Head-up display screen

• US 9,645,559 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rigminder Operating, LLC (Trinidad Drilling Limited)
• Original Assignee: Rigminder Operating, LLC (Trinidad Drilling Limited)
• Inventors: Ward, Gregory A., Gooch, Evan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US14/102,143
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 700 17, 700 19, 700 83, 359 13, 359630
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 41/00 Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 7/00 Special methods or apparatus for drilling
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A head-up display screen improves the ability of operators to operate equipment, allowing operators to view the equipment through a transparent window and view information about the equipment on an at least semitransparent display screen overlapping the transparent window, while minimizing obstruction to the view of the equipment. A head-up display screen may include touch capabilities, allowing operators to modify a display while viewing the equipment. A head-up display screen may be rugged and durable for an oil rig environment.

Claims

1. A system for controlling drilling carried out with an oil rig, the system comprising:

a drilling unit;

an enclosure comprising a viewing port facing at least a portion of the drilling unit, the portion of the drilling unit viewable through the viewing port;

at least one sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of the drilling unit;

a display component comprising;

a display screen positioned proximate at least a portion of the viewing port, wherein the display screen is semitransparent or transparent;

a projection device for projecting an image onto the display screen; and

a gesture-detector configured to detect an input gesture of a user;

a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the display component; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory bearing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor at least to;

receive the at least one parameter from the at least one sensor;

generate an image for projection by the projection device onto the display screen based on the at least one parameter; and

receive input-gesture data from the gesture detector, the input-gesture data corresponding to the detected input gesture of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a fiberglass mesh coated with a matte white paint.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display screen comprises a transparent liquid crystal display screen and wherein the projection device projects an image onto the display screen by applying an electric field to the transparent liquid crystal display screen.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a console located in the enclosure to control the drilling unit,

wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to the console and the processor is further caused by the processor-executable instructions at least to;

determine from the input-gesture data a corresponding command to control the drilling unit; and

transmit to the console the corresponding command.

5. A system for controlling equipment, the system comprising:

a viewing port facing at least a portion of the equipment, the portion of the equipment viewable through the viewing port, wherein the viewing port is located on a wall;

at least one sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of the equipment;

a display component comprising;

a display screen positioned proximate at least a portion of the viewing port, wherein the display screen is semitransparent or transparent; and

a projection device for projecting an image onto the display screen;

a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the display component; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory bearing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor at least to;

receive the at least one parameter from the at least one sensor; and

generate an image for projection by the projection device onto the display screen based on the at least one parameter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the viewing port is located on the wall of a drilling operation doghouse or the wall of maritime supply vessel.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the viewing port is located on an exterior surface of a structure, the display screen is facing an interior portion of the structure, and the equipment is located external to the structure.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the viewing port is located on the wall of a room, the display screen is facing an interior portion of the room, and the equipment is located external to the room.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the display screen comprises a fiberglass mesh.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the fiberglass mesh is coated with a matte white paint.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the display screen comprises a transparent liquid crystal display screen.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the projection device projects an image onto the display screen by applying an electric field to the transparent liquid crystal display screen.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the display component further comprises a gesture-detector configured to detect an input gesture of a user, and

the processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, further cause the processor at least to receive input-gesture data from the gesture detector, the input-gesture data corresponding to the detected input gesture of the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user creates the input gesture by touching the display screen.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the user creates the input gesture by user movements in physical space.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

a console to control the equipment,

wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to the console and the processor is further caused by the processor-executable instructions at least to;

determine from the input-gesture data a corresponding command to control the equipment; and

transmit to the console the corresponding command.

17. A method of controlling equipment, the method comprising:

viewing the equipment through a viewing port located on a wall;

viewing equipment information displayed on a display screen, the display screen positioned proximate the viewing port such that a portion of the display screen overlaps at least a portion of the viewing port; and

controlling the equipment based on viewing the equipment and the equipment information.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

modifying an image of the equipment information displayed on the display screen based at least on a gesture directed to the display screen.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

measuring at least one parameter of the equipment by at least one sensor,

wherein the equipment information displayed on the display screen comprises an image of the at least one parameter.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting an input gesture of a user; and

determining a command that controls the equipment that corresponds to the detected input gesture,

wherein the controlling the equipment is based at least on the determined command.

21. A system for controlling equipment, the system comprising:

a viewing port facing at least a portion of the equipment, the portion of the equipment viewable through the viewing port;

at least one sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of the equipment;

a display component comprising;

a display screen positioned proximate at least a portion of the viewing port, wherein the display screen is semitransparent or transparent and comprises a fiberglass mesh; and

a projection device for projecting an image onto the display screen;

a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the display component; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory bearing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor at least to;

receive the at least one parameter from the at least one sensor; and

generate an image for projection by the projection device onto the display screen based on the at least one parameter.

22. A system for controlling equipment, the system comprising:

a viewing port facing at least a portion of the equipment, the portion of the equipment viewable through the viewing port;

at least one sensor configured to measure at least one parameter of the equipment;

a display component comprising;

a display screen positioned proximate at least a portion of the viewing port, wherein the display screen is at last semitransparent or transparent; and

a projection device for projecting an image onto the display screen;

a gesture-detector configured to detect an input gesture of a user, wherein the input gesture comprises the user touching the display screen;

a processor communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor and the display component; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the memory bearing processor-executable instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor at least to;

receive the at least one parameter from the at least one sensor;

generate an image for projection by the projection device onto the display screen based on the at least one parameter; and

receive input-gesture data from the gesture detector, the input-gesture data corresponding to the detected input gesture of the user.