WO2011019767A1

WO2011019767A1 - Pedal simulator

Info

Publication number: WO2011019767A1
Application number: PCT/US2010/045091
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gary E. Gibson; Michael A. Varacins
Original assignee: Hindsight Manufacturing, Llc
Priority date: 2009-08-10
Filing date: 2010-08-10
Publication date: 2011-02-17

Abstract

A pedal simulator for simulating a vehicle's pedal is provided. The simulator is able to generate an electrical signal in a direct relationship to the pressure exerted on the pedal by a user. The pedal simulator includes a pedal, a pressure cylinder, a pressure transducer to generate an electrical signal in response to pressure exerted on the pressure cylinder by the pedal and a controller for receiving the electrical signal. The control can transmit the signal to a computing device, the Internet, or any other location where a racing or driving simulator may be operating.

Description

PEDAL SIMULATOR

DESCRIPTION CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/273,890, filed August 10, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates generally to a pedal simulator, and more specifically to a brake control for use with driving and racing simulator games.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Video game controllers are well known in the art, and many structures for pedal simulators are also well known in the art. While such pedal simulators, according to the prior art, provide a number of advantageous features, they nevertheless have certain limitations. For example, the known prior art pedal assembly incorporates a pedal having a spring connected to the pedal to provide a resistance force. As the pedal is pushed in, a displacement sensor, such as a rotary displacement sensor (i.e., a potentiometer), senses the position of the pedal and transmits a voltage signal (representative of the pedal position) to the simulator software. Additionally, such prior art pedal assemblies do not provide for adjusting the feel and resistance of the pedal assembly. The present invention seeks to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is directed towards a pedal simulator for simulating a vehicle's pedal. In one embodiment, the pedal simulator may include a pedal, a pressure cylinder, a pressure transducer to generate an electrical signal as a result of the pressure exerted on the pressure cylinder by the pedal and a controller to receive the electrical signal. The pedal simulator may be a free-standing console or may be incorporated into a larger driving simulator design.

[0006] In another embodiment, the pressure cylinder may be an air cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder. The pressure cylinder may also be a double acting air cylinder and utilize air to resist movement in one direction and utilizing air to return the pressure cylinder to a starting position. The pressure cylinder may also be a rodless air cylinder that uses either a mechanical or a magnetic coupling to impart force on the pressure cylinder. The volume of the pressure cylinder may also be reduced to increase a starting pressure of the pressure cylinder to require a user to exert a greater force on the pedal. The volume of the pressure cylinder may be reduced using a control knob on the pressure cylinder, by inserting a liquid in a control chamber of the pressure cylinder or through the use of electrical signals.

[0007] In another embodiment, the pressure transducer may generate an electrical signal in a direct relationship to the pressure imposed on the pedal by a user. The controller may then transmit the electrical signal to a general computing device, the Internet or other location where a racing or driving simulator may be operating.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] To understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0010] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram useful in explaining an exemplar embodiment of a pedal simulator involved in simulating the driving of a car using a computer system.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a simplified functional block diagram of a computer that may be configured as a server.

[0012] FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of a personal computer or other work station or terminal device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred

embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated.

[0014] Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an exemplary embodiment of the pedal simulator 10. In a preferred embodiment, the pedal simulator 10 is a free-standing console, however, it is contemplated that the pedal simulator 10 disclosed herein may be incorporated into a larger driving simulator design. The pedal simulator 10 generally comprises a pedal 12, a pressure cylinder 14 and a pressure transducer 16. The pressure transducer 16 of the pedal simulator 10 measures the pressure applied to the pedal 12 by the user, as opposed to measuring the position or displacement of the pedal. The current invention replaces the position sensor and spring, or strain gauge and spring of the prior art with a pressure cylinder 14 and a pressure transducer 16. For example, instead of using a spring to provide a resistive force, the current invention uses a pressure cylinder 14. The pressure cylinder 14 may be any one of a plurality of pressure cylinders known to those in the art, including pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders. For example, the pressure cylinder 14 may be a single acting air cylinder in which the force imparted by air is used to resist the movement in one direction and a spring is used to return the cylinder to the starting position. Or in the alternative, the pressure cylinder 14 may be a double acting air cylinder that utilizes the force of air to resist movement in one direction and return the cylinder to its starting position. Other cylinder types include a rodless air cylinder that use a mechanical or magnetic coupling to impart force on the cylinder. Further, the pressure cylinder 14 may be a hydraulic cylinder, such as used in a constant pressure or load sensing system. Also, the hydraulic system may be used in either an open or closed system.

