Method for Training a Crew Member of a, in Particular, Military Vehicle

• US 20130004920A1
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Company KG (Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Company KG (Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Pabst, Manuel, Haubner, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,202,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/69
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/003 for military purposes and tactics
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/042 providing simulation in a real vehicle 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 9/307 by helmet-mounted projector or display G09B9/36 takes precedence; optical parts of head-up displays G02B27/01

Abstract

A method and simulator for training a crew member of a vehicle, especially a military vehicle, in the interior of the vehicle. A camera films the vehicle interior and is to be fixed to the head of the crew member. A display device is to be disposed in the field of view of the crew member and is to be fixed to the crew member'"'"'s head. Via markers in the vehicle interior, the position of a view is defined, and at the position of the view, a detail of a virtual vehicle external environment is overlaid in the display device as a function of the position and viewing direction of the crew member.

Claims

21. A method for training a crew member of a vehicle, especially a military vehicle, in the interior of the vehicle, including the steps of:

providing a camera that is configured to film the vehicle interior and to be fixed to the head of the crew member;

providing a display device that is configured to be disposed in a field of view of the crew member and to be fixed to the head of the crew member;

providing a marker in the vehicle interior;

via said marker, defining the position of a view; and

at the position of the view, overlaying in said display device a detail of a virtual vehicle external environment as a function of a position and viewing direction of the crew member.

22. A method according to claim 21, which includes the further steps of illustrating an image of said camera upon said display device, and overlaying the detail of the virtual vehicle external environment into the camera image.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein said display device is partially transparent.

24. A method according to claim 21, wherein at least one of said display device and said camera are part of a Head Mounted Display.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein said marker is disposed at the position of said view.

26. A method according to claim 25 which includes the further step of disposing the position of said view at the position of a real viewing window, in particular a periscope or outer window, of the vehicle.

27. A method according to claim 21, which includes the step of disposing, especially adhesively mounting, said marker on a viewing window.

28. A method according to claim 21 which includes the step of determining at least one of the viewing direction and the position of the crew member by means of said marker.

29. A method according to claim 28, which includes the step of determining at least one of the viewing direction and the position of the crew member by means of said marker and said camera via a tracking process.

30. A method according to claim 21, which includes the step of determining at least one of the viewing direction and the position of the crew member via a head movement sensor, especially an inertial sensor.

31. A method according to claim 21, which includes the step of disposing said camera at a level of the eyes of the crew member.

32. A method according to claim 31, which includes the step of providing one camera for each eye of the crew member.

33. A method according to claim 21, wherein said display device illustrates a stereoscopic image.

34. A method according to claim 21, which includes the steps of representing the positions of a plurality of views via a respective detail of the virtual vehicle external environment, and associating one of said markers with each position.

35. A method according to claim 21, wherein said display device entirely covers or conceals the viewing field of the crew member.

36. A method according to claim 21, which includes the step of providing said marker with a code pattern.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein said code pattern is checkerboard like.

38. A method according to claim 21, which includes the step of determining the position

of said marker via an, in particular optical, tracking process.

39. A vehicle simulator for training a crew member of a vehicle, especially a military vehicle, in the interior of the vehicle, comprising:

a computer for generating a virtual vehicle external environment;

a camera configured to be worn fixed to the head of the crew member and to film said vehicle interior;

a display device configured to be worn fixed to the head of the crew member and to be disposed in a field of view of the crew member; and

a marker configured to be disposed in said vehicle interior, wherein said marker defines a position of a view, and wherein at the position of said view, said computer is configured to overlay, in said display device, a detail of the virtual vehicle external environment as a function of the position and viewing direction of the crew member.