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Polarizing optical system

  • US 9,551,880 B2
  • Filed: 11/06/2006
  • Issued: 01/24/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An optical system, comprising:

  • at least one display light source for producing light waves;

    a light-transmitting substrate having at least two major external surfaces parallel to each other, edges and at least one partially reflecting surface located in the substrate; and

    an optical device for coupling light waves into the substrate to effect total internal reflection of the coupled-in light waves between the two major external surfaces of the substrate, the optical device including a polarization sensitive beamsplitter, a reflecting surface and a retardation plate, the light waves passing at least once through the beamsplitter, reflected at least once from the beamsplitter, reflected at least once from the reflecting surface and passing at least once through the retardation plate prior to being coupled into the substrate, the beamsplitter oriented such that the coupled-in light waves are directly reflected from the beamsplitter at an oblique angle with respect to the external surfaces, without any further reflection, to be trapped inside the substrate by total internal reflection, the light waves reflected at least once by one of the external major surfaces of the substrate before being coupled-out of the substrate by the partially reflecting surface.

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