Patents by Inventor Craig E. Harwood

Craig E. Harwood has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11282474
    Abstract: A multi-display-region display device can include a plurality of pixels, a first display region including a first subset of the plurality of pixels and a second display region including a second subset of the plurality of pixels. The second display region and the first display region can be adjacent to each other along a respective staggered boundary portion. The display device can include a first controller to control the first display region via a first plurality of control lines communicatively coupling the first controller to the first subset of pixels. The display device can include a second controller to control the second display region via a second plurality of control lines communicatively coupling the second controller to the second subset of pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Mosier, Steven R. Collins, Craig E. Harwood
  • Patent number: 10490111
    Abstract: A passively and nonintrusively monitoring liquid crystal display (LCD) system includes a graphics controller configured to generate alternating sets of drive instructions and forward the drive instructions for execution by drive electronics to activate display elements of a display surface. An initial set of drive instructions corresponding to a first frame causes the drive electronics to draw an initial pattern such as a solid red fill to selected regions of the display surface. An alternating set of drive instructions causes the drive electronics to draw a contrasting pattern such as a solid cyan fill to the selected regions. Given a sufficiently high refresh rate between the initial and alternating sets, a human operator perceives only the integration of the two patterns unless the display system is in a stuck or frozen state, when the frozen initial and contrasting patterns clearly and quickly indicate the stuck/frozen failure condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Mosier, Craig E. Harwood
  • Publication number: 20190180660
    Abstract: A passively and nonintrusively monitoring liquid crystal display (LCD) system includes a graphics controller configured to generate alternating sets of drive instructions and forward the drive instructions for execution by drive electronics to activate display elements of a display surface. An initial set of drive instructions corresponding to a first frame causes the drive electronics to draw an initial pattern such as a solid red fill to selected regions of the display surface. An alternating set of drive instructions causes the drive electronics to draw a contrasting pattern such as a solid cyan fill to the selected regions. Given a sufficiently high refresh rate between the initial and alternating sets, a human operator perceives only the integration of the two patterns unless the display system is in a stuck or frozen state, when the frozen initial and contrasting patterns clearly and quickly indicate the stuck/frozen failure condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2017
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Inventors: Donald E. Mosier, Craig E. Harwood
  • Patent number: 10275078
    Abstract: Touch sensors with multiple electrically isolated touch regions are disclosed. A touch sensor may include a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate may include two or more resistive layers covering two or more separate areas. The second substrate may include a continuous resistive layer that partially overlaps with each of the two resistive layers of the first substrate. The touch sensor may also include a first controller electrically connected to the continuous resistive layer of the second substrate and electrically connected to a first one of the two resistive layers of the first substrate, forming a first independently operable region. The touch sensor may further include a second controller electrically connected to the continuous resistive layer of the second substrate and electrically connected to a second one of the two resistive layers of the first substrate, forming a second independently operable region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig E. Harwood, Donald E. Mosier
  • Patent number: 9846509
    Abstract: Alternating touchscreen conductors in each layer of a touchscreen display are connected to separate touchscreen controllers. Each controller completely and separately resolves a location anywhere on the display so that a failure of either controller, or the failure of conductors connected to either controller, do not degrade touchscreen usability. Conductors in separate layers, connected to separate controllers may be isolated via insulators to prevent undesirable shorts. Conductors are shaped to minimize the area covered by insulators and maximize the area of useful conductor overlap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Donald E. Mosier, Craig E. Harwood
  • Publication number: 20170139521
    Abstract: Alternating touchscreen conductors in each layer of a touchscreen display are connected to separate touchscreen controllers. Each controller completely and separately resolves a location anywhere on the display so that a failure of either controller, or the failure of conductors connected to either controller, do not degrade touchscreen usability. Conductors in separate layers, connected to separate controllers may be isolated via insulators to prevent undesirable shorts. Conductors are shaped to minimize the area covered by insulators and maximize the area of useful conductor overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Donald E. Mosier, Craig E. Harwood
  • Patent number: 8780285
    Abstract: An apparatus for viewing stereoscopic images may include, but is not limited to: a first viewing lens including a first polarization layer; a second viewing lens including a second polarization layer; and one or more birefringence compensation layers. Further, the apparatus may be viewing glasses including a frame wearable by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert N. Stuppi, Bruce D. Hufnagel, Craig E. Harwood
  • Patent number: 8089579
    Abstract: The present invention is a display assembly including: a display, a backlight module and a plurality of grills. The backlight module generates light rays for illuminating the display. The generated light rays exit the backlight module and are directed to a set of grills (ex.—Black Matrix substrates), which are configured between the backlight module and the display. The grills are configured for allowing a first portion of the light rays (ex.—light rays directed toward an eye position of a viewer of the display) to pass through the grills to the display, but are also configured for blocking a second portion of the light rays (ex.—light rays directed away from the viewer), thus preventing the second portion of light rays from reaching the display. The first portion of light rays are then received by and emitted from the display towards the eye position of the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Ricky J. Johnson, Donald E. Mosier, Craig E. Harwood
  • Publication number: 20020003598
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display utilizes a dual-domain architecture to improve contrast, gray-scale linearity, and hue-angle performance over field of view. The dual domains can have angles of orientation or partitions which are not directly opposite. Also, the dual domains can employ an angle of twist of a value of less than or greater than 90°. By utilizing angles of orientation which are not opposite and angles of twist which are not 90°, the dual-domain structure can compensate for poor contrast, gray-scale linearity, and hue-angle performance. The liquid crystal display can be a twisted nematic liquid crystal display that does not require a multi gap color filter. The display can be a normally white or normally black display for use in avionic applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Inventors: MARTIN J. STEFFENSMEIER, CRAIG E. HARWOOD
  • Patent number: 4888599
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for manipulating the gray scale voltage levels in liquid crystal displays, in order to provide for enhanced image quality, over temperature extremes by monitoring the actual transmittance through the liquid crystal over time and comparing the information with earlier information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1989
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corp.
    Inventors: Craig E. Harwood, Lyle R. Strathman
  • Patent number: 4811003
    Abstract: A color display matrix array having parallelogram shaped display elements and the elements in one row all have a slant to the right, while the elements in the immediate adjacent row have a slant to the left.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: Lyle R. Strathman, Craig E. Harwood
  • Patent number: 4487089
    Abstract: An adjustable clutch mechanism is disclosed which may be removably mounted to a shaft to selectively vary the torque required to turn the shaft. The clutch mechanism includes a threaded, flanged bushing which receives a pair of friction washers and a clutch plate located therebetween. A nut, threaded onto the bushing, provides an adjustable force through a spring washer to control the force of the friction washers against the clutch plate. The bushing is removably mounted to a shaft so that it rotates with the shaft while the clutch plate is held stationary. The torque required to rotate the shaft is controlled by adjusting the nut on the threaded end of the bushing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1984
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: Craig E. Harwood
  • Patent number: D689007
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Clive J. Littlechild, Craig E. Harwood, Susan T. Schnapp
  • Patent number: D689008
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Clive J. Littlechild, Gregory D. Reynolds, Craig E. Harwood, Susan T. Schnapp
  • Patent number: D689009
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Clive J. Littlechild, Deborah L. Richardson, Craig E. Harwood, Susan T. Schnapp
  • Patent number: D689010
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Clive J. Littlechild, Gregory D. Reynolds, Craig E. Harwood