Method and device for training in the operation of moving vehicles

Training in the operation of moving vehicles is provided by an operating station comprising a steering wheel and a television monitor screen placed in front of the trainee driver. Theoretical steering control operations performed by a model driver on a previously recorded moving road landscape are used for producing the images of the road landscape as it moves in front of the trainee driver's control station. Steering errors made by the trainee driver are determined by comparison between the steering control operations performed by the trainee driver and the previously recorded model-driver steering control operations. Displacement of the images with respect to the television monitor screen is produced as a function of the trainee driver' s steering errors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to methods and devices for simulation of the type 
employed for training in the operation of moving vehicles and especially 
automotive vehicles. 
2. Description of the Prior-Art 
In accordance with known practice, a trainee driver is seated at an 
operating station which is similar to that of an automobile, for example. 
A road or landscape display moved in front of the driver is controlled as 
a function of operating orders which are given by the driver by actuating 
a steering wheel at the operating station. In practice, a projected film 
reproduces a road seen through the windshield of a vehicle. 
In actual fact, however, the known devices are suitable only for activities 
relating to games. The images which it is known to project in front of the 
driver in a simulation by means of these devices produce effects so far 
remote from real conditions that there cannot be any question of real 
training which permits the acquisition of the necessary reflexes at the 
wheel of an automobile and even less the acquisition of the automatic 
reflexes required for driving or steering vehicles of faster types. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The precise aim of the present invention is to permit training at a much 
higher level of proficiency than it is possible to attain with operating 
stations of the type at present used for games. This result is achieved by 
simulating steering errors made in orders given to the operating station 
and the effect which would be produced by such errors under real driving 
conditions. 
Thus the invention is directed to a method for training in the operation of 
moving vehicles in an operating station comprising a steering element to 
be operated by a trainee driver and means for displaying a landscape which 
is moving in front of the driver, the method being distinguished by the 
fact that: 
a display window is determined in front of the driver; 
a previously recorded landscape which has moved in front of a model driver 
is used for producing the images of said moving landscape in front of the 
operating station; 
the steering errors made by the trainee driver are determined by comparison 
between the control operations performed on the steering element by the 
trainee driver and the previously recorded model control operations 
performed by the model driver; 
and a displacement of the images with respect to the display window is 
produced as a function of said errors. 
Although the invention is primarily applicable to training in the driving 
of vehicles of the automobile type, it will be understood that this 
application does not imply any limitation. And when using certain 
expressions which relate more specifically to automobiles, it must be 
understood that they include within their meaning any other equipment 
element employed in other applications. In particular, the steering wheel 
of a car can equally well be an aircraft control column or joystick, or 
any other vehicle steering control element, whilst the term "road" can 
represent any type of landscape surrounding the path of travel to be 
followed by the operator. 
In a preferred mode of execution of the method according to the invention, 
the images to be displayed are produced by reading a videodisk comprising 
simultaneous recordings of the moving landscape and control operations 
carried out by the model driver. In a particularly advantageous manner, 
moving-landscape recording is carried out in a compressed form in at least 
one direction corresponding to that of the possible steering errors, 
starting from the landscape as seen by the model driver at a wider angle 
than that of the display window. The images of the moving landscape are 
then produced in front of the operating station by reading said compressed 
recording, carrying out an expansion which compensates for compression at 
the time of recording, and selection of a portion of the expanded 
recording to be displayed in said window. 
Furthermore, in accordance with another distinctive feature of the 
invention, the steering errors are determined from the variation in 
orientation of the steering element of the model control operations during 
a unitary time interval by making a comparison between the control 
operation of the trainee driver and a recording performed at a constant 
driving speed imposed on the vehicle. 
The invention also relates to a device for training in the driving of 
moving vehicles which essentially comprises means adapted to carry out the 
method hereinabove defined. 
The detailed description given below will relate to a particular embodiment 
which is chosen by way of non-limitative example in order to gain a more 
complete understanding of the essential features and advantages of the 
invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In accordance with FIG. 1, a device in accordance with the invention, in 
the particular case of the embodiment herein described, comprises an 
automobile operating station 1 in which is shown the steering wheel 2 and 
the gear shift lever 3 in particular. The seat on which the trainee driver 
is seated in order to operate the steering wheel 2 in a training procedure 
has not been illustrated. However, there is shown in the drawings a 
display device 4 represented in the form of a television monitor. 
