Virtual Window Video System for Aircraft Attitude Reference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Passengers in windowless aircraft suites experience discomfort due to lack of reliable attitude reference during flight maneuvers, as existing video systems fail to provide intuitive and synchronized visual cues, leading to potential motion sickness.
Innovation Solution
A video system comprising multiple cameras and processors that emulate actual windows by capturing and manipulating video feeds to display personalized views on monitors, ensuring passengers receive accurate and synchronized visual references of the aircraft's attitude through their peripheral vision, regardless of their position within the suite.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single image is replicated on all screens on the same side of the mockup, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of attitude reference deteriorates because the image does not accurately represent the view from each passenger's position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the video system into multiple independent camera units, each positioned to capture the view from a specific passenger window location. Instead of using a single replicated image, each monitor receives a dedicated video feed from its corresponding camera, ensuring that every passenger sees an accurate representation of their actual window view and maintains reliable attitude reference.
Solution Approach 2:
The system assigns different video feeds to different monitors based on their specific locations and corresponding passenger positions. Each camera is positioned and angled to capture the precise view that would be seen from its associated window, ensuring local accuracy rather than uniform replication across all screens.
2Ease of manufacture
If forward looking landscape cameras are used, then the video system is simple to implement, but reliability of attitude reference deteriorates during takeoff maneuvers because the nose of the aircraft is quickly pointed skyward, leaving no observable horizon
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the camera fields of view and monitor displays based on aircraft attitude and passenger position. During takeoff and other maneuvers, the system can switch between different camera feeds (forward-looking, downward-looking, or side-looking) to ensure that the displayed image always provides reliable attitude reference information appropriate for the current flight phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The video system is designed to serve multiple functions across different flight phases. The same camera infrastructure supports both normal cruise conditions (with forward-looking cameras) and maneuver conditions (switching to downward or side-looking cameras), making the system universally applicable throughout the entire flight envelope.
3Device complexity
If monitors are positioned farther from the passenger, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of attitude reference deteriorates because monitors farther from the passenger subtend a smaller vertical field of view, making the rear of the airplane appear to roll more quickly than the front
Solution Approach 1:
The system assigns dedicated cameras and monitors to specific passenger positions, with each camera positioned at the appropriate distance and angle to match its associated window's field of view. This segmentation ensures that each passenger receives an accurate visual reference corresponding to their specific location, eliminating the distortion that would occur with a single distant monitor serving multiple passengers.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method. The system may include a monitor implemented as a virtual window, a camera, an additional camera, a processor, and a switch. The processor may be configured to: receive video from the additional camera; manipulate the video from the additional camera based on a position of the passenger to provide an additional camera manipulated video stream; and output the additional camera manipulated video stream. The switch may be configured to: when the passenger is in a first position, feed video from the camera to the monitor; and when the passenger is in a second position, feed the additional camera manipulated video stream to the monitor.