There is provided a spatial light modulator arranged to display a light modulation pattern including a hologram. The spatial light modulator includes a liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator having a plurality of pixels. The hologram has a plurality of pixels. The spatial light modulator includes a silicon backplane. Each pixel of the spatial light modulator includes a light-modulating element and a respective pixel circuit. Each pixel circuit is embedded in the silicon backplane. Each pixel circuit is arranged to drive the corresponding light-modulating element. Each pixel circuit is further arranged to combine a received pixel value of the hologram with a corresponding pixel value of the light processing function such that the light modulation pattern further includes the light processing function. The light processing function includes a lens function and/or a grating function.

There is provided a method of projection using an optical element (502,602) having spatially variant optical power. The method comprises combining Fourier domain data representative of a 2D image with Fourier domain data having a first lensing effect (604a) to produce first holographic data. Light is spatially modulated (504,603a) with the first holographic data to form a first spatially modulated light beam. The first spatially modulated light beam is redirected using the optical element (502,602) by illuminating a first region (607) of the optical element (602) with the first spatially modulated beam. The first lensing effect (604a) compensates for the optical power of the optical element in the first region (607). Advantageous embodiments relate to a head-up display for a vehicle using the vehicle windscreen (502,602) as an optical element to redirect light to the viewer (505,609).

A novel spatial light modulator (SLM) includes a cover glass, and modulation layer, and a plurality of pixel mirrors, and separates unwanted, reflected light from desired, modulated light. In one embodiment, a geometrical relationship exists between the cover glass and the pixel mirrors, such that light that reflects from the cover glass is separated from light that reflects from the pixel mirrors and is transmitted from the SLM. In one example, one of the cover glass or the pixel mirrors is angled with respect to the modulation layer. In another example embodiment, the cover glass has a particular thickness, which introduces destructive interference between light that reflects from the top and bottom surfaces of the cover glass. In another embodiment antireflective coatings are disposed between optical interfaces of the SLM. In another embodiment, light from the SLM is directed through an optical filter to remove unwanted light.

There is provided a holographic projector comprising a processing engine, spatial light modulator (403B), light source (401B) and light-receiving surface (405B). The processing engine outputs a computer-generated diffractive pattern defining a propagation distance to an image plane. The spatial light modulator displays the computer-generated diffractive pattern. The light source illuminates the spatial light modulator at an angle of incidence (theta) greater than zero. The light-receiving surface receives spatially-modulated light from the spatial light modulator. The light-receiving surface is substantially parallel to the spatial light modulator (alpha-theta). The light-receiving surface is separated from the spatial light modulator by the propagation distance defined by the computer-generated diffractive pattern.

A system for displaying three dimensional (3D) images. The system includes a 3D display operating in a first state to display a 3D image by outputting light into a viewing space and operating in a second state in which the 3D image is not displayed. The system further includes a screen element positioned between the 3D display and the viewing space. The screen element reflects light from the viewing space to appear opaque to a viewer in the viewing space when the 3D display operates in the second state. The screen element transmits the light output by the 3D display, whereby the 3D display image is perceivable by the viewer in the viewing space. The screen element includes a sheet of mesh or netting material that transmits light output by the 3D display through its pores or openings and may be a planar sheet of scrim or tulle.

A display apparatus includes a coherent light source, a display unit, a light-diffusing element, and at least one optical element. The coherent light source is configured to provide coherent light beams. The display unit is configured to form a three-dimensional image beam based on interference of the coherent light beams, wherein the three-dimensional image beam is imaged on an intermediate imaging surface after passing through the display unit. The light-diffusing element is located on the intermediate imaging surface, wherein a diffusion angle of the three-dimensional image beam is sequentially changed by passing through the light-diffusing element. The at least one optical element is located on a transmission path of the three-dimensional image beam from the light-diffusing element, and is configured to project the three-dimensional image light beam passing through the display unit out of the display apparatus to display a three-dimensional image.

A projection system that facilitates the use of in-situ detection of a change in wavelength, thereby enabling appropriate compensation or corrections to be applied on the fly to improve the quality of the image in the primary image region. In-situ detection in this manner can allow wavelength changes due to both temperature fluctuations and hardware variations to be compensated for simultaneously, thereby reducing the time and expense for end of line hardware testing, and removing the need to perform in-situ mapping of the wavelength as a function of temperature. In this way, the quality of the image provided to a user can be improved in a simpler, more efficient manner.

A novel spatial light modulator (SLM) includes a cover glass, and modulation layer, and a plurality of pixel minors, and separates unwanted, reflected light from desired, modulated light. In one embodiment, a geometrical relationship exists between the cover glass and the pixel minors, such that light that reflects from the cover glass is separated from light that reflects from the pixel minors and is transmitted from the SLM. In one example, one of the cover glass or the pixel minors is angled with respect to the modulation layer. In another example embodiment, the cover glass has a particular thickness, which introduces destructive interference between light that reflects from the top and bottom surfaces of the cover glass. In another embodiment antireflective coatings are disposed between optical interfaces of the SLM. In another embodiment, light from the SLM is directed through an optical filter to remove unwanted light.

A novel spatial light modulator (SLM) includes a cover glass, and modulation layer, and a plurality of pixel mirrors, and separates unwanted, reflected light from desired, modulated light. In one embodiment, a geometrical relationship exists between the cover glass and the pixel mirrors, such that light that reflects from the cover glass is separated from light that reflects from the pixel mirrors and is transmitted from the SLM. In one example, one of the cover glass or the pixel mirrors is angled with respect to the modulation layer. In another example embodiment, the cover glass has a particular thickness, which introduces destructive interference between light that reflects from the top and bottom surfaces of the cover glass. In another embodiment antireflective coatings are disposed between optical interfaces of the SLM. In another embodiment, light from the SLM is directed through an optical filter to remove unwanted light.

An illumination device has a coherent light source that emits coherent light beam, and an optical device that diffuses the coherent light beam, wherein the optical device comprises a first diffusion region that diffuses the coherent light beam to illuminate a first area, and a second diffusion region that diffuses the coherent light beam to display predetermined information in a second area.