Shifter Force Detection

• US 20130302761A1
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Training Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Training Systems LLC
• Inventors: Best, Aaron M., Barton, J. Ken, Havell, David J., Welles, Reginald T., Turpin, Darrell R., Voorhees, James W., Price, Camille B., Stahlman, Nathan P., Turpin, Aaron J., Purvis, Aaron M., Kearney, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,177,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/71
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/04 for teaching control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A shifter simulator for driver training includes a shaft with a handle affixed to a first end of the shaft and a distal second end of the shaft being interfaced to a shifter mechanism. A first force sensing device is interfaced to the shaft, outputting a value representative of an amount of force applied to the handle in a forward/rearward direction and a second force sensing device is interfaced to the shaft outputting a value representative of an amount of force applied to the handle in a lateral direction.

Claims

1. A shifter, the shifter comprising:

a shaft;

a handle affixed to a first end of the shaft;

a distal second end of the shaft interfaced to a shifter mechanism; and

a first force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, the first force sensing device outputting a value representative of an amount of force applied to the handle.

2. The shifter of claim 1, further comprising a capacitive touch sensor interfaced to the handle, the capacitive touch sensor outputs signals responsive to contact.

3. The shifter of claim 1, further comprising a second force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, wherein the first force sending device outputs a value representing forward/backward force applied to the handle and the second force sensing device outputs a value representative of an amount of sideways force applied to the handle.

4. The shifter of claim 1, wherein the first force sensing device is a strain gauge.

5. The shifter of claim 3, wherein the first force sensing device is a first strain gauge affixed to the shaft and the second force sensing device is a second strain gauge affixed to the shaft at right angles to the first strain gauge.

6. A method of training a trainee regarding shifting, the method includes:

providing a shifting training simulator device comprising;

a computer;

a windshield display coupled to the computer;

a shaft;

a handle affixed to a first end of the shaft;

a distal second end of the shaft interfaced to a shifter mechanism; and

a force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, the force sensing device operatively coupled to the computer such that the force sensing device outputs a value representative of an amount of force applied to the handle which is read by the computer;

the computer displaying a training segment on the windshield display while the trainee shifts the handle of the shifting training simulator; and

the computer reading the force sensing device and providing feedback to the trainee regarding the amount of force applied to the handle.

7. The method of claim 6, whereas upon reading the force sensor device and detecting a force greater than a predetermined threshold, the computer stopping the training segment and starting a remedial training segment regarding shifter breakage.

8. The method of claim 7, whereas upon reading the force sensor device and detecting a force greater than a predetermined second, greater threshold, the computer stopping the training segment thereby preventing breakage of the shifting training simulator device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the shifting training simulator further comprises a transmission lock out solenoid, the transmission lock out selectively solenoid locks the shift handles responsive to signals from the computer and whereas the computer further signaling the lock out solenoid to lock the shift handle, thereby preventing breakage.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising a step of providing tactile feedback to the trainee by emitting sound and/or vibration from a transducer, the transduce coupled to the shifting training simulator device.

11. A shifting training simulator device, the shifter comprising:

a shaft;

a handle affixed to a first end of the shaft;

a distal second end of the shaft interfaced to a shifter mechanism;

a first force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, the first force sensing device outputting a value representative of an amount of force applied to the handle in a forward/rearward direction; and

a second force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, the second force sensing device outputting a value representative of an amount of force applied to the handle in a lateral direction.

12. The shifter simulator system of claim 11, further comprising a transducer interfaced to the shaft, the transducer emitting sound and vibration responsive to signals from a computer.

13. The shifter simulator system of claim 12, further comprising a capacitive touch sensor interfaced to the handle, the capacitive touch sensor outputs signals to the computer responsive to contact.

14. The shifter simulator system of claim 11, wherein the first force sensing device is a strain gauge.

15. The shifter simulator system of claim 11, wherein the second force sensing device is a second strain gauge.

16. The shifter simulator system of claim 11, wherein the first force sensing device is affixed to the shaft at right angles to the first force sensing device.

17. The shifter simulator system of claim 11, wherein the first force sensing device is a first strain gauge affixed to a forward or rear portion of the shaft and the second force sensing device is a second strain gauge affixed to the shaft at approximately right angles to the first force sensing device.