Rockwell Collins, Inc.

Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Bobby D Foote

Christopher Alan Keith

Michael A Ropers

Steven E Koenck

David W Jensen

James E Melzer

Jeffrey E Crow

Robert D Brown

Carlo L Tiana

James H Stanley

Weston James Lahr

Robert G Brown

William T Kirchner

Christopher L George

Francois Raynal

Michael Newman

Ramachandra J Sattigeri

Andrew Jarrett

Christopher M Buchholz

Robert C McKillip

Johnathan C Lewis

Jana Wills

Josh Rivera

Ty O'Brien

David C Barnes

José-Rodrigo Castillo-Garza

Arvid Christopher Berg

Brock A Macknick

Erin M Hawk

A system may include a processor, a night vision sensor, and an objective lens assembly comprising four lenses. Each of a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, and a fourth lens may be configured to project a real world scene onto one of four portions of the night vision sensor. The night vision sensor may be configured to provide four images of the real world scene from the objective lens assembly to the processor. The processor may be configured to: receive a first image, a second image, a third image, and a fourth image from the night vision sensor; generate color night vision image data based at least on the first image, the second image, the third image, and the fourth image; and output the color night vision image data.

Color night vision system and method

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.

Low profile helmet mounted display (HMD) eye tracker

A helmet mounted display system is described. A visor has an inner reflective surface and is mountable to head gear. A light source is arranged to emit light. Directing optics are arranged to image light from the light source onto the inner reflective surface of the visor to provide a reticle image on the inner reflective surface of the visor. An eye tracker is configured to determine the orientation of an eye of a wearer of the head gear. A controller is configured to receive an indication of the determined orientation of the eye, and to control the at least one actuator to change the orientation and shape of the directing optics to change the position of reticle image based on the indication of the determined orientation of the eye such that the eye views the reticle image.

Steerable reticle for visor projected helmet mounted displays

A system and method. The system may include an eye tracking system. The eye tracking system may include a short-wave infrared (SWIR) light source configured to emit SWIR light at between 900 nanometers (nm) and 1,700 nm wavelength onto an environment, a SWIR sensitive image sensor configured to capture images of the environment illuminated by the SWIR light source, and a processor communicatively coupled to the SWIR sensitive image sensor. The processor may be configured to: receive image data from the SWIR sensitive image sensor; track movement of an eye of a user based on the image data; and output eye tracking system data indicative of the tracked movement of the eye of the user.

Night vision compatible short-wave infrared eye tracking system

A system may include a display element. The display element may include pixel groups. Each of the pixel groups may include: a first sub-pixel configured to output light of a first color; a second sub-pixel configured to output light of a second color; a third sub-pixel configured to output light of a third color; and a fourth sub-pixel configured to output light, wherein the fourth sub-pixel has a maximum brightness that is dimmer than a maximum brightness of each of the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel.

Display element, system, and method

A projector includes a light source arranged along an optical axis, a reticle optically coupled to the light source by the optical axis, and a projection lens. The projection lens is optically coupled to the reticle by the optical axis and has a navigation feature defined thereon for displaying an image of the navigation feature projected along the optical axis on terrain disposed within a field of view of the projector. Projection systems and methods of navigating terrain using projected images are also described.

Projectors, projector systems, and methods of navigating terrain using projected images

The DNVG includes a digital light sensor, a digital display, and an eyepiece. The digital light sensor is arranged to detect visible and near infrared light from an object and provide a digital signal based on the detected light. The digital display is arranged to provide a digital image of the object based on the digital signal provided by the digital light sensor. The eyepiece is configured to provide the digital image from the digital display to an eye of a user of the night vision goggles. The eyepiece includes a lens assembly and a reflector having a reflector surface, the lens assembly imaging light from the digital image via the reflective surface to the eye of the user. Alternatively, the eyepiece includes waveguide optics transporting imaging light from the digital image to the eye of the user.

Compact digital night vision goggles

An infrared emitter is described. The infrared emitter comprises an infrared source, a housing, and infrared optics. The infrared source emits electromagnetic radiation with a peak intensity at a radiation wavelength within the range of 2 to 15 microns. The housing has an aperture, and is arranged to house the infrared source. The infrared optics is arranged to direct the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the infrared source through the aperture to outside the housing.

