Patent ID: 8408718

Claim:
A display comprising: a light modulating panel comprising a plurality of pixels, the pixels individually controllable to vary transmission of light through the panel at locations corresponding to the pixels; a light source arranged relative to the light modulating panel, the light source comprising a plurality of light-emitting elements at a corresponding plurality of locations; an optical system comprising one or more optical elements which cooperate to deliver light from the plurality of light-emitting elements to the light modulating panel, the elements of the light source and the one or more optical elements arranged such that light from the plurality of light-emitting elements of the light source spreads and mixes to illuminate the pixels of the light modulating panel with light having an intensity that is non-uniform across the light-modulating panel; a controller connectable to receive image data, the image data specifying a desired image, the desired image having a desired luminance corresponding to each of the pixels of the light-modulating panel, the controller configured and connected to control light output of the light-emitting elements of the light source such that the light that non-uniformly illuminates the light-modulating panel approximates the desired image by providing a variation in light intensity with position on the light-modulating panel according to the image data, the controller further configured and connected to control light transmission of the pixels of the panel such that the resulting displayed image approaches the desired image specified by the image data.