US3784742A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ground-based flight simulating apparatus
Assignee: Thales Communications Ltd
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Filing: 1972-05-08
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Granted: 1974-01-08
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Expires: 1992-05-08
Abstract
Abstract An infinity visual display for a ground-based vehicle or craft simulator. A view of terrain passed over is obtained by a television camera controlled in simulated motion over a terrain model. The view is projected by a television projector onto a back-projection screen, the front of which screen is viewed by trainee crew by way of a collimating mirror. The television projector and back-projection screen are located overhead of the trainee crew and the collimating mirror in front, facing upwards. To provide for this inclined viewing axis of the screen relative to the projector axis to the screen, the screen must have a diffusing transmission characteristic and preferably a raydeflecting characteristic also.
Inventors
- 👤 A Spooner
- 👤 D Lobb
- 👤 D Burnham
- 👤 S Honeyball
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 13:25
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B27/00; G02B27/01; G02B27/0101; G09; G09B; G09B9/00; G09B9/02; G09B9/08; G09B9/30; G09B9/32; G02B2027/011; G02B5/00; G02B5/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
54 words
Visual display apparatus for providing a collimated visual display for viewing by at least one subject, comprising a concave mirror positioned for viewing by the subject, a curved rearprojection screen positioned substantially at the focal surface of the concave mirror and an optical projector positioned to project a visual scene onto the rear-projection screen.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
Visual display apparatus for providing a collimated visual display for viewing by at least one subject, comprising a concave mirror positioned for viewing by the subject, a curved rearprojection screen positioned substantially at the focal surface of the concave mirror and an optical projector positioned to project a visual scene onto the rear-projection screen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
68 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the said optical projector is positioned with its axis directed towards the concave surface of the rear-projection screen and the said concave mirror, rear-projection screen and optical projector are further-positioned so that a line from the centre of the mirror to the point of intersection of the projector axis with the screen is oblique to the projector axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the axis of the optical projector is redirected by reflection at at least one mirror surface and the said redirected axis passes through the centre of the rear-projection screen and the centre of the concave mirror.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
123 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 1, for providing a visual display for flight simulation apparatus comprising a dummy flight deck for housing a trainee pilot and co-pilot and for providing a collimated visual display for viewing by at least the trainee pilot, in which the said line from the centre of the mirror to the point of intersection of the projector axis with the screen is oblique to the projector axis in the vertical plane bisecting the said dummy flight deck and the said mirror, screen and projector are further positioned so that the line of view of the mirror by the said trainee pilot is substantially horizontal and the projector axis is positioned above the roof of the flight deck.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
92 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the said concave mirror is substantially spheroidal in shape, the axis of the spheroid of which the mirror forms a part lying substantially in the said vertical plane bisecting the dummy flight deck, the lower focus of the spheroid being substantially at the mid point of the volume of space from which the image is to be viewed, and the upper focus of the spheroid being above the dummy flight deck, whereby the axis of the spheroid is oblique to the vertical.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the optical projector is a closed-circuit television image projector provided with a television signal from a television camera positioned to view a model, thereby to provide the viewed visual display.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which optical distortion of the television image due to the projector, screen and mirror optical system is compensated by the use of a non-linear scanning raster.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
53 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which optical distortion of the television image due to the projector screen and mirror system is compensated by the use of image distorting means, comprising one or more lenses and/or refracting wedges and/or curved mirrors interposed between the optical projector and the back-projection screen.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 8, in which the rear-projection screen has both deflecting and diffusing light-transmitting characteristics, whereby an incident light ray from the projector produces an emergent cone of rays, the axial ray of which cone is directed oblIquely towards the said mirror.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which the rear-projection screen has its face directed towards the optical projector made up of prism strips extending across the width of the screen.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
Visual display apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which the angle of the prism strips varies progressively from top to bottom of the screen.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-01-07 | 1977-07-09 | 1978-01-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-01-07 | 1981-07-09 | 1982-01-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-01-07 | 1985-07-09 | 1986-01-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |