U.S. patent application number 13/796510 was filed with the patent office on 2014-04-03 for portable in-the-vehicle road simulator.
The applicant listed for this patent is Konstantin Sizov. Invention is credited to Konstantin Sizov.
Application Number | 20140095135 13/796510 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29250505 |
Filed Date | 2014-04-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140095135 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sizov; Konstantin |
April 3, 2014 |
PORTABLE IN-THE-VEHICLE ROAD SIMULATOR
Abstract
Portable simulation system is a computer-based driving
simulator, which uses an actual vehicle as an input device, and a
portable display to present a Virtual Driving Environment (VDE) to
the driver. Vehicle's steered wheels are placed atop of the
turntables permitting free operation of the steering wheel. The
vehicle remains immobile while its engine and power steering can be
turned off during the simulation. External non-invasive sensors can
be placed under the gas and brake pedals, permitting any vehicle to
be used in the simulator, including the driver's own vehicle. A
digital interface to the vehicle's systems, like OBD II, can be
used to increase the fidelity of the simulation. A portable
computer used for driving simulation and VDE presentation provides
a low cost simulation option. A simple configuration of the
portable simulator does not require an external power source and
can be set-up and operated at any parking space.
Inventors: |
Sizov; Konstantin;
(Alexandria, VA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sizov; Konstantin |
Alexandria |
VA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
29250505 |
Appl. No.: |
13/796510 |
Filed: |
March 12, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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12979280 |
Dec 27, 2010 |
8412499 |
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13796510 |
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10742613 |
Dec 19, 2003 |
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12979280 |
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PCT/US2003/010529 |
Apr 7, 2003 |
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10742613 |
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60370277 |
Apr 5, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
703/8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09B 9/05 20130101; G09B
5/065 20130101; G09B 19/14 20130101; G06F 30/15 20200101; G09B
9/042 20130101; G09B 19/167 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
703/8 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/50 20060101
G06F017/50 |
Claims
1. A driving simulation system for use with an actual stationary
vehicle comprising: at least two drive-on ramps; wherein each ramp
comprises a rotating steering sensor-actuator capable of engaging a
wheel of the vehicle, following the wheel's steering motion, and
providing feedback to a user; a brake pedal sensor-actuator capable
of providing anti-lock brake feedback to the user; a gas pedal
sensor; a head-mounted display comprising a head-tracking position
sensor and headphones; and a computer connected with the steering
sensor-actuator, the brake pedal sensor-actuator, the gas pedal
sensor, and the head-mounted display; wherein the computer
comprises software simulating a video and audio driving environment
via the head-mounted display and simulating vehicle-road
interaction via the steering sensor-actuator and via the brake
pedal sensor-actuator.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser.
No. 12/979,280, filed on Dec. 27, 2010, which is a Continuation of
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/742,613, filed on Dec. 19, 2003, which
is a Continuation of PCT application Serial Number PCT/US03/10529,
filed on Apr. 7, 2003, which claims priority under the Paris
Convention and 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e) from a U.S. Provisional
patent application Ser. No. 60/370,277, filed on Apr. 5, 2002, all
of which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As public roads are becoming more and more congested, there
is an increasing need to better train drivers of motor vehicles to
decrease the number of road accidents. For example, one of the
major causes of accidents, especially among younger drivers, is
their inability to recognize a dangerous road situation due to the
obstructed line-of-sight and path-of-travel. It is often very time
consuming to train students to recognize dangerous road situations
during the actual behind-the-wheel driving session. Such situations
do not present themselves in a repeatable, consistent manner to
each student driver. There are significant time gaps between their
occurrences, which have a very large margin of error, causing a
student to make unnoticed mistakes frequently. Unnoticed driving
mistakes, in turn, cause the students to develop bad driving
skills
[0003] It is also very difficult to train drivers in hazardous road
conditions without compromising the safety of the driver. Examples
of such hazardous road conditions may include slippery roads,
over-speeding on sharp turns, etc.
[0004] Training through driving simulation generally addresses the
above issues.
[0005] A variety of solutions to the above-identified problem have
dealt with simulation driving experiences. Those solutions broadly
fall into two categories: (1) modifications of stock vehicles to
simulate hazardous road conditions, and (2) complete computer-based
simulated driving environments not involving a real vehicle.
[0006] Modifications of stock vehicles usually call for a dedicated
vehicle to be used only for training, which cannot be otherwise
used for driving. Simulation of the hazardous road conditions in
such dedicated vehicles usually provides realistic haptic and
motion feedback, while the spectrum of simulated experiences is
limited mostly to tire skids.
[0007] Computer-based simulated driving environments, while
providing the most training benefits, require a dedicated
maintained floor space. They also frequently require a real car
cabin to be used to achieve a high enough degree of realism of the
simulation. When the kind of a training vehicle needs to be
changed, the changing procedure usually calls for a cabin
replacement, which is very costly and time consuming.
