Method and apparatus for a wide field of view display

• US 8,587,497 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Streid, Harold R., Vorst, Carl J., Rothman, Scott Phillip
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US13/467,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 345/423, 345/1.2, 345/1.3, 434/38, 348/121, 348/123, 348/423, 348/744, 348/E9.025
• US Class Current: 345/1.3
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/005 Projectors using an electronic spatial light modulator but not peculiar thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/08 for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3185 Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3188 Scale or resolution adjustment scaling in general G06T3/40; resolution modifying circuits for displays in general G09G5/391

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a uniform resolution display screen. In one embodiment, the uniform resolution display screen comprises a surface of the uniform resolution display screen having a curvature configured to display images with a uniform resolution across the display screen. The curvature is based on a projection distance from a projector to the uniform resolution display screen and a viewing distance from an eyepoint of an observer to the uniform resolution display screen. The geometry of the display screen is configured to display images associated with a high definition imaging format.

Claims

1. A uniform resolution display screen comprising:

a surface of the uniform resolution display screen having a curvature configured to display images with a uniform resolution across the uniform resolution display screen, wherein the curvature is based on a projection distance from a projector to the uniform resolution display screen and a viewing distance from an eyepoint of an observer to the uniform resolution display screen, the curvature of the screen is configured based on a locus of points created by an intersection of lines drawn at equal angular increments from the eyepoint with a set of lines drawn at equal pixel increments at an image source through the projection point; and

a geometry of the display screen, wherein the geometry of the display screen is configured to display images associated with a high definition imaging format.

2. The uniform resolution display screen of claim 1 wherein a worst case resolution of an image displayed on the uniform resolution display screen with a given field of view and a given number of pixels produces the image with a better resolution than a worst case resolution of the image displayed on a flat display screen or a dome shaped display screen with the given field of view and the given number of pixels.

3. The uniform resolution display screen of claim 1 wherein the geometry of the uniform resolution display screen is an n-sided polygon geometry selected from a group consisting of a rectangular geometry, a trapezoidal geometry, or a pentagonal geometry.

4. The uniform resolution display screen of claim 1, wherein the observer is positioned on a first side of the display screen and the projector is positioned on a second side of the display screen.

5. The uniform resolution display screen of claim 1, wherein the display screen displays an image in approximately a sixteen by nine aspect ratio.

6. A visual display system for use in a simulator comprising:

a set of screens having a selected curvature, wherein the selected curvature is determined using a locus of points created by an intersection of lines drawn at equal angular increments from an eyepoint with a set of lines drawn at equal pixel increments at an image source through a projection point, wherein images displayed on screens in the set of screens having the selected curvature are displayed with uniform resolution, the curvature of the screen is configured based on a locus of points created by an intersection of lines drawn at equal angular increments from the eyepoint with a set of lines drawn at equal pixel increments at an image source through the projection point; and

a set of projectors, wherein the set of projectors generate images displayed on the set of screens to form a full field of view display.

7. The visual display system of claim 6 wherein the set of screens further comprises:

a top screen; and

a set of side screens, wherein the set of side screens comprises partial side screens, and wherein the set of side screens is tessellated, wherein a geometrically normal ray from a point on a concave side of the spherical surface intersects with a geometric normal ray from a point on a concave side of each other spherical surface near an eye position of an observer.

8. The visual display system of claim 7, wherein each screen in the set of side screens further comprise a set of partial side screens comprising a rectangular or trapezoidal shaped screen.

9. The visual display system of claim 7, wherein a screen in the set of side screens forms a square, pentagonal, or hexagonal configuration.

10. The visual display system of claim 6 wherein the set of projectors generate images on the set of screens with an aspect ratio of approximately sixteen by nine to form a high definition, full field of view display.

11. The visual display system of claim 6 further comprising at least one projector associated with each screen in the set of screens.

12. The visual display system of claim 6, wherein the observer is positioned on a first side of a screen in the set of screens and a projector associated with the screen is positioned on a second side of the screen.

13. A flight simulator comprising:

a number of screens;

a number of projectors; and

the screens in the number of screens having a curvature, the curvature defined by a locus of points defined by an intersection of a set of constant separation rays and a set of equiangular separation rays, the set of constant separation rays being defined by projecting rays from an image source, through a lens, and through a plane with a constant separation, and the set of equiangular separation rays defined by projecting rays with equiangular separation from a design eyepoint towards the plane.

14. The flight simulator of claim 13 further comprising an imaging chip, such that equal distances in the format of the projector'"'"'s imaging chip are mapped onto equal angles for the viewing position at the eyepoint.

15. The flight simulator of claim 13, wherein the number of screens comprises a set of lower side screens and a set of upper side screens.

16. The flight simulator or claim 15, wherein the set of lower side screens comprise curved rectangular screens.

17. The flight simulator of claim 15, wherein the set of upper side screens comprise trapezoidal shaped screens.

18. The flight simulator of claim 15 further comprising a display configured on the number of screens in approximately a sixteen by nine aspect ratio.