FR2791799A1 - Spherical information presentation device, for visualizing data relating to earth, has flexible active matrix display placed over globe and addressed by control unit with coordinate converter - Google Patents

Abstract

The display device is based on a supporting surface (1), which is either spherical or part of a sphere, over which is placed a flexible active matrix display (2) which is connected to a controller (3). This includes an interface (4), preferably part of a micro-computer, and a adaptation device (5) which calculates the position in spherical coordinates of data to be shown on the screen, which may originally be in Cartesian form.

Description

The present invention relates to a data display device

  relating to the globe or to at least one area thereof.

  The device according to the invention finds applications in many fields, whether it is a question of - representing data relating to the physical structure of the globe at its surface or underground (internal geophysics), or to its atmosphere: movements of the masses cloud, distribution of temperatures or pressures etc. - represent very slow phenomena in accelerated motion such as continental drift; s5 to represent various statistical data of an economic or demographic nature; - to visualize the trajectories and the positions of mobiles at any time, which interests the companies of land, sea, air transport to materialize the situation of their fleets - to visualize overflight zones parading under an aircraft or a satellite, etc. The display device according to the invention makes it possible to display at least one zone of the terrestrial globe. It comprises a support having an external face with a substantially spherical curvature, adapted to represent at least this zone of the globe, at least one flexible screen with an active matrix conforming to at least part of the external face, with a distribution of pixels over its entire surface and a control assembly adapted to control the visualization at any point of the active matrix, of data relating to a corresponding position

from this part of the globe.

  A single flexible active matrix screen can be used to cover a single spherical support representing the entire terrestrial globe, or even a juxtaposition of several active matrix screens with substantially spherical curvature on juxtaposed portions of the sphere, all of control being adapted to segment the data to be displayed for their representation on the

different screens.

  The control assembly comprises for example an interface unit suitable for the selective control of the pixels of each active matrix screen as a function of the data written in at least one associated screen memory and an adaptation unit coupled with the interface unit for calculating a position in spherical coordinates for all the data to be

view.

  For example, a microcomputer with an included interface unit is used and the adaptation unit includes, for example,

microcomputer control.

  The device according to the invention constitutes a precious decision-making tool by allowing a visualization, a global modeling of phenomena on the scale of the planet by restoring them to their true place on the terrestrial sphere, with their extent and their distribution. real and without the usual deformations inherent in plane representations. The ease of modifying the images spread over the globe or the portion of the globe of the device contrasts well with the frozen nature of conventional representation modes: maps, terrestrial globes, etc. Other characteristics and advantages of the device according to the invention,

  will appear on reading the following description of a nonlimiting example

  of embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings o: o - FIG. 1 schematically shows a spherical support upholstered by an active matrix at constant density of pixels per unit of surface over its entire surface with the exception of blind zones in the vicinity of the poles - FIG. 2 illustrates the variation of the number of pixels per matrix line as a function of the latitude - Fig. 3 shows a deployed portion of the matrix with a distribution of the activatable pixels decreasing from the equator to the blind area so as to obtain a constant distribution of pixels over the entire surface - Fig.4 shows a practical mode of controlling the device in combination with a microcomputer; - Fig.5 shows a screen in the form of a portion of a sphere suitable for a representation of an area of the planet; and - Fig. 6 shows a mode of association of spherical curvature screens for

  constitute a monumental spherical screen.

  For the production of the device, an active matrix with flexible plastic film of a known type is used. Examples of implementation of this type of matrix are described for example in US Patents 5,576,856, WO0 97/45

893 or EP 0 860 969.

  The device comprises a support 1 which can be spherical to represent the terrestrial globe or in the form of a portion of a sphere if one is limited to the representation of a geographical area. On this support is placed an active matrix 2. In the case of a spherical support, the matrix covers the whole of its surface with the exception of blind zones BZ corresponding to high latitudes 80 <0 <90. The matrix 2 has a distribution of pixels over its entire surface, preferably uniform. If Tp is the minimum size of a pixel, the number of pixels at the equator of a sphere of radius R is 2z.R / Tp, and the corresponding number of the matrix line L (0) at latitude 0 (Fig. 2) is R 2.Tr-.cosO for any latitude 0 between zero and 0M at the limit of the Tr

blind zone BZ.

  The active matrix is controlled by a control assembly 3 comprising an interface unit 4 adapted specifically to the selective control of the pixels of the matrix as a function of the data written in an associated screen memory (not shown) by a unit 5 d adaptation coupled with the interface unit 4 making it possible to calculate a position in spherical coordinates for all the data D to be displayed on the flexible screen 2, which are presented to it in a different form, using the adapted transformation equations. It can be a simple case of the classical transformation equations connecting the polar coordinates (R, 0, a) to the Cartesian coordinates Px, Py, Pz of a point: Px = R.cosû.cosa Py = R.cosâ .sincx P = R.sinû According to the mode of implementation illustrated in Fig.3, the control unit 3 is incorporated in a microcomputer 6. The interface unit 4 is for example an added electronic card in the central unit 7. The adaptation unit 5 can be produced for example in the form of adaptation software which is loaded into memory, which can be executed on the

microcomputer processing.

  The control assembly 3 can also be autonomous, associated directly with the spherical screen, in the base of a terrestrial globe by

1o example.

  In the simple practical case where the data to be displayed is already adapted to a representation in polar coordinates, it can be directly applied to the interface unit 4 responsible for managing the

matrix 2.

  In the case where the data to be displayed is available in a plane representation and according to a certain type of projection, use is made of an appropriate adaptation software adapted to restore them to their positions

  on the surface of the globe.

  The adaptation unit is also adapted to calculate the data to be stored in the screen memory, as a function of the resolution chosen and of

  scale changes (zoom effects).

  The device lends itself as well to a fixed representation of planetary data, as to a dynamic representation to simulate their evolution over time. By appropriately shifting the data in the screen memory of the interface unit 4, it is also easy to simulate the rotation of the planet around its axis. According to the embodiment of Fig.5, the active matrix can be placed on a support 8 with a wall with a spherical curvature, capable of reproducing data relating to a portion of the earth's surface. This support can be isolated or, juxtaposed with other supports E of the same shape (Fig. 6), serve to form a large active spherical screen representing a

  planet, in the context of exhibitions or in any other public place.

  Applications of the device to the visualization of the terrestrial globe have been described. It is quite obvious that it can be used more generally, to visualize data relating to any other planet or to visualize

configurations of celestial objects.

Claims (7)

  1) Device for displaying data relating to at least one zone of the terrestrial globe, comprising a support (1) having an external face with a substantially spherical curvature, adapted to represent at least this zone of the globe, at least one flexible screen with active matrix (2) matching at least a part of the external face, with a distribution of pixels over its entire surface and a control assembly (3) adapted to control the display at any point of the active matrix, of data relating to a corresponding position of ! 0 this area of the earth.   2) Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible active matrix screen (2) covers a spherical support (1) representing the entire globe.   3) Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a juxtaposition of several screens (2) with active matrix with substantially spherical curvature, the control assembly (3) being adapted to segment   the data to be displayed for their representation on the various screens.   4) Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in   that each active matrix has a uniform distribution of pixels.   5) Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in   that the control assembly (3) comprises an interface unit (4) suitable for the selective control of the pixels of each active matrix screen (2) as a function of the data written in at least one associated screen memory and an adaptation unit (5) coupled with the interface unit (4) making it possible to   calculate a position in spherical coordinates for all the data (D).   6) Device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that   the interface assembly (4) is included in a microcomputer (6).   7) Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the unit   adaptation (5) comprises microcomputer control software (6).