Driving simulation system

• US 5,707,237 A
• Filed: 10/20/1995
• Issued: 01/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Ace Denken
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Ace Denken
• Inventors: Takemoto, Takatoshi, Kawashima, Kazunari
• Primary Examiner(s): CHENG, JOE H
• Application Number:
  US08/537,678
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 434/29, 434/60-71, 434/365, 463/6.7, 463/35, 463/36, 463/39, 446/454, 446/456, 364/578, 348/208, 348/745, 348/746, 348/747, 348/121, 352/243
• US Class Current: 434/69
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• 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 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• 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 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1087 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. a camera
• 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 2300/64 for computing dynamical parameters of game objects, e.g. motion determination or computation of frictional forces for a virtual car
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/69 Involving elements of the real world in the game world, e.g. measurement in live races, real video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/048 a model being viewed and manoeuvred from a remote point G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/06 for teaching control of ships, boats, or other waterborne vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/063 by using visual displays

Abstract

A simulation system which can provide a realistic quasi-experience of operating a conveyance.

An output information collecting device 3 is provided with a conveyance model 20 which operates according to the operation information accepted from outside. The conveyance model 20 comprises a television camera 30 which shoots the surrounding scenery and a accelerometer 40 which detects the acceleration. A simulator body 4 is provided with a cockpit device 50, a driving section 70 which changes the cockpit device, and an output section 220 which displays the picture shot by the television camera 30. The cockpit device 50 includes an input section for operating, 60, which accepts the operation information to operate the conveyance model 20. A driving section 70 changes the cockpit device 50 based on the information of acceleration informed by the accelerometer 40.

Claims

1. A simulation system comprising a simulator body which simulates the operation of a conveyance model, an output information collecting device for collecting control information from and providing operation information to said simulator body, and a communication circuit which joins said simulator body and said output information collecting device, wherein:

the output information collecting device comprises the conveyance model, which operates according to the control information received from the simulator body;

the conveyance model comprises a television camera which shoots the surrounding view to pass the obtained picture information to the simulator body via the communication circuit, and comprises an acceleration detector which detects the acceleration of the conveyance model and provides the obtained information of the acceleration to the simulator body via the communication circuit, the acceleration detector providing the obtained information of the acceleration as part of the operation information;

the simulator body comprises a cockpit device that includes an operating seat, a driving section that is operable to move the cockpit device, and an output section which displays the picture taken by the television camera; and

the driving section operable to receive the part of the operation information and operable to move the cockpit device according to the information of acceleration provided by the acceleration detector.

2. The simulation system according to claim 1, wherein said output section comprises a displaying device provided at the front section of said cockpit device and a projector which projects the picture taken by said television camera to the displaying device, and the projector is supported in such a condition that it is not subject to influence of the movement of the cockpit device.

3. The simulation system according to claim 2, wherein said projector is supported independently of the cockpit device.

4. The simulation system according to claim 2, wherein said projector comprises a vibration eliminating mechanism that is operable to move the projector so as to compensate for the movement of the cockpit device.

5. The simulation system according to claim 4, wherein said vibration eliminating mechanism comprises an optical axis changing mechanism that changes the direction and the position of the optical axis, and the optical axis changing mechanism displaces the optical axis projected by said projector to cancel the displacement of the cockpit device by said driving section.

6. The simulation system according to claim 1, wherein said television camera comprises a shooting section, and wherein;

said shooting section comprises a photoelectric conversion mechanism which converts light to electric signals, an optical system which conducts the image of the subject to the photoelectric conversion mechanism, and an incident light path changing mechanism which is operable to change the path of the light within the optical system that is incident upon the photoelectric conversion mechanism; and

said conveyance model detects the degree of deflection based on the acceleration information received from said acceleration detector and comprises a deflection controlling mechanism coupled to the light path changing mechanism which changes the light path of the incident light according to the degree of deflection so that the light emitted from a certain position of the object of shooting will be incident at a certain position of the photoelectric conversion mechanism in spite of the deflection.

7. The simulation system according to claim 1, wherein said conveyance model and said cockpit device comprise models of a car.

8. The simulation system according to claim 7 wherein:

said television camera comprises a front television camera which shoots the front view from the conveyance model and a rear television camera which shoots the rear view from the conveyance model;

the output section further comprises a rearview-mirror-form displaying device and side-mirror-form displaying devices at the left and right sides of the cockpit device;

the picture shot by the front television camera is displayed on the displaying device provided at the front section of said cockpit device; and

one section of the picture shot by the rear television camera is displayed on the rearview-mirror-form displaying device, a first remaining section is displayed on one of the left and right side-mirror-form displaying devices, and a second remaining section is displayed on the other side-mirror-form displaying device.

9. The simulation system according to claim 7, wherein:

said television camera comprises a front television camera which shoots the front and a rear television camera which shoots the rear;

the rear television camera comprises a first television camera for side-mirrors which comprises lenses for shooting at each of the left and right positions of the side-mirrors in said conveyance model and a second television camera for the rearview-mirror which comprises lenses for shooting at the center section of the conveyance model;

the output section further comprises a rearview-mirror-form displaying device and side-mirror-form displaying devices at the left and right sides; and

the pictures shot by the front television camera are displayed on the displaying device provided at the front section of said cockpit device, the pictures shot by the second television camera for the rearview-mirror are displayed on the above rearview-mirror-form displaying device, the pictures shot by the lens for shooting at the right side of the first television camera for side-mirrors are displayed on the above rearview-mirror-form displaying device at the right, and the pictures shot by the lens for shooting at the left side of the first television camera for side-mirrors are displayed on the rearview-mirror-form displaying device at the left.

10. The simulation system according to claim 1, wherein said driving section comprises:

a front-and-rear moving mechanism which displaces said cockpit device to the front and rear;

a both-sides moving mechanism which displaces the above cockpit device to the left and the right;

an up-and-down moving mechanism which displaces the above cockpit device up and down; and

a controlling section for the driving section which simulates the acceleration of the conveyance model at the cockpit device by controlling the above front-and-rear moving mechanism, both-sides moving mechanism, and up-and-down moving mechanism.

11. The simulation system according to claim 10, wherein said controlling section for the driving section decides the direction and speed of the cockpit device based on the information of acceleration of said conveyance model provided by said acceleration detector.

12. The simulation system according to claim 10, wherein said controlling section for the driving section decides the direction and speed of the cockpit device based on the operation information received by said driving section.

13. The simulation system according to claim 1, wherein said conveyance model and said cockpit device are models of a ship, the conveyance model disposed in a water tank.

14. The simulation system according to claim 1, wherein said conveyance model is a model of a train, said cockpit device is a model of a locomotive, and said conveyance model operates in a running area that comprises a model of a railroad.