Surface information display inhibiting system, device, and method

• US 9,341,478 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Scherer, Christopher A., Villagomez, Victor E., Turcios, Felix B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Chong
• Application Number:
  US13/776,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 345/428
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3867 Geometry of map features, e.g. shape points, polygons or for simplified maps
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/20 Perspective computation
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

Present novel and non-trivial system, device, and method for inhibiting surface information to a operator are disclosed. An image generator receives navigation data; retrieves surface data; generates and modifies an image data set as a function of the navigation data and the surface data; and provides the modified image data set to a display system. The image data set could be representative of a three-dimensional, egocentric perspective of a scene outside the vehicle comprised of a current surface and corresponding markings, and at least one intersecting surface and corresponding markings; the intersecting surface may be a surface intersecting the current surface. The image data set may be modified by inhibiting the visibility of the intersecting surface markings for each intersecting surface falling within the image modification area. An intersecting surface may fall within the image modification area if the intersecting surface overlaps a boundary of the image modification area.

Claims

1. A system for inhibiting the display of information to a viewer, such system comprising:

a source of navigation data;

at least one source of surface data; and

an image generator configured to

receive navigation data representative of at least a location of a vehicle on a current paved surface;

retrieve surface data based upon the navigation data, where

the surface data is representative of at least

a first paved surface and first paved surface markings, and

at least one second paved surface and second paved surface markings for each second paved surface, where

 

the first paved surface is comprised of the current paved surface, and

 

each second paved surface is comprised of a paved surface intersecting the first paved surface;

generate an image data set as a function of the navigation data and the surface data, where

the image data set is representative of an image of a three-dimensional perspective of an outside scene comprised of

the first paved surface and first paved surface markings located in the outside scene, and

each second paved surface and second paved surface markings of each second paved surface located in the outside scene; and

modify the image data set as a function of an image modification area, where

the image modification area is a portion of the image, and

the image data set is modified by inhibiting the visibility of the second paved surface markings for each second paved surface falling within the image modification area without inhibiting the visibility of the first paved surface, each second paved surface, and at least a part of the first paved surface markings of the first paved surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the image data set is further modified by inhibiting the visibility of the first paved surface markings of the first paved surface falling within the image modification area.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein

the surface data is further representative of

at least one third paved surface and third paved surface markings for each third paved surface, where

each third paved surface is comprised of a paved surface not intersecting the first paved surface;

the image is further comprised of

each third paved surface and third paved surface markings of each third paved surface located in the outside scene; and

the image data set is further modified by inhibiting the visibility of the third paved surface markings for each third paved surface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein

the image modification area is comprised of a lower boundary, where

the location of the lower boundary is determined by a number of pixel rows below a horizon line corresponding to the horizon.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein

the image modification area is comprised of a lower boundary, where

the location of the lower boundary corresponds to a distance from either the near plane or far plane of a truncated frustum employed in an OpenGL specification.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a source of terrain data, such that

the image generator is further configured to

retrieve terrain data based upon the navigation data, such that

the function for generating the image data set or the function of the modifying of the image data set includes the terrain data, whereby

 

the image is further comprised of terrain located in the outside scene.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a display system, such that

the image generator is further configured to

provide the modified image data set to the display system, and

the display system is configured to

receive the modified image data set, and

present the image represented in the modified image data set on at least one display unit, whereby

first paved surface markings and second paved surface markings for each second paved surface falling outside the image modification area are presented to the viewer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the image generator is a processing unit of a display system.

9. A device for inhibiting the display of information to a viewer, such device comprising:

an image generator configured to

receive navigation data representative of at least a location of a vehicle on a current paved surface;

retrieve surface data based upon the navigation data, where the surface data is representative of at least

a first paved surface and first paved surface markings, and

at least one second paved surface and second paved surface markings for each second paved surface, where

the first paved surface is comprised of the current paved surface, and

each second paved surface is comprised of a paved surface intersecting the first paved surface;

generate an image data set as a function of the navigation data and the surface data, where

the image data set is representative of an image of a three-dimensional perspective of an outside scene comprised of

the first paved surface and first paved surface markings located in the outside scene, and

each second paved surface and second paved surface markings of each second paved surface located in the scene; and

modify the image data set as a function of an image modification area, where

the image modification area is a portion of the image, and

the image data set is modified by inhibiting the visibility of the second paved surface markings for each second paved surface falling within the image modification area without inhibiting the visibility of the first paved surface, each second paved surface, and at least a part of the first paved surface markings of the first paved surface.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the image data set is further modified by inhibiting the visibility of the first paved surface markings of the first paved surface falling within the image modification area.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein

the image modification area is comprised of a lower boundary, where

the location of the lower boundary is determined by a number of pixel rows below a horizon line corresponding to the horizon.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein

the image modification area is comprised of a lower boundary, where

the location of the lower boundary corresponds to a distance from either the near plane or far plane of a truncated frustum employed in an OpenGL specification.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein

the image generator is further configured to

retrieve terrain data based upon the navigation data, such that

the function for generating the image data set or the function of the modifying of the image data set includes the terrain data, whereby

the image is further comprised of terrain located in the outside scene.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein

the image generator is further configured to

provide the modified image data set to the display system configured to receive the modified image data set, such that

the image represented in the modified image data set is presented on at least one display unit, whereby

first paved surface markings and second paved surface markings for each second paved surface falling outside the image modification area are presented to the viewer.

15. A method for inhibiting the display of information to a viewer, such method comprising:

receive navigation data representative of at least a location of a vehicle on a current paved surface;

retrieving surface data based upon the navigation data, where the surface data is representative of at least

a first paved surface and first paved surface markings, and

at least one second paved surface and second paved surface markings for each second paved surface, where

the first paved surface is comprised of the current paved surface, and

each second paved surface is comprised of a paved surface intersecting the first paved surface;

generating an image data set as a function of the navigation data and the surface data, where

the image data set is representative of an image of three-dimensional perspective of an outside scene comprised of

the first paved surface and first paved surface markings located in the outside scene, and

each second paved surface and second paved surface markings of each second paved surface located in the outside scene; and

modifying the image data set as a function of an image modification area, where

the image modification area is a portion of the image, and

the image data set is modified by inhibiting the visibility of the second paved surface markings for each second paved surface falling within the image modification area without inhibiting the visibility of the first paved surface, each second paved surface, and at least a part of the first paved surface markings of the first paved surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the image data set is further modified by inhibiting the visibility of the first paved surface markings of the first paved surface falling within the image modification area.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein

the image modification area is comprised of a lower boundary, where

the location of the lower boundary is determined by a number of pixel rows below a horizon line corresponding to the horizon.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein

the image modification area is comprised of a lower boundary, where

the location of the lower boundary corresponds to a distance from either the near plane or far plane of a truncated frustum employed in an OpenGL specification.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

retrieving terrain data based upon the navigation data, such that

the function for generating the image data set or the function of the modifying of the image data set includes the terrain data, whereby

the image is further comprised of terrain located in the outside scene.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing the modified image data set to the display system configured to receive the modified image data set, such that

the image represented in the modified image data set is presented on at least one display unit, whereby

first paved surface markings and second paved surface markings for each second paved surface falling outside the image modification area are presented to the viewer.