Abstract:
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&#39;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.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The inventive concepts disclosed herein relate generally to avionics displays installed in aircraft cockpits, and more particularly to resizable emissive displays installable aboard a variety of aircraft. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The amount of interior surface area available within aircraft is at a premium, especially so within the cockpit. As a result, cockpit design must maximize the available square inches of surface area for displays and gauges. Large-area displays may make versatile use of space, but smaller displays and gauges must still fit around larger displays. As airframe sizes vary, so do cockpit sizes. A display layout designed for a smaller cockpit may not maximize usable space in a larger cockpit. Similarly, a layout designed for a larger cockpit may not fit in a smaller cockpit. The end result is point solutions to the display arrangement problem. Due to the low volume and high cost associated with development, customized emissive displays for the avionics market are generally not cost effective. An emissive display refers generally to a display that, as opposed to liquid crystal displays, does not require a backlight. It may therefore be desirable to improve the customizability and reusability of emissive avionics display components to more efficiently maximize usable surface area across a broad variety of cockpit sizes. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to an emissive avionics display unit configured to display images to a viewer. In one embodiment, the emissive avionics display unit includes a housing. In one embodiment, the emissive avionics display unit includes a display substrate coupled with the housing, the display substrate having a plurality of emissive devices and including a visible portion and a non-visible portion. In one embodiment, the emissive avionics display unit includes drive electronics electronically coupled to the plurality of emissive devices, the drive electronics configured to drive the plurality of emissive devices to display at least one image on the visible portion of the display substrate. 
     In a further aspect, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a method for repurposing an emissive avionics display unit of a first aircraft for installation in a second aircraft, the emissive avionics display unit including a display substrate removably positioned in a first housing associated with the first aircraft (i.e., sized to meet the requirements of the first aircraft/cockpit). In addition, the display surface may have a visible portion corresponding to the first housing and a first non-visible portion. In one embodiment, the method includes removing the display substrate from the first housing. In one embodiment, the method includes resizing the first visible portion of the display substrate into a second (i.e., smaller or larger) visible portion, the second visible portion corresponding to a second housing associated with the second aircraft. In one embodiment, the method includes positioning the resized display surface in the second housing. In one embodiment, the method includes installing the display unit into the second aircraft. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a front/side view of an embodiment of an emissive avionics display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 1B  is an inset view of a display surface of an emissive avionics display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of an emissive device of an emissive display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  are front views of the interior surfaces of aircraft cockpits; 
         FIG. 4A  is front/side view of a display surface of an emissive avionics display unit according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 4B  is a front view of a display surface of an emissive avionics display unit according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 4C  is a front/side view of an emissive avionics display unit according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 5A  is a front/side view of a display surface of an emissive avionics display unit according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 5B  is a side view of an emissive avionics display unit according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 6A  is a front/side view of a display surface of an emissive avionics display unit according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; and 
         FIG. 6B  is a side view of an emissive avionics display unit according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; and 
         FIG. 7  is a process flow diagram illustrating a method according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Features of the inventive concepts disclosed herein in their various embodiments are exemplified by the following descriptions with reference to the accompanying drawings, which describe the invention with further detail. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not necessarily restrictive of the inventive concepts disclosed and claimed herein. These drawings depict only selected embodiments of the invention, and should not be considered to limit its scope in any way. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates an embodiment of an emissive display unit  100  for avionics applications according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein. The display unit  100  may include a housing  102 , the housing  102  surrounding at least a portion of a display surface (ex.