Image control system controlling traffic of a mobile body, such as an aircraft

• US 6,573,888 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electronic Navigation Research Institute, Independent Administrative Institution, NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: Electronic Navigation Research Institute, Independent Administrative Institution, NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Shiomi, Kakuichi, Hayashi, Keiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHARIA, PRABODH M
• Application Number:
  US09/731,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20010003809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 345/97, 345/98, 345/109, 345/156, 345/158, 345/204, 345/507, 345/515, 345/516, 345/841, 348/36, 348/39, 348/51, 700/79, 340/468, 340/961, 342/53, 342/455, 367/68-72, 701/1-16
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group

Abstract

In an air traffic control system for controlling aircraft a three-dimensional position is provided to monitor a position of an air traffic controller. An image is displayed on a display portion with reference to the position of the controller. The image displayed on the display portion always appears in a front image regardless of the position of the controller or may be selected to be displayed on a selected area of the display portion determined by the position of the controller.

Claims

1. An air traffic control system for use in providing air traffic control information to an air traffic controller so as to control traffic of an aircraft, comprising:

a position detection sensor for detecting a position of the air traffic controller to obtain position information representative of the position of the air traffic controller; and

means for selectively displaying the air traffic control information on a display portion in a predetermined order in accordance with the position information without moving the display portion.

2. An air traffic control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position detection sensor is formed by a magnetic three-dimensional position sensor.

9. An air traffic control system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the position detection sensor is formed by a magnetic three-dimensional position sensor.

3. An air traffic control system for providing air traffic control information to an air traffic controller so as to control traffic of an aircraft comprising:

a position detection sensor for detecting a position of the air traffic controller to obtain position information representative of the position of the air traffic controller;

a display renewal judgement portion for judging whether or not display is to be renewed with reference to the position information to obtain and to produce judgement information representative of the result of judgement, by analyzing a movement amount of the air traffic controller on the basis of the position information;

an air traffic control information management portion for receiving air traffic control information from an outside system to obtain a latest management state and to produce latest air traffic control information representative of the latest management state;

a display data generator, coupled to the display renewal judgement portion and the air traffic control information management portion, for generating display data on the basis of the judgment information and the latest air traffic control information sent from the air traffic control information management portion;

a display portion for displaying the display data; and

the latest air traffic control information being thus displayed as the display data on the display portion in accordance with the position of the air traffic controller determined by the judgement information without moving the display portion.

4. An air traffic control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the display data generator comprises:

first means for always providing, to the air traffic controller, an image which is viewed from a front position of the display portion in response to the judgement information to produce the display data representative of the image, even when the position of the air traffic controller is changed from the front position.

5. An air traffic control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the display data generator comprises:

second means for shaping the latest air traffic control information into shaped air traffic control information in response to the judgement information so as to compensate for a reduction of a display area of the display portion that is caused to occur when the display portion is seen from an oblique position by the air traffic controller by the air traffic controller;

the shaped air traffic control information being produced as the display date.

6. An air traffic control system as claimed in claim 3, the air traffic control information being varied from first display information to second display information in accordance with a movement of the position of the air traffic controller;

wherein the display data generator comprises;

third means for switching the air traffic control information between the first display information and the second display information in accordance with the position of the air traffic controller to produce switched display information as the display data.

7. An air traffic control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the display data generator comprises:

first means for always providing to the air traffic controller, an image which is viewed from a front position of the display portion in response to the judgement information to produce the display data representative of the image, even when the position of the air traffic controller is changed from the front position;

second means for shaping the latest air traffic control information into shaped air traffic control information in response to the judgement information so as to compensate for a reduction of a display area of the display portion that is caused to occur when the display portion is seen from an oblique position by the air traffic controller;

third means for switching the air traffic control information from one to another to obtain switched air traffic control information in accordance with the position of the air traffic controller; and

selecting means for selecting one of the image, the shaped air traffic control information, and the switched air traffic control information to produce the display data.

8. An air traffic control system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the display renewal judgement portion comprises:

means for monitoring the position information detected at a predetermined period to judge whether or not the air traffic controller is being moved; and

means for renewing displays when the movement of the air traffic controller is finished.

10. An image control system for visually displaying an image on a display screen of a display portion which is watched by a viewer from both a front position of the display portion and a plurality of angle positions inclined from the front position, comprising:

a position detection sensor for detecting a position of the viewer in relation to the display screen to obtain position information representative of the position of the viewer; and

image modifying means, responsive to the position information, for modifying the image on the basis of the position information into a modified image when the display screen is watched by the viewer from the angle positions without moving the display screen.

11. An image control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the image modifying means comprises:

storage means for successively storing, as the image, a reference image seen from the front position; and

producing means for producing the modified image identical with the reference image even when the display screen is watched by the viewer from the angle positions.

12. An image control system as claimed in claim 10, the image on the display screen being watched as a plurality of reduced viewing area images from the angle positions in comparison with that watched from the front position, wherein the image modifying means comprises:

storage means for storing the reduced viewing area images; and

selecting means for successively selecting the reduced viewing area images on the basis of the position information as a selected viewing area image; and

means for producing the selected viewing area image as the modified image.

13. An image control system as claimed in claim 10, the image on the display screen being varied from one image to another image when the viewer is moved, wherein the image modifying means comprises:

storage means for storing one image and another image; and

detecting means, responsive to the position information, for detecting the position of the viewer to select either one of the one image and another image as a selected image; and

producing means for producing the selected image as the modified image.

14. An image control system as claimed in claim 10, which is used for a traffic control system for controlling traffic of a mobile body.

15. An image control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the mobile body is an aircraft.

16. An image control system as claimed in claim 15, wherein air traffic control information is displayed as the image on the screen of the display portion to control air traffic of the aircraft and is observed as the viewer by an air traffic controller.

17. An image control system as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

judging means, coupled to the position detection sensor, for judging whether or not the position detection information is to be renewed to produce renewed position detection information when the position detection information is renewed;

receiving means for receiving air traffic control information to supply the air traffic control information to the image modifying means and to display the air traffic control information as the image on the display portion.

18. An image control system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the receiving means comprises:

storing means for successively storing the air traffic control information; and

supply means for supplying a latest one of the air traffic control information to the modifying means.

19. An image control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the mobile body is a ship.

20. An image control system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the mobile body is an automobile.