Patent ID: 7777960

Claim:
A system for providing a head-up display, comprising: a laser-projection source; a scanner configured to receive light from the laser-projection source and deliver scanned light to a projection surface as a projected image; and a control circuit coupled to the scanner and configured to control scanning of the light received from the laser-projection source to form the projected image; wherein the projection surface comprises an buried numerical aperture expander comprising: an exit pupil expander; and a reflective layer disposed on said exit pupil expander; wherein the exit pupil expander and the reflective layer are disposed within an envelope, the exit pupil expander and the envelope having substantially similar coefficients of refraction; wherein some of the light impinging on the exit pupil expander may be at least partially reflected by the reflective layer and expanded into a larger output numerical aperture, and some of the light impinging on the exit pupil expander is at least partially transmitted without substantial distortion through said reflective layer; wherein the projection surface comprises an optical relay disposed along a sub-region of the projection surface, wherein the optical relay comprises: a diffractive optical element having an at least partially reflective coating and having a first index of refraction; and a filler medium having a second index of refraction and being disposed adjacent to the diffractive optical element; wherein the optical relay is at least partially transparent.