Vehicle simulation system

• US 20070008089A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 8,033,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/432
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/058 for teaching control of cycles or motorcycles

Abstract

A vehicle simulation system equipped to display information on the rear side of a driver (rider). The simulation system includes a dummy bicycle operated by the rider, a monitor on the front side for displaying a scene based on the operations of the dummy bicycle, and a lamp unit connected to the dummy bicycle and provided on the rear side relative to the seated position of the rider. The lamp unit has a red lamp, a yellow lamp and a green lamp, and is controlledly turned ON under the action of a main control unit. An input device is provided on a steering handle of the dummy bicycle. The input device has a switch for red, a switch for yellow, and a switch for green. The rider checks behind, and operates the input device according to the ON/OFF conditions of the lamp unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle simulation system comprising:

a dummy vehicle operated by a driver;

a front display unit for displaying a scene based on operation of said dummy vehicle; and

a rear display unit connected to said dummy vehicle and provided on a rear side relative to a seated position of said driver.

2. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rear display unit is a monitor capable of displaying a picture.

3. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rear display unit is one or more lamps which are turned ON in a plurality of colors under control.

4. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

an input device provided on said dummy vehicle for said driver to input signals therethrough;

an input judging unit for making a comparative judgment between said signals inputted through said input device and information displayed on said rear display unit; and

an output unit for indicating the result of said comparative judgment.

5. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said rear display unit is one or more lamps which are turned ON in a plurality of colors under control, and

said input device has a plurality of switches indicative of said colors in which said lamp or lamps are turned ON.

6. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a rear-view mirror for visualizing the rear display unit.

7. A vehicle simulation system comprising:

a dummy vehicle operated by a driver;

a front display unit for displaying a scene based on operation of said dummy vehicle;

a rear display unit connected to said dummy vehicle and provided on a rear side relative to a seated position of said driver; and

a controller for controlling the vehicle simulation.

8. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said rear display unit is a monitor capable of displaying a picture.

9. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said rear display unit is one or more lamps which are turned ON in a plurality of colors under control.

10. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

an input device provided on said dummy vehicle for said driver to input signals therethrough;

an input judging unit for making a comparative judgment between said signals inputted through said input device and information displayed on said rear display unit; and

an output unit for indicating the result of said comparative judgment.

11. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said rear display unit is one or more lamps which are turned ON in a plurality of colors under control, and

said input device has a plurality of switches indicative of said colors in which said lamp or lamps are turned ON.

12. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a rear-view mirror for visualizing the rear display unit.

13. A vehicle simulation system comprising:

a dummy vehicle operated by a driver;

a front display unit for displaying a scene based on the operation of said dummy vehicle and visually confirmed when viewed from a first visual point set based on a seated position of said driver; and

a side display unit provided on at least one of a left side and a right side and configured so that an image displayed thereon is not visually confirmed when viewed from said first visual point, but is visually confirmed when viewed from a second visual point on a front side relative to said first visual point.

14. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 13, further comprising shielding means provided between said first visual point and said side display unit.

15. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said front display unit comprises:

a central display region for displaying a front scene;

left and right end display regions for displaying left and right scenes;

first mirror members for shielding said left and right end display regions from said first visual point and reflecting images toward a lateral side; and

second mirror members for reflecting the images reflected by said first mirror members toward said second visual point.

16. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 13, further comprising magnifying lenses are provided between said second visual point and said second mirror members.

17. The vehicle simulation system as set forth in claim 13, further comprising:

position detecting means for detecting the position of said driver; and

display switching means for switching said side display unit to a display mode and a non-display mode according to the position of said driver detected by said position detecting means.

18. A vehicle simulation system comprising:

a dummy vehicle operated by a driver;

a front display unit and side display units for displaying a scene based on the operation of said dummy vehicle;

direction detecting means for detecting the direction of the head of said driver; and

display switching means for switching said side display units to a display mode and a non-display mode according to the direction of the head of said driver detected by said direction detecting means.

19. A vehicle simulation system comprising:

a dummy vehicle operated by a driver;

a front display unit for displaying a front scene in a central display region and displaying left and right scenes in left and right end display regions, based on the operation of said dummy vehicle;

first mirror members for shielding said left and right end display regions from the visual point of said driver and reflecting images toward lateral sides; and

second mirror members for further reflecting the images reflected by said first mirror members.