Patent GB-1128821-A (GB)
Title: Vehicle driver training apparatus
IPC: G09B9/05
Filed: 1965-09-22
Abstract: 1,128,821. Training vehicle drivers. GENERAL PRECISION Inc. 22 Sept., 1965 [22 Sept., 1964], No. 40488/65. Heading B7H. [Also in Division H3] A training apparatus for testing more than one trainee in vehicle operation and for recording the results of each trainee over a sequence of tests, comprises trainees' stations 10, 12, Fig. 1, each having controls and indicators 22 . . . 32 simulating a vehicle and an instructor's station 20 having a motion picture projector 18 and a manual slide projector 40 for displaying scenes on a screen 16, means for generating a unique signal at the central station to test the operation at any instant of a particular control, for instance steering, braking &c., by each of the trainees and a recorder 44 which records the results of each test by printing a number corresponding to the particular test and a further series of numbers each identifying a trainee who has operated the control incorrectly. The incorrect operation of the tested control is also indicated during the test by one of a bank of lights 206 at each trainee station, and by a bank of lights 46 at the instructor's station 20, there being one light for each pupil and further lights indicating the particular test. Each test is initiated by the instructor or by the film being projected but the tests initiated by the film have priority. Each test is identified by a fivebit binary number except 00000 so that thirtyone tests may be identified and signals corresponding to the binary numbers of the tests are imposed on the sound track of the film. Actuation of one of a series of switches 42 by the instructor also initiates the tests and also results in the generation of a five-bit binary test number. Some of these switches 42 also actuate the slide projector 40. Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the electrical circuitry of the system. The projector 18 also delivers audio sounds, such as that created by traffic &c. displayed on the screen, to a number of speakers 200 and directs the binary signals on the sound track to a performance decoder and gate generator unit 202 in the instructor's station. The decoder energizes for each binary signal a particular one of the output lines leading to a particular control at each of the trainee stations. Sensor and error generating circuitry at each trainee's station monitors the selected control and if an error is sensed a signal is sent to the performance recorder and the appropriate light of the bank of lights 206 forming the student station error indicator is energized. The sensor and generating circuitry at each trainee station comprises four switches 110 . . . 116, Fig. 3, corresponding to " Brakes off," " Brakes on ," " Brakes on full," " Hand Brake on," and the switches are open if the brakes are set in the corresponding condition. If the " brakes on full " condition is to be tested the circuit leading to the corresponding switch is energized by the decoder 202 and if the switch is closed indicating that the brakes are not on full a brake relay 106 is energized and closes the single circuit between the trainee's station and the recorder. The relay also energizes a brake light on the trainee's error indicator 206. The brake relay 106 is common to the four brake condition circuits. The sensor and generating circuitry also includes five switches 94 . . . 124 sensing five positions of the steering wheel and adapted to operate a single relay 98 for energizing the single circuit between trainee and recorder. The sensor and generating circuit also includes two switches 126, 128 sensing two positions of a turn indicator and adapted to operate a single relay 108. The sensor and generating circuit also includes two switches 160a, 162a sensing whether the lights are bright or dim and adapted to energize a single relay 166. The sensory and generating circuit also includes circuitry, Fig. 4 (not shown), for checking the speed of the trainee's simulated vehicle. Six speed test conductors lead from the decoder 202 to six relays (130. . . 140) corresponding to six speeds. Each relay has a contact (130a to 140a) for energizing a speed test line (142) and a second contact (130b to 140b) which taps off a different voltage for each speed from a divider. The tapped voltage is supplied to the emitter of a transistor (148) via a complementary pair of transistors (144, 146). The base of transistor (148) is connected via a resistance (150) to a voltage simulating the speed of the vehicle and controlled by the trainee. If the simulated speed is in excess of the speed selected by the decoder the base voltage exceeds the emitter voltage and the transistor (148) and a further transistor (154) conduct and a speed relay (156) closes to energize the single circuit between the trainee and the recorder. The binary number of each test is coded on the sound track of the film in the form of a rectangular pulse for 1 and no pulse for 0 and is detected by a photo-cell and passed to a squaring amplifier 500, Fig. 5, and then to a differentiating circuit comprising a capacitor 504 and a resistor 502. The positive spikes are applied to an "and" gate comprising diodes 512 and 514 and the first incoming positive pulse triggers a multivibrator 508 providing a positive voltage therefrom for 3 milliseconds. If a pulse of longer duration than 3 milliseconds is received a second multivibrator 516 is triggered by the "and" gate and provides a 20 millisecond output pulse which gates a 250 c.p.s. oscillator 518 feeding a squaring amplifier 520 followed by a differentiating circuit. Negative spikes therefrom are applied to a conventional 5-bit shift register 526. The negative-going trailing edge of the 20 millisecond signal from the second multivibrator 516 also operates the read-out line 530 of a decoding matrix 532. The latter receives the fivebit binary signal and energizes an output conductor depending upon the binary number read from the shift register. The matrix 532 may alternatively be coupled to a chain of five cascaded bi-stable devices such as flip-flops to energize the output lines. Whenever the digit 1 is stored in any position in the shift register 526 a relay 807 is energized to open contact 807a Fig. 8a (not shown), and thus inhibit the manual test switches 42 operated by the instructor. The binary number 00000 is used to indicate the end of the tests from the film sound track and causes the relay 807 to be de-energized and consequently any test previously set by the instructor is immediately made. The recorder includes a printing mechanism comprising solenoids having plungers providing type face and a typewriter ribbon mechanically driven in either direction. Five plungers print the numbers 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 corresponding to the binary digits of the test, the sum being the number of the test in decimal notation. The five binary plungers are energized by five relays in a diode network, Fig. 8a (not shown), which shows the arrangement for carrying out nineteen tests. If, for instance, test number 18 is initiated by manual switch (42r), or by the grounding of input terminal (124<SP>1</SP>) by the matrix 532 then only the relay (826) which prints the number 16 and the relay (818) which prints the number 2 are energized. Lights are arranged to be energized at the same time as the relays. The solenoids of the printing plungers are energized by condensers which are charged when the corresponding relay is deenergized. The printing mechanism also has plungers for printing the number of each simulated car. Each time an error is sensed the single conductor between the simulated car and the recorder energizes a corresponding relay (862 . . . 872), Fig. 8b (not shown), to energize the corresponding solenoid (874... 884) of the printing plunger. Each manual test switch (42a . . . 42s) has an additional contact which energizes a further print relay (833) which actuates a printing plunger to print the letter M simultaneously with the test number when the test is initiated by the instructor. A lamp (46f) is also energized. The relay 807, Fig. 5, is slow-acting to provide time for the advance of the paper in the printing mechanism. Counters for counting the errors made by each trainee in each of the categories braking, steering, turn signalling, lights and speed are provided.