JP3217276B2 - Simulated view image generator - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to, for example, a computer-aided image processing system in which training in the operation of an armored vehicle using a simulator is performed using a night-vision device or the like incorporating an optical sensor. It relates to a device generated by processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, operation training for an armored vehicle or the like has been performed on a real vehicle, and since this training is performed in an environment with bad visibility, extremely limited training is performed in terms of ensuring safety. I was

[0003]

However, when an actual vehicle is operated, the vehicle may be operated with a normal naked eye, or may be operated at night or the like using a night vision device having an optical sensor. Without limitation, it is desirable to perform pilot training under more realistic conditions. Therefore, time constraints between day and night,
It is desired to generate a simulated view for solving problems such as prevention of disturbance contrary to the purpose of training (light control) and ensuring safety.

[0004] On the other hand, some night vision devices have improved sensitivity particularly to light of a relatively wide wavelength band or a specific range of wavelengths depending on the purpose of use as described later. The latter is designed to be visible even under moonlight or starlight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to obtain a simulated view image according to the characteristics of an optical sensor such as a night vision device for a simulated view image viewed through an optical sensor. It is another object of the present invention to provide a low-cost simulated visual field image generating device.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above object, the present invention relates to a night vision apparatus having an optical sensor according to the present invention.
A device capable of generating a simulated view image viewed in a state interposed between a display device and human eyes , wherein the simulated view image adapted to a sensitivity characteristic of the optical sensor with respect to a light spectrum , A simulated view image generating apparatus is provided, which is set to a wavelength color that matches display characteristics of a display device, and has a color table created in advance corresponding to each part of an observation target to be displayed. The term "observation target" is used to include the background.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the image is a CR
T, a liquid crystal display, etc., wherein the optical sensor has a particularly high sensitivity characteristic in the vicinity of a specific wavelength color and other wavelength colors in the vicinity thereof, and the color table specifies each part of the observation target. Is constructed so as to be expressed as a degree difference of the luminance of the wavelength color.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a color table corresponding to the type and characteristics of the optical sensor and a color table for the naked eye in the device according to the first or second aspect, for receiving an external signal. Having determination means for determining which of the color tables to use in accordance with the type of the signal,
The image can be switched according to the result of the judgment by the judging means.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a color table for displaying each part of the observation target in a wavelength color that matches the sensitivity characteristic of the optical sensor and the display characteristic of the display device. Each part can obtain a simulated view image with good visibility in a state where a night vision device having an optical sensor is interposed . Also, this simulated view painting
By incorporating the image generator into the simulator,
Use a real night vision device with a
Operation training under
It can be done safely.

In a preferred embodiment, the display device is a CRT,
Because liquid crystal is used, red (R), green (G),
It is represented by blue (B) or a combination thereof. For example, when using a night vision device having a light sensor having a particularly high sensitivity compared to other wavelength colors in the red of the light spectrum and its vicinity, the color table sets each part of the observation target as a difference in luminance of red. If it is created so as to express, a simulated view image suitable for the characteristics of the display device and the night vision device can be obtained.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a color table via an optical sensor and a color table for the naked eye, and a judging means judges which of these is to be used according to an external signal, and The image can be switched according to the type of the device, so that one device can be used for both purposes, and the cost can be reduced as a simulated visual field image generating device.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration diagram of a device according to the present invention. A computer 18 having a central processing unit (CPU) 12, a memory 14, and an input / output device 16 is connected to a keyboard 18 and a display device 20. ing. The image data signal input to the display device 20 becomes an image by the CRT 21,
An image enters a night vision device 26 having an optical sensor via the half mirror 22 and the concave mirror 24. It can be visually recognized through this night vision device.

FIG. 5 schematically shows the structure of a night vision device. A night vision device is a device that converts light energy into electric energy, amplifies the electric energy, and converts it again into light (image). Visible light, near-infrared light, and the like emitted from the night vision device observation target 50 are sent to the photoelectric surface 56 through the objective lens 52 to form an image. At this time, the incident light is converted into electron energy having a number and a speed corresponding to the amount of light on the photoelectric surface. The electrons are amplified at the surface 58 made of the coating of the small glass tube.

The electrons amplified while passing through surface 58 are:
It is sent to the opposite side (the eyepiece 66 side) of the photocathode 56 and to the phosphor screen 62 attached in parallel with it, and has a color (green) based on the color of the phosphor screen at an intensity corresponding to the number and speed of the phosphor screen. Since light is emitted, even an extremely weak light becomes an image 64 of a light amount that can be visually recognized by the naked eye 68.

FIG. 6A shows a typical starlight night glow RM corresponding to an optical spectrum arranged in the order of each wavelength color λ of light, and FIG. FIG. 6 shows the characteristics of the sensitivity S of the optical sensor (photocathode) for the two types of night vision devices G1 and G2. The night-vision device G1 has sensitivity to a wide range of wavelengths of color light, whereas the night-vision device G2 has sensitivity to wavelength-color light near red light. The sensitivity of the night vision device G2 is considerably higher than that of the night vision device G1. Each symbol UV, V,
B, G, Y, O, R, and NI are ultraviolet, purple, blue,
Green, yellow, orange, red, near infrared.

FIG. 2 shows a rectangular solid 70 as an example of an observation target.
In the simulated visual field image generating apparatus of the present invention, the color information of the visible surfaces A, B, and C is created based on the distribution of the light spectrum in FIG. 6, and is defined in the color table shown in FIG. That is, the surfaces A, B, and C and the color code are stored in the memory 14 in correspondence with each other, and there are two types of tables, (a1) and (a2). Also, two types (b1) and (b2) of tables defining the contents of color codes, that is, the hue and luminance of light are stored. The table (a1) corresponds to the table (b1), which is the color table 1, and the table (a2) corresponds to the table (b2), which is the color table 2.

