Head-up display with polarized light source and wide-angle p-polarization reflective polarizer

A system for displaying information to a viewing position, comprising:

• a window member having a target area and at least a first exposed window surface at the target area, the first exposed window surface having associated therewith a first normal axis;
• a display source that emits polarized light toward the target area along an illumination axis that makes an acute angle θ1 with respect to the first normal axis, the emitted light being substantially p-polarized and comprising at least one visible wavelength of interest;
• and
• a reflective polarizer disposed proximate the target area to reflect at least some of the p-polarized light from the display source towards the viewing position;
• wherein the first normal axis and the illumination axis define a first plane, and the reflective polarizer is substantially transparent for s-polarized light and substantially reflective for p-polarized light at the at least one visible wavelength of interest for light incident in the first plane over an angular range that includes the illumination axis.

A system for displaying information to a viewing position, comprising:

• a window member having a target area and at least a first exposed window surface at the target area and a second exposed window surface opposed to the first exposed window surface, the first exposed window surface having associated therewith a first normal axis;
• a display source that emits polarized light toward the target area along an illumination axis that makes an acute angle θ1 with respect to the first normal axis, the emitted light being substantially p-polarized and comprising at least one visible wavelength of interest;
• and
• a reflective polarizer disposed proximate the target area to reflect at least some of the p-polarized light from the display source towards the viewing position;
• wherein the reflective polarizer is disposed between the first and second exposed window surfaces, and the reflective polarizer reflects p-polarized light more than s-polarized light for light at the at least one visible wavelength of interest and incident along the illumination axis.

A component suitable for use in a HUD system, comprising:

• a window member having a target area and at least a first exposed window surface at the target area, the first exposed window surface having associated therewith a first normal axis and a Brewster angle θB;
• and
• a reflective polarizer disposed proximate the target area;
• wherein the reflective polarizer has a higher reflectivity for p-polarized light than for s-polarized light for at least one visible wavelength of interest and for light having a first incidence direction that makes an angle θB with the first normal axis.