3D Operational Area Visualization for Helmet Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current display systems for military aircraft operatives, such as helmet-mounted displays, only provide two-dimensional representations of operational areas, leading to inaccuracies in situational awareness and strategic decision-making due to the need for mental modeling of three-dimensional environments.
Innovation Solution
A display apparatus and method that generates and projects three-dimensional image data of operational areas directly into the user's view, allowing for real-time visualization of specified regions and operations within the external environment, using user input and real-time data from various sources to create an adjusted geometric volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If two-dimensional plan view displays are used to represent operational areas, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision of situational awareness deteriorates due to inability to accurately perceive three-dimensional regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the traditional two-dimensional plan view display into a three-dimensional volumetric representation that accurately depicts operational regions in space. The system renders adjusted geometric volumes (such as cylinders, cones, or irregular shapes) that correspond to real-world operational areas, enabling the platform operative to visually perceive depth, height, and spatial relationships directly on the display rather than mentally constructing them from flat maps.
2Measurement precision
If three-dimensional visualizations are generated and projected into the user's view, then measurement precision of situational awareness is improved, but device complexity increases due to requirements for real-time data processing and rendering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a processor as an intermediary component that receives real-time data from multiple sources (such as sensors, communication systems, and navigation equipment), calculates the adjusted geometric volumes, and generates the three-dimensional visualizations. This intermediary handles the complex computational tasks, allowing the display system to present accurate 3D information without overwhelming the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-calculates and stores geometric volume parameters for different operational scenarios and threats. When a specific operational situation arises, the processor retrieves pre-computed volume data and rapidly renders the corresponding three-dimensional visualization, reducing real-time computational requirements and system complexity.
3Reliability
If real-time data from multiple sources is processed to generate accurate three-dimensional representations, then reliability of situational awareness is improved, but loss of time for data processing and rendering increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculations and pre-computes geometric volume parameters for various operational scenarios, threat types, and environmental conditions during system initialization or idle periods. This pre-processing stores optimized data structures that can be rapidly retrieved and rendered in real-time during actual operations, ensuring both accuracy and speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The three-dimensional visualizations are designed to be dynamic and adaptive, automatically updating only the portions of the display that change based on new incoming data. Rather than completely re-rendering entire volumetric representations with every data update, the system efficiently incrementally adjusts the visualization to reflect current operational conditions, minimizing processing time while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A display apparatus and method for displaying an operational area to an operative of a host platform, said operational area being defined within an external real-world environment relative to said host platform, the apparatus comprising a viewing device (12) configured to provide to said operative, in use, a three-dimensional view of said external real-world environment; a display generating device for creating images at the viewing device, a user input (33) configured to receive user input data (35) representative of a specified target or region in respect of which an operation is to be performed, and thereby defining an initial geometric volume for the operational area, said user input data including data representative of the location within said external real-world environment of said specified target or region and data representative of said operation to be performed in respect thereof; and a processor (32) configured to: use said user input data to generate or obtain three- dimensional image data representative of an adjusted geometric volume based, at least, on said initial geometric volume and on said operation to be performed, and display one or more images depicting said adjusted geometric volume and created using said three-dimensional image data, on said display generating device, the apparatus being configured to project or blend said one or more images displayed on said display generating device into said view of said external real-world environment at the relative location therein of the specified target or region.