CA1319037C - Screen simulator window - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
SCREEN SIMULATOR WINDOW
A screen simulator window for which may be used in aircraft simulators or amusements machine comprising a window through which a scene may be viewed, a partial screen arranged immediately behind the window the screen consisting of alternate opaque screen portions and transparent portions, means to cause the adjacent screen portions to be transposed at a speed such that the presence of the screen is not apparent to the eye of a viewer, the surfaces of the screen portions directed away from the window being suitable for the receipt of a projected image, a projector arranged to project a scene onto the said surfaces of the screen portion so that light from the projector is not directly visible to a viewer of the window, the projected scene appearing on the screen portion, and a mirror arranged behind the partial screen viewable through the window, the scene pro projected onto the partial screen being visible in the mirror through the window.

Description

1 ~L319~3~

SCRE~N ~;~MULATOE~ WINDOW
~chnical Field The present lnvention cel~tes to a screen ~im~l~tor win~ow, th~ ob~ect o~ which i~ to provide ~o per~ons viewin~ the window ~ re~ tic simulation o~ appa~en~
surr~unding6 and even~.
Simulator~ ~r~ currently used mainly ~o~ th0 tr~ining o~ ~ervice personn~l p~rticul~rly ~i~craft pilot~, thc ~imulator ~ein~ Arran~ed so th~t the per~on concerned looking into the ~imula~or window sees ~ eai~ly realLstic repreaentation o~ ~ scene thak h~s been p~iou~ly ~eco~ed on fllm or video tape. simulators ~t pr~ent in u~e are gen~rally suit~ble ~or viawing only by one or a very small number o~ per~ons ~n~, ow~ng ~o the light losses involve~ in such systems relatively low le~els of illumination can be a ~ur~he~ limita~ion.
Th~ object of the p~6ent inventlon i~ to peovide s~r~en ~i~ulato~ window w~ich can be viewcd by a relatively large nu~b~r o~ p~rson~ to provide enh~nced ~O realism with less limitations ~n bright~ss. It i~ o the o~ject o~ the invention to p~ovide ~ simulator window which inc~ease~ the capAei~ies And en~nce~ the image~y of ~onv~ntio~al simula~or window~ ~hile r~duclng the eost of c~nstructiOn.
Si~ul~tor window~ according to ~he inventlon may be applied in ~ variety of wA~S. C~n~ example is an en~ sed ea~in or oapsule havin~ ~ont ~nd ~ide windDws ~ith pr~vision ~or 8eating a numbe~ o people who may be ealled upon to imagine theJnselves in a ~s, ~rail, a~r~plane, 30 submarine or sp~ce capsule. In ~ac;h of ~he windows a s~i~able scen~ is presented so thAt, ~o ~he person~ in the cabin ~ t ~ppe~s that they ar~ making a journey on land, ~nde~ the ~ea or in space. In anothe~ applic~tion the window may be ~sed a~ part of a ~ligh~ 6imulato~ or ra~ing . 3S car ~imulator or the like~

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Sum~a~y of the Invention The present invention provides a screen simulator window comprising, means de-fining a window aperture through which a scene may be viewed; a partial screen arranged immediately behind the window, the screen consisting of alternate opaque screen portions and transparent portions; means to cause adjacent opaque screen portions and transparent portions to be transposed at a speed such that the presence oE the screen is not apparent to the eye of a viewer; rear surfaces of the opaque screen portions extending away from the window being suitable for the reception of a projected image; a projector arranged to project a scene upon said surfaces of the opaque screen portions so that light from the projector is not directly visible to a viewer of the window, the projected scene appearing on the rear surface of the opaque screen portions;
and a mirror arranged behind the partial screen viewable through the window, the scene projected onto the partial screen being visible in the mirror through the window.
The partial screen used in the screen simulator window according to the present invention may be constructed in a number of different ways. In one embodiment of the invention the partial screen comprises a plurality of spaced apart slats defining between them a series of openings moved continuously past the window or oscillating in front of it up and down or side to side.
In another embodiment a continuous screen is provided with an array of spaced apart cut-outs, transparent portions or gaps or a checkerboard array of screen and transparent portions. In a still further embodiment the screen comprises a rotating disc comprising a series of screen segments separated by gaps or transparent ~.

