Electrically dimmable combiner optics for head-up display

• US 7,893,890 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2007
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Kelly, Brian D., Romig, Emma
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Duc Q
• Application Number:
  US11/682,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20080218434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 345/102, 345 7- 9, 345/35, 345/36, 345/37, 345/38
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/334 Projection means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0118 comprising devices for improving the contrast of the display / brillance control visibility
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing an electrically dimmable combiner optics for head-up displays are disclosed. In one embodiment, a dimmable head-up display includes a display portion configured to provide head-up display information to an operator. Additionally, a dimmable portion is coupled to the display portion configured to change a transmissivity of the display portion from a first transmissivity level to a second transmissivity level.

Claims

1. A dimmable head-up display, comprising:

a display portion configured to provide head-up display information to an operator, the display portion to enable the operator to view a field-of-view through the display portion where the field-of-view is situated such that the display portion is located between the operator and the field-of-view; and

a dimmable portion coupled to the display portion and configured to adjust a transmissivity of light thorough the display portion, the dimmable portion including a plurality of dimmable segments configured to independently vary levels of transmissivity of light through each of the plurality of dimmable segments based at least in part on a measured level of ambient light, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of dimmable segments form an elliptical viewing area within the dimmable display to define an outer segmenting parameter and an inner segmenting parameter that is surrounded by the outer segmenting parameter, the inner segmenting parameter accommodating the operator'"'"'s direct line of sight and the outer segmenting parameter accommodating the operator'"'"'s peripheral vision, and wherein at least one of the inner segmenting parameter or the outer segmenting parameter is subdivided into sub-segments that independently vary levels of transmissivity of light through each of the sub-segments.

2. The head-up display of claim 1, further comprising a combiner control system in communication with the dimmable portion and configured to receive one or more inputs including:

a manual control input from an operator; and

a light sensor input from a light sensor to measure the level of ambient light.

3. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the head-up display is configured in one of:

a helmet mounted head-up display;

a movable visor head-up display; and

a fixably mounted head up display in a moveable platform.

4. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the display portion is configured to receive a projected display from a projector.

5. The head-up display of claim 1, wherein the display portion includes a liquid crystal display to provide information to the operator.

6. A system for providing a dimmable head-up display, comprising:

a dimmable combiner configured to provide head-up display information to an operator, the dimmable combiner adjustable from a substantially transparent level to a less transparent level, the combiner being at least partially transparent such that the operator can view objects beyond the combiner, the dimmable combiner including a plurality of dimmable segments that define at least an outer segment and an inner segment that is circumscribed by the outer segment, wherein the inner segment accommodates the operator'"'"'s direct line of sight and the outer segment accommodates the operator'"'"'s peripheral vision, and wherein at least one of the inner segment or the outer segment is subdivided into sub-segments that independently vary levels of transmissivity of light through each of the sub-segments;

a light sensor configured to detect the light intensity of an environment proximate the dimmable combiner; and

a combiner control module configured to receive a light sensor signal from the light sensor and transmit control signals to the at least the outer segment and the inner segment of the dimmable combiner for adjusting the transmissivity of the dimmable combiner.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a manual combiner control input configured to receive an operator input, the combiner control module configured to receive the operator input from the manual combiner control input, the control signal for adjusting the transparency of the dimmable combiner depending on at least one of the operator input and the light sensor signal.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

an imaging device configured to produce an image of a head-up display with the combiner for viewing by an operator; and

an imaging control module configured to receive an input from the light sensor and transmit a signal to the imaging device for adjusting the head-up display on the dimmable combiner.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the imaging control module is configured to receive a manual imaging control input configured to receive an image input, the imaging control module configured to receive the image input from the manual imaging control input and transmit the image input to the imaging device for adjusting the imaging device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the combiner control module is in communication with the imaging control module, the combiner control module sending a signal to the imaging control module when the combiner control module adjusts the transparency of the combiner, the imaging control module processing the signal and adjusting transparency of the imaging device to improve the head-up display information visibility for the operator.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the dimmable head-up display is configured for at least one of an aircraft and a passenger vehicle.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein head-up display includes a fail-safe setting configured to increase the transmissivity of the dimmable combiner to a substantially transparent state.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the dimmable combiner utilizes one of an electrochromic layer and a photochromic layer to adjust the transmissivity of the dimmable combiner.

14. A method for providing a dimmable head-up display to enable an operator to view information on a substantially transparent display, comprising:

receiving an input from an operator to control a transmissivity of light through at least a portion of a dimmable head-up display;

receiving a light intensity value from a light sensor; and

adjusting a transmissivity of a plurality of segments of the dimmable head-up display based at least in part on the input from the operator and the light intensity value, the adjustment of the transmissivity to individually increase or reduce the transparency of each of the plurality of segments of the dimmable head-up display, the dimmable head-up display enabling the operator to view objects beyond the dimmable head-up display, wherein the input from the operator causes an proportional adjustment of the transmissivity of light across the plurality of segments of the dimmable head-up display while the light sensor value causes each of the plurality of segments of the dimmable head-up display to individually adjust based on the light sensor value such that a first segment includes a different adjustment than a second segment of the plurality of segments, wherein the first segment is an outer segmenting parameter and the second segment is an inner segmenting parameter that is surrounded by the outer segmenting parameter, and wherein the inner segmenting parameter accommodates the operator'"'"'s direct line of sight and the outer segmenting parameter accommodates the operator'"'"'s peripheral vision, and wherein at least one of the inner segmenting parameter or the outer segmenting parameter is subdivided into sub-segments that independently vary levels of transmissivity of light through each of the sub-segments.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising incrementally adjusting the transmissivity of the combiner utilizing the light intensity measurement in a closed loop system until a light intensity limit is obtained through the head-up display.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting a projection display on the dimmable combiner, the projection display providing a head-up display viewable by the operator.