Marine navigation binoculars with virtual display superimposing real world image
First Claim
1. A navigation system for a marine vessel that employs a composite image produced by superimposing a virtual image comprising navigational data over a real image of a portion of a surrounding environment, comprising:
- (a) an ocular device comprising a housing in which are disposed a set of positionable optical lenses that image light reflected from the portion of the surrounding environment so as to directly form a field of view of the real image of the portion of the surrounding environment on a user'"'"'s retina;
(b) a virtual image generator that produces an optical signal directed toward the user'"'"'s retina so as to form a virtual image on the retina, said optical signal being generated in response to a video input signal;
(c) an azimuth sensor that produces an azimuth signal, the azimuth sensor being coupled to the ocular device, said azimuth signal being indicative of an orientation of the field of view formed by the ocular device;
(d) a plurality of instruments disposed onboard and related to a bearing and position of the marine vessel, including a vessel direction sensor that produces a vessel direction signal indicative of a direction in which the vessel is heading and an absolute position sensing instrument that produces an absolute position signal indicative of a position of the marine vessel; and
(e) a navigational computer coupled in communication with the ocular device and the plurality of instruments, said navigational comprising;
(i) a processor and a memory for storing machine instructions executable on the processor;
(ii) a video display controller that generates the video input signal;
(iii) a persistent storage means for storing the navigational data; and
(iv) the machine instructions that are stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, cause it to perform a plurality of functions, including;
(1) processing the azimuth signal and the absolute position signal, and as a function thereof, determining the field of view produced by the ocular device;
(2) determining a portion of the navigational data that should be included in the virtual image, based at least in part upon the field of view that has been determined and the vessel direction signal; and
(3) including only said portion of the navigational data thus determined in the composite image.
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Abstract
A system including binoculars augmented with a computer-generated virtual display of navigation information (hereinafter referred to as “nav glasses”) and marine navigation systems employing such binoculars. The computer-generated display is superimposed on the real world image available to the user. Nav glasses also have the components needed to link them to a navigation system computer which is utilized to generate the see-through display of the navigation information. They are preferably equipped with sensors compass and an inclinometer for acquiring azimuth and inclination information needed by the navigation computer and a sensor for measuring any magnification of the field of view. The nav glasses can be employed to lock onto a moving target, which can then be tracked by onboard radar. The navigation system in which the nav glasses are incorporated also accept inputs from other sources such as a shipboard compass, a GPS, and other navigation aids; and a route planning system. The field of view of the nav glasses is calculated from information obtained from the nav glasses and navigation sensors, and a display manager generates a pre-fetch display of navigation information from the route planning and radar inputs. This pre-fetch display or image extends well beyond the nav glass field of view. Consequently, as the glasses are shifted from side-to-side or up or down, all that may be required to match the virtual display to the real world image is to align a different segment of the pre-fetch image with the actual field of view. Once the alignment of the virtual display of navigation information and the actual field of view is completed, the virtual overlay is transmitted in coded form to a video output component of the navigation computer and forwarded to the nav glasses where the virtual display is constructed and superimposed on the real world view.
96 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A navigation system for a marine vessel that employs a composite image produced by superimposing a virtual image comprising navigational data over a real image of a portion of a surrounding environment, comprising:
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(a) an ocular device comprising a housing in which are disposed a set of positionable optical lenses that image light reflected from the portion of the surrounding environment so as to directly form a field of view of the real image of the portion of the surrounding environment on a user'"'"'s retina;
(b) a virtual image generator that produces an optical signal directed toward the user'"'"'s retina so as to form a virtual image on the retina, said optical signal being generated in response to a video input signal;
(c) an azimuth sensor that produces an azimuth signal, the azimuth sensor being coupled to the ocular device, said azimuth signal being indicative of an orientation of the field of view formed by the ocular device;
(d) a plurality of instruments disposed onboard and related to a bearing and position of the marine vessel, including a vessel direction sensor that produces a vessel direction signal indicative of a direction in which the vessel is heading and an absolute position sensing instrument that produces an absolute position signal indicative of a position of the marine vessel; and
(e) a navigational computer coupled in communication with the ocular device and the plurality of instruments, said navigational comprising;
(i) a processor and a memory for storing machine instructions executable on the processor;
(ii) a video display controller that generates the video input signal;
(iii) a persistent storage means for storing the navigational data; and
(iv) the machine instructions that are stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, cause it to perform a plurality of functions, including;
(1) processing the azimuth signal and the absolute position signal, and as a function thereof, determining the field of view produced by the ocular device;
(2) determining a portion of the navigational data that should be included in the virtual image, based at least in part upon the field of view that has been determined and the vessel direction signal; and
(3) including only said portion of the navigational data thus determined in the composite image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification