System and method for displaying information on a display element

• US 8,314,816 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Feyereisen, Thea L., He, Gang
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Ryan R
• Application Number:
  US12/480,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20100309222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/634
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/867 Combination of radar systems with cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means

Abstract

A method of displaying information on a display element is provided. The display element may be deployed in a vehicle such as an aircraft. The method obtains range data for objects located in a sensing region at a sampling time, and obtains image data corresponding to an image of the sensing region at the sampling time. The method continues by deriving first graphics content from the range data, and by deriving second graphics content from the image data. The first graphics content is correlated with the second graphics content such that they are spatially and temporally aligned with one another. Then, the correlated graphics content is rendered on the display element.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information on a display element, the method comprising:

obtaining first range data for an object located in a sensing region at a first sampling time;

obtaining image data corresponding to an image of the object at the sampling time;

detecting low visibility conditions associated with the sensing region;

acquiring second range data for the object at a second sampling time that occurs after the first sampling time;

processing the image data and the second range data to generate image graphics content for a predicted image that corresponds to a simulated view of the object at the second sampling time; and

rendering the image graphics content on the display element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining first range data comprises receiving sensor data from a radar system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining first range data comprises receiving sensor data from a system selected from the group consisting of:

a lidar system;

an acoustic ranging system; and

an ultrasonic ranging system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining image data comprises receiving sensor data from a camera.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining image data comprises receiving sensor data from a millimeter wave imager.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining image data comprises receiving sensor data from a charge-coupled device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising buffering the image data prior to detecting the low visibility conditions.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the image data compensates for movement of the object that occurs between the first sampling time and the second sampling time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the display element is onboard a vehicle; and

processing the image data compensates for movement of the vehicle that occurs between the first sampling time and the second sampling time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the image data further compensates for movement of the object that occurs between the first sampling time and the second sampling time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deriving range graphics content from the second range data; and

correlating the image graphics content with the range graphics content such that they are spatially and temporally aligned with one another, resulting in correlated graphics content;

wherein

the rendering step renders the correlated graphics content on the display element.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the correlated graphics content represents the image graphics content superimposed with the range graphics content.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining terrain data corresponding to terrain located in the sensing region at the second sampling time; and

deriving terrain graphics content from the terrain data;

wherein

the correlating step correlates the image graphics content with the range graphics content and with the terrain graphics content such that the image graphics content, the range graphics content, and the terrain graphics content are spatially and temporally aligned with one another, resulting in the correlated graphics content.

14. A display system for a vehicle, the display system comprising:

an onboard display element;

an onboard ranging system configured to obtain, at a first sampling time, range data for an object located within a viewing region proximate the vehicle;

an onboard imaging system configured to obtain, at the first sampling time, image data corresponding to an image of the object;

at least one processor coupled to the onboard ranging system and the onboard imaging system; and

a graphics system coupled to the processing architecture and to the display element, wherein the graphics system and the at least one processor are cooperatively configured to;

render a synthetic display of the viewing region on the display element, the synthetic display including a synthetic perspective view of terrain located in the viewing region;

render, in the synthetic display, a graphical representation of the range data; and

render, in the synthetic display, a graphical representation of the image data that is spatially and temporally correlated with the graphical representation of the range data;

wherein the graphics system and the at least one processor are cooperatively configured to;

process the image data and updated range data obtained from the ranging system at a second sampling time that occurs after the first sampling time;

generate an updated graphical representation of the image data that represents a predicted image of the object as perceived at the second sampling time; and

render, in the synthetic display, the updated graphical representation of the image data such that it is spatially and temporally correlated with the updated range data.

15. The display system of claim 14, wherein:

the onboard ranging system comprises a system selected from the group consisting of a radar system, a lidar system, an acoustic ranging system, and an ultrasonic ranging system; and

the onboard imaging system comprises a system selected from the group consisting of a camera, an infrared camera, a millimeter wave imager, and a charge-coupled device.

16. The display system of claim 15, wherein the updated graphical representation of the image data compensates for movement of the vehicle that occurs between the first sampling time and the second sampling time.