Aircraft display system and method

• US 8,487,786 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Bailey, Gary C., Hussey, Scott A., Swan, David J., Do, Khai M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/874,004
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 340/945, 340/953, 340/955, 340/956, 340/963, 340/971, 340/980, 345/102, 345/158, 345/173, 345/207, 345/74.1, 345/76, 349/42, 349/65, 349/106, 349/112, 372/29.02, 372/29.021, 353/84, 353/112
• US Class Current: 340/955
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/10 Intensity circuits

Abstract

An aircraft display system includes an electronic display configured to provide at least one of graphical and textual elements and electronics configured to receive a signal indicating an ambient light level. The electronics set a brightness of the display using a first calculation in response to a desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level and using a second calculation in response to the desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level.

Claims

1. An aircraft display system, comprising:

an electronic display configured to provide at least one of graphical and textual elements; and

electronics configured to receive a signal indicating an ambient light level, the electronics setting a brightness of the display using a first calculation in response to a desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level, wherein the first calculation is based on the equation;

2. The display system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input, the electronics configured to set the desired contrast ratio of the display in response to the user input and configured to provide a signal indicating the desired contrast ratio to the electronics.

3. The display system of claim 1, further comprising an ambient light sensor configured to sense the ambient light level in an area near the display, the ambient light sensor converting the sensed ambient light level to a voltage and providing the voltage to the electronics as the signal indicating the ambient light level.

4. The display system of claim 1, wherein the electronics is configured to use a second calculation in response to the desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level.

5. The display system of claim 4, wherein the electronics only calculates the first calculation if the ambient light level is below a predetermined threshold value and only calculates the second calculation if the ambient light level is above the predetermined threshold value, the electronics setting the brightness of the display using the performed calculation.

6. An aircraft display system, comprising:

an electronic display configured to provide at least one of graphical and textual elements; and

electronics configured to receive a signal indicating an ambient light level, the electronics setting a brightness of the display using a first calculation in response to a desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level, and using a second calculation in response to the desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level, wherein the second calculation is based on the equation;

Desired Display Brightness=(Desired Contrast Ratio−

1)×

Ambient Light, wherein the Desired Display Brightness comprises the brightness of the display, the Desired Contrast Ratio comprises the desired contrast ratio, and the Ambient Light comprises the ambient light level.

7. The display system of claim 6, wherein the first calculation is based on the equation:

8. The display system of claim 6, wherein the electronics compares the first calculation and the second calculation, the electronics setting the brightness of the display in using the calculation having the higher result.

9. The display system of claim 8, wherein the electronics calculates the first calculation and the second calculation simultaneously.

10. A method for setting a brightness of an aircraft display, comprising:

receiving a signal indicating an ambient light level at electronics;

receiving a signal indicating a desired contrast ratio for the display at the electronics; and

setting a brightness of the display using the electronics, the electronics using a first calculation in response to the desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level wherein the first calculation is based on the equation;

Desired Display Brightness=(Desired Contrast Ratio−

1)×

Ambient Light, wherein the Desired Display Brightness comprises the brightness of the display, the Desired Contrast Ratio comprises the desired contrast ratio, and the Ambient Light comprises the ambient light level.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a user input at a user interface;

providing the user input to the electronics as the signal indicating the contrast ratio to the electronics; and

setting the contrast ratio of the display in response to the user input using the electronics.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sensing the ambient light level in an area near the display using an ambient light sensor;

converting the sensed ambient light level to a voltage using the ambient light sensor; and

providing the voltage from the ambient light sensor to the electronics as the signal indicating the ambient light level.

13. A method for setting a brightness of an aircraft display, comprising:

receiving a signal indicating an ambient light level at electronics;

receiving a signal indicating a desired contrast ratio for the display at the electronics; and

setting a brightness of the display using the electronics, the electronics using a first calculation in response to the desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level, wherein the first calculation is based on the equation;

14. The method of claim 13, wherein setting the brightness uses a second calculation,

wherein the second calculation is based on the equation:

Desired Display Brightness=(Desired Contrast Ratio−

1)×

Ambient Light, wherein the Desired Display Brightness comprises the brightness of the display, the Desired Contrast Ratio comprises the desired contrast ratio, and the Ambient Light comprises the ambient light level.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

comparing the first calculation and a second calculation using the electronics; and

setting the brightness of the display using the electronics and using a higher result from the first calculation and the second calculation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronics calculates the first calculation and the second calculation simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

calculating the first calculation using the electronics only if the ambient light level is below a predetermined threshold value;

calculating a second calculation using the electronics only if the ambient light level is above the predetermined threshold value; and

setting the brightness of the display using the performed calculation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined threshold is between 0 and 10.5 fL.

19. An aircraft display system, comprising:

means for receiving a signal indicating an ambient light level;

means for receiving a signal indicating a desired contrast ratio for the display; and

means for setting a brightness of the display using a first calculation in response to the desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level and using a second calculation in response to the desired contrast ratio and the ambient light level, wherein the first calculation is based on the equation;

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for comparing the first and second calculations; and

means for setting the brightness of the display using the calculation having the higher result.