Patent ID: 8337020

Claim:
An apparatus for illuminating a display, comprising: a first and a second light source, spaced apart from each other, that emit light of a first and a second color, respectively, in the general direction of a primary axis associated with each light source, the primary axes of the two light sources being substantially parallel to each other; a first and a second light pipe that are oriented with primary axes generally parallel to each other, and that receive light from a respective one of the first and second light source and emit light from a light-emitting face at an end of the respective light pipe opposite from the respective light source; a reflective polarizer assembly having a first pair of faces located at substantially orthogonal angles to each other and a pair of opposing faces, with each of the opposing faces being on an opposite side from a respective one of the orthogonal faces, the reflective polarizer assembly allowing light of a first polarization to pass therethrough and reflecting light of a second polarization that is orthogonal to the first polarization; a first polarization conversion component receptive of light from the reflective polarizer assembly that converts light between the first and second polarizations after two passes therethrough; a first mirror that reflects light from the first polarization conversion component back through the first polarization conversion component toward the assembly; a second polarization conversion component receptive of light from the reflective polarizer assembly that converts light between the first and second polarizations after two passes therethrough; a second mirror that reflects light from the second polarization conversion component back through the second polarization conversion component toward the assembly; wherein the light of one of the first and second polarizations is converted to the other of the first and second polarizations and allowed to exit the illuminator.