Head up display for integrating views of conformally mapped symbols and a fixed image source

• US 10,598,932 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2016
• 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: Marshall, Evan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta, Parul H
• Application Number:
  US14/989,539
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 43/00 Arrangements or adaptations of instruments arrangements of cameras B64D47/08; aeronautical measuring instruments per se G01C
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• 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 2027/0165 associated with a head-down display
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A method or system can be used with an aircraft or other vehicle. The system can include or the method can use a head up display for integrating views of conformally mapped symbols and a first image from at least one image source in an environment. The head up display includes a computer and a combiner configured to provide a second image in response to the computer. The second image includes the conformally mapped symbols and a window for viewing the first image on the image source.

Claims

1. A head up display for integrating views of conformally mapped symbols, the head up display comprising:

a display configured to provide a first image in an environment, the display having a screen at a location in the environment;

a computer; and

a combiner configured to provide a second image in response to the computer, the second image comprising the conformally mapped symbols, the second image having a window for viewing the first image, wherein the window has a virtual location matching the location of the screen.

2. The head up display of claim 1, wherein the first image is comprised of primary flight data and the combiner receives light from a real world scene.

3. The head up display of claim 1, wherein the first image further comprises at least one additional window associated with a location of another image source.

4. The head up display of claim 1, wherein the combiner is a near eye fixed waveguide combiner or a helmet mounted combiner.

5. The head up display of claim 1, further comprising:

a head tracking device, wherein the first image is provided in accordance with a head position and wherein the virtual location of the window continues to match the location of the screen when the head position is changed.

6. The head up display of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to sense a gesture and where the computer is configured to provide information in the window in response to the gesture.

7. The head up display of claim 1, wherein the display is a large panel display image source.

8. A method for use with a head up display for integrating views of conformally mapped symbols in an environment, the head up display comprising a display for providing a first image, a computer, and a combiner for providing a second image in response to the computer, the display having a screen at a location in the environment, the method comprising

providing the conformally mapped symbols in the second image, the conformally mapped symbols being mapped to features in the environment;

and

providing a window in the second image for viewing the first image, wherein the window has a virtual location matching the location of the screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first image is comprised of primary flight data and the combiner receives light from a real world scene.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first image further comprises at least one additional window associated with a location of another image source.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the combiner is a near eye fixed waveguide combiner, a head worn display or a helmet mounted combiner, and the window is free of the conformally mapped symbols.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

a head tracking device, wherein the first image is provided in accordance with a head position and wherein the virtual location of the window continues to match the location of the screen when the head position is changed.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

a user interface configured to sense a gesture and where the computer is configured to provide information in the window in response to the gesture.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the display is a large panel display image source.

15. A head up display for integrating views of conformally mapped symbols in an environment and allowing a first image to be seen, the first image being provided by a head down display having a screen at a location in the environment, the head up display comprising:

a computer; and

a combiner for providing a second image in response to the computer, wherein the conformally mapped symbols are provided in the second image, the conformally mapped symbols being mapped to features in the environment, wherein a window is provided in the second image for viewing the first image, wherein the window has a virtual location matching the location of the screen.

16. The head up display of claim 15, wherein the first image is comprised of primary flight data and the combiner receives light from a real world scene, wherein the conformally mapped symbols are virtually provided through a windshield in the environment.

17. The head up display of claim 15, wherein the first image further comprises at least one additional window associated with a location of another image source.

18. The head up display of claim 15, wherein the combiner is a near eye fixed waveguide combiner, a head worn display or a helmet mounted combiner.

19. The head up display of claim 15, further comprising:

a head tracking device, wherein the first image is provided in accordance with a head position and wherein the virtual location of the window continues to match the location of the screen when the head position is changed.

20. The head up display of claim 15, further comprising:

a user interface configured to sense a gesture and where the computer is configured to provide information in the window in response to the gesture.