# US 11,029,160 B1 · Projectors, projector systems, and methods of navigating terrain using projected images > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,029,160 B1 - Document ID: US11029160B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/784,827 - Filed: 2020-02-07 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-07 - Assignees: Hamilton Sunstrand Corporation - Applicants: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation - Inventors: Christopher A. Keith; Bobby Foote; Weston James Lahr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029160B1 ## CPC - G01C 21/20: Instruments for performing navigational calculations (G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence) - G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features} - G03B 21/2033: {LED or laser light sources} - G06T 3/08: Projecting images onto non-planar surfaces, e.g. geodetic screens - G06V 20/20: in augmented reality scenes - H04N 9/3161: {using laser light sources (using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129)} - H04N 9/3182: {Colour adjustment, e.g. white balance, shading or gamut (white balance per se H04N9/73; control of amplitude of colour signals H04N9/68; colour control circuits for displays in general G09G5/02, G09G3/2003, G09G3/3607)} - H04N 9/3185: {Geometric adjustment, e.g. keystone or convergence (optical or mechanical adjustment of convergence H04N9/317; using scanning means H04N3/22; optical or mechanical adjustments of projectors not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14)} - G01B 11/2513: {with several lines being projected in more than one direction, e.g. grids, patterns} - G01S 17/89: for mapping or imaging - G02B 2027/012: {comprising devices for attenuating parasitic image effects} - G08G 1/005: including pedestrian guidance indicator - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G08G: TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS (guiding railway traffic, ensuring the safety of railway traffic B61L; arrangement of road signs or traffic signals E01F9/00; radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91, G01S15/88, G01S17/88; {radar or analogous systems, sonar systems, lidar systems specially adapted for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93}) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, wherein the light source includes a laser arranged to illuminate the navigation feature with laser light. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, wherein the light source includes a visible source arranged to illuminate the navigation feature with visible light. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, wherein the navigation feature is fixed to the reticle and defines a grid pattern. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, 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 navigation feature includes a water or ice tag or a mineral tag. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, wherein the navigation feature includes an overlay of the terrain disposed within the field of view of the projector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, further comprising a sensor in communication with the terrain disposed within the field of view of the projector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The projector of claim 7, wherein the sensor includes a time-of-flight sensor or a structured light sensor optically coupled to the terrain disposed within the field of view of the projector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, wherein the projection lens includes a slow lens or a laser scanning system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, further comprising: an upper torso hard shell having a helmet seat and a shoulder portion; and a helmet fixed to the helmet seat of the upper torso hard shell, wherein the projector is coupled to the shoulder portion of the upper torso hard shell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The projector of claim 10, wherein the projector is fixed relative to the helmet. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The projector of claim 10, further comprising a stabilization module coupled to the projector and arranged to allow the upper torso hard shell to move relative to the projector while the projector is fixed relative to the terrain disposed within the field of view of the projector. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The projector of claim 1, further comprising a shifting element arranged to bypass the navigation feature with light communicated by the light source. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The projector system of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the controller to: select a color for the at least one of a grid pattern, a water or ice tag, a mineral tag, and an overlay of terrain disposed along the optical axis with the micro display; illuminate the micro display with light having the selected color; and display the at least one of a grid pattern, a water or ice tag, a mineral tag, and an overlay of the terrain disposed along the optical axis on the terrain disposed along the optical axis with the selected color. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The projector system of claim 14, further comprising a time-of-flight sensor or a structured light sensor disposed in communication with the controller and having a field of view intersecting the optical axis of the projector, wherein the instructions cause the controller to: acquire image data of the terrain disposed along the optical axis; and reconstruct an image of the terrain with the micro display; and project the image of the terrain by illuminating the micro display with the light source for display on the terrain from the which the image data was acquired. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The projector system of claim 16, wherein reconstructing the image includes distorting the image for conformal display on the terrain disposed along the optical axis. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The projector system of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the controller to: generate a one or more of a predetermined map, a predetermined schematic, and a predetermined procedure with the micro display; and project an image of the one or more of a predetermined map, a predetermined schematic, and a predetermined procedure along the optical axis with the light source.