METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A WIDE FIELD OF VIEW DISPLAY

• US 20090201430A1
• Filed: 02/08/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Streid, Harold R., Rothman, Scott Phillip, Vorst, Carl J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/744
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/08 for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3188 Scale or resolution adjustment scaling in general G06T3/40; resolution modifying circuits for displays in general G09G5/391

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a uniform resolution display screen. In one embodiment, the uniform resolution display screen comprises a surface of the uniform resolution display screen having a curvature configured to display images with a uniform resolution across the display screen. The curvature is based on a projection distance from a projector to the uniform resolution display screen and a viewing distance from an eyepoint of an observer to the uniform resolution display screen. The geometry of the display screen is configured to display images associated with a high definition imaging format.

Claims

1. A uniform resolution display screen comprising:

a surface of the uniform resolution display screen having a curvature configured to display images with a uniform resolution across the uniform resolution display screen, wherein the curvature is based on a projection distance from a projector to the uniform resolution display screen and a viewing distance from an eyepoint of an observer to the uniform resolution display screen; and

a geometry of the display screen, wherein the geometry of the display screen is configured to display images associated with a high definition imaging format.

2. The uniform resolution display screen of claim 1 wherein a worst case resolution of an image displayed on the uniform resolution display screen with a given field of view and a given number of pixels produces the image with a better resolution than a worst case resolution of the image displayed on a flat display screen or a dome shaped display screen with the given field of view and the given number of pixels.

3. The uniform resolution display screen of claim 1 wherein the geometry of the uniform resolution display screen is an n-sided polygon geometry selected from a group consisting of a rectangular geometry, a trapezoidal geometry, or a pentagonal geometry.

4. A method of producing a uniform resolution image on a tessellation of spherical surfaces acting as rear-projection screens, the method comprising:

creating a tessellation of a sphere using spherical surfaces associated with a set of display screens, wherein the tessellation of the spherical surfaces surrounds an eyepoint of a viewer on all sides and a top of the tessellation of the spherical surfaces, wherein each screen in the set of display screens has a selected curvature, wherein a set of projectors generates images for display on the tessellation of the spherical surfaces associated with the set of display screens; and

displaying a full field of view display with a uniform resolution on a surface of the tessellated sphere of display screens.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

identifying the eyepoint of the viewer positioned inside the tessellation of the set of display screens;

identifying a viewing distance from the eyepoint to each screen in the set of screens; and

identifying a projection distance from each projector in the set of projectors to the each screen in the set of screens, wherein the selected curvature for each screen is identified based on a relationship between the eyepoint, the viewing distance, and the projection distance, wherein the selected curvature is determined based on a locus of points created by an intersection of lines drawn at equal angular increments from the eyepoint with a set of lines drawn at equal pixel increments at an image source through the projection point.

6. The method of claims 5 further comprising:

identifying the selected curvature for a particular screen in the set of screens wherein identifying the selected curvature comprises;

identifying a selected radius and center of a uniform resolution sphere which best approximates a shape of the selected curvature to form an identified spherical surface; and

projecting edges of a geometry of the particular screen onto the identified spherical surface of the uniform resolution sphere, wherein an image projected on the identified spherical surface has a substantially uniform resolution.

7. A method of producing a uniform resolution image from a tessellation of spherical surfaces acting as rear-projection screens, the method comprising:

selecting a set of side screens, wherein each screen in the set of side screens has a selected curvature;

selecting a top screen, wherein the set of side screens and the top screen forms a tessellated sphere of display screens; and

selecting a set of projectors, wherein each projector in the set of projectors generates images for display on the tessellated sphere of display screens, wherein the set of side screens, the top screen and the set of projectors forms a visual image and display system, wherein the visual image and display system generates a full field of view display with a uniform resolution on a surface of the tessellated sphere of display screens.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the set of projectors generates images formatted for high definition with an aspect ratio of approximately sixteen by nine.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein each side screen in the set of side screens further comprises a set of partial side screens, and further comprising:

selecting a curvature for each screen in the set of partial side screens, wherein selecting the curvature of the screens in the set of partial side screens further comprises;

identifying a selected curvature for a particular screen in the set of partial side screens, wherein identifying the selected curvature comprises;

identifying an eyepoint of a viewer positioned inside the tessellation of the set of display screens forming the tessellated sphere of display screens;

