Virtual reality teleoperated remote control vehicle

• US 6,108,031 A
• Filed: 05/08/1997
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kaman Sciences Corp (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Paderewski, Gary Lee, King, Michael Arden
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/853,369
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 348/42, 348/46, 348/47, 348/36, 348/37, 348/38, 348/39, 348/113, 348/115, 348/118
• US Class Current: 348/118
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0038 by providing the operator with simple or augmented images from one or more cameras located onboard the vehicle, e.g. tele-operation images analyzed by a computer and used for automatic navigation G05D1/0246
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

A steerable motor vehicle is remotely controlled by a human operator at a remote control station with the operator being supplied with three-dimensional realistic visual representations of scenes in the vicinity of the vehicle to allow him to exercise more accurate control of the vehicle taking into account objects and other features occurring in the environment immediately encountered by the vehicle. The vehicle carries two vehicle cameras for binocularly viewing scenes, and the viewed scenes are transmitted by RF communication links to the remote control station where the scenes are recreated on two display screens, forming part of a virtual reality headset worn by the operator, viewed separately by separate eyes of the operator to create a three-dimensional and realistic impression of the scenes seen by the two cameras.

Claims

1. A system for remote control of a steerable motor vehicle, said system comprising:

a steerable motor vehicle having a plurality of vehicle operating parameters and a corresponding plurality of control means for controlling said parameters in response to inputs thereto defining desired values of said parameters,

two cameras carried by said vehicle for binocularly viewing scenes in the vicinity of said vehicle,

a remote station apparatus having two visual display screens each viewable by a respective one of the two eyes of the operator,

two radio frequency transmitters carried by said vehicle, each of which radio frequency transmitters is coupled to one of said cameras,

a first pair of antennas mounted on said vehicle, each of which antennas is in communication with one of said radio frequency transmitters for transmitting from said vehicle a radio frequency signal carrying the scene viewed by said camera to be reproduced by a respective one of said display screens to give said operator a three-dimensional impression of the scenes viewed by said two cameras,

a second pair of antennas coupled to said remote station apparatus each for respectively receiving signals transmitted by one of said two radio frequency transmitters carried by said vehicle,

two radio frequency receivers each in communication with one of said antennas forming said second pair of antennas, said radio frequency receivers forming part of said remote station apparatus, each of said radio frequency receivers for converting said signals from one of said radio frequency transmitters into signals for driving one of said two display screens,

said remote station apparatus including a plurality of control elements operable by said human operator to dictate desired values of said vehicle operating parameters,

means for transmitting said dictated desired values of said vehicle operating parameters to said vehicle, and

means carried by said vehicle for receiving said transmitted dictated desired values of said vehicle operating parameters and for delivering said dictated desired values to said control means as said inputs thereto.

2. A system for remote control of a steerable motor vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said vehicle operating parameters include ones controllable to cause said vehicle to execute starting, stopping, driving and steering functions.

3. A system for remote control of a steerable motor vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said two cameras have lines of sight which lines of sight are spaced from one another at approximately a human interoccular spacing.

4. A system for remote control of a steerable motor vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said motor vehicle has a body with a normal forward direction of motion, and

said two cameras are carried by said body so that said two cameras binocularly view a scene located ahead of said vehicle with respect to said normal forward direction of motion of said body.

5. A system for remote control of a steerable motor vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said two visual display screens are part of a virtual reality headset wearable by said operator.

6. A system for remote control of a steerable motor vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said means for transmitting said dictated desired values of said vehicle operating parameters from said remote station apparatus includes a transceiver forming part of said remote station apparatus for transmitting radio frequency signals to and for receiving radio signals from said vehicle, and

said means carried by said vehicle for receiving said transmitted dictated desired values of said vehicle operating parameters including a transceiver carried by said vehicle for transmitting radio frequency signals to and for receiving radio frequency signals from said remote station apparatus.