Moving map display using optical tunnel

A film cassette transparency carrier for a moving map display which displays images of a map in a vehicle in accordance with the vehicle's position and direction of travel, characterized by:

• (a) a plurality of transparencies;
• (b) a mounting web having a means to mount the plurality of slides thereon;
• and
• (c) each of the plurality of transparencies having a plurality of map sections thereon, each map section representing geography adjacent to at least one other map section on the transparencies, wherein a group of the map sections having adjacent geography are aligned so as to produce a composite image when scanned through an optical tunnel.

A moving map display for displaying images of continuously changing locations of a map, characterized by:

• (a) a plurality of sections of the map, the sections held in a still position;
• (b) a flying spot scanner providing a scan pattern;
• (c) means for simultaneously optically generating multiple images of the scan pattern onto the plurality of the map sections;
• (d) means for combining portions of said plurality of the map sections to create a new map section.

A moving map display for displaying images of a map in a moving vehicle at selected locations of the map in accordance with the vehicle's position and direction of travel, characterized by:

• (a) image receiving means for converting optical signals to electrical signals, using photodetection techniques;
• (b) an optical film projector being capable of scanning images of map sections on one of a series of individual film areas and up to at least four of said series of individual film areas and projecting the images onto the image receiving means, the film projector including raster scanning means, at least one lens and an optical tunnel;
• (c) means for changing the film area in accordance with a change in the position of the vehicle;
• (d) scanning control means for causing the optical film projector to optically scan desired segments of the image of at least one section and capable of optically scanning desired segments of at least four sections in order to produce a signal representing a single composite map section reconstructed from said scanned map sections, the scanning control means comprising means to shift the composite map segment in at least the x and y directions in accordance with the vehicle's position.