Maintenance and operational simulators

• US 5,136,528 A
• Filed: 07/09/1991
• Issued: 08/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Raytheon Company (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Petersen, Richard A., Fordham, Donald S., Gorbet, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZANELLI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US07/728,852
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 364/578, 364/801, 364/802, 364/806, 364/200, 364/900, 364/506, 434/224, 434/366, 434/118, 434/335
• US Class Current: 703/6
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/003 for military purposes and tactics

Abstract

Apparatus for simulating a complex system includes controller means having a sequence of instructions executed by the controller means for providing digital signals representative of a selected state and location of at least one of a plurality of indicators devices, in accordance with a software model of a system being simulated, and for receiving digital signals representative of an occurence and value of rotational motion, for receiving digital signals corresponding to an occurence of making and breaking of a signal path, and for processing said receive signals in accordance with a predetermined sequence of instructions corresponding to the model of the system simulated by the apparatus. The apparatus further includes a mock-up of the system being simulated, including a control panel corresponding substantially to the actual system having disposed thereon switches, indicator lights, and rotational motion devices, such as joy sticks, potentiometers, track balls, and the like. The apparatus further includes a simulation control means including means for interfacing the simulation control means to the system mock-up by formatting messages to the controller means to indicate to the controller status of controlled devices on the system mock-up and by receiving messages from the controller means to provide signals to control devices on the system mock-up.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising;

first means for detecting and converting signals representative of rotational motion into a first plurality of digital signals representative of said motion;

second means, fed by a second plurality of digital signals representative of a selected state of one of a plurality of indicator devices, for sending a signal to control said selected one of the plurality of indicator devices and for selecting the one of the plurality of indicator devices to receive such signal;

third means, fed by a third plurality of signals representative of a corresponding plurality of switchable signal paths, for sequentially providing an electrical signal to each of said plurality of switchable signal paths in order to detect the state of opening and closing of said signal path and, for determining the state of a detected signal path and the location of the detected signal path and for providing a digital signal representative of the state of said detected signal path and the location of said detected signal path; and

controller means, adapted to be coupled to a processor means for feeding said controller means a fourth plurality of signals representative of a sequence of instructions corresponding to a model of a system being simulated by said apparatus, for providing said second plurality of digital signals representative of said selected state of one of said plurality of indicator devices, and for executing said instructions to control said first, second, and third means in accordance with the model of the system being simulated by said apparatus, said controller means being fed by said first plurality of digital signals representative of said rotational motion and said digital signal representative of the state of said signal path and the location of said signal path.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

fourth means, fed by a fifth plurality of digital signals provided by said controller means, said fifth plurality of digital signals being representative of one state of a plurality of analog meter displays, for converting said digital representation of said analog meter display into an analog representation of said meter display and for selecting one of said plurality of analog meter displays.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

fifth means, fed by a sixth plurality of digital signals provided by said controller means, said sixth plurality of digital signals being representative of audio information, for converting said sixth plurality of digital signals into an audible representation of said audio information.

4. Apparatus for simulating a system, comprises:

a simulation controller, comprising;

first means for detecting and converting signals representative of rotational motion into a first plurality of digital signals corresponding to an occurrence and value of said rotational motion;

second means, fed by a second plurality of a digital signals representative of selected one of a plurality of indicator devices, for sending a signal to control said indicator device and for selecting the one of the plurality of indicator devices to receive said signal;

third means, fed by a third plurality of signals representative of a corresponding plurality of signal paths, for sequentially providing an electrical signal to each of said plurality of signal paths in order to detect the state of opening and closing of said signal path and for determining the state of said signal path and the location of the detected signal path and for providing a fourth plurality of digital signals representative of the state of such signal path and the location of such signal path;

