Shifter Force Detection

• US 20160019806A1
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Training Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Training Systems LLC
• Inventors: Best, Aaron M., Barton, J. Ken, Havell, David J, Welles, Reginald T., Turpin, Darrell R., Voorhees, James W., Kearney, John, Price, Camille B., Stahlman, Nathan P., Turpin, Aaron J., Purvis, Aaron M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,953,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/167 Control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/04 for teaching control of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/05 the view from a vehicle being simulated G09B9/052, G09B9/058 take precedence

Abstract

A shifter simulator for driver training includes a shaft with a handle affixed to a first end of the shaft and a distal second end of the shaft being interfaced to a shifter mechanism. A first force sensing device is interfaced to the shaft, outputting a value representative of an amount of force applied to the handle in a forward/rearward direction and a second force sensing device is interfaced to the shaft outputting a value representative of an amount of force applied to the handle in a lateral direction.

Claims

1. A shifter, the shifter comprising:

a shaft;

a handle affixed to a first end of the shaft;

a distal second end of the shaft interfaced to a transmission; and

a force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, the force sensing device outputs an electrical current representative of an amount of force applied to the handle, the force sensing device interfaced to a circuit, the circuit reads the electrical current and responsive to the electrical current being outside of a range of acceptable electrical currents, the circuit initiates notification, the notification for warning a trainee of an excessive force applied to the handle.

2. The shifter of claim 1, further comprising a capacitive touch sensor interfaced to the handle, the capacitive touch sensor outputs signals responsive to contact.

3. The shifter of claim 1, further comprising a second force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, wherein the force sensing device outputs the electrical current representative of the amount of force applied to the handle in a forward/backward direction, the second force sensing device outputs a second electrical current representative of the amount of force applied to the handle in a sideways direction.

4. The shifter of claim 1, wherein the first force sensing device is a strain gauge.

5. The shifter of claim 3, wherein the first force sensing device is a first strain gauge affixed to the shaft and the second force sensing device is a second strain gauge affixed to the shaft at right angles to the first strain gauge.

6. The shifter of claim 1, whereas the circuit initiates the notification by emitting a sound.

7. The shifter of claim 1, whereas the circuit initiates the notification by illuminating an indicator on a dashboard.

8. A method of training a trainee regarding shifting, the method includes:

providing a shifting training simulator device comprising;

a computer;

a windshield display coupled to the computer;

a shaft;

a handle affixed to a first end of the shaft;

a distal second end of the shaft interfaced to a shifter mechanism; and

a force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, the force sensing device outputs an electrical current representative of an amount of force applied to the handle, the force sensing device operatively interfaced to the computer;

the computer displaying a training segment on the windshield display while the trainee shifts the handle of the shifting training simulator;

while the trainee shifts the handle of the shifting training simulator, reading the force sensing device by the computer and upon detecting a force greater than a predetermined threshold by the computer, providing feedback to the trainee.

9. The method of claim 8, whereas upon detecting a force greater than the predetermined threshold by the computer, the computer stopping the training segment and starting a remedial training segment.

10. The method of claim 8, whereas upon detecting a force greater than a second predetermined threshold by the computer, the computer stopping the training segment for prevention of breakage of the shifting training simulator device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the shifting training simulator further comprises a transmission lock out solenoid, the transmission lock out selectively solenoid for locking the shift handle responsive to signals from the computer;

and whereas upon detecting the force greater than the second predetermined threshold by the computer, the computer further signaling the lock out solenoid to lock the shift handle for prevention of the shifting training simulator device.

12. The method of claim 8, whereas the step of providing feedback to the trainee includes providing tactile feedback to the trainee by emitting sound and/or vibration from one or more transduces, the one or more transducers interfaced to the shifting training simulator device.

13. A shifting training simulator device, the shifter comprising:

a computer;

a windshield display coupled to the computer;

a shaft;

a handle affixed to a first end of the shaft;

a distal second end of the shaft interfaced to a shifter mechanism;

a first force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, the first force sensing device outputs a first electrical current representative of a first amount of force applied to the handle in a forward/backward direction, the first force sensing device operatively interfaced to the computer;

a second force sensing device interfaced to the shaft, the second force sensing device outputs a second electrical current representative of a second amount of force applied to the handle in a lateral direction;

the computer reads the first electrical current and the second electrical current and responsive to either of the first electrical current and the second electrical current being outside of a range of acceptable electrical currents, the computer initiates notification, the notification for warning a trainee of an excessive force applied to the handle.

14. The shifter of claim 13, wherein the first force sensing device is a first strain gauge and the second force sensing device is a second strain gauge.

15. The shifter of claim 14, wherein the second force sensing device is affixed to the shaft at a right angle to the first strain gauge.

16. The shifter of claim 13, whereas the computer initiates the notification by emitting a sound.

17. The shifter of claim 13, whereas the computer initiates the notification by illuminating an indicator on a dashboard.

18. The shifter simulator system of claim 13, further comprising a transducer interfaced to the shaft, upon the computer detecting either of the first electrical current and the second electrical current being outside of a range of acceptable electrical currents, the computer sends electrical current to the transducer, the transduce thereby emits sound and vibration responsive to the electric current from a computer.

19. The shifter simulator system of claim 13, further comprising a capacitive touch sensor interfaced to the handle, the capacitive touch sensor outputs signals to the computer responsive to contact.

20. The shifter simulator system of claim 13, wherein the range of acceptable currents represents amounts of force expected on the shaft.