Patents by Inventor Jeffrey E. Crow

Jeffrey E. Crow 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: 11372476
    Abstract: A low-profile eye-tracking system for an off-visor helmet-mounted display (HMD) includes annular illuminators clipped to, and aligned with, the terminal component (e.g., the emitter or combiner) of the HMD optical chain. The illuminators include visible-light or IR light sources mounted around the circumference of the illuminator for bouncing light off the visor's inner surface and into the pilot's left or right eye (the HMD may include separate eye-tracking systems for each eye). Image sensors are positioned to sequentially capture images of the illuminated eyes reflected off the visor surface. HMD onboard electronics analyze the captured image sequence to determine the azimuth and elevation of the pilot's eye relative to the centerline of the HMD optics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby D. Foote, Brock A. Macknick, Jeffrey E. Crow
  • Publication number: 20210081037
    Abstract: A helmet-mounted tracker and boresighting system incorporated paired receivers on opposing sides of the helmet worn by the user (e.g., left/right, top/bottom) that receive a directional signal from directional transmitters placed at fixed locations throughout the target environment (e.g., a mobile platform, multilevel structure, or simulated environment). Each paired antenna generates an RF signal based on the received directional signal; the paired RF signals are summed to determine the current alignment of the helmet (and head) to the directional transmitter. Alignment information may be used to calibrate or correct inherent drift of the inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the helmet-mounted head tracker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Bobby D. Foote, Anders P. Walker, Jeffrey E. Crow, Erin Hawk, William J. Byers
  • Patent number: 10874164
    Abstract: A dynamically tinted display visor (DTDV) is disclosed. In embodiments, the DTDV includes a visor surface having an untinted or substantially transparent setting and a tinted or substantially opaque setting. The visor surface is fixed to a helmet worn by an operator (e.g., a pilot or co-pilot), the helmet further including a head tracking system for monitoring the head pose (e.g., head position and orientation) of the operator. Helmet-mounted cameras include auto-gain sensors capable of assessing ambient light levels consistent with the head pose of the operator. The DTDV includes a tint processor for adjusting the tint setting of the visor surface based on an assessment of the head pose data and sensed ambient light levels, automatically detinting or darkening the visor as conditions demand or manually detinting/darkening at the operator's command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Jarrett, Daniel J. Henry, Jeffrey E. Crow
  • Patent number: 10067400
    Abstract: A system includes an objective lens, a viewing device, a control circuit, a first filter assembly, a light amplification assembly, and a second filter assembly. The control circuit is configured to transmit control signals for controlling a wavelength range of light filtered by a filter assembly. The first filter assembly is optically coupled to the objective lens, and is configured to receive light via the objective lens and filter the light into a first filtered light of a first wavelength range based on a first control signal received from the control circuit. The light amplification assembly is optically coupled to the first filter assembly, and is configured to receive the first filtered light and amplify the first filtered light into amplified light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC.
    Inventors: Bobby D. Foote, Jeffrey E. Crow