Twice folded compound magnified virtual image electronic display

A compact virtual image electronic display system comprising:

• a microdisplay for producing a source object;
• a beamsplitting magnification optic, the microdisplay and the beamsplitting magnification optic each having a centerpoint defining a first optical axis, the beamsplitting magnification optic having a refractive surface and a partially reflective surface for receiving light corresponding to the source object, and magnifying and reflecting a portion of the light as a magnified virtual image of the source object, the center of the magnified virtual image defining a second optical axis, the second optical axis being at an angle .phi. relative to the first optical axis;
• a reflective element positioned to reflect the magnified virtual image toward the beamsplitting magnification optic;
• the beamsplitting magnification optic positioned to receive the reflected magnified virtual image, the refractive and partially reflective surfaces of the beamsplitting magnification optic magnifying and transmitting a portion of the reflected magnified virtual image through the beamsplitting magnification optic as a compound magnified image of the magnified virtual image to an observer, the angle .phi. between the first and second optical axes being sufficiently small that the source object is within a full field of view provided by the beamsplitting magnification optic.