High-resolution vision system

• US 4,028,725 A
• Filed: 04/21/1976
• Issued: 06/07/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Grumman Aerospace Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Lewis, Edgar B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coles, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/679,035
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 358/104, 358/107, 358/109, 358/113, 358/103, 235/61.5 E, 235/61.5 S, 351/7, 356/152, 33/262
• US Class Current: 348/115
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0132 comprising binocular systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0147 comprising a device modifying the resolution of the displayed image
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0154 with movable elements
• 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 2027/0198 System for aligning or maintaining alignment of an image in a predetermined direction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/307 by helmet-mounted projector or display G09B9/36 takes precedence; optical parts of head-up displays G02B27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A high-resolution vision system comprising remotely positioned image-sensing means, such as a TV camera, and a head-mounted display that is used by an observer to view the image picked up by the remote sensors. Both the sensing means and the display are servo controlled to follow the eye line-of-sight (LOS) of the observer. The eye LOS is characterized by the eye angle of the observer with respect to his head plus the head angle with respect to a reference axis, such as the center line of an aircraft. Because the display follows eye motion by means of a servoed mirror or beamsplitter in front of the eye, the eye always looks at a fixed point on the display. The resolution of the display preferably is increased on the LOS so that the display characteristics closely match the eye, i.e., high resolution on the eye LOS and lower resolution in the peripheral region. This preferably is accomplished by using dual sensing means, such as dual TV cameras, one with a wide and the other with a narrow field of view. The output from these sensing means is processed by head-mounted cathode ray tubes, then optically combined with preferably a 1:1 magnification, and projected into the eye by means of the servoed beamsplitter. In a further embodiment of the invention, the sensing means can be a computer, resulting in optical images that appear fixed in space. Alternately, the computer-generated images can follow head motion.

Claims

1. A high-resolution vision system for an observer having a field of view related to a predetermined reference axis comprising:

a helmet worn on the head of the observer;

apparatus on said helmet for mounting eye-tracking display means having an image presentation which is slaved to the eye line of sight of the observer;

a remote source of visual information including at least a first and a second pick-up sensor;

servo means for adjusting the orientation of said remote source with respect to said reference axis, the angular orientation thereof with respect to said axis being related to the angular orientation of said helmet and the eye angle of said observer;

communications means between said remote source and said helmet-mounted display means for transmitting visual information signals and control signals therebetween;

at least a first and a second light projecting means in said display means for producing light-information signals in response to visual information derived from said remote source;

means inserting said light signals from said first projecting means into a selected area of said light signals from said second light projecting means;

angularly adjustable optical means in said display means for superimposing the combined image of said light signals of the field of view of the observer by directing light carrying said signals into at least one eye of the observer with the area of the inserted image having a predetermined relationship with said line of sight;

monitoring means operatively associated with said helmet for measuring angular displacement thereof with respect to said reference axis and for producing control signals indicative of such angular displacement;

monitoring means operatively associated with said display means for measuring angular displacement of said optical superimposing means with respect to said eye line of sight and for producing control signals indicative of such angular displacement;

means responsive to said control signals from said eye line of sight monitoring means for adjusting the orientation of said optical superimposing means such that the orientation of said light information signals viewed by the observer remains substantially constant with respect to said eye line of sight; and

means responsive to the control signals from both said eye line of sight monitoring means and said helmet angle monitoring means for adjusting the angular orientation of said remote visual information source such that the angular orientation thereof remains substantially constant with respect to said line of sight.

2. The high-resolution vision system as defined in claim 1 wherein the angularly adjustable optical means is a beamsplitter and wherein the angular adjustment thereof is by servo means responsive to the control signals from the line of sight monitoring means.

3. The high-resolution vision system as defined in claim 1 wherein the angular orientation of the remote visual information source with respect to the predetermined reference axis is the algebraic sum of the helmet angle and the eye angle.

4. The high-resolution vision system as defined in claim 1 wherein the apparatus on the helmet mounts eye-tracking display means for each eye of the observer whereby binocular vision is attained.

5. The high-resolution vision system as defined in claim 1 wherein the remote visual information pick-up sensors are television cameras and wherein the light projecting means are cathode ray tubes.

6. The high-resolution vision system as defined in claim 5 wherein the remote pick-up sensors are responsive to infrared radiation.

7. The high-resolution vision system as defined in claim 5 wherein the first remote sensor is a television camera having a narrow field of view and the first light-projecting means associated therewith is a cathode ray tube and the second remote sensor is a television camera having a wide field of view and the second light-projecting means associated therewith is a cathode ray tube, wherein said second sensor and said first light-projecting means are inhibited and the light-information signals from said first narrow field of view remote sensor is processed through said second light-projecting means whereby a magnification of the display images is provided.

8. The high-resolution system as defined in claim 5 wherein the first pick-up sensor has a narrow field of view and the second pick-up sensor has a wide field of view such that, when the light signals from the cathode ray tube associated with said first sensor are inserted into the light signals from the cathode ray tube associated with said second sensor, the combined image thereof superimposed on the field of view of the observer will have an area of high resolution related to the eye line of sight of the observer.

9. The high-resolution vision system as defined in claim 8 wherein the high-resolution area of the combined image is on the center of the eye line of sight of observer.

10. The high-resolution vision system as defined in claim 8 wherein the first pick-up sensor has a field of view of five degrees and the second pick-up sensor has a field of view of 25°

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