Abstract: A backlit transparent display and a transparent display system provide a displayed image while enabling a background scene to be visible through the display. The backlit transparent display includes a light guide, a plurality of scattering elements, and an array of light valves configured to modulate emitted light scattered from the light guide to provide modulated emitted light representing a displayed image. Transparency of the backlit transparent display is configured to enable the background scene to be visible through the backlit transparent display. The transparent display system includes the array of light valves and a transparent backlight. The transparent display system is configured to provide the displayed image as superimposed on the background scene visible through the transparent display system.

Abstract: A polarized backlight employs a light source configured to provide polarized light and a light guide to guide the polarized light. A polarization-preserving scattering feature optically coupled to the light guide is configured to scatter a portion of the guided polarized light out of the light guide as emitted polarized light. A polarization of the emitted polarized light is determined by a polarization of the guided polarized light.

Abstract: A near-eye display and a binocular near-eye display system provide a plurality of different views of an image to different locations within an eye box to impart focus depth cues to a user. The near-eye display includes a multibeam diffraction grating-based display configured to provide the different views and an optical system configured to relay the different views to the different locations within the eye box. The binocular near-eye display system includes a pair of the multibeam diffraction grating-based displays and a binocular optical system configured to provide and relay a stereoscopic image pair representing a three-dimensional (3D) scene to a corresponding pair of laterally displaced eye boxes.

Abstract: Dual-direction collimation and a dual-direction optical collimator provide dual-direction collimated light at a non-zero propagation angle. The dual-direction collimator includes a vertical collimator configured to collimate light in a vertical direction and a horizontal collimator configured to collimate the vertically collimated light in a horizontal direction. The horizontal collimator is located at an output of the vertical collimator. A three-dimensional (3D) display includes the dual-direction collimator, a plate light guide and an array of multibeam diffraction gratings at a surface of the plate light guide to couple out the dual-direction collimated light guided in the plate light guide as a plurality of light beams corresponding to different 3D view of the 3D electronic display.

Abstract: A multiview camera array and multiview system employ camera sub-arrays having at least one camera in common to capture a multiview image of a scene for display on a multiview display. The multiview camera array includes a first sub-array of cameras and a second sub-array of cameras. Cameras of the first and second camera sub-arrays are spaced apart from one another by a first baseline distance and a second baseline distance, respectively. The multiview system further includes a multiview display configured to display the multiview image. A method of capturing a multiview image includes capturing a first plurality of different views of the scene with the first sub-array of cameras and capturing a second plurality of different views of the scene using the second sub-array of cameras.

Abstract: Grating-based backlighting includes a light guide and a plurality of reflective grating islands spaced apart from one another and optically coupled to the light guide. The light guide is to guide a light beam at a non-zero propagation angle and a reflective grating island includes a reflection mode diffraction grating that is configured to diffractively couple out a portion of the guided light beam as a coupled-out light beam at a predetermined principal angular direction.

Abstract: A multicolor static multiview display and method of multicolor static multiview display operation provide a color static multiview image using diffractive gratings to diffractively scatter light from guided light beams having a selectable color and different radial directions. The multicolor static multiview display includes a light guide configured to guide plurality of guided light beams and a multicolor light source configured to provide the guided light beam plurality having the selectable color and the different radial directions. The multicolor static multiview display further includes a plurality of diffraction gratings configured to provide from a portion of the guided light beams directional light beams having a color, intensities, and principal angular directions corresponding to color view pixels of the color static multiview image.

Abstract: A grating-coupled light guide concentrates light and diffractively redirects the concentrated light at a non-zero propagation angle as guided light having a predetermined spread angle. The grating-coupled light guide includes a light guide, an optical concentrator, and a grating coupler. The optical concentrator is configured to concentrate light from a light source as concentrated light and the grating coupler is configured to diffractively redirect the concentrated light into the light guide as the guided light. Characteristics of the optical concentrator and grating coupler are configured in combination to determine the non-zero propagation angle and predetermined spread angle. A grating-coupled display system further includes an array of light valves configured to modulate emitted light as a displayed image.

Abstract: Vehicle monitoring employs three-dimensional (3D) information in a region adjacent to a vehicle to visually highlight objects that are closer to the vehicle than a threshold distance. A vehicle monitoring system includes a 3D scanner to scan the region adjacent to the vehicle and provide a 3D model including a spatial configuration of objects located within the scanned region. The vehicle monitoring system further includes an electronic display to display a portion of the scanned region using the 3D model and to visually highlight an object within the displayed portion that is located less than the threshold distance from the vehicle.

Abstract: A mode-selectable backlight and display employ a plurality of directional scattering features to provide emitted light. The mode-selectable backlight includes a light guide, a first directional scattering feature to provide first emitted light from guided light having a first propagation direction within the light guide in a first operational mode, and a second directional scattering feature to provide second light from guided light having a second propagation direction within the light guide in a second operational mode. The second emitted light comprises a plurality of directional light beams having different principal angular directions from one another and the first propagation direction differing from the second propagation direction. The mode-selectable display further includes a plurality of light sources to provide the guided light and an array of light valves configured to modulate the emitted light as a displayed image.

