An improved multiple-sensor vision system for use on vehicles or aircraft.
The system utilizes a plurality of fixed sensors, such as infrared
sensors, that provide signals that are recorded on tape and/or stored in
memory. A processor digitally samples the stored images and provides
output to a helmet-mounted display. Desirably, the sensors are arrayed in
series such that their images may be juxtaposed and blended to provide a
wider field-of-view image. A tracking system desirably monitors the head
position of the operator, which position is then used to select various
images from the processor. In this way, the operator can select various
views by simply looking in that direction. In one embodiment, the array
of sensors is forward-looking and positioned close to the head position
of the operator to minimize parallax issues. In addition to
forward-looking sensors, other sensors mounted around the
vehicle/aircraft may provide rearward, hemispherical, or complete
spherical coverage. Sensors that monitor the status of various
instruments on board the vehicle can also provide input to the
helmet-mounted display, including a moving map tile that is displayed
below or to the side of the main image.