Static-image augmented privacy display, mode-switchable privacy display system, and method

A mode-switchable privacy display system comprising:

• a broad-angle backlight configured to provide broad-angle emitted light to both a first view zone and a second view zone during a shared mode;
• a privacy backlight configured to provide directional emitted light exclusively to the first view zone during a privacy mode;
• a light valve array configured to modulate the directional emitted light to provide a private image in the first view zone and to modulate the broad-angle emitted light to provide a shared image in both the first and second view zones;
• and
• a static display layer disposed adjacent to and separated from an emission surface of the light valve array and configured to provide a static image in the second view zone during the privacy mode as static directional emitted light that exits the mode-switchable privacy display system without passing through the light valve array.

A method of static-image augmented privacy display operation, the method comprising:

• providing a private image to a first view zone using a privacy display comprising a privacy backlight and a light valve array;
• and
• providing, using a static display layer adjacent to and separated from an emission surface of the light valve array, a static image to a second view zone as static directional emitted light that exits the privacy display without passing through the light valve array, the static display layer being transparent to light representing the private image,
• wherein the first view zone and the second view zone are mutually exclusive to one another, the private image being visible exclusively in the first view zone and the static image being visible exclusively in the second view zone.