2a 1319~7 74297~1 segments.
In ye-t a further embodiment the partial screen comprises an array of parallel slats each mounted to ` ~319~

rotate ~bou~ a lon~itudinal ~xis parallel ~o the longitudinal axi~ o~ ~h~ ~la~ but lying outaid~ the ~lat.
In order to remov~ ~licker, sh~dow8 ~nd moir~ eE~ects lt is ~esir~le tha~ the transparent ~nd ~cr~n por~ion~ of S ~he ~cr~en are tr~nspo~ed At ~ r~e of ~t l~ast 45 per ~econd ~nd m~re pre~erably ~0 pe~ second.
~ is adv~n~geo~ th~t ~he screen ~nd the ~irror lie in ~ubst~ntially p~r~ l planes in side by side ar~ay.
Th~s m~y b~ conveniently ~chieve~ i~ the ~creen is ~ormed of ~ sheet o~ transparent materi~l ~u~ gl~ss ~o~ed with a coating such ~ gal~n~u~ e~ e wh1ch may be electricall~ ren~ered opa~ue or transparent~ This would allow for ~one~ o~ the screen to be i~termlttently ~witched b~w~en b~ing tr~nsparent po~tions and bei~g lS screen portiOn~ of the ~creen. The development o coating which may be ~witched bet~een being reflective and ~eing transp~rent would allow the ~irror be fo~mRd in a planar fc~rm s~mil21r to that of the ~creen.
The mirrOr may be a comple~e microc howeves in preferred embodiments of the inven~ion ~he ~irror l~
either A moving p~rti~l mirror ha~ing re lective and non-reflective portion~ or is a one w~y, or partial, mirror. ~n particularl~ preferred embodiments of the invention the mirro~ is ~ moving segmented mirror shape~
~S to h~v~ l~n~ proper~ when movin~. ~f the mirror i~
moving m;~ror having ~equenti~l re~lective ~nd non~r~flective portions it i4 essential tha~ the alte~n~tin~ non-reflective p~rtio~ o~ the mirror a~e in regis~er with ~he screen portions of the ~oreen such that light fcom the pro~ector i~ not ~rectly visible to viewer of the window.
It i~ des~rable that ~ len~ be in~erposed 4etween the ~creen and a viewer in the ev~nt th~t the mirror i6 not i~el~ curved such that it h~ it~ own lens p~operti~s.

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Tha pre~ence of ~uch ~ lens c~n b~ ~&ed prim~r.i1y to pl~ce the imag~ app~rentl~ at vl~l in~inlty.
I~ is e~entiA1 to th~ present invention ~hat the lmage pro~ected ~rom the proj~ctor i~ orme~ fir8tly on partial ~cree~ whi~h i~age is th~n ~eflectod by ~ mi~ror to the viewer. The mere re~l~ction o~ ~n image onto a partial screen will not provide the advan~ageS o~ th~
arrangement according to this inventio~. The~ advan~es ~re, ln prefe~r~d ~mbodiment8 o the inventiOn, RS
1~ ~ollow~;~
i) imag~s may ~e viQwed ~omfortably, pr~cise~y and in appropriate p~rspe~tive from rela~ively clo~e proximity and ~lmo~t any ~ngle;
ii~ the position o~ the image can ~ppe~r to he clearly contiguou~ with the gides o~ th~ window apeF~ure not at ~ distance out~id~ the window;
iii) it is not pos~ible to see pa~, aro~nd, behind o~ be~we~n ~he image and the surcounding side~ o the window ~per~ure an~
iv) the i~age ~ize is the ~ize o~ the viewing wlndow no~ a larg~r siPe fu~ther away; consequently equipment costs and dimensi~ns are redu~ed subst~ntially.
Th~ proiector m~y be ~ny convqntiona1 projec~or u~ing ordinary o~ laser light. The imag~ may be prere~orded o~
film or tape or may ~e a "liv~" projec~ion o~ an event taki~g pla~ at a dist~nce.
ie~ Deser iption o the D~awing ~hs inven~ion m~y be embodied in a variety o dl~feren~ form~ and in order that the n~ture o~ the inve~tion may be be~ter understood a plurality of ~ch forms ~e d~scribed ~y way o~ ex~mple in ~he ~ccompanyLng ~iag~mm~tic drawiny~ in whiah:-F1g. 1 is ~n elevation showin9 A person seat~ by the 3S sLde o~ a screen simul~tor window accordiny to tha . ~ :

