Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Yazaki North America, Inc.

Rockwell International Corporation

Rockwell Science Center, Inc.

Brian P Dehmlow

Ching Fong

Zinoviy Kelman

Joseph A Pasek

James D Sampica

Martin J Steffensmeier

Richard L Robertson

Scott A Bottorf

Gary D Bishop

Mark A Woytassek

Thomas A Seder

David F Beat

William S Ebeltoft

Masaki Adachi

Mark C Skarohlid

A gauge is provided. The gauge includes a housing and a bearing plate that can be coupled to the housing. The bearing plate defines a first aperture. The gauge includes a pointer coupled to the bearing plate that has a proximal and a distal end. The pointer end can be mounted to the bearing plate such that the distal end extends into the first aperture. The gauge includes a light guide that defines a second aperture, and can be coupled to the bearing plate such that the second aperture is aligned with the first aperture and the distal end of the pointer extends into the second aperture. The gauge includes an appliqu&#xe9; fitted over the light guide, and one or more light sources in communication with the light guide to provide light to the light guide for transmission to the pointer and the appliqu&#xe9;.

System and method for analog vehicle gauge with embedded driver information

A vehicle display having an LCD display that is employed to communicate a first type of vehicle information and a second set of vehicle information in which the information that is to be communicated can include or consist of symbols. A display light guide is employed to distribute light from two light sources to selectively illuminate portions of the display screen of the LCD display. The LCD display can be employed to generate telltale warning indicators. The LCD display provides flexibility in the display of information so that a relatively large quantity of telltale warning indicators can be handled without specifically dedicating a light source, a light tunnel and space on the vehicle display for each telltale warning indicator that may be employed in a vehicle.

Incorporation of telltale warning indicators into driver information center

A display device with a face, a pointer, a drive unit, a light guide, a housing member, a first light source and a plurality of second light sources. The face has translucent face indicia and a plurality of translucent indicators. The pointer is disposed on a front side of the dial face and is driven by an output shaft of the drive unit. The light guide, which is disposed rearwardly of the dial face and surrounds the output shaft, includes a guide structure into which a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart apertures are formed. Each of the apertures are aligned to an associated one of the indicators. The housing member is disposed rearwardly of the light guide and includes a plurality of light tunnels, each of which extending into an associated one of the apertures. The first light source disposed rearwardly of the light guide and disposed about the output shaft. The second light source having a plurality of lamps, each of which being disposed in a corresponding one of the light tunnels and being operable for transmitting light through the corresponding one of the light tunnels and illuminating a corresponding one of the indicators.

Display device with light guide

A projection display is provided according to one embodiment of the invention. The projection display includes a hollow case including a window opening, a screen formed on one portion of the case, and at least one mirror internally mounted to the case at a position to reflect light from the window opening to the screen. The projection display further includes a window mounted in the window opening. The projection display further includes an optical engine mounted to the case. The optical engine is positioned over the window and oriented so that emitted light from the optical engine is directed onto the at least one mirror. The projection display further includes a diaphragm internally attached to the case and dividing an internal volume of the case into a first portion and a second portion. The projection display further includes a gas filling the second portion of the case at an overpressure and a vent communicating with the first portion of the case and communicating with an external environment. The vent at least partially equalizes the overpressure of the second portion with a pressure of the external environment.

Projection display for a aircraft cockpit environment

A method of compensating for differential aging of independent emitters in a display is disclosed. According to the method, an image on the display is periodically sampled to determine how often each independent emitter is used. A history is compiled of the use of each independent emitter for a predetermined time. The amount of luminance decay that each independent emitter has experienced over the predetermined time is estimated. The maximum luminance of each independent emitter is adjusted so that the maximum luminances of all of the independent emitters is substantially the same as the maximum luminance of the independent emitter that has experienced the most decay.

Method for eliminating latent images on display devices

An apparatus and method for illuminating a projection display which includes multiple light sources which are integrated through a multi-input ported light pipe disposed between the multiple lamps and the remainder of the projection display.