—display substrate)  104  and including drive electronics  106  therein. As shown by inset view  108  of emissive display unit  100 , illustrated by  FIG. 1B , the housing  102  may further include an array of emissive devices  110 . The display surface  104  may be a thin, flexible, translucent surface having a width X and a height Y and sized to fit the housing  102 . The drive electronics  106  may in turn be connected to onboard processors and sensors (not shown) as well as the emissive devices  110  situated within the housing  102 . The emissive devices  110  may include organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). The housing  102  may be sufficiently thin and flexible so as to comprise a thin substrate within which the display surface  104  and the emissive devices  110  are deposited or situated. In addition, the housing  102  and the display surface  104  may be sufficiently thin and flexible so that the emissive display unit  100  may have a generally convex, concave, adjustably planar, or nonplanar surface. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the emissive devices  110  may incorporate multiple sandwiched layers. Each emissive device  110  may include one or more layers of material positioned between a cathode layer  114  and an anode layer  116 , the anode layer  116  proximate to the display surface  104 . For example, the cathode layer  114  and the anode layer  116  may comprise an array of vertical or horizontal bars spanning the width X or the length Y of the display surface  104 , defining an emissive device  110  at each point of intersection. The drive electronics  106  may include a drive circuit (ex.—voltage source)  112  configured to apply a voltage across one or more emissive devices  110  so that a current of electrons  118  flows through the emissive device  110  from the cathode layer  114  to the anode layer  116 . The emissive device  110  may include one or more conductive layers  120  (e.g., a hole transport layer  120   a , an electron transport layer  120   b ) configured to inject or transport electrons  118  from the cathode layer  114 , and electron holes  122  (positively charged absences of electrons) from the anode layer  116 , through one or more emissive layers  124  comprising organic light-emitting material. For example, the emissive layers  124  of an emissive display unit  100  configured for color display (e.g., RGB) may comprise emissive material configured to emit red ( 124   a ), green ( 124   b ), and blue ( 124   c ) light. The emissive device  110  may thereby compare to an individual pixel visible ( 104   a ) on the display surface  104 , with variances in color defined by the emissive output of red materials  124   a , green materials  124   b , and blue materials  124   c , and variances in brightness defined by variances in the current supplied by the drive circuit  112 . 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates a first aircraft cockpit  120   a . The dashboard  122   a  (ex.—interior surface/s) of the first aircraft cockpit  120   a  may have sufficient surface area to accommodate four emissive display units  100  as well as additional gauges and displays. Each individual emissive display unit  100  may be situated in a housing  102  and include a display surface  104  having a width X.  FIG. 3B  illustrates a second aircraft cockpit  120   b . The second aircraft cockpit  120   b  may have a dashboard  122   b  with a smaller overall surface area, capable of accommodating four alternative housings  124 , each alternative housing  124  having a width X′ less than the width X of the housing  102  shown by  FIG. 3A . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the display surface  104  of the emissive display unit  100  may be resized by folding a non-visible (ex.—obscured) portion  104   c  behind the visible portion  104   b  of the display surface  104 . In one embodiment, as shown by  FIG. 4A , the non-visible portion  104   c  is defined by any axis  128  parallel to the width X or the length Y of the display surface  104 . For example, a single dimension of the display surface  104  may be reduced (i.e., reducing the width of the display surface  104  from X to X′) by folding the display surface  104  (shown by arrow  126   a ) along a vertical or horizontal axis  128 . In one embodiment, as shown by  FIG. 4B , the display surface  104  may be reduced in size by folding a corner (non-visible portion  104   c ) under the visible portion  104   b  along a diagonal axis  128  of the display surface  104 , in order to fit a housing of irregular size or shape (not shown). Referring to  FIG. 4C , the resulting visible portion  104   b  may be visible to the viewer when reinstalled in an alternative housing  124  of truncated width X′. In addition, the drive electronics  106  of the emissive display unit  100  may be programmed to account for the reduced visible portion  104   b  by activating only those emissive devices  110  within the visible portion  104   b  (and not those within the non-visible portion  104   c ). 
     The display surface  104  may be made of a thin and flexible material allowing the non-visible portion  104   c  to be folded behind the visible portion  104   b  without impairing the long term functionality of the emissive devices  110  within the non-visible portion  104   c . For example, a resizable display surface  104  may allow the emissive display unit  100  to fit a smaller alternative housing  124 , cockpit  120   b  or dashboard  122   b  (as shown by  FIG. 3B ) while reusing the display surface  104  and drive electronics  106  of the original emissive display unit  100 , at a significant savings as opposed to full redesign and/or manufacture of a customized emissive display unit  100  having a display surface  104  of width X′. In one embodiment, the truncated display surface  104  illustrated by  FIG. 4C  may be increased in size (e.g., to fit a larger housing  102 , cockpit  120   a , or dashboard  122   a  (as shown by  FIG. 3A )) by unfolding the non-visible portion  104   c  from behind the visible portion  104   b.    
