Low light viewer with image simulation
First Claim
1. A night vision viewer for viewing a low light environment, comprising:
- an image intensifier having a light input alignable to the low light environment and a visible light output adapted for viewing by a user; and
a supplemental light source having a light output aligned to the image intensifier input, the light source being configured to emit light in a pattern corresponding to a desired supplemental image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A display apparatus includes an IR or other light source that produces light at a first wavelength that is modulated according to a desired image. The modulated light is then applied to a phosphor that converts the light to a second wavelength in the visible range. In one embodiment, the image source is a scanned light beam display that scans an IR light beam onto an image intensifier tube of a night vision goggle. In other embodiments, the image source is a LCD having an IR back light or a FED panel that emits electrons directly into a microchannel accelerator plate of the night vision goggles. In still another embodiment, the image source emits visible or ultraviolet light onto a phosphor that emits light of a different wavelength in response.
43 Citations
88 Claims
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1. A night vision viewer for viewing a low light environment, comprising:
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an image intensifier having a light input alignable to the low light environment and a visible light output adapted for viewing by a user; and
a supplemental light source having a light output aligned to the image intensifier input, the light source being configured to emit light in a pattern corresponding to a desired supplemental image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An augmented night vision viewer for simultaneously viewing a low light environment and supplemental image, comprising:
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an infrared light sensitive image intensifier having an input aligned to the low light environment, the image intensifier being responsive to infrared light from the low light environment to produce a visible image corresponding to the low light environment; and
an infrared emissive source having a signal input, an infrared light emitter coupled to the signal input and responsive to an electrical signal at the signal input to emit infrared light, and an infrared output aligned to the image intensifier, the source being responsive to the electrical signal to direct the infrared light onto the image intensifier. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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17. A night vision apparatus for viewing an auxiliary image, comprising:
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an auxiliary signal source responsive to produce an electrical signal corresponding to the auxiliary image;
an infrared source having an electrical input coupled to the auxiliary signal source, the infrared source being responsive to the electrical signal to emit infrared light corresponding to the auxiliary image; and
an infrared viewer positioned to receive the infrared light from the infrared source and responsive to the infrared light to produce a visible image corresponding to the infrared light.
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24. A night vision training environment, comprising:
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a portable night vision simulator, including;
an NVG having an IR input;
an IR display mounted to the NVG and having an IR output alignable to the IR input;
a receiver coupled to the IR display and configured to produce input signals for the IR display;
an electronic controller that produces control signals for the portable night vision simulator; and
a transmitter having a signal input coupled to the electronic controller, the transmitter being configured to transmit to the receiver signals corresponding to the control signals.
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32. A display device that produces a visible image in response to an input image signal, comprising:
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a screen, including a base plate and a wavelength converting coating responsive to output light of a first wavelength in a visible range in response to light of a second wavelength;
a light source operative to emit modulated light of the second wavelength in response to the image signal; and
a scanner assembly having an input aligned optically to receive light from the light source and an output aligned optically to direct the light received at the input to the screen, the scanner assembly being responsive to a driving signal to scan the received light onto the wavelength converting coating in a periodic pattern. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52)
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49. An apparatus for providing infrared input to a night vision viewer having an infrared input port, comprising:
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an infrared emitter adapted for coupling to the night vision viewer, the infrared emitter being responsive to supply infrared light to the infrared input port in response to an electrical signal; and
an electronic signal generator having an electrical output coupled to the infrared emitter and a data input, the signal generator being operative to produce the electrical signal at the electrical output in response to image data at the data input.
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53. A viewing simulator for simulating viewing of an environment through an optical imaging device, comprising:
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an image signal source that produces an image signal corresponding to a portion of the environment;
a primary viewing device having an input port configured to receive electromagnetic energy that is not visible to a user without a viewing aid, the primary viewing device being responsive to the electromagnetic energy that is not visible to the user without a viewing aid to provide visible light for viewing by the user, the visible light corresponding to the received electromagnetic energy; and
an electromagnetic emitter responsive to the image signal to emit the electromagnetic energy that is not visible to the user without a viewing aid, the electromagnetic energy being modulated in a pattern corresponding to the portion of the environment. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A simulated training environment that provides images to a user, comprising:
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a portable night vision viewer configured for wearing by the user;
a gaze tracker, oriented to detect a gaze direction of the night vision viewer, the gaze tracker providing a tracking signal indicative of the detected gaze direction;
an electronic controller coupled to receive the tracking signal and responsive to the tracking signal to produce output data corresponding to a selected image portion; and
an infrared image source having a signal input coupled to the electronic controller and an infrared output alignable to the night vision viewer, the infrared source being responsive to the output data to emit infrared light in a pattern corresponding to the selected image portion at the infrared output. - View Dependent Claims (62)
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63. A method of providing a visible image to a user, comprising the steps of:
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modulating light of a first wavelength with image information;
scanning the light of a first wavelength in a periodic pattern; and
converting the scanned light of the first wavelength into light of a second wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A method of simulating viewing a low light environment, comprising the steps of:
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producing light of a first wavelength;
modulating the produced light of the first wavelength with image information;
scanning the modulated light of a first wavelength in a periodic pattern onto an input of a night vision goggle; and
converting the scanned light of the first wavelength into light of a second wavelength with the night vision goggle. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A method of producing an image for viewing by a user, comprising the steps of:
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producing an electrical image signal corresponding to the image to be viewed;
applying the image signal to an image source;
emitting infrared light in response to the applied image signal;
directing the emitted infrared light to an image intensifier; and
emitting visible light with the image intensifier in response to the directed infrared light. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79)
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80. A method of simulating a night vision environment, comprising the steps of:
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producing a light beam of a non-visible wavelength modulated according to a desired image;
scanning the light beam onto a night vision viewer; and
emitting light with the night vision viewer in response to the scanned light beam. - View Dependent Claims (81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A method of simulating operation in a low light environment, comprising the steps of:
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providing a portable, occluded night vision viewer to a user;
detecting a gaze direction of the user;
in response to the detected gaze direction, identifying a portion of the low light environment;
producing an infrared signal corresponding to the identified portion of the low light environment;
inputting the produced infrared light to the night vision viewer; and
producing visible light for viewing by the user with the night vision viewer, in response to the infrared input signal. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88)
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Specification