Multi-zone transparent display with gradient transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing night vision systems with transparent and/or semi-transparent digital display chips face a trade-off between tube performance and display performance, limiting their usefulness in various applications that require different functionalities such as low-power navigation or high-frame rate video.
Innovation Solution
A transparent optical device with multiple zones on a single semiconductor chip is used, where each zone has different display characteristics, such as transmission efficiency, pixel arrangement, and power draw, allowing for optimized performance in various applications without compromising light transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If transparent display chips are used to overlay digital information on night vision images, then digital information display capability is improved, but light transmission efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display chip is divided into multiple zones with different transparency characteristics. High-transparency zones allow maximum light passage for night vision images, while low-transparency zones provide better digital information visibility. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing both functions to coexist in different spatial regions of the same chip.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the display chip are assigned different optical properties (transparency levels) according to their specific functional requirements. The local quality principle allows each zone to be optimized for its particular purpose while maintaining overall system functionality.
2Use of energy by stationary object
If display chips are optimized for low-power navigation functionality, then power consumption is reduced, but video frame rate capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display chip is segmented into zones with different power consumption characteristics. Low-power zones can operate at reduced frame rates for navigation information, while high-performance zones maintain high frame rates for video display. This allows the system to achieve low overall power consumption while preserving high frame rate capability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different zones of the display chip can dynamically adjust their operational characteristics based on application requirements. The system can switch between low-power navigation mode and high-performance video mode by activating appropriate zones, providing adaptability without compromising either extreme.
3Productivity
If display chips are optimized for high frame rate video, then video performance is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the display chip into zones with different performance levels, the system can activate only the necessary high-performance zones for video display while keeping other zones in low-power mode. This reduces overall power consumption while maintaining high frame rate capability where required.
4Device complexity
If a single display chip design is used for all applications, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different applications deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display chip is designed with segmented zones that can be independently configured for different applications. This segmentation allows a single chip to adapt to multiple applications (navigation, video, mixed modes) without requiring multiple different chip designs, thus maintaining low device complexity while achieving high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-zone display chip is designed to perform multiple functions within a single device. By incorporating zones with different transparency and power consumption characteristics, the chip can serve various applications (low-power navigation, high-frame-rate video, or combinations thereof) without requiring separate specialized chips for each application.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables a single display to be designed for multiple applications, managing screen door effects and fill factor to tailor image quality to specific user needs, while maintaining adequate light transmission and flexibility in functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The transparent optical device is configured to transmit light in the first spectrum from the underlying device through the transparent optical device
Implementation Method 2
The first plurality of transparent regions are configured in size and shape to cause the first zone to have a first transmission efficiency for light in the first spectrum. The second plurality of transparent regions are configured in size and shape to cause the second zone to have a second transmission efficiency for light in the first spectrum, where the second transmission efficiency is different than the first transmission efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
A transparent optical device configured to be used with an underlying device. The underlying device is configured to provide output light. The optical device is configured to transmit light from the underlying device through the optical device. The optical device includes first and second zones. The first zone includes a first plurality of transparent regions formed in the first zone allowing light to pass through from the underlying device. The second zone includes a second plurality of transparent regions formed in the second zone which allow light in the first spectrum to pass through from the underlying device at a different transmission efficiency than the first zone.