Abstract: A diffractive backlight system includes a light source and a plate light guide. A surface of the plate light guide is configured with a diffraction grating that couples light out of the plate light guide and concentrates the light into a localized region of space. The diffractive backlight system may be used with at least one light valve array to form a display that generates images for viewing in the localized region of space. The display may be incorporated in head-mounted displays in order to generate focused augmented or virtual reality images for wearers.

Abstract: Diffraction grating-based backlighting having controlled diffractive coupling efficiency includes a light guide and a plurality of diffraction gratings at a surface of the light guide. The light guide is to guide light and the diffraction gratings are to couple out a portion of the guided light using diffractive coupling and to direct the coupled-out portion away from the light guide surface as a plurality of light beams at a principal angular direction. Diffraction gratings of the plurality include diffractive features having a diffractive feature modulation configured to selectively control a diffractive coupling efficiency of the diffraction gratings as a function of distance along the light guide surface.

Abstract: Techniques related to optical devices including a high contrast grating (HCG) lens are described herein. In an example, an optical device includes a transparent substrate. A laser emitter or detector at a first side of the transparent substrate to emit or detect a laser light transmitted via the transparent substrate. A HCG lens is at a second side of the transparent substrate to transmit and refract the laser light.

Abstract: A polarized backlight employs a light source configured to provide polarized light and a light guide to guide the polarized light. A polarization-preserving scattering feature optically coupled to the light guide is configured to scatter a portion of the guided polarized light out of the light guide as emitted polarized light. A polarization of the emitted polarized light is determined by a polarization of the guided polarized light.

Abstract: Unidirectional grating-based backlighting includes a light guide and a diffraction grating at a surface of the light guide. The light guide is to guide a light beam and the diffraction grating is configured to couple out a portion of the guided light beam using diffractive coupling and to direct the coupled-out portion away from the light guide as a primary light beam at a principal angular direction. The diffraction grating is to further produce a secondary light beam directed into the light guide at an opposite one of the principal angular direction. The unidirectional grating-based backlighting further includes an angularly selective reflective layer within the light guide adjacent to the light guide surface that is configured to reflectively redirect the diffractively produced, secondary light beam out of the light guide in the direction of the primary light beam.

Abstract: A multiview backlight and a multiview display employ a microlens to adjust directional light beams to have directions corresponding to respective different view directions of the multiview display. The multiview backlight includes a light guide configured to guide light as guided light, a multibeam element configured to scatter from the light guide a portion of the guided light as a plurality of directional light beams, and the microlens configured to adjust directions of the directional light beams. The multiview display further includes a multiview pixel configured to modulate the plurality of directional light beams and provide a plurality of different views of the multiview display, the microlens being between the multibeam element and the multiview pixel.

Abstract: A multiview backlight and a multiview display employ multibeam elements configured to provide a plurality of light beams having different principal angular directions corresponding to different view directions of the multiview display. The display includes multiview pixels that include sub-pixels. A size of the multibeam element is comparable to a size of a sub-pixel in a multiview pixel of the multiview display.

Abstract: A multiview backlight and a multiview display employ a multibeam element configured to provide a tilted plurality of directional light beams having different principal angular directions corresponding to view directions of a plurality of view in a view zone. The multiview backlight includes a light guide configured to guide light as guided light and the multibeam element configured to couple out a portion of the guided light as the tilted plurality of directional light beams. A tilt angle of the tilted directional light beam plurality is provided by an offset of the multibeam element and a corresponding multiview pixel. The multiview display includes an array of multibeam elements and an array of multiview pixels.

Abstract: A multiview backlight and a multiview display employ a microprism multibeam element to emit a plurality of directional light beams having principal angular directions corresponding to view directions of the multiview display. The multiview backlight includes a light guide and the microprism multibeam element extending from a surface of the light guide. The microprism multibeam element has an input aperture configured to receive a portion of guided light and an output aperture configured to emit the plurality of directional light beams. The microprism multibeam element includes a microprism having an inclined sidewall configured to reflect the received guided light portion and provide the plurality of directional light beams. The multiview display includes the multiview backlight and an array of multiview pixels configured to provide different views of the multiview display from the plurality of directional light beams.

Abstract: A light source includes an optical emitter configured to emit light toward an output aperture of the light source. The light source further includes a partially reflective layer at the output aperture. The partially reflective layer is configured to receive the emitted light from the optical emitter and to reflect a portion of the received light as reflected light. The light source additionally includes a scattering medium located between the partially reflective layer and the optical emitter. The scattering medium is configured to scatter the reflected light as scattered light having a different direction from the reflected light. A portion of the scattered light is redirected toward the partially reflective layer as recycled light to be emitted from the light source. A multiview backlight that employs the light source is also provided, along with a method for operating the light source.