Orthogonal projection concealment apparatus

• US 6,333,726 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1999
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David S. Bettinger
• Original Assignee: David S. Bettinger
• Inventors: Bettinger, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, FRANCIS N
• Application Number:
  US09/451,721
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 345/87-89, 345/55, 345/60, 345/629-630, 345/681-682, 345/634-638, 345/641, 345/632-633, 345/211, 345/690-691, 345/694, 382/103, 382/173-174, 340/815.45, 353/31, 348/742-743, 348/25, 348/36, 348/122, 348/744, 356/4.01
• US Class Current: 345/87
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 3/00 Camouflage, i.e. means or methods for concealment or disguise for vessels B63G8/34, B63G13/02 ; sound camouflage, i.e. simulating gun fire noise, F41A33/04; dummy or decoy targets F41J; chaff per se F41J2/00; ammunition for dispensing chaff F42B5/15, F42B12/70; radar absorbing fabrics H01Q17/005
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/40 Hidden part removal

Abstract

A pixel array-based orthogonal projection concealment apparatus applicable for continuously matching a mobile platform to its changing background integrates power means, sensing and inputting means for observer and background data, programmed computational means, and pixel array display means in a single apparatus. In its preferred embodiment the concealment projection image is displayed through a liquid crystal array.

Claims

1. An orthogonal projection concealment apparatus comprising,

a mobile platform equipped with

an internal power source, communicating power by and connected by appropriate wiring means to

a power controller, communicating power by and connected by appropriate wiring means to

a pixel array on said mobile platform surface consisting of a multiplicity of pixels, and said mobile platform further equipped with

at least one means of sensing and manually inputing digital estimates of observer position and distance, and

at least one means of sensing digital estimates of background distance automatically, and

at least one means of continuously capturing digital background images,

all means communicating electronic data by and connected by appropriate wiring means to said internal power source and additionally to,

a microchip driven computing device, communicating data input by and connected by appropriate wiring means to said power controller, and said computing device comprising,

a pixel location database, and

programmed means of observer visible pixel selection, and

gray-scale determination means of occulted background position, and

positional algorithmic computational means, and

programmed means whereby said power controller activates an individual pixel to project an orthogonal image of a portion of said occulted background perpendicular to the observer in his line of sight, whereby the summing of the orthogonal images of all portions of said occulted background produces a concealed orthogonal projection of the total occulted background.

2. The orthogonal projection concealment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said algorithmic computational programming means contains a predictive computational element.

3. The orthogonal projection concealment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said orthogonal projection image is selected from gray-scale and color.

4. The orthogonal projection concealment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pixel array is a rectilinear array of packets of liquid crystal material.

5. The orthogonal projection concealment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mobile platform is additionally equipped with a guidance sensing means communicating electronic data by and connected by appropriate wiring means to said internal power source and additionally to said microchip driven computing device.

6. The orthogonal projection concealment apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mobile platform is additionally equipped with a tilt and skew sensing and estimating means communicating electronic data by and connected by appropriate wiring means to said internal power source and additionally to said microchip driven computing device.