[0015] Regardless of the design of the pressure cylinder 14, the pressure cylinder 14 has a certain volume and a resulting starting pressure. The starting pressure, whether pneumatic, hydraulic or some combination of both, can be adjusted by the user to set a preferred baseline pressure. When the pedal 12 of the pedal simulator 10 is depressed (i.e., when pressure is applied to the pedal 12 by the user), a pressure transducer 16 measures the pressure in the cylinder 14 and transmits an electrical signal 18

representative of the pressure applied to the pedal 12 to a controller 20, which may generally be electrically connected to a general computing device 22, to the Internet through a web server device 24, or to an onboard circuit board.

[0016] The pressure transducer 16 acts as a pressure sensor to measure the pressure contained within the cylinder, such as, for example, the air pressure within the cylinder. The pressure transducer 16 generates the electrical signal 18 in a direct relationship to the pressure imposed on the pedal 12 by the user. The signal 18 is sent to the controller 20 as representative of the pressure applied to the pedal, whereas the signal in the prior art pedal is typically representative of the displacement/position of the pedal. The controller 20 may then transmit the signal directly to the general computing device 22 on which a driving or racing simulator is operating, the controller 20 may transmit the signal to the Internet through the use of the web server device 24, or the controller 20 may transmit the signal directly to an onboard circuit board. In each situation, the software simulator (not shown) receives the electrical signal 18 as an input to the video game currently operating on the software simulator and makes adjustments to the video game accordingly.

[0017] As known in the data processing and communications arts, a general computing device 22 typically comprises a central processor or other processing device, an internal communication bus, various types of memory or storage media (RAM, ROM, EEPROM, cache memory, disk drives, etc.) for code and data storage, and one or more network interface cards or ports for communication purposes. The software functionalities involve programming, including executable code as well as associated stored data. The software code is executable by the general computing device 22 that functions as the host to the software simulator system. In operation, the code is stored within the general computing device 22 platform. At other times, however, the software may be stored at other locations and/or transported for loading into the appropriate general computing device 22.

[0018] The web server device 24 may be any computer or server that delivers the electrical signal 18 via the HTTP protocol. The web server device 24 may include hardware, an operating system, Web server software, TCP/IP protocols and site content to allow the web server device 24 to communicate with any number of computers that may be operating and hosting a software simulator through the Internet 26. Further, the web server device 24 may be a unique machine, or may operate on or in combination with the existing general computing device 22.

[0019] An additional embodiment involves adjusting the "feel" of the pedal 12 as observed by the user. By varying the volume or starting pressure of the pressure cylinder 14 the "feel" of the pedal 12 that the user observes can be adjusted. For example, to obtain a "firm" feel when pressing on the pedal 12 the volume of the cylinder 14 is reduced. Reducing the volume of the pressure cylinder 14 requires the user to exert additional pressure on the pedal 12, resulting in a firmer "feel" as observed by the user. Conversely, to obtain a softer "feel" on the pedal 12, the volume of the cylinder 14 is increased. The volume of the cylinder may be adjusted in many ways as known to those of skill in the art. Means for modifying the volume of the cylinder may include a control knob on the cylinder, by inserting liquid in the cylinder, such as oil, or through the use of electrical signals to the extent the cylinder may be controlled electronically.

[0020] A user may operate the simulator by first placing his or her foot on the pedal 12. Assuming the user has initiated the software simulator 20, for example, a driving simulation operating on the software simulator 20, the user may exert pressure on the pedal 12 resulting in an electrical signal 18 that affects the simulation running on the software simulator 20. It is conceivable that the pedal simulator 10 may contain multiple pedals 12 which would result in multiple electrical signals 18 being transmitted to the software simulator 20. For example, a driving simulation operating on the software simulator 20 may desire to have an input signal representing a gas pedal, a brake pedal or a clutch pedal.

