Aircraft flat panel display system

• US 20070013693A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Solutions and Support Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innovative Solutions and Support Incorporated
• Inventors: Hedrick, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 7,659,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• 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: G06F 3/1415 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/02 Improving the quality of display appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/12 Test circuits or failure detection circuits included in a display system, as permanent part thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

An aircraft cockpit flight deck data display system for displaying, on a viewable display screen, typically anti-aliased graphical imaging data derived from aircraft sensors, generates or receives graphics processing language (GPL) commands that define the information intended for presentation on the display screen. The GPL commands are input to a video graphics processor that is operable to interpret the received GPL commands and to generate therefrom video imaging data transferable to the display screen to populate the screen with the intended information. The same GPL commands are also input to a comparator processor that is operable to interpret the received GPL commands and to generate therefrom selected “points of light”, comprising a limited subset of the video imaging data generated by the video graphics processor. The comparator processor-generated “points of light” are then compared to the respective corresponding video imaging data points generated by the video graphics processor to thereby validate the proper operation of the video graphics processor and the accuracy of the video imaging data generated by the video graphics processor.

Claims

1. In an image display system for displaying, on a viewable display screen, information defined by a plurality of graphics processing language (GPL) commands,

a video graphics processor for receiving the GPL commands that define the information for display on the display screen and operable for interpreting the received GPL commands to generate from the received GPL commands video imaging data representing the information, said generated video imaging data comprising a multiplicity of video imaging data points transferable to the display screen for displaying the information on the display screen;

and

a comparator processor for receiving the GPL commands that define the information for display on the display screen and operable for interpreting the received GPL commands to generate from the received GPL commands selected points of light comprising a limited subset of said multiplicity of video imaging data points generated by said video graphics processor, said comparator processor being further operable for comparing each of said generated points of light to a respective corresponding video imaging data point of said video imaging data generated by said video graphics processor to thereby validate the video imaging data generated by and operation of said video graphics processor.

2. In an image display system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said video graphics processor and said comparator processor are integrated with the display screen.

3. In an image display system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a frame buffer of said video graphics processor for storing the video imaging data generated by the video graphics processor in advance of transferring the generated video imaging data to the display screen, wherein said comparator processor is operable for accessing the generated video imaging data stored in the frame buffer for comparing said each generated point of light to the respective corresponding video imaging data point of said generated video imaging data stored in said frame buffer.

4. In an image display system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a graphics rendering controller for generating the plural GPL commands that define the information to be displayed on the display screen.

5. In an image display system in accordance with claim 4, further comprising a communications link connecting the graphics rendering controller to said video graphics processor and to said comparator processor for communicating the plural GPL commands generated by said graphics rendering controller to said video graphics processor and to said comparator processor.

6. In an image display system in accordance with claim 1, the display system further comprising the display screen.

7. In an image display system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said display screen said video graphics processor and said comparator processor are integrated with said display screen.

8. In an image display system in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of the points of light generated by said comparator processor comprises a video image data point defined by one of the plural GPL commands.

9. A method of displaying, on a viewable display screen, information defined by a plurality of graphics processing language (GPL) commands, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a video graphics processor, the GPL commands that define the information for display on the display screen and interpreting, in the video graphics processor, the received GPL commands to generate from the received GPL commands video imaging data representing the information, said generated video imaging data comprising a multiplicity of video imaging data points transferable to the display screen for displaying the information on the display screen;

receiving, by a comparator processor, the GPL commands that define the information for display on the display screen and interpreting, by the comparator processor, the received GPL commands to generate from the received GPL commands selected points of light comprising a limited subset of said multiplicity of video imaging data points generated by said video graphics processor;

comparing each of said generated points of light to a respective corresponding video imaging data point of said video imaging data generated by said video graphics processor to thereby validate the video imaging data generated by and operation of said video graphics processor; and

transferring the generated video imaging data to the display screen to display on the display screen the information defined by the plural GPL commands.

10. A method of displaying in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of storing the video imaging data generated by the video graphics processor in a frame buffer, wherein said step of comparing comprises comparing said each generated point of light to the respective corresponding video imaging data point of said video imaging data generated by said video graphics processor by accessing said generated respective corresponding video imaging data point stored in the frame buffer, and wherein said step of transferring comprising transferring the generated vide imaging data from said frame buffer to the display screen to display on the display screen the information defined by the plural GPL commands.

11. A method of displaying in accordance with claim 9, wherein said step of comparing comprises comparing said each generated point of light to the respective corresponding video imaging data point of said video imaging data generated by said video graphics processor as said generated video imaging data is transferred to the display screen to display on the display screen the information defined by said plural GPL commands.

12. A method of displaying in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of generating the plural GPL commands that define the information to be displayed on the display screen.

13. A method of displaying in accordance with claim 9, wherein said step of comparing comprises comparing, of said each generated point of light to the respective corresponding video imaging data point of said generated video imaging data, by said comparator processor.

14. A method of displaying in accordance with claim 9, wherein the video imaging data generated by the video graphics processor comprises anti-aliased graphical imaging data for populating the display screen with graphically-depicted aircraft operating information defined by the plural GPL commands.