Optical Transmission Layer for Ambient-Adaptive Display Dimming
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle displays, especially those in aircraft, face challenges in maintaining visibility across a wide dynamic luminance range due to ambient illumination conditions, which limits their compatibility with both daytime and nighttime use.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an optical transmission layer that can adjust the luminance of illuminated images output from a display, using electrochromic or liquid crystal cells, in response to ambient light sensor signals to achieve a wider dimming range beyond the native capabilities of the display device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the display device operates at high luminance for daytime visibility, then visibility during daytime is improved, but visibility during nighttime deteriorates due to excessive brightness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the optical transmission layer可调 (adjustable) to change its light transmission properties in real-time. The layer transitions between different transmission states (e.g., clear to dimmed) based on ambient lighting conditions, allowing the display to adapt its effective luminance output dynamically. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the display to maintain optimal visibility across varying ambient light levels without requiring multiple fixed-luminance display devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical transmission layer serves as an intermediary between the display device and the viewer's eye. It modulates the light emitted by the display before it reaches the viewer, effectively decoupling the display's native luminance output from the perceived luminance. This intermediary layer allows the display to operate at high luminance while the optical layer reduces transmission during nighttime, solving the adaptability problem without modifying the display device itself.
2Illumination intensity
If the display device increases its native luminance output range, then nighttime visibility is improved, but daytime visibility deteriorates due to insufficient peak brightness
Solution Approach 1:
The optical transmission layer provides dynamic control over light transmission, compensating for the display's limited native luminance range. During daytime, the layer operates in a high-transmission state to allow maximum display brightness to pass through. During nighttime, it switches to a low-transmission state to reduce the effective luminance. This dynamic adjustment extends the display's effective luminance range without modifying the display's native output capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the optical transmission parameter of the layer based on ambient lighting conditions. By controlling the transmission parameter (e.g., through electrochromic, liquid crystal, or PDLC material transitions), the system effectively extends the display's luminance range. The layer acts as a multiplicative factor on the display output, allowing the same display to achieve both high peak luminance for daytime and low minimum luminance for nighttime.
3Illumination intensity
If the display device reduces minimum luminance for nighttime dimming, then nighttime visibility is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to loss of gray level discrimination
Solution Approach 1:
The optical transmission layer acts as a mediator that uniformly scales down the entire luminance range including all gray levels. Instead of reducing the display's minimum luminance output, the layer reduces the transmission of all luminance levels proportionally. This preserves the relative differences between gray levels while achieving the required minimum luminance for nighttime viewing, thereby maintaining gray level discrimination and image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the dimming function from the display's luminance output dimension to the optical transmission dimension. The display maintains its native gray level structure and luminance ratios, while the optical layer introduces a transmission dimension that uniformly attenuates all levels. This separation preserves the display's gray level discrimination capability while achieving the required minimum luminance through optical attenuation rather than electronic dimming.
4Illumination intensity
If the display device increases peak luminance for daytime brightness, then daytime visibility is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical transmission layer serves as an intermediary that provides peak luminance enhancement without requiring the display to operate at high power continuously. During daytime, the layer switches to high-transmission mode, allowing the display to operate at lower power while still achieving sufficient peak luminance. During nighttime, the layer provides optical dimming, allowing the display to reduce power consumption. This decouples the relationship between display output and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic or conditional switching of the optical transmission layer between different transmission states based on ambient lighting conditions. The layer transitions between high-transmission and low-transmission states, allowing the display to operate at optimized power levels for each condition. This periodic adjustment enables peak luminance on-demand rather than continuous high-power operation, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining daytime visibility when needed.
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 solution enables vehicle displays to maintain optimal visibility across varying ambient lighting conditions, extending their dynamic luminance range and ensuring compatibility with both daytime and nighttime operations without requiring modifications to the display device.
Implementation Method 1
the optical transmission layer comprises at least one of at least one electrochromic cell or at least one liquid crystal cell
Implementation Method 2
the optical transmission layer comprises at least one of at least one electrochromic cell or at least one liquid crystal cell
Implementation Method 3
the at least one ambient light sensor configured to output at least one ambient light sensor signal indicative of at least one ambient light brightness
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes an optical transmission layer configured to allow a first luminance of illuminated images output from a display to pass through the optical transmission layer at a given time and to allow a second luminance of the illuminated images output from the display to pass through the optical transmission layer at another given time. The second luminance is one of dimmer or brighter than the first luminance.