Patent Abstract:
A transparent flexible display film is applied to a vehicle windshield, either as a film applied to the surface of the windshield or as a layer in the laminated glass comprising the windshield. A connected computer renders a synthesized view of the external environment around the vehicle, including visual representations of information received from an on-board data sensor or from an external source. No special glasses or helmets are required for the operators and if the system fails, the display film is transparent and will not impede the operators view.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Current heads-up display (HUD) systems require complex display projection/combiner hardware. A typical HUD contains a projector unit, a combiner, and a display computer. The projection unit in a typical HUD is an optical collimator with a convex lens or concave mirror and a display element producing an image where the light is collimated. The combiner is typically an angled flat piece of glass (a beam splitter), located directly in front of the viewer, that redirects the projected image from projector in such a way as to see the field of view and the projected image at the same time. The combiner may have a special coating that reflects the monochromatic light projected onto it from the projector unit while allowing all other wavelengths of light to pass through. In some optical layouts, combiners may also have a curved surface to refocus the image from the projector. 
     Existing HUD systems are not suitable for installation into many airplanes because of weight and complexity. Consequently, it would be advantageous if an apparatus existed that is suitable for providing HUD functionality in vehicles. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a transparent film display system that may be implemented to provide HUD functionality in some embodiments. 
     In one aspect, the inventive concepts disclosed herein are directed to a transparent flexible display film applied to a surface. The transparent flexible display film is applied to a vehicle window much like tinting membranes. Informational indicators are rendered on the transparent flexible display film. In some embodiments, the transparent flexible display film may be made an integral part of the glass similar to laminated safety glass. A computer control port connects a computer to the transparent flexible display film. 
     In some applications, the computer may present to the occupants a synthesized view of the external environment around the vehicle to protect the occupants from external sources of danger such as IED&#39;s, and small arms fire. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and should not restrict the scope of the claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The numerous advantages of the embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of a transparent display system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 2  shows an environmental view of a transparent display system according to one embodiment of the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 3  shows an environmental view of one embodiment of a transparent display system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein; 
         FIG. 4  shows an environmental view of one embodiment of a transparent display system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein incorporated into an automobile; 
         FIG. 5  shows an environmental view of one embodiment of a transparent display system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein incorporated into an automobile; 
         FIG. 6  shows an environmental view of one embodiment of a transparent display system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein incorporated into an automobile; 
         FIG. 7A  shows an environmental view of one embodiment of a transparent display system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein incorporated into an aircraft; 
         FIG. 7B  shows an environmental view of one embodiment of a transparent display system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein incorporated into an aircraft; 
         FIG. 7C  shows an environmental view of one embodiment of a transparent display system according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein incorporated into an aircraft; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the subject matter disclosed, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein is limited only by the claims; numerous alternatives, modifications and equivalents are encompassed. For the purpose of clarity, technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the embodiments has not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a transparent display system  100  according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein is shown. The computer system  100  includes a processor  102  and memory  104  connected to the processor  102  for storing computer executable code. The transparent display system  100  also includes a transparent flexible display film  106  connected to the processor  102 . In some embodiments, a touch-sensitive film  108  connected to the processor  102  may overlay the transparent flexible display film  106 . In some embodiments, a camera  110  may be connected to the processor  102  for head or eye tracking. Further, in some cases a head tracking system other than the camera  110  may be implemented, such as an inertial measuring unit, an optical tracker, a magnetic tracker, or combinations thereof. 
     The transparent flexible display film  106  may comprise transparent conductors based on silver nanowires and organic light emitting diodes (OLED), active matrix organic light emitting diodes (AMOLED) or other appropriate technology for creating a transparent flexible display film  106 . Silver nanowires have significantly higher optical and electrical conductivity than other currently used materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO) and other transparent conductors. In one embodiment, the transparent flexible display film  106  may be applied to a glass windshield; alternatively, the transparent flexible display film  106  may be incorporated into the Laminated glass windshield of an aircraft or other vehicle to create safety glass with embedded display capability. The direct use of the windshield as compared to a combiner allows the processor  102  to display HUD or other appropriate information directly in the operator&#39;s view. A person skilled in the art may appreciate that “transparent,” as used in the present disclosure refers to light transmission sufficient to allow a user to resolve external details through a window including transparent flexible display film  106 . 
     In some embodiments, the transparent flexible display film  106  may be applied to non-transparent surfaces in a vehicle. 
     The transparent flexible display film  106  may be produced via  3 D printing or specialized ink-jet printing to print circuitry onto a transparent film for quickly creating circuitry. Further, some materials, for example polyimide, PEEK, or transparent conductive polyester, allow circuit boards and OLED/AMOLED displays to be applied to curved surfaces. 
     The transparent display system  100  may also include an antenna  112  connected to the processor  102 . The processor  102  receives data corresponding to an external event, such as a weather related phenomena, and renders an image of the external event on the transparent flexible display film  106 . The processor  102  may select a rendering location based on a known location and orientation of the transparent flexible display film  106  and a location of the external event based on the received data. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , an environmental view of an embodiment of a transparent display system  200  according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein is shown is shown. A transparent flexible display film  202  is connected to a computer via a data cable  204 , or some other wireless connection, and applied to a transparent surface such as a cockpit window  201 . 
     In some embodiments, the transparent flexible display film  202  may comprise a touch sensitive film  208 , also connected to the computer via the data cable  204 . 