The device is controlled by a microprocessor computer 10. In accordance 
with the connections shown in the figure, said computer receives data 
representing the different operational control orders given by the trainee 
driver at the operating station 1 during a training session. These data 
are delivered by sensors 5, 6, 7, 9 in which the sensor 5 in particular is 
responsive to the movements imparted to the accelerator pedal of the 
operating station and the sensor 9 detects the angular orientation of the 
steering wheel 2 with respect to a reference orientation corresponding as 
a rule to a vehicle which is traveling in a straight line. The computer 10 
will therefore be capable of taking into account in its calculations, not 
only the direction followed by a vehicle which is thus driven under 
simulated conditions, but also the speed and acceleration of the vehicle. 
In addition, the operating station 1 receives data from the computer 10 
which initiates operation of indicators 11, 12 including in particular a 
speedometer 12 in order to simulate the functions which these indicators 
would perform in a real vehicle. The computer can likewise control the 
operation of ancillary equipment units which are illustrated in the 
particular case considered in the form of a loudspeaker 13 for simulating 
engine noise. The same computer 10 controls the television monitor 4 and 
the definition of the images displayed on its screen 21. It is for this 
reason that there is shown in FIG. 1 a line 17 for transmission of the 
video signal and a unit 16 for imposing a spatial displacement on the line 
scan which ensures reconstruction of the images in accordance with the 
video signal data. 
Other data processed by the computer 10 are orders given by an instructor 
by means of a control desk 15. In particular, these orders define the 
choice of a training sequence among several alternatives of orders for 
initializing an exercise or orders for stopping the performance of an 
exercise, for example at a stage on which the instructor desires to 
comment. 
The last essential element of FIG. 1 is a video-disk reader 14 which has 
the function of reading a recording medium consisting of a videodisk in 
the example under consideration. Starting and stopping of reading 
operations as well as reading speed are controlled from the computer 10. 
The reader 14 is connected to the computer 10 by means of two data 
transmission lines, namely a line 19 for transmitting a video signal which 
defines the images to be displayed and a line 20 for transmitting various 
data recorded on the sound recording channels of the videodisk. Finally, a 
line 18 effects synchronization between the reader 14 and the control unit 
16 of the television monitor. A video tape recorder 22 can record the 
driving sequences of the trainee as well as any references of the model in 
order to permit re-display of the training sequences for comments. 
The method will now be described with reference to FIG. 2 in regard to the 
operations performed by the computer 10. The block diagram provided in 
this figure shows the display window 21 formed by the screen of the 
monitor 4, the steering wheel 2 operated by the trainee driver and the 
videodisk 24, the recordings of which are read by the reader 14. The 
videodisk 24 carries a recording of images from which the images to be 
displayed in front of the trainee driver will be produced and also carries 
various data recorded on the two channels which are usually reserved for 
sound in conventional videodisks. One of these channels can be employed 
for reproduction of sound effects. The other channel is assigned to 
recording of data relating to the theoretical operation by the model 
driver, or "model operation". 
The mode of execution herein described presupposes that the image data and 
theoretical operation data respectively have been recorded simultaneously 
in the form of successive values of the angle of orientation of the 
vehicle with respect to a fixed reference axis. By way of alternative, it 
is possible to employ a recording on electronic cassette. A "memory" 
cassette of this type associated with the videodisk performs in this case 
the function of the channel mentioned above and the data contained in said 
cassette and recorded from the model operation are read in combination 
with the images derived from the videodisk. 
Furthermore, recording of the road as it passes in front of the model 
driver is assumed to have been performed while said model driver was 
traveling at a relatively low and constant speed. It should be understood 
that this constant speed is chosen so as to remain usually lower than the 
average speed which will be adopted by the trainee driver. 
During a training period, the trainee driver follows in principle the same 
road as the model driver, making allowance for errors, but he or she has 
no reason to follow the same road at the same speed. The operational 
program of the computer is so designed as to control the display of images 
of the road which passes in front of the trainee driver while taking into 
account, not only the driving errors which produce a difference in 
orientation of the vehicle with respect to the orientation recorded on the 
videodisk in the case of the image of the same point on the road, but also 
the effect of the speed of the vehicle on the image seen by the driver. In 
other words, the effect simulated is a reaction to displacements of the 
steering wheel as a function of the speed of travel on the road. 
