Gearshift for a vehicle simulator using computer controlled realistic real world forces
First Claim
1. An apparatus for simulating the feel of the gearshift lever for a manual transmission of an actual vehicle in a vehicle simulator, comprising:
- a frame;
a simulated gearshift lever;
pivot means coupling said gearshift lever to said frame so said simulated gearshift lever can be moved in at least two axes relative to said frame;
electrically operable clutch means coupled between said frame and said pivot means for causing resistance to movement of said simulated gearshift lever in accordance with a control signal;
sensor means coupled to said simulated gearshift lever for determining its position relative to said frame and for determining the direction and amount of strain in said simulated gearshift lever; and
control means coupled to said sensor means and to said electrically operable clutch means and having an input for receiving data regarding the amount of torque being applied to said simulated manual transmission and regarding the relative angular velocities between the gears in said simulated transmission for evaluating the position of said simulated gearshift lever in a simulated gearshift pattern, the direction of strain, the level of torque being applied and the relative angular velocity between any two gears in said simulated transmission to be engaged and for generating an appropriate control signal to cause said electrically operable clutch to simulate the forces which would be felt in an actual manual transmission being operated in similar circumstances.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for creating a realistic feel for a simulated gearshift, comprising a simulated gearshift for a simulated transmission in a simulated vehicle and having a gearshift lever and a simulated shift pattern for simulating the look and movements through an actual shift pattern of an actual gearshift in a vehicle. A pivoting mechanism allows the gearshift lever to pivot about at least two axes. An electrically operable clutch receives a control signal controlling the amount of force applied to the pivoting mechanism to cause resistance to movement by said shift lever along at one of the axes. A positional sensor array generates a signal from which the position of the shift lever in the simulated gearshift pattern may be ascertained. A strain gauge coupled to the gearshift lever senses the degree of strain in the gearshift lever and generates a signal telling whether an operator is pulling or pushing on the gearshift lever and in what direction. A control computer is coupled to the strain gauge and controls the operation of the clutch to provide a realistic feel.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for simulating the feel of the gearshift lever for a manual transmission of an actual vehicle in a vehicle simulator, comprising:
-
a frame; a simulated gearshift lever; pivot means coupling said gearshift lever to said frame so said simulated gearshift lever can be moved in at least two axes relative to said frame; electrically operable clutch means coupled between said frame and said pivot means for causing resistance to movement of said simulated gearshift lever in accordance with a control signal; sensor means coupled to said simulated gearshift lever for determining its position relative to said frame and for determining the direction and amount of strain in said simulated gearshift lever; and control means coupled to said sensor means and to said electrically operable clutch means and having an input for receiving data regarding the amount of torque being applied to said simulated manual transmission and regarding the relative angular velocities between the gears in said simulated transmission for evaluating the position of said simulated gearshift lever in a simulated gearshift pattern, the direction of strain, the level of torque being applied and the relative angular velocity between any two gears in said simulated transmission to be engaged and for generating an appropriate control signal to cause said electrically operable clutch to simulate the forces which would be felt in an actual manual transmission being operated in similar circumstances. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. An apparatus for simulating for an operator the look and feel of a real gearshift lever for a manual transmission in a vehicle, comprising:
-
a gearshift means including a base and having a gearshift lever and pivot means pivotally connecting said gearshift lever to said base for allowing said gearshift lever to be pulled and pushed through a simulated gearshift pattern with a variable amount of resistance to movement thereof, and further comprising resistance means coupled to said base and to said pivot means for receiving a control signal and for causing resistance to movement of said gearshift lever in said simulated gearshift pattern in accordance with said control signal and further including strain gauge means coupled to said gearshift lever for detecting the approximate direction of force being applied to said gearshift lever and further comprising position sensor means for sensing the position of said gearshift lever; and control means coupled to said position sensor means and to said strain gauge means and to said resistance means for gathering data indicating the simulated conditions affecting said vehicle, the position of said gearshift lever in said simulated gearshift pattern and the direction of force being applied by said operator on said gearshift lever, and for generating said control signals to cause said resistance means to cause resistance similar to that which would be felt through an actual gearshift lever of an actual transmission under similar conditions. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. An apparatus for creating a realistic feel for a simulated gearshift of a simulated transmission of a simulated vehicle to emulate an actual gearshift in an actual transmission in an actual vehicle if subjected to similar conditions, comprising:
-
gearshift means having an input for a control signal for emulating, under the influence of said control signal, the feel of said actual transmission, said gearshift means having a gearshift lever and a simulated shift pattern; force determination means coupled to said gearshift means for determining the position of said gearshift lever in said simulated shift pattern and for determining the direction of real forces being applied to said gearshift lever and for determining predetermined simulated conditions in said simulated transmission caused by simulated driving of said simulated vehicle; and control means coupled to said gearshift means and to said force determination means for determining the forces a driver would feel through the gearshift lever of an actual transmission similar to said simulated transmission if said actual transmission was subjected to the same forces and conditions found by said force determination means and for generating said control signals in such a manner to cause said gearshift means to resist or fail to resist movement of said gearshift lever so as to simulate the real forces a driver would feel in manipulating said actual transmission in the manner said driver is attempting to manipulate said simulated transmission. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. An apparatus for creating a realistic feel for a simulated gearshift, comprising:
-
gearshift means for a simulated transmission in a simulated vehicle and having a gearshift lever and a simulated shift pattern for simulating the look and feel of actual movements through an actual shift pattern of an actual gearshift in a vehicle and having pivoting means for allowing said gearshift lever to pivot about at least two axes; clutch means coupled to said pivoting means and having a control signal input for receiving a control signal, for applying an amount of force proportional to said control signal to said pivoting means to cause resistance to movement by said shift lever along at one of said axes; sensor means coupled to said pivoting means for generating a first signal from which the position of said shift lever in said simulated gearshift pattern may be ascertained; strain gauge means coupled to said gearshift lever for sensing the degree of strain in said gearshift lever and for generating a second signal from which it may be determined when an operator is pulling or pushing on said gearshift lever and in what direction; control means coupled to said strain gauge means, said sensor means and said clutch means and having an input for receiving third and fourth signals, said third signal defining a simulated torque through said simulated transmission and said fourth signal defining a simulated slip ratio of gear speeds between various simulated gears in said simulated transmission, for interpreting said first signal to determine the present position of said gearshift lever in said simulated gearshift pattern, and for interpreting said second signal to determining whether the operator is trying to push the gearshift lever into a gear position of said simulated shift pattern or pull the gearshift lever out of a gear position in said simulated gearshift pattern and for interpreting said third and fourth signals to determine if conditions in said simulated transmission are such that if the same conditions existed in said actual transmission the operator would be able to make a gearshift lever movement on said actual transmission corresponding to the desired movement of said gearshift lever of said simulated transmission, and for generating said control signal appropriately to cause said clutch means to apply an amount of force to said pivoting means which simulate the actual forces which would be felt by said operator in making the corresponding movement of the gearshift lever of said actual transmission including the increase in resistance to movement due to the effect of synchro gates in an actual transmission.
-
-
18. An apparatus for simulating the look and feel of a real gearshift for a vehicle, comprising:
-
a gearshift means having a gearshift lever and means to allow said gearshift lever to be pulled and pushed through a simulated gearshift pattern with a variable amount of resistance to movement thereof, including resistance means for receiving a control signal and for causing resistance to movement of said gearshift lever in accordance with said control signal; and control means for gathering data indicating the simulated conditions affecting said vehicle and for generating said control signals to cause said resistance means to cause resistance similar to that which would be felt through the gearshift lever of an actual transmission under similar conditions. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
Specification