Display generator for simulating vehicle operation

• US 4,182,053 A
• Filed: 09/14/1977
• Issued: 01/08/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Systems Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Systems Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Allen, Richard W., Hogge, Jeffrey R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hum, Vance Y.
• Application Number:
  US05/833,162
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 35/11 R, 35/11 A, 35/12 N, 35/25, 273/85 G, 273/85 I, 273/85 E, 273/DIG. 28, 340/324 A, 340/324 AD, 340/27 NA, 340/723-725, 358/104, 364/805
• US Class Current: 434/69
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A plurality of signals are generated to represent different simulated picture elements, such as markers, road lines, obstacles, etc., which might be encountered along the pathway of a vehicle such as an automobile or an aircraft. These signals are separated into groups representing height, longitudinal and lateral dimensions in three-dimensional space and corresponding intensity levels for each of various picture elements to be displayed, and the signals in each group are multiplexed together to form a composite signal for each of these signal components. The height, longitudinal and lateral groups of multiplexed signals are transformed to perspective form in accordance with a "perspective" transformation. Curvature may be given to the simulated pathway by transforming the composite perspective lateral signal in response to a curve signal generator. The composite horizontal signal modified in accordance with vehicle heading is fed to the horizontal control circuits of the display device. Finally, a composite multiplexed signal in accordance with the desired "intensity" of the displayed picture elements is modified in accordance with the longitudinal axis composite signal so that intensity is decreased as a function of the simulated distance of objects in the vehicle pathway.

Claims

1. A system for providing a display of picture elements which are controlled to indicate the simulated or actual operation of a vehicle along a pathway comprising:

means for generating a first group of control signals for controlling the "X" axis components of said picture elements,

means for generating a second group of control signals for controlling the "Y" axis components of said picture elements,

means for generating a third group of control signals for controlling the "Z" axis components of said picture elements,

means for generating a fourth group of control signals for controlling the intensity of said picture elements,

first-fourth means for separately multiplexing the signals in said first-fourth groups together respectively to form a composite signal for each of said groups,

first means for transforming said first group of multiplexed signals to perspective form in response to said third group of multiplexed signals,

second means for transforming said second multiplexed group of signals to perspective form in response to said first group of multiplexed signals, and

a display device having horizontal deflection, vertical deflection and intensity control circuits,

the multiplexed fourth group of signals being fed to the intensity control circuits of said display device to control the intensity of said picture elements and the output of said transforming means for the first and second groups of signals being fed to the vertical and horizontal deflection control circuits of said display device respectively to drive said control circuits to generate the longitudinal, lateral and height (X, Y, Z) axis picture element components.

2. The system of claim 1 and further including means for generating a signal in accordance with vehicle heading, means for generating a signal representing a curve command, and means responsive to said vehicle heading and curve command signals for transforming the output of the said second perspective transformer means so as to provide a representation of vehicle heading angle and path curvature on said display device.

3. The system of claim 1 and further including multiplier means for multiplying the multiplexed fourth group of signals by a factor in accordance with the multiplexed first group of signals to vary the intensity of the picture elements as an inverse function of the distance thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for generating said fourth group of control signals includes means for providing a phase varying pulsed signal to control the intensity of at least one of the picture elements so as to simulate vehicle motion.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the means for providing a phase varying pulsed signal includes a first sawtooth oscillator, clock means for controlling the frequency of said first sawtooth oscillator, a second voltage controlled sawtooth oscillator having an output with both frequency and amplitude substantially lower than that of said first oscillator, means for generating a voltage representing vehicle speed for controlling the oscillation rate of said second oscillator, comparator means for generating a gating signal whenever the amplitudes of the first and second oscillator signals are equal, and an oscillator for providing the phase varying pulsed signal in response to the gating signal.

6. The system of claim 1 and further including means for generating a signal in accordance with the lateral position of said vehicle, said last mentioned signal being added to the multiplexed second group of signals.

7. The system of claim 1 and further including clock means for synchronizing the operation of all of said multiplexer means with each other.

8. The system of claim 1 and further including means for dividing the multiplexed second group of signals into a signal which is the product of a signal in accordance with the distance of an operator'"'"'s eyes from the plane of the display and a signal in accordance with the height of the operator'"'"'s eyes above the surface of the simulated pathway.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is an automobile and the pathway a road, the picture elements comprising representations of lane markers, the sides of the road, reflectors along the road and an obstacle on the road.

10. In a display generator for use in providing a display of picture elements,

means for generating a plurality of groups of control signals, each of said groups representing a different control signal component for developing the picture elements,

means for multiplexing the signals in each of said groups to form a composite signal for each of said groups, said composite signals including signals for controlling lateral and longitudinal and height (X, Y, and Z) axis picture element components and the intensity of said picture elements,

said signals for controlling the intensity of said picture elements including means for providing a phase varying pulsed signal to control the intensity of at least one of the picture elements thereby simulating vehicle motion, and

display means for displaying said picture elements in response to said composite signals.

11. The display generator of claim 10 wherein the means for providing a phase varying pulsed signal includes a first sawtooth oscillator clock means for controlling the frequency of said first oscillator, a second voltage controlled sawtooth oscillator having an output with both frequency and amplitude substantially lower than that of said first oscillator, means for generating a voltage representing vehicle speed for controlling the phase of said second oscillator, comparator means for generating a gating signal whenever the amplitudes of the first and second oscillator signals are equal, and an oscillator for providing the phase varying signal in response to the gating signal.

12. In a display generator for use in providing a display of picture elements,

means for generating a plurality of groups of control signals, each of said groups representing a different control signal component for developing the picture elements,

means for multiplexing the signals in each of said groups to form a composite signal for each of said groups, said composite signals including signals for controlling lateral and longitudinal and height (X, Y, and Z) axis picture element components and the intensity of said picture elements,

transformation means for transforming the multiplexed composite signals to a form wherein they indicate perspective, said transforming means including means for multiplying the inverse of said composite longitudinal axis signal by said composite height axis signal and means for multiplying the composite lateral axis signal by the inverse of said composite longitudinal axis signal, and

display means for displaying said picture elements in response to said composite signals.