METHODS FOR REMOTE DISPLAY OF AN ENHANCED IMAGE

• US 20110187563A1
• Filed: 02/21/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Sanders-Reed, John N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/971
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2350/00 Solving problems of bandwidth in display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications

Abstract

A method is provided for providing remote display of an enhanced image. The method receives data from the image source, creates an enhanced image with the received data, and transmits the enhanced image via a wireless link to a display device capable of displaying the enhanced image. The method may create the enhanced image by stitching image data from at least two image sources having different fields of view, fusing image data from at least two image sources having different image modalities, or combining image data from at least one image source with synthetic image data. The method may also modify at least one transmission characteristic based on a bandwidth of the wireless link. The transmission characteristic may be selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

Claims

1. A method of providing remote display of an enhanced image, the method comprising:

receiving data from at least one image source;

creating an enhanced image with the received data by performing at least one of stitching image data from at least two image sources having different fields of view, fusing image data from at least two image sources having different image modalities, or combining image data from at least one image source with synthetic image data; and

transmitting the enhanced image via a wireless link to a display device configured to display the enhanced image.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving line of sight data from the display device, wherein receiving data from the at least one image source comprises receiving data from the at least one image source corresponding to the line of sight data, and wherein creating the enhanced image comprises creating the enhanced image corresponding to the line of sight data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display device comprises one of a helmet mounted display or virtual reality goggles, and wherein receiving the line of sight data comprises receiving line of sight data corresponding to a position of the display device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying at least one transmission characteristic based on a bandwidth of the wireless link, wherein the transmission characteristic is selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one transmission characteristic is modified for only a portion of the transmitted enhanced image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image source is a component of a vehicle system and is mounted on a vehicle body, and wherein the method further comprises:

modifying at least one transmission characteristic based on at least one of a location of the vehicle body or an operating mode of the vehicle system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the vehicle body is an aircraft, and wherein transmitting the enhanced image comprises transmitting the enhanced image via the wireless link to the display device offboard the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image is a first enhanced image, wherein the display device is a first display device, wherein the method further comprises creating a second enhanced image and transmitting the second enhanced image via the wireless link to a second display device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

modifying at least one first transmission characteristic corresponding to the first enhanced image and at least one second transmission characteristic corresponding to the second enhanced image based on a bandwidth of the wireless link, wherein the first and second transmission characteristics are selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

independently modifying the first and second transmission characteristics based on respective requirements of users of the first and second display devices.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the image source is a component of a vehicle system and is mounted on a vehicle body, and wherein the method further comprises:

allocating different portions of the bandwidth of the wireless link to transmission of the first and second enhanced images based upon at least one of a location of the vehicle body or an operating mode of the vehicle system.

12. A method of providing remote display of an enhanced image, the method comprising:

receiving data from at least one image source of a vehicle system;

creating an enhanced image with the received data by performing at least one of stitching image data from at least two image sources having different fields of view, fusing image data from at least two image sources having different image modalities, or combining image data from at least one image source with synthetic image data;

modifying at least one transmission characteristic of the enhanced image based on at least one of a bandwidth of a wireless link with a display device, a location of the image source or an operating mode of the vehicle system and transmitting the enhanced image via the wireless link to the display device configured to display the enhanced image.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving line of sight data from the display device, wherein receiving data from the at least one image source comprises receiving data from the at least one image source corresponding to the line of sight data, and wherein creating the enhanced image comprises creating the enhanced image corresponding to the line of sight data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the display device comprises one of a helmet mounted display or virtual reality goggles, and wherein receiving the line of sight data comprises receiving line of sight data corresponding to a position of the display device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmission characteristic is selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the image source is mounted on an aircraft, and wherein transmitting the enhanced image comprises transmitting the enhanced image via the wireless link to the display device offboard the aircraft.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the enhanced image is a first enhanced image, wherein the display device is a first display device, wherein the method further comprises creating a second enhanced image and transmitting the second enhanced image via the wireless link to a second display device.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

modifying at least one first transmission characteristic corresponding to the first enhanced image and at least one second transmission characteristic corresponding to the second enhanced image based on a bandwidth of the wireless link, wherein the first and second transmission characteristics are selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

independently modifying the first and second transmission characteristics based on respective requirements of users of the first and second display devices.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

allocating different portions of the bandwidth of the wireless link to transmission of the first and second enhanced images based upon at least one of a location or an operating mode of the vehicle system.