Semi-interactive driving simulator with multiple simulated mirror images and method of preparing images for use in simulator
First Claim
1. An improved semi-interactive simulator system of the type having a plurality of driver stations coupled to an instructor'"'"'s station and computer, a source of video images comprising at least a forward driver'"'"'s view from a vehicle, and a projector for projecting the video images upon a screen, in which the improvement comprises:
- the projected video images comprise, in addition to the forward driver'"'"'s view, four rearward facing views simulating side-view mirrors;
on a left side and a right side of the forward driver'"'"'s view, a rearward view simulating a view through a flat side-view mirror, and on the left side and the right side of the forward driver'"'"'s view, adjacent to the rearward view simulating the flat side-view mirror, a wide-angle rearward view simulating a view through a convex side-view mirror;
the video images comprising the forward driver'"'"'s view, simulated right flat mirror, simulated left flat mirror, simulated right convex mirror and simulated left convex mirror being synchronized such that the five images simulate the view from the cab of an actual vehicle through the windshield and the side-view mirrors.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A semi-interactive driver training simulator in which the projected image contains simultaneous synchronized front view and side-view mirror images, in which the side-view mirror images have both large “flat” mirror and smaller “convex” images. To create the projected image, five separate cameras are mounted on a real vehicle, and used to take five views simultaneously—a front driver'"'"'s view, upper “normal” left and right rear views and lower “wide angle” rear views. The two lower cameras are equipped with wide-angle lenses which simulate the convex mirrors used on real vehicles. The five images are separately recorded, with each video stream time-stamped. The time stamps are used to electronically combine the five images into the single synchronized image which is recorded for projection.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An improved semi-interactive simulator system of the type having a plurality of driver stations coupled to an instructor'"'"'s station and computer, a source of video images comprising at least a forward driver'"'"'s view from a vehicle, and a projector for projecting the video images upon a screen, in which the improvement comprises:
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the projected video images comprise, in addition to the forward driver'"'"'s view, four rearward facing views simulating side-view mirrors;
on a left side and a right side of the forward driver'"'"'s view, a rearward view simulating a view through a flat side-view mirror, and on the left side and the right side of the forward driver'"'"'s view, adjacent to the rearward view simulating the flat side-view mirror, a wide-angle rearward view simulating a view through a convex side-view mirror;
the video images comprising the forward driver'"'"'s view, simulated right flat mirror, simulated left flat mirror, simulated right convex mirror and simulated left convex mirror being synchronized such that the five images simulate the view from the cab of an actual vehicle through the windshield and the side-view mirrors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of producing images for projection in a semi-interactive simulator system, comprising the steps of:
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mounting a plurality of cameras on an actual vehicle, the cameras comprising;
a camera pointed forward to capture a forward driver'"'"'s view on each of a left side of the vehicle and a right side of the vehicle, a camera facing rearward to capture a view simulating a view through a flat side-view mirror, and adjacent to the camera capturing rearward view simulating the flat side-view mirror, a camera having a wide-angle lens, capturing a rearward view simulating a view through a convex side-view mirror;
recording the views from each of the plurality of cameras in a separate video stream as the vehicle is driven, each of the video streams being time-stamped during recording;
after the images are recorded, transferring the time-stamped video streams to a storage medium;
combining the video streams on the storage medium into a composite video image showing a simulated view comprising the forward driver'"'"'s view, simulated right flat mirror, simulated left flat mirror, simulated right convex mirror and simulated left convex mirror, the video streams being synchronized using the time stamps, such that the five images simulate the view from the cab of an actual vehicle through the windshield and the side-view mirrors. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification