Tunnel vision video display system

• US 5,253,049 A
• Filed: 02/24/1992
• Issued: 10/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Training, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Brooke, Kenneth R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Application Number:
  US07/840,222
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 358/86, 358/93, 358/104, 358/231, 358/160, 358/87, 434/62-79
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/90 Constructional details or arrangements of video game devices not provided for in groups A63F13/20 or A63F13/25, e.g. housing, wiring, connections or cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/32 by projected image G09B9/307, G09B9/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7408 Direct viewing projectors, e.g. an image displayed on a video CRT or LCD display being projected on a screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7491 of head mounted projectors

Abstract

A video display system provides low cost, rapid processing for a high volume of participants through an interactive video system. The system includes a darkened serpentine tunnel constructed of flat faceted rear projection screens, formed as series of multi-screen sections. Video imagery is projected onto the screens from video projectors using reflecting mirrors on the back sides of the screens. The screens are mated together to form the complete tunnel. Participants travel through the darkened tunnel riding in guided vehicles. As each vehicle progresses through the tunnel, the projection screens currently surrounding the vehicle are illuminated, together with the preceding and succeeding screen sections. As the vehicle transitions from the current section to the forward section, the rearward section is extinguished and the next forward section illuminated. The image intensity of the forward section is gradually increased as the vehicle approaches, by virtue of the gain characteristics of the projection screen, thus making the transition nearly undetectable.

Claims

1. A video graphics display system that may be employed in a moving vehicle entertainment system employing a plurality of vehicles that are adapted to move through the entertainment system, said video display system comprising:

a flat faceted serpentine tunnel having an interior and an exterior, and wherein the tunnel comprises a plurality of conterminous facet sections, each section comprising a plurality of flat rear projection screens;

a plurality of video projectors disposed adjacent the exterior of the plurality of projection screens of each facet section that are adapted to provide video imagery corresponding to image scenes that are viewable by participants that ride in the moving vehicles that move through the interior of the tunnel;

a plurality of reflecting mirrors disposed on the exterior of the projection screens of each section that are adapted to relay the video imagery from predetermined ones of the video projectors onto corresponding ones of the plurality of rear projection screens of each section.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the gain characteristics of each rear projection screen is selected to cause the image to dim to less than 50 percent of its center brightness when viewed from more than 60 degrees off axis.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein a plurality of vehicles are adapted to move through the tunnel in a predetermined direction, and wherein as each vehicle progresses down the tunnel, the gain characteristics of the projection screens in the current, preceding and succeeding sections surrounding the vehicle cause them to be illuminated, and as the vehicle transitions from the current to the forward section, the rearward section is extinguished and the next forward section in line becomes illuminated, and wherein the image intensity of the forward section is gradually increased as the vehicle approaches, making the transition nearly undetectable.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each rear projection screen has a resolution of 512 lines by 1024 pixel rasters.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the tunnel comprises turns made between sections along any of its five section joints, and wherein at a turn, the sections become trapezoidal and shorter, thus providing for a serpentine tunnel.