Vehicle simulator with realistic operating feedback

• US 5,607,308 A
• Filed: 11/04/1994
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner Bros Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Atari Incorporated (Infogrames Entertainment SA)
• Inventors: Winblad, Wade O., Copperman, Norman S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHENG, JOE H
• Application Number:
  US08/334,534
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 434/29, 434/62, 434/65, 434/69, 434/71, 434/307 R, 434/373, 348/61, 364/410, 364/578, 364/426.02, 364/426.03, 273/85 G, 273/86 R, 273/86 B, 273/86 D, 273/86 E, 273/148 B, 273/434, 273/437-442, 273/445, 273/454, 273/DIG. 28, 381/86-88, 381/96, 381/150, 381/153, 381/188, 188/2 R, 188/112 A
• US Class Current: 434/62
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/52 involving aspects of the displayed game scene
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/57 Simulating properties, behaviour or motion of objects in the game world, e.g. computing tyre load in a car race game A63F13/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/66 for rendering three dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/50 Lighting effects
• 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 driver training system for a user of a simulated vehicle. The system includes input devices for controlling the simulated vehicle, a video display having three dimensional graphics, a computer, modeling software for determining position information based on the input devices, atmospheric effects software to simulate time-of-day and weather conditions, and realistic operating feedback software for simulating on the input devices the feedback normally experienced with operating the vehicle. One aspect of the preferred embodiment is a system including a low frequency speaker mounted on an enclosure adjacent to the simulation user'"'"'s seat through which road feel cues such as hitting an object are transmitted to the user in response to signals received from the computer. Another aspect of the invention is the a system for simulating the feel to the user of anti-lock brakes on a brake pedal in response to signals received the computer.

Claims

1. A system for simulating the physical sensation of a brake pedal during operation of an antilock braking system for a vehicle simulator, comprising:

means for detecting when the brake pedal of a vehicle simulator is depressed;

means, responsive to the detecting means, for determining the activation of a simulating action of an antilock braking system; and

means, responsive to the determining means, for providing feedback indicative of an antilock braking system to the brake pedal, wherein said means for providing feedback induces motion of the brake pedal for simulating the physical movement of an actual brake pedal during antilock braking, so as to communicate through said brake pedal to a user in contact therewith a sensation representative of the sensation the user would experience during operation of an actual antilock braking system in an actual vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises:

a strain gauge;

a bridge/interface circuit connected to the strain gauge; and

a control process for receiving an input signal from the bridge/interface circuit.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the strain gauge changes resistance in response to depressing the brake pedal.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the bridge/interface circuit converts the change in resistance of the strain gauge into an analog signal.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the input signal is digital.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the bridge/interface circuit converts the analog signal to the digital input signal.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the determining means translates the input signal to the control process to determine activation of the simulating action of the antilock braking system.

8. A system for simulating the physical sensation of an antilock braking system for a vehicle simulator comprising:

a brake pedal of a vehicle simulator;

a control process responsive to the movement of the brake pedal; and

a motion generating member receiving an input signal from the control process and mechanically linked to the brake pedal so as to produce physical motion in the brake pedal which simulates the physical sensation of an actual brake pedal during antilock braking, so as to communicate through said brake pedal to a user in contact therewith a sensation representative of the sensation the user would experience during operation of an actual antilock braking system in an actual vehicle.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion generating member comprises a solenoid.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the motion generating member is linked to the brake pedal by a force multiplier which is connected to the motion generating member and which is also connected to the brake pedal.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein, in response to depression of the brake pedal, the control process transmits to the motion generating member the input signal, which comprises a pulsating voltage signal.

12. The simulated braking system of claim 11, wherein response to the input signal, a portion of the motion generating member moves forward and backward.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the motion generating member comprises a solenoid and wherein the portion of the motion generating member that moves is an arm of said solenoid.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the movement of the solenoid arm is communicated to the brake pedal so as to produce vibrations in the brake pedal.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a force multiplier which is connected to the solenoid arm and to the brake pedal for communicating forces produced by movement of the solenoid arm to the brake pedal to produce said vibrations in said brake pedal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the amount of vibration forces communicated by the force multiplier to the brake pedal are adjustable by tightening or loosening an adjustment screw.

17. A system for simulating to a user of a simulated vehicle the physical sensation of a brake pedal experienced during operation of an antilock braking system, comprising:

a brake pedal of a simulated vehicle;

a processor for producing signals when antilock brake operation is to be simulated;

a sensor responsive to the movement of the brake pedal for sending a signal to the processor indicative of the force with which the user depresses the brake pedal; and

a solenoid for vibrating the brake pedal to simulate the sensation of an actual antilock braking system in response to signals from the processor, so as to communicate through said brake pedal to a user in contact therewith a sensation representative of the sensation the user would experience during operation of an actual antilock braking system in an actual vehicle.

18. A system for simulating to a user of a simulated vehicle the physical sensation of a brake pedal experienced during operation of an antilock braking system, comprising:

a plurality of simulated input devices for controlling operation of the simulated vehicle in a simulated universe, said simulated input devices including a brake pedal;

a computer, responsive to the plurality of simulated input devices, for determining information relating to operation of the simulated vehicle in the simulated universe and for providing control signals at least in part in response to said information of the simulated vehicle in the simulated universe;

a video display responsive to the control signals for providing the user with a view of the simulated universe; and

a feedback system responsive to the control signals to provide feedback to the brake pedal so as to communicate to the user physical sensation of an actual brake pedal during antilock braking representative of those experienced through a brake pedal during operation of an antilock braking system in an actual vehicle.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a sensor, responsive to the brake pedal, for providing signals to the computer indicative of the force with which the user depresses the brake pedal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the feedback system includes a solenoid connected to the brake pedal for vibrating the brake pedal in response to a particular signal from the brake pedal sensor.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the simulated vehicle comprises an automobile and the plurality of simulated input devices includes a steering wheel, an accelerator pedal and a gear shift.

22. A system for simulating to a user of a simulated vehicle the physical sensation of a brake pedal experienced during operation of an antilock braking system, comprising:

a plurality of simulated input devices, for controlling operation of the simulated vehicle, including a brake pedal equipped with a sensor which produces force signals indicative of the force with which a user depresses the brake pedal;

a computer, responsive to the plurality of simulated input devices, for providing control signals in response to the determined position information;

a video display, responsive to the control signals, which provides the user with a view of the simulated universe as the simulated vehicle moves through the simulated universe; and

an input device feedback system providing feedback indicative of the operation of the simulated vehicle in the simulated universe, wherein the input device feedback system includes a solenoid attached to the brake pedal and wherein the input device feedback system causes the solenoid to vibrate the brake pedal when the sensor products a force signal indicative of the user depressing the brake pedal to simulate the sensation of an actual brake pedal during antilock braking representative of those experienced through a brake pedal during operation of an antilock braking system in an actual vehicle.