Abstract: An optical display device includes a coherent light source generating a coherent light beam in visible, ultraviolet, or infrared ranges. The coherent light beam is directed at a liquid crystal component. A plurality of liquid crystals and a plurality of nanoparticles having an average diameter of ?about 450 nm are disposed in an interior compartment. An electrical source is in electrical communication with the first and the second electrodes. When no voltage or current is applied, a filtered light beam transmitted or reflected from the liquid crystal component exhibits a first speckle contrast ?about 0.28. When voltage or current is applied, the microparticles are induced to move and the filtered light beam has a second speckle contrast that is ?about 0.2 and in certain aspects may be ?about 0.03. A method of reducing speckle in an optical device having a coherent light source is also provided.

Abstract: A HUD apparatus for a vehicle includes a HUD patch defined upon a reflective surface of a windshield of the vehicle. A virtual image generator projects a virtual image within the HUD patch. An image sensor is coaligned with the virtual image generator and has a field of view including the HUD patch. A controller is configured to receive, from the image sensor, a HUD patch image, and to adjust the projected virtual image based upon the HUD patch image.

Abstract: A holographic display system is provided and includes a light source, a holographic projector, and a polarizer. The light source is configured to generate a first light beam. The holographic projector includes a spatial light modulator configured to adjust phases of respective portions of the first light beam to generate a phase hologram beam. The phase hologram beam comprises a first polarization and a second polarization. The polarizer is configured to filter out light having the first polarization from the phase hologram beam to provide at least a portion of a filtered phase hologram beam at a diffuser to generate a holographic image, wherein the filtered phase hologram beam includes light with the second polarization and does not include light with the first polarization.

Abstract: An optical device (e.g., display device) includes a coherent light source generating a coherent light beam in a visible, ultraviolet, or infrared range. The coherent light beam is directed at a liquid crystal component. A plurality of liquid crystals and a plurality of microparticles having an average diameter of ?about 450 nm to ?about 20 micrometers (?m) are disposed in an interior compartment. An electrical source is in electrical communication with the first and the second electrodes. When no voltage or current is applied, a filtered light beam transmitted or reflected from the liquid crystal component exhibits a first speckle contrast ?about 0.6. When voltage or current is applied, the microparticles are induced to move and the filtered light beam has a second speckle contrast that is ?about 0.6. A method of reducing speckle in an optical device having a coherent light source is also provided.

Abstract: A head-up display (HUD) system for a vehicle comprises a windshield, a projector adapted to project an image onto an inner surface of the windshield, a HUD glare trap lens positioned between the projector and the windshield, the HUD glare trap lens adapted to allow the projected image to pass through the HUD glare trap lens to the inner surface of the windshield, and to reflect sunlight that passes through the windshield to the HUD glare trap lens, and a light trap adapted to deflect sunlight that passes through the windshield and is reflected by the HUD glare trap lens, to prevent the reflected sunlight from interfering with the HUD image projected onto the windshield.

Abstract: A HUD apparatus for a vehicle includes a HUD patch defined upon a reflective surface of a windshield of the vehicle. A virtual image generator projects a virtual image within the HUD patch. An image sensor is coaligned with the virtual image generator and has a field of view including the HUD patch. A controller is configured to receive, from the image sensor, a HUD patch image, and to adjust the projected virtual image based upon the HUD patch image.

Abstract: Calibrating a virtual image projected from a vehicle HUD system onto a windshield includes displaying a fiducial at a predetermined location upon the windshield, projecting a test image from a test image generator within the HUD system, aligning the test image with the fiducial, determining a positional deviation from a test image calibrated position required to align the test image with the fiducial, and based upon the positional deviation and a known positional relationship between a virtual image calibrated position and the test image calibrated position, aligning the virtual image with the fiducial.

Abstract: Calibrating a virtual image projected from a vehicle HUD system onto a windshield includes displaying a fiducial at a predetermined location upon the windshield, projecting a test image from a test image generator within the HUD system, aligning the test image with the fiducial, determining a positional deviation from a test image calibrated position required to align the test image with the fiducial, and based upon the positional deviation and a known positional relationship between a virtual image calibrated position and the test image calibrated position, aligning the virtual image with the fiducial.

