The Singer Company

Diamond Visionics Company

David L Peters

John R Trzeciak

Richard A Mecklenborg

Martin Dotsko

David P Gdovin

Richard B Mallinson

Maurice Millard

Brian J Woycechowsky

Kadam S Lakshminarayanasetty

Philip R Marr, Sr

Robert E Klemm

Arthur P Schnitzer

Albert F Collier

Brain J Woycechowsky

Robert A Fisher

A lightweight and low cost replacement display for a conventional cathode-ray tube (CRT) display is provided that projects distortion free digital images directly without conversion to analog signals. The display does not exhibit cross-talk interference when a plurality of displays are placed adjacent one another, and does not present large gaps between adjacent displays. The display utilizes a digital micromirror device that projects a 1:1 bit mapped digital signal to a plurality of micromirrors that are switchable between an on and an off state and projects the image of light reflected from the 'on' mirrors onto a direct view screen.

Projection screen to replace a CRT display for simulation

An improved multiple channel, wide-angle visual image projection system producing a movable displayed image. The system permits the use of two or more light projectors for high resolution wide-angle image display while eliminating image abutment and alignment problems. The system forms a composite image from two or more projectors in a strategically aligned prism array, the composite image being optically transferred to a single wide-angle projection lens, gimballed in azimuth and elevation, through a pair of movable servo-driven prisms for projection onto a two-dimensional screen. The projection system is especially suited for use in an area-of-interest, helmet-slaved visual display in a flight simulator.

Wide angle area-of-interest visual image projection system

Improved marksmanship scoring device for use in weapons simulation. The apparatus compensates for equipment errors that prevent a marksmanship device from providing an accurate indication of a firearm hit or miss. To this end, a visual system (16), which includes an image generation subsystem (20) and an image display subsystem (22), is associated with a marksmanship scoring device. The invention provides correction apparatus which comprises a series connection of the visual system (16) with a photo sensor (24), an amplifier (26), a counter (28) and a comparator (30).

Device to compensate for distortion in target location in a visual system

Visual system (37) for providing high detail, high resolution imagery anywhere a trainee is looking throughout a wide field of view. An image generation system (38) of visual system (37) accepts inputs from a helmet mounted oculometer system (30) which determines a trainee's instantaneous eye line-of-sight. The image generation system (38) provides a foveal view of high detail, high resolution imagery at the eye line-of-sight. The foveal view is projected on a screen (46) by a foveal projection system (40). The image generation system (38) further provides a peripheral view of low detail, low resolution imagery that is projected on screen (46) by a peripheral projection system (42). The foveal view is merged with the peripheral view by a merge electronics system (44).

Eye line-of-sight responsive wide angle visual system

The invention is a variable gain non-Lambertian screen surface (12) for employment in a visual display system. The screen surface provides constant image brightness, independent of changes in viewing angle (22). It is therefore suitable for off-axis viewing. The screen gain continuously varies from a magnitude of one to infinity at different portions on the screen surface in such a manner that the equivalent gain preceived by an off-axis viewer (16) corresponds to the viewer perceiving constant image brightness, independent of changes in the viewing angle.

Variable gain screen permitting off-axis viewing with image brightness

A method and apparatus for presenting a scene generated by an electronic visual scene generator to an observer looking through a pair of binoculars 32 is disclosed. The scene presented by the binoculars is an enlarged or magnified portion of a panoramic scene presented on a screen 12 also generated by the visual scene generator 28 and suitable for viewing by the observers unaided eye. In the described embodiment, electronic signals representative of a scene are generated by digital generator 28. These electrical signals are then applied to three small CRT's 72, 74 and 70 each of which has a different color such as red, green and blue where the visual scene is produced by the CRT's three colors. The three CRT's colored images are then combined by means of beam splitters, filters and mirrors 44 to provide a single full colored scene which is then transported to both eye pieces of a pair of hand held binoculars 32 or to the eye piece of a periscope 48 by means of a fiber optic cable 36 and 50 respectively. A panoramic scene on screen 12 and suitable for viewing by the unaided eye and generated by the digital generator 28 is also provided by suitable means such as a CRT projector 14. Thus, by monitoring the orientation of the binoculars 32 a magnified or enlarged view (such as 8.times.) of a portion of the panoramic view can be provided by the binoculars, for example, according to the orientation. Thus, in accordance with the embodiment described the observer or tank commander can closely inspect by means of the binoculars a selected portion of the panoramic scene as would be the case in a real life situation.

