Generation of Artificial Electronic Displays, with Application to Integrated Flight Instrumentation

Abstract

A novel method is described by which complex electronic signals are generated, dynamically varied, mixed, and presented on a standard video (raster-scan) display, without the use of vidicon or similar camera devices. The method is applied to the generation of a "contact-analog" display that provides a stylized representation of the real world to the pilot of an aircraft. This integrated display, which varies continuously as the speed, altitude, or attitude of the aircraft changes, also contains a "flight-path" representation that enables the pilot to maintain a prescribed path.