# US 7,465,079 B1 · Extended avionics LCD backlight > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,465,079 B1 - Document ID: US7465079B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 11/035,747 - Filed: 2005-01-14 - Published: 2008-11-27 - Granted: 2008-12-16 - Earliest claimed: 2005-01-14 - Assignees: Honeywell International Inc. - Inventors: Brian D. Cull; Elias S. Haim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7465079B1 ## CPC - G02F 1/1336: {Illuminating devices} - G09G 3/3406: {Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336)} - G02F 1/13336: {Combining plural substrates to produce large-area displays, e.g. tiled displays} - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract An aircraft avionics display assembly comprises a first and second liquid crystal display, each operable to display avionics flight data in an aircraft. A backlight is operable to backlight both the first and second liquid crystal displays. In some embodiments, the backlight comprises a primary light source and a redundant light source, wherein the primary light source and the redundant light source are controlled by a common backlight controller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aircraft avionics display assembly comprising: a first liquid crystal display operable to display avionics flight data in an aircraft; a second liquid crystal display operable to display avionics flight data in an aircraft; a single backlight comprising a primary light source and a redundant light source disposed on a common panel and operable to backlight both the first and second liquid crystal displays; and a common backlight controller in operable communication with the primary light source and the redundant light source, and operable to selectively illuminate one of the primary light source and the redundant light source, wherein the first and second liquid crystal displays are located adjacent to one another when mounted in an aircraft instrument panel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aircraft avionics display assembly of claim 1, wherein the single backlight comprises at least one fluorescent light. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The aircraft avionics display assembly of claim 1, wherein the single backlight comprises at least one electroluminescent panel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The aircraft avionics display assembly of claim 1, wherein the single backlight comprises at least one cold-cathode light. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The aircraft avionics display of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional liquid crystal display operable to display avionics flight data, and configured such that the single backlight is operable to backlight the at least one additional display. ### Claim 6 An aircraft avionics instrument cluster comprising: a first display operable to display avionics flight data in an aircraft; a second display operable to display avionics flight data in an aircraft; and a single backlight comprising a primary light source and a redundant light source disposed on a common panel and operable to backlight both the first and second liquid crystal displays; and a common backlight controller in operable communication with the primary light source and the redundant light source and operable to selectively illuminate one of the primary light source and the redundant light source, wherein the first and second displays are located adjacent to one another when mounted in an aircraft instrument panel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The aircraft avionics instrument cluster of claim 6, wherein the single backlight comprises at least one fluorescent light. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The aircraft avionics instrument cluster of claim 6, wherein the single backlight comprises at least one electroluminescent panel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The aircraft avionics instrument cluster of claim 6, wherein the single backlight comprises at least one cold-cathode light. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The aircraft avionics instrument cluster of claim 6, further comprising at least one additional display operable to display avionics flight data, and configured such that the single backlight is operable to backlight the at least one additional display. ### Claim 11 A method of backlighting an avionics display assembly, comprising: illuminating a first backlight from a common backlight controller while not illuminating a redundant backlight that is disposed on a common panel with the first backlight, the first backlight operable to illuminate both a first and a second display panel, the first and second display panels operable to display avionics flight data and located adjacent to one another when mounted in an aircraft instrument panel; and selectively illuminating the redundant backlight from the common backlight controller while not illuminating the first backlight, the redundant backlight also operable to illuminate both the first and the second display panels. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of backlighting an avionics display assembly of claim 11, wherein at least the first backlight comprises at least one fluorescent light. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of backlighting an avionics display assembly of claim 11, wherein at least the first backlight comprises at least one electroluminescent panel. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of backlighting an avionics display assembly of claim 11, wherein at least the first backlight comprises at least one cold-cathode light.