     While certain specific embodiments described herein refer to a transparent flexible display film  202  applied or incorporated into a windshield, some embodiments may be incorporated into other windows and surfaces in a vehicle. Furthermore, transparent flexible display films  202  covering various windows and surfaces in a vehicle may be configured to allow continuous images across more than one transparent flexible display film  202 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an environmental view of one embodiment of a transparent display system  300  according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein is shown incorporated into an aircraft cockpit. One or more exterior windows  301  of the aircraft include a transparent flexible display film  302  applied to the interior surface of the exterior window  301 , or incorporated as a layer in a laminated glass exterior window  301 . The transparent flexible display film  302  is connected to a computer in the aircraft via a data cable  304  or a wireless data communication mechanism. In at least one embodiment, the computer system may be incorporated into an avionics system that also provides data to standard glass cockpit display  306  systems. 
     Information displayed via the transparent flexible display film  302  may be HUD type cues or ghost information from an active panel in the glass cockpit display  306 . In some embodiments, the transparent display system  300  may receive critical notifications from some avionics sub-system and replicate relevant avionics data on a transparent flexible display film  302  so that the operator is made aware of all relevant data to deal with the critical notification without looking away from the cockpit exterior window  301 . In some embodiments, the transparent display system  300  may display a critical notification warning on the transparent flexible display film  302 , within the likely line-of-sight of the operator. Operators are thereby less likely to ignore or miss critical notifications or information. 
     In some embodiments, the transparent display system  300  may receive data from an avionics system indicating the position and orientation of the aircraft, and produce graphical representations of important phenomena, approximately overlaid against the actual phenomena from the pilot&#39;s perspective based on the likely position of the pilots head. For example, the position or direction of otherwise invisible weather phenomena such as clear air turbulence may be indicated. Likewise, runway edges may be accentuated or “Lanes in the sky” as described in by FAA NextGen may be outlined against the actual sky. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , an environmental view of an exemplary embodiment of a transparent display system  400  according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein is shown incorporated into an automobile. A transparent flexible display film is applied to an automobile windshield  401  or incorporated as a layer in the laminated glass comprising the windshield  401 . Information displays  402 ,  404 ,  406 ,  408  traditionally relegated to an automobile dashboard may be displayed on the transparent flexible display film. 
     Additionally, because the information displays  402 ,  404 ,  406 ,  408  are instantiated in a display film, the information displays  402 ,  404 ,  406 ,  408  may be repositioned. For example, a first information display  402  may be moved from a first position ( 402 ) to a first information display second position  502 . Likewise, a second information display  404  may be moved to a second information display second position  504 , a third information display  406  may be moved to a third information display second position  506 , and a fourth information display  408  may be moved to a fourth information display second position  508 . 
     In some embodiments, the transparent display system  400  connected to the transparent flexible display film may define one or more fixed second positions  502 ,  504 ,  506 ,  508  designed to keep the information displays information displays  402 ,  404 ,  406 ,  408  within the line of sight of the driver. In another embodiment, the second positions  502 ,  504 ,  506 ,  508  may be adjustable by the user, for example via a touch sensitive film. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , an environmental view of an exemplary embodiment of a transparent flexible display system  600  according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein is show incorporated into an automobile. A transparent flexible display film is applied to an automobile dashboard  601 . Information displays  602 ,  604 ,  606 ,  608  traditionally relegated to an automobile dashboard  601  may be displayed on the transparent flexible display film. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7A-7C , environmental views of an embodiment of a transparent display system  700  according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein are shown incorporated into an aircraft. An aircraft includes windshields  708  and exterior windows  701  including transparent flexible display films. A computer generating images on the transparent flexible display films, and connected to avionics systems on board the aircraft, may identify visual events, such as a proximate aircraft  704 , that should be highlighted or data that may be represented visually. In one embodiment, the computer knows or is calibrated to know the location of the pilot&#39;s head  706 . The computer generates visual indicia  702  at a location on the transparent flexible display film corresponding to the intersection of a line defined by the pilot&#39;s head  706  and an indicated visual event, such as the proximate aircraft  704 , and the exterior window  701  or windshield  708  as appropriate. The visual indicia  702  indicate where the pilot should look to visually identify a critical event. The location of the visual indicia  702  on the transparent flexible display film may be updated periodically based on orientation of the aircraft and the changing location of the proximate aircraft  704 . 
     In addition, the computer may identify the pilot&#39;s actual line-of-sight  712 , for example with an eye-tracking camera, and project a motion line  710  on the transparent flexible film indicating where the pilot should look to see the visual indicia  702 . Further, the computer may render a visual representation of “lanes in the sky”  708  based on known, defined locations of such lanes  708  and the position and orientation of the aircraft and the known location of the pilot&#39;s head  706 . 
     Some embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein obviate the need for heavy, specialized glass and projection systems in existing HUD systems by displaying information directly on the windshield of an aircraft or other vehicle. This type of thin film display allows installation into a wider range of vehicles without the added weight and cost of a HUD projection and mounting bracket with specialized glass. Further, whereas some combiner glass coatings where operable in a wavelength range corresponding to a single color, embodiments of the present disclosure may utilize a full spectrum of colors. Some embodiments render a synthesized view of the external environment around the vehicle, including visual representations of information received from an on-board data sensor or from an external source through an antenna. 
     It is believed that the inventive concepts disclosed herein and many of their attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description of embodiments of the inventive concepts, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the broad scope of the inventive concepts disclosed herein or without sacrificing all of their material advantages. The form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof, it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1