360.degree. Non-programmed visual system

• US 4,100,571 A
• Filed: 02/03/1977
• Issued: 07/11/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Dykes, Wiley V., Oharek, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US05/765,170
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 358/87, 358/104, 358/237, 35/12 N
• US Class Current: 348/37
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/642 Optical derotators, i.e. systems for compensating for image rotation, e.g. using rotating prisms, mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/307 by helmet-mounted projector or display G09B9/36 takes precedence; optical parts of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A system is disclosed for displaying a life or other size replica of a moboard or other scene in a non-programmed and real or other time manner, whereby said displayed replica constitutes a realistic ambient environmental simulation which may be used to facilitate the training of people in various and sundry situations, such as, for example, in piloting aircraft, tanks, automobiles, and other automotive devices, and the like. As disclosed, a modelboard scene is optically observed by a unique annular probe which forms an annular optical image thereof, rotates said annular optical image, and then timely converts it to a plurality of electrical signals proportional thereto. Suitable telemetering apparatus and timing circuits effect the transfer of said plurality of electrical signals to a unique annular projector which, in turn, reconstructs said converted annular optical image therefrom by means of lasers and laser light modulators, rotates it at a speed and in a direction that is equal and opposite to that mentioned above, and projects it onto the inner reflective surface of a substantially spherical or other wide angle screen as a displayed replica of the aforesaid modelboard scene, where it may be seen by the aforesaid people when they are located in proper proximity therewith.

Claims

1. A system for optically simulating a predetermined life-size environmental image obtained from a model thereof, comprising in combination:

means for observing the aforesaid model to be optically simulated in predetermined life-size and for producing a stationary first annular optical image thereof at a first annular image plane;

means spatially disposed from said model observing means for rotating the stationary first annular optical image produced thereby at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined rotational direction, so as to produce a rotating second annular optical image of the aforesaid model as a second annular image plane;

means spatially disposed from said rotating second annular optical image producing means for effectively scanning the rotating second annular optical image produced thereby in such manner as to generate a plurality of continuous electrical signals proportional thereto;

means effectively connected to the output of said scanning means for reconstructing said rotating second annular optical image as rotating third annular optical image data representing the aforesaid model at a third annular optical image plane in response to said plurality of continuous electrical signals;

means spatially disposed from said reconstructing means for rotating the rotating third annular optical image data produced thereby at a speed equal to the speed of rotation of said second annular optical image and with a rotational direction opposite thereto, so as to produce a stationary fourth annular optical image of the aforesaid model at a fourth annular image plane;

reflective display means; and

means spatially disposed from said stationary fourth annular optical image producing means for receiving the stationary fourth annular optical image produced thereby at said fourth annular image plane and for effecting the projection thereof on the aforesaid reflective display means.

2. The system of claim 1, further characterized by a programmed timer means connected to the control input of said first annular optical image rotating means and to the control input of the aforesaid third annular optical image data rotating means for controlling the speeds and directions thereof, respectively, whereby the speeds thereof are identical and the directions of rotation thereof are opposite.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said means spatially disposed from said rotating second annular optical image producing means for effectively scanning the rotating second annular optical image produced thereby in such manner as to generate a plurality of continuous electrical signals proportional thereto comprises:

a plurality of photodetectors;

controller means connected to said plurality of photodetectors for timely effecting the enabling thereof, respectively, in accordance with a predetermined scanning program; and

a master clock generator connected to said controller means for supplying a predetermined reference control signal thereto.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said means spatially disposed from said rotating second annular optical image producing means for effectively scanning the rotating second annular optical image produced thereby in such manner as to generate a plurality of continuous electrical signals proportional thereto comprises:

a plurality of sequentially scanned radially aligned photodiode arrays, each array of which contains a predetermined plurality of photodiodes, each photodiode of which has a light sensitive input, an electrical control input, and an output, with the light sensitive input thereof disposed for timely sensing the light from said rotating second annular optical image of the aforesaid model located at said second annular image plane, and with the output thereof effectively connected to the input of the aforesaid reconstructing means;

a programmed scanner controller having an input and a plurality of outputs, with the plurality of the outputs thereof respectively connected to the electrical control inputs of said plurality of photodiodes; and

