Full motion two seat interactive simulator

• US 6,283,757 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rupert L. Meghnot
• Original Assignee: Simulation Entertainment Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Meghnot, Rupert L. A., Younkin, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/415,951
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 434/29, 434/30, 434/32, 434/33, 434/38, 434/43-45, 434/55, 434/57, 434/59, 434/62, 434/307.R, 434/30.P, 434/365, 446/7, 446/37, 472/59, 472/60, 472/130, 345/139, 345/156, 345/199, 345/426, 345/431, 348/122, 348/123, 318/564, 244/189, 244/190, 244/223, 351/210, 703/6, 703/8, 706/11, 706/45, 74/891.5, 744/69, 744/901, 744/71.XY
• US Class Current: 434/33
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/46 the aircraft being a helicopter

Abstract

Full motion interactive simulator for use by two or more persons that can play a simulation game running on a display screen, where each player can alternate controlling the pitch and roll of a motion base platform supporting a vehicle on which the players sit. A joystick mounted in front of each player can be moved forward, backward, side-to-side, and in 360 degree circles to cause the platform to pitch and roll along any angle. The joystick can have separate buttons for firing weapons at targets on the display screen, controlling the position of images on the screen and answering questions by the system such as yes, and no to certain questions. Each player can have a set of foot pedals in front of their seats, where a left pedal can cause the screen image to rotate to the left, and the right pedal can cause the screen image to rotate to the right. The active player on the joystick controls both pedals at one time. A collective lever can be positioned between the players, where pulling up the lever causes an upward altitude on the display image and pushing the lever down causes the display image to move downward. The vehicle can be an a helicopter, an airplane, a jet, an automobile, a motorcycle, a truck, a military tank, a speedboat, a submarine and a jetski.

Claims

1. A two person interactive full motion simulator, comprising in combination:

a vehicle;

a platform for supporting the vehicle over a base;

first actuator means for controlling pitch of the platform for causing the platform to tilt forward and to tilt backward, the first actuator means consisting solely of one extendible piston assembly having one upper end and one lower end, the one upper end being pivotally attached to a first undersurface portion of the platform and the one lower end being pivotally attached to the base, the one extendible piston assembly of the first actuator consisting solely of a single piston that is extendible from the one extendible piston assembly;

second actuator means for controlling roll of the platform for causing the platform to roll left and roll right, the second actuator means consisting solely of one extendible piston assembly having one upper end and one lower end, the one upper end being pivotally attached to a second undersurface portion of the platform different from the first undersurface portion, and the one lower end being pivotally attached to the base, the one extendible assembly of the second actuator means consisting solely of a single piston that is extendible from the assembly, the first actuator means and the second actuator means being adjacent to one another substantially underneath a middle portion of the platform, and oriented substantially perpendicular to one another;

a first player control means that can be used by a first player for controlling the first actuator means and the second actuator means; and

a second player control means that can be used by a second player for controlling the first actuator means and the second actuator means.

2. The two person interactive full motion simulator of claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying yaw images of the vehicle to the first player and the second player;

a first foot pedal means on the vehicle that can be used by the first player for controlling the yaw images on the display means; and

a second foot pedal means on the vehicle for the second player for controlling the yaw images on the display means, wherein the first player and the second player can alternate in actively controlling the yaw images on the display means.

3. The two person interactive full motion simulator of claim 1, further comprising:

means for displaying an image to the first player and the second player; and

an altitude control means on the vehicle that can be used by at least one of the first player and the second player for controlling altitude on the display images.

4. The two person interactive full motion simulator claim 3, wherein the first joystick and the second joystick each include:

means for operating at least one of;

a weapon, the display image, and a question answer.

5. The two person interactive fill motion simulator of claim 4, wherein the first player control means and the second player control means each include:

means for operating at least one of a weapon, the display image, and a question answer.

6. The two person interactive full motion simulator of claim 5, wherein the first joystick can simultaneously control thef actuator means, the second actuator means and the operating means.

7. The two person interactive full motion simulator of claim 5, wherein the first joystick can control the first actuator means and the second actuator means and the second joystick can control the operating means.

8. The two person interactive fill motion simulator of claim 1, wherein each of the first actuator means and the second actuator means include:

the piston connected to a yoke that moves up and down about dual guide rods.