:153~9~37 inven~ ion;
~ ig, 2 i~ ~ soCtiOnAl view Of the s~e~n simul~to~
window o~ Fig. 1;
Fi~. 3 i~ the ~ctionAl Vi~w o~ ~ modi~ied P~ o~
the invention illust~ating ~he u~e o~ a ~ota~ing mirror;
~ i~. 4 i~ a simllar view o A ~ u~the~ ~orm of the inven~ion;
Fig. 5 16 a ~ection~l vi~w ~howing the u~e of a ~otating mirror and a rotating sa~e~n Fig. ~ is a view in elevation of the ar~angement shown in Fig~ 5.
F~g. 7 ib ~ diag~ammatic perspec~iv~ view of a further embodiment o~ the p~e~nt invention;
Fig. ~ is a si~ilar view o~ a further ombodi~ent ~f the invention;
Fiy. 9 i~ a similar vi~w of a still further embodiment of the inventiOn;
Fig, 10 i a simil~r view of yet ~nothe~ ~mbodiment o the ~nvention; and Fig~ ll is a vertical section~l view ~h~ough a .~urther ~mbodi~ent of ~he inventio~.
Best ~ode fo~ Car~ying Out the Invention It i~ to be emph~ized ~hat the drawing~ ~esc~ibed above are purely diagram~atic ~nd a~e ~o~ ~he p~rpo~e of explainin~ the principles o~ the i~v~ntion. In tho ~ollowing description 5imiI~r p~rts in differen~
embodi~e~ts of the invention ~r~ given ~he s~m~ nu~bers.
In Fig. 1 ~ seated ~igure is s~en at one si~e of th~
window opening l0 which may b~ conside~ed ~5 con~tit~ing ~ side window o~ a cabin i~ which a numb~r o pe~sons a~e ~eated. In practice the ~abin would have window openings at the ~ront and At each ~ide.
mmediately 4ehind the ~indow openl~g 10 is ~
window 11 of polarising glaæs and ~rranged behind this a light ~ox 12 within which iS a ~latted screen 13 $3 .: . .

