Riding simulation system of motorcycle

• US 5,209,662 A
• Filed: 08/12/1992
• Issued: 05/11/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Fujita, Isao, Ohtsuka, Hiroshi, Ichizawa, Takashi, Yamasaki, Goro, Kizawa, Hirotoshi, Hijikata, Toshihiro, Yoshida, Keigo, Mukumoto, Takaji, Iwata, Kazuyuki, Miyamaru, Yukio, Aoki, Katsuhito, Kashiwagi, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHENG, JOE H
• Application Number:
  US07/928,687
• Time in Patent Office: 272 Days
• Field of Search: 434/55, 434/57, 434/61, 434/62, 434/69, 434/307, 364/578, 482/1, 482/57, 482/902, 273/85 G, 273/148 B, 273/DIG. 28, 273/442, 340/705, 340/727, 358/103, 358/104
• US Class Current: 434/61
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/058 for teaching control of cycles or motorcycles

Abstract

A riding simulation system of motorcycle provides at least a model motorcycle on which a person can ride and which can be operated by a person. In response to the operation and movement of the person who rides on the model motorcycle, the model motorcycle is moved by a movable mechanism in a desirable direction such as a yawing direction, a rolling direction and a pitching direction. Preferably, the moving image such as the scenery which is seen from the running motorcycle is displayed in front of the person who rides on the model motorcycle. Such moving image is varied in response to the driving condition of the model motorcycle.

Claims

1. A motorcycle riding simulation system to be ridden on by a person, comprising:

(a) a base and a movable carriage mounted on said base;

(b) driving means for driving said movable carriage to move in a desirable direction;

(c) a model motorcycle having model controls, on which the person can ride and which can be operated by the person, said model motorcycle being mounted on said moveable carriage;

(d) detecting means for sensing operation of the model motorcycle including operation of said model controls by the person; and

(e) control means for controlling said driving means in response to said detecting means to thereby control a rolling movement about a center-of-rotation and a pitching movement of said model motorcycle, said control means raising said center-of-rotation with a simulated increase in running speed of said model motorcycle sensed by said detecting means.

2. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 1 wherein the center-of-rotation in the rolling movement of said model motorcycle is raised from a ground level toward a predetermined height in response to increase of the running speed of said model motorcycle, thereafter, the center-of-rotation being fixed at the predetermined height after the running speed of said model motorcycle becomes higher than a predetermined speed.

3. A motorcycle system to be ridden on by a person, comprising:

(a) a base and a moveable carriage mounted on said base;

(b) driving means for driving said moveable carriage to move in a desirable direction;

(c) a model motorcycle having model controls, on which a person can ride and which can be operated by the person, said model motorcycle being mounted on said moveable carriage;

(d) a display unit provided in front of said model motorcycle, said display unit displaying images corresponding to pre-stored image signals;

(e) detecting means for sensing operation of the model motorcycle including operation of said model controls by the person;

(f) control means for controlling said driving means in response to said detecting means to thereby control a rolling movement and a pitching movement of said model motorcycle, said control means controlling the image signal to thereby vary the image displayed by said display unit in response to a simulated running state of said model motorcycle,

wherein said control means controls said display unit such that a horizon of the image displayed by said display unit is rotated by an angle corresponding to increase of a simulated rolling angle of said model motorcycle in a direction inverse to a rolling direction of said model motorcycle when the person rolls said model motorcycle to increase the rolling angle beyond the predetermined simulated rolling angle range.

4. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 3 wherein said control means controls the image signal to thereby move the image displayed by said display unit in a pitching direction in response to the simulated rolling angle of said model motorcycle when said model motorcycle is rolled.

5. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 3 wherein said control means controls the image signal to thereby move the image displayed by said display unit in a pitching direction in response to a simulated acceleration applied to said model motorcycle.

6. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 3 wherein the rolling angle of said model motorcycle is limited in a predetermined rolling angle range when said model motorcycle is rolled, and said control means controlling the image signal to thereby incline the horizon of the image displayed by said display unit in the direction inverse to the rolling direction of said model motorcycle when the person rolls said model motorcycle to increase the stimulated rolling angle beyond the predetermined rolling angle range.

