3D vehicle simulator system and simulation method for ECU embedded system

• US 7,869,985 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University (SKKU))
• Inventors: Seo, Suk Hyun, Jeon, Jae Wook, Lee, Sang Won, Park, Ji Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Craig; Dwin M
• Application Number:
  US11/674,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20070287135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 703/8, 701/65, 701/71
• US Class Current: 703/8
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/04 for teaching control of land vehicles

Abstract

Disclosed is a 3D vehicle simulator system for an ECU embedded system comprising an external input apparatus 130, to which signals of one or more external sensors are inputted, an ECU embedded system 120 for processing and executing signals inputted form the external input apparatus 130, an external output apparatus 140 for receiving and outputting the output signals of the ECU embedding system 120, a vehicle simulator 110 for calculating at real time the signals inputted from the ECU embedded system 120, and for 3D-modeling and outputting the status of the vehicle, and a display 150 for displaying the 3D-modeled vehicle outputted form the vehicle simulator 110.

Claims

1. A 3D vehicle simulator system for an electronic control unit (ECU) embedded system comprising:

an external input apparatus, to which signals of one or more external sensors are inputted;

an ECU embedded system coupled to the external input apparatus for processing and executing signals inputted from the external input apparatus;

an external output apparatus coupled to the ECU embedded system for receiving and outputting the output signals of the ECU embedded system;

a vehicle simulator coupled to the ECU embedded system for calculating motion of a simulated vehicle in real time using the output signals from the ECU embedded system, and for 3D-modeling and outputting the status of the simulated vehicle; and

a display coupled to the vehicle simulator for displaying the 3D-modeled vehicle outputted from the vehicle simulator.

2. A 3D vehicle simulator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ECU embedded system 120 comprises at least a 32-bit microcontroller unit.

3. A 3D vehicle simulator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle simulator comprises:

a status processing algorithm operation unit for estimating the present status through an algorithm programmed to be suitable for a vehicle simulation model by inputting signals outputted from the ECU embedded system;

a status storage unit for storing the present status and the prior status which have passed the status processing algorithm unit, and data required for estimating the next status; and

a 3D model rendering engine for receiving the present status stored in the status storage unit, and for outputting a 3D model.

4. A 3D vehicle simulator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein CAN (Controller Area Network) network communication protocol is used for communicating signals between the ECU embedded system and the vehicle simulator, and for transmitting signals from the ECU embedded system 120 to the external output apparatus.

5. A 3D vehicle simulator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein RS-232 network communication protocol is used for communicating signals between the ECU embedded system and the vehicle simulator, and for transmitting signals from the ECU embedded system to the external output apparatus.

6. A 3D vehicle simulator system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one presentation of data is displayed in real time on the display.

7. A 3D vehicle simulator system as claimed in claim 3, wherein assuming that the engine power calculated by the status processing algorithm unit is F and the loss of engine power caused by a variable of a road surface'"'"'s condition is “

b”

, the actual engine power Fr by the status processing algorithm unit is calculated as F−

b in the vehicle simulator 110.

8. A 3D vehicle simulator system as claimed in claim 3, wherein assuming that the weight of the vehicle is m, the present acceleration A calculated by the status processing algorithm unit is calculated as F−

b/m in the vehicle simulator.

9. A 3D vehicle simulation method for an electronic control unit (ECU) embedded system comprising:

initializing a vehicle simulator;

transmitting data from an external input apparatus to an ECU embedded system;

transmitting data from the ECU embedded system to an external output apparatus;

loading a prior status of a simulated vehicle from a status storage unit in the simulator;

calculating the present status of the simulated vehicle, the calculation being performed by a status processing algorithm operation unit in the vehicle simulator by using the prior status and the data transmitted from the ECU embedded system;

storing the present status calculated by the status algorithm operation unit in the status storage unit;

outputting the vehicle of the present status in a 3D model, the outputting of the 3D model being performed by a 3D model rendering engine in the vehicle simulator by using the present status stored in the status storage unit; and

displaying the 3D model vehicle on a display.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising retransmitting signals to be outputted to the external output apparatus after subjecting a simulation procedure in the vehicle simulator to the ECU embedded system.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the process of calculating acceleration in the vehicle simulator comprises:

transmitting engine-related data from the ECU embedded system;

calculating engine power using the engine-related data;

calculating loss of engine power due to a road surface'"'"'s condition;

calculating actual engine power by using the engine power and the loss of engine power due to the road surface'"'"'s condition;

calculating the present acceleration of the vehicle by using the actual engine power and the vehicle'"'"'s weight; and

storing the calculated present acceleration.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of calculating the actual engine power Fr comprises the step of calculating Fr=F−

b, wherein F is engine power and b is loss of engine power.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the step of calculating the present acceleration comprises step of calculating A=F−

b/m, wherein F is engine power, b is loss of engine power, and m is the vehicle'"'"'s mass.