Patent attributes
A display device includes a display having optically anisotropic molecules disposed between a front surface and a back surface. The display is configurable to either receive image light and diffuse the image light to output diffused image light from the front surface, or to transmit ambient light from the back surface to the front surface. The display device also includes an optical assembly that has a substrate, a reflector, and a beam splitter. The optical assembly is configurable to transmit a portion of the diffused image light at a first optical power via an optical path including reflections at the reflector and at the beam splitter and to transmit a portion of the ambient light output from the front surface of the display at a second optical power without reflection at the reflector. The second optical power is less than the first optical power.