A mode-switchable backlight and mode-switchable privacy display provide narrow-angle emitted light during a first mode and broad-angle emitted light in a second mode, the broad-angle emitted light being a combination of the narrow-angle emitted light and bidirectional emitted light. The mode-switchable backlight includes a first directional backlight and a second directional backlight. The first directional backlight is configured to provide the narrow-angle emitted light during both of the first mode and second mode, while the second directional backlight is configured to provide the bidirectional emitted light exclusively during the second mode. The mode-switchable privacy display includes an array of light valves configured to modulate the narrow-angle emitted light as a private displayed image during the first or privacy mode and to modulate broad-angle emitted light as a public displayed image during the second or public mode.

System and methods for providing multiple distinct and private video streams, where the streams are temporally and spatially overlapping, and a person uses a visual aid to substantially perceive a single distinct stream from within the multiplicity. A preferred embodiment using two or more projectors comprising a composite of three or more private streams implements the combination of spatial and temporal filtering for steam differentiation. Composite streams from multiple projectors are temporally synchronized, and each composite stream comprises one or more private streams, wherein two or more private streams are temporally interleaved. Each composite stream comprises a succession of spatially composite images. A spatially composite image comprises two or more spatially differentiable private images belonging to different distinct private image streams. One or more visual aids are capable of passively or actively differentiating between combinations of temporal and spatial differentiable private images comprising private streams.

An apparatus includes a display device having a lenticular layer. The lenticular layer includes (i) a first side, (ii) a second side opposite the first side, and (iii) particles in a fluid medium between the first and second sides of the lenticular layer. The second side of the lenticular layer includes lens elements forming a lenticular array. The particles of the lenticular layer are configured to move within the fluid medium such that (i) the lens elements are filled with the particles in a first mode or (ii) the lens elements are filled with the fluid medium in a second mode. The display device is configured to operate as a directional display in one of the first and second modes and as a single display in another of the first and second modes.

An imaging directional backlight apparatus includes a waveguide and light source array for providing large area directed illumination from localized light sources. The waveguide may include a stepped structure in which steps may include extraction features optically hidden to guided light, propagating in a forward direction. Returning light propagating in a backward direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide discrete illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the waveguide. Viewing windows are formed through imaging individual light sources and defines the relative positions of system elements and ray paths. Alignment of the waveguide to mechanical and optical components may be provided by surface relief features of the waveguide arranged in regions adjacent the input surface and intermediate the light emitting regions of the light sources. Efficient, uniform operation may be achieved with low cross talk for application to autostereoscopic and privacy modes of operation.

A steerable viewing system and an associated method of operation are disclosed. The system comprises a steerable filter for placing in front of a display area of a display device and a controller for causing the steerable filter to define one or more viewing passages extending through the steerable filter and permitting viewing of the display area from a first position through the steerable filter and one or more viewing barriers preventing viewing of the display area from a second position different from the first position through the steerable filter. The viewing passages are defined by LCD elements of the steerable filter in the transmissive state. The viewing barriers are defined by LCD elements of the steerable filter in the light-blocking state.

A display screen, a pair of glasses, a display system and a playing method are provided. The display screen includes a display control module and a display panel. The display control module controls the display panel to display multiple frames of images according to multiple predetermined playing codes. Each playing code corresponds to one frame of image. Each frame of image is displayed as normal image or interference image based on different logic values of the corresponding playing code. The multiple frames of images are divided into multiple consecutive frame groups. The quantity of consecutive frames corresponding to playing codes having an identical logic value in each frame group is not larger than a predetermined value, such that a user wearing glasses matching the display screen can see the normal images displayed on the display panel and cannot see the interference images displayed on the display panel.

The invention provides a display system which incorporates two display devices. A first is larger than a second, but with a lower resolution. The higher resolution second display is a directional display and it has its output area within the overall output area of the first display. This system integrates a general display for long range viewing by multiple people with a short range higher resolution display for interaction with one or a small number of users.

A display device comprises a display panel (24), a light blocking arrangement for selectively blocking light which is directed to a lateral output direction from the display panel and an array of lenses (27). The display has a privacy mode in which the light blocking arrangement blocks laterally directed light output from the display device and a public mode in which the light blocking arrangement allows light to pass which is directed to a lateral output direction. The light blocking arrangement comprises a stack of layers (80), each layer comprising a pattern of light blocking arrangement portions of two different types (90,92) such that in the stack of layers, the portions align to form light blocking members, each light blocking member being aligned with an respective lens. The repeating pattern of the light blocking members has a pitch which is double the lens pitch. This enables the light blocking arrangement to be manufactured more easily.

A system and method for simultaneously displaying, in plural spatially distinct zones via a multi-view display, differentiated content is disclosed. In accordance with the method, a plurality of spatially distinct zones are defined, differentiated content is assigned to the zones, a location for at least some of plural landing spots of beamlets projected by multi-view pixels of the multi-view display is estimated, the spatially distinct zone in which each said landing spots resides is determined, and beamlets associated with said some landing spots are driven to cause an appropriate content portion to be viewable at said some landing spots, as a function of location in a particular spatially distinct zone.

A multi-view display quest system includes a multi-view (MV) display including one or more MV pixels, wherein each MV pixel is configured to emit beamlets in different directions in a beamlet coordinate system; an input node configured to receive a first attribute of a first quest player or of a first viewing zone and, optionally, a second attribute of a second quest player or of a second viewing zone; and a system controller. The system controller defines the first and second viewing zones relative to the MV display in a viewing zone coordinate system, determines a mapping that translates between the viewing zone coordinate system and the beamlet coordinate system, associates first and second quest related contents with the first and second viewing zones based at least on the first and second attributes, and controls the MV display to project first and second images generated from the first and second quest related contents to the first and second quest players at the first and second viewing zones, respectively.