a master clock generator means, with the output thereof connected to the input of said programmed scanner controller for supplying a predetermined frequency signal thereto.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for observing the aforesaid model to be optically simulated in predetermined life-size and for producing a stationary first annular optical image thereof at a first annular image plane comprises a panoramic camera lens.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said means spatially disposed from said model observing means for rotating the stationary first annular optical image produced thereby at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined rotational direction, so as to produce a rotating second annular optical image of the aforesaid model at a second image plane comprises:

a pechan prism; and

a servo motor connected to said pechan prism in such manner as to effect the rotational driving thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said means spatially disposed from said reconstructing means for rotating the rotating third annular optical image data produced thereby at a speed equal to the speed of rotation of said second annular optical image and with a rotational direction opposite thereto, so as to produce a stationary fourth annular optical image of the aforesaid model at a fourth annular image plane comprises:

a pechan prism; and

a servo motor connected to said pechan prism in such manner as to effect the rotational driving thereof in a direction that is opposite the direction of rotation of said rotating second annular optical image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said reflective display means comprises a substantially spherically configured viewing screen, with the center thereof contiguously disposed with the exit pupil of said projection effecting means.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said means spatially disposed from said stationary fourth annular optical image producing means for receiving the stationary fourth annular optical image produced thereby at said fourth image plane and for effecting the projection thereof on the aforesaid reflective display means comprises a panoramic projection lens.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said means effectively connected to the output of said scanning means for reconstructing said rotating second annular optical image as rotating third annular optical image data representing the aforesaid model at a third annular optical image plane in response to said plurality of continuous electrical signals comprises:

a plurality of lasers, each of which project a collimated laser light;

a like plurality of light modulators disposed in such manner with respect to said plurality of lasers as to modulate the laser lights therefrom, respectively, in response to the aforesaid plurality of continuous electrical signals; and

a scanner-converter spatially disposed from said plurality of light modulators in such manner as to receive and scan the modulated laser lights therefrom, whereby the aforesaid rotating third annular optical image data representing the aforesaid model is reconstructed at said third annular image plane.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said scanner-converter comprises:

a first plurality of reflectors for receiving the modulated laser lights from said modulators and redirecting them toward a predetermined imaginary point of convergence;

a plurality of scanning mirrors disposed in such circular configuration about the aforesaid point of convergence as to simultaneously reflect said modulated laser lights along a like plurality of radial paths therefrom, respectively;

a motor connected to said plurality of scanning mirrors for the driving thereof in a predetermined direction about an axis of rotation that passes through the aforesaid predetermined imaginary point of convergence;

a faceted conical reflector; and

a plurality of reflectors spatially disposed from said faceted conical reflector in such manner as to receive and redirect the plurality of modulated laser lights therefrom.

12. The system of claim 1, further characterized by telemetering means connected between the output of said scanning means and the input of said reconstructing means for transferring the aforesaid continuous electrical signal therefrom thereto.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of continuous electrical signals transferring means comprises a like plurality of video amplifiers.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said plurality of continuous electrical signals transferring means comprises a like plurality of electrical wires.

15. A system for optically producing a life-size replica of a scene provided by a predetermined model thereof, comprising in combination:

panoramic camera lens means for observing the aforesaid model and for producing a flat stationary first annular optical image thereof at a first plane;

first rotatable prism means spatically disposed from said model observing means adapted for rotating the flat stationary first annular optical image produced thereby at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined rotational direction, so as to produce a flat rotating second annular optical image of the aforesaid model at a second plane;

first servo motor means connected to said first rotatable prism means for the driving thereof at the aforesaid predetermined speed and in said predetermined rotational direction;

first relay lens means spatially disposed between said panoramic camera lens means and said first rotatable prism means for relaying said flat stationary first annular optical image therefrom thereto;

a plurality of sequentially scanned, radially aligned, photodetector arrays spatially disposed from said first rotatable prism means for scanning the rotating second annular optical image produced thereby in such manner as to generate a like plurality of continuous electrical signals respectively proportional thereto;

means effectively connected to the output of said plurality of sequentially scanned, radially aligned, photodetector arrays for reconstructing said rotating second annular optical image as flat rotating third annular optical image date representing the aforesaid model at a third plane in response to said plurality of continuous electrical signals;

a second rotatable prism means that is substantially identical to the aforesaid first rotatable prism means spatially disposed from said reconstructing means and adapted for de-rotating the flat rotating third annular optical image data produced thereby at a speed that is equal to the speed of rotation of said second annular optical image and with a de-rotational direction that is opposite thereto;

second servo motor means connected to said second rotatable prism means for the driving thereof at the aforesaid speed and in said opposite rotational direction;

a relay lens means spatially disposed from said second rotatable prism means for relaying the flat rotating third annular optical image data produced thereby to a fourth plane as a flat stationary fourth annular optical image of the aforesaid model;

a viewing screen having a predetermined geometrical configuration; and

a panoramic projection lens means spatially disposed from said relay lens means in such manner as to receive said flat stationary fourth optical image from said fourth plane and for the projecting thereof on said viewing screen as a life-size replica of the scene provided by the aforesaid predetermined model.

