Landscape camera system with electronic field of view switching

• US 7,280,134 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1998
• Issued: 10/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Original Assignee: Thales Avionics Incorporated (Thales SA)
• Inventors: Henderson, Thomas D., Bates, George W.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US09/013,645
• Time in Patent Office: 3,543 Days
• Field of Search: 348/144, 348/211, 348/8, 348/36, 348/113, 348/117, 348/143, 348145-147, 348/159, 345/952, 364/565, 382/284
• US Class Current: 348/117
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0015 Arrangements for entertainment or communications, e.g. radio, television
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 Weight reduction

Abstract

The improved landscape camera system for use in aircraft utilizes digital video technology to obtain multiple fields of view that are selectable for viewing by passengers on the aircraft, from either a single video frame or from multiple cameras with different fields of view. The camera module can also receive video input from one or more auxiliary video cameras, such as a vertical fin mounted video camera, i.e. directed forward for a view of the aircraft in flight, or a rearward looking belly mounted camera.

Claims

1. In combination, a closed circuit television system mounted to an aircraft for an in flight entertainment system for the aircraft, comprising:

said aircraft having a centerline and a surface and including an in flight entertainment local area network providing audio and video output;

a video camera providing a field of view directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft'"'"'s centerline and a plurality of separate video images, the video camera being mounted to the aircraft and having a wide angle lens with an aspect ratio rotatable 90°

about a mounting axis directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft'"'"'s centerline and that is perpendicular to a tangent to the surface of the aircraft to provide said field of view directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft'"'"'s centerline with a view domain from horizon to horizon left to right relative to the aircraft, and forward and aft relative to the aircraft;

a first plurality of video display modules for a corresponding first portion of a plurality of passengers, and a second plurality of video display modules for a corresponding second portion of said plurality of passengers, said first plurality of display modules and said second plurality of display modules being connected to said in flight entertainment local area network;

a video camera control module connected to said video camera for receiving said plurality of separate video images, and connected to said in flight entertainment local area network for providing a forward view image, a downward view image, and an omniview frame image, based upon said plurality of separate video images;

a first plurality of interactive personal control units corresponding to said first portion of said plurality of passengers, said first plurality of interactive personal control units being connected to said in flight entertainment local area network and interfacing between said first portion of said plurality of passengers and said video camera control module, each of said first plurality of interactive personal control units corresponding to respective ones of said first plurality of video display modules and connected to said video camera control module for receiving said forward view image and said downward view image to permit each of said first portion of said plurality of passengers to independently select between said forward view image and said downward view image for each of said first plurality video display modules for said corresponding first portion of said plurality of passengers; and

a second plurality of interactive personal control units corresponding to said second portion of said plurality of passengers, said second plurality of interactive personal control units being connected to said in flight entertainment local area network and interfacing between said plurality of passengers and said video camera control module, each of said second plurality of interactive personal control units corresponding to respective ones of said second plurality of video display modules and connected to said video camera control module for receiving said omniview frame image to permit each of said second portion of said plurality of passengers to independently select a desired field of view for each of said second plurality video display modules for said corresponding second portion of said plurality of passengers from said omniview frame image.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said wide angle lens comprises a 140°

horizontal by 128°

vertical field of view lens.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said second plurality of personal control units are operatively connected to said video camera to control interactive operation of said video camera.

3. In combination, a closed circuit television system mounted to an aircraft for an in flight entertainment system for the aircraft, the aircraft having a first plurality of passenger seat positions and a second plurality of passenger seat positions, comprising:

said aircraft having a surface and a centerline;

a video camera mounted to the aircraft and providing a field of view directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft'"'"'s centerline and a plurality of separate images, the video camera having a landscape camera lens with an aspect ratio rotatable 90°

about a mounting axis directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft'"'"'s centerline and that is perpendicular to a tangent to the surface of the aircraft to provide said field of view directed forwardly and downwardly of the aircraft'"'"'s centerline with a view domain from horizon to horizon left to right relative to the aircraft, and forward and aft relative to the aircraft;

a video camera control unit connected to said video camera for receiving said plurality of separate images, providing a forward view image and a downward view image from said plurality of separate images, and combining said plurality of separate images in an omniview frame image;

an in flight entertainment local area network connected to said video camera control unit for receiving said forward view image, said downward view image, and said omniview frame image, said in flight entertainment local area network providing audio and video output;

a first plurality of interactive video and audio display units connected to said in flight entertainment local area network for receiving said forward view image and said downward view image, each of said first plurality of interactive video and audio display units being located at said first plurality of passenger seat positions, respectively;

a first plurality of video monitors connected to said first plurality of interactive video and audio display units, respectively;

a first plurality of personal control units connected to said first plurality of interactive video and audio display units, respectively, each of said first plurality of personal control units controlling selection between said forward view image and said downward view image for each of the first plurality of interactive video and display units independently of each of the other of said first plurality of interactive video and display units;

a second plurality of interactive video and audio display units connected to said in flight entertainment local area network for receiving said omniview frame image and said audio and video output, each of said second plurality of video and audio display units being located at said second plurality of passenger seat positions, respectively;

a second plurality of video monitors connected to said second plurality of interactive video and audio display units, respectively;

a second plurality of personal control units connected to said second plurality of interactive video and audio display units, respectively, each of said second plurality of personal control units controlling selection of a desired field of view of a corresponding one of said plurality of second video monitors to electronically pan, tilt and zoom the desired field of view from said omniview frame image for each of the second plurality of interactive video and display units independently of each of the other of said second plurality of interactive video and display units, and said second plurality of personal control units being operatively connected to said video camera to control interactive operation of said video camera.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said video camera comprises a plurality of sensors providing said plurality of separate images, respectively.