Airborne arrangement for displaying a moving map

• US 4,138,726 A
• Filed: 06/29/1977
• Issued: 02/06/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Original Assignee: Thomson-CSF
• Inventors: Girault, Herve, Colas, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Gruber, Felix D.
• Application Number:
  US05/810,983
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 364/518, 364/521, 364/443-450, 353/11, 353/12, 73/178, 340/24, 340/324, 358/87, 358/103, 358/104
• US Class Current: 345/638
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/22 Plotting boards

Abstract

An airborne arrangement for displaying a moving map and aerial-navigation data such as symbols and characters on an electronic display screen is disclosed. It comprises a video map generator for converting the map to be displayed, carried on a film, into a video signal of the television type, a symbol generator which produces signals of the navigational data to be displayed with random scan, and an oscilloscope provided with switching circuits for consecutively displaying these items in the course of each frame cycle.

Claims

1. An airborne display system installed aboard an aircraft for visualizing map sections and air-navigational data in flight, comprising:

a map-signal generator for producing first video signals representing a section of a map of the territory overflown by the aircraft;

scanning means synchronized with said map-signal generator for establishing a succession of frame cycles each divided into a working period and a flyback period;

a source of air-navigational data;

mechanism controlled by said source for varying the map section represented by said first video signals in conformity with the current position of the aircraft;

symbol-generating means connected to said source for producing second video signals representing said air-navigational data;

oscilloscope means provided with a screen for the display of said map section; and

switchover means controlled by said scanning means for supplying an input of said oscilloscope means with said first video signals during working periods and with said second video signals during flyback periods of said frame cycles whereby symbolic representations of said air-navigational data are visually superimposed upon said map section on said screen, said oscilloscope means being provided with beam-deflecting means connected to said switchover means for energization in a line-by-line mode from said scanning means during said working periods and in a random-scan mode from said symbol-generating means during said flyback periods.

2. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said map-signal generator comprises a support for a film carrying images of the map sections to be visualized, optical means for illuminating selected portions of said film, and photoelectric means for converting light from said illuminated portions into said first video signals.

3. A system as defined in claim 2 wherein said mechanism comprises first drive means for longitudinally displacing said film and second drive means for transversely displacing a zone of illumination, produced by said optical means, with reference to said film.

4. A system as defined in claim 3 wherein said optical means includes a tiltable mirror, said second drive means being coupled with said mirror for varying the angular position thereof relative to the plane of said film.

5. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein sid optical means further includes a cathode-ray tube provided with a scan circuit for sweeping a light spot by way of said mirror across a selected film portion constituting said zone of illumination.

6. A system as defined in claim 5 wherein said film has a lateral zone offset from said images carrying a position code, said second drive means being operable during said flyback periods to shift said light spot onto said lateral zone for reading said code and supplying corrective signals to said first drive means.

7. A system as defined in claim 5, further comprising a potentiometer mechanically coupled with said mirror for feeding back a position-indicating signal to said second drive means.

8. A system as defined in claim 5 wherein said mirror is semireflective for splitting luminous radiation from said cathode-ray tube into two separate beams, one of said beams being trained upon said film to form said light spot, further comprising photosensitive means in the path of the other of said beams for generating a reference signal upon being illuminated thereby, said reference signal being fed back to said scan circuit for keeping said zone of illumination centered on a predetermined point.

9. A system as defined in claim 4 wherein said optical means further includes a pick-up tube, said mirror directing light rays from said zone of illumination to said pick-up tube.

10. A system as defined in claim 9 wherein said mirror is semireflective, further comprising light-emitting means and lens means for focusing rays from said light-emitting means by way of said mirror upon said pick-up tube to illuminate a fixed reference point thereon.

11. A system as defined in claim 9 wherein said optical means further includes a rotatable prism interposed between said mirror and said pick-up tube, and third drive means for rotating said prism in response to heading information from said source.

12. A system as defined in claim 1, further comprising a generator of overlay signals and mixer means for superimposing said overlay signals upon said first video signals.