Abstract: An electronic device may include a display with a display panel that emits light into an optical system. The system provides the light and world light to an eye box. The system may be implemented using a folded birdbath architecture. The system may include a partial reflector and a reflective polarizer in freeform curved rotationally asymmetric surfaces. The system may include two or three optical wedges. An air gap may separate two of the wedges. A quarter waveplate may be layered over the reflective polarizer and/or the partial reflector. A privacy filter may overlap the partial reflector. The wedges may perform total internal reflections on the light. The system may provide a horizontal field of view of the light to the eye box at a different point than a vertical field of view. A switchable shutter may overlap the system and may be synchronized to an external device display.

Abstract: An electronic device may include a display panel configured to produce light and a lens assembly that receives the light from the display panel. The lens assembly may be a catadioptric lens assembly with a partially reflective layer, lens element, quarter wave plate, and reflective polarizer. Some of the light emitted by the display panel may be reflected by the catadioptric lens assembly away from the catadioptric lens assembly. A supplemental mirror may be used to reflect this light back towards the catadioptric lens assembly. The supplemental mirror may increase the field-of-view of images viewable through the catadioptric lens assembly. The supplemental mirror may have a dithered upper surface or a phase-shift mask.

Abstract: The present embodiments provide systems, backlights, films, apparatuses and methods of generating back lighting. Some embodiments provide backlights that include a cavity with at least one interior light source and diffusely reflecting wall of high reflectivity, a top surface with multiple intermittently spaced holes allowing exit of light generated by the light sources, and external collimators extending from each of the holes such that the external collimators spatially expand and angularly narrow the light exiting the holes.

Abstract: The present embodiments provide systems, backlights, films, apparatuses and methods of generating back lighting. Some embodiments provide backlights that include a cavity with at least one interior light source and diffusely reflecting wall of high reflectivity, a top surface with multiple intermittently spaced holes allowing exit of light generated by the light sources, and external collimators extending from each of the holes such that the external collimators spatially expand and angularly narrow the light exiting the holes.

Abstract: An embodiment of an optical manifold has first and second collimators, each arranged to receive light from a source and transmit the light to an exit port of the collimator, and a separator arranged to emit some of the light from the exit ports of the first and second collimators and to recycle some of the light into the collimators. Another embodiment has at least three collimators of substantially equal length and having central axes, respective light sources at entry ports of the collimators, the collimators being arranged with their central axes parallel and with their light sources in a common plane and reflectors positioned to direct light from exit ports of the collimators to a selectively reflective component that guides all the light into a common exit beam.

Abstract: An optical manifold for efficiently combining a plurality of blue LED outputs to illuminate a phosphor for a single, substantially homogeneous output, in a small, cost-effective package. Embodiments are disclosed that use a single or multiple LEDs and a remote phosphor, and an intermediate wavelength-selective filter arranged so that backscattered photoluminescence is recycled to boost the luminance and flux of the output aperture. A further aperture mask is used to boost phosphor luminance with only modest loss of luminosity. Alternative non-recycling embodiments provide blue and yellow light in collimated beams, either separately or combined into white.

Abstract: An optical manifold for efficiently combining a plurality of LED outputs into a single, substantially homogeneous output, in a small, cost-effective package. The optical manifolds can be used to combine multiple LEDs of the same color and provide a high intensity output aperture with very high uniformity and sharp borders, or they can be used to generate a multiwavelength output, such as red, green, and blue LEDs that are combined to generate white light. Embodiments are also disclosed that use a single or multiple LEDs and a remote phosphor and an intermediate wavelength-selective filter arranged so that backscattered photoluminescence is recycled to boost the luminance and flux of the output aperture. The optical manifolds are designed to alleviate substantial luminance inhomogeneities inherent to LEDs. The optical manifold utilizes principles of non-imaging optics to transform light and provide directed, substantially uniform light sources.

Abstract: An optical device for coupling the luminous output of a light-emitting diode (LED) to a predominantly spherical pattern comprises a transfer section that receives the LED's light within it and an ejector positioned adjacent the transfer section to receive light from the transfer section and spread the light generally spherically. A base of the transfer section is optically aligned and/or coupled to the LED so that the LED's light enters the transfer section. The transfer section can comprises a compound elliptic concentrator operating via total internal reflection. The ejector section can have a variety of shapes, and can have diffusive features on its surface as well. The transfer section can in some implementations be polygonal, V-grooved, faceted and other configurations.