FIG. 4 shows a processing flow chart of the simulated visual field image generating apparatus of the present invention. Starting at step 30, the coordinate data of the terrain and the building, etc. stored in the memory 14 at step 32, and a database of other environmental data described later are read. At step 39, the display is performed in consideration of the operator's viewpoint and the like. Geometric calculations such as object selection, coordinate conversion, priority processing, and determination of a visible surface (surfaces A, B, and C in FIG. 2) are performed. On the visible surface, the original hue and luminance are determined by the color information defined in the color table described in FIG. However, here, there are two types of color tables, and which of them is to be used is determined externally by the keyboard 18.
Is determined by inputting a predetermined signal.

That is, whether or not to use the night vision device is input, and the signal is judged in step 34. If the night vision device is not used, the color table 1 is referred to in step 38 to refer to each surface. When the color information is read and used, the color information of each surface is read by referring to the color table 2 in step 36. Assuming that the night vision device G2 is used, the color table 2 is used. That is, the color information of the color code 20 of the table (b2) is read on the surface A by the table (a2) of FIG. 3, and the color information of the color codes 14 and 42 of the table (b2) is similarly read on the surfaces B and C. Information is read respectively. The hues are the same red and have different luminances.

A final hue and luminance are given to the basic simulated view image according to environmental conditions such as time, moon age, weather, and viewpoint position. That is, in step 40,
The hue and luminance of each pixel are calculated for the visible surface already processed in step 39. The color information for each pixel on each surface thus obtained is sent to the video buffer in step 42. This is transmitted as a video signal to the CRT 21 of the display device 20 in FIG. This is an image of one frame, and this display is continued until there is a signal indicating that one frame has ended according to the judgment in step 46. When one frame is completed, the process returns to step 39 in step 48. Thus, steps 39 to 46 are repeated for each frame. In this way, the image display is repeated one after another.
If there is an image display end signal in step 8, the operation stops (step 49).

Since the simulated visual field image displayed in this manner is red, the simulated visual field image shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), it is sensed with high sensitivity, forms an image, and as a result, can be viewed. In the above description, the simulated visual field image generating device is configured as a system that can be switched between a case where the night vision device is used and a case where the night vision device is not used. However, this may be configured exclusively for the use of the night vision device. In this dedicated case,
The signal determination in step 34 is unnecessary, and the memory 1
It is not necessary to store the color table 1 in 4. However, in the case where two or more types of optical sensors are used separately in a night vision device or the like, a color table corresponding to each sensitivity characteristic is stored, and the type is set to a structure determined in step 34. You can also. Therefore, the hue of the color table may be set to a wavelength color with high sensitivity of each optical sensor.

Further, even if the trainee sees the image with the naked eye without passing through the night vision device, it is possible to generate an image that looks the same as when using the night vision device. That is, in FIG. 1, the image of the CRT 21 is visually recognized by the trainee through the half mirror 22 and the concave mirror 24 via the night vision device 26, but the function of the night vision device 26 is incorporated in a display device and formed.
The same training can be performed by directly viewing this image with the naked eye.

Further, the night vision device G2 detects and amplifies red light with high sensitivity and emits green light on the fluorescent screen 62, so that the image is changed to a green luminance change state that can be visually recognized through the eyepiece 66. It may be generated, that is, an image including the function of the night vision device may be generated, displayed on the display device, and visually recognized by the naked eye. Although the color is described as red in FIG. 3, depending on the light emission characteristics of the display device 20,
Wavelength colors (Y, O, R, and Y) between Y and NI shown in FIG.
NI) can be selected as appropriate.

[0023]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the simulated visual field image generating device sets the wavelength color that matches the sensitivity characteristics of the optical sensor such as a night vision device and the display characteristics of the display device. It has a table of color information created in advance for each part of the observation target. for that reason,
Each part of the observation target can obtain a required simulated field-of-view image through a night vision device or the like having an optical sensor. By incorporating this simulated visual field image generation device into a simulator, it is possible to use a real night vision device with an optical sensor, etc., to safely perform operation training etc. in environments with poor visibility without being restricted by time, place, etc. It can be carried out.

Further, a color table for use of the optical sensor and a color table for the naked eye are provided, and a judging means judges which of these is to be used in accordance with the external signal and determines the type of the external signal. In a configuration in which the image can be switched in response, a single device can be used for both purposes, and cost reduction can be achieved as a simulated view image generating device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of a display target.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a color table stored in a memory.

FIG. 4 is a processing flowchart of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the principle of a night vision device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of sensitivity characteristics of a night vision device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 display device 26 night vision device

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-59-214882 (JP, A) JP-A-58-11774 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G09B 9/05

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] A night vision device having an optical sensor is provided on a display device.
An apparatus capable of generating a simulated field image seen in a state of being interposed between the location and the human eye, the simulated field image adapted to the sensitivity characteristics to light spectrum of the light sensor, the display device A simulated view image generating apparatus, wherein a simulated view image generating apparatus is set to a wavelength color that matches display characteristics and has a color table created in advance corresponding to each part of an observation target to be displayed. 2. An apparatus in which the image is displayed through a CRT, a liquid crystal, or the like, wherein the optical sensor has a specific wavelength color and a particularly high sensitivity characteristic in the vicinity thereof compared with other wavelength colors, and 2. The simulated visual field image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device is configured to express each part of the observation target as a degree difference in luminance of the specific wavelength color. 3. A color table according to the type and characteristics of the optical sensor, and a color table for the naked eye, receiving a signal from the outside, and selecting one of the color tables according to the type of the signal. 3. The simulated visual field image generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit for determining whether to use the image, and capable of switching images according to a determination result of the determination unit.