Ballistic-Resistant Cockpit Display

• US 20170075639A1
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Inventors: Chavez, Jeremy R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,466,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/026 Video wall, i.e. juxtaposition of a plurality of screens to create a display screen of bigger dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/08 Fault-tolerant or redundant circuits, or circuits in which repair of defects is prepared
• 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 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a cockpit display system includes display tiles that together form a single, continuous display screen, a content generation unit configured to generate content instructions that instruct the display screen to display content comprising a plurality of information portions, a display feedback unit, and a content prioritization unit. Each information portion of the plurality of information portions is to be displayed on one or more display tiles of the plurality of display tiles. The display feedback unit is configured to detect a malfunction of one or more malfunctioning display tiles of the plurality of display tiles. The content prioritization unit is configured to instruct the content generation unit to generate updated content instructions. The updated content instructions move at least some of the information portions associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles to one or more display tiles that are not experiencing the malfunction.

Claims

1. A rotorcraft, comprising:

a body;

a power train coupled to the body and comprising one or more power sources and a drive shaft coupled to the one or more power sources;

a rotor system coupled to the power train and comprising a plurality of rotor blades; and

a cockpit display system disposed at least partially within the body, the cockpit display system comprising;

a plurality of display tiles together forming a single, continuous display screen;

a content generation unit configured to generate content instructions that instruct the single, continuous display screen to display content comprising a plurality of information portions, each information portion of the plurality of information portions to be displayed on one or more display tiles of the plurality of display tiles;

a display feedback unit configured to detect a malfunction of one or more malfunctioning display tiles of the plurality of display tiles; and

a content prioritization unit configured to instruct the content generation unit to generate updated content instructions, the updated content instructions moving at least some of the information portions associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles to one or more display tiles that are not experiencing the malfunction.

2. The rotorcraft of claim 1, wherein the content instructions comprise instructions, for each information portion of the plurality of information portions, to display each specific information portion of the plurality of information portions on specific one or more display tiles of the plurality of display tiles.

3. The rotorcraft of claim 1, the cockpit display system further comprising a transmission unit configured to:

receive the content instructions;

generate, from the received content instructions, display tile instructions for each display tile of the plurality of display tiles, the display tile instructions identifying which information portion of the plurality of information portions are to be at least partially displayed on each display tile of the plurality of display tiles; and

transmit each display tile instruction to a corresponding display tile of the plurality of display tiles.

4. The rotorcraft of claim 1, wherein the display feedback unit is configured to detect the malfunction by identifying an interruption in a feedback signal being received from a display tile of the plurality of display tiles.

5. The rotorcraft of claim 1, the content prioritization unit being configured to instruct the content generation unit to generate updated content instructions by:

identifying an information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles;

consulting one or more prioritization rules associated with the identified information portion; and

identifying a new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules, the new location corresponding to the one or more display tiles that are not experiencing the malfunction that are referenced by the updated content instructions.

6. The rotorcraft of claim 5, wherein:

the one or more prioritization rules identify a prioritized order of locations on the display screen where the identified information portion should be displayed; and

identifying the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules comprises identifying subsequent one or more display tiles on the prioritized order of locations.

7. The rotorcraft of claim 5, wherein:

the one or more prioritization rules identify a prioritized order of information portions;

identifying the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules comprises;

identifying a backup location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles;

identifying a second information portion already being displayed at the backup location;

determining whether the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles has a higher priority than the second information portion based on the one or more prioritization rules; and

selecting the second location as the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles if the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles has a higher priority than the second information portion.

8. A cockpit display system, comprising:

a plurality of display tiles together forming a single, continuous display screen;

a content generation unit configured to generate content instructions that instruct the single, continuous display screen to display content comprising a plurality of information portions, each information portion of the plurality of information portions to be displayed on one or more display tiles of the plurality of display tiles;

a display feedback unit configured to detect a malfunction of one or more malfunctioning display tiles of the plurality of display tiles; and

a content prioritization unit configured to instruct the content generation unit to generate updated content instructions, the updated content instructions moving at least some of the information portions associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles to one or more display tiles that are not experiencing the malfunction.

9. The cockpit display system of claim 8, wherein the content instructions comprise instructions, for each information portion of the plurality of information portions, to display each specific information portion of the plurality of information portions on specific one or more display tiles of the plurality of display tiles.

10. The cockpit display system of claim 8, the cockpit display system further comprising a transmission unit configured to:

receive the content instructions;

generate, from the received content instructions, display tile instructions for each display tile of the plurality of display tiles, the display tile instructions identifying which information portion of the plurality of information portions are to be at least partially displayed on each display tile of the plurality of display tiles; and

transmit each display tile instruction to a corresponding display tile of the plurality of display tiles.

11. The cockpit display system of claim 8, wherein the display feedback unit is configured to detect the malfunction by identifying an interruption in a feedback signal being received from a display tile of the plurality of display tiles.

12. The cockpit display system of claim 8, the content prioritization unit being configured to instruct the content generation unit to generate updated content instructions by:

identifying an information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles;

consulting one or more prioritization rules associated with the identified information portion; and

identifying a new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules, the new location corresponding to the one or more display tiles that are not experiencing the malfunction that are referenced by the updated content instructions.

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

the one or more prioritization rules identify a prioritized order of locations on the display screen where the identified information portion should be displayed; and

identifying the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules comprises identifying subsequent one or more display tiles on the prioritized order of locations.

14. The cockpit display system of claim 12, wherein:

the one or more prioritization rules identify a prioritized order of information portions;

identifying the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules comprises;

identifying a backup location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles;

identifying a second information portion already being displayed at the backup location;

determining whether the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles has a higher priority than the second information portion based on the one or more prioritization rules; and

selecting the second location as the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles if the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles has a higher priority than the second information portion.

15. A method of displaying information in the cockpit of an aircraft, comprising:

generating content instructions that instruct a single, continuous display screen to display content comprising a plurality of information portions, the single, continuous display screen being comprised of a plurality of display tiles, each information portion of the plurality of information portions to be displayed on one or more display tiles of the plurality of display tiles;

detecting a malfunction of one or more malfunctioning display tiles of the plurality of display tiles; and

generating updated content instructions, the updated content instructions moving at least some of the information portions associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles to one or more display tiles that are not experiencing the malfunction; and

transmitting the updated content instructions to the single, continuous display.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the content instructions comprise instructions, for each information portion of the plurality of information portions, to display each specific information portion of the plurality of information portions on specific one or more display tiles of the plurality of display tiles.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting the malfunction comprises identifying an interruption in a feedback signal being received from a display tile of the plurality of display tiles.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein generating the updated content instructions comprises:

identifying an information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles;

consulting one or more prioritization rules associated with the identified information portion; and

identifying a new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules, the new location corresponding to the one or more display tiles that are not experiencing the malfunction that are referenced by the updated content instructions.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the one or more prioritization rules identify a prioritized order of locations on the display screen where the identified information portion should be displayed; and

identifying the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules comprises identifying subsequent one or more display tiles on the prioritized order of locations.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the one or more prioritization rules identify a prioritized order of information portions;

identifying the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles based on the one or more prioritization rules comprises;

identifying a backup location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles;

identifying a second information portion already being displayed at the backup location;

determining whether the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles has a higher priority than the second information portion based on the one or more prioritization rules; and

selecting the second location as the new location for the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles if the information portion associated with the one or more malfunctioning display tiles has a higher priority than the second information portion.