Redifon Simulation Limited

Redifon Flight Simulation Limited

Paul Michael Murray

Archer M Spooner

The invention provides head-coupled area-of-interest visual display apparatus particularly for ground-based craft-flight simulators. The apparatus provides a display projected onto the inside of a part-spherical shell which surrounds the pilot and carries a retro-reflective screen. The displayed scene covers an area of interest dependent upon craft position and heading and viewer's instantaneous line of view. The image generator may be of the computer generated image, laser-scanned model or closed-circuit television type. Multiple images are required for stereoscopic viewing or for more than one viewer. Line scanning apparatus is cockpit-mounted; line image is transmitted by fibre optic light guide ribbon and frame scan apparatus is mounted on a helmet worn by the viewer. A sensor measures head/helmet movement to permit voluntary scanning of a wide angle simulated view from the craft. The projected image is divided into zones each zone using separate line-scanning means and fibre optic light guide. The frame scanning projector means provides simultaneous frame scanning of each zone.

Visual display apparatus

A raster-scan display system for computer-generated images in which each raster line is quantized into a number (N) of sets of image elements each successive set being displaced in time, with respect to the line start, by 1/N of the duration of one element. The corresponding video signals are summed for each line and the resultant signal is displayed. The technique provides a visual image with graded intensity changes more nearly simulating a television type image, instead of a stepwise changing image. In one form of the invention, a triangular hold technique is used, that is, the display is delayed to permit of a linearly changing intensity charge between consecutive elements of different intensity.

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Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom

Paul Michael Murray