Apparatus for providing a simulated view to hand held binoculars

An image or pictorial scene generated by a raster scan is continuously maintained in proper alignment during normal operation of a visual display system by the use of photosensitive devices mounted to the display surface outside of the field of view. In the described embodiment, the photosensitive device is mounted in a position suitable for monitoring a selected retrace path of the raster scan pattern. During operation, the retrace of the raster is unblanked as it passes the photosensitive device such that elements of the photosensitive device are turned on. The output of the photosensitive elements are compared to signals representative of a properly positioned raster image, and differences between the stored signals and the received signals are then used to generate a correction signal in the feedback loop to vary the position of the moving energy beam such that the raster scan is properly aligned.

Image drift correction apparatus

A simulated view on a viewing surface of a raster scan television display of a changeable illuminated area located on a plane surface is provided. The source of illumination is a cone of light whose apex can be located at any distance from an eyepoint and the plane surface and whose conical surface intersects the plane surface creating the illuminated area. Electronic components determine when a line of sight from the eyepoint through the viewing surface intersects the illuminated area. For each line of sight intersection point lying within the illuminated area, a corresponding illumination is created on the viewing surface.

Simulation technique for generating a visual representation of an

Over wide altitude ranges, signals representative of the altitude of an eyepoint viewing a synthetic grid pattern on a ground reference plane are scaled to provide strong signals. These strong signals are used to electronically define the intersection of a line of sight from the eyepoint to the grid pattern so that a clearly defined grid pattern as viewed over the wide altitude range can be displayed.

Video generator for use in a synthetic terrain generator

Two video signals are precisely gain balanced so that one video signal may be inserted, unnoticeably, into a display derived from the first of the two video signals. To this end, a strobe is generated as the inset video signal is initiated. Both the inset video and the display video signals are sampled at the time said strobe is generated. A difference signal is derived from both samples and the gain of the inset video channel is adjusted in accord with the magnitude of that difference signal in a manner so as to minimize that magnitude.

Precision gain balance of two video sources for a single display

Method and apparatus for updating system variables in least significant bit increments during the period between the times the data are normally sampled. In this manner, a smooth transition from one data level to another is achieved rather than a choppy transition at sampling iteration rates.

Smoothing of updated digital data

An active retrace beam is used to reduce the effects of lag in an image transducer. The retrace beam is defocussed to provide large area, uniform stripping action. After the read-out beam has traced across the photocathode of the image transducer, the active retrace beam is vertically stepped back to an earlier point in the raster field and retrace is initiated. After the active retrace scan, the beam is vertically stepped down to a point one line below the previously read-out scan line and the read-out scan is initiated. A fairly large area of the photocathode receives several overlapping erasure scans by the defocused, active retrace beam each time a field is scanned. Uniform erasure results. Very little time is required, so the invention may be utilized in system demanding minimal retrace times.

Lag reduction in image transducers having dynamically shaped rasters

Two camera models are each viewed by an optical probe such that each optical probe views its respective model with the same perspective. To this end both probes are pointed towards a desired point on their respective model boards. A light beam, characterized by a particular light signature, is emitted from the desired point on each board and passed to a detector by the probe associated with that board. Detection is on an array of photosensitive elements arranged such that the X-Y coordinates of the point of impingement of the beam on the array may be determined. The location of each light beam on each detector array is correlated. The pointing of the probes is then adjusted such that when each light beam falls on the same X-Y location on the respective photosensitive element arrays, the optical probes are pointing in the same relative direction and viewing both scale models with the same perspective.

Precise pointing alignment of optical probes

A novel variable resistive network is disclosed enabling the control of an odd number of signals wherein a selected one of said signals is held at a common reference level while others of said signals are varied in amplitude such that no one signal reaches a maximum input level amplitude at the same time as any other of said signals. Method and apparatus for achieving a color presentation from a video signal which may have no color content of its own is taught employing said variable resistive network for Hue control and using dual-input amplifiers having a weighted gate signal for Saturation control.

Growing community of inventors

Whitney Point, NY, United States of America

David L Peters