Ambient-Light Adaptive Display With Priority Icon Contrast

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display technologies struggle with maintaining user perception of information importance and readability across varying lighting conditions and color perception abilities, leading to difficulties in differentiating symbols and controls.

Innovation Solution

A dynamically adjustable display system that adjusts hue configurations and contrast ratios based on environmental conditions, using a display controller to manage color codes and prioritize icons based on importance and user color perception, ensuring consistent contrast ratios across different lighting conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If different color palettes are used to improve readability in various lighting conditions, then visibility is improved, but user perception of information importance is affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisibility in various lighting conditionsVSAvoiduser perception of information importance

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by maintaining consistent contrast ratios specifically for priority icons while allowing other display elements to adapt to lighting conditions. This ensures that critical information retains its visual hierarchy and importance perception regardless of the overall color palette changes driven by environmental lighting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes color parameters (hue, saturation, brightness) based on lighting conditions while preserving the contrast ratio parameter for priority elements. This selective parameter adjustment allows the display to adapt to environmental conditions without compromising the visual importance hierarchy of different information elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If optimized color palettes are used to enhance display readability, then visual clarity is improved, but usability for users with color detection difficulties is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay readabilityVSAvoidusability for users with color detection difficulties

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the display information into priority and non-priority elements, applying different contrast management strategies to each. Priority icons maintain consistent high contrast ratios independent of the overall color palette, making them distinguishable for users with color detection difficulties while still providing optimized readability for standard users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

By applying local quality enhancement to priority icons through consistent contrast ratio maintenance, the system ensures that critical information remains accessible to users with color detection difficulties while allowing the rest of the display to utilize optimized color palettes for enhanced readability in various lighting conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of information

If contrast ratios are adjusted to prioritize specific icons, then information hierarchy is improved, but overall display consistency is affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation hierarchyVSAvoiddisplay consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by maintaining consistent contrast ratios specifically for priority icons while allowing other display elements to adapt to lighting conditions. This ensures that critical information retains its visual hierarchy and importance perception regardless of the overall color palette changes driven by environmental lighting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes color parameters (hue, saturation, brightness) based on lighting conditions while preserving the contrast ratio parameter for priority elements. This selective parameter adjustment allows the display to adapt to environmental conditions without compromising the visual importance hierarchy of different information elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4641360A1Dynamically adjustable display

Publication Date: 2025.10.29 CATERPILLAR INC

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AI summary

Systems and methods for operating a display (112) of a device (100) are described herein. The display (112) is configured to adjust the hue of the display (112) depending on the ambient light conditions around the display (112). To assist a user of the device (100) in determining a priority condition of the device (100), the device (100) is configured to use color contrasts to focus the attention of the user to one or more icons (708, 712, 716) on the display (112), thus prioritizing icons (708, 712, 716) relative to other, lower priority icons (708, 712, 716) associated with other conditions of the device (100). Additionally, the contrast used can be adjusted by the user to potentially account for varying degrees of color blindness. The display (112) can be set to one or more test contrasts, whereby a user selects the contrast that works the best for the user.