Visual display apparatus
First Claim
1. Visual display apparatus for a ground-based craft flight simulator including a flight computer, comprising raster scan type display means for viewing by a trainee pilot observer, synthetic image generating means for supplying to the display means a signal representing an image of sky, horizon and a simulated patterned surface extending to the horizon, said patterned surface being displayed in true perspective in accordance with the simulated altitude and position in space relative thereto of the craft simulated and a general purpose programmable computer connected to interface the said flight computer and the said synthetic image generating means, said synthetic image generating means including discrete surface pattern generator, sky image generator and horizon logic units, the general purpose computer receiving as an input flight related data from the flight computer, being programmed to continuously compute functions of said flight related data and being connected to supply values of said functions to each of the units of the synthetic image generating means, said surface pattern generator including an inverse perspective transformation computer and a digital pattern store, the pattern store holding a single pattern cycle of a repetitive pattern for patterning said patterned surface in one dimension thereof, said sky image generator providing a signal output for the display means representative of a variable brightness portion of sky, both surface pattern and sky image generators supplying signals to switch means for selectively supplying to the display means either the signal representative of the patterned surface or the signal representative of the variable brightness portion of sky, continuously during the raster scan of the display means.
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Abstract
Visual display apparatus for ground-based craft flight simulation apparatus using a raster scan display for viewing by the trainee pilot and providing an image comprising a target or other craft, together with cloud extending to the simulated horizon. The cloud image part has repetitively patterned features and is displayed in correct perspective, according to the simulated flight position relatively thereto, for providing speed and altitude cues. This part of the image is provided by digital means, a single cycle of the repetitive pattern being held in a digital store and perspective being computed continuously. The whole apparatus includes three generators providing respectively sky, horizon and patterned cloud surface all controlled by a general purpose computer receiving flight data from the simulator flight computer. Outputs from the three generators are selected appropriately during the raster scan of the display and also appropriately combined with a high-definition image of the target or other craft.
39 Citations
6 Claims
- 1. Visual display apparatus for a ground-based craft flight simulator including a flight computer, comprising raster scan type display means for viewing by a trainee pilot observer, synthetic image generating means for supplying to the display means a signal representing an image of sky, horizon and a simulated patterned surface extending to the horizon, said patterned surface being displayed in true perspective in accordance with the simulated altitude and position in space relative thereto of the craft simulated and a general purpose programmable computer connected to interface the said flight computer and the said synthetic image generating means, said synthetic image generating means including discrete surface pattern generator, sky image generator and horizon logic units, the general purpose computer receiving as an input flight related data from the flight computer, being programmed to continuously compute functions of said flight related data and being connected to supply values of said functions to each of the units of the synthetic image generating means, said surface pattern generator including an inverse perspective transformation computer and a digital pattern store, the pattern store holding a single pattern cycle of a repetitive pattern for patterning said patterned surface in one dimension thereof, said sky image generator providing a signal output for the display means representative of a variable brightness portion of sky, both surface pattern and sky image generators supplying signals to switch means for selectively supplying to the display means either the signal representative of the patterned surface or the signal representative of the variable brightness portion of sky, continuously during the raster scan of the display means.
Specification