a horizontal movement of the right eye and a horizontal movement of the left eye.

An apparatus includes a controller coupled to a stereoscopic image viewer. The stereoscopic image viewer includes a viewing lens, an image capture unit, and a plurality of light sources. The image capture unit is configured to capture image frames. The controller receives the captured image frames. The controller is configured to switch light output from one of the plurality of light sources to another one of the plurality of light sources if a corneal reflection in a captured image frame intersects a fixed reflection in the captured image frame.

Wearable spectroscopy systems and methods for identifying one or more characteristics of a target object are described. Spectroscopy systems may include a light source configured to emit light in an irradiated field of view and an electromagnetic radiation detector configured to receive reflected light from a target object irradiated by the light source. One or more processors of the systems may identify a characteristic of the target object based on a determined level of light absorption by the target object. Some systems and methods may include one or more corrections for scattered and/or ambient light such as applying an ambient light correction, passing the reflected light through an anti-scatter grid, or using a time-dependent variation in the emitted light.

A three-dimensional display system includes a display panel, an optical element and a controller. The display panel includes an active area configured to display a parallax image. The optical element defines a light beam direction of the parallax image. The controller is configured to vary the parallax image based on positions of first and second eyes of the user. The optical element includes a plurality of optical means which are arranged in a parallax direction. The plurality of optical means extend along an inclination direction inclined to a reference direction with respect to a direction perpendicular to the parallax direction. The reference direction is defined, at least in a standard state, based on at least one of a position of the user in the parallax direction in an interior of the moving body and a position relative to the user of a predetermined facility mounted within the moving body.

An optical lens assembly includes five lens elements, the five lens elements are, in order from a magnification side to a reduction side: a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. Each of the five lens elements has an m-side surface facing towards the magnification side and an r-side surface facing towards the reduction side. The m-side surface of the second lens element is concave in a paraxial region thereof. At least one surface of at least one of the five lens elements includes at least one inflection point.

A compact projector for eyewear including a refractive lens to achromatize an image and to reduce the size of the projector. The compact projector includes two total internal reflection (TIR) prisms, a polarizing beamsplitter, a quarter-wave plate, and the refractive lens combining refractive and reflective power, referred to as catadioptric. In one example, a light source generates light that is directed through a collector, into a first TIR prism, to the polarizing beamsplitter, and to a display panel. The display panel modulates the light and creates an image. The image is directed through the beamsplitter, into a second TIR prism, through a quarter-wave plate, and then to the refractive lens. The refractive lens reflects the image back into the second TIR prism, and which image then exits to a waveguide. In a second example, the display generates an illuminated image which is then processed as in the first example.

The invention discloses a three-dimensional display module using optical wave-guide for providing directional backlights. This display module includes a wave-guide backlight unit with time-sequential directional light sources, a display device, a wavefront modulation device or a light splitting device, and other components. The wave-guide backlight unit with time-sequential directional light sources includes a sequential-switching light-source array, a relay device, and an optical wave-guide device. Each light source of the sequential-switching light-source array provides backlight of corresponding vector characteristics to the display device, making optical message displayed by the display device being guided to the corresponding viewing zone/viewing zones. Through the technology routes of multiple-view-for-one-pupil or/and Maxwellian view, the three-dimensional display module implements displays free from the vergence-accommodation conflict. The introduction of the optical wave-guide device results in a thin structure, and the disclosed display module can be applied to various display terminals, such as mobile phones, iPads, head-mounted VR/AR, etc.

The present disclosure relates to an augmented reality (AR)-content-providing device that can further increase user satisfaction and its utilization by realizing AR content of a 3D image. An AR-content-providing device comprises at least one display module configured to separately display a background image and a main image, and at least one optical member including respective display light paths of the background image and the main image so that the background image and the main image are superimposed on each other to be perceived as a three-dimensional (3D) image by a user's eyes.