~3~ ~37 s -con~sting o~ ~ltern~te horiz~ntal ~l~ts 13~ ~Gp~r~ted by ~aps 13b, the gaps being in thi~ c~E;e o ~3u~1 width. ~he scr~an 13 i5 cacried on band~ 14 o~ xi~le mat~ri~l which pass over uppe~ and lower pulleys, lS an~ 16 5 re~pec~ively~ the low~r pulley lS b~ing rot~ted by a motoc 17 ~o that the ~cr~n 13 pas~es ~;c~oss ~he willdow opening lO at ~ spqed such ~hat it~ slatted nature is not app~:en~ ~o the ~ye c: ~ a per~on in the c~bin. A varia41e axis film or o~her proj~ctor 1~ i~; ac~.n~d to p~oj~ct ~n 10 imag~ lnto the &creen 13 in the m;~nner illu~tra~ed in Fig. 2, the p~o~ect~r lB ~eing o~lt of ~ight of persons seated in the ~abin. It will be ~ieen that r~y~ of light f rom the pro~ector must pass throu~h ~he re~rmo~t run o~
the screen 13 be~ore striking the rear o~ the ~lat~ o the 15 run ~djacent ~he window 11. This re~ult~i in ~ ~ul~tan~ial lo~s o~ ligh~ from the projecto~ and in o~de~ 'ch~t the viewed scene shall appear to bq ~d~quately illumina~ed a very powerful pro jec;tOr , or ~xe~ple c)~ the order of 5 kilowatts is requ~.red. ~he s::ene proj~cted onto the r~ar ~0 of the slats o~ the ~ron~ run o~ the sc:reerl i~ visible through the window 11 $n the mircor 19.
~ he ar range~nent shown in ~ig . 2 ha~; the inherent disadvantage that a person in the çabin looking upw~rdly or downwardly will ~ee par~s of the z~pp~ratus ~bove or 2~ b~low the mir~or th~s destroying the realism of the pre~entatiOn~ with ~ ~/iew ~o avoiding this the mirror 19 is cons~ructed as shown in Fig. 3, tha~ iS to sa~ in ~he form 0~ a nun~ber of radially ex~ending elements arranged on the sUr~ace of a Cone. In ~his case the mlrror is 30 rota'ced by mean~ of the moto~ 21. Wi~.h thiS arrangem&nt even if a vieweL look; upw~dly or downwardly ~he pro~ected scene ~ill still be seen in the mirror which is rotated at ~ speed such a~ to ~iv~ the appearar!~e of a complete mi r ror .
~S With the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 ther~ is a very .: , 3 ~
~ 7 -cDnside~ab~e loss of li~ht d~ to the neo~ssity ~or thfl light f~om the proiecto~ to pa s ~hrough ~he run o~ the slatted screen 13 remote ~rom th~ mirror. Fig. ~ showg ~n ar~angement co~ce~ponding to ~hat of Fig~. 2 and 3 in which ligh~ loss is reduced by the provision of mean~
~no~ u~trated) which have th~ ef~ o~ sot~tlng the ~l~ts o~ the 8creen thro~gh 90 so th~t thero is less lnter~er~nce with the light from the pro~eeto~ by th~
return run of the slatted s~e~n. ~he ~o~ o~ this howe~r is ~eater ~omplication ~nd ~o~e noi~e ~n operation.
Fi~3 . 5 and 6 ~how a more refine~ embodiment o~ the invention in w~1ch both th~ ~a~t~d 6cree~ ~nd the mirror are purely rotary element~. ~he principle o~ operation i~
the same as tha~ des~ribed ~bove. In thi~ c~se however the screen slats are carried in ~ wheel which i~ rotated by ~he motor 17 which also rota~es the mirror~ As in the previous embodi~ent ~he f~ce~ o~ the 81at~ pointing away from the windaw are c~ated with a material ~uitable ~or pro~e~tion screen ~nd the ecene ~rojected fro~ th~
projector 1~ is seen re~leo~2d in the eleme~ts of the mirror l9. In this ca~e the be~m rom the projector la must pass through the mirror e1e~en~s l9 and these are th~refore in the form of hal silvered mirro~ which ~5 permit l~oth ~r~nsmi~sJ on e~nd ref le~ti4n of light.
Fig~ 7 shqwsi ~n arranq~?men~ in which the ~cre~n 13 an~ the mirror 19 Are e~ch m~de up of ~n a~ray o~ angled ~lats. A pair of moto~ nd 22 c~use the slats o~ the screen 13 and of the mi~ror 19, ~pectiv~ly, to oscll~atc in ~ ve~ti~al direction i~ synchrony. A lenæ 23 is posi~ioned in fron~ of ~h~ screen 13 to imp~ove the sharpness of the im~ge and it~ depth o ield.
Fi~, B shows an ~r~n~ement i~ which the scr~cn 13 ~nd the mirror 1~ are e~h compri~ed o ~onti~uo~ bandæ
3S carryin~ a chequerbo~rd matrix of ~ransp~r~nt ~nd opa~u~

oo lL3~ 9037 portions. The opaque por~ions 13a o~ the ~cr~n 13 a~o coated with a scr~en mat~rial whll~ thoso o ~he mirror lg are refl~c~ive. Motors 21 and ~ rot~e roller~ carryin~
the s~een 13 ~nd the mirror 19 ln syn~hr~ny~
In the arrang~ment shown in ~ig, ~ ~he ~cre~n 13 and the mic~or 19 are each focmed of a glass she~t co~ted with a ~ of a galenium arsenid~ m~erial capable o~ b~ing selectively rend~red opaque or transp~r~n~ by an ~ t~ic cu~ren~ or volt~ge ~h~nge, In the ~ase o ~h~ ~creen 13 lo the film i~ rende~ed 4paque to Xorm s~reen porti~n~ 13 and rendered transpa~ent to o~m the ~ran6parent po~tion~ 13h. In the micror 1~ ~h~ ~ilm is such th~t it i~ roflective when it i~ rende~ed opaque. I~ e~ch case by alternating the current and or voltage appropri~tely th~
lS adiacent opaq~e and transparent portions may be tran~poaed.
O~vio~sly ~he transposition o~ the o~aqu~ and t~ansp~rent portlons of the scr~en 13 will alt~rnate with the transposition o th~e portions o ~he mir~or 1~ so that at no tlm~ can light from ~he p~iector l& ~all directly onto ~ viewer viewing the i~g~ th~ou~h len~ 23.
In Fig. 10 an arr~ngement i~ $hown in which the s~re~n 13 and mirror 19 are ~ach ~ormed by a ~ontinuou~
t~be conta~ning alternatin~ transp~rent and opa~e ~Ibe~d~
o a solid or liquid m~ter ial . ~h~ ~'beads" ~re pumped 2S through the respec~ive tubes in syn~hronis~ to prod~ce the appeopr~ate tran~position of the transparent "beads" and the opaque or reflective "bead~" ~5 the cas~ ~y be.
Fig. 11 show~ an arr~ngement in whi~h the sc~en 13 and thc mirror 19 are each forme~ f ro~ an array o slats which are e~ch mo~nt~d at each end to extend t~ngentially from a c~lind~ic~1 bu&h 24 and 25 re~pectively. ~he bushes 24, 25 ~r~ rota~ed 3bout their longitudinal axes to cause the slats o the screen 13 and th~ mir~or 19 to rot~te about ~he said longitudina~ ~xis. Thi~ ro~otion 35 c~uses the alternat~ creation of scre~n poetions 13a and ~3~903~
,. 9 .