16. The system of claim 15, further characterized by:

means connected to said first and second servo motor means for controlling the speeds and directions of rotation thereof, respectively.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each array of said plurality of sequentially scanned, radially aligned, photodetector arrays comprises a predetermined plurality of light sensitive photodiodes which are enabled in response to certain signals being supplied thereto and disabled in response to said certain signals not being supplied thereto, respectively.

18. The system of claim 17, further characterized by means connected to each of the light sensitive photodiodes of the arrays of the aforesaid sequentially scanned, radially aligned, photodetector arrays for timely supplying said certain enabling signals thereto in accordance with a controlled scanning program.

19. A system for displaying a life-size scene taken from a predetermined model thereof, comprising in combination:

a modelboard having a miniature model of the life-size scene to be displayed constructed thereon;

a panoramic camera lens spatially disposed from said modelboard and on a first predetermined optical axis;

a relay lens system spatially disposed from said panoramic camera lens and located on said first optical axis;

a first rotatable dove prism spatially disposed from said relay lens system and located on said first optical axis;

a first controllable servo motor connected to said rotatable dove prism for the driving thereof at a certain speed and with a predetermined direction of rotation;

a plurality of sequentially scanned, radially aligned, photodetector arrays spatially disposed from said rotatable dove prism and located along and around said first optical axis;

a plurality of video amplifiers respectively connected to the outputs of the arrays of said plurality of sequentially scanned, radially aligned, photodetector arrays;

a plurality of lasers disposed around a second optical axis;

a like plurality of laser light modulators spatially disposed from said plurality of lasers and along and around said second optical axis for modulating the laser lights therefrom in response to a like plurality of control input signals, respectively;

means connected between the outputs of said plurality of video amplifiers and the control inputs of said like plurality of laser light modulators for supplying said control input signals thereto, respectively;

a first like plurality of reflectors spatially disposed from said laser light modulators, respectively, and along and around said second optical axis;

a plurality of rotatable scanning mirrors spatially disposed from said first plurality of reflectors and along and around said second optical axis;

a second controllable servo motor connected to said rotatable scanning mirrors for the rotation thereof at a predetermined speed and with a given rotational direction;

a second plurality of reflectors spatially disposed from said plurality of rotatable scanning mirrors and along and around said second optical axis;

a faceted conical reflector spatially disposed from said second plurality of reflectors and along and around said second optical axis;

a second rotatable dove prism spatially disposed from said faceted conical reflector and located on said second optical axis, said second rotatable dove prism being substantially identical to the aforesaid first rotatable dove prism;

a third controllable servo motor connected to said second rotatable dove prism for the driving thereof at a speed that is identical to that of the aforesaid first rotatable dove prism and in a rotational direction that is opposite thereto;

a second relay lens system spatially disposed from said second rotatable dove prism and located on said second optical axis;

a panoramic projection lens having an exit pupil spatially disposed from said second relay lens system and located on said second optical axis;

a viewing screen of such curved geometrical configuration as to have a field of view of the order of 360°

by 90°

disposed around the exit pupil of the aforesaid panoramic projection lens and located along and around said second optical axis;

a master clock generator;

means connected between the output of said master clock generator and the control inputs of the aforesaid first, second, and third controllable servo motors for effectively regulating the speeds thereof, respectively; and

a programmable scanner controller connected between the output of said master clock generator and the respective inputs of the aforesaid sequentially scanned, radially aligned, photodetector arrays.

20. The system of claim 19, further characterized by:

a first support structure connected to all of the elements located on, along, and around said first axis for the mounting thereof as an annular probe;

a second support structure connected to all of the elements located on, along, and around said second axis for the mounting thereof as an annular projector and a display screen, respectively.

21. The system of claim 20, further characterized by:

a first motion generator means connected to said first support structure for the timely movement thereof in accordance with a predetermined first motion program; and

a second motion generator means connected to said second support structure for the timely movement thereof in accordance with a predetermined second motion program.

