Augmented reality and virtual reality display systems and devices are configured for efficient use of projected light. In some aspects, a display system includes a light projection system and a head-mounted display configured to project light into an eye of the user to display virtual image content. The head-mounted display includes at least one waveguide comprising a plurality of in-coupling regions each configured to receive, from the light projection system, light corresponding to a portion of the user's field of view and to in-couple the light into the waveguide; and a plurality of out-coupling regions configured to out-couple the light out of the waveguide to display the virtual content, wherein each of the out-coupling regions are configured to receive light from different ones of the in-coupling regions. In some implementations, each in-coupling region has a one-to-one correspondence with a unique corresponding out-coupling region.

An optical member includes a light source, a first substrate to be a light guide that guides emitted light from the light source, a variable layer in contact with a predetermined surface of the first substrate, and a second substrate facing the first substrate via the variable layer. When a refractive index of the first substrate is n1, a refractive index of the variable layer can be changed to n2 or n3 (where n2>n3), and n1, n2, and n3 satisfy a relationship of |n1−n2|<|n1−n3|.

A static-image augmented privacy display, mode-switchable privacy display system, and method provide a private image to a first view zone and a static image to a second view zone. The static-image augmented privacy display includes a privacy backlight configured to provide directional emitted light to the first view zone and an array of light valves configured to modulate the directional emitted light to provide a private image within the first view zone. The static-image augmented privacy display also includes a static display layer configured to provide a static image in a second view zone. The mode-switchable privacy display includes a broad-angle backlight configured to provide broad-angle emitted light to both a first view zone and a second view zone during a shared mode, a shared image being provided by modulation of the broad-angle emitted light using the light valve array.

A display apparatus including a display panel, a light source unit configured to provide light to the display panel, and a light guide member disposed between the display panel and the light source unit and covering the light source unit such that the light source unit is buried in the light guide member, the light guide member having a surface roughness on an upper surface thereof to diffuse light and including a substrate, and a light emitting device disposed on the substrate and including a blocking pattern to have an intensity of light emitted in an upward direction to be equal to or less than about 80% of a maximum light intensity of the light emitting device.

There is disclosed an optical device, including a light-transmitting substrate having an input aperture, an output aperture, at least two major surfaces and edges, an optical element for coupling light waves into the substrate by total internal reflection, at least one partially reflecting surface located between the two major surfaces of the light-transmitting substrate for partially reflecting light waves out of the substrate, a first transparent plate, having at least two major surfaces, one of the major surfaces of the transparent plate being optically attached to a major surface of the light-transmitting substrate defining an interface plane, and a beam-splitting coating applied at the interface plane between the substrate and the transparent plate, wherein light waves coupled inside the light-transmitting substrate are partially reflected from the interface plane and partially pass therethrough.

A mobile augmented reality near to eye display having one of a single chip programmed, configured, or adapted to permit user selective field of view and a variable resolution image projection, or a single image guide adapted to multiplexed full color image transfer to achieve full color, 90 degrees FOV, and retinal image resolution.

A waveguide display assembly comprises a waveguide, including an in-coupling grating configured to in-couple light of a first wavelength band emitted by a light source into the waveguide, and cause propagation of the light of the first wavelength band through the waveguide via total internal reflection. An out-coupling grating is configured to out-couple the light of the first wavelength band from the waveguide and toward a user eye. One or more diffractive gratings are disposed along an optical path between the in-coupling grating and the out-coupling grating, the one or more diffractive gratings configured to diffract light outside the first wavelength band out of the waveguide and away from the user eye.

A lighting device includes light sources arranged in an arrangement direction, a first light guide plate, and a second light guide plate on the first light guide plate. The first light guide plate includes a first light entering surface, a first light exit surface, and a first light diffusion portion adding a diffusion action to light to be refracted and travel in a crossing direction crossing the arrangement direction. The second light guide plate includes a second light entering surface, a second light exit surface, and a second light diffusion portion adding a diffusion action to light to be refracted and travel in the arrangement direction seen from the normal direction of the second light exit surface. The second light diffusion portion includes first lenses that include ridgelines extending in the crossing direction and inclined portions inclined at an angle from 35° to 55° inclusive relative to the normal direction.

An imaging apparatus for conveying a virtual image including a waveguide having first and second surfaces. An in-coupling diffractive optic and an out-coupling diffractive optic arranged along one of the first and second surfaces, wherein the in-coupling diffractive optic is operable to direct image-bearing light beams into the waveguide for propagation by total internal reflection, and wherein the out-coupling diffractive optic is operable to direct at least a portion of the image-bearing light beams from the waveguide through the second surface toward an eyebox. An at least partially transparent outer cover located adjacent to the first surface, and a circular polarizer arranged between the waveguide and the outer cover, wherein the circular polarizer is operable to circularly polarize at least a portion of image-bearing light beams transmitted through the first surface and to prevent at least a portion of image-bearing light beams transmitted through the first surface from reentering the waveguide as a result of reflection from the outer cover.

An optical device comprises a waveguide plate comprising an entrance pupil grating unit, a left pupil-expanding grating unit, and a right pupil-expanding grating unit. The left and right pupil-expanding grating units are bilaterally symmetric, and left and right exit pupil grating units are bilaterally symmetric. An input light is diffracted by the entrance pupil grating unit to form a first left guided light and a first right guided light, the first left guided light is diffracted by the left pupil-expanding grating unit to form a second left guided light, and the first right guided light is diffracted by the right pupil-expanding grating unit to form a second right guided light. The second left guided light is diffracted by the left pupil-expanding grating unit to form a left output light, and the second right guided light is diffracted by the right pupil-expanding grating unit to form a right output light.