Helmet Display Latency Reduction via Orientation-Based Image Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current navigation aid systems for air and land vehicles face latency issues in displaying environmental images, with latency times exceeding acceptable limits due to processing delays, affecting both content and positional accuracy, and are complex to implement.

Innovation Solution

A method for displaying images on a helmet screen that involves measuring the orientation of the helmet, extracting a reduced pixel image based on this orientation, and sending it for display, using a computer and multiple cameras to merge and process images, with a ratio of pixel reduction tailored to the amplitude of operator movements, allowing for precise and efficient image rendering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If image processing is performed to enhance environmental perception, then information quality is improved, but latency time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental information qualityVSAvoidlatency time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the image processing task by extracting only the central portion of the image (corresponding to the operator's field of view) rather than processing the entire image. This selective processing reduces computational load and latency while maintaining the necessary environmental information quality for navigation assistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by processing only the necessary central region of the image rather than the complete image. This approach provides sufficient information for the operator's current field of view without the unnecessary processing time required for the entire image, thus reducing latency while maintaining adequate information quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Loss of time

If predictive filtering is applied to reduce latency, then positional latency is reduced, but implementation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositional latencyVSAvoidfilter development complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses preliminary action by pre-determining the operator's field of view based on headset orientation data before image processing. This allows the system to extract and process only the relevant central portion of the image in advance, reducing positional latency without requiring complex predictive filters to anticipate head movements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If full-resolution images are processed, then image quality is maintained, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidprocessing speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the central portion of the image corresponding to the operator's field of view, discarding peripheral regions that are not currently needed. This extraction approach maintains adequate image quality for the operator's viewing area while significantly reducing the number of pixels to process, thereby increasing processing speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by focusing processing resources on the central region of the image where the operator is currently looking, rather than uniformly processing the entire image. This localized approach maintains high image quality in the relevant area while reducing overall processing time through selective processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2932464B1Method of display and system for aiding navigation
Publication Date: 2019.09.11 THALES SA
  • EP2932464B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2932464B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2932464B1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a method of displaying an image on a screen (24) of a headset (16) of a system (12) for aiding navigation, the system (12) for aiding navigation comprising the headset (16), and a computer (18). The method comprises the successive steps of measuring the orientation of the headset (16) of the operator furnished with the headset (16), of processing a first image having a first number of pixels so as to obtain a first processed image, of extracting a part of the first processed image as a function of the measured orientation of the headset (16) so as to obtain a second image, the second image having a second number of pixels strictly smaller than the first number of pixels, and of dispatching by the computer (18) to the headset (16) of the second image for display on the screen (24).