Avionic display testing system

• US 8,736,679 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2011
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Jackson, Timothy Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): NASRI, MARYAM A
• Application Number:
  US13/019,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20120194666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• US Class Current: 348/148
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 5/60 Testing or inspecting aircraft components or systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/88 Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for testing a number of display devices. Images displayed on the number of display devices are received by a computer system for a platform during a performance of a number of tests at a number of test locations for the platform. A portion of the images from the images are identified as a number of images of interest using a policy.

Claims

1. A method for testing a number of display devices, the method comprising:

receiving images displayed on the number of display devices by a computer system for a platform during a performance of a number of tests at a number of test locations for the platform;

comparing the images to each other to form a comparison;

identifying a portion of the images from the images as a number of images of interest from the comparison using a policy; and

wherein comparing comprises comparing only a number of areas in a first image in the images, the number of areas being less than an entirety of the first image, with a corresponding number of areas in a second image in the images, the corresponding number of areas being less than an entirety of the second image, and wherein the second image is subsequent to the first image, and wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether any change between the number of areas in the first image and the corresponding number of areas in the second image is sufficient to identify the second image as an image of interest using the policy; and

responsive to a determination that the any change is sufficient, identifying the second image as the image of interest using the policy.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a number of areas for the images; and

wherein the step of identifying the portion of the images from the images as the number of images of interest using the policy comprises;

identifying an image in the portion of the images as an image of interest using the number of areas in the image and the policy.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

displaying an initial image in the images on a display device; and

displaying a number of graphical indicators on the initial image at the number of areas on the initial image.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying the image of interest on a display device; and

displaying a graphical indicator in association with an area in the number of areas in the image of interest to highlight the any change.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises:

receiving the images displayed on the number of display devices by the computer system from a camera system directed towards the number of display devices, wherein the images are received while the number of tests are performed at the number of test locations for the platform.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises:

receiving the images displayed on the number of display devices by the computer system from a connection to a graphics adapter generating the images, wherein the images are received while the number of tests are performed at the number of test locations for the platform.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

performing the number of tests at the number of test locations.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the number of tests comprises at least one of generating radio frequency signals, causing current changes in a system for the platform, generating radio frequency interference, and generating electrical discharges.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of performing the number of tests at the number of test locations comprises:

selecting a component in the platform, wherein the component is at a location in the number of test locations; and

sending test data using the component.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the portion of the images from the images as the number of images of interest using the policy comprises:

comparing the images to an expected output in the policy to form a comparison; and

identifying the portion of the images from the comparison using the policy.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform is selected from one of a mobile platform, a stationary platform, a land-based structure, an aquatic-based structure, a space-based structure, an aircraft, a surface ship, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a spacecraft, a space station, a satellite, a submarine, an automobile, a power plant, a bridge, a dam, a manufacturing facility, and a building.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using changes in the comparison to determine whether the number of display devices perform as desired under different operating conditions for the platform.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using the number of images of interest to determine whether the display device performs as desired under different operating conditions for the aircraft.

14. A method for testing a display device for an aircraft, the method comprising:

displaying information generated by a computer system for the aircraft on the display device;

receiving first images from a number of cameras directed at the display device, wherein the first images comprise first timestamps for the first images;

changing a parameter in the aircraft at a selected time;

responsive to a change in the parameter in the aircraft, receiving second images from the number of cameras, wherein the second images comprise second timestamps for the second images;

comparing the second images with corresponding first images to form a comparison; and

identifying a number of images of interest from the comparison using a policy; and

wherein comparing comprises comparing only a number of areas in a first image in the images, the number of areas being less than an entirety of the first image, with a corresponding number of areas in a second image in the images, the corresponding number of areas being less than an entirety of the second image, and wherein the second image is subsequent to the first image, and wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether any change between the number of areas in the first image and the corresponding number of areas in the second image is sufficient to identify the second image as an image of interest using the policy; and

responsive to a determination that the any change is sufficient, identifying the second image as the image of interest using the policy.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

determining whether an image with an undesired change is present in the number of images of interest.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition system configured to obtain images generated for display on a number of display devices for a platform during a performance of a number of tests at a number of test locations for the platform; and

a computer system configured to receive the images from the image acquisition system; and

identify a portion of the images as a number of images of interest using a policy, wherein the computer system is further configured to display the number of images of interest on a display device and display a number of graphical indicators on the number of images of interest, wherein a graphical indicator displayed on an image of interest in the number of images of interest is associated with an area on the image of interest in which a change between the area on the image of interest and the area on an image in the images preceding the image of interest meets a number of criteria in the policy; and

wherein comparing comprises comparing only a number of areas in a first image in the images, the number of areas being less than an entirety of the first image, with a corresponding number of areas in a second image in the images, the corresponding number of areas being less than an entirety of the second image, and wherein the second image is subsequent to the first image, and wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether any change between the number of areas in the first image and the corresponding number of areas in the second image is sufficient to identify the second image as an image of interest using the policy; and

responsive to a determination that the any change is sufficient, identifying the second image as the image of interest using the policy.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the image acquisition system comprises at least one of a camera system and a media converter.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the image acquisition system, the computer system, and the display device are associated with the platform.

19. An aircraft display system comprising:

a display system associated with an aircraft, wherein the display system comprises a number of display devices;

an image acquisition system associated with the aircraft, wherein the image acquisition system is configured to obtain images generated for display on the display system associated with the aircraft during operation of the aircraft; and

a testing module associated with the aircraft, wherein the testing module is configured to receive the images from the image acquisition system, identify a portion of the images as a number of images of interest using a policy, compare the images to each other only at the portion to form a comparison, the portion being areas in the images less than entireties of the images, display the number of images of interest on a display device; and

wherein comparing comprises comparing only a number of areas in a first image in the images, the number of areas being less than an entirety of the first image, with a corresponding number of areas in a second image in the images, the corresponding number of areas being less than an entirety of the second image, and wherein the second image is subsequent to the first image, and wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether any change between the number of areas in the first image and the corresponding number of areas in the second image is sufficient to identify the second image as an image of interest using the policy; and

responsive to a determination that the any change is sufficient, identifying the second image as the image of interest using the policy.