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Nov. 16, 1971 J. E. CONANT ET All 3,619,912 WSUA SIMULATION DISPLAY SYSTEM Filed Aug. 9, 1968 4. Sheets-Sheet I. 12 O MODEL&r 3 MOON TRANSA ORY Motion systEM F.G. 25 D SPLAY SYSTEM GENERA Puy RPOS OG A ARCRAFT COMPER SMUAYOR 5 INVENTORS yOAN. E. CONAN & ATER F.B.CZEK px4v; All 4.us/ ATTORNEYS Nov. 16, 1971 J. E. CONANT ETAL 3,619,912 WISUAL SIMULATION DISPLAY SYSTEM Nov. 16, 1971 J. E. conANT ETAL 3,619,912 WISUAL SIMULATION DISPLAY SYSTEM ATTC)RNIEYS Nov. 16, 1971 J. E. CONANT ET All 3,619,912 WISUAL SIMULATION DISPLAY SYSTEM 3,619,912 United States Patent Office Patented Nov. 16, 1971 2 3,619,912 ual techniques, for coordination of the several monitors VISUAL SIMULATION DISPLAY SYSTEM in an overall display in which an image target is trans John E. Conant, Arlington, and Walter F. Buczek, Spring lated in a path across the several monitors, in any direc field, Va., assignors to Melpar, Inc., Falls Church, Va. tion thereacross, to correspond to the path of such an Filed Aug. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 751,522 image in actual flight of the craft as simulated by the con Int, CI. B64g 7/00, G09b 9/08 trols exercised by the trainee. U.S. C. 35-12 5 Claims Each monitor is supplied with delayed sync pulses and blanking information from its own video control network, with control coordination effected, in a preferred embodi ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 10 ment, by computer input signals developed in response An optical image display is provided in a mosaic of to trainee control. The horizontal and vertical sync infor contiguous individual television monitors whose rasters mation is supplied to each video control network from a are suitably swept and blanked to permit translation of television camera in a closed circuit system, in which a the desired image in any direction across the display target model having several degrees of freedom is scanned. screens or faces of the several television monitors, to sim 15 Accordingly, it is another basic object of the present ulate in a training environment a realistic view of the invention to provide control of image motion on a display actual scene or visual conditions to which the trainee is screen, panel, or other viewing region, by controlling the to be subjected. Motion of the display image in any direc synchronization delay information supplied to the cir tion across the face of each monitor and in transition cuitry governing the projection of the image on various from one monitor to another in a continuous picture se 20 portions of the viewing region. quence may be accomplished by computer techniques, or by manually operated controls. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and still further objects, features, and at tendant advantages of the present invention will become BACKGROUNED OF THE INVENTION 25 apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, especially The present invention relates generally to visual display when taken in conjunction with the accompanying draw systems and more particularly to a visual flight simulator ings, in which: for providing the image of a target, such as an aircraft, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an overall system accord the sun and/or terrain or cloud surfaces, to a trainee 30 operating in a simulated or imitated aircraft environment. ing to the invention; In general, the trainee pilot will utilize controls similar to FIGS. 2(a), (b), and (c) are diagrammatic illustra those in the actual vehicle cockpit and by virtue of the tions of the faces of several television monitors arranged visual simulation display system of the present invention in a mosaic of contiguous edges, and showing exemplary can visually "fly" the craft in a synthetic situation. image translation across the several faces. In the past, the method most commonly utilized for FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one of several similar simulating a visual aircraft or space craft flight path has units of the video switching or control network of FIG. 1: been to provide the desired image on a conventional cath FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the horizontal delayed ode ray tube in a closed circuit television system. The sync and blanking circuitry of the unit of FIG. 3; and electronic bandwidths and attendant visual resolution 40 FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the vertical delayed available in such systems places severe limitations on pic sync and blanking circuitry of the unit of FIG. 3. ture size and angle of view, both vertically and horizon DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED tally. These limited fields of view have proved insufficient EMBODIMENT to simulate many training situations. Referring now to FIG. 1, an overall System in which It is a principal object of the present invention to pro our invention may be used includes a target aircraft or vide a new and improved apparatus capable of presenting model supported by a gimbal System with, Say, 3-degrees to a pilot trainee a continuous picture having a field of of-freedom of motion, such an arrangement generally view equal to or greater than the maximum view available designated by reference numeral 10; a television cam from an aircraft cockpit. Preferably, the cockpit is con era 12 which is itself supported by a translatory system trollable in several degrees of freedom, for example six, 13, the latter operated in accordance with the control by the trainee pilot to provide the psychlologically realis exercise by the trainee pilot in his simulated cockpit 15; tic impression of flight in a synthetic visual environment. a general purpose digital computer 18 together with the While our invention will be discussed primarily in re necessary interface and peripheral equipment 20 to de lationship to visual display systems for aircraft flight sim velop the desired control functions from inputs supplied ulation to provide images or targets appropriate thereto, 5 3 by the aircraft simulator 15 and internal memory; a it should be emphasized that the invention is not so lim servo-amplifier system 22 for operating the camera transla ited, but may be used to provide a translatable image or tory motion system 13 in accordance with the control sig scene suitable in conjunction with the simulated operation nals or functions deriving from the computer 18 in re of any desired vehicle. sponse to the inputs by the control Section of the simula SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 60 tor 15, the computer supplying the appropriate control According to the invention, an aircraft simulator, Such data or commands to servo amplifier network 22 typically as the synthesized cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft, com in the form of analog signals via the interface equipment plete with controls, instrumentation, and so forth, as pro 20; the servo amplifier network 22 further controlling the vided in the actual craft, and which may and preferably model and gimbal motion system 10, preferably inde does also contain an instructor's position, has a display pendently of the motion of the camera 12; a video switch system comprising a mosaic of individual television rasters network 24 responsive to inputs from the camera 12 and arranged in contiguous rows and columns for supplying the computer 18 (or interface System 20 connected a continuous wide-angle view, corresponding to or greater thereto) to supply appropriate information to the video than that afforded in the actual craft, to the pilot trainee. monitors of display system 25; and a suitable source of vertical and horizontal delayed sync and blanking infor 70 power 28 for supplying operating voltages and currents mation is supplied to each monitor, by computer or man to camera 12, model and gimbal motion System 10, 3,619,912 3 4. translatory motion system 13, servo amplifiers 22, and between monitors 3 and 4, and the image movement video switch network 24. should occur at a standard frame rate commensurate with The overall arrangement shown in FIG. 1 may be reality of motion. Image movement must also be accom referred to as a simulator and image acquisition system plished in a vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 2(b) and may largely comprise conventional and commercial for monitors 1 and 3, from the top edge of the upper ly available components apart from those to be discussed monitor to the bottom edge, with transfer to the top in detail in the ensuing description. In the operation of edge and across the face to the bottom edge for succes this system, the trainee pilot normally occupies the air sively lower-positioned monitors. Diagonal movement craft simulator 15 and is presented with an optical image of the image as shown in FIG. 2(c) is also necessary display on display system 25 which should be at least O and desirable. Here again, movement along either major as large as the field of view which would be presented diagonal or along smaller diagonals covering portions to him in the actual aircraft imitated or synthesized by of more than one monitor face should be permitted. simulator 15. Simulator 15 normally contains controls, The electronics required to implement this image trans instrumentation, and other components apparently identi lation on the several monitors consists of that shown as cal in operation, style and arrangement to those in an video switch network 24 in FIG. 1 together or in con actual aircraft of the type simulated. In general, by op junction with the modified circuit of each television moni erating the controls the pilot trainee supplies informa tor of display system 25.