Method and apparatus for simulating views from a window

• US 6,628,321 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1998
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Nutaro, Joseph J.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US09/224,216
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: 348/64, 348/113-118, 348/142-160, 348/40-41, 348/840
• US Class Current: 348/41
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0095 Aspects of air-traffic control not provided for in the other subgroups of this main group
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A remote viewing system for simulating the views from a window includes a camera assembly and a remote viewing assembly. The camera assembly obtains views of a site and transmits the views to the remote viewing assembly. The viewing assembly then displays the views to simulate the various perspectives which can be obtained from looking out of a window, such as looking up and down out of the window.

Claims

1. A remote viewing system for acquiring and displaying real-time images to reflect an actual picture of an airport environment such as would be seen from the window of an air traffic control tower, comprising:

a camera assembly configured to obtain images of the airport in real-time; and

a remote viewing assembly configured to receive said images from said camera assembly and to display said images of the airport in real-time in such a manner as to simulate a view from the window of the air traffic control tower.

2. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the camera assembly further comprises a high resolution camera.

3. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said camera is configured to obtain a wide field of view including different visual perspectives.

4. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said camera assembly further comprises an array of high resolution cameras.

5. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said camera is mounted on a tower.

6. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said remote viewing assembly further comprises a virtual window configured to provide the visual perspective of looking out of a window.

7. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said virtual window comprises a first slanted panel configured to provide the visual perspective of looking up out of a window and a second slanted panel configured to provide the visual perspective of looking down out of a window.

8. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said virtual window further comprises a third substantially vertical panel to provide the visual perspective of looking straight out of a window.

9. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said virtual window comprises a plurality of display panels configured into a matrix.

10. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of display panels is a liquid crystal display.

11. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said camera assembly is located at an airport to capture views of airplanes landing and departing from the airport and movement of airplanes on the airport grounds.

12. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said remote viewing assembly is configured to display views of airplanes landing and departing from an airport and movement of airplanes on the airport grounds to simulate the views from a control tower.

13. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 12, wherein said remote viewing assembly is further configured to display flight information of airplanes in conjunction with views of the airplanes.

23. The remote viewing system of claim 1 wherein the remote viewing assembly is further configured to enhance the images of the site.

24. The remote viewing system of claim 23 wherein the images comprise infrared images.

25. The remote viewing system of claim 23 wherein the remote viewing assembly is further configured to display aircraft and flight information associated with the aircraft on a virtual window.

14. A remote viewing system for acquiring and displaying real-time images to reflect an actual picture of an airport environment such as would be seen from the window of an air traffic control tower, comprising:

a camera assembly for obtaining real-time views of the airport, said camera assembly being configured to transmit the views of the airport in real-time; and

a remote viewing assembly configured to communicate in real-time with said camera assembly, said remote viewing assembly further configured to receive and display the views of the airport in real-time to simulate the views of the airport from the control tower.

15. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said camera assembly further comprises a high resolution color camera for obtaining views of the airport and a first communication interface for transmitting the views of the airport.

16. A remote viewing system in accordance with claim 15, wherein said remote viewing assembly further comprises:

a second communication interface for receiving the views of the airport transmitted by said first communication interface;

an view processor for processing the received views of the airport; and

a virtual window for displaying the processed views of the airport, wherein said virtual window is configured to simulate the perspectives of looking up and down out of the windows of the control tower.

21. The remote viewing system of claim 14 wherein the remote viewing assembly is further configured to receive and display the views of the airport in real-time.

17. A method of simulating a control tower at an airport comprising the steps of:

obtaining real-time views of the airport using a camera assembly, wherein the views comprise views of aircraft near the airport;

displaying views of the airport obtained by the camera assembly using a virtual window to simulate the views from the windows of the control tower; and

directing the movement of the aircraft based upon the views shown on the virtual window.

18. A method of simulating a control tower at an airport in accordance with claim 17, wherein the obtaining step further comprises the step of obtaining various visual perspectives.

19. A method of simulating a control tower at an airport in accordance with claim 17, wherein the displaying step further comprises the step of displaying on the virtual window the various visual perspectives obtained by the camera assembly to provide a visual effect of looking up and down out of the windows of the control tower.

20. A method of simulating a control tower at an airport in accordance with claim 19, wherein the displaying step further comprises the step of displaying on the virtual window flight information of airplanes being displayed on the virtual window.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the virtual window presents the views in real-time.