System, Method and Apparatus for Driver Training System with Dynamic Mirrors

• US 20160321941A1
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Training Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Training Systems LLC
• Inventors: Welles, Reginald T., Turpin, Darrell R., Turpin, Aaron J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,325,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A training system has one or more displays that simulate or mimic rear view mirrors, showing, for example, what is visible behind the simulated vehicle. The training system includes sensors, software, and related hardware for determining a position of a trainee'"'"'s head within the simulated vehicle and calculating a viewing angle and/or distance between the trainee'"'"'s eye(s) and the rear view mirrors. Based upon the viewing angle and/or distance, a rear image is panned/zoomed on each of the rear view mirrors corresponding to the viewing angle and/or distance.

Claims

1. A training system, the training system providing training on operation of a vehicle, the training system comprising:

a computer, the computer having a storage device;

a plurality of training segments stored on the storage device and accessible by the computer, each of the training segments includes a video stream of a wide-angle view of what is visible from a rear view mirror perspective behind the vehicle;

a graphics display;

a sensor, the sensor configured to measure a position of a trainee'"'"'s eyes relative to the graphics displays;

software running on the computer, the software reads data from the sensor and the software calculates a viewing angle between the trainee'"'"'s eyes relative and the graphics display from the data; and

the software calculates a panning location within each frame of the video stream based on the viewing angle, and the software displays a portion of each frame of the video stream at the panning location.

2. The training system of claim 1, wherein the software recalculates the panning location for each frame of the video stream of the wide-angle view from the rear view mirror perspective of what is visible behind the vehicle when the trainee'"'"'s head moves.

3. The training system of claim 1, wherein the software further calculates a zoom level from the data, the zoom level proportional with a distance from the trainee'"'"'s eyes relative and the graphics display and prior to the software displaying the portion of the each frame of the video stream at the panning location, the software applies a zoom factor on the portion before displaying the portion, the zoom factor relative to the zoom level.

4. The training system of claim 1, wherein the graphics display further includes a display area for displaying a video stream of what is in front of the vehicle.

5. The training system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an array sensor, the array sensor providing three-dimensional positioning data related to the position of the trainee'"'"'s eyes with respect to the graphics display.

6. The training system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is at least one camera, the camera providing three-dimensional positioning data related to the position of the trainee'"'"'s eyes with respect to the graphics display.

7. The training system of claim 3, wherein the system sequentially displays the frames of the video stream of the wide-angle view of what is visible behind the vehicle at the panning location and the zoom level on the graphics display to simulate movement of the vehicle.

8. A method of training a trainee in use of a vehicle, the training system comprising a computer that includes a storage device, the storage device having stored within a plurality of training segments, each of the training segments including a video stream of the wide-angle view of what is visible behind the vehicle;

a graphics display that corresponds to a rear view mirror of the vehicle;

a sensor, the sensor configured to determine a position and distance of a trainee'"'"'s eyes relative to the graphics display;

the method includes;

(a) selecting a first segment of the training segments as the current segment;

(b) reading data from the sensor;

(c) calculating a viewing angle between the trainee'"'"'s eyes and the graphics display based upon the data from the sensor;

(d) selecting a first frame of the video stream as the current frame;

(e) displaying on the graphics display, a portion of the current frame, the portion determined based upon the viewing angle; and

(f) if there are more frames in the video stream, repeating steps b-e using a next frame of the video stream as the current frame;

wherein each frame of the video stream is a wide-angle view of what is visible behind the vehicle in the current segment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each frame of the video stream further comprises what is visible behind a driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle including a side of the vehicle and at least one wheel of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein in step e, if a distance between the trainee'"'"'s eyes and the graphics display increases, enlarging and cutting a smaller portion of the current frame, then displaying the smaller portion of the current frame on the graphics display.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein in step e, if a distance between the trainee'"'"'s eyes and the graphics display decreases, shrinking a larger portion of the current frame, then displaying the larger portion of the current frame on the graphics display.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the data is three-dimensional data related to the position of the trainee'"'"'s eyes.

13. A system for training a trainee regarding the use of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a computer;

a training segment that includes a video stream of a wide-angle view of what is visible behind the vehicle;

a display operatively interfaced to the computer, the display physically located within the system to simulate a rear view mirror;

a sensor, the sensor configured to measure a position of a trainee'"'"'s eyes relative to the display;

wherein the computer;

(a) selects a first frame of the video stream as a current frame;

(b) calculates, based on data read from the sensor, an angle between the eyes of the trainee and the display;

(c) calculates, based on the data, a distance between the eyes of the trainee and the display;

(d) selects and displays a portion of the current frame, the portion of the current frame based upon the angle and the distance; and

(e) while there remains more frames in the video stream, the computer selects a next frame of the video stream as the current frame and repeats steps b-d.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer calculates the angle between the eyes of the trainee and the display by calculating both a horizontal angle and a vertical angle, and wherein the computer selects and displays the portion of the current frame based upon based upon the horizontal angle, the vertical angle, and the distance.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor is an array sensor.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor is a camera.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the display is a discrete display.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the display is part of a larger display and a portion of the larger display is allocated to displaying a front windshield of the vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the training segment further includes a front video stream of what is visible in front of the vehicle and the system includes means for synchronously displaying frames of the front video stream on the portion of the larger display that is allocated to displaying the front windshield while the computer selects and displays the portion of the current frame based upon the angle and the distance.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the display is located in the system for training in a position within the system for training that relates to a position of a rear view mirror of the vehicle.