Indicating positions of and directions to battlefield entities in a soldier's head-mounted display

• US 7,711,149 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Primordial, Inc. (Polaris Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Primordial, Inc. (Polaris Inc.)
• Inventors: Milbert, Randy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai; Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US11/878,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20080008354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 382/103, 382/107, 348/51, 348/52, 348/94, 348/154, 348/155, 348169-172, 348/208.1, 348/208.2, 348/208.3, 348/208.4, 348/208.14, 348/208.16, 348/352, 348/356, 342/45, 342/51, 345 7- 9, 345/32, 345/256, 345/157
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/307 for displaying an additional window with a view from the top of the game field, e.g. radar screen
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/02 using an independent line of sight
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/16 Sighting devices adapted for indirect laying of fire
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 3/225 Helmet sighting systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0141 characterised by the informative content of the display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for indicating positions of and directions to battlefield entities in a soldier'"'"'s head-mounted display using annotated arrows which indicate units both in and out of the soldier'"'"'s field of view. The method includes a Unit Identifier (100) for associating units in aerial imagery with soldiers on the battlefield, a Commander Presenter (102) for presenting the aerial imagery and unit positions to a commander, a Unit Annotator (104) for enabling commanders to identify unknown units, and a Soldier Presenter (106) for identifying and labeling units that appear in a soldier'"'"'s head-mounted display.

Claims

1. A method for differentiating friend from foe and assessing battlefield threats, said method comprising:

identifying objects detected in aerial image as friendly units or unknown units based on the reported positions of said friendly units,

allowing manual classification of said unknown units as friend, foe, or neutral,

identifying objects detected in scope video based on the positions of said friendly units and said unknown units as well as the position and orientation of the scope video camera, presenting the name or rank of said friendly units, indicating the position of and direction to said friendly units and unknown units, presenting a graphical arrow for each said friendly unit and unknown unit, orienting said arrows, positioning said arrows, collapsing said arrows, indicating said classification of said unknown units, and

warning a soldier if said unknown units classified as foes have line-of-sight access to said positions of said friendly units.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of orienting said arrows includes:

accessing said direction to said unit corresponding to each said arrow,

accessing the field of view of said scope video camera,

classifying said arrows whose said direction is left of said field of view into a first group,

classifying said arrows whose said direction is right of said field of view into a second group,

classifying said arrows whose said direction is within said field of view into a third group,

orienting said arrows in said first group to point leftward,

orienting said arrows in said second group to point rightward, and

orienting said arrows in said third group to point downward.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of positioning said arrows includes:

accessing said orientation of each said arrow,

positioning said arrows oriented leftward on the left edge of an electronic display,

positioning said arrows oriented rightward on the right edge of said electronic display, and

positioning said arrows oriented downward between said left and right edges,

whereby said soldier is aware of said units located both in and out of said field of view.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of collapsing said arrows includes:

classifying said arrows in said first group whose graphical areas overlap sufficiently into a first subgroup,

classifying said arrows in said second group whose graphical areas overlap sufficiently into a second subgroup,

classifying said arrows in said third group whose graphical areas overlap sufficiently into a third subgroup,

hiding all but one said arrow for each said subgroup, and

labeling said arrow for each said subgroup with the number of arrows in said subgroup,

whereby the visual clutter on said electronic display is reduced, avoiding visual overload of said soldier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing said method with a computer readable medium including one or more computer readable instructions embedded on the computer readable medium and configured to cause one or more computer processors to perform the steps of said method.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising implementing said method with one or more hardware and software devices.

7. A system for differentiating friend from foe and assessing battlefield threats, said system comprising:

a unit identifier for identifying objects detected in aerial image as friendly units or unknown units based on the reported positions of said friendly units,

a unit annotator for allowing manual classification of said unknown units as friend, foe, or neutral, and

a soldier presenter for identifying objects detected in scope video based on the positions of said friendly units and said unknown units as well as the position and orientation of the scope video camera, means for presenting the name or rank of said friendly units, means for indicating the position of and direction to said friendly units and unknown units, means for presenting a graphical arrow for each said friendly unit and unknown unit, means for orienting said arrows, means for positioning said arrows, means for collapsing said arrows, and means for indicating said classification of said unknown units,

wherein said soldier presenter includes warning a soldier if said unknown units classified as foes have line-of-sight access to said positions of said friendly units.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for orienting said arrows comprises:

means for accessing said direction to said unit corresponding to each said arrow,

means for accessing the field of view of said scope video camera,

means for classifying said arrows whose said direction is left of said field of view into a first group,

means for classifying said arrows whose said direction is right of said field of view into a second group,

means for classifying said arrows whose said direction is within said field of view into a third group,

means for orienting said arrows in said first group to point leftward,

means for orienting said arrows in said second group to point rightward, and

means for orienting said arrows in said third group to point downward.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for positioning said arrows comprises:

means for accessing said orientation of each said arrow,

means for positioning said arrows oriented leftward on the left edge of an electronic display,

means for positioning said arrows oriented rightward on the right edge of said electronic display, and

means for positioning said arrows oriented downward between said left and right edges,

whereby said soldier is aware of said units located both in and out of said field of view.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for collapsing said arrows comprises:

means for classifying said arrows in said first group whose graphical areas overlap sufficiently into a first subgroup,

means for classifying said arrows in said second group whose graphical areas overlap sufficiently into a second subgroup,

means for classifying said arrows in said third group whose graphical areas overlap sufficiently into a third subgroup,

means for hiding all but one said arrow for each said subgroup, and

means for labeling said arrow for each said subgroup with the number of arrows in said subgroup,

whereby the visual clutter on said electronic display is reduced, avoiding visual overload of said soldier.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said system is implemented with one or more hardware and software devices.