EP1023570B1 - Simulator - Google Patents

Simulator Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1023570B1
EP1023570B1 EP98942919A EP98942919A EP1023570B1 EP 1023570 B1 EP1023570 B1 EP 1023570B1 EP 98942919 A EP98942919 A EP 98942919A EP 98942919 A EP98942919 A EP 98942919A EP 1023570 B1 EP1023570 B1 EP 1023570B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
mirror
image
scene
viewing station
station
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP98942919A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1023570A1 (en
Inventor
Lewis Evan Treharne
Anthony Nordberg
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Thales Training and Simulation Ltd
Original Assignee
Thales Training and Simulation Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Thales Training and Simulation Ltd filed Critical Thales Training and Simulation Ltd
Publication of EP1023570A1 publication Critical patent/EP1023570A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1023570B1 publication Critical patent/EP1023570B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41G—WEAPON SIGHTS; AIMING
    • F41G3/00—Aiming or laying means
    • F41G3/26—Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying
    • F41G3/2616—Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using a light emitting device
    • F41G3/2622—Teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying using a light emitting device for simulating the firing of a gun or the trajectory of a projectile
    • F41G3/2627—Cooperating with a motion picture projector
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41J—TARGETS; TARGET RANGES; BULLET CATCHERS
    • F41J9/00—Moving targets, i.e. moving when fired at
    • F41J9/14—Cinematographic targets, e.g. moving-picture targets

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a simulator for simulating the view of a scene from a pre-determined observer station.
  • Simulators are well known in which an image of the scene to be simulated is viewed from a pre-determined viewing station via a mirror, the mirror, image and viewing station being positioned such that light reflected by the mirror to the viewing station from the image is substantially collimated.
  • Such displays may be used for example in infantry weapons training simulators.
  • back projection screens are positioned behind a fixed structure in front of which the trainee stands.
  • Image projectors also located behind the fixed structure project images onto the screens.
  • a concave mirror is located such that the image presented on the screens can be viewed via the mirror by the trainee.
  • the mirror can be of large dimension, for example having a height of the order of two metres and breadth of the order of six metres, such that the mirror subtends an angle in the horizontal direction of the order of 50° when viewed from the trainee viewing station.
  • Mirrors of such dimensions can be fabricated from a single film of reflective plastics material the edges of which are secured to an appropriately shaped frame, the space behind the film of plastics material being evacuated to suck the mirror into the desired geometrical shape.
  • Unfortunately is so large that it cannot be manoeuvred into position in many buildings in which displays are required.
  • a simulator for simulating the view of a scene from a pre-determined observer station comprising at least one image source for presenting at least one image representing the scene, and a mirror positioned such that a reflection of the or each presented image can be viewed from a pre-determined viewing station, the mirror, the or each image source and the viewing station being arranged such that light reflected by the mirror to the viewing station from the or each image source is substantially collimated and represents the appearance of the scene from the viewing station, and at least one opaque and non-reflective object positioned on or immediately in front of the mirror, characterised in that the mirror is formed from at least two segments edges of which abut, the object being positioned to cover the abutting edges and having an appearance appropriate to the presented image so as to contribute to the scene.
  • the present invention relies upon the realisation that for certain scenes it is acceptable for objects to be relatively close to the viewing station. Providing those objects are positioned such that reflections of them cannot be perceived in the mirror, the overall perceived quality of the image is not significantly reduced. By positioning such objects so as to overlie portions of the mirror which do not have the optical characteristics necessary to reflect light in a manner consistent with the rest of the mirror surface, the perceived degradation of image quality resulting from edge effects between adjacent mirrors can be avoided.
  • the illustrated arrangement comprises a mirror 1 made up from four substantially identical mirror sections the abutting edges of which are represented by lines 2.
  • Each of the mirror sections comprises a frame 3 defining four curved edges to which a film of reflective plastics material is attached.
  • the frame and film together define an enclosure which is evacuated so as to stretch the plastics film which is sucked into a shape determined by the shape of the edges of the frame and the differential pressure across the plastics film.
  • the optical quality of sucked film mirrors of this type is relatively high except immediately adjacent the peripheral edges of the frame.
  • the mirror 1 is viewed from a viewing station in from of a fixed structure 4 which supports four projections screens 5. Images are projected onto the screens 5 from four projectors 6. The projectors 6, screens 5 and mirror 1 are located such that light reaching an observer at the viewing station appears to come from infinity.
  • Figure 3 represents one such object 7 having the appearance of a tree trunk.
  • the side of the object remote from the observer is either adhered to or very close to the surface of the mirror so that no reflection of that side of the object can be perceived by the viewing station.
  • the object is clearly very close to the observer but does not impair the perceived quality of the image providing its appearance as appropriate to that image, for example, in an infantry weapons training simulator it is possible for it to be reasonable in a simulated scene for an object such as a tree to be close to the observer station the view from which is to be simulated. Movement of the observer within the area of the viewing station will of course result in perceived movement between the object and the represented scene but this of course is consistent with what happens in reality when an observer moves his head to look behind an object placed in front of him. Thus the overall realism of the image is maintained.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Radar, Positioning & Navigation (AREA)
  • Optical Elements Other Than Lenses (AREA)
  • Projection Apparatus (AREA)
  • Toys (AREA)
  • Transforming Electric Information Into Light Information (AREA)
EP98942919A 1997-09-16 1998-09-14 Simulator Expired - Lifetime EP1023570B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9719590 1997-09-16
GBGB9719590.3A GB9719590D0 (en) 1997-09-16 1997-09-16 Simulator
PCT/GB1998/002783 WO1999014549A1 (en) 1997-09-16 1998-09-14 Simulator

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1023570A1 EP1023570A1 (en) 2000-08-02
EP1023570B1 true EP1023570B1 (en) 2003-03-05

Family

ID=10819084

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP98942919A Expired - Lifetime EP1023570B1 (en) 1997-09-16 1998-09-14 Simulator

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1023570B1 (xx)
CA (1) CA2304190A1 (xx)
DE (1) DE69811922T2 (xx)
GB (1) GB9719590D0 (xx)
IL (1) IL135094A (xx)
WO (1) WO1999014549A1 (xx)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102013225967A1 (de) * 2013-12-13 2015-06-18 Thales Deutschland Gmbh Verfahren und Waffensimulator zum Trainieren der Benutzung und des Einsatzes von Schusswaffen, zentrale Steuerungseinheit eines Waffensimulators und Computerprogramm zur Realisierung des Verfahrens

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2537735A1 (fr) * 1982-12-10 1984-06-15 Matra Collimateur grand angulaire pour appareil optique ou simulateur
DE3637000A1 (de) * 1986-10-31 1988-05-05 Diehl Gmbh & Co Pruefeinrichtung, insbesondere fuer den suchkopf intelligenter lenkmunition
GB9308663D0 (en) * 1993-04-27 1993-06-16 Link Miles Ltd Point of incidence detection

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69811922D1 (en) 2003-04-10
WO1999014549A1 (en) 1999-03-25
EP1023570A1 (en) 2000-08-02
IL135094A (en) 2005-12-18
GB9719590D0 (en) 1997-11-19
DE69811922T2 (de) 2003-12-18
IL135094A0 (en) 2001-05-20
CA2304190A1 (en) 1999-03-25

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