US4055004A — Full color hybrid display for aircraft simulators

Claim 1

Independent Claim 208 words

Apparatus for visually simulating to a pilot trainee a representation of an aircraft landing site having a number of light sources, said representation being in full-spectrum color, said apparatus comprising a color TV monitor; means connected to said monitor for producing an image on said monitor representative of said site; a cathode ray tube having a range of light intensity exceeding the range of light intensity of said color TV monitor by at least an order of magnitude; means connected to said cathode ray tube for generating a digital calligraphic monochromatic image representative of said light sources; means for converting said monochromatic calligraphic image to a full-color spectrum calligraphic image; said last means comprising a color wheel adjacent the face of said cathode ray tube having three transparent sector-shaped elements of different colors and one clear element, means for rotating said color wheel, and means for synchronizing the excitation of said cathode ray tube with the rotational position of said color wheel so that the color of each light source is accurately represented in the converted calligraphic image; means for superimposing and combining said color TV monitor image and said full-color spectrum calligraphic image; and optical means for enabling said traineee to observe the superimposed and combined images.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 208 words

Apparatus for visually simulating to a pilot trainee a representation of an aircraft landing site having a number of light sources, said representation being in full-spectrum color, said apparatus comprising a color TV monitor; means connected to said monitor for producing an image on said monitor representative of said site; a cathode ray tube having a range of light intensity exceeding the range of light intensity of said color TV monitor by at least an order of magnitude; means connected to said cathode ray tube for generating a digital calligraphic monochromatic image representative of said light sources; means for converting said monochromatic calligraphic image to a full-color spectrum calligraphic image; said last means comprising a color wheel adjacent the face of said cathode ray tube having three transparent sector-shaped elements of different colors and one clear element, means for rotating said color wheel, and means for synchronizing the excitation of said cathode ray tube with the rotational position of said color wheel so that the color of each light source is accurately represented in the converted calligraphic image; means for superimposing and combining said color TV monitor image and said full-color spectrum calligraphic image; and optical means for enabling said traineee to observe the superimposed and combined images.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 113 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said color wheel includes a red element, a green element and a blue element, and said synchronizing means comprises means for detecting the position of the color wheel elements with respect to said cathode ray tube, means for generating a first binary coded signal wherein at any given time the code corresponds to the color wheel element in front of said cathode ray tube, means for generating a second binary coded signal wherein the code varies in time depending on the color desired in said calligraphic image, and comparator means for activating said cathode ray tube when said first and second binary coded signals are in coincidence.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 76 words

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said site image producing means comprises a TV camera connected to said monitor, a terrain board having topographic features simulating an aircraft landing site, means for positioning said TV camera for movement relative to said terrain board, said positioning means including at least one servo motor, means accessible to said trainee for simulating an aircraft control, and means responsive to said aircraft control simulating means for driving said servo motor.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 80 words

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said driving means comprises a computer having an output connected to said servo motor and first, second and third inputs, said aircraft control simulating means being connected to said first input, transducer means for producing a signal proportional to the rate ofmovement of said servo motor and being connected to said second input, and transducer means for producing a signal proportional to the position of said servo motor being connected to said third input.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 53 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said superimposing and combining means comprises a 50% reflective - 50% transmissive beam splitter disposed intermediate said color wheel and said optical means, and means including a projection lens intermediate said color wheel and said beam splitter for projecting said digital calligraphic image onto said beam splitter.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 42 words

Apparatus according to claim 5 including a rear imaging screen disposed between said projection lens and said beam splitter and means including first and second parallely supported reflectors for reflecting the image produced by said projection lens to said rear imaging screen.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 257 words

Flight simulating apparatus comprising a terrain board having a miniature simulated scene of a landing strip or the like thereon, a TV camera for producing a video signal of said scene, a video monitor for displaying an image representative of the scene viewed by said TV camera, at least one servo means with a servo motor for positioning said TV camera relative to said scene in response to control manipulations by a trainee who has visual access to said video monitor, calligraphic digital display means for generating a calligraphic image simulating the light sources associated with said scene, said calligraphic image being superimposed on said TV camera image at said monitor, computer means for controlling said calligraphic digital display means and generating an input signal to said servo means which is a function of the control manipulations of said trainee, means coupled to said servo means for generating a first error signal proportional to the position error of said TV camera, means coupled to said servo means for generating a second error signal, always positive in polarity, which is proportional to the rate-of-movement error of said TV camera, said servo means including a nonlinear amplifying means, said nonlinear amplifying means comprising a multiplier with first and second inputs, said first input being a function of said input signal and said first error signal, said second input being (V+1) wherein V represents the second error signal whereby the bandwidth of said servo means is increased and said TV camera image is in substantial alignment with said calligraphic image.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 257 words

Flight simulating apparatus comprising a terrain board having a miniature simulated scene of a landing strip or the like thereon, a TV camera for producing a video signal of said scene, a video monitor for displaying an image representative of the scene viewed by said TV camera, at least one servo means with a servo motor for positioning said TV camera relative to said scene in response to control manipulations by a trainee who has visual access to said video monitor, calligraphic digital display means for generating a calligraphic image simulating the light sources associated with said scene, said calligraphic image being superimposed on said TV camera image at said monitor, computer means for controlling said calligraphic digital display means and generating an input signal to said servo means which is a function of the control manipulations of said trainee, means coupled to said servo means for generating a first error signal proportional to the position error of said TV camera, means coupled to said servo means for generating a second error signal, always positive in polarity, which is proportional to the rate-of-movement error of said TV camera, said servo means including a nonlinear amplifying means, said nonlinear amplifying means comprising a multiplier with first and second inputs, said first input being a function of said input signal and said first error signal, said second input being (V+1) wherein V represents the second error signal whereby the bandwidth of said servo means is increased and said TV camera image is in substantial alignment with said calligraphic image.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1980-10-24	1981-04-25	1981-10-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1984-10-24	1985-04-25	1985-10-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1988-10-24	1989-04-25	1989-10-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Full color hybrid display for aircraft simulators

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