Augmented reality device with adjustable electroactive beam splitter

An augmented reality device comprising:

• a display;
• a controller;
• an ambient light sensor, operably coupled to the controller, to sense an ambient light level;
• and
• a variable transmissive-reflective (transflective) device, operably coupled to the controller and in optical communication with the display, to direct light from the display and ambient light to a user's eye in a proportion determined by the controller based on the ambient light level without totally internally reflecting the light from the display,
• wherein the variable transflective device comprises a reflective section having a fixed reflectivity.

A method of operating an augmented reality device comprising a display, a controller, an ambient light sensor, and a variable transmissive-reflective (transflective) device, the method comprising:

• displaying an image with the display;
• sensing an ambient light level with the ambient light sensor;
• and
• directing the image from the display and ambient light to a user's eye via the variable transflective device in a proportion based on the ambient light level without totally internally reflecting the image,
• wherein the variable transflective device comprises a reflective section having a fixed reflectivity less than 100% and reflecting the image comprises reflecting the image off the reflective section so as to superimpose the image on a real-world scene.

An augmented reality device comprising:

• a display;
• a controller;
• an ambient light sensor, operably coupled to the controller, to sense an ambient light level;
• and
• a variable transmissive-reflective (transflective) device operably coupled to the controller and in optical communication with the display, the variable transflective device comprising:
• a reflective section having a fixed reflectivity to reflect some light from the display to a user's eye and to block some ambient light;
• and
• a transmissive section, side-by-side the reflective section, to reflect some of the light from the display and to transmit some of the ambient light to the user's eye in a proportion determined by the controller based on the ambient light level.