Wide angle display device

• US 4,345,817 A
• Filed: 06/02/1980
• Issued: 08/24/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Singer Company (SVP Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gwynn, Eric C. E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US06/155,903
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 350/171, 350/174, 350/293, 35/12 R, 35/12 BL, 35/12 N, 89/41 R, D19/60, D96/12, 358/87, 358/238, 358/239
• US Class Current: 359/631
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/102 for generating a colour image from monochromatic image signal sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/144 using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity G02B27/147 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/326 the image being transformed by optical means

Abstract

In order to widen the field-of-view, two display devices are abutted. A first display device has a concave mirror (10), a 45° beam splitter (12) and a CRT positioned on an axis (16). To minimize any gap tending to develop between adjacent images, a second display device is rotated 90° about its viewing axis (24), the second display device having a concave mirror (20), a beam splitter (22) and a CRT (21). The CRT axis (26) is tilted towards the mirror (20) to provide image continuity where the devices abut, so that eye movement within a range to an observer'"'"'s right of the center of curvature (18) is possible without any gap developing between two displayed images. In a modification, the mirror (20) has a larger radius of curvature and overlaps the mirror (10). In an alternative arrangement, there is no 90° rotation of the second display device, but the CRT axes are tilted towards each other.

Claims

1. A visual display arrangement for a simulator to develop improved realism in a projected scene as viewed by an observer, comprising:

first and second wide angle display devices in each of which the screen of a CRT is reflected into a concave mirror by a beam splitter through which the observer sees the image of the CRT screen in the mirror,

the concave mirrors of the first and second display devices being positioned contiguously to form a composite visual display scene, and

the CRT axis of at least one display device being so tilted that the CRT screen images as observed in the adjacent concave mirrors are substantially continuous.

2. The visual display arrangement for a simulator in accordance with claim 1, wherein said concave mirrors of said first and second display devices have abutting lateral edges.

3. The visual display arrangement for a simulator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second display device is rotated 90°

about its axis relative to the first display device, said rotated axis being so displaced from the axis of the first display device that the edge of the beam splitter of the first display device which is adjacent the concave mirror of the second display device is adjacent also a lateral edge of the concave mirror of the first display device.

4. The visual display arrangement for a simulator as set forth in claim 3, wherein edges of the two concave mirrors are positioned in abutting relationship.

5. The visual display arrangement for a simulator as set forth in claim 3, wherein the concave mirror of said second display device has a larger radius of curvature than the concave mirror of said first display device.

6. The visual display arrangement for a simulator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said CRT axis of at least one display device is tilted in the order of 5°

so that the CRT screen images as observed in the two adjacent concave mirrors are substantially continuous.

7. The visual display arrangement for a simulator as set forth in claim 1, wherein the CRT axes of said first and said second display devices are so tilted that the CRTs screen images as observed in the two adjacent concave mirrors are substantially continuous.

8. The visual display arrangement for a simulator as set forth in claim 7, wherein the CRT axes of said first and said second display devices are tilted in the order of 5°

so that the CRT screen images as observed in said concave mirrors are substantially continuous.

9. The visual display arrangement for a simulator as set forth in claim 3, wherein the CRT axes of said first and said second display devices are tilted in the order of 5°

so that the CRT screen images are observed in said concave mirrors are substantially continuous.

10. The visual display arrangement for a simulator as set forth in claim 5, wherein the concave mirror having a larger radius of curvature and the concave mirror of said first display device are positioned, respectively, at different distances from the observer and are overlapped a predetermined amount, so that the CRT screen images as observed in said adjacent concave mirrors are substantially continuous.