Processing simulator data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12051341-B2
Application number	US-201917292547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Nov 12, 2018
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

At least one encoder processor of a simulator data processing system receives simulator data from a plurality of simulators comprising a plurality of video data, including first and second data having different frame rates, and non-audio/visual data, and outputs a respective plurality of compressed video streams. A scheduler of the at least one encoder processor uses frames of the video data to generate scheduled items, specifies a frame rate for capturing the frames, and generates encoded data based on the compressed video streams and the non-audio/visual simulator data. At least one further processor receives, decodes, and processes the encoded data. The at least one further processor executes a media player/renderer application that processes the compressed video streams and displays on the display a plurality of the decoded video data are simultaneously displayed on a display at the specified frame rate, together with information based on the non-audio/visual simulator data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A simulator data processing system comprising:
a display;
at least one encoder processor configured to:
receive a plurality of simulator data generated by a respective plurality of simulators, wherein the plurality of simulator data comprises a respective plurality of video data and non-audio/visual simulator data, and wherein at least one of the plurality of video data has a different frame rate as compared to another of the plurality of video data;
capture the plurality of video data generated by the respective plurality of simulators and output a respective plurality of compressed video streams, wherein the at least one encoder processor comprises a scheduler configured to use frames of the plurality of video data to generate a set of scheduled items, the scheduler being further configured to specify a frame rate for capturing the frames; and
generate encoded data based on the plurality of compressed video streams and the non-audio/visual simulator data; and

at least one further processor configured to receive the encoded data and decode and process the encoded data so that a plurality of decoded video data are simultaneously displayed on the display at the specified frame rate wherein the at least one further processor is configured to execute a media player/renderer application that processes the compressed video streams for rendering on the display;
wherein the at least one further processor is also configured to display information based on the non-audio/visual simulator data on the display.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one encoder processor utilises a hardware video encoder on a Graphics Processing Unit to output the at least one respective compressed video stream.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one encoder processor is configured to provide multiple instances of the encoded video data having different frame rates to a plurality of the further processors.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one further processor utilises a hardware video decoder on a Graphics Processing Unit to render the compressed video stream.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein a media player/renderer is configured to decode each of a plurality of video streams of the compressed video stream independently and render each said decoded video stream at a rate corresponding to a rate at which a corresponding video data of the plurality of video data is received.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one further processor is configured to blend together at least two of the video streams of the compressed video stream for display on an area of the display.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein a first of the video streams being blended has a lower frame rate than a second of the video streams being blended, and the media player/renderer stores a video frame from the first video stream for blending with each video frame of the second video stream.

8. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a control device that configures and/or controls a location and format of the video data on the display, wherein the control device offers display control functions selected form a set including:
full recording and playback control;
playback from ¼ speed up to x32, forward and backwards;
tactical scenario viewer;
timeline and event markers implemented as manual and automatic bookmarks;
audio channel and video display layout control;
audio volume control;
recording or device to live monitor selection;
video stream layout selection;
playback navigation, including timeline and event bookmarks;
tactical map management;
recording management;
cropping of video streams; and
synchronised playback of audio.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the control device controls the display to display a tactical map, and the control device includes a control interface for the tactical map, wherein the control interface is not visible on the tactical map displayed on the display, and the control device is configured to execute a software application that processes data describing individual mapped geographical features of the tactical map.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is adapted for the simulation of a vehicle mission.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the system is adapted for the simulation of an aircraft mission.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein the non-audio/visual simulator data comprises data relating to at least one of the following:
sensor readings;
geographical location information; and
mission-related information.

13. A computer-implemented method of processing simulator data, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of simulator data generated by a respective plurality of simulators, wherein the plurality of simulator data comprises a respective plurality of video data and non-audio/visual simulator data, and wherein at least one of the plurality of video data has a different frame rate as compared to another of the plurality of video data;
capturing the plurality of video data generated by the respective plurality of simulators, and outputting a respective plurality of compressed video streams using at least one encoder, wherein the at least one encoder comprises a scheduler that uses frames of the plurality of video data to generate a set of scheduled items and specifies a frame rate for capturing the frames;
generating encoded video data based on the plurality of compressed video streams and the non-audio/visual simulator data; and
receiving the encoded data and decoding and processing the encoded data so that the plurality of decoded video data are displayable on a display at the specified frame rate by executing a media player/renderer application that processes the compressed video streams for rendering on the display; and
displaying information based on the non-audio/visual simulator data on the display.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the plurality of simulator data simulates a vehicle mission.

15. The method according to claim 13 wherein the non-audio/visual simulator data comprises data relating to at least one of the following:
sensor readings;
geotraphical location information; and
mission-related information.

Assignees

• Bae Systems Plc

Inventors

• Leahy Rodney George
• Piercy Andrew
• Bradshaw Neil Martin
• Early Kristopher Henry
• Porteous Duncan Kenneth

Classifications

• H04N21/42653

  for processing graphics · CPC title

• H04N21/234381

  by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping · CPC title

• H04N19/436

  using parallelised computational arrangements · CPC title

• H04N19/40

  using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream · CPC title

• H04N19/172

  the region being a picture, frame or field · CPC title