22. The system of claim 21, further characterized by means connected between said first and second motion generator means for synchronizing the motions thereof.

23. A method for displaying a miniature model scene as a life-size replica thereof, comprising the steps of:

probing said miniature model scene and forming an annular optical image thereof;

rotating said annular optical image of said probed miniature model scene at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined direction;

scanning the rotated annular optical image of said probed miniature model scene in such manner as to generate a plurality of electrical signals representative thereof;

reconstructing the scanned rotated annular optical image of said miniature model scene from said plurality of electrical signals;

rotating said reconstructed scanned rotated annular optical image of said miniature model scene at a speed and in a direction that is equal and opposite to that of the previous rotation of the aforesaid annular optical image of said probed miniature model scene; and

projecting said rotated reconstructed optical image of said miniature model scene onto a predetermined viewing screen so as to display a life-size replica thereof.

24. A system for optically simulating a predetermined image obtained from a model thereof, comprising in combination:

means for observing the aforesaid model to be optically simulated and for producing a stationary first annular optical image thereof at a first annular image plane;

means spatially disposed from said model observing means for rotating the stationary first annular optical image produced thereby at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined rotational direction, so as to produce a rotating second annular optical image of the aforesaid model at a second annular image plane;

means spatially disposed from the aforesaid rotating means for sensing and transducing the rotating second annular optical image produced thereby at said second image plane into a plurality of electrical analog signals proportional thereto;

means connected to the outputs of said transducing means for receiving and transducing said plurality of electrical analog signals into a third rotating annular optical image at a third image plane that is similar to the aforesaid rotating second annular optical image;

means connected between the aforesaid sensing and transducing means and said receiving and transducing means for controlling the transductions respectively effected thereby in accordance with a predetermined program;

means spatially disposed from said receiving and transducing means for rotating the rotating third annular optical image produced thereby at a speed equal to the speed of rotation of said second annular optical image and with a rotational direction opposite thereto, so as to produce a stationary fourth annular optical image of the aforesaid model at a fourth annular image plane;

reflective display means; and

means spatially disposed from said stationary fourth annular optical image producing means for receiving the stationary fourth annular optical image produced thereby at said fourth annular image plane and for effecting the projection thereof on the aforesaid reflective display means.

25. A system for optically simulating a predetermined image obtained from a model thereof, comprising in combination:

means for observing the aforesaid model to be optically simulated and for producing a stationary first annular optical image thereof at a first annular image plane;

means spatially disposed from said model observing means for rotating the stationary first annular optical image produced thereby at a predetermined speed and in a predetermined rotational direction, so as to produce a rotating second annular optical image of the aforesaid model at a second annular image plane;

a plurality of sequentially scanned radially aligned photodiode arrays spatially disposed from said rotating second annular optical image producing means, each array of which contains a predetermined plurality of photodiodes, each photodiode of which has a light sensitive input, an electrical control input, and an output, with the light sensitive input thereof disposed for timely sensing the light from said rotating second annular optical image of the aforesaid model located at said second annular image plane;

a programmed scanner-controller having an input and a plurality of outputs, with the plurality of outputs thereof respectively connected to the electrical control inputs of said plurality of photodiodes;

a plurality of lasers, each of which projects a collimated laser light;

a like plurality of light modulators effectively respectively connected to the outputs of the aforesaid plurality of photodiodes and spatially disposed in such manner with respect to said plurality of lasers as to modulate the laser lights therefrom, respectively;

a scanner-converter spatially disposed from said plurality of light modulators in such manner as to receive and scan the modulated laser lights therefrom, whereby a rotating third annular optical image representing the aforesaid model is reconstructed at a third annular image plane;

master clock generator means, with an output thereof connected to the input of said programmed scanner-controller for supplying a predetermined first frequency signal thereto, and with an output thereof effectively connected to an input of the aforesaid scanner-converter for supplying a predetermined second frequency signal thereto;

means spatially disposed from said scanner-converter for rotating the rotating third annular optical image produced thereby at a speed equal to the speed of rotation of said second annular optical image and with a rotational direction opposite thereto, so as to produce a stationary fourth annular optical image of the aforesaid model at a fourth annular image plane;

reflective display means; and

means spatially disposed from said stationary fourth annular optical image producing means for receiving the stationary fourth annular optical image produced thereby at said fourth annular image plane and for effecting the projection thereof on the aforesaid reflective display means.