Display screen with metallized tapered waveguides

• US 6,538,813 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2000
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Magno, John, Papanestor, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHONEY, CHRISTOPHER E
• Application Number:
  US09/665,026
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 359/443, 359/453, 359/460, 385/146, 385/901
• US Class Current: 359/443
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133524 Light-guides, e.g. fibre-optic bundles, louvered or jalousie light-guides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

An avionics display includes a first predefined display area for high priority information and a second predefined display area for normal priority information. A viewing screen is disposed between the avionics display and a design eye point. A first portion of the viewing screen, corresponding to the high priority information, includes metallized tapered waveguides to direct light including the normal priority information at a limited vertical viewing angle and to direct light including the high priority information at an extended vertical viewing angle.

Claims

1. An aircraft avionics display comprising:

(a) a display with a direct view light emitting surface, said surface further comprising,

(i) a first plurality of predefined display areas for high priority information, and

(ii) a second plurality of predefined display areas for low priority information;

(b) a viewing angle enhancement screen placed on said display in front of the light emitting surface, having high priority surface areas corresponding to the high priority information display areas of said display and having low priority surface areas corresponding to the low priority information display areas of said display surface;

(c) a plurality of tapered waveguides having various sidewall taper angles disposed on said high priority surface areas of viewing angle enhancement screen and said low priority surface areas of the viewing angle enhancement screen;

wherein

(d) the sidewall taper angle of said tapered waveguides that are disposed on the high priority surface areas of said viewing angle enhancement screen differs from the sidewall taper angle of said tapered waveguides that are disposed on the low priority surface areas of said viewing angle enhancement screen.

2. The avionics display of claim 1 wherein said tapered waveguides are metallized tapered waveguides.

3. The avionics display of claim 1 wherein said tapered waveguides are hollow metallic tapered waveguides.

4. The avionics display of claim 1 wherein the sidewall taper angle of said tapered waveguides that are disposed on the high priority surface areas of said viewing angle enhancement screen results in a greater vertical viewing angle for the high priority information.

5. A viewing angle enhancement screen for use in association with light producing image display that includes a plurality of areas displaying low priority information and a plurality of areas displaying high priority information, said screen comprising:

(a) a transparent substrate disposed in front of said image display means and having a first surface facing said image display means and a second surface opposing the first surface;

(b) a first plurality of tapered optical waveguides including tapered sides and disposed on the second surface of said transparent substrate and covering a first plurality of areas on said transparent substrate corresponding to the plurality of areas displaying low priority information on said light producing image display;

(c) a second plurality of tapered optical waveguides including tapered sides and disposed on the second surface of said transparent substrate and covering a second plurality of areas on said transparent substrate corresponding to the plurality of areas displaying high priority information on said light producing image display; and

(d) a metallic reflective layer coating the upper portion of each of the tapered sides of each of said second plurality of tapered optical waveguides.

6. The viewing angle enhancement screen of claim 5 further comprising:

(a) an asymmetric diffusion element at the light input surfaces of said second plurality of tapered optical waveguides.

7. The viewing angle enhancement screen of claim 5 wherein:

(a) each of said tapered optical waveguides is formed in the general shape of a right angle cone, and

(b) the light input surfaces and light output surfaces each of said tapered optical waveguide are generally formed in a shape selected from the group comprising circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, hexagons, and octagons.

8. The viewing angle enhancement screen of claim 5 wherein:

(a) each of said tapered optical waveguides are formed in the general shape of a tilted cone, and

(b) the light input surfaces and light output surfaces of said tapered waveguides are generally formed in a shape selected from the group comprising circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, hexagons, and octagons.

9. An aircraft avionics display comprising:

(a) an image display means producing a light output and including a plurality of areas displaying high priority information;

(b) a transparent substrate disposed in front of said image display means and having a first surface facing said image display means and a second surface opposing the first surface;

(c) a plurality of hollow metallic tapered waveguides disposed on the second surface of said transparent substrate and covering a plurality of areas on said transparent substrate corresponding to the plurality of areas displaying high priority information on said light producing image display, each of said hollow metallic tapered waveguides further comprising,

(i) an open base adjacent to the second surface of said transparent substrate,

(ii) an open tip distal from said open base and having a smaller surface area than said open base,

(iii) metallic reflective tapered sides, connected between and forming both an interior closed surface and an exterior closed surface with said open base and said open tip; and

(d) wherein the vertical angular distribution of light emerging from the open tips of said waveguides is larger than the angular distribution of light entering the open bases of said waveguides.

10. The aircraft avionics display of claim 9 further comprising:

(a) a protective transparent coating disposed on the interior closed surfaces of said hollow metallic tapered waveguides, and

(b) a blackened light absorbing coating disposed on the exterior closed surfaces of said hollow metallic tapered waveguides.

11. The aircraft avionics display of claim 9 wherein:

(a) the hollow metallic tapered waveguides are formed in the general shape of a right angle cone, and

(b) the light input surfaces and light output surfaces of said hollow metallic tapered waveguides are generally formed in a shape selected from the group comprising circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, hexagons, and octagons.