9. The full motion interactive simulator of claim 8, wherein the first control means and the second control means each include:

means for operating at least one of a weapon, a display image on a display means, and a question answer.

11. The full motion interactive simulator of claim 8, wherein the extendable piston assembly includes:

the piston connected to a yoke that moves up and down about guide rods.

10. A full motion interactive simulator for at least one player, comprising in combination:

a vehicle;

a platform for supporting the vehicle over a base;

first actuator means for controlling pitch of the platform for causing the platform to tilt forward and tilt backward, the first actuator means consisting solely of one extendible piston assembly having one upper end and one lower end, the one upper end being pivotally attached to a first undersurface portion of the platform and the one lower end being pivotally attached to the base, the one extendible piston assembly of the first actuator consisting solely of a single piston that is extendible from the one extendible piston assembly;

second actuator means for controlling roll of the platform for causing the platform to roll left and roll right, the second actuator means consisting solely of one extendible piston assembly having one upper end and one lower end, the one upper end being pivotally attached to a second undersurface portion of the platform different from the first undersurface portion, and the one lower end being pivotally attached to the base, the one extendible assembly of the second actuator means consisting solely of a single piston that is extendible from the assembly, the first actuator means and the second actuator means a being adjacent to one another substantially underneath a middle portion of the platform, and oriented substantially perpendicular to one another;

a first player control means that can be used by a first player for controlling the first actuator means and the second actuator means at one time; and

a second player control means that can be used by a second player for controlling the first actuator means and the second actuator means at a different time than the first player control means.

14. The full motion interactive simulator of claim 10, wherein each of the first actuator means and the second actuator means include:

the piston connected to a yoke that moves up and down about guide rods.

12. An interactive full motion simulator, comprising in combination:

a vehicle;

a platform for supporting the vehicle over a base;

first actuator means for controlling pitch of the platform for causing the platform to tilt forward and tilt backward, the first actuator means consisting solely of one extendible piston assembly having one upper end and one lower end, the one upper end being pivotally attached to a first undersurface portion of the platform and the one lower end being pivotally attached to the base, the one extendible piston assembly of the first actuator consisting solely of a single piston that is extendible from the one extendible piston assembly;

second actuator means for controlling roll of the platform for causing the platform to roll left and roll right, the second actuator means consisting solely of one extendible piston assembly having one upper end and one lower end, the one upper end being pivotally attached to a second undersurface portion of the platform different from the first undersurface portion, and the one lower end being pivotally attached to the base, the one extendible assembly of the second actuator means consisting solely of a single piston that is extendible from the assembly, the first actuator means and the second actuator means being adjacent to one another substantially underneath a middle portion of the platform, and oriented substantially perpendicular to one another;

player control means for controlling the first actuator means and the second actuator means.

13. The interactive full motion simulator of claim 12, wherein each of the piston assemblies of the first actuator means and the second actuator means includes:

the piston connected to a yoke that moves up and down about dual guide rods.

15. An interactive full motion simulator, comprising in combination:

a vehicle;

a platform for supporting the vehicle over a base;

first actuator means for controlling pitch of the platform for causing the platform to tilt forward and tilt backward, the first actuator means consisting solely of one extendible piston assembly having one upper end and one lower end, the one upper end being pivotally attached to a first undersurface portion of the platform and the one lower end being pivotally attached to the base, the one extendible piston assembly of the first actuator consisting solely of a single piston that is extendible from the one extendible piston assembly;

second actuator means for controlling roll of the platform for causing the platform to roll left and roll right, the second actuator means consisting solely of one extendible piston assembly having one upper end and one lower end, the one upper end being pivotally attached to a second undersurface portion of the platform different from the first undersurface portion, and the one lower end being pivotally attached to the base, the one extendible assembly of the second actuator means consisting solely of a single piston that is extendible from the assembly, the first actuator means and the second actuator means being adjacent to one another substantially underneath a middle portion of the platform, and oriented substantially perpendicular to one another;

player control means for controlling the first actuator means and the second actuator means.

16. The interactive full motion simulator of claim 15, wherein each of the piston assemblies of the first actuator means and the second actuator means includes:

the piston connected to a yoke that moves up and down about dual guide rods.