controller means, adapted to be fed by a fifth plurality of signals representative of a sequence of instructions corresponding to a model of a system being simulated by said apparatus and fed by said first plurality of digital signals representative of said rotational motion and said fourth plurality of digital signals representative of the state of said signal path and the location of said signal path, for providing said second plurality of digital signals representative of said selected state of one of said plurality of indicator devices, for executing said sequence of instructions to control said first, second, and third means in accordance with the model of the system being simulated by said apparatus and for providing a sixth plurality of digital signals representative of said first, second, and fourth plurality of digital signals;

means, coupled to said simulation controller, for providing a mock-up of an actual system being simulated including a control panel corresponding substantially to the actual system and having disposed thereon, switches, indicator lights, and rotational motion controls corresponding to those of the actual system and for providing said third plurality of signals representative of said corresponding plurality of signal paths; and

processor means, coupled to said controller means, for providing said fifth plurality of digital signals representative of said sequence of instructions corresponding to said model of said system being simulated by said apparatus and for receiving said sixth plurality of digital signals and for processing such received signals in accordance with said sequence of instructions corresponding to the model of the system simulated by the apparatus.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said control panel of said means for providing a mock-up has analog meter displays and audio transducers disposed thereon and wherein said simulation controller further comprises:

fourth means, fed by a seventh plurality of digital signals provided by said controller means, said seventh plurality of digital signals being representative of one state of a plurality of analog meter displays, for converting said digital representation of said analog meter display into an analog representation of said meter display and for selecting the one of said plurality of analog meter displays which receives the analog signal; and

means, fed by digital signals representative of audio information provided by said controller means, for converting said digital signals into an audible representation of said information.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said first means for detecting and converting the signals representative of rotational motion comprises:

first A/D conversion means, for converting an analog signal representative of rotational motion to a digital representation of said analog signal;

means fed by said analog signal and coupled to said first A/D conversion means for sequentially feeding a select one of a plurality of analog signals to said first A/D conversion means; and

means for monitoring said first A/D conversion means and for determining when said first A/D conversion means has converted a value of said selected one of said analog signals which has been changed a predetermined amount relative to a previous value of said selected one of said analog signals for providing a signal to said controller means to cause said controller means to be fed said digital signals representative of said rotational motion.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for monitoring said first A/D conversion means further comprises:

means, fed by a pair of pulse train signals in response to a continuously rotatable rotational motion device, for providing a digital representation of an indication of the direction of motion of said continuously rotatable rotational motion device.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said pair of pulse train signals have a differential phase shift between corresponding pulses, and said means for providing an indication of a direction of rotation including means for comparing the differential phase shift between said pair of pulses for determining the direction of rotation of said continuously rotatable rotational motion device.

9. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for sequentially feeding a selected one of said analog signals to said first A/D conversion means comprises:

a plurality of analog multiplexers, each fed by one of said plurality of rotational motion devices.

10. Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein said plurality of signal paths of said third means for sequentially providing an electrical signal to each of said plurality of signal paths in order to detect the state of opening and closing of said signal path further comprises:

first and second pluralities of signal paths, with each one of said plurality of paths having a first end thereof coupled to one of the first plurality of signal paths, and a second end thereof coupled to one of the second plurality of signal paths, with each one of said paths being detected by feeding said electrical signal sequentially to each one of said first plurality of signal paths and receiving said signal on those of said second plurality of signal paths for determining which of said plurality of signal paths are closed.

11. Apparatus for simulating a system comprising:

a simulation controller comprising;

first means for detecting and converting signals representative of rotational motion comprising;

first A/D conversion means for converting an analog signal representative of rotational motion to a digital representation of said analog signal;

means for multiplexing a plurality of analog signals provided from a corresponding plurality of rotational motion devices to provide a selected one of said analog signals to said A/D conversion means;

means, fed by a pair of pulse train signals in response to a continuously rotatable rotational motion device, for providing a digital representation of the direction of at least one of a continuously rotatable rotational motion device; and

means for monitoring said first A/D conversion means and said providing means and for determining when a converted value corresponding to a selected one of said rotational motion devices or said continuously rotatable rotational motion devices has been changed by a predetermined amount relative to a previous value of said first A/D conversion means or said providing means and for generating a first plurality of digital signals representative of the value of said selected rotational motion or said continuously rotatable rotational motion device;

