Pilot aid using a synthetic environment

United States Patent

Margolin

2

[54] PILOT AID USING A SYNTHETIC ENVIRONMENT

[76] Inventor: Jed Margolin, 3570 Pleasant Echo Dr., San Jose, Calif. 95148-1916

[21] Appl. No.: 513,298
[22] Filed: Aug. 9, 1995

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation of Ser. No. 274,394, Jul. 11, 1994, abandoned.

[51] Int. CI.6 G06F 3/14; G09B 9/30

[52] U.S. CI 364/449; 364/456; 364/457;

340/990; 340/995; 395/127; 395/129

[58] Field of Search 364/449, 455,

364/456, 457, 460; 340/990, 995; 345/7, 11, 23, 27; 395/119, 124, 125, 127, 129

[56] References Cited

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US005566073A [ii] Patent Number: 5,566,073 [45] Date of Patent: Oct. 15, 1996

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

John Gallant, EDN magazine; Jan. 7, 1993; pp. 31^42
"System revolutionizes surveying and navigation".
Bill Clarke; Aviator's Guide to GPS; 1994; pp. 2 and 3 "GPS
Program History".

Magellan Systems Corp, 960 Overland Ct, San Dimas, CA 91773 Sales brochure for GPS receiver with moving map display (MAP 7000), Jan. 1994.

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Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc; 55 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, CO 80112 Sales brochure for navigation data base in computer readable form.

U.S. Geological Service, Earth Science Information Center, Menlo Park, CA Sales brochure for Digital Elevation Model data, Jun. 1993.

(List continued on next page.)

Primary Examiner—Kevin J. Teska
Assistant Examiner—Tan Nguyen

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman

[57] ABSTRACT

A pilot aid using synthetic reality consists of a way to determine the aircraft's position and attitude such as by the global positioning system (GPS), a digital data base containing three-dimensional polygon data for terrain and manmade structures, a computer, and a display. The computer uses the aircraft's position and attitude to look up the terrain and manmade structure data in the data base and by using standard computer graphics methods creates a projected three-dimensional scene on a cockpit display. This presents the pilot with a synthesized view of the world regardless of the actual visibility. A second embodiment uses a headmounted display with a head position sensor to provide the pilot with a synthesized view of the world that responds to where he or she is looking and which is not blocked by the cockpit or other aircraft structures. A third embodiment allows the pilot to preview the route ahead or to replay previous flights.

37 Claims, 13 Drawing Sheets

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

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