Selective Zone Heating for Aircraft Display Warm-Up

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large-format display devices in aircraft require lengthy warm-up times, especially in cold environments, which can lead to delayed detection of critical warnings, potentially causing engine damage and endangering personnel due to increased power consumption of traditional heating techniques that exceed available aircraft power.

Innovation Solution

A system with multiple heating layers and a controller that selectively heats localized zones of the display substrate, prioritizing critical areas like engine-indicating and crew-alerting information before warming up the rest, to reduce overall warm-up time while managing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If traditional heating techniques are used to warm-up the entire display substrate, then the display device reaches adequate operating temperature, but the power consumption exceeds available aircraft power and warm-up time is excessively long

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay substrate operating temperatureVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The display substrate is divided into multiple display zones (first display zone, second display zone, third display zone) with corresponding heating layer portions. The controller activates heating in specific zones sequentially rather than heating the entire substrate simultaneously, reducing peak power consumption while achieving necessary temperature thresholds for critical displays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different heating strategies are applied to different display zones based on their criticality. The first display zone (critical warnings) receives heating priority with higher power allocation, while less critical zones are heated subsequently or with lower power, optimizing the balance between display performance and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Temperature

If traditional heating techniques are used to warm-up the entire display substrate, then the display device reaches adequate operating temperature, but warm-up time is excessively long which delays critical warning display

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay substrate operating temperatureVSAvoidwarm-up time
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The controller initiates heating in the first display zone (containing critical engine warnings) immediately upon power-up, before other zones. This preliminary action ensures that critical information can be displayed as soon as possible, reducing the effective warm-up time for safety-critical functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The heating process occurs in periodic stages: first heating cycle targets the critical first display zone, then subsequent heating cycles address the second and third display zones. This staged periodic approach allows critical zones to reach temperature faster while still warming up the entire display over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Use of energy by moving object

If selective zone heating is implemented, then power consumption is reduced and warm-up time is decreased, but the display device may have non-uniform temperature distribution

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidtemperature uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The controller dynamically adjusts heating parameters based on real-time temperature feedback from sensors in different display zones. Heating power and duration are modulated to achieve uniform temperature distribution across all zones, compensating for the selective heating approach and preventing thermal gradients that could affect display quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Temperature sensors monitor the thermal state of each display zone, and the controller uses this feedback information to adjust heating power accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that even though heating is applied selectively to different zones at different times, the final temperature distribution across the entire display substrate remains uniform and within operating specifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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 significantly reduces warm-up times for large-format display devices, ensuring critical information is displayed promptly without exceeding aircraft power limits, thus enhancing safety and operational efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

generate a first electrical current within the first heating layer portion in order to increase a temperature of the first display zone of the display substrate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentEP3792685B1System and method for optimizing warm-up time on large format displays
Publication Date: 2023.10.11 ROCKWELL COLLINS INC
  • EP3792685B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3792685B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3792685B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

A system for optimizing warm-up time of a display device (301) may include a display device including a display substrate (302) configured to display at least one image, the display substrate including a first display zone (312a) and at least one additional display zone (312b). The display device may further include one or more heating layers (318) including a first heating layer portion and at least one additional heating layer portion. The system may further include a controller (304) configured to: generate a first electrical current within the first heating layer portion in order to increase a temperature of the first display zone of the display substrate; and generate at least one additional electrical current within the at least one additional heating layer portion in order to increase a temperature of the at least one additional display zone of the display substrate.