Interactive driving simulator, and methods of using same

• US 20040259059A1
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ichimi, Sadanao, Miyamaru, Yukio, Aoki, Katsuhito
• Granted Patent: US 8,016,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/61
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/058 for teaching control of cycles or motorcycles

Abstract

In an interactive driving simulation apparatus for a two-wheeled vehicle, a real-time test drive performance by a student operator around a simulated driving route sequence is recorded. The recorded performance is later replayed for the benefit of the student, to provide real-world simulation, education, and performance evaluation. During the simulated driving, pre-recorded performance evaluation comments are selected and stored, corresponding to the student'"'"'s specific performance at a traffic driving situation on the driving route sequence. Then, upon displaying of a replay screen image of the simulated driving on a display unit, when a particular traffic driving situation is arrived at, a simulated operating environment of the traffic driving situation and the selected performance evaluation comments are automatically superimposed and displayed together as a replay screen 154.

Claims

1. An interactive driving simulation apparatus for allowing a student operator to simulate driving a two-wheeled vehicle, wherein said apparatus is operable to display a virtual environment as a screen image on a display unit based on a real-time driving routine of a simulated vehicle by the student operator, and wherein said apparatus is capable of recording a driving route sequence and replaying the driving route sequence on said display unit after the real-time driving routine is completed, said driving simulation apparatus comprising:

a selector for selecting performance evaluation comments based on operator input in a simulated driving route sequence, by the driving operation of the operator in a driving route sequence determined in advance in a running route upon the simulation apparatus, and

wherein the display unit comprises a screen for simultaneously displaying the simulated operating environment and the performance evaluation comments when the driving situation is replayed on said display unit.

2. An interactive driving simulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said selector selects only a scene at which an unsafe action was performed by the operator within the simulated driving route sequence, and matches performance evaluation comments corresponding to said scene at which an unsafe action was performed to the operator'"'"'s recorded performance,

and wherein said display screen displays only the scene at which the unsafe action was performed and the performance evaluation comments.

3. An interactive driving simulation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker for reading the performance evaluation commentary aloud upon reproduction thereof on said display unit.

4. An interactive driving simulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said display unit is operable to pause the replay and to display a still-screen image, in which the simulated operating environment and the performance evaluation commentary are simultaneously displayed thereon.

5. An interactive driving simulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said display unit reproduces the screen image at a normal replay speed or temporarily pauses the replay and displays a still-screen image at a selected driving situation, and performs fast-feeding replay or skipping replay at scenes other than the selected driving situation.

6. The driving simulation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is operable without requiring input from any person other than the student operator during testing and replay.

7. An interactive driving simulation apparatus for allowing a student operator to simulate driving a two-wheeled vehicle, said driving simulation apparatus comprising:

an electromechanical simulator for interacting with the student operator during performance of a driving route sequence, said electromechanical simulator comprising a support frame, a handlebar operatively connected to the support frame, a pedal mechanism operatively connected to the support frame, and a plurality of sensors for measuring student input and for generating data corresponding to a specific performance by the student operator;

a recorder for recording the specific performance data;

a processor for comparing the specific performance data to a set of base line performance data and for selecting performance evaluation comments based on the comparison of the specific performance data with the base line performance data, and

a display unit comprising a display screen for simultaneously displaying the simulated operating environment and the performance evaluation comments when a portion of the driving route sequence is replayed on said display unit for each testing situation in which the operator'"'"'s responses fail to perform at or above a specified level;

wherein a virtual environment is displayed as a screen image on the display unit based on a real-time driving route sequence of a simulated vehicle by the student operator, and wherein said apparatus is capable of recording a specific performance of a driving routine and replaying the specific performance on said display unit after the real-time driving routine is completed.

8. The driving simulation apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is operable without requiring input from any person other than the student operator during testing and replay.

9. The driving simulation apparatus of claim 7, wherein selected features of the electromechanical simulator are operable to perform a first set of functions during performance of a real-time driving route sequence by a student operator, and wherein the selected features are operable to perform a second set of functions which is different from the first set of functions during playback of a recorded performance.

10. The driving simulation apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a speaker for generating an audible reproduction of the selected performance evaluation comments.

11. A method of training an operator to improve driving skills for operating a two-wheeled vehicle using a driving simulator, comprising the steps of:

a) generating a prerecorded driving simulation course including a plurality of testing situations on a display screen of a driving simulator,

b) recording the operator'"'"'s real-time responses to each testing situation on a computer memory;

c) comparing the operator'"'"'s responses to prerecorded base line data; and

d) replaying selected scenes from the simulation course on the display screen superimposed with selected performance evaluation comments corresponding to the operator'"'"'s recorded responses, for each testing situation in which the operator'"'"'s responses fail to perform at or above a specified level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method is performable without requiring input from any person other than the student operator during testing and replay.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of generating an audible performance evaluation commentary upon visual reproduction thereof on said display unit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the replay is paused to display a still-screen image when the simulated operating environment and the performance evaluation commentary are simultaneously displayed thereon.