Flight system and system for forming virtual images for aircraft

• US 6,101,431 A
• Filed: 08/21/1998
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Japan Defence Agency, Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Japan Defence Agency, Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Niwa, Yoshiyuki, Terashima, Mikio, Sako, Sumio, Yabe, Ryutaro, Bandoh, Shunichi, Nishimura, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/137,748
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/14, 348/113, 348/115, 348/117, 340/980, 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 359/13
• US Class Current: 701/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/933 of aircraft or spacecraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/51 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935

Abstract

A three-dimensional digital map prepared by an satellite or the like is stored in a first memory as a wide-area information. Narrow-area information obtained by a laser radar is stored in a second memory. Obstacle information on obstacles, such as high-voltage power lines, high buildings and cranes, is stored in a third memory. These three information are read out to generate virtual images on a see-through type display mounted on a helmet of a pilot so that the virtual images is superimposed on the actual field of vision.

Claims

1. A flight system provided in an aircraft wherein a pilot sitting on a seat is capable of viewing the actual field of vision of the external world through a window, said flight system comprising:

display means, provided in front of eyes of the pilot, for displaying virtual images of the external world while allowing the pilot to see actual field of vision of the external world through the window;

a first memory for storing wide-area information, which includes latitude, longitude and altitude of a wide area corresponding to respective positions on a map;

a second memory for storing narrow-area information, which includes latitude, longitude and altitude of a narrow area narrower than said wide area, corresponding respective positions on the map;

a third memory for storing obstacle information, which includes latitude, longitude and altitude of an obstacle;

first detecting means for detecting latitude, longitude and altitude of the aircraft;

second detecting means for detecting the present position of said pilot and the posture of the front of a face of said pilot; and

processing means, in response to the respective outputs of said first, second and third memories and said first and second detecting means, for reading said wide-area information, said narrow-area information and said obstacle information out of said first, second and third memories, and causing the latitude, longitude and altitude of said memories to coincide with each other to generate said virtual images and to display said virtual images on said display means so that the area and obstacle in said virtual images are superimposed on said area and obstacle in the actual field of vision viewed by said pilot through said display means.

2. A flight system as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises:

a laser radar;

narrow-area information arithmetic means for generating said narrow-area information on the basis of an output of said laser radar to store the generated narrow-area information in said second memory; and

obstacle information arithmetic means for generating said obstacle information on the basis of the output of said laser radar to store the generated obstacle information in said third memory.

3. A flight system as set forth in claim 2, wherein

said laser radar irradiates laser beams in a substantially downward direction to obtain said narrow-area information, and irradiates laser beams in a substantially forward and horizontal direction to obtain said obstacle information.

4. A flight system as set forth in claim 2, which further comprises:

a millimeter wave radar, and wherein

said obstacle information arithmetic means generates said obstacle information on the basis of outputs of said laser radar and said millimeter wave radar to store the generated obstacle information in said third memory.

5. A flight system as set forth in claim 4, wherein

said millimeter wave radar irradiates electromagnetic wave beams in a substantially forward and horizontal direction to obtain said obstacle information.

6. A flight system as set forth in claim 2, which further comprises:

means for discriminating whether said narrow-area information generated by said narrow-area information arithmetic means is different from said narrow-area information stored in said second memory, with respect to the same position,

wherein said narrow-area information arithmetic means updates the generated narrow-area information to store the updated narrow-area information in said second memory.

7. A flight system as set forth in claim 2, which further comprises:

stored input making means for making said narrow-area information of said narrow-area information arithmetic means to be stored in said second memory by a manual operation.

8. A flight system as set forth in claim 7, wherein

said stored input making means makes said obstacle information of said obstacle information arithmetic means to be stored in said third memory by a manual operation.

9. A flight system as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said display means is capable of changing a density of said virtual images.

10. A flight system as set forth in claim 1, which further comprises receiving means for receiving a radio signal representative of latitude, longitude and altitude of a flying object,

wherein said processing means calculates an output of said receiving means and causes said display means to display thereon a character representative of an image of said flying object in said virtual images on the basis of said output of said receiving means so that said character is superimposed on said flying object in the actual field of vision.

11. A flight system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said aircraft is a rotor craft.

12. A system for forming virtual images for an aircraft, said system comprising:

a first memory for storing wide-area information, which includes latitude, longitude and altitude of a wide area corresponding to respective positions on a map;

a second memory for storing narrow-area information, which includes latitude, longitude and altitude of a narrow area narrower than said wide area, corresponding respective positions on the map;

a third memory for storing obstacle information, which includes latitude, longitude and altitude of an obstacle;

display means for displaying the virtual images of the external world while allowing an observer to see the actual field of vision through said display means;

detecting means for detecting the present position of said observer and the posture of the front of a face of said observer; and

processing means, in response to the respective outputs of said first, second and third memories and said detecting means, for reading said wide-area information, said narrow-area information and said obstacle information out of said first, second and third memories, and causing the latitude, longitude and altitude of said memories to coincide with each other to generate said virtual images and to display said virtual images on said display means so that the area and obstacle in said virtual images are superimposed on said area and obstacle in the actual field of vision viewed by said observer through said display means.