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US 11,029,160 B1Granted
Projectors, projector systems, and methods of navigating terrain using projected images
AssigneeHamilton Sunstrand Corporation
InventorsChristopher A. Keith, Bobby Foote, Weston James Lahr
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Abstract
A projector includes a light source arranged along an optical axis, a reticle optically coupled to the light source by the optical axis, and a projection lens. The projection lens is optically coupled to the reticle by the optical axis and has a navigation feature defined thereon for displaying an image of the navigation feature projected along the optical axis on terrain disposed within a field of view of the projector. Projection systems and methods of navigating terrain using projected images are also described.
Claims18
A projector, comprising:
- a light source arranged along an optical axis;
- a reticle optically coupled to the light source along the optical axis;
- a projection lens optically coupled to the reticle along the optical axis,
- wherein the reticle has a navigation feature defined thereon for displaying an image of the navigation feature projected along the optical axis on terrain disposed within a field of view of the projector;
- and
- a micro display arranged on the reticle and configured to form one or more of a grid pattern, a water or ice tag, a mineral tag and an overlay of the terrain disposed within the field of view of the projector.
3 more elements
A projector system, comprising:
- a projector comprising:
- a light source arranged along an optical axis;
- a reticle optically coupled to the light source along the optical axis;
- and
- a projection lens optically coupled to the reticle along the optical axis,
- wherein the reticle has a navigation feature defined thereon for displaying an image of the navigation feature projected along the optical axis on terrain disposed within a field of view of the projector, wherein the reticle includes a micro display arranged on the reticle and arranged along the optical axis;
- and
- a controller operably connected to the micro display and responsive to instructions recorded on a non-transitory machine-readable memory to:
- illuminate the navigation feature with light source illumination to generate a navigation feature image;
- project the navigation feature image into the field of view of the projector with the projection lens;
- and
- display the navigation feature image on the terrain disposed within the field of the projection lens.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.