Simplified hardware component inter-connection system for generating a visual representation of an illuminated area in a flight simulator

• US 4,511,337 A
• Filed: 06/25/1982
• Issued: 04/16/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Aircraft Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Singer PLC (Hayleys Plc)
• Inventors: Trzeciak, John R., Fortunato, Alfred R., Millard, Maurice
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Application Number:
  US06/392,205
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 434/43, 358/104
• US Class Current: 434/43
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/301 by computer-processed or -generated image
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/302 the image being transformed by computer processing, e.g. updating the image to correspond to the changing point of view

Abstract

The disclosure describes how, by starting with the final equation (11) in U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,579 and by making certain assumptions and by rearranging, collecting and reducing the equation further, the apparatus to produce the same result will cut the cost dramatically. All of this is accomplished in accordance with a demonstrated mathematical relationship.

Claims

1. Apparatus for generating, on the display surface of a raster scan device, an illuminated area having a predetermined geometrical configuration simulating the base of a cone of light that would be visible on a more distant plane surface, where the orientation of said cone of light can be varied, and said geometrical configuration is adjustable in size and shape to simulate changes in position of said base on said plane surface as the orientation of said cone of light is varied, comprising:

computer I/O means to compute and to provide signals representative of the display axis to ground axis direction cosine matrix elements, b₃₁, b₃₂, and b₃₃, and various values of a light shape coefficient, G₁ through G₈ ;

horizontal sweep generator means to generate a signal Tan Ψ and

a vertical sweep generator means to generate a signal Tan θ

to represent instantaneous azimuth and elevation values, respectively, of the base of a cone of light as the base appears on a display device;

a first multiplier circuit means to receive the output from said horizontal sweep generator means and to receive said signal from said computer I/O means that is representative of said element b₃₂ to provide a signal output representative of the function b₃₂ Tan Ψ

;

a second multiplier circuit means to receive the output from said vertical sweep generator means and to receive said signal from said computer I/O means that is representative of said element b₃₃ to provide a signal output representative of the function b₃₃ Tan θ

;

first ADD circuit means to sum the functions b₃₂ Tan Ψ

and b₃₃ Tan θ

with said signal b₃₁ from said computer I/O means, to provide an output signal representative of a value C₃ which is the related vertical component of the display surface;

a third multiplier circuit means to receive a light shape coefficient value signal G₃ output from said I/O means and to receive said Tan Ψ

signal to generate a function G₃ Tan Ψ

;

a fourth multiplier circuit means to receive a light shape coefficient value signal G₂ output from said computer I/O means and to receive said Tan θ

signal to generate a function G₂ Tan θ

;

second ADD circuit means to sum the functions G₃ Tan Ψ and

G₂ Tan θ

with a light shape coefficient value signal G₁ output from said computer I/O means to provide an output signal representative of a value F₂ ;

a fifth multiplier circuit means to receive a light shape coefficient value signal G₅ output from said computer I/O means and to receive said Tan Ψ

signal to generate a function G₅ Tan Ψ

;

a sixth multiplier circuit means to receive a light shape coefficient value signal G₆ output from said computer I/O means and to receive said Tan θ

signal to generate a function G₆ Tan θ

;

third ADD circuit means to sum the functions G₅ Tan Ψ and

G₆ Tan θ

with a light shape coefficient value signal G₄ output from said computer I/O means to provide an output signal representative of a value F₃ ;

first circuit means to provide signalvalues equal, respectively, to Tan² Ψ and

Tan² θ

;

a constant voltage source to provide a voltage output at a predetermined value;

inverter amplifier ADD circuit means to receive said Tan² Ψ and

Tan² θ

signal values and to sum said values with said voltage output of the constant voltage source to provide an output signal representative of a value F₁ ;

a seventh multiplier circuit means to receive said value F₁ and to receive a light shape coefficient value signal G₈ from said computer I/O means to provide an output signal representative of a value G₈ F₁ ;

second circuit means to receive said value C₃ and to provide a signal value output equal to C₃² ;

eighth multiplier circuit means to receive said C₃² signal and a light shape coefficient value signal G₇ from said computer I/O means to provide an output signal representative of a value G₇ C₃^2;

third circuit means to receive said value F₂ and to provide a signal value output equal to F₂² ;

ninth multiplier circuit means to receive also said value C₃ and said value F₃ to provide an output signal representative of a value F₃ C₃ ;

fourth ADD circuit means to sum the four functions G₇ C₃², F₃ C₃, G₈ F₁ and an inverted F₂² to provide an output signal representative of a value T;

a signal comparator circuit means to receive said value T to determine whether each point on said geometrical configuration would be visible; and

a video processor responsive to said signal comparator circuit means for modulation of said raster scan device;

whereby the video modulation creates said illuminated area directly on said display surface corresponding to each point on said geometrical configuration that would be visible.