[0008] Both of the above-described categories also do not allow a
driver to get the advantageous training inside the driver's own
vehicle.
[0009] The present invention addresses the need to provide
portability and realistic feel of driving an actual vehicle while
not exposing the driver to the real hazardous road situation during
training. The system of the present invention, can be quickly
set-up and used in any available parking space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0010] FIG. 1 is a general view of a portable system with an actual
vehicle.
[0011] FIG. 2 is high-level block diagram of a simulator.
[0012] FIG. 3 is schematic illustration of sensors and interfaces
for reading a real- time state of the vehicle's controls.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a digital interface
between a vehicle's controls and on-board sensors.
[0014] FIG. 5 is schematic illustration of audio-visual output
devices.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of actuators.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a simulation engine
software and courseware running on a computer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Turning now to FIG. 1, shown there is a portable system for
driving simulation
[0018] coupled with an actual vehicle. In operation, a
driver/trainee uses an actual vehicle to drive up on a two-piece
ramp 2. It should be appreciated that the driver can use any actual
vehicle, including his or her own vehicle to receive the desired
training. The choice of a vehicle provide the driver with an
advantage to receive training in and get used to the vehicle that
the driver will be actually driving after completing the training
program. It should also be noted that the terms "driver",
"student", "user" and "trainee" are used throughout this
description interchangeably.
[0019] After the vehicle is positioned on the two-piece ramp 2, the
engine of the vehicle is turned off. Steered wheels 1, controlled
by the vehicle's steering wheel, located inside the cabin, are
placed and optionally locked on. top of turntables 3. Each
turntable 3 can rotate around its own vertical axis, following the
steering movements of the steered wheels 1.
[0020] While the vehicle is immobile and its power steering is not
active, turntables 3 allow the driver/trainee to operate the
steering wheel of the vehicle without applying excessive force,
which would have been necessary on the actual road due to the
friction between the steered wheels and the surface of the road
while the vehicle is immobile. The steering wheel must be unlocked
during the operation of the portable system of the present
invention while the engine of the vehicle is turned off. In most
vehicles turning off is accomplished by turning the key in the
ignition of the vehicle without starting the engine. If a real-time
force-feedback effect to the steering wheel is desired to be
provided to the driver, the effect can be provided by optional
steering actuators 61 located inside the turntables 3. Since the
engine of the vehicle is not running during the simulation, the
power steering is not active. To compensate for this lack of the
actual power steering, smaller-than-natural forces can be applied
to the steered wheels 1 of the vehicle by the steering actuators 61
in order to generate the realistic feedback.
[0021] Regardless whether the steering actuators 61 are present in
the portable simulation system, the steering wheel returns to its
central position driven by the natural forces resulting from
exerting the weight of the vehicle to the Steering Angle
Inclination (SAI) of the steered wheels 1. If the steering
actuators 61 are used, the force returning the steering wheel to
its central position depends on the simulated speed of the vehicle
and is defined by the simulation software.
[0022] An optional steering sensor 39 (shown in FIG. 3) is used to
generate information about a position of the steering wheel in
order to generate corresponding simulated view of the road. The
optional steering sensor 39 should be used when the vehicle's own
built-in steering sensor is not available.
[0023] Inside the vehicle an optional brake pedal sensor and
actuator can be positioned under a brake pedal 34 (also shown in
FIG. 3). An optional gas pedal sensor can be positioned under a gas
pedal 35 (also shown in FIG. 3). The optional brake pedal sensor
and the optional gas pedal sensor should be used when the vehicle's
own built-in brake pedal and gas pedal sensors are not available.
For practical reasons both brake pedal and gas pedal sensors can be
mounted in a single enclosure. As shown in FIG. 6, an optional
actuator 63 coupled to the brake pedal 34 can be used to simulate
an anti-lock brake (ABS) pulsation.
[0024] FIG. 2 shows a high-level block diagram of the portable
simulator. As shown in FIG. 2, computing means 22 receive input
data from non-invasive means for reading real-time state of the
vehicle controls 21. A portable computer, such as a notebook
computer having built-in 3D graphics processor can be used as
computing means. The computer processes the input data and
generates a Virtual Driving Environment (VDE) to be provided to the
driver using audio and visual means 24. Audio and visual means
normally consist of a Head-Mounted Display (HMD) and a set of
headphones. Alternatively, other forms of portable displays can be
employed, such as LCD screens pasted on the inside of the vehicle's
windows, as well as a set of external speakers might be used. The
VDE is presented to the driver in the field of view corresponding
to the head orientation of the driver provided by the head tracker
25. To improve the fidelity of the simulation, the computer 22
controls an optional plurality of actuators 23, shown in further
detail in FIG. 6, comprising a steering actuator 61, a motion
feedback cushion 62 and an ABS pulsation actuator 63.
