A method and system for automatic adjustment of luminance of an aircraft cockpit interior lighting device

Abstract

This invention discloses a method and system for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit. The method includes: step S1, determining acquired images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit within the pilot's field of vision; step S2, determining the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; step S3, determining the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; and step S4, determining a brightness adjustment signal for the light-emitting device based on the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, combined with the correspondence between the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the light-emitting device. The advantages of this invention are: wider applicability to various lighting environments, higher suitability for brightness adjustment of the light-emitting device, and better conformity to the visual characteristics of the human eye.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft cockpits, and in particular, to a method and system for automatically adjusting the brightness of lighting equipment inside an aircraft cockpit. Background Technology

[0002] To improve pilots' efficiency in recognizing flight information under complex and changing internal and external lighting environments, reduce pilot workload, and thus enhance flight performance and safety, equipping aircraft cockpit lighting systems with automatic dimming functionality has become a technological trend. Currently, existing automatic cockpit dimming systems use photosensitive sensors distributed throughout the cockpit to collect illuminance information from typical locations within the cockpit and automatically dim the cabin's lighting equipment. The drawbacks of this approach are that the photosensitive sensors can only collect illuminance distribution information within the cockpit and cannot comprehensively reflect the light distribution within the pilot's field of vision. Furthermore, the difference in ambient light levels between the aircraft cockpit and the external environment is significant, especially with small-angle glare in front of the cockpit (e.g., localized glare from the sun during takeoff and landing at dawn and dusk, or reflections from small-angle, high-brightness clouds at high altitudes). Automatic dimming based on the cockpit illuminance distribution cannot adequately brighten the cabin's lighting equipment, failing to guarantee the readability and visibility of flight information. In such cases, the pilot must manually adjust the cabin's lighting equipment to a suitable brightness level, increasing the pilot's workload and impacting flight safety. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that the automatic dimming method based on the cabin illuminance distribution information collected by the photosensitive sensor in a specific scenario cannot guarantee the readability and visibility of flight information. The present invention provides an automatic brightness adjustment method and system for the luminous devices inside the aircraft cockpit.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a method for automatically adjusting the brightness of an indoor lighting device in an aircraft cockpit, comprising: Step S1: Determine the captured images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit within the pilot's field of vision; Step S2: Determine the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit based on the acquired images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; Step S3: Based on the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, determine the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; and, Step S4: Based on the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, and combined with the correspondence between the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the light-emitting device, determine the brightness adjustment signal of the light-emitting device.

[0005] The beneficial effects include: a wider range of applicable lighting environments, greater adaptability to brightness adjustment of light-emitting devices, better alignment with human visual characteristics, and the ability to effectively reduce pilot workload and improve system dimming efficiency.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit, in step S1, the ambient light acquisition zones inside and outside the aircraft cockpit are determined, the ambient light acquisition zones are within the pilot's field of vision, and the ambient light acquisition zones are equipped with image sensors.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the method for automatically adjusting the brightness of the light-emitting devices inside the aircraft cockpit, in step S1, the division rules for the ambient light acquisition zones inside and outside the aircraft cockpit are defined as follows: the ambient light acquisition zones inside the aircraft cockpit are divided according to the spatial layout and surface material distribution characteristics of the aircraft cockpit; the ambient light acquisition zones outside the aircraft cockpit are expanded outward from the center of the pilot's field of vision according to a specified rule.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit, in step S2, the method for determining the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit is as follows: based on the acquired images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, the grayscale distribution of the acquired images is determined; based on the correspondence between the grayscale of the image and the brightness of the ambient light, the grayscale distribution of the acquired images is converted into the corresponding brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit, in step S3, the glare level includes three factors: glare brightness, area, and position.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the automatic brightness adjustment method for luminous devices inside an aircraft cockpit, in step S4, the correspondence between the brightness levels and glare levels of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the luminous device is obtained through a calibration test. In the calibration test, a ground-based aircraft simulator simulates the aircraft cockpit and its internal and external ambient light. Based on the subjective perception of the luminous device by the test personnel, the correspondence between the brightness levels and glare levels of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the luminous device is determined.

[0011] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, another technical solution of the present invention is as follows: an automatic brightness adjustment system for indoor lighting equipment in an aircraft cockpit, comprising: The acquisition module is used to acquire images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit to determine the pilot's field of vision. The processing module is used to determine the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit based on the acquired images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; and, The control module is used to determine the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit based on the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; and to determine the brightness adjustment signal of the light-emitting device based on the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, combined with the correspondence between the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the light-emitting device.

[0012] The beneficial effects include: a wider range of applicable lighting environments, greater adaptability to brightness adjustment of light-emitting devices, better alignment with human visual characteristics, and the ability to effectively reduce pilot workload and improve system dimming efficiency.

[0013] In addition to the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical features constituting the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by the technical features of these technical solutions as described above, other technical problems that the present invention can solve, other technical features contained in the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects brought about by these technical features will be further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cabin method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the ambient light distribution acquisition area outside the cabin according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the ambient light distribution acquisition area outside the cabin according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be noted that these descriptions of embodiments are intended to aid in understanding the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0019] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The automatic brightness adjustment system and method for aircraft cockpit interior lighting equipment can be used in different aircraft types and cabin environments. The aircraft types include, but are not limited to, fighter jets, transport aircraft, and civil aircraft.

