Multiview backlight, multiview display, and method employing reflective multibeam elements

A multiview display comprising:

• a light guide configured to guide light in a first propagation direction as guided light;
• an array of reflective multibeam elements spaced apart from one another across the light guide, reflective multibeam elements of the reflective multibeam element array each comprising a plurality of reflective sub-elements and being configured to reflectively scatter out a portion of the guided light as emitted light comprising directional light beams having directions corresponding to respective view directions of a multiview image;
• and
• an array of light valves configured to modulate the directional light beams to provide the multiview image,
• the reflective multibeam elements of the reflective multibeam element array having an overall size that is between twenty-five percent and two hundred percent of a size of a light valve of the light valve array.

A method of multiview backlight operation, the method comprising:

• guiding light in a propagation direction along a length of a light guide as guided light having a predetermined collimation factor;
• and
• reflecting a portion of the guided light out of the light guide using an array of reflective multibeam elements to provide emitted light comprising directional light beams having different directions corresponding to respective different view directions of a multiview display, a reflective multibeam element of the reflective multibeam element array comprising a plurality of reflective sub-elements,
• a reflective multibeam element of the reflective multibeam element array having an overall size that is between twenty-five percent and two hundred percent of a size of a light valve in an array of light valves of the multiview display.