Instrumentation

1. A method of displaying information on an instrument, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying information on a first focal plane;

(b) moving the information displayed on the first focal plane to a different second focal plane when an alarm or critical situation arises;

(c) then moving the information back to the first focal plane; and

(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) in order that a viewer of the instrument becomes preattentively aware of the alarm or critical situation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises controllably repeating steps (b) and (c) for alerting the viewer of the instrument of the alarm or critical situation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising

arranging first and second LCD (liquid crystal display) panels one in front of another, and a common backlight unit behind said LCD panels, said first and second LCD panels defining said first and second focal planes, respectively; and

powering said common backlight unit during step (d) to use both LCD panels for alerting the viewer of the instrument of the alarm or critical situation.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

connecting a control circuit to a system;

accessing, by said control circuit, to a number of parameters of said system;

when a parameter among said parameters of said system is at, or goes beyond, a specified level, automatically signaling, by the control circuit, the instrument to perform steps (b)–(d) so that the viewer becomes preattentively aware of the alarm or critical situation.

5. A method of displaying information using at least two focal planes, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying primary information in a first distinct color or pattern on a first focal plane;

(b) displaying secondary information in a second distinct color or pattern on at least a second focal plane; and

(c) when the primary and secondary information overlap or come into a proximity that is commensurate with an alarm situation, the displayed information will change color or pattern so that a viewer will become preattentively aware of the alarm or critical situation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein, in step (c), an overlapping region of said primary and secondary information is displayed in a third distinct color or pattern which is a combination of said first and second colors or patterns.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising positioning said second focal plane behind said first focal plane which is transparent, and allowing the secondary information to be visible through said transparent first focal plane simultaneously with said primary information being displayed on said first focal plane.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising positioning said second focal plane behind said first focal plane which is transparent, wherein, in step (c), said secondary information is displayed simultaneously with said primary information and visible through at least a part of said primary information.

9. An instrument for displaying information, comprising:

a visual display system including at least two single level screens spaced physically apart to form a multi-level screen, each of said level screens representing a focal plane; and

information on a first focal plane;

wherein when an alarm or critical situation arises, the information displayed on the first focal plane will move to a different focal plane and then back again so that a viewer becomes preattentively aware of the alarm or critical situation.

10. The instrument as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a control circuit which has access to a number of parameters for a system to which said circuit is connected in order that when a parameter is at, or goes beyond, a specified level, then the control circuit will signal to the visual display system in order that the appropriate information displayed on the first focal plane will move to another focal plane and then back to the first focal plane so that the viewer becomes preattentively aware of the alarm or critical situation.

11. The instrument as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the information will be displayed on a visual display system including at least two single level screens spaced physically apart to form a multi-level screen display device.

12. The instrument in claim 11 , further comprising a control circuit which has access to a number of parameters for a system to which said circuit is connected in order that when a parameter is at, or goes beyond, a specified level, then the control circuit with automatically signal to the visual display system in order that the appropriate information displayed on the first focal plane will move to another focal plane and then back to the first focal plane so that the viewer becomes preattentively aware of the alarm or critical situation.

13. An instrument for displaying information, comprising:

a visual display system including at least two single level screens spaced physically apart to form a multi-level screen, each of said level screens representing a focal plane and being configured to display a variety of colors and/or patterns; and

primary information displayed in a distinct color or pattern on the first focal plane of the instrument; and

secondary information displayed in a distinct color on at least the second focal plane of the instrument;

wherein when said primary and secondary information overlap, or come into a proximity, the displayed information will change color or pattern so that a viewer of the instrument becomes preattentively aware of the displayed information.

14. The instrument as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the color or pattern of the primary information and the color or pattern of the secondary information form a new distinct color or pattern when they are combined by an overlap of the information.

15. The instrument as claimed in claim 13 , wherein

said level screens include a background screen and a foreground screen placed in front of said background screen; and

said foreground screen is operable to simultaneously display said primary information and be transparent to allow the secondary information display by the background screen to be visible through said foreground screen.

16. The instrument as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a control circuit for repeatedly moving the primary information back and forth between the first and second focal planes when an alarm or critical situation associated with said primary information arises in order to alert the viewer of the alarm or critical situation.

17. The instrument as claimed in claim 13 , wherein said level screens comprise first and second transparent LCD (liquid crystal display) panels defining said first and second focal planes, respectively;

said instrument further comprising a backlight unit common for both said first and second LCD panels, said backlight unit being placed behind said LCD panels.