Radar device and the like

• US 6,424,292 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Original Assignee: Furuno Electric Co, Ltd
• Inventors: Fujikawa, Takumi, Kondo, Motoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US09/763,237
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 342/27, 342/28, 342/41, 342/175-186, 342/195, 342/134-144, 315/367, 315/378
• US Class Current: 342/185
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements

Abstract

When the range scale has been changed, past target images which have been stored are converted to fit to a new range scale such that the past target images can be displayed in continuity on the new range scale without erasing the previously stored past target images. When the range scale is switched by operating a range selector 24, a controller 23 sets the amount of address shift K2 for a current-image video memory 20 and the amount of address shift K1 for a past-image video memory 21. Data in the past-image video memory 21 are successively read out according to K1 and transferred to the current-image video memory 20 in a first step. During this step, access address of the memory 20 is advanced according to K2. In a second step, the data stored in the current-image video memory 20 is re-transferred back to the past-image video memory 21 according to the re-set amounts of address shift K1 and K2. Upon completion of data transfer of the first step and data re-transfer of the second step, normal operation is resumed on the new range scale.

Claims

1. Radar and like apparatus comprising:

a current-image video memory for storing most recently received data;

a past-image video memory for accumulatively storing previously received data;

an indicator for superimposing and displaying the data stored in both the current-image video memory and the past-image video memory; and

a controller for transferring the data stored in the past-image video memory to a buffer in a first step and re-transferring the data stored in the buffer back to the past-image video memory in a second step when display range scale has been changed, wherein address shift data K specifying the amount of address shift per transfer cycle in the buffer and the past-image video memory for said data transfer and re-transfer processes is changed in accordance with the range scale.

2. The radar and like apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the current-image video memory is used also as the buffer.

3. The radar and like apparatus as recited in claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller clears data content of the past-image video memory, which is a transfer source, at the same time when the data is transferred in the first step.

4. The radar and like apparatus as recited in one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the controller sets the address shift data K to satisfy K=1 for a transfer source and K=1/N for a transfer destination when scaling an on-screen image by a factor of 1/N, and to satisfy K=1/N for the transfer source and K=1 for the transfer destination when scaling the on-screen image by a factor of N.

5. The radar and like apparatus as recited in one of claims 1 or 2, wherein when executing a scale-down operation in which multiple memory pixels of a transfer source correspond to one memory pixel of a transfer destination, the controller causes data having a maximum value among data in the multiple memory pixels of the transfer source to be stored in the one memory pixel of the transfer destination.

6. Radar and like apparatus comprising:

a current-image video memory for storing most recently received data;

a past-image video memory for accumulatively storing previously received data;

an indicator for superimposing and displaying the data stored in both the current-image video memory and the past-image video memory;

stored data transfer means for transferring the data stored in the past-image video memory to the current-image video memory in a first step and re-transferring the data stored in the current-image video memory back to the past-image video memory in a second step when display range scale has been changed;

shift data setting means for changing address shift data K specifying the amount of address shift per transfer cycle in the current-image video memory and the past-image video memory for said data transfer and re-transfer processes in accordance with the range scale;

first access detecting means for judging whether each pixel of the video memory used as a transfer destination is at a first-accessed address when executing a scale-down operation in which the address shift data K for the transfer destination is smaller than the address shift data K for a transfer source; and

means for transferring data stored in the transfer source video memory to an address of the transfer destination video memory if the first access detecting means judges that said address is first accessed, and writing the data stored in the transfer source video memory or data previously stored in said address of the transfer destination video memory, whichever having a larger value, based on a comparison of these data if said address is not first accessed.