Abstract: A privacy display comprises a spatial light modulator and a view angle control element that may comprise a first polariser that may be a reflective polariser, a liquid crystal retarder, a compensation retarder and an additional polariser. The layer of liquid crystal material is patterned with a mark. The display provides visibility of the mark in reflected light to an off-axis snooper but no visibility of the image on the spatial light modulator; and provides high visibility of an image with no visibility of the mark to an on-axis display user.

Abstract: A display apparatus comprises a display device capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode where an image remains visible in both the first mode and the second mode in an on-axis direction and a visibility of the image is reduced in an off-axis direction in the second mode. A control system is capable of selectively operating the display device in the first mode or the second mode and can selectively control luminance of the displayed image in the first mode based on a first function and to selectively control luminance of the displayed image in the second mode based on a second function. High image visibility can be provided for a public mode of operation while in privacy mode of operation a high visual security level may be obtained by means of controlling an image characteristic such as image luminance, contrast and white point.

Abstract: An anamorphic near-eye display apparatus comprises a spatial light modulator with asymmetric pixels; an input transverse anamorphic lens; and an extraction waveguide that passes input light in a first direction to a lateral anamorphic reflector arranged to reflect the light back through the waveguide. Partially reflective extraction elements are arranged between the rear and front guide surfaces of the waveguide to extract the reflected light towards the pupil of an observer, maintaining the directionality of the fan of light rays from the spatial light modulator and anamorphic imaging system. A thin, transparent and efficient anamorphic display apparatus for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality displays is provided.

Abstract: A display device comprising a spatial light modulator having a display polariser arranged on one side of the spatial light modulator is provided with an additional polariser arranged on the same side as the display polariser and a polar control retarder between the additional polariser and the display polariser. The polar control retarder includes a liquid crystal retarder having two surface alignment layers disposed adjacent to a layer of liquid crystal material on opposite sides. The surface alignment layers provide alignment in the adjacent liquid crystal material with a twist. The out-of-plane orientation of the twisted layer of liquid crystal material is modified across at least one region of the display device to provide a pupillated transmission function, achieving increased luminance uniformity to a display user and increased uniformity of security factor to an off-axis snooper, or reduced distraction across the display to the driver in an automotive application.

Abstract: A device for wearing by a user includes a ring-shaped band sized for extending and fitting around an arm or digit of the user and a near-eye display apparatus attached to the ring-shaped band for displaying an image to the user. The near-eye display apparatus includes a spatial light modulator and an optical apparatus. The spatial light modulator is arranged to output light via the optical apparatus to provide the image for display. The optical apparatus has an optical axis and positive optical power in lateral and transverse directions that are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to the optical axis. The optical apparatus has anamorphic properties in the lateral and transverse directions.

Abstract: A backlight device includes a first array of plural light sources, a second array of plural light sources, and a control system arranged to control the first and second arrays of plural light sources. In some embodiments, the control system is arranged to provide switching between, in a first mode of operation, the first array of plural light sources being operated along a first input end of a first waveguide and a first applied voltage across a switchable liquid crystal retarder and, in a second mode of operation, the second array of plural light sources being operated along a second input end of a second waveguide and a second applied voltage across the switchable liquid crystal retarder. In some embodiments, the second applied voltage is different to the first applied voltage.

Abstract: A switchable privacy display device comprises a spatial light modulator and a switchable diffractive view angle control retarder arrangement arranged between a display polariser of the spatial light modulator and an additional polariser. The display achieves high image visibility to an off-axis user in a share mode of operation and high image security to an off-axis snooper in privacy mode of operation.

Abstract: A polar angle control display device comprises a spatial light modulator arranged to output light and an out-of-plane polariser having an absorption axis in a direction having a component out of a plane of the out-of-plane polariser. The polar angle control display device can be a switchable privacy display and can achieve high image visibility to an off-axis user in a wide-angle mode of operation and high image security to an off-axis snooper in privacy mode of operation.

Abstract: An anamorphic directional illumination device may provide a near-eye display apparatus or a vehicle external light device. The anamorphic near-eye display apparatus includes an illumination system including a spatial light modulator, an optical system including a transverse anamorphic component, an extraction waveguide including a polarization-sensitive reflector and an array of extraction features, a lateral anamorphic component, a light reversing reflector, and a polarisation conversion retarder disposed between a polarisation-sensitive reflector and the light reversing reflector. The polarisation conversion retarder has a retardance of a quarter wavelength at a wavelength of visible light. A thin, transparent and efficient anamorphic display apparatus for Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality displays and for scene illumination is provided.

Abstract: A SLM comprises emissive pixels, a parallax barrier, and a birefringent lens array. The apertures and lenses are each aligned with a respective pixel, polarisation switch, display polariser, and reflective polariser, with a switchable polar control retarder between the reflective polariser and an additional polariser. In privacy mode, pixel light transmitted by the display polariser is provided with optical power by the lens array; the parallax barrier has regions that reduce the pixel light from pixels that are not aligned with a respective lens; and the polar control retarder has a phase difference only in non-viewing directions and provides high security factor. In share mode, pixel light transmitted by the display polariser is provided with no optical power by the lens array; and the polar control retarder has no phase difference over a wide field of view and provides high image visibility. A near-eye display has increased dynamic range.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes a directional display device for use in a vehicle arranged to display an image where the directional display device has an angular output light distribution that is adjustable, and a control system arranged to adjust the angular output light distribution of the directional display device. The display apparatus can include a backlight apparatus including a waveguide and a light source array to provide large area directed illumination from localized light sources. The waveguide can include a stepped structure where the steps include extraction features optically hidden to guide light propagating in a forward direction and to refract, diffract, or reflect returning light propagating in a backward direction to provide discrete illumination beams exiting from the waveguide. The control system can adjust the angular output light distribution based on outputs from sensors on the vehicle.