7. A motorcycle riding simulation system to be ridden on by a person, comprising:

(a) a base and a movable carriage mounted on said base;

(b) driving means for driving said movable carriage to move in a desirable direction;

(c) a model motorcycle having model controls, on which the person can ride and which can be operated by the person, said model motorcycle being mounted on said movable carriage;

(d) detecting means for sensing operation of the model motorcycle including operation of said model controls by the person;

(e) control means for controlling said driving means in response to said detecting means to thereby control a rolling movement and a pitching movement of said model motorcycle,

wherein a pitching angle of said motorcycle is varied in response to simulated acceleration and deceleration of said model motorcycle.

8. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 7 wherein said control means controls said driving means such that a center-of-rotation in the pitching movement of said model motorcycle is set in the vicinity of a breast portion of the person who rides on said model motorcycle.

9. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 7 wherein said control means controls the pitching movement of said model motorcycle such that said model motorcycle is inclined up in front when simulating acceleration and said model motorcycle is inclined up in back when simulating deceleration.

10. A motorcycle riding simulation system to be ridden on by a person, comprising:

(a) a base and a movable carriage mounted on said base, said movable carriage;

(b) driving means for driving said movable carriage to move in a desirable direction;

(c) a model motorcycle having model controls, on which the person can ride and which can be operated by the person, said model motorcycle being mounted on said movable carriage;

(d) a display unit provided in front of said model motorcycle, said display unit displaying images corresponding to pre-stored image signals; and

(e) detecting means for sensing operation of the model motorcycle including operation of said model controls by the person;

(f) control means for controlling said driving means in response to said detecting means to thereby control a rolling movement and a pitching movement of said model motorcycle, said control means controlling the image signal to thereby vary the image displayed by said display unit in response to a simulated running state of said model motorcycle,

wherein a pitching angle of said model motorcycle is varied in response to simulated acceleration and deceleration of said model motorcycle and said control means simultaneously controls the image signal to thereby vary the image displayed by said display unit in response to the pitching angle of said model motorcycle.

11. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 10 wherein said control means controls the pitching movement of said model motorcycle such that said model motorcycle is inclined up in front when accelerating and said model motorcycle is inclined up in back when decelerating.

12. A motorcycle riding simulation system to be ridden on by a person, comprising:

(a) a base and a movable carriage mounted on said base;

(b) driving means for driving said movable carriage to move in a desirable direction;

(c) a model motorcycle including model controls including a steering handle and on which the person can ride and which can be operated by the person, said model motorcycle being mounted on said movable carriage;

(d) detecting means for sensing operation of the model motorcycle including operation of said model controls by the person;

(e) control means for controlling said driving means in response to said detecting means to thereby control a rolling movement and a pitching movement of said model motorcycle,

wherein operation by the person of said steering handle of said model motorcycle is detected by said detecting means and a simulated steering angle of said model motorcycle is computed by said control means based on said steering handle operation and the simulated speed of said model motorcycle, so that a rolling angle of said model motorcycle is controlled by said simulated steering angle.

13. A model motorcycle riding simulation system to be ridden on by a person, comprising:

(a) a base and a movable carriage mounted on said base;

(b) driving means for driving said movable carriage to move in a desirable direction;

(c) a model motorcycle having model controls on which the person can ride and which can be operated by the person, said model motorcycle being mounted on said movable carriage;

(d) detecting means for sensing operation of the model motorcycle including operation of said model controls by the person;

(e) control means for controlling said driving means in response to said detecting means to thereby control a rolling movement and a pitching movement of said model motorcycle,

wherein a lean torque applied to said model motorcycle in a rolling direction is detected by said detecting means, said control means controlling a rolling angle of said model motorcycle based on said detected lean torque and the simulated speed of said model motorcycle.

14. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 13 wherein said detecting means includes lean torque detecting means between said model motorcycle and a movable portion of said movable carriage which can be moved in the rolling direction at least, whereby lean torque detecting means detects a lean torque applied said model motorcycle in the rolling direction.

15. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 14 wherein said lean torque detecting means is constructed by a load cell which generates an electric signal corresponding to a stress applied thereto in the rolling direction.

16. A riding simulation system as defined in claim 13 wherein when the person inclines said model motorcycle in the rolling direction so that said model motorcycle corners, said control means controls the running attitude of said model motorcycle to cancel the lean torque to be detected.