US 4,048,653 AGranted

Visual display apparatus

AssigneeRedifon Limited

InventorArcher Michael Spooner

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Abstract

Head-coupled visual display apparatus for a sole observer, particularly in craft flight simulation apparatus, for providing to a pilot a view simulating that seen from an actual craft. The apparatus includes an image generator of known type, such as closed circuit television or computer generated image types, an image projector, a helmet with a binocular viewer attached and a movable optical path linking the image projector with the helmet viewer. The helmet binocular viewer comprises a beam-splitter, which splits the image beam into left-eye and right-eye beams, and left-eye and right-eye mirrors, which reflect the corresponding image beams onto a retro-reflective screen, and which permit the pilot to view the cockpit and the reflected image therethrough. Sensing means detect head movements of the pilot and the generated image is changed correspondingly, to permit voluntary scanning of a wide angle field of simulated view.

Claims8

Dependent claims

Visual display apparatus, for providing a visual display before a trainee pilot of a moving craft, or like observer, comprising image generating apparatus and image projection apparatus for projecting an image generated by the image generating apparatus, the projection apparatus including a projection screen of highly retroflective material at least partly surrounding the pilot, a helmet or the like, to be worn on the pilot's head, an optical projector for projecting the said image as a light beam and movable optical means defining a movable optical path for the said light beam between the optical projector and the pilot's helmet, light reflective means, carried by the said helmet, for reflecting said image light beam forwardly onto the said projection screen from a position corresponding to the pilot's eyes, means for varying said generated image in accordance with the movement and attitude of the said craft, means for sensing movement in rotation and in inclination of the said helmet and providing control signals corresponding thereto and means, responsive to said control signals, for varying said generated image correspondingly to the orientation of said pilot's helmet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.