Long wave infrared emitter systems

A method of operating an optical system is described. An image is detected. A digital image signal based on a spatially varying luminance level of the detected image is received. Horizon data, separate from the digital image signal, indicating the position of a horizon where a sky is adjacent the horizon, is received. The position of the horizon is determined based on the received horizon data. A fused image signal is provided based on the received digital image signal and the determined position of the horizon where a sky region indicative of the sky is provided with an enhanced color fused with the varying luminance level of the detected image. A full color display displays a fused image based on the fused image signal. A corresponding optical system is also described.

Night sky spatial orientation using color and surface fusion

Multiple index optical structures, including doublet and triplet lenses, aspheres, torics, atorics, and other types of freeform multiple-index lenses, may be 3D printed as single components from a variety of optical materials having different indices of refraction. 3D-printed Multiple-index lenses may be printed onto other lenses, optical structures, or light emitting structures, or onto components of an electrical optical system to provide color correction and reduced distortions while reducing system complexity by requiring fewer lenses and reducing production costs by reducing the processing power and memory required to maintain system latency. A related method modifies the radiation pattern of an LED assembly by 3D printing optical material directly onto an LED die or an LED emitter bulb.

Multi-indexed printed optics designs

A system and related method for hybrid headtracking receives head-referenced pose data from a head-mounted IMU and platform-referenced or georeferenced position and orientation (pose) data from a platform-mounted IMU, determines error models corresponding to uncertainties associated with both IMUs, and performs an initial estimate of head pose relative to the platform reference frame based on the head-referenced and platform-referenced pose data. A numerically stable UD factorization of the Kalman filter propagates the estimated head pose data forward in time and corrects the initial head pose estimate (and may correct the error models associated with the head-mounted and platform-mounted IMUs) based on secondary head pose estimates, and corresponding error models, received from an optical or magnetic aiding device. The corrected head pose data is forward to a head-worn display to ensure high accuracy of displayed imagery and symbology.

System and method for hybrid optical/inertial headtracking via numerically stable Kalman filter

An exit pupil locator tool including a connector and a target. The connector is configured to engage an optics component that defines an optics axis of a helmet mounted display. The target includes a reticle, a first aperture, and a second aperture and defines a tool axis that is arranged at an oblique tool angle relative to the optics axis.

Exit pupil locator tool

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. The second filter assembly is optically coupled to the light amplification assembly and to the viewing device, and is configured to receive the amplified light, filter the amplified light into second filtered light of a second wavelength range based on a second control signal received from the control circuit, the second wavelength range corresponding to the first wavelength range, and output the second filtered light to the viewing device.

Night vision color using fast switching filters having control signals for controlling a wavelength range of light filtered by a filter assembly

A head-tracking system includes a georeferenced head tracker (GHT) configured to provide georeferenced head position data, and a platform-referenced head-tracker (PRHT) configured to provide platform-referenced head position data. A controller is coupled with the GHT and the PRHT, and configured to be coupled with an avionic system configured to provide georeferenced aircraft position data. The controller includes a processor configured to access the georeferenced head position data, compare a current drift error of the GHT with a predetermined error threshold. When the current drift error is below the threshold, the processor transmits a signal indicative of the georeferenced head position data being a current georeferenced head position data. When the current drift exceeds the threshold, the processor access the georeferenced aircraft position-data, generates update data based on the platform-referenced head position data and the georeferenced aircraft position data, and updates the GHT at a known instant in time.

Head-tracking system and method

A nanoplasmonic optical reflective includes a particle layer including nano-particles in a substrate material. The nano-particles are arranged in one or more arrays to provide a nano plasmonic reflection of electromagnetic radiation at a selected wavelength. A color display includes a light source configured to emit light, and a nanoplasmonic filter section the nanoplasmonic optical filter. The color display further includes pixel addressing electronics configured to address pixels within the nanoplasmonic filter section, and display optics arranged to display a color image based on addressed pixels by the pixel addressing electronics and the nanoplasmonic reflection or transmission of the light in selected wavelength bands. The color display may be arranged in passive reflective, passive transmissive, active reflective, or active transmissive architectures.

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Marion, IA, United States of America

Bobby D Foote