Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Ricky J Johnson

Albert N Stuppi

Donald E Mosier

Brian W Walker

Clint L Gosch

Blake P Covington

Hong-Son Ryang

James D Sampica

Leslie F Warren, Jr

Craig E Harwood

Jon J Freesmeier

Michael R Jones

David J Gulick

An inexpensive system for maintaining an LCD display above an operative temperature includes ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) incorporated into a backlight structure. The UV LEDs operate in a frequency range sufficiently removed from the visible band to not interfere with the user. A temperature sensor continuously or periodically monitors the temperature of the LCD and activates the UV LEDs to maintain the LCD in a predetermined temperature range for a desired response time.

System and method to heat LCDs using UV LEDs

A system, a display, and a method. The display may include a backlight including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), the plurality of LEDs comprising a first group of LEDs and a second group of LEDs. The display may further include a processor communicatively coupled to the plurality of LEDs. The processor may be configured to: cause the first group of LEDs to pulse; and cause the second group of LEDs to pulse, wherein the first group of LEDs pulse out of phase from the second group of LEDs.

Backlit display dimming system and method

A display including a curved backlight and system for stray light control is disclosed. In embodiments, the curved backlight includes a curved substrate and an array of light sources disposed on the curved substrate, collimating optics, and a diffuser. The array of light sources includes a first group of light sources and a second group of light sources. The collimating optics are arranged to receive and collimate light only from the first group of light sources. The diffuser is arranged to receive and diffuse the collimated light from the collimating optics and light from the second group of light sources. The display further includes a liquid crystal layer arranged to receive light generated by the array of light sources and to display an image. The display further includes a controller configured to control the array of light sources such that at least some of the light sources emit light.

Curved backlight and system for stray light control

A display system includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display and a controller. The display includes an array of pixels, each pixel comprising a first group of subpixels and a second group of subpixels. The first group of subpixels includes single subpixels of different colors. The second group of subpixels includes one or more subgroups of subpixels, where each subgroup includes a plurality of subpixels of the same color. The controller is configured to provide a voltage to the first group of subpixels and to at least one of the subpixels of each subgroup of subpixels according to a first data format. The controller is configured to provide a voltage to at least another of the subpixels of each subgroup of subpixels, and not to the first group of subpixels, according to the second data format.

Pixel design and method to create formats which extends OLED life

A backlight assembly uses one or more lighting elements and a light guide to provide backlight with a reduced number of lighting elements. The light guide is optically coupled with the one or more lighting elements and is configured to receive light at one or more locations, internally reflect the light at the extremities of the light guide, extract the light from the light guide, and radiate the light from a surface of the light guide to backlight an area.

Compact waveguide backlight system and method

An illuminated keypanel includes an input device. The input device has control symbology. The illuminated keypanel also includes an organic light emitting diode (OLED) sheet. The OLED sheet provides illumination to the control symbology of the input device.

OLED lighting for avionic keypanels

An emissive avionics display unit includes a thin, flexible emissive display surface that may be resized for reuse in a larger or smaller housing. The display surface may be removed from its housing and folded over, rolled over, or cut along an axis of the surface so that a smaller visible portion remains on which images may be displayed by the emissive display unit's drive electronics. The display surface may also be increased in size by unfolding or unrolling previously folded or unrolled portions. Resizing allows the emissive display surface and its drive electronics to be reused or customized to fit display housings of nonstandard shape or size, which housings may in turn be designed to conform to a broad variety of cockpit sizes and available surface areas.

Resizing of emissive displays for avionics applications

The present invention is a display assembly including: a display and a backlight module, the backlight module including a prism structure. The backlight module generates light rays and directs the light rays to the display for illuminating the display. The prism structure of the backlight module is configured for causing the light rays to be directed to the display and for causing substantially all of the light rays to be emitted from the display assembly via the display into a pre-determined viewing envelope (ex.&#x2014;towards an eye position of a viewer of the display.

System and method for providing a tailored angular distribution of light from a display

The present invention is directed to a display assembly. The display assembly includes a display panel and a backlight module. The backlight module may be operationally coupled to the display panel and may include a light source and light guide. The light guide may be operationally coupled to the light source. The light guide may include a top surface (oriented towards the display panel) and a bottom surface (oriented towards the light source). The light source may provide a plurality of light rays to the light guide via the bottom surface of the light guide, thereby providing a rear lit wave guide (ex.&#x2014;a rear lit light guide). Further, the light guide may receive the plurality of light rays and direct them, via the top surface of the light guide, to the display panel for illuminating the display panel.

High efficiency rear lit waveguide

The present invention is a display assembly including: a display, a backlight module and a plurality of grills. The backlight module generates light rays for illuminating the display. The generated light rays exit the backlight module and are directed to a set of grills (ex.&#x2014;Black Matrix substrates), which are configured between the backlight module and the display. The grills are configured for allowing a first portion of the light rays (ex.&#x2014;light rays directed toward an eye position of a viewer of the display) to pass through the grills to the display, but are also configured for blocking a second portion of the light rays (ex.&#x2014;light rays directed away from the viewer), thus preventing the second portion of light rays from reaching the display. The first portion of light rays are then received by and emitted from the display towards the eye position of the viewer.

System and method for providing a light control mechanism for a display

A display includes a light source. The display also includes a filter positioned to receive light from the light source. The filter is a dye-based filter and attenuates light in the infrared range. The filter can be configured to have a very sharp spectral cutoff. The filter can be an NVIS filter. The display can be utilized in an avionic display system with night vision equipment. The filter can include a host polymer doped with a dye including cobalt or nickel.

Dye-based filter

The display includes a light source and a filter positioned to receive light from the light source. The filter has a different wavelength characteristic depending upon an angle of incidence of light thereon. The angle of incidence is adjustable. The display can be utilized in an avionic display system with night vision equipment. The wavelength characteristic can be a cutoff wavelength characteristic.

Growing community of inventors

Shellsburg, IA, United States of America

Ricky J Johnson