Aircraft Head-Mounted Display Dynamic Virtual Distance Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft pilots face difficulty in simultaneously viewing cockpit surroundings and piloting assistance information displayed on head-mounted devices (HMDs) due to the need to strain their eyes to accommodate between interior cockpit elements and the virtual display distance, which is typically set to infinity, making it hard to see both clearly.
Innovation Solution
A display system that secures a display device to the pilot's head, featuring a display computer that adjusts the virtual display distance based on the pilot's head orientation and cockpit geometry, allowing clear viewing of both cockpit elements and information without eye strain, using sensors for head orientation and position, and optionally a distance measurement device for precise adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the virtual display distance is set to infinity, then the user can see information clearly when looking outside the aircraft through the windscreen, but the user must strain to accommodate eyes when looking at interior cockpit elements located at finite distances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the virtual display distance based on the user's head orientation and the distance to cockpit elements. The display computer calculates the distance to cockpit elements using sensor data and cockpit geometry models, then dynamically modifies the virtual display distance to match these distances, allowing clear viewing of both exterior and interior elements without eye strain.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical parameter of virtual display distance from a fixed infinity setting to a variable parameter that adapts to the user's viewing conditions. By modifying the collimation distance parameter based on detected head orientation and calculated distances to cockpit elements, the system enables comfortable viewing at multiple depths.
2Device complexity
If the virtual display distance is fixed at infinity, then the display system is simple to implement, but the user cannot clearly see both cockpit elements at various distances and the displayed information simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static fixed-distance display to a dynamic adaptive display that responds to user head orientation and cockpit element positions. Sensors detect head orientation in real-time, the display computer calculates distances to relevant cockpit elements, and the virtual display distance is dynamically adjusted to enable simultaneous clear viewing of multiple depths.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where sensors continuously monitor head orientation, the display computer calculates the distance to cockpit elements based on this orientation and stored geometry data, and the virtual display distance is adjusted accordingly. This closed-loop feedback enables the display to adapt to changing viewing conditions and maintain optimal clarity.
3Ease of operation
If head-mounted displays are used to allow viewing without lowering the head, then the user can maintain situational awareness, but the user experiences eye strain when trying to view both the display and interior cockpit elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the virtual display distance dynamic rather than fixed, allowing it to adapt to the user's head orientation and the distances to cockpit elements. This dynamic adjustment eliminates the need for the user's eyes to accommodate between fixed-distance display and variable-distance cockpit elements, thereby preventing eye strain while maintaining head-mounted display benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the collimation distance parameter of the display based on detected head orientation and calculated distances to cockpit elements. By adjusting this optical parameter in real-time, the display matches the focal distance to cockpit elements, eliminating accommodation strain while preserving the hands-free, situational awareness benefits of head-mounted displays.
Data Source
AI summary
A display system for a cockpit of an aircraft comprises a display device configured to be secured to a user's head in the cockpit of the aircraft. A display computer is configured to control the display of information on the display device. The display computer is configured to determine a distance between the head of the user and an element of the cockpit intersecting with a direction corresponding to a current orientation of the head of the user, when the user looks inside the cockpit, and to control a virtual display distance of the display device, corresponding to the distance between the head of the user and the element of the cockpit.