Systems and methods for remote display of an enhanced image

• US 7,925,391 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Sanders-Reed, John N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cuong H
• Application Number:
  US11/142,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/213, 701/200, 715/700, 709/217, 340/971, 340/980, 345 7- 8, 359/13, 359629- 63, 2/62, 2/65, 382/104, 382/294
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2350/00 Solving problems of bandwidth in display systems
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/12 Avionics applications

Abstract

A system for providing remote display of an enhanced image comprises at least one image source and a processing element. The processing element is capable of receiving data from the image source, creating an enhanced image with the received data, and transmitting the enhanced image via a wireless link to a display device capable of displaying the enhanced image. The processing element may create the enhanced image by stitching image data from at least two image sources having different fields of view, fusing image data from at least two image sources having different image modalities, or combining image data from at least one image source with synthetic image data. The processing element may be further capable of modifying at least one transmission characteristic based on a bandwidth of the wireless link. The transmission characteristic may be selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

Claims

1. A vehicle system for providing remote display of an enhanced image, the vehicle system comprising:

a vehicle body;

at least one image source mounted on the vehicle body; and

a processing element configured to receive data from the image source;

the processing element further configured to create an enhanced image with the received data by performing at least one of stitching image data from at least two image sources having different fields of view, fusing image data from at least two image sources having different image modalities, or combining image data from at least one image source with synthetic image data;

the processing element further configured to provide for transmission of the enhanced image via a wireless link to a display device capable of displaying the enhanced image,

wherein the processing element is further configured to modify at least one transmission characteristic of the enhanced image based on a bandwidth of the wireless link and further based on at least one of a location of the vehicle body or an operating mode of the vehicle system,

wherein the processing element is further configured to receive line of sight data from the display device, such that the processing element receives data from the at least one image source corresponding to the line of sight data and the processing element creates the enhanced image corresponding to the line of sight data, wherein the display device comprises one of a helmet mounted display or virtual reality goggles and wherein the line of sight data corresponds to a position of the display device.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle body is an aircraft, and wherein the processing element is configured to provide for transmission of the enhanced image via the wireless link to the display device offboard the aircraft.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the transmission characteristic is selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

4. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the processing element modifies the at least one transmission characteristic for only a portion of the transmitted enhanced image.

5. The vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the enhanced image is a first enhanced image, wherein the display device is a first display device, and wherein the processing element is further configured to create a second enhanced image and transmit the second enhanced image via the wireless link to a second display device.

6. The vehicle system of claim 5, wherein the processing element is further configured to modify at least one first transmission characteristic corresponding to the first enhanced image and at least one second transmission characteristic corresponding to the second enhanced image based on a bandwidth of the wireless link, wherein the first and second transmission characteristics are selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

7. The vehicle system of claim 6, wherein the processing element is further configured to independently modify the first and second transmission characteristics based on respective requirements of users of the first and second display devices.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing element is configured to allocate different portions of the bandwidth of the wireless link to transmission of the first and second enhanced images based upon at least one of the location of the vehicle body or the operating mode of the vehicle system.

9. A vehicle system for providing remote display of an enhanced image, the vehicle system comprising:

a vehicle body;

at least one image source mounted on the vehicle body; and

a processing element configured to receive data from the image source;

the processing element further configured to create an enhanced image with the received data by performing at least one of stitching image data from at least two image sources having different fields of view, fusing image data from at least two image sources having different image modalities, or combining image data from at least one image source with synthetic image data;

the processing element further configured to provide for transmission of the enhanced image via a wireless link to a display device capable of displaying the enhanced image, wherein the processing element is further configured to receive line of sight data from the display device, such that the processing element receives data from the at least one image source corresponding to the line of sight data and the processing element creates the enhanced image corresponding to the line of sight data, wherein the display device is a helmet mounted display and wherein the line of sight data corresponds to a position of the helmet mounted display.

10. A system for providing remote display of an enhanced image, the system comprising:

at least one image source; and

a processing element configured to receive data from the image source;

the processing element further configured to create an enhanced image with the received data;

the processing element further configured to modify at least one transmission characteristic of the enhanced image based on a bandwidth of a wireless link, wherein the transmission characteristic is selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression;

the processing element further configured to transmit the enhanced image via the wireless link to a display device capable of displaying the enhanced image,

wherein the processing element is further configured to receive line of sight data from the display device, such that the processing element receives data from the at least one image source corresponding to the line of sight data and the processing element creates the enhanced image corresponding to the line of sight data, wherein the display device is one of a helmet mounted display or virtual reality goggles and wherein the line of sight data corresponds to a position of the display device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing element is configured to create the enhanced image by performing at least one of stitching image data from at least two image sources having different fields of view, fusing image data from at least two image sources having different image modalities, and combining image data from at least one image source with synthetic image data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing element modifies the at least one transmission characteristic for only a portion of the transmitted enhanced image.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the enhanced image is a first enhanced image, wherein the display device is a first display device, and wherein the processing element is further configured to create a second enhanced image and transmit the second enhanced image via the wireless link to a second display device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the modified at least one transmission characteristic is a first transmission characteristic corresponding to the first enhanced image, wherein the processing element is further configured to modify at least one second transmission characteristic corresponding to the second enhanced image based on the bandwidth of the wireless link, wherein the second transmission characteristic is selected from the group comprising field of view, frame rate, resolution, and compression.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing element is further configured to independently modify the first and second transmission characteristics based on respective requirements of users of the first and second display devices.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing element is further configured to modify at least one transmission characteristic of the enhanced image based on at least one of a location or an operating mode of the system.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is carried an aircraft, and wherein the processing element is configured to provide for transmission of the enhanced image via the wireless link to the display device offboard the aircraft.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing element is configured to allocate different portions of the bandwidth of the wireless link to transmission of the first and second enhanced images based upon at least one of a location or an operating mode of the system.