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 l he scene lo be simulated is viewed from a pre-determined viewing station via a mirror, the mirror, image and viewing station being positioned such that light reilected by the mirror to the viewing station from the image is substantially c ⁇ llimated.
• 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 ing a height f 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. Unfortunateh such a structure is so large that il 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 view ing station, ihe mirror, the ⁇ r each image source and viewing the station being arranged such that light rellected 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 observer station, u herein at least one opaque object is positioned on or immediately in front of the mirror, the object being non-reflective and having an appearance appropriate to the presented image.
• the present invention relies upon ihe realisation that lor certain scenes it is acceptable for objects to be relatively close lo the viewing station. Providing those objects are positioned such that relleclions ⁇ lhem 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 relied lighl in a manner consisieni w ith the rest of the mirror surface, the perceived degradation of image quality resulting I mm edge effects between adjacent mirrors can be avoided.
• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective representation of components used in a known infantry weapons training simulator.
• Figure 2 is a vertical section through the components showed in Figure 1 :
• Figure 3 shows the positioning of an object on the surface of the mirror of Figures 1 and 2 so as to cover a portion of that mirror which is defined abutting edges of two mirror sections.
• 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 defining four curved edges to w hich 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 I onl 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 ihe object remote from ihe 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 objecl 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.

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)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=10819084

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (1)

Citations (3)

• 1997
  • 1997-09-16 GB GBGB9719590.3A patent/GB9719590D0/en not_active Ceased
• 1998
  • 1998-09-14 DE DE69811922T patent/DE69811922T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1998-09-14 WO PCT/GB1998/002783 patent/WO1999014549A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-09-14 EP EP98942919A patent/EP1023570B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-09-14 CA CA002304190A patent/CA2304190A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-09-14 IL IL13509498A patent/IL135094A/xx not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (3)

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