METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VITAL DISPLAY SYSTEMS

• US 20100109899A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mitchell, Michael Scott, Mollet, Samuel Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,237,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/815.530
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/009 On-board display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/006 Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method and system for a display system is provided. The system includes a screen surface that includes a plurality of luminous units, a controller communicatively coupled to the screen surface wherein the controller is configured to address at least one of the plurality of luminous units, and a luminous unit sensor having a field of view including at least a portion of the screen surface wherein the luminous unit sensor configured to receive an image of the luminous units in the field of view.

Claims

1. A screen display system comprising:

a screen surface comprising a plurality of luminous units;

a controller communicatively coupled to said screen surface, said controller configured to address at least one of the plurality of luminous units; and

a luminous unit sensor having a field of view comprising at least a portion of the screen surface, said luminous unit sensor configured to receive an image of the luminous units in the field of view.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said luminous unit comprises at least one of a discrete pixel element and a phosphorescent area.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to:

generate an icon for display on the screen surface;

determine an address to display the icon; and

display the icon on the screen surface at the determined address.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said controller is further configured to determine an address having a plurality of coordinates.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 wherein each coordinate comprises a value that determines a position along the coordinate.

6. A device in accordance with claim 4 wherein said controller is further configured to display one or more icons on the screen surface such that each of the plurality of coordinates is addressed within a predetermined period of time.

7. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said luminous unit sensor is configured to receive an image of an icon displayed on the screen surface within the field of view of the luminous unit sensor.

8. A device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said luminous unit sensor is configured to:

acquire an image of an icon displayed on the screen surface; and

generate an alert when a time period between acquisitions of the icon exceeds a predetermined range.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8 configured to blank the display on the screen surface when a time period between acquisitions of the icon exceeds a predetermined range.

10. A method of monitoring the operability of a display comprising:

periodically displaying an icon on a screen surface;

acquiring an image of the displayed icon; and

outputting an alert if the image of the icon is not acquired within a predetermined time period.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein periodically displaying an icon on a screen surface comprises determining an address of a location of the screen surface to display the icon.

12. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein periodically displaying an icon on a screen surface comprises displaying an icon on a screen surface at a predetermined location on the screen surface.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the a predetermined location is defined by one or more address coordinates and wherein periodically displaying an icon on a screen surface comprises sequentially displaying the icon at a plurality of locations such that each of the one or more address coordinates that define locations on the screen surface are used within a predetermined period of time.

14. A method in accordance with claim 10 wherein outputting an alert comprises blanking the screen surface.

15. A display system comprising:

a display device comprising a screen surface configured to display an icon;

a controller communicatively coupled to said display device, said controller configured to control the location of the display of the icon; and

a display sensor configured to receive an image of the icon on the screen surface.

16. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said screen surface comprises a plurality of at least one of a discrete pixel element and a phosphorescent area.

17. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said controller is further configured to:

generate at least one icon for display on the screen surface;

determine an address to display the at least one icon wherein the address comprises a plurality of coordinates; and

display the at least one icon on the screen surface at the determined address.

18. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said controller is further configured to display one or more icons on the screen surface such that each of the plurality of coordinates is addressed within a predetermined period of time.

19. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said display sensor is configured to receive an image of an icon displayed on the screen surface.

20. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said display sensor is configured to:

acquire an image of an icon displayed on the screen surface; and

generate an alert when a time period between acquisitions of the icon exceeds a predetermined range.