WIDE FIELD OF VIEW COVERAGE HEAD-UP DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20100060990A1
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbit Systems Electro-optics - Elop Ltd., Elbit Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Elbit Systems Electro-Optics ELOP Limited (Elbit Systems Limited), Elbit Systems Limited
• Inventors: KAUFMAN, Guy, WERTHEIM, Hagai, AMARILIO, Erikos
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/632
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0189 Sight systems

Abstract

Head-up display scenery alignment system, the head-up display being mounted in an aircraft and including an image projector and a combiner. The combiner is optically located between a user and a scenery of interest, optically transmitting a scene image of the scenery of interest to the user. The image projector projects an image toward the combiner, and the combiner reflects the image toward the user. The aircraft includes a heading angle sensor, determining the heading angle of the aircraft. The HUD scenery alignment system includes a moving mechanism coupled with the combiner; and a processor coupled with the heading angle sensor, with the moving mechanism and with the projector. The processor receives heading angle information from the heading angle sensor, and the processor determines the deviation of the heading of the aircraft from the longitudinal axis of the aircraft according to the heading angle information. The processor directs the moving mechanism, according to the deviation, to move the combiner to a position which is located between the scenery of interest and the user and which aligns the reflection of the image toward the user, with the scene image.

Claims

1. A head-up display scenery alignment system, said head-up display being mounted in an aircraft and including an image projector and a combiner, the combiner optically located between a user and a scenery of interest, optically transmitting a scene image of the scenery of interest to the user, the image projector projecting an image toward the combiner, the combiner reflecting the image toward the user, the aircraft including a heading angle sensor, determining the heading angle of the aircraft, the HUD scenery alignment system comprising:

a moving mechanism coupled with said combiner; and

a processor coupled with said heading angle sensor, with said moving mechanism and with said projector, said processor receiving heading angle information from said heading angle sensor, said processor determining the deviation of the heading of the aircraft from the longitudinal axis of the aircraft according to said heading angle information,

wherein said processor directs said moving mechanism, according to said deviation, to move said combiner to a position which is located between said scenery of interest and said user and which aligns the reflection of said image toward said user, with said scene image.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a folding mirror optically located between said projector and said optical combiner for reflecting said image from said projector toward said combiner.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said optical combiner is firmly coupled with said folding mirror, said moving mechanism moving said folding mirror along with said combiner.

4. The system according to claim 2, further comprising:

an exit lens optically located between said folding mirror and said optical combiner for transmitting light beams of said image from sad folding mirror toward said optical combiner.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said projector further includes an image source and an optical assembly, said image source emits light beams of said image toward said optical assembly, for projecting said image.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said processor directs said image source to emit said light beams from a predetermined area of said image source, when said combiner is positioned at a position corresponding to said predetermined area, said processor directing said image source to emit said light beams from another area of said image source, when said combiner is positioned at a position corresponding to said other area.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said moving mechanism moves said combiner in a horizontal tilt with respect to a horizontal plane of said aircraft.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said horizontal tilt of said combiner is about a tilt axis, said tilt axis intersecting a horizontal plane of said aircraft.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said tilt axis further intersects the surface of said combiner.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said moving mechanism moves said combiner in a horizontal shift with respect to a horizontal plane of said aircraft.

11. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projector actuator coupled with said image projector, said processor directs said projector actuator to move said projector, according to the aligned position of said combiner.