tc~n~par~nt portlon~ 13b and similary cau~e~ thc mirror ~o ~ct ~ a partial ~ir~or. ~h~ pro~e~to~ 1~ c~usee the ~o~m~tion of an imago on the ~e o~ ~h~ ~cc~en po~tio~s 13a ~ist~l ~o the window, This image i~
reflected by ~he mirroC ~ to thR Rye o~ ~ viewes. The ~læt~ are rotated ~t su~icient ~p09d that th~ ~creen 13 is no~ visible ~o th~ vi~w~r who only ~ee~ the re~lected im~ge ~s a continuous ~cene.
Experiments have shown that ~he inv~ntion i~ ~apAbl~
of providing a s~ene in a ~indow in whi~h ~here i~ no ernlble ~r~en upon whi~h imayery i5 peojected and the irna~e Appears in spac~ gr~in fre~ and distortioh free ~rom any ang 1 e .
The embo~im~nts of ~he invent~on de~c~ib¢d abo~e are lS ~iven by ~ay o~ exa~ple only ~o ~ssiB~ in o~r understanding o~ th~ nature of th~ inven~ion.

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Claims (9)

1. A screen simulator window comprising, means defining a window aperture through which a scene may be viewed; a partial screen arranged immediately behind the window, the screen consisting of alternate opaque screen portions and transparent portions; means to cause adjacent opaque screen portions and transparent portions to be transposed at a speed such that the presence of the screen is not apparent to the eye of a viewer;
rear surfaces of the opaque screen portions extending away from the window being suitable for the reception of a projected image;
a projector arranged to project a scene upon said surfaces of the opaque screen portions so that light from the projector is not directly visible to a viewer of the window, the projected scene appearing on the rear surface of the opaque screen portions; and a mirror arranged behind the partial screen viewable through the window, the scene projected onto the partial screen being visible in the mirror through the window.

2. A screen simulator window as claimed in claim 1 in which the screen comprises a plurality of spaced apart slats comprising the opaque screen portions and defining between them a series of openings comprising the transparent portions.

3. A screen simulator window as claimed in claim 1 in which the screen comprises a continuous opaque film with an array of spaced apart cut outs comprising the transparent portions.

4. A screen simulator window as claimed in claim 1 in which the screen comprises a rotating disc having a series of opaque segments comprising the opaque screen portions and being separated by gaps or transparent segments comprising the transparent portions.

5. A screen simulator window as claimed in claim 1 in which the screen comprises an array of parallel slats each mounted to rotate about a longitudinal axis parallel to its own longitudinal axis but lying outside the slat.

6. A screen simulator window as claimed in claim 1 in which the mirror is a moving mirror having sequential reflective and non-reflective portions and in which the alternating non-reflective portions of the mirror are in register with the screen portions of the screen such that light from the projector when shining through the mirror is not directly visible to a viewer of the window.

7. A screen simulator window as claimed in claim 1 in which the mirror is non-planar so as to have lens properties.

8. A screen simulator window as claimed in claim 1 in which a lens is interposed between the screen and the window.

9. A screen simulator window as claimed in claim 1 in which the screen and the mirror lie in substantially parallel planes in side by side array.