Apparatus and method for integrating light from multiple light sources

An apparatus and method for illuminating a tiled projection display which includes a first polarizing beam splitting prism which separates incident light into two beams of orthogonally polarized light, where one of the beams is directed to a first LCD, and the other is caused to cross over to and illuminate an adjacent LCD.

Apparatus and method for using orthogonally polarized light in projection cockpit displays

An apparatus for correcting a reverted image is disclosed. The apparatus includes first, second, and third axially aligned lenses. The first and third lenses each have a first focal length in a first plane and a second focal length in a second plane that is orthogonal to the first plane. The second lens is disposed between and coaxially aligned with the first and third lenses. The second lens has a third focal length in the first plane and a fourth focal length in the second plane. The reverted image passes through the first, second, and third lenses and is reversed along one of the first and second planes to thereby correct the reverted image.

Lens-based image reversion system

An apparatus and method for aligning portions of a tiled projection display which become misaligned during operation of the display, including interposing at least one two-dimensionally electro-mechanically gimballed glass plate in the projection path of one of the display sections. Sensing the misalignment of the tiles and automatically adjusting the alignment in response thereto. Further having apparatus and steps for alignment of the tiles based upon operational characteristics of an aircraft upon which the display is used.

Apparatus for aligning multiple projected images in cockpit displays

A method and apparatus for minimizing diffraction effects on flat panel displays. The flat panel display includes a plurality of display elements, each display element including a first structural feature having an edge and a second structural feature disposed on the first structural feature. The edge of the first structural feature causes incident rays from a point light source to generate diffraction effects due to the Fresnel reflectance difference in the boundary between the first and second structural features. The display further includes an edge texture on the edge of the first structural feature to minimize the diffraction effects into a more diffused diffraction pattern.

Flat panel displays having an edge texture

A display apparatus adapted for viewing by a person wearing linearly polarized lenses, such as sunglasses, is disclosed. The display apparatus includes a display device, such as an LCD or a filtered TFEL display, which displays information by providing as an output linearly polarized light travelling toward the person viewing the display apparatus. A quarter-wave plate is positioned between the display device and the linearly polarized lenses of the sunglasses. The quarter-wave plate receives the linearly polarized light from the display device as an input and provides as an output circularly polarized light which passes through the linearly polarized lenses of the sunglasses substantially without attenuation.

Display apparatus having quarter-wave plate positioned to eliminate

A multi-contact LCD heater system which include several contacts disposed around the periphery of a resistive film deposited on a substrate in which each contact is dynamically controlled in response to input from various temperature sensors. The control allows for each contact to be connected to a high potential or a low potential source or remain isolated. Spatial, temporal and amplitude modulation of the heat applied to the LCD is achieved.

Dynamic multi-contact display heater system

A non-emissive display unit such as a liquid crystal display is disclosed. The non-emissive display unit is adapted for mounting in a rack or panel. The non-emissive display unit includes a display cabinet and a non-emissive display device which is coupled to the display cabinet such that insertion of the display cabinet into the rack or panel mechanically and/or electrically couples the non-emissive display device to the rack or panel. The non-emissive display unit also includes a light source mounted to the rack or panel adjacent the display cabinet such that the light source can be removed and replaced from the rack or panel without decoupling or removing the non-emissive display device from the display cabinet. Insertion of the display cabinet into the rack or panel optically couples the display device inside the cabinet to the light source mounted to the rack or panel.

External luminaire for panel or rack mounted display units

A dual filament fluorescent lamp where the individual filaments are disposed along diameter lines of a fluorescent tube and are disposed on differing planes at differing heights within the tube with a predetermined separation between the tube filaments and the filaments being disposed in a perpendicular fashion when viewed from above. The primary filament is disposed above the secondary filament and it has a larger diameter that the secondary filament.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Rapids, IA, United States of America

Brian P Dehmlow