Patent ID: 7535645

Claim:
An optical display system, comprising: a microdisplay; a light emitting device configured to emit light having a non-uniform distribution of light intensity from an emission surface, wherein the light emitting device further comprises at least one feature that reduces light intensity emitted from a region on the emission surface of the light emitting device; and at least one optical component disposed along an optical path from the microdisplay to the light emitting device, wherein the microdisplay, the light emitting device and the optical component are positioned so that, during use, an image plane of the system does not coincide with a surface of the microdisplay illuminated by light emitted by the light emitting device, and wherein the microdisplay, the light emitting device and the optical component are positioned so that, during use, a distribution of light intensity at the image plane is less uniform than a distribution of light intensity at the surface of the microdisplay illuminated by light emitted by the light emitting device.