Night Vision Display Pixel Group With Dimmer Sub-Pixel

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing head-worn displays and helmet-mounted displays face challenges in achieving high dynamic range and consistent night vision imagery, particularly in driving color sub-pixel displays across a large dynamic range and maintaining white balance at low luminance levels.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a display element with pixel groups containing a sub-pixel with a maximum brightness dimmer than the other sub-pixels, such as a white or green sub-pixel, optimized for night mode applications. This architecture allows for improved night vision imaging performance by maintaining white balance and simplifying gamma correction across varying brightness levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If color sub-pixel displays are used to achieve white night vision imagery, then white balance can be maintained, but driving the display across a large dynamic range becomes extremely difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewhite balance maintenanceVSAvoiddisplay driving complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display is segmented into multiple pixel types within each pixel group: at least one monochrome pixel (first pixel type) and at least one color pixel (second pixel type). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each pixel type for different functions - monochrome pixels for high brightness white imagery and color pixels for colored imagery, resolving the contradiction between maintaining white balance and simplifying display driving across large dynamic ranges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Illumination intensity

If the display is optimized for high brightness white imagery, then contrast and brightness are improved, but performance at low luminance levels deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewhite imagery brightnessVSAvoidlow luminance performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different pixel types within the same pixel group have different local qualities optimized for different conditions. Monochrome pixels are optimized for high brightness white imagery with higher contrast and brightness, while color pixels are optimized for colored imagery and low luminance performance. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between high brightness white imagery performance and low luminance performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If a dimmer sub-pixel is added to pixel groups, then night vision imaging performance is improved, but the number of sub-pixels per pixel group increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenight vision imaging performanceVSAvoidpixel group structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pixel group structure is designed to be multi-functional, serving both high brightness white imagery and colored imagery needs. By including both monochrome and color pixels within the same pixel group, the display achieves improved night vision imaging performance while maintaining the ability to display colored imagery, making the pixel group design universal for multiple functions rather than requiring separate designs for different imaging modes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3832632B1Night vision display
Publication Date: 2025.01.29 ROCKWELL COLLINS INC
  • EP3832632B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3832632B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3832632B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system may include a display element (116). The display element may include pixel groups (710). Each of the pixel groups may include: a first sub-pixel (702) configured to output light of a first color; a second sub-pixel (704) configured to output light of a second color; a third sub-pixel (706) configured to output light of a third color; and a fourth sub-pixel (708) configured to output light, wherein the fourth sub-pixel has a maximum brightness that is dimmer than a maximum brightness of each of the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel.