Disclosed herein are techniques for displaying images on multiple image planes in a near-eye display system. A switchable optical device includes a first polarizer configurable to polarize incident light into light of a first circular polarization state, and a second polarizer configurable to transmit light of a second circular polarization state and reflect light of the first circular polarization state into light of the first circular polarization state. The switchable optical device also includes a partial reflector positioned between the first polarizer and the second polarizer. The partial reflector is configured to transmit light from the first polarizer and reflect light from the second polarizer, where the reflected light and the light from the second polarizer have different polarization states. At least one of the first polarizer or the second polarizer includes a cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) circular polarizer that is switchable by a voltage signal.

A mirror display apparatus that subjects a mirror optical element to pulse voltage driving so that a reflectivity in a mirror mode can be changed by means of a duty cycle of the pulse voltage is provided. A mirror display apparatus includes a monitor display device and a mirror optical element disposed on the front side of the monitor display device. The mirror optical element includes a liquid-crystal panel with a reflection-type polarizer disposed on the back side thereof. The mirror optical element has a reflectivity and a transmissivity that are changed in respective directions opposite to each other via electric driving using a voltage applied to the liquid-crystal panel. A control circuit drives the liquid-crystal panel using a pulse voltage and performs control to change the reflectivity and the transmissivity of the mirror optical element by changing a duty cycle of the pulse voltage.

A switchable one-way mirror device dividing first and second spaces includes a switchable electro-optic layer facing the second space and configured to be electronically switchable between a transmissive state and one or more opaque states, and a partial reflector incorporated within or adjacent the switchable electro-optic layer and facing the first space and configured to partially reflect light. The switchable one-way mirror partially transmits a first light going from the first space to the second space, and a second light going from the second space to the first space. When the switchable electro-optic layer is in an opaque state, transmission of light through the device is reduced thereby changing the ratio between the transmission of the second light to the first space and the reflection of the first light by the partial reflector resulting in reduced visibility of the second space by a viewer in the first space.

A semi-reflective and semi-transmissive display panel is provided and includes a first substrate and a second substrate. A liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The semi-reflective and semi-transmissive display panel includes a displaying region, and the displaying region includes a transmissive displaying region and a reflective displaying region. In the reflective displaying region, a micro structured reflective layer is disposed in a surface of the first substrate facing away from the second substrate.

The present application discloses a display apparatus including an image display portion for displaying an image, the image display portion emitting display light along a light propagating direction; and a light modulator assembly having a first light modulator and a second light modulator arranged in series along the light propagating direction. The second light modulator has at least a reflective optical state. The first light modulator is switchable between the reflective optical state and a transmissive optical state and is on a side of the second light modulator proximal to the image display portion. A total number of light modulators including the second light modulator and any light modulator on a side of the second light modulator proximal to the image display portion is N, N is an integer2.

An optical element 1 includes a first layer (A1) and a second layer (A2) that faces the first layer (A1). The first layer (A1) includes a plurality of first structural bodies (B1) that each have optical anisotropy. In reflection of light entering from the first layer (A1), the second layer (A2) reflects the light while maintaining a polarization state of the light at incidence and at the reflection. The first layer (A1) changes, according to directions of orientation of the first structural bodies (B1), a phase of the light from a phase at incidence to the first layer (A1) from outside of the first layer (A1) to a phase at output from the first layer (A1) toward the second layer (A2). The first layer (A1) changes the phase of the light from a phase at incidence to the first layer (A1) from the second layer (A2) to a phase at output from the first layer (A1) toward the outside of the first layer (A1) according to the directions of orientation of the first structural bodies (B1).

Disclosed is a display device that includes a display area having an appearance of a specific color in a non-driving state or displaying a specific screen by using PDLC to improve esthetic appearance as in a home appliance. The display device comprises a reflective dispersed layer arranged on a display panel, wherein the reflective dispersed layer includes a PDLC layer between a first substrate and a second substrate, and a transflective layer arranged between the PDLC layer and the second substrate to transmit light externally emitted from the display panel and reflect externally incident light.

A rearview system for a vehicle and a vehicle having the rearview system are disclosed. The rearview system includes: an image pick-up device configured to acquire an image showing a condition beside and behind the vehicle; and a liquid crystal display device configured to display the image acquired by the image pick-up device in real time. The liquid crystal display device comprises a backlight module, a liquid crystal display panel, a semi-transmissive and semi-reflective functional layer arranged between the backlight module and the liquid crystal display panel. The semi-transmissive and semi-reflective functional layer is configured to transmit light emitted by the backlight module when the backlight module is turned on and to reflect external ambient light when the backlight module is turned off.

A display device has a light unit including a light source, and a display panel, which the rear surface of the display panel has transmissive. The display device has a first display mode of turning ON the light source and displaying a color image in a display region of the display panel, and a second display mode of turning OFF the light source and displaying a transmitted light image including a transmissive region in the display region. The display device detects whether or not a observer of the display device exists around and switches into the second display mode upon detection of the observer.

Disclosed is a display device that includes a display area having an appearance of a specific color in a non-driving state or displaying a specific screen by using PDLC to improve esthetic appearance as in a home appliance. The display device comprises a reflective dispersed layer arranged on a display panel, wherein the reflective dispersed layer includes a PDLC layer between a first substrate and a second substrate, and a transflective layer arranged between the PDLC layer and the second substrate to transmit light externally emitted from the display panel and reflect externally incident light.