[0025] Shown in FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of the
software for simulating a VDE running on the computing means 22. In
the preferred embodiment the software is running on a portable
computer powered by the battery of the vehicle or by the computer's
own battery, therefore eliminating the need in an external power
source. The portable computer is controlled by a Simulation Engine
Software 72 processing the real-time state data from various
vehicle controls, described further below. The Simulation Engine
Software 72 processes the data from the head tracking sensor 25
(shown in FIG. 2) to generate an appropriate graphical
representation of the VDE on the screen(s) of a Head Mounting
Display 4 (HMD) as shown in FIG. 1. The Simulation Engine Software
72 is normally designed and maintained by software engineers. It
provides an intermediate language for driver educators and
researchers to describe a variety of road situations, or
"scenarios", having an educational value.
[0026] Courseware Components 71, shown in FIG. 7, comprise driving
lessons and "scenarios" created by the driving educators and
researchers, who generally do not have a background in software
engineering. Different Courseware Components can be designed by
different organizations. They can be put together in sequences to
design the desired curriculum.
[0027] The portable computer also comprises a sound processor that
generates audio signals to enhance the representation of the VDE
and communicate verbal instructions to the driver via headphones
52, shown in FIG. 5, frequently built into the HMD.
[0028] In order to reduce what is known to be "simulation sickness"
sometimes resulting from the mismatch of the visual cues and the
physical body cues, the driver can use an optional motion feedback
cushion 62 shown in FIG. 6. Motion feedback cushions of the type
commonly used in computer games usually comprise a set of
low-frequency power speakers pushed against a person's back to
apply vibrations to the person's body. An undesirable effect of the
"simulation sickness" can be reduced by applying variations of the
vibration patterns reflecting the changes in the driving conditions
in the VDE. An optional brake pedal ABS-pulsation actuator 63 can
be used to provide the simulated effect of operating an Anti-Lock
Brake System.
[0029] Simulating operation of a vehicle using an actual vehicle
can be accomplished by placing a pair of turntables 3 under the
steered wheels 1 of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 1, to relieve the
friction of the steered wheels of the actual vehicle with a road
surface. Placing the turntables under the steered wheels makes it
possible for the steered wheels to be steered freely while the
vehicle is immobile, enabling the actual vehicle's steering to be
operated by a user without using excessive force. The method
further comprises providing computing means 22 reading the
real-time data of the state of the vehicle's controls to simulate a
Virtual Driving Environment (VDE).The computing means is preferably
a portable computer with a Simulation Engine Software. The software
receives an input of the real-time data from the head tracking
sensor 25, mounted on the HMD. The head tracking sensor
communicates the exact orientation of the driver's head to the
computer, so that the appropriate field of view of the VDE can be
generated by the computer and displayed to the driver. In other
words, using all of the above-described data, the computer
generates a graphical representation of the VDE at the current
orientation of the driver's head and displays the graphical
representation by the portable audio and visual means to the
driver. An audio output may contain, but is not limited to, an
engine noise, traffic noise, and audio instructions.
[0030] Also in accordance with the present invention a method of
training of a student driver can be accomplished by using an actual
vehicle while it is immobilized to allow the student driver sitting
in the vehicle to use the vehicle's steering wheel to drive through
the Virtual Driving Environment (VDE). Driving through the VDE,
simulated by the computer and audio-visual means, provides rich
simulated driving experience to the student driver. The experience
can comprise encountering simulated real life-like road dangers and
practicing avoidance skills The student driver can also safely
practice risk assessment skills during the driving simulation.
Optional other Computer Based Training (CBT) means can be employed
between the driving lessons. The CBT means can be any educational
activities performed outside of a simulated driving lesson. The CBT
means can include, but are not limited to, short fragments of a
video presented to the student driver, followed by a commentary and
a series of questions. A combination of the simulated driving
activities with non-simulated CBT can be used to promote
development and maintenance of the long-term driving skills Driving
through the VDE, simulated by the computer using audio and visual
means capable of providing immediate feedback to the student
driver, enhances the effectiveness of driver training. Training of
the student driver is usually accomplished by using a curriculum
comprising a series of driving lessons by repeating the
above-described steps as many times as deemed desirable. A typical
length of a lesson can be 10 to 15 minutes each.
[0031] Also, in accordance with the present invention a method of
assessing driver's skills in the actual immobilized vehicle can be
performed by using the actual vehicle, such as the driver's own
vehicle, and presenting the driver with the simulated driving
experience by driving through the Virtual Driving Environment
(VDE). The driving simulation is accomplished by a computer and
audio and visual means. While the driver drives through the VDE,
measurements of the driver's performance characteristics can be
taken.
* * * * *