Abstract: Liquid crystal lenses of different apertures with suppressed chromatic aberration utilizing twisted vertical alignment configuration are demonstrated. A plurality of substrates are provided with electrodes, including a patterned electrode to generate a lens effect. The liquid crystal material is homeotropically aligned, such as via alignment layers. Setting the ratio between cell thickness and chiral pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystals provides correction of axial chromatic aberrations of electrically-tunable focal lengths in the device.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicles are provided for locating an eye of an occupant of a vehicle. In an exemplary embodiment, a system is provided that includes: (i) a camera configured to generate a camera image of an occupant for a vehicle; and (ii) a processor coupled to the camera and configured to at least facilitate: (a) performing one or more Fourier transforms of the camera image; and (b) identifying a location for an eye of the occupant of the vehicle, using a phase model generated via the one or more Fourier transforms.

Abstract: A replicator assembly includes reflective, transmissive, and transparent elements. The reflective element receives and reflects a hologram of a HUD system. The transmissive element includes a partially transmissive portion that receives a reflection of the hologram from the reflective element, outputs N replications of the hologram, and reflects N?1 replications of the hologram. The partially transmissive portion is implemented as a continuous transmission neutral density filter across different phase regions. The phase regions of the partially transmissive portion correspond respectively to the N replications. N is an integer greater than or equal to 2. The reflective element reflects the N?1 replications of the hologram. The transparent element is disposed between the reflective and transmissive elements and guides the N replications of the hologram between the reflective and transmissive elements.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that reformat content of an eyebox objects are provided. The method includes: detecting a position of eyes of an occupant and determining eye position coordinates, determining whether at least one object present in the eyebox of a head up display is clipped when viewed from the eye position coordinates, and modifying the clipped object so that the clipped object is not clipped when viewed by the occupant from the eye position coordinates.

Abstract: A substrate, such as a windshield, includes: a first glass element; a second glass element; and a light absorptive element that is disposed directly between the second glass element and the first glass element, that is configured to receive and absorb light output by an image source.

Abstract: A head up display (HUD) system includes: one or more light sources and one or more phase modulators configured to generate and output a hologram; and a replicator configured to receive the hologram, to generate N replications of the hologram from the hologram, and to output the N replications of the hologram, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

Abstract: An alignment system for a HUD is provided and includes a mirror, a mirror actuator, first and second light sources, an optic assembly, and a control module. The mirror actuator adjusts mirror orientation. The first light source generates a first light beam. The mirror directs the first light beam from the HUD to a combiner to generate a virtual image. The second light source generates a second light beam. The optic assembly directs the second light beam to the combiner to generate a fiducial. The control module: performs an alignment process including, based on received inputs, controlling the mirror actuator to adjust mirror orientation to adjust a position of the virtual image and align a portion of the virtual image, the fiducial and an eye of a viewer; determines a height of the eye based on a mirror angle; and displays another virtual image based on the height.

Abstract: A system includes a laser, a spatial light modulator with a display, and a controller. The controller includes processing circuitry configured to control the display of the spatial light modulator to reduce image speckle of a projected image responsive to the laser based on a time sequential update of a plurality of phase holograms generated responsive to an input frame received at the controller.

Abstract: An optical device that is disposed to manage light transmittance therethrough includes a multi-layer photochromic sheet that is composed of a first layer, a second layer, and a photochromic layer interposed therebetween. The photochromic layer is composed of a mixture of dichroic dye and photo-isomerizable material that are disposed in a liquid crystal host, and the first and second layers are each fabricated from a clear polymer.

Abstract: A fast flexoelectro-optic switching device containing bimesogen-doped and polymer-stabilized vertical standing helix (PSVSH) in a cholesteric liquid crystal. The PSVSH device exhibits a response time of less than 0.7 millisecond, high contrast and negligible hysteresis which is suitable for applications including blur-free displays, field-sequential color displays and active optical elements.

Abstract: In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicles are provided that include a head-up display and a locator system. In an exemplary embodiment, the head-up display system includes a housing; a light source disposed within the housing; and one or more mirrors disposed within the housing. Also in certain embodiments, the locator system includes: a galvanic mirror disposed outside, and in proximity to, the housing; a laser formed on the galvanic mirror; and a receiver formed on the galvanic mirror.

Abstract: A head-up display (HUD) system for a vehicle comprises a windshield, a projector adapted to project an image onto an inner surface of the windshield, a HUD glare trap lens positioned between the projector and the windshield, the HUD glare trap lens adapted to allow the projected image to pass through the HUD glare trap lens to the inner surface of the windshield, and to reflect sunlight that passes through the windshield to the HUD glare trap lens, and a light trap adapted to deflect sunlight that passes through the windshield and is reflected by the HUD glare trap lens, to prevent the reflected sunlight from interfering with the HUD image projected onto the windshield.