Training system of a powered vehicle

• US 9,171,479 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Martin Aircraft Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Martin Aircraft Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Martin, Glenn Neil, Martin, Vanessa Louise
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bullington, Robert P
• Application Number:
  US13/383,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20120107776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 244/118.6, 434/33, 434/35, 434/62, 356/2, 290/40.R, 701/2, 702/141
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/165 Control of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/02 for teaching control of vehicles or other craft
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/042 providing simulation in a real vehicle G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence
• 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 9/052 characterised by provision for recording or measuring trainee's performance devices for psychotechnics, e.g. for vehicle drivers A61B5/16, A61B5/18
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/08 for teaching control of aircraft, e.g. Link trainer

Abstract

A training system for the solo operation of a powered vehicle, wherein the system includes: —providing means for electronic control of the speed and orientation of a ground vehicle or of the speed, orientation and height of a flying vehicle; —providing a virtual enclosure training area delineated by a plurality of spaced sensors; —providing means associated with said vehicle for communicating with, and receiving instructions from, each of said sensors; —whereby instructions received from said sensors may be used to control said means for electronic control such that movement of said vehicle is restricted to said virtual enclosure training area, and within said virtual enclosure training area, the speed and orientation of a ground vehicle or the speed, orientation and height of a flying vehicle controlled within preset parameters.

Claims

1. A training system for use in combination with a manned independently controllable powered solo vehicle, the system including:

a training area having boundaries defined by a plurality of spaced sensors and allowing for movement of the vehicle to different locations within said training area;

a computer for being associated with said vehicle for communicating with, and receiving instructions from, each of said plurality of sensors;

at least one electronic controller for controlling at least one of;

speed and orientation of said vehicle if said vehicle is a ground vehicle; and

speed, orientation and height of said vehicle if said vehicle is a flying vehicle;

wherein when in said training area the speed and orientation when said vehicle is a ground vehicle and the speed, orientation and height when said vehicle is flying vehicle in use are controllable by a person manning the vehicle, unless the vehicle exceeds pre-set parameters of speed and/or orientation for the ground vehicle or of speed and/or orientation and/or height for the flying vehicle, in which case said at least one electronic controller under the control of said computer overrides the manned independent control of the vehicle such that the speed and/or orientation of the ground vehicle or the speed and/or orientation and/or height of the flying vehicle are controllable by said at least one electronic controller within said pre-set parameters.

2. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein in use one or more of said plurality of spaced sensors senses a position of the vehicle in the training area and communicates with said computer if said vehicle'"'"'s position fails to comply with one or more pre-set parameters, such that said computer causes said at least one electronic controller to regulate at least the speed of said vehicle.

3. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of sensors is adapted to sense both the position and the rate of change of position of said vehicle.

4. The training system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of sensors is adapted to sense both the position and the rate of change of position of said vehicle.

5. The training system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said training area provides at least two zones, and said pre-set parameters are different for different zones.

6. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said training area provides at least two zones, and said pre-set parameters are different for different zones.

7. The training system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least two zones are arranged with an inner zone providing a preferred training area and the one or more outer zones providing safety areas.

8. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said training area is indoors.

9. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said training area is outdoors.

10. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein in use a program of said computer includes default settings designed to bring said vehicle to a safe position in an event of any malfunction or control error.

11. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each sensor of said plurality of spaced sensors provides a wireless 3-D location system and is selected from the group consisting of:

a GPS locator beacon, a radio-frequency identification sensor, an ultrasonics sensor, a radar beacon, and an ultra-wideband sensor.

12. The training system as claimed in claim 11, further including a tag secured to the vehicle in the training area, said tag being arranged in use to emit signals detectable by one or more of said plurality of spaced sensors.

13. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a ground vehicle and said at least one electronic controller includes a gyroscope.

14. The training system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vehicle is a flying vehicle and said at least one electronic controller includes an attitude sensor.

15. A training system for use in combination with a manned independently controllable powered solo flying vehicle, said system including:

a training area having boundaries defined by a plurality of spaced sensors and allowing for movement of said vehicle to different locations within said training area;

a computer for being associated with said vehicle for communicating with, and receiving instructions from, each of said plurality of sensors;

at least one electronic controller for controlling at least one of the speed, orientation and height of the vehicle;

wherein when in said training area, the speed, orientation and height of the vehicle in use are controllable by a person manning the vehicle, unless the vehicle exceeds pre-set parameters of speed and/or orientation and/or height, in which case said at least one electronic controller under the control of said computer overrides the manned independent control of the vehicle such that the speed and/or orientation and/or height of the vehicle is controlled by said at least one electronic controller within said pre-set parameters.

16. The training system as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of spaced sensors is an ultra-wideband radio-frequency beacon and the vehicle is provided with a tag which in use emits a series of ultra-wideband radio pulses at predetermined time intervals, such that said pulses are detected by one or more of said plurality of spaced sensors;

and

wherein in use said tag and said sensors in combination provide information to said computer as to the position, height and speed of the vehicle.

17. The training system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one electronic controller includes an attitude sensor capable of measuring pitch, roll and yaw.

18. The training system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said training area provides at least two zones and said pre-set parameters are different for different zones.

19. The training system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said training area provides at least two zones and said pre-set parameters are different for different zones.

20. The training system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said at least two zones are arranged with an inner zone providing the preferred training area and one or more outer zones providing safety areas.

21. The training system as claimed in claim 15, wherein in use a program of said computer includes default settings designed to bring said vehicle to a safe position in the event of any malfunction or control error.

22. The training system as claimed in claim 15, further including an independent set of controls for controlling the pitch, roll, yaw and throttle of said vehicle, said controls being capable of overriding both manual controls and controls of the computer and in use being controlled by an instructor from outside of said vehicle.

23. The training system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said vehicle is a personal flight device.

24. The training system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said vehicle is a personal flight device.

25. The training system as claimed in claim 20, wherein said vehicle is a personal flight device.