Abstract: A privacy display comprises a spatial light modulator and a switchable liquid crystal retarder arranged between first and second polarisers arranged in series with the spatial light modulator. In a privacy mode of operation, on-axis light from the spatial light modulator is directed without loss, whereas off-axis light has reduced luminance. The visibility of the display to off-axis snoopers is reduced by means of luminance reduction over a wide polar field. In a wide angle mode of operation, the switchable liquid crystal retardance is adjusted so that off-axis luminance is substantially unmodified.

Abstract: An illumination apparatus is manufactured by selectively removing passive optical nanostructures from a monolithic array of light-emitting elements while preserving their relative spatial position. The nanostructures are selected such that, in at least one direction, for at least one pair of the selectively removed passive optical nanostructures, for each respective pair there is at least one nanostructure that is not selected that was positioned in the monolithic array between the pair of selectively removed passive optical nanostructures in the at least one direction, forming a non-monolithic array of passive optical nanostructures with the selectively removed passive optical nanostructures while preserving their relative spatial position, and aligning each of the passive optical nanostructures of the non-monolithic array with a respective light-emitting element of the non-monolithic array of light-emitting elements.

Abstract: A touch input display device includes a spatial light modulator (SLM), a display polariser, an additional polariser, a switchable liquid crystal retarder including a layer of liquid crystal material, switchable retarder control electrodes arranged to apply a voltage for controlling a state of the switchable liquid crystal retarder, at least one touch electrode array arranged in a layer on an output side of the switchable retarder control electrodes, and an output transparent support substrate where the at least one touch electrode array is arranged between the switchable retarder control electrodes and the output transparent support substrate.

Abstract: A directional illumination apparatus includes a waveguide and an array of light emitting diodes arrayed across an area behind the waveguide, where the waveguide includes a front light guiding surface, and a rear light guiding surface including an array of light input wells arranged in the waveguide to reflect guided light in the region around each light emitting diode. Light is guided in the waveguide using total internal reflection and extracted from the waveguide by light extraction features. A directional illumination output may be provided. A backlight for a high dynamic range display may achieve high efficiency and luminance. A privacy display with high security factor and high dynamic range may be achieved.

Abstract: A display device comprising a spatial light modulator having a display polariser arranged on one side is provided with an additional polariser arranged on the same side as the display polariser and a polar control retarder between the additional polariser and the display polariser. The polar control retarder includes a liquid crystal retarder having two surface alignment layers disposed adjacent to a layer of liquid crystal material on opposite sides. The surface alignment layers provide alignment in the adjacent liquid crystal material with a twist. The out-of-plane orientation of the twisted layer of liquid crystal material is modified across at least one region of the display device to provide a transmission function in response to the measured location of an off-axis snooper, achieving increased size of polar region for which desired uniformity of security factor, or reduced distraction across the display to the driver in an automotive application is achieved.

Abstract: A display apparatus comprises a display device capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode where an image remains visible in both the first mode and the second mode in an on-axis direction and a visibility of the image is reduced in an off-axis direction in the second mode. A control system is capable of selectively operating the display device in the first mode or the second mode and can selectively control luminance of the displayed image in the first mode based on a first function and to selectively control luminance of the displayed image in the second mode based on a second function. High image visibility can be provided for a public mode of operation while in privacy mode of operation a high visual security level may be obtained by means of controlling an image characteristic such as image luminance, contrast and white point.

Abstract: A switchable privacy display device comprises a spatial light modulator comprising an in-plane display polariser, an out-of-plane polariser and a polarisation switch arranged between the in-plane display polariser and the out-of-plane polariser. The display achieves high image visibility to an off-axis user in a wide-angle mode and high image security to an off-axis snooper in privacy mode of operation.

Abstract: An imaging directional backlight apparatus includes a waveguide and a light source array, providing large area directed illumination from localized light sources. The waveguide may include a stepped structure, and the steps may further 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 define the relative positions of system elements and ray paths. The imaging directional backlight apparatus further includes a control system for controlling the light output directional distribution in an automotive or vehicle environment in dependence on the output from sensors mounted on the vehicle.

Abstract: An imaging directional backlight apparatus including a waveguide, a light source array, for providing large area directed illumination from localized light sources. The waveguide may include a stepped structure, in which the steps may further include extraction features optically hidden to guided light, propagating in a first forward direction. Returning light propagating in a second backward direction may be refracted, diffracted, or reflected by the features to provide discrete illumination beams exiting from the top surface of the waveguide. Retarder stack arrangements are provided to reduce the display visibility to snoopers located in polar viewing regions of the display while achieving minimal reduction of head-on luminance. Further visibility of light reflections from automotive windscreens may be reduced.