Method and system for operating a near-to-eye display

• US 8,963,804 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Larson, Brent D.
• Primary Examiner(s): XAVIER, ANTONIO J
• Application Number:
  US12/261,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20100109975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,308 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements

Abstract

Methods and system for operating a near-to-eye (NTE) display movably coupled to a headset are provided. Information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the headset is received. Spatial coordinates of the NTE display are determined based on said received information. The NTE display is controlled based on the spatial coordinates of the NTE display.

Claims

1. A method for operating a near-to-eye (NTE) display movably coupled to a headset, the method comprising:

generating information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the headset based on a single camera sensing two reference elements of the NTE display relative to two reference elements of the headset;

receiving the information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the headset within an environment;

determining spatial coordinates of the NTE display relative to the headset within the environment based on said received information; and

adjusting a conformal appearance of an image or a symbol representing a conformal component on the NTE display based on the spatial coordinates of the NTE display relative to the headset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference elements of the headset and the NTE display comprise electromagnetic emitters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein two electromagnetic emitters are in a fixed position relative to the NTE display and two electromagnetic emitters are in a fixed position relative to the headset.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the spatial coordinates of the NTE display comprises calculating the at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to the at least one spatial degree of freedom the headset based on said received information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the NTE display is movably coupled to the headset such that the NTE display is movable between first and second fixed positions relative to the headset.

6. An avionics system comprising:

a headset comprising a frame configured to be worn on a head of a user;

a near-to-eye (NTE) display movably coupled to the frame of the headset;

a single sensor and two reference elements of the frame and two reference elements of the NTE display configured to generate information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the frame; and

a controller in operable communication with the NTE display, the controller being configured to;

receive the information representative of at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to at least one spatial degree of freedom of the frame within an environment;

determine spatial coordinates of the NTE display relative to the frame within the environment based on said received information; and

adjust a conformal appearance of an image or a symbol representing a conformal component on the NTE display based on the spatial coordinates of the NTE display relative to the frame.

7. The avionics system of claim 6, wherein the reference elements of the NTE display and the frame comprises light emitting diodes (LEDs).

8. The avionics system of claim 7, wherein the NTE display is movably coupled to the frame of the headset such that the NTE display is movable between first and second fixed positions relative to the frame of the headset.

9. The avionics system of claim 8, wherein the single sensor comprises an electromagnetic sensor in a fixed position relative to the frame of the headset and configured to detect the at least one spatial degree of freedom of the NTE display relative to the at least one spatial degree of the frame of the frame.