To this end, it is necessary to detect at 26 the angle of rotation .theta. 
of the steering wheel with respect to a fixed direction, to calculate at 
27 the radius of curvature of the path of travel of the vehicle, namely R, 
and to calculate at 28 a value which will subsequently be compared in the 
comparator 25 with the corresponding value determined at 32 from the 
information contained in the videodisk. The incidence of the rate of 
travel of road images is already present in the determination of the 
reading orders given to the videodisk reader. By varying the speed of the 
videodisk reader, the successive images of the recording will be 
reproduced at the display terminal at a frequency which will be higher or 
lower as a function of the variation in speed, the reference being always 
with respect to the constant speed adopted by the model driver for 
picture-taking. 
The values compared at 25 are accordingly as follows: 
on the one hand .DELTA..beta./.DELTA.t where .DELTA..beta. is the variation 
in orientation during an arbitrary unitary time interval .DELTA.t, the 
variations in the angle .beta. being recorded during the model operation; 
on the other hand .DELTA..alpha./.DELTA.t where .DELTA..alpha. is the 
variation in orientation during trainee operation in respect of the same 
unitary time interval. 
The ratio just given is calculated at 28, as will be found in FIG. 5 and 
justified by the equation: 
##EQU1## 
where V is the speed derived from the action on the accelerator pedal and 
detected at 33, and 
R is the radius of curvature calculated at 27. 
The comparator 25 delivers a signal .epsilon. which represents the 
difference between the two compared values. This signal serves to produce 
a proportional lateral displacement of the center of the displayed image. 
In order to permit this displacement, there is provided at the display 
terminal an image 23 of greater width than the image which can normally be 
seen through the vehicle windshield but only a portion 22 of this image is 
shown in the display window formed by the screen 21, this portion being 
selected according to the desired extent of displacement. The production 
of the image 23 is carried out at 31 by means of the video signal read 
from the videodisk as well as the selection of the portion 22 to be 
displayed as a function of the image-displacement instructions. 
Finally, provision has been made for an arrangement such that the computer 
produces at 29 penalty-setting data according to the values assumed by the 
difference determined by the comparison at 25. It is thus possible to 
initiate, for example, either turn-on of special warning lamps or the 
appearance of corresponding indications by insertion in the displayed 
image. 
In order to be able to obtain the wide image 23, recording on the videodisk 
is carried out by filming the real road through an anamorphic lens so as 
to produce an image which covers a wide horizontal field of cinemascope 
format. This image is compressed in width when it is recorded while 
conforming to the usual standards of the videodisk. At the time of 
reproduction, the image is expanded horizontally in inverse ratio to the 
image of the anamorphic lens. The image is then restored to a correct 
geometry but its width is greater than that of the screen of the 
television monitor. 
The curves of FIG. 3 illustrate the method adopted for obtaining expansion 
of the compressed image and lateral displacement of the portion of 
displayed image by means of a control unit shown diagrammatically in FIG. 
4. A complementary circuit 37 is added to the usual circuits 35 which 
control the beam deflection in the line scan (horizontal scan) by means of 
a coil 36. The function of said complementary circuit is to amplify the 
scanning-beam current and to add thereto a current having a value which is 
proportional to the lateral displacement of the image to be obtained. The 
waveform or curve of variation of the scanning-beam current I as a 
function of the time interval t accordingly undergoes a transition from 
the shape corresponding to the compressed image represented by the first 
curve of FIG. 3 to the shape of the second curve by amplification in the 
case of the expanded image, then from the shape of the second curve to 
that of the third curve by addition of a constant current Id for the 
lateral displacement. Only those portions of the waveform which appear in 
thicker lines give rise to a line scan which is located within the frame 
of the television monitor screen which therefore represents the selection 
of that portion of the expanded image which is to be displayed. 
As will readily be apparent, the invention is not limited in any sense to 
the distinctive features specified in the foregoing or to the details of 
the particular embodiment which has been chosen and which is to be 
interpreted as illustrative. A variety of changes may be made in the 
particular construction herein described by way of example and in its 
constituent elements without thereby departing either from the scope or 
the spirit of the invention. This invention thus includes within its scope 
all means constituting technical equivalents of the means hereinabove 
described as well as all combinations of such means.