Display systems

• US 4,167,113 A
• Filed: 11/25/1977
• Issued: 09/11/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
• Original Assignee: Smiths Industries Public Limited Company
• Inventors: Mann, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Woodiel, Donald O.
• Application Number:
  US05/855,111
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 73/178 R, 358/250, 358/231, 358/237, 358/222, 358/103, 350/16, 350/174
• US Class Current: 73/178.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32

Abstract

A head-up display system for an aircraft has a display unit which projects a display of symbology representing the aircraft flight parameters onto a separately mounted partially-transparent reflector positioned in front of the aircraft pilot, so that the pilot sees an image of the display against the external scene. The display unit has a sensor which receives an image of the display via the reflector. The sensor responds to displacement of this image from a reference established with respect to the display unit, caused by movement of the reflector relative to the display unit, and the display is correspondingly modified to compensate for such movement. The display unit may include a cathode-ray tube for providing the display which can be modified by adjustment of the deflection of the cathode-ray beam. In this case the reference established with respect to the display unit may be an instantaneous point image of the cathode-ray beam. A light source may be mounted with the display unit and the sensor may be arranged to respond additionally to displacement of an image of this light source received via the reflector. The light source may be located at a position spaced from the center of the display. Two sensors may be provided in the display unit, one of which receives an image of the display directly from within the unit, and the other of which receives an image of the display via the reflector, the display being modified in accordance with the difference between the outputs of the two sensors. The sensors may each be formed by a matrix array of photo-responsive devices.

Claims

1. A display system comprising a display unit for providing a display representation in a display area, an optical element, means for deriving an image of said display representation via said optical element, sensor means, said sensor means responding to displacement of said image from a reference established with respect to the said display unit, and modifying means, said modifying means being arranged to modify the disposition of said display representation in said display area in accordance with the response of said sensor means to displacement of said image from said referemce such as to compensate for movement of said optical element relative to said display unit.

2. A display system according to claim 1 including means for deriving within said display unit, a second image of said display representation, said reference being provided by said second image.

3. A display system according to claim 1 wherein said display unit includes a cathode-ray tube, the said display representation being provided on the screen of said cathode-ray tube.

4. A display system according to claim 3, wherein said modifying means is arranged to adjust the deflection of the cathode-ray beam in said cathode-ray tube in accordance with the response of said sensor means.

5. A display system according to claim 1 wherein said display representation is for viewing by an observer, said optical element including a partially-transparent reflector, and means mounting said partially-transparent reflector to reflect an image of said display representation to said observer.

6. A display system according to claim 1 including means mounting said display unit in an aircraft, signal generating means for generating signals in accordance with aircraft flight parameters, and means supplying said signals to said display unit to provide a display of symbology representative of said aircraft flight parameters.

7. A display system comprising a display unit for providing a display;

an optical element;

first sensor means;

means for directing an image of said display onto said first sensor means via said optical element;

said first sensor means providing an output in accordance with position of the said image;

second sensor means;

means mounting said second sensor means within said display unit;

means for directing within said display unit, a second image of said display onto said second sensor means, said second sensor means providing an output in accordance with position of said second image; and

modifying means, said modifying means being arranged to modify said display in accordance with the difference in outputs of said first and second sensor means such as to compensate for movement of said optical element relative to said display unit.

8. A display system according to claim 7, wherein said first and second sensors include an array of photo-responsive devices.

9. A display system according to claim 7 including a light source, means mounting said light source with said display unit, means for directing an image of said light source onto said first sensor means via said optical element, and means for directing an image of said light source within said display unit and onto said second sensor means.

10. A display system according to claim 9, wherein the said light source is located at a position spaced from the centre of the said display.

11. A display system according to claim 7, wherein said display is for viewing by an observer and wherein said optical element includes a partially-transparent reflector, and means mounting said partially-transparent reflector to reflect an image of said display to said observer.

12. A display system according to claim 7 including means mounting said display unit in an aircraft, signal generating means for generating signals in accordance with aircraft flight parameters, and means supplying said signals to said display unit to provide a display of symbology representative of said aircraft flight parameters.

13. A vehicle display system comprising a display unit for providing a display;

means mounting said display unit on said vehicle;

an optical element, said optical element including a partially-transparent reflector;

means mounting said optical element on said vehicle independently of said display unit so as to reflect an image of said display;

said display unit including a cathode-ray tube for providing said display, first sensor means, means for directing an image of said display onto said first sensor means via said optical element, said first sensor means providing an output in accordance with position of said image, second sensor means, means for directing within said display unit, a second image of said display onto said second sensor means, said second sensor means providing an output in accordance with position of said second image; and

modifying means, said modifying means modifying the position of the display on said cathode-ray tube in accordance with the difference in outputs of said first and second sensor means caused by difference in position of the two images, such as to compensate for movement of said optical element relative to said display unit.