Education and demonstration – Vehicle operator instruction or testing – Flight vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-26
2002-07-02
Cheng, Joe H. (Department: 3713)
Education and demonstration
Vehicle operator instruction or testing
Flight vehicle
C472S059000, C472S130000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06413090
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to a control by a synchronization system between a picture and a motion base in a simulation ride system for moving the motion base in connection with the picture.
Also, the present invention is related to a VR (virtual reality) motion producing apparatus, and more specifically, a motion data producing system of a motion base in a simulation ride system for moving a motion base in connection with a CG (computer graphics) picture.
Furthermore, the present invention is related to a simulation rider transporting apparatus, and more specifically, to a simulation rider transporting apparatus containing a means for constraining an attitude and a position of a rider, e.g., a seat and an arm; a carriage for mounting this constraining means; a means for constraining that this carriage is transportable; and an actuator.
Conventionally, since a picture scenario is determined (non-interactive system), a synchronization between a picture and an operation of a motion base is merely established only at:a starting time. Thereafter, a picture apparatus and a motion base control apparatus are independently controlled.
Also, conventionally, in a simulation ride system for operating a motion base in connection with a CG picture, for example, in a flight simulator, in order to form motion (movement) of the motion base, namely motion data, a person who is observing this CG picture directly operates this motion who instruct the movement (for example, a direct instruction while actually moving a motion base, this operation is instructed; an off-line instruction such that while moving a model of a motion base, this operation is instructed; and an NC instruction such that while actually entering as numeral values velocities and positional changes in the respective axes of a motion base, this operation is instructed).
These conventional instruction methods are directed to such instruction methods for mainly using the motion bases, which are substantially determined by human sensitivities. Therefore, expert techniques are necessarily required, and these conventional instruction methods should required huge amounts of cost and very large numbers of manufacturing stages. On the other hand, while CG (computer graphics) techniques are progressed, pictures are also expressed by computer graphics. As a consequence, the scenario fixed systems are substituted by such systems that scenarios are changed by events. In this scenario fixed system, operation patterns of dynamic objects to be controlled (air plane and vehicle etc.,) are previously defined, namely, the non-interactive system. In the latter system, namely the interactive system, the operation patterns of the dynamic objects to be controlled are changed in response to handle operations. That is, the operation patterns can be hardly predicted. In this latter-mentioned interactive system, since the operation patterns can be hardly predicted, there is such a problem. That is to say, in the conventional system such that the operation patterns have been defined as the initial condition, the operations of the motion base cannot be instructed.
Furthermore, the conventional simulation rider transporting apparatus is comprised of: means for constraining an attitude of a rider and a position thereof such as a seat and an arm; a first base-for riding thereon both the rider and said constraining means; a second base arranged under said first base; and elevation means for elevating said first base; a base; and a forward/backward transportable actuator. Then, as this elevation means, such an elevation device is known (see JP-A-60-143379). This elevation device is located under the first base, the respective actuators are coupled to the first base at the maximum points thereof, and the first base is moved in the swing manner by expanding/compressing the cylinder type rod.
In this conventional simulation rider transporting apparatus, since the base is moved in the swing manner by expanding/compressing the cylinder type rod, both the lengths of the actuators and the length of the rod become long. Therefore, there is such a problem that the height of the simulation rider transporting apparatus is increased. Thus, such a high-simulation rider transporting apparatus can be hardly installed in the existing facilities.
Also, another conventional simulation rider transporting apparatus is known. That is as the elevation means, cranks are used, and, a drive means is used so as to hold the angle between each of the cranks and the second base as a preselected value and the change this value. However, since torque of the drive means is effected between the second base and the cranks, undesirable situations occur.
Moreover, as a means for constraining the first base and the attitude, the constraining mechanism is required in addition to the actuator. Thus, the apparatus becomes complex, which may cause an increase of the weight thereof.
Also, there are since cases that although the picture is synchronized with the operation of the motion base at the starting time in the prior art, this synchronization is shifted due to differences in the processing capabilities of the respective control apparatuses thereof.
If the picture is not synchronized with the operation of the motion base, then the motion data (operation) which is originally produced in connection with the picture would be executed when the originally set picture scene is displayed.
This situation may give unpleasant feelings to the persons who ride on the motion base. As a result, the concentration feelings to the picture play world directed by the simulation ride system would be lost.
A subject to be solved by the present invention is to provide a correction means effected in such a case that a synchronization between a picture and operation of a motion base is shifted.
The present invention is equipped with the below-mentioned means as a means for solving the above-explained subject without deteriorating concentration feelings of a rider on a motion base with respect to a picture.
(1) A correction means fitted to a picture is provided on the basis of a picture.
(2) A means for using/correcting a frame No. (number) of a picture sync command every frame during which a picture can be outputted is provided.
(3) As the correcting method, the following means are provided:
A means for comparing a frame No. present in a picture sync command (frame presently displayed by picture apparatus) with a frame No. indicative of motion data executed by a motion base, for calculating a correction velocity from a difference component to change an operation velocity of the motion base, and thereby for synchronizing the motion data with the picture.
A correcting method effected when the frame No. is used is such a means that the motion data is changed into motion data of the relevant frame No. based upon the frame No. of the picture which is outputted from the picture apparatus and is presently imaged, and subsequently, the motion data arranged in a sequential manner are executed so as to synchronize the picture with the operation of the motion base.
Even when the synchronization established between the picture and the operation of the motion base is shifted, the motion base control apparatus having the means for solving the above-described problem can maintain the synchronization between the picture and the operation of the motion base without correcting the picture (when the picture is corrected, the frame will drop).
Also, another object of the present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus capable of producing motion base operation data from CG data, capable of producing operation data of a motion base even in an interactive system that an operation pattern cannot be previously predicted, and also capable of being widely applied to various motion bases.
The present invention is to provide a VR motion producing apparatus comprising motion model converting means for converting a motion model of an object to be controlled which is moved within a virtual reality spac
Kamiya Takayuki
Katoh Minoru
Oshiro Masayuki
Otomo Masami
Sakairi Hiroshi
Cheng Joe H.
Christman Kathleen M.
Mattingly Stanger & Malur, P.C.
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