[0021] FIGS. 2 and 3 provide functional block diagram illustrations of general purpose computer hardware platforms. FIG. 2 illustrates a network or host computer platform, as may typically be used to implement a web server device 24. FIG. 3 depicts a general computing device 22 with user interface elements, as may be used to implement a personal computer or other type of work station or terminal device, although the computer of FIG. 3 may also act as a server if appropriately programmed. It is believed that those skilled in the art are familiar with the structure, programming and general operation of such computer equipment and as a result the drawings should be self-explanatory. [0022] A server, for example, includes a data communication interface for packet data communication. The server also includes a central processing unit (CPU), in the form of one or more processors, for executing program instructions. The server platform typically includes an internal communication bus, program storage and data storage for various data files to be processed and/or communicated by the server, although the server often receives programming and data via network communications. The hardware elements, operating systems and programming languages of such servers are conventional in nature, and it is presumed that those skilled in the art are adequately familiar therewith. Of course, the server functions may be implemented in a distributed fashion on a number of similar platforms to distribute the processing load.

[0023] Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. Further, the term "plurality" as used herein indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Additionally, the term "having" as used herein in both the disclosure and claims, is utilized in an open- ended manner.

[0024] It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.

Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A pedal simulator for simulating a car pedal, comprising:

a pedal;

a pressure cylinder;

a pressure transducer to generate an electrical signal as a result of the pressure exerted on the pressure cylinder by the pedal; and,

a controller to receive the electrical signal.

2. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the pedal simulator is a free-standing console.

3. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the pedal simulator is incorporated into a larger driving simulator design.

4. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the pressure cylinder is at least one of an air cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder and a hydraulic cylinder.

5. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the pressure cylinder is a double acting air cylinder that utilizes air to resist movement in one direction and returns the cylinder to a starting position.

6. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the pressure cylinder is a rodless air cylinder that uses at least one of a mechanical and a magnetic coupling to impart force on the pressure cylinder.

7. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the pressure transducer generates the electrical signal in a direct relationship to the pressure imposed on the pedal by a user.

8. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the controller transmits the electrical signal to a general computing device on which a simulator is operating.

9. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the controller transmits the electrical signal to the Internet through a web server device.

10. The pedal simulator of claim 1 wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced to increase a starting pressure of the pressure cylinder to require a user to exert a greater force on the pedal.

11. The pedal simulator of claim 10 wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced using a control knob on the pressure cylinder.

12. The pedal simulator of claim 10 wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced by inserting a liquid in a control chamber of the pressure cylinder.

13. The pedal simulator of claim 10 wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced using electrical signals.

14. A pedal simulator for simulating a car pedal, comprising:

a first pedal;

a second pedal;

a pressure cylinder wherein the pressure cylinder is at least one of an air cylinder, a pneumatic and a hydraulic cylinder and the volume of the pressure cylinder can be reduced;

a pressure transducer to generate an electrical signal in a direct relationship to the pressure exerted on the pressure cylinder by at least one of the first pedal and the second pedal;

a controller to receive the electrical signal; and,

the controller transmits the electrical signal to at least one of a general computing device on which a simulator is operating, the Internet through a web server device and an onboard circuit board.

15. The pedal simulator of claim 14 wherein the pedal simulator is one of a freestanding console, and a larger driving simulator design.

16. The pedal simulator of claim 14 wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced to increase a starting pressure of the pressure cylinder to require a user to exert a greater force on the pedal.

17. The pedal simulator of claim 16 wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced using a control knob on the pressure cylinder.

18. The pedal simulator of claim 16 wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced by inserting a liquid in a control chamber of the pressure cylinder.

19. The pedal simulator of claim 16 wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced using electrical signals.

20. A pedal simulator for simulating a car pedal, comprising:

a pedal;

a pressure cylinder wherein the volume of the pressure cylinder is reduced to increase a starting pressure of the pressure cylinder to require a user to a exert greater force on the pedal;

a pressure transducer to generate an electrical signal as a result of the pressure exerted on the pressure cylinder by the pedal wherein the magnitude of the electrical signal is in a direct relationship to the pressure imposed on the pedal by a user; and, a controller to receive the electrical signal.