second means for detecting a state of opening and closing of a plurality of switchable signal paths comprising;

means for sequentially providing an electrical signal to each of said switchable signal paths and for detecting which of said switchable signal paths are open and which of said switchable signal paths are closed with said switchable signal paths including first and second pluralities of signal paths with each one of said plurality of switchable paths having a first end thereof coupled to one of the first plurality of signal paths, and a second end thereof coupled to one of the second plurality of signal paths, with each one of said switchable paths being detected by feeding said electrical signal sequentially to each one of said first plurality of signal paths and receiving said signal on closed ones of each of said second plurality of signal paths to provide a second plurality of digital signals corresponding to the state and location of said signal paths;

third means, fed by a third plurality of digital signals representative of a selected state of one of a plurality of indicator lights, for sending a signal to control said selected one of the plurality of indicator lights and for selecting the one of the plurality of indicator lights to receive such signal;

controller means, for providing said third plurality of digital signals representative of a selected state of one of said plurality of indicator lights, for executing a sequence of instructions to control said first, second, and third means in accordance with a model of the system being simulated by said apparatus and for providing a fourth plurality of digital signals representative of said first, second, and third plurality of digital signals, said controller means fed by a fifth plurality of signals representative of said sequence of instructions corresponding to said model of a system being simulated by said apparatus and fed by said first and second plurality of digital signals;

processor means, coupled to said controller means, for providing said fifth plurality of digital signals representative of said sequence of instructions corresponding to said model of said system being simulated by said apparatus, and for receiving said fourth plurality of digital signals and for processing said fourth plurality of digital signals in accordance with the sequence of instructions corresponding to said model of said system simulated by the apparatus; and

means, coupled to said simulation controller, for providing a mock-up of the system being simulated including a control panel corresponding substantially to the system being simulated and having disposed thereon, switches, indicator lights, and rotational motion controls.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said mock up has a plurality of analog meter displays;

and said apparatus further comprises;

first D/A conversion means, fed by digital signals from said controller means corresponding to a desired value of an analog signal, for converting said digital signals to an analog representation of said digital signals, and for feeding said plurality of analog meter displays with the analog representation of said digital signals being provided in accordance with the model of the system being simulated.

13. Apparatus as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

audio conversion means, coupled to an audio transducer for converting a digital signal from said controller means to an analog representation of said digital signal.

14. Apparatus as recited in claim 13,

wherein said audio conversion means comprises:

a plurality of channels, each channel including;

a pair of digital of analog converters with a first one of said pair of digital to analog converters in each channel fed a first digital signal related to an amplitude level to convert said first digital signal to a first analog signal representative of said first digital signal, and the second one of said digital to analog converters in each channel fed a second digital signal related to a frequency to convert said second digital signal to an analog representation of said second digital signal;

waveform generating means, fed by said second digital signal for providing a plurality of signals having waveforms at the selected frequency; and

means, fed by said plurality of signals having waveforms at the selected frequency and said analog representation of said first digital signal related to an amplitude level, for selecting one signal of said plurality of signals having waveforms at the selected frequency and for providing said selected signal with an amplitude related to the first analog signal.

15. Apparatus as recited in claim 14 wherein said means for selecting one of said plurality of signals having waveforms further comprises:

a plurality of multiplexers fed by said plurality of signals having waveforms, and a plurality of digital select signals to select one of said plurality of signals having waveforms to an output of each multiplexer in accordance with said digital select signals; and

means, fed by selected signals having waveforms from each one of said plurality of multiplexers and fed by analog signals from said first one of said pair of digital to analog converters in each channel, for providing said output signal having an amplitude in accordance with said analog signals and for providing for a composite output signal which is composed of said selected signals from each channel.

16. Apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein said waveform generating means provides triangular, square, and sine waveforms.