Augmented situation awareness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9443356-B2
Application number	US-201414151529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2014
Priority date	Jan 9, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems for augmenting situational awareness using a controllable window are described. An environmental condition within a field of view of the controllable window is determined. Light transmissivity of the controllable window is selectively changed based on the determined environmental condition. In some implementations, multiple points of view can be provided to multiple viewers.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A windscreen apparatus for an aircraft comprising:
at least one windscreen; and
a controller configured to calculate position of objects within a field of view of the at least one windscreen;
wherein:
the objects include one or more of aircraft, weather hotspots, or other hazards;
the objects are detected based on image data from on-board image sensors and on-board or system data;
light transmission properties of the at least one windscreen is selectively controllable by the controller to cause changes in light transmissivity of selected portions of the at least one windscreen based on the calculated position of the objects within the field of view;
the calculated position of the objects is calculated based on known 3D positions of the objects and a calculated position of the at least one windscreen and a calculated direction and speed of the at least one windscreen;
portions of the at least one windscreen are selectively tinted with a first tint option of a plurality of tint options;
a selected subset of the portions of the at least one windscreen are selectively tinted with a second tint option of the plurality of tint options based on the 3D positions of the objects, the position of the at least one windscreen, the direction of the at least one windscreen, and a position of a calculated head/eye position of at least one viewer; and
the second tint option is selected so as to reduce an amount of tint for an area around and including a selected object.

2. The windscreen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein light transmission properties of the at least one windscreen is selectively controllable by the controller to cause rendering of textual or graphic information on the at least one windscreen based on the calculated position.

3. The windscreen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light transmission properties of the at least one windscreen is selectively controllable based on at least two different viewing positions.

4. The windscreen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one windscreen comprises an overlaid LCD layer.

5. The windscreen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one windscreen comprises embedded particles for controlling light transmissivity.

6. The windscreen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light transmission properties of the at least one windscreen is further selectively controllable based on input from light sensors.

7. The windscreen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light transmission properties of the at least one windscreen is further selectively controllable based on input from an imaging device.

8. The windscreen apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the light transmission properties of the at least one windscreen is further selectively controllable based on analysis of the input from the imaging device to recognize the objects within the field of view.

9. The windscreen apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the windscreen apparatus is installed on an aircraft and the controller is communicatively coupled with at least one system of the aircraft.

10. A method for controlling an aircraft windshield with selectively controllable areas of light transmissivity, the method comprising:
calculating position of objects within a field of view of the windshield, wherein the objects include one or more of aircraft, weather hotspots, or other hazards and the objects are detected based on image data from on-board image sensors and on-board or system data;
calculating positions of the objects based on known positions of the objects and a calculated position of the windshield, a calculated direction of the windshield, and a speed of the windshield;
selectively changing light transmissivity of portions of the windshield to cause tinting with a first tint option of a plurality of tint options; and
selectively changing a selected subset of the portions of the windshield with a second tint option of the plurality of tint options based on the position of the windshield, 3D positions of the objects within the field of view of the windshield, the calculated position of the windshield, the calculated direction of the windshield, and a position of a calculated head/eye position of at least one viewer;
wherein the second tint option is selected so as to reduce an amount of tint for an area around and including a selected object.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the object is an environmental condition within the field of view of the windshield.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the object is the sun, and the selectively changing comprises selectively darkening a portion of the windshield in the field of view.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the environmental condition is determined to be a nighttime condition, and the selectively changing comprises causing the transmissivity to be transparent.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the environmental condition is determined to be a low visibility condition, and the selectively changing comprises causing the windshield to implement a color filter.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the selectively changing is further based on input from light sensors.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the selectively changing is further based on input from an imaging device.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising determining a current position and velocity of the object.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the selectively changing is further based on a predetermined eye position of a first viewer.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the selectively changing is further based on a predetermined eye position of a second viewer, wherein light transmissivity in at least two areas of the windshield is selectively changed so that the eye positions of the first and second viewers are accounted for.

20. A system for augmenting situational awareness using a controllable window, the system comprising:
means for calculating position of objects within a field of view of the controllable window, wherein the objects include one or more of aircraft, weather hotspots, or other hazards and the objects are detected based on image data from on-board image sensors and on-board or system data;
means for calculating positions of the objects based on known positions of the objects and a calculated position of the controllable window, a calculated direction of the controllable window, and a speed of the controllable window;
means for selectively changing light transmissivity of portions of the controllable window to cause tinting with a first tint option of a plurality of tint options; and
selectively changing a selected subset of the portions of the controllable window with a second tint option of the plurality of tint options based on the position of the controllable window, positions of the objects within the field of view of the controllable window, the calculated position of the controllable window, the calculated direction of the controllable window, and a position of a calculated head/eye position of at least one viewer;
wherein the second tint option is selected so as to reduce an amount of tint for an area around and including a selected one of the objects.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Kinderman Merian
• Puentes Antonio F
• Kneuper Nils
• Lutz Andre

Classifications

• G09G5/003 Primary

  Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto (specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092) · CPC title

• G09G2380/12

  Avionics applications · CPC title

• G09G2300/0456

  with a reflective area and a transmissive area combined in one pixel, such as in transflectance pixels · CPC title

• G09G2360/14

  Detecting light within display terminals, e.g. using a single or a plurality of photosensors · CPC title

• B64D43/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of instruments · CPC title