Head-up display

A head-up display for a viewer having a right eye vantage point and a left eye vantage point, the display comprising:

• a source configured to emit first light containing a data image, the data image having a direction of polarization, wherein the source has a viewing angle symmetry axis that is perpendicular to the direction of polarization of the data image and to a line that connects the right eve vantage point and the left eve vantage point;
• an optical input configured to emit second light derived from a forward scene;
• and
• a combiner configured to having at least a first surface and superpose the first and second light to thereby provide a combined image, and,
• wherein the first light is s-polarized with respect to the first surface of the combiner.

A head-up display for supplying a combined image to a viewer having a right eye vantage point and a left eye vantage point, comprising:

• a data image display configured to supply a first part of the combined image, the first part having a direction of polarization, wherein the data image display has a viewing angle symmetry axis that is perpendicular to the direction of polarization of the first part and to a line that connects the right eye vantage point and the left eye vantage point;
• an optical input configured to supply a second part of the combined image;
• a combiner configured to receive and combine the first and second parts to provide the combined image to the viewer,
• wherein the combiner has thereon a selective reflectance region that preferentially reflects s-polarized light of the first part in a wavelength region of interest and preferentially transmits p-polarized light incident thereon, and
• wherein the data image display comprises a backlight, an LC layer and two or more polarizers oriented so that data images in the first part directed toward the combiner are s-polarized with respect to the selective reflectance region of the combiner;
• and
• a polarization rotation element coupled to the data image display.