Glass unit

• US 6,002,379 A
• Filed: 08/16/1996
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Udagawa, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/698,939
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 340/995, 701/213, 342/457, 356/138
• US Class Current: 345/9
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/04 Adaptation of rangefinders for combination with telescopes or binoculars
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/10 reflecting into the field of view additional indications, e.g. from collimator
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A glass unit such as a binocular or monocular in which an object to be observed is viewed under magnification is made to display a map image, whereby the observer'"'"'s own position can be specified on the map image without an atlas being opened. Based on a self-position data input from a GPS unit (21), a CPU (31) transmits map image information near its own position from a topographic map database (23) to a CG buffer (39) by way of a memory (25). On the other hand, based on the self-position data, a mark or character indicative of its position on the map image is generated by a mark character generating unit (35) so as to be superimposed onto the map image from the CG buffer (39), whereby a composite image thus formed is displayed by an LCD within a housing (10) so as to be viewed within the visual field of the glass unit.

Claims

1. A glass unit for viewing under optical magnification, an object to be observed, said glass unit comprising:

a memory which stores digital map information,

a CPU which reads out the map information within said memory,

a first display means which shows the map information read out by said CPU and

a second display means comprising an optical monocular visual display,

wherein said glass unit combines the first display means map information and the second display means optical monocular visual display within different visual fields.

2. A glass unit according to claim 1, wherein said first display means displays, in an overlapping state within at least one visual field, said map information and an image of the object to be observed.

3. A glass unit according to claim 1, further comprising a self-position detecting means for detecting a current position of said glass unit, wherein, based on information about the position of said glass unit obtained by said detecting means, predetermined map information is selected from the map information within said memory.

4. A glass unit according to claim 1, further comprising a self-position detecting means for detecting a current position of said glass unit, wherein information about the position of said glass unit obtained by said detecting means is displayed in conjunction with the map information displayed by the first display means.

5. A glass unit according to claim 1, further comprising an azimuth detecting means for detecting azimuth of a direction to which said glass unit is directed, wherein azimuth information obtained by said azimuth detecting means is displayed in conjunction with the map information displayed by the first display means.

6. A glass unit according to claim 1, further comprising an azimuth detecting means for detecting azimuth of a direction to which said glass unit is directed and a self-position detecting means for detecting a current position of said glass unit, wherein information about the position of said glass unit and information about a target direction obtained by said self-position detecting means and azimuth detecting means are displayed in conjunction with the map information displayed by the first display means.

7. A glass unit according to claim 5, further comprising a means for detecting altitude and a means for detecting angle of depression and elevation.

8. A glass unit according to claim 6, further comprising a means for detecting angle of depression and elevation.