Projection systems and components thereof are described that are well suited to miniaturization. These systems and components may use one or more of the following features: a folded optical path, as in a reflective cavity or a beamsplitter; an illumination beam that is converging at the place where it impinges upon the spatial light modulator; a beamsplitter that uses opposed prisms of substantially different sizes; a beamsplitter whose obliquely disposed partial reflector defines a first rectangular reference space, and where at least a portion of the light source or at least a portion of the projector lens is disposed within such first rectangular reference space; a system in which a ratio of areas of the first rectangular reference space and a second rectangular reference space is within a specified range, where the second rectangular reference space is just large enough to encompass the optical components of the projector; a system in which the projector lens is small compared to the spatial light modulator.

An article for a display device having an output surface. The article includes a light valve, a reflective polarizer, and a diffusing layer. The light valve is configured to be disposed on the output surface of the display device. The light valve is operable in a pass mode and a block mode. The reflective polarizer is disposed on the light valve opposite to the display device. The reflective polarizer is configured to substantially transmit light having a first polarization state and substantially reflect light having an orthogonal second polarization state. The diffusing layer is disposed on the reflective polarizer opposite to the light valve.

Provided is a reflective screen and a projection image display system in which a transmittance of light can be selectively changed, a transmittance in a transparent state is sufficiently high, a voltage does not need to be applied constantly, and a voltage is applied to decrease a transmittance of light in a case where the reflective screen is irradiated with video light. The reflective screen includes: a light reflecting layer that is formed of a cholesteric liquid crystal layer and where a selective reflection wavelength at a polar angle of 60° is present in a visible range, in which senses of helix of all of cholesteric liquid crystal layers are the same and Expression (1) is satisfied; and a transparent first electrode, a transparent second electrode, and a light control layer that are provided on a rear side with respect to the light reflective layer, the light control layer being disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, in which the light control layer includes a polymer network and liquid crystal molecules and changes between a first state where light is scattered and a second state where transmission of light is allowed by changing a magnitude of a voltage applied, the polymer network having a three-dimensional net shape having a plurality of domains, and the liquid crystal molecules being positioned in the domains.

R[−60,40](550)/R[−60,30](550)≥1.5  Expression (1)

Systems and methods for IR readable transmissive and reflective displays are disclosed that do not suffer from a mirror-like appearance or undesirable dimming of the display due to sequential stacks of polarizers. The disclosed systems and methods use available IR LEDs in addition to, or in place of, visible light LEDs. An illuminator or integrator, which is a lightguide, is designed to maintain the polarization state of the light. The display can use a regular visible light, front polarizer and hence does not suffer from brightness reduction caused by an IR capable polarizer.

A display system and method are disclosed that includes an electronic display device and a backlight comprising a light-emitting array, a reflector adjacent to the light-emitting array, a diffuser opposite the reflector, a first brightness enhancing layer adjacent the diffuser, and an optical film in the backlight unit that includes at least one light conversion material or at least one light conversion material. The light conversion material is structured and configured to reduce hazardous blue light emissions between about 400 nm to about 500 nm. The disclosed display device can include a liquid crystal panel configured to control transmission of light from the backlight to a viewer. The display device also includes one or more optical films that incorporate one or more light conversion or light absorbing materials. The optical films can be positioned between the layers of the disclosed display device and give enhanced blue-light absorption to the display device.

The present disclosure provides a reflective polarizer module characterized by comprising: a first light collecting sheet including a first structuring pattern having a first unit light collector, the cross-sectional area of which is reduced progressively upward, which is disposed continuously in a repetitive manner, and collecting a light transmitted from below; a reflective polarizer sheet disposed in a stacked configuration on the top of the first light collecting sheet, and selectively transmitting the light by having a plurality of stacked layers having mutually different refractive indices; and a light recycling improving sheet disposed at the bottom of the reflective polarizer sheet, and randomly changing the polarized direction of the light which is not transmitted through the reflective polarizer sheet but is reflected downward.

A display provides increased contrast and resolution via first LCD panel energized to generate an image and a second LCD panel configured to increase contrast of the image. The second panel is an LCD panel without color filters and is configured to increase contrast by decreasing black levels of dark portions of images using polarization rotation and filtration. The second LCD panel may have higher resolution than the first LCD panel. A half wave plate and/or film is placed in between the first and the second panel. The panels may be directly illuminated or edge lit, and may be globally or locally dimmed lights that may also include individual control of color intensities for each image or frame displayed.

A display device includes a cover, a display, and a polarization reflection layer. The cover transmits visible light. The display displays an image. The polarization reflection layer is disposed between the cover and the display and on a surface of the display. The polarization reflection layer reflects part of light incident through the cover and transmits light of the image displayed by the display.

Optical stacks are described. In particular, optical stacks including reflecting-absorbing polarizers and quarter-wave plates are disclosed. The optical core of the optical stack—which includes a reflecting-absorbing polarizer with at least one skin layer including polarizing dye—may be co-extruded or co-stretched.

Provided is an optical apparatus that is capable of switching between a state in which the optical apparatus can reflect light and a state in which the optical apparatus can output light and suppressing deterioration of display quality of a light reflection image. The optical apparatus includes: a light emitting device having a light emitting surface; an absorption type polarizing plate disposed opposite to the light emitting surface of the light emitting device; a liquid crystal optical element disposed between the light emitting device and the absorption type polarizing plate; a reflection type polarizing plate disposed between the light emitting device and the liquid crystal optical element; and an adhesive layer disposed on a surface of the reflection type polarizing plate that faces the light emitting device.