System and method for forming images for display in a vehicle

• US 7,227,515 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kormos, Alexander L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): DHARIA, PRABODH M
• Application Number:
  US11/129,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20050206727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 345 7- 9, 345/60, 345/169, 345/723, 345/745, 345/473, 359/634, 359/407, 359/630, 701/200, 348/148, 348/370, 348/151, 348/730, 382/103, 375/240.09, 362/545, 250/353, 250/206.1, 435/6, 349/11, 356/28, 473/199
• US Class Current: 345/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/365 Guidance using head up displays or projectors, e.g. virtual vehicles or arrows projected on the windscreen or on the road itself
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/01 Head-up displays
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/166 for active traffic, e.g. moving vehicles, pedestrians, bikes

Abstract

A system is disclosed that includes a lens system that directs energy from a scene toward a detector and display unit coupled to the detector. The display unit forms an image using information received from the detector. The detector includes an array of detector elements, each detector element receiving energy from a portion of the scene and converting the received energy into information representative of the received energy. The detector sends the information associated with at least some of the detector elements to the display unit. The system further includes a computer coupled to the sensor. The computer selects the detector elements that should be used to form an image based on vehicle operating conditions and instructs the detector which detector elements should have their associated information provided to the display unit.

Claims

1. A system for forming images for display in a vehicle, comprising:

a lens system directing energy from a scene toward a detector;

a display unit coupled to the detector, the display unit forming an image using information received from the detector;

the detector including an array of detector elements, each detector element receiving energy from a portion of the scene and converting the received energy into information representative of the received energy, the detector sending the information associated with at least some of the detector elements to the display unit; and

a computer coupled to the detector, the computer being configured to select a portion of the detector elements that should be used in forming an image based upon operating conditions of a vehicle, and instructing the detector which detector elements should have their associated information sent to the display unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is configured to use a direction of a roadway in selecting the portion of detector elements to be used in forming an image.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer is configured to receive heading information from one or more sensors on the vehicle and to use the heading information to determine the direction of the roadway.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the heading information comprises steering angle information from a first sensor on the vehicle and incline information from a second sensor on the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first sensor comprises an angle decoder associated with a steering column for the vehicle and the second sensor comprises a inclinometer.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer is further configured to process scene information from the detector elements in order to determine the direction of the roadway.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer is configured to use information from all of the detector elements in order to process the scene information to determine the direction of the roadway.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer is configured to use information from a portion of the detector elements in order to process the scene information to determine the direction of the roadway.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy directed by the lens system toward each detector element has a size of approximately one and three-tenths milliradians.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the lens system comprises an objective lens having a diameter of one and one-half inches, an effective focal length of one and one-half inches, and an optical speed of f/1.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a head-up display.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a direct view LCD display.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises an uncooled pyroelectric barium strontium titanate detector.

14. A method for forming images for display in a vehicle, comprising:

directing energy from a scene toward a detector having a plurality of detector elements;

receiving the energy from a portion of the scene at each of the plurality of detector elements;

converting the energy received at each detector element into information representative of the received energy;

selecting a portion of the detector elements to use in forming an image based upon operating conditions of a vehicle; and

forming an image using the information associated with the selected portion of the detector elements.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting step comprises determining a direction of a roadway in order to select the portion of detector elements to be used in forming an image.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving heading information from one or more sensors on the vehicle and using the heading information to determine the direction of the roadway.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the heading information comprises steering angle information from a first sensor on the vehicle and incline information from a second sensor on the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising processing scene information from a portion of the detector elements in order to determine the direction of the roadway.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising processing scene information from all of the detector elements in order to determine the direction of the roadway.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising utilizing a computer to instruct the detector to send information for the selected portion of the detector elements to a display in order to display the image.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising utilizing the detector to interpolate information associated with the selected portion of the detector elements to produce additional information to be used in forming the image.