identifying a viewing distance from the eyepoint to each screen in the set of screens;

identifying a projection distance from each of the projectors to the each screen in the set of screens, wherein a selected curvature for each screen is identified based on a relationship between the eyepoint, the viewing distance and the projection distance, wherein the selected curvature is determined based on a locus of points created by an intersection of lines drawn at equal angular increments from the eyepoint with a set of lines drawn at equal pixel increments at an image source through the projection point;

identifying a selected radius and center of a uniform resolution sphere which best approximates a shape of the selected curvature to form an identified spherical surface; and

projecting edges of the particular screen geometry onto the identified spherical surface of the uniform resolution sphere, wherein an image projected on the identified spherical surface has a substantially uniform resolution.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein each screen in the set of partial side screens is a rectangular or trapezoidal shaped screen formatted for displaying images in high definition.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the set of side screens forms a square, pentagonal or hexagonal configuration.

12. A visual display system for use in a simulator comprising:

a set of screens having a selected curvature, wherein the selected curvature is determined using a locus of points created by an intersection of lines drawn at equal angular increments from an eyepoint with a set of lines drawn at equal pixel increments at an image source through a projection point, wherein images displayed on screens in the set of screens having the selected curvature are displayed with uniform resolution; and

a set of projectors, wherein the set of projectors generate images displayed on the set of screens to form a full field of view display.

13. The visual display system of claim 12 wherein the set of screens further comprises:

a top screen; and

a set of side screens, wherein the set of side screens comprises partial side screens, and wherein the set of side screens is tessellated, wherein a geometrically normal ray from a point on a concave side of the spherical surface intersects with a geometric normal ray from a point on a concave side of each other spherical surface near an eye position of an observer.

14. The visual display system of claim 12 wherein the set of projectors generate images on the set of screens with an aspect ratio of approximately sixteen by nine to form a high definition, full field of view display.

15. A visual image projection and display system wherein the visual image projection and display system comprises:

a tessellation of spherical surfaces acting as rear-projection screens, wherein a geometrically normal ray from a point on a concave side of a first spherical surface in the tessellation of spherical surfaces intersects with a geometric normal ray from a point on a concave side of each other spherical surfaces in the tessellation of spherical surfaces at or near an eye position of an observer; and

a set of projectors located on a convex side of each spherical surface in the tessellation of spherical surfaces, wherein each projector in the set of projectors generates an image to form a plurality of images, and wherein the plurality of images are displayed on the tessellation of spherical surfaces with uniform resolution.

16. The visual image projection and display system of claim 15 wherein images generated by at least two projectors are blended on a screen surface in the tessellation of spherical surfaces to produce a single image on the screen surface.

17. The visual image projection and display system of claim 15 wherein the tessellation of spherical surfaces further comprises:

a set of side screens, wherein each screen in the set of side screens has a uniform resolution curvature across the surface of the side screen; and

a top screen.

18. The visual image projection and display system of claim 17 wherein each side screen in the set of side screens, wherein the set of side screens comprises a set of partial side screens, wherein screens in the set of partial side screens have uniform resolution curvatures and wherein the screens in the set of partial side screens are coupled to each other to form a given side screen in the set of side screens.

19. The visual image projection and display system of claim 17 wherein the set of side screens further comprises:

a set of four side screens.

20. The visual image projection and display system of claim 17 wherein the set of side screens further comprises:

a set of five side screens.

21. The visual image projection and display system of claim 17 wherein the set of side screens further comprises:

a set of six side screens.

22. The visual image projection and display system of claim 18 wherein the optimum screen curvatures are based on a selected eyepoint, a projection distance from a projector to a display screen and a viewing distance from an eyepoint of an observer to the display screen such that the selected curvature is determined using a locus of points created by an intersection of lines drawn at equal angular increments from the eyepoint with a set of lines drawn at equal pixel increments at the image source through the projection point.

23. The visual image projection and display system of claim 15 wherein each screen has a geometry selected from a group consisting of a rectangular geometry, a pentagonal geometry, a square geometry, a round geometry, and a trapezoidal geometry.

24. The visual image projection and display system of claim 15 wherein the uniform resolution image has an aspect ratio of approximately sixteen by nine.

25. The visual image projection and display system of claim 15 wherein the visual image projection and display system is utilized in a flight simulator.