[0020] The automatic brightness adjustment system for the aircraft cockpit interior lighting equipment includes: a data acquisition module, a processing module, a control module, and lighting equipment. The data acquisition module is communicatively connected to the processing module. The processing module is also communicatively connected to the control module. The control module is further communicatively connected to the lighting equipment.

[0021] As shown in step S01, the image sensor layout is designed based on the cockpit layout, such as above the pilot's helmet, on the side wall, or near the front projection display. Several typical near-diffuse reflection surfaces of the main functional areas collected by each image sensor are selected within the cockpit, and their location parameters are calibrated. The external field of view within the pilot's field of vision is then divided into zones, and their location parameters are calibrated. (See [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 3 concentric circle partitions and Figure 4 The image sensor is divided into concentric rectangular partitions. Each image sensor is calibrated to test its image grayscale versus ambient light intensity. The positional parameters of the typical areas inside and outside the cockpit, along with the image grayscale versus ambient light intensity relationship algorithm for each image sensor, are integrated into the processing module.

[0022] As shown in step S02, under different ambient light distributions with varying levels of light intensity and glare inside and outside the cabin, experiments are conducted on the human visual comfort recognition dimming of various light-emitting devices inside the cabin. A functional relationship is constructed between the ambient light intensity and glare levels inside and outside the cabin and the comfortable recognition brightness of the light-emitting devices, and the algorithm of the functional relationship is integrated into the control module.

[0023] Passengers on board can turn on the automatic dimming mode / switch via the dimming control device. The lighting control device sends this signal to the dimming control module. After receiving the signal, the dimming control module activates the automatic dimming function of the cabin dimming system.

[0024] As shown in steps S11 and S15, the cabin interior and exterior ambient light image acquisition module uses several calibrated image sensors to acquire image grayscale distribution information of typical areas inside and outside the cabin, and sends it to the image brightness distribution processing unit. The image brightness distribution processing unit converts the image grayscale distribution into a brightness distribution based on the grayscale-ambient light brightness relationship of each sensor. Then, the image brightness distribution processing unit statistically calculates the brightness statistics of each typical area to identify whether glare exists. If glare exists, it analyzes and calculates the glare spot's statistical brightness, area, and position factor to calculate the glare characteristic value. Finally, it sends the brightness statistics and glare characteristic values ​​of each area inside and outside the cabin to the dimming control module. The dimming control module calculates the dimming control signals for various devices based on the ambient light brightness levels inside and outside the cabin, the glare levels, and the comfortable recognition brightness function relationship of various light-emitting devices, and sends them to the corresponding light-emitting devices. The light-emitting devices respond to the dimming control signals and dim accordingly.

[0025] The above description merely illustrates embodiments of the present invention and is quite specific and detailed; however, it should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for automatically adjusting the brightness of lighting equipment inside an aircraft cockpit, characterized in that, include: Step S1: Determine the captured images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit within the pilot's field of vision; Step S2: Determine the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit based on the acquired images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; Step S3: Based on the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, determine the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; and, Step S4: Based on the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, and combined with the correspondence between the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the light-emitting device, determine the brightness adjustment signal of the light-emitting device.

2. The method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the ambient light acquisition zones inside and outside the aircraft cockpit are determined, and the ambient light acquisition zones are within the pilot's field of vision.

3. The method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the rules for dividing the ambient light acquisition zones inside and outside the aircraft cockpit are defined as follows: the ambient light acquisition zones inside the aircraft cockpit are divided according to the spatial layout and surface material distribution characteristics of the aircraft cockpit; the ambient light acquisition zones outside the aircraft cockpit are expanded outward from the center of the pilot's field of vision according to specified rules.

4. The method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S2, the method for determining the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit is as follows: based on the acquired images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, the grayscale distribution of the acquired images is determined; based on the correspondence between the grayscale of the image and the brightness of the ambient light, the grayscale distribution of the acquired images is converted into the corresponding brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit.

5. The method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, the glare level includes three factors: glare brightness, area, and location.

6. The method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, the correspondence between the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the light-emitting device is obtained through calibration tests.

7. The method for automatically adjusting the brightness of light-emitting devices inside an aircraft cockpit according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the calibration test, the aircraft cockpit and its internal and external ambient light are simulated by a ground-based aircraft simulator. Based on the subjective perception of the test personnel's visual recognition of the light-emitting device, the correspondence between the brightness level and glare level of the internal and external ambient light of the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the light-emitting device is determined.

8. An automatic brightness adjustment system for lighting equipment inside an aircraft cockpit, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit to determine the pilot's field of vision. The processing module is used to determine the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit based on the acquired images of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; and, The control module is used to determine the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit based on the brightness distribution of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit; and to determine the brightness adjustment signal of the light-emitting device based on the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit, combined with the correspondence between the brightness level and glare level of the ambient light inside and outside the aircraft cockpit and the comfortable recognition brightness of the light-emitting device.

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