Display integrity system for ICA monitoring and annunciation for certified aeronautical applications running on a commercial device

• US 10,636,390 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Sarma, Kalluri R., Berckefeldt, Richard, True, Willard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Sujit
• Application Number:
  US15/926,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20190180718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2045/0075 Adaptations for use of electronic flight bags in aircraft; Supports therefor in the cockpit
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/02 for indicating aircraft speed or stalling conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/02 Arrangements or adaptations of signal or lighting devices
• 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: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service

Abstract

A display integrity system for use in a mounting adapter configured to mount a personal electronic device (PED) on an aircraft is disclosed. The display integrity system includes a transparent surface configured to overlay the display surface of a PED when the PED is mounted in the mounting adapter. The transparent surface includes one or more regions embedded with one or more coating layers that when activated with a select excitation wavelength are configured to emit visible light to annunciate a message indicating a problem with an image displayed on the PED. The display integrity system further includes a lighting source housed in the mounting adapter and configured to provide light in the select excitation wavelength when activated to illuminate the transparent surface and an imaging device mounted in the mounting adapter and configured to capture an image of the PED display for transmission to a server for integrity checking.

Claims

1. A display integrity system for use in a mounting adapter configured to mount a personal electronic device (PED) on an aircraft, the display integrity system comprising:

a transparent surface configured to overlay the display surface of a PED when the PED is mounted in the mounting adapter, the transparent surface having a transmittance that is sufficient to allow the PED display to be visible in lighting conditions on a flight deck, the transparent surface including one or more regions embedded with one or more coating layers that when activated with a select excitation wavelength are configured to emit visible light to annunciate a message indicating a problem with an image displayed on the PED display;

a lighting source housed in the mounting adapter and configured to provide light in the select excitation wavelength when activated to illuminate the transparent surface; and

an imaging device mounted in the mounting adapter and configured to capture an image of the PED display for transmission to a server that transmitted data for display on the PED display for performing an integrity check of the displayed data and for activating the lighting source when a problem is detected with the image of the PED display.

2. The display integrity system of claim 1, wherein the one or more coating layers comprise one or more coating layers of fluorescent phosphor nanoparticles.

3. The display integrity system of claim 1, further comprising a direction turning optic attached to the mounting adaptor and configured to direct the light from the lighting source to uniformly illuminate the one or more regions of the transparent surface.

4. The display integrity system of claim 3, further comprising a light guiding diffuser housed in the mounting adapter and configured to collect the light emitted by the lighting source and direct the collected light to the direction turning optic.

5. The display integrity system of claim 3, wherein the one or more regions are shaped to cause predetermined symbology to be displayed when the coating layers are activated to annunciate the message indicating a problem with an image displayed on the PED display.

6. The display integrity system of claim 1, wherein the transparent surface is configured to allow touchscreen gestures on the PED display.

7. The display integrity system of claim 1, wherein the integrity check of the displayed data includes a comparison of the image with the transmitted data.

8. The display integrity system of claim 1, wherein the lighting source operates in a predominantly non-visible light band, with wavelengths in the range of 320 nm to 425 nm.

9. The display integrity system of claim 8, wherein the lighting source comprises an LED (light emitting diode).

10. The display integrity system of claim 8, wherein the lighting source comprises a laser diode.

11. The display integrity system of claim 1, wherein the transparent surface includes a region that occupies a substantial portion of the transparent surface and that is uniformly coated with one or more coating layers.

12. The display integrity system of claim 11, wherein the lighting source is configured to emit a shaped excitation beam configured to cause the uniformly coated region to display predetermined symbology to annunciate the message indicating a problem with an image displayed on the PED display.

13. The display integrity system of claim 12, wherein:

the predetermined symbology comprises the letter X; and

the lighting source comprises a laser diode that includes a laser that is shaped to have an X cross-section using cylindrical lenses or other appropriate optics.

14. A method of providing a display integrity system in a mounting adapter configured to mount a personal electronic device (PED) on an aircraft, the method comprising:

overlaying the display surface of a PED display with a transparent surface when the PED is mounted in the mounting adapter, the transparent surface having a transmittance that is sufficient to allow the PED display to be visible in lighting conditions on a flight deck, the transparent surface including one or more regions embedded with one or more coating layers that when activated with a select excitation wavelength are configured to emit visible light to annunciate a message indicating a problem with an image displayed on the PED display;

capturing, using an imaging device mounted in the mounting adapter, an image of the PED display for transmission to a server that transmitted data for display on the PED display for performing an integrity check of the displayed data and for causing the annunciation of a message when a problem is detected with the image of the PED display;

receiving a message from the server to annunciate a message indicating a problem with the image displayed on the PED display;

activating a lighting source housed in the mounting adapter to provide light in a select excitation wavelength responsive to receipt of the message;

illuminating at least a portion of the transparent surface with the light in the select excitation wavelength from the lighting source;

activating a coating layer in the illuminated portion of the transparent surface with the light in the select excitation wavelength to emit visible light; and

displaying predetermined symbology from the visible light from the activated coating layer to annunciate the message indicating a problem with the image displayed on the PED display.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein illuminating at least a portion of the transparent surface comprises uniformly illuminating the transparent surface with the light from the lighting source using a direction turning optic attached to the mounting adaptor to annunciate the message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the one or more regions comprises a region that occupies a substantial portion of the transparent surface and that is uniformly coated with one or more coating layers; and

illuminating at least a portion of the transparent surface comprises emitting, from a lighting source, a shaped excitation beam configured to cause the uniformly coated region to display predetermined symbology to annunciate the message indicating a problem with an image displayed on the PED display.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the lighting source includes a laser that is shaped to have an X cross-section using appropriate optics.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the lighting source includes a collimated LED that is configured to emit a shaped excitation beam having an X cross-section.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein illuminating at least a portion of the transparent surface comprises collecting the light from the lighting source and directing the collected light to the direction turning optic using a light guiding diffuser housed in the mounting adapter.

20. A display integrity system for use in a mounting adapter configured to mount a personal electronic device (PED) on an aircraft, the display integrity system comprising:

a transparent surface overlaid on the PED display, the transparent surface having a transmittance when inactive that is sufficient to allow the PED display to be visible in lighting conditions on a flight deck and configured to allow touchscreen gestures on the PED display, the transparent surface including one or more regions embedded with one or more coating layers of fluorescent phosphor nanoparticles that when activated with a select excitation wavelength are configured to emit visible light with a select spectrum, the one or more regions configured to display predetermined symbology to annunciate the loss of integrity and availability when activated;

an LED (light emitting diode) housed in the mounting adapter and configured to provide light in the excitation wavelength;

a light guiding diffuser housed in the mounting adapter and configured to collect the light emitted by the LED;

a direction turning optic attached to the mounting adapter and configured to direct the collected light to uniformly illuminate the transparent surface; and

an imaging device mounted in the mounting adapter and configured to capture an image of the PED display for transmission to a server that transmitted data for display on the PED display for performing an integrity check of the displayed data and for activating the lighting source when a problem is detected with the image of the PED display.