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the display surface  104  of emissive display unit  100  (as illustrated by  FIG. 1A ) can be resized to a truncated width X′ by rolling (as indicated by arrow  126   b ) the non-visible portion  104   c  under the visible portion  104   b , as illustrated by  FIG. 5A . For example, the non-visible (ex.—obscured) portion  104   c  may be rolled ( 126   b ) underneath the visible portion  104   b  along a vertical or horizontal axis  128  to reduce a single dimension of the display surface  104  (e.g., from width X to truncated width X′) . The non-visible portion  104   c  may be a corner of the display surface  104  rolled underneath the visible portion  104   b . In one embodiment, the resized display surface  104  may be reinstalled or repositioned in the alternative housing  124  of the emissive display unit  100 , as illustrated by  FIG. 4C , and the drive electronics  106  reconnected. In one embodiment, a display surface  104  is increased in size by unrolling the non-visible portion  104   c  from behind the visible portion  104   b . For example, the display surface  104  illustrated by  FIG. 5B  may be restored to a width X by unrolling the non-visible portion  104   c  and mounting the display surface  104  (now of width X) to a housing  102  of the appropriate size. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , the display surface  104  of the emissive display unit  100  may be permanently reduced in size (e.g., from width X to truncated width X′) by cutting (as indicated by dashed line  130 ) the non-visible portion  104   c  from the visible portion  104   b . For example, the non-visible portion  104   c  may be cut from the visible portion  104   b  along a vertical or horizontal axis (as shown by dashed line  130 ,  FIG. 6A ) to reduce a single dimension of the display surface  104 , or a corner or other irregular shape may be cut from the visible portion  104   b  of the display surface  104  so that the visible portion  104   b  conforms to an alternative housing  124  of truncated or irregular size. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a method  200  for repurposing an emissive display unit  100  of a first aircraft cockpit  120   a  for installation in a second aircraft cockpit  120   b , the emissive display unit  100  including at least a display surface (ex.—display substrate)  104  removably positioned in a first housing  102  associated with the first aircraft cockpit  120   a.    
     At step  210 , the method  200  removes the display surface  104  from the first housing  102 . 
     At step  220 , the method  200  resizes the visible portion of the display surface  104  into a second visible portion  104   b  and a second non-visible portion  104   c , the second visible portion  104   b  corresponding to a second housing  124  associated with the second aircraft cockpit  120   b . In one embodiment, the method  200  increases the size of the first visible portion to leave a larger second visible portion  104   b  of the display surface  104 . For example, the size of the first visible portion may be increased by unrolling a non-visible portion of the display surface from behind the first visible portion along an axis  128  of the display surface  104 . The size of the first visible portion may be increased by unfolding a non-visible portion of the display surface from behind the first visible portion along an axis  128  of the display surface  104 . In one embodiment, the method  200  decreases the size of the first visible portion to leave a smaller second visible portion  104   b  of the display surface  104 . For example, the size of the first visible portion may be decreased by rolling a portion  104   c  of the first visible portion behind the first visible portion along an axis  128  of the display surface  104 . The size of the first visible portion may be decreased by folding a portion  104   c  of the first visible portion behind the first visible portion along an axis  128  of the display surface  104 . The size of the first visible portion may be decreased by cutting a portion  104   c  of the first visible portion from first visible portion along an axis  128  of the display surface  104 . 
     At step  230 , the method  200  positions the resized display surface (corresponding to second visible portion  104   b ) in the second housing  124 . 
     At step  240 , the method  200  installs the emissive display unit  100  into the second aircraft cockpit  120   b.