System for and method of integrating head up displays and head down displays

• US 10,108,010 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Kenneth A., Han, David I., Brown, Robert D., Keith, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pichler, Marin
• Application Number:
  US14/754,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20160377862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• 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 2027/0165 associated with a head-down display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1842 Gratings for image generation G02B5/1847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0011 the light guides being planar or of plate-like form

Abstract

A method or system can be used with an aircraft or other vehicle. The system can include or the method can use a waveguide disposed above and below a top surface of a glare shield. The waveguide can be part of a head up display (HUD). The waveguide can be disposed to cover at least part of the head down display to provide an integrated display.

Claims

1. A display system comprising:

a waveguide disposed at least partially above a top surface of a glare shield, the waveguide being configured as a combiner to allow viewing of an outside scene and first information from an image source, wherein the waveguide comprises at least a first portion of a first surface for viewing the outside scene and the first information by a user, wherein the waveguide is configured to be disposed such that the first surface is between the user and a windshield; and

a head down display disposed below the top surface of the glare shield, wherein the first surface of the waveguide comprises a bottom edge, the bottom edge extending below the top surface of the glare shield and wherein at least a second portion of the first surface is between a second surface of the head down display and the user, wherein the second surface is for providing second information from the head down display to the user, wherein the first surface of the waveguide is a continuous viewing surface between a top edge of the waveguide and the bottom edge of the waveguide, wherein the top edge of the waveguide is in front of a portion of the windshield through which the outside scene is viewable, and a top of the continuous viewing surface is in front of the portion of the windshield through which the outside scene is viewable and a bottom of the continuous viewing surface is in front of or below the head down display.

2. The display system of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the first surface completely covers the second surface.

3. The display system of claim 2, wherein the first surface is planar.

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

processing electronics configured to provide the first information comprising first image data and second image data to the waveguide, wherein the first image data is conformal image data for viewing through the windshield and the second image data is virtual image data referenced to eye positon.

5. The display system of claim 4, wherein a virtual image associated with the virtual image data is continuous across the continuous viewing surface of the waveguide and is provided in the first portion of the first surface of the waveguide and the second portion of the first surface of the waveguide.

6. The display system of claim 5, wherein the head down display is a large area display and wherein a head down display image of the head down display has a width matching the width of the waveguide.

7. The display system of claim 6, wherein the waveguide comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate and the second being angled with respect to one another, wherein the first surface is disposed on the first plate and the second plate.

8. The display system of claim 7, wherein the second image data is provided in response to phase of flight.

9. The display system of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate and the second being angled with respect to one another, the second plate comprising at least the portion of the first surface, the first surface being parallel with the second surface of the head down display, the first plate and the second plate including diffraction gratings for injecting and ejecting light from the image source.

10. A head up display, comprising;

a waveguide combiner comprising a top edge and a bottom edge, wherein the waveguide combiner is configured to be disposed above and below a top surface of a glare shield, the glare shield having a bottom surface, wherein the waveguide combiner is configured to provide an image on a first portion of a first surface between the top edge and the bottom edge, wherein the first surface is a continuous viewing surface from a top of the first surface to a bottom of the first surface, wherein the top is in front of a portion of a windshield through which an environment is viewable, wherein the first surface is between a user and the windshield and extends below the glare shield and the first surface is disposed in front of at least an edge of a portion of the glare shield between the top surface of the glare shield and the bottom surface of the glare shield, wherein a top of the continuous viewing surface is in front of the portion of the windshield through which the environment is viewable and is disposed in front of the portion of the glare shield between the top surface of the glare shield and the bottom surface of the glare shield.

11. The head up display of claim 10, wherein the bottom edge of the waveguide combiner is disposed adjacent a bottom edge of a head down display.

12. The head up display of claim 11, wherein the waveguide combiner provides a synthetic vision image or an enhanced vision image.

13. The head up display of claim 12, further comprising:

processing electronics configured to provide a second image on the head down display continuous with the synthetic vision image or the enhanced vision image.

14. A head up display, comprising:

a waveguide disposed at least partially above a top surface of a glare shield, the waveguide being configured as a combiner to allow viewing of an outside scene and first information from an image source, wherein the waveguide comprises at least a first portion of a first surface for viewing the outside scene and the first information by a user, wherein the waveguide is configured to be disposed such that the first surface is between the user and a windshield;

a head down display below the top surface of the glare shield, wherein the first surface of the waveguide comprises a bottom edge, the bottom edge extending below the top surface of the glare shield and wherein at least a second portion of the first surface is between a second surface of the head down display and the user, wherein the second surface is for providing second information from the head down display to the user, wherein the first surface of the waveguide is a continuous viewing surface between a top edge of the waveguide and the bottom edge of the waveguide, wherein the top edge of the waveguide is in front of a portion of the windshield through which the outside scene is viewable, and a top of the continuous viewing surface is in front of the portion of the windshield through which the outside scene is viewable and a bottom of the continuous viewing surface is in front of or below the head down display; and

a projector configured to provide a first image on the waveguide and a second image on the waveguide and in front of a screen of the head down display, the second image comprises a vision image or synthetic vision image continuous with a view of an environment through the head down display.

15. The head up display of claim 14, wherein the first image comprises another enhanced vision image or another synthetic vision image conformally mapped with the view of the environment through the waveguide.

16. The head up display of claim 14, wherein the first image comprises flight symbols conformally mapped with the view of the environment through the waveguide.

17. The head up display of claim 14, wherein the waveguide has a bottom edge extending to or past a bottom edge of the head down display.

18. The head up display of claim 14, wherein the bottom edge of the waveguide is at least partially below the glare shield.

19. The head up display of claim 14, wherein the head down display comprises a large area display.

20. The head up display of claim 14, wherein the head down display provides a third image and the second image is provided in response to phase of flight.