High performance, low cost helmet mounted display

• US 5,812,101 A
• Filed: 04/04/1996
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Monarchie, Dominick L., Rebeschi, Thomas J., Budzilek, Russell A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/626,897
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/76, 345/77, 345/78, 345/79, 345/87, 345/100, 359/13, 359/630
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0267 Details of drivers for scan electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0275 Details of drivers for data electrodes, other than drivers for liquid crystal, plasma or OLED displays, not related to handling digital grey scale data or to communication of data to the pixels by means of a current
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2011 by amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/30 using electroluminescent panels

Abstract

A relatively low cost, portable, low complexity, low power helmet mounted display using an electroluminescent display and associated drive circuitry configured and interconnected to take advantage of our ability to provide a -180 V and +240 V output to a row driver from a single -180 V and an already existing +60 V Supply, thus eliminating size, weight and expense of supplying a separate 240 V power supply. The +60 V power supply is already supplying the +60 V to the column driver circuitry. Also included is a column driver with a direct analog interface with an input buffer, the buffer including a polarity inverter and an adder for selectively inverting the external analog signal and adding a DC voltage.

Claims

1. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display comprising:

a sensor assembly;

a display assembly connected to said sensor assembly by a connection link;

said display assembly further comprising,

a thin film electroluminescent display panel;

a row driver circuit connected to the thin film electroluminescent display panel; and

a driver circuit for an electroluminescent display panel including,

a column driver including a direct analog interface with an input buffer with an input for accepting an external analog signal and an output for outputting an analog signal for said electroluminescent display panel, and wherein said buffer further comprises a polarity inverter for selectively inverting the external analog signal to form an inverted analog signal at a predetermined time depending on a predetermined criteria.

2. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 1 wherein the polarity inverter operates to add a predetermined voltage component to the first inverted analog signal to form a second inverted analog signal.

3. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 2 wherein the predetermined criteria is determined on a row-by-row basis.

4. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 2 wherein the predetermined criteria is determined on a frame-by-frame basis.

12. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 2 further comprising:

a row driver including positive row drive elements and negative row drive elements;

a first power lead with a first predetermined voltage V_neg connected in series through a first switch connection to a first node, said first node connected to a first current limiter to said negative row drive elements;

a second current limiter operably connected between a first fixed potential to a second node, said second node connected to said positive row drive elements;

a third current limiter connected between said negative row drive element and said second fixed potential;

a second power lead with a second predetermined voltage V_pos connected in parallel to said first node through a second switch connection; and

a power storage device connected between said first and second nodes;

wherein the voltage across said positive and negative row drive elements is selectable, via predetermined operation of said first and second switch connections, between a) V_neg and b) the difference between V_pos and V_neg.

13. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 12 wherein said first current limiter is a diode.

14. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 13 wherein said second current limiter is a diode.

15. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 14 wherein said third current limiter is a diode.

16. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 15 wherein V_neg is approximately -180 V.

17. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 16 wherein V_pos is approximately +60 V.

18. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 17 wherein said power storage device is a capacitor.

5. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display comprising:

a sensor assembly;

a display assembly connected to said sensor assembly by a connection link;

said display assembly further comprising,

a row driver including positive row drive elements and negative row driver elements;

a first power lead with a first predetermined voltage Vneg connected in series through a first switch connection to a first node, said first node connected to a first current limiter to said negative row drive elements;

a second current limiter operably connected between a first fixed potential to a second node, said second node connected to said positive row drive elements;

a third current limiter connected between said negative row drive element and said second fixed potential;

a second power lead with a second predetermined voltage V_pos connected in parallel to said first node through a second switch connection; and

a power storage device connected between said first and second nodes;

wherein the voltage across said positive and negative row drive elements is selectable, via predetermined operation of said first and second switch connections, between a) V_neg and b) the difference between V_pos and V_neg.

6. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 5 wherein said first current limiter is a diode.

7. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 6 wherein said second current limiter is a diode.

8. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 7 wherein said third current limiter is a diode.

9. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 8 wherein V_neg is approximately -180 V.

10. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 9 wherein V_pos is approximately +60 V.

11. A helmet mountable thin film electroluminescent display as in claim 10 wherein said power storage device is a capacitor.