Method for the common representation of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information, and display device

• US 10,217,442 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Original Assignee: Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
• Inventors: Meilinger, Juergen, Schneider, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, David H
• Application Number:
  US15/065,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20160267885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/186 Displaying information according to relevancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/29 Instruments characterised by the way in which information is handled, e.g. showing information on plural displays or prioritising information according to driving conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/60 Instruments characterised by their location or relative disposition in or on vehicles arrangements of lighting devices on dashboards B60Q3/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

A method for the common representation of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information on a display unit of a vehicle. The method includes receiving non-safety-critical information and producing at least one graphic presentation of the non-safety-critical information. The method also includes receiving safety-critical information and producing at least one graphic presentation of the safety-critical information. In addition, the method includes representing the presentations of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information on the display unit, the representation having at least two representation planes. The non-safety-critical information is represented on a rear, in the direction of view of the observer, plane of the at least two representation planes, and the safety-critical information is represented on a front representation plane. The method includes checking whether the safety-critical information is recognizable when there is an at least partial overlap of the presentation of the non-safety-critical information by the presentation of the safety-critical information.

Claims

1. A method for the common representation of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information on a display unit of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving non-safety-critical information by a first processor and producing at least one graphic presentation of the non-safety-critical information;

receiving safety-critical information by a second processor, wherein the second processor also receives the at least one graphic presentation of the non-safety-critical information;

producing at least one graphic presentation of the safety-critical information;

representing the presentations of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information on the display unit, the representation having at least two representation planes;

presenting the non-safety-critical information on a rear, in a direction of view of the observer, plane of the at least two representation planes, and presenting the safety-critical information on a front representation plane; and

checking whether the safety-critical information is recognizable, in a case of an at least partial overlap of the presentation of the non-safety-critical information by the presentation of the safety-critical information;

wherein if during the checking step a determination is made that the presentation of the non-safety-critical information is overlapped by the presentation of the safety-critical information, adapting at least the overlapping parts of the presentation of the safety-critical information in such a way that the safety-critical information is recognizable;

adapting parts of the presentation of the safety-critical information by modifying the graphic presentation of the safety-critical information in the overlapping region such that the graphic presentation of the overlapping parts, as such, is modified;

wherein the modification of the graphic presentation of the safety-critical information in the overlapping region takes place through at least one of a color modification, a line modification, a size modification, a contrast modification, or a modification of the representation frequency.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least parts of the presentation of the safety-critical information are so adapted that the graphic presentation of the overlapping parts, as such, is modified.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the safety-critical information contains vehicle-critical information, and the non-safety-critical information contains at least one of navigation-critical or mission-critical information.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further has the step that the safety-critical information and the non-safety-critical information are received together and are separated into the safety-critical information and the non-safety-critical information in accordance with predetermined criteria.

5. A display device for the common representation of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information on a display unit, comprising:

at least one first receiver set up to receive non-safety-critical information;

at least one first processor set up to produce at least one presentation of the non-safety-critical information;

at least one second receiver, set up to receive safety-critical information;

at least one second processor set up to produce at least one presentation of the safety-critical information, the at least one second processor configured to receive the at least one presentation of the non-safety-critical information;

a representation unit, set up for the common representation of the presentations of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information on the display unit, the representation having at least two representation planes;

the presentation of the non-safety-critical information being represented on a rear, in the direction of view of an observer, plane of the at least two representation planes, and the presentation of the safety-critical information being represented on a front representation plane; and

the second processor being set up to check whether the safety-critical information is recognizable given an at least partial overlap of the presentation of the non-safety-critical information by the presentation of the safety-critical information;

the second processor being one of a graphics processor or video processor that is set up to adapt, if at least parts of the presentation of the non-safety-critical information are overlapped by the presentation of the safety-critical information, at least the overlapping parts of the presentation of the safety-critical information in such a way that the safety-critical information is recognizable;

wherein the second processor is set up to adapt parts of the presentation of the safety-critical information by modifying the graphic presentation of the safety-critical information in the overlapping region such that the graphic presentation of the overlapping parts, as such, is modified;

wherein the second processor is set up to adapt the graphic presentation of the safety-critical information through at least one of a color modification, a line modification, a size modification, a contrast modification, or a modification of the representation frequency.

6. The display device as recited in claim 5, wherein the second processor comprises one of a DAL-A or DAL-B safety-certified processor.

7. The display device as recited in claim 5, wherein the safety-critical information contains vehicle-critical information, and the non-safety-critical information contains at least one of navigation-critical or mission-critical information.

8. The display device as recited in claim 5, further comprising at least one third processor set up to receive a plurality of different items of information from the vehicle, to categorize the received information into the safety-critical information and the non-safety-critical information in accordance with predetermined criteria, and to forward the received information to the receivers for safety-critical information and non-safety-critical information in accordance with the categorization.

9. A vehicle, having a display device for the common representation of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information on a display unit, comprising:

at least one first receiver set up to receive non-safety-critical information;

at least one first processor set up to produce at least one presentation of the non-safety-critical information;

at least one second receiver, set up to receive safety-critical information;

at least one second processor set up to produce at least one presentation of the safety-critical information, the at least one second processor configured to receive the at least one presentation of the non-safety-critical information;

the second processor comprising one of a DAL-A or DAL-B safety-certified processor;

a representation unit, set up for the common representation of the presentations of safety-critical and non-safety-critical information on the display unit, the representation having at least two representation planes;

the presentation of the non-safety-critical information being represented on a rear, in the direction of view of an observer, plane of the at least two representation planes, and the presentation of the safety-critical information being represented on a front representation plane; and

the second processor being set up to check whether the safety-critical information is recognizable given an at least partial overlap of the presentation of the non-safety-critical information by the presentation of the safety-critical information;

the second processor being one of a graphics processor or video processor that is set up to adapt, if at least parts of the presentation of the non-safety-critical information are overlapped by the presentation of the safety-critical information, at least the overlapping parts of the presentation of the safety-critical information in such a way that the safety-critical information is recognizable;

wherein the second processor is set up to adapt parts of the presentation of the safety-critical information by modifying the graphic presentation of the safety-critical information in the overlapping region such that the graphic presentation of the overlapping parts, as such, is modified;

wherein the second processor is set up to adapt the graphic presentation of the safety-critical information through at least one of a color modification, a line modification, a size modification, a contrast modification, or a modification of the representation frequency.

10. The vehicle as recited in claim 9, wherein the vehicle comprises an aircraft, and the display device is situated in a cockpit of the aircraft.