Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g. – Directive – Including a satellite
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-25
2001-10-02
Blum, Theodore M. (Department: 3662)
Communications: directive radio wave systems and devices (e.g.,
Directive
Including a satellite
C342S357490, C701S213000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06297767
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an apparatus for indicating a position or location of a rescue target, such as a wrecked ship and a distressed person, by utilizing a head mounting type displaying device which is worn by a crew or operator of a flight vehicle, such as an airplane or helicopter.
In a rescue activity by a flight vehicle, a rescue target position indicating apparatus used for keeping a found rescue target in sight includes a head mounting type display or indicating device worn by a crew or operator of the flight vehicle; an input device operated by the operator; a detecting device for calculating variables necessary for computing a position of the rescue target; and an information processing device connected to the head mounting type display device, the input device, and the detecting device.
The head mounting type display device has a display which irradiates an image indicating light, and a combiner which changes an optical path of the image display light and allows light from the front to pass therethrough. When a pipper or basic image, which is visible through the combiner, corresponds to the rescue target, the input device is operated by the operator, so that based on the detected result of the detecting device, the position of the rescue target is computed by the information processing device. By an image signal sent from the information processing device to the display, a target symbol image, which indicates the position of the rescue target, is displayed by the head mounting type display device. Accordingly, even if the flight vehicle or the head of the operator is displaced, the position of the rescue target can be indicated by the target symbol image.
Conventionally, as variables used in case of computing the rescue target position, a position corresponding to latitude and longitude of the flight vehicle, a flight altitude, a posture of the flight vehicle and a posture of the head mounting type display device with respect to the flight vehicle are detected.
The position corresponding to the latitude and longitude of the flight vehicle is detected from data outputted by a Global Positioning System (GPS), and updated after a certain time interval. Accordingly, while the update is taken place, the flight vehicle moves, so that an error occurs in the position of the flight vehicle detected by the data outputted by the GPS. Therefore, there is a problem that the target symbol image indicating the position of the rescue target computed based on the detected position of the flight vehicle does not correspond to the actual rescue target, so that the rescue target may be lost in sight.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a rescue target position indicating apparatus which can solve the aforementioned problem.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention is applied to a rescue target position indicating apparatus, comprising: a head mounting type display device attached to a crew or operator of a flight vehicle; an input device operated by the operator; a detecting device for detecting variables necessary for computing a position of a rescue target; an information processing device connected to the head mounting type display device, the input device, and the detecting device. The head mounting type display device includes a display for irradiating image display light, and a combiner for changing an optical path of the image display light and for allowing light from a front to pass therethrough. A position of the flight vehicle is detected from data outputted from a GPS as the variables, and the position of the flight vehicle is updated with a predetermined time interval. When a pipper image which is visible through the combiner corresponds to the rescue target, the input device is operated by the operator or wearer so that the position of the rescue target is computed by the information processing device based on the detected result of the detecting device. Then, an image indicating the computed rescue target position is displayed by the head mounting type displaying device.
In the present invention, the rescue target position indicating apparatus as structure above is provided with means for memorizing a first relation, which is set in advance, between plural positions of the flight vehicle updated in the past and an anticipated update position of the flight vehicle in a next updating time; and means for memorizing a second relation, which is set in advance, among a position of the flight vehicle which was updated in the past closest to the present, the anticipated update position, a plurality of interpolating positions between the position of the flight vehicle updated in the past closest to the present and the anticipated update position, and an elapsed time to the present from an updated time at the position of the flight vehicle, which was updated in the past closest to the present. From the memorized first and second relations and the plural positions of the flight vehicle updated in the past, an interpolating position corresponding to the elapsed time is computed by the information processing device. As the position of the flight vehicle used when the position of the rescue target is computed, among the interpolating position and the positions detected from the data outputted from the GPS, the position corresponding to the elapsed time is used.
According to the structure of the invention, the position of the flight vehicle is detected from the data outputted from the GPS, and the position of the flight vehicle is updated with a predetermined time interval. From the plural positions of the flight vehicle updated in the past, the anticipated update position of the flight vehicle in the next updating time can be specified based on the memorized first relation. From the anticipated update position, the position of the flight vehicle updated in the past closest to the present, and an elapsed time to the present from the updated time at the position of the flight vehicle, which was updated in the past closest to the present, an interpolating position corresponding to the elapsed time can be computed based on the second relation. Among the interpolating position and the positions of the flight vehicle detected from the data outputted from the GPS, by using the position corresponding to the elapsed time, the position of the rescue target is computed. Namely, by interpolating a time period until the position of the flight vehicle detected from the data outputted from the GPS is updated, accuracy of the rescue target position computed based on the position of the flight vehicle can be improved. Also, the image corresponding to the position of the rescue target can be moved smoothly in accordance with the change in the position of the flight vehicle, so as to prevent the image from not responding to the actual rescue target position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5838262 (1998-11-01), Kershner et al.
patent: 6124825 (2000-09-01), Eschenbach
Blum Theodore M.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Shimadzu Corporation
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