Abstract:
A motion simulator having a people-holding capsule attached at the front end and at the rear end to a supporting structure. The supporting structure has movable arms that, when extended or retracted, provide positive and negative pitch to the capsule. The supporting structure also provides the mechanism for rotating the capsule up to and in excess of 360 degrees. It is also possible to make the support structure capable of supporting forward/backward as well as side-by-side motion. With a video display system installed inside the capsule providing optical cues, this invention provides the motion cues necessary to provide a safe entertainment environment for passengers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A. Field of the Invention 
     The field of this invention is motion simulators. More particularly and in the preferred embodiment, the invention is a motion simulator which provides (1) full 360 degree roll capability combined with forward/backward, lateral, and up/down motion, (2) size that permits portability, (3) and simple, reliable operation. The motion system is controlled externally by a preprogrammed set of commands executed by an external Processing Unit. The motion system will seat multiple rows of passengers and when combined with a visual display system and sound system, will provide a complete simulation environment to the passengers. 
     As a motion simulator, this invention is used to provide motion sensations to passengers riding inside the simulator. This motion simulator is used primarily in entertainment applications, such as in amusement parks. During operation the passengers ride inside a capsule, observing a visual scene on a display screen at the front of the capsule and hearing sound from speakers placed inside the capsule. The motion simulator moves the capsule in synchronization with the displayed visual scene, greatly enhancing the realism and quality of the entertainment experience. 
     B. Description of Related Art 
     It is desirable in providing a simulation environment to provide physical motion to the passengers. This motion adds to the realism of the simulation experience. A variety of motion devices have been developed to meet this need. Degrees of movement within motion simulators has traditionally been described in terms of the number of &#34;degrees of freedom&#34; (DOF). A 3-DOF motion base would provide heave (up and down), roll (tipping down on either side) and pitch (tipping down in the front or the back). A 4-DOF motion base would add surge (linear forward and backward) with a 6-DOF motion base adding sway (twisting the front or rear sideways) and linear sideways movement. Generally, the prior art devices fall into one of three categories, which can be classified as pivot type, bench type and sled type simulators. 
     Pivot type simulators typically use actuators positioned underneath the motion platform. Seats for passengers ar placed on top of the platform. Sometimes these seats are enclosed in a compartment, sometimes the these seats are open as within a theater. Movement within a pivot type simulator depends on the particular design, with 3, 4, and 6-DOF motion systems available. Pivot type simulators generally are complicated devices with a large number of mechanical actuator components requiring extensive control systems because each movement requires a coordinated movement of all the actuators of the platform. 
     Bench type simulators are available in a variety of forms, with the most common being a row of seats which can move up and down, tilt from side to side, and tip toward the front or the back. In some variations, the individual seats have limited independent, synchronized shaking motion as well. Most bench type simulators have open seats with imagery projected onto a fixed screen in a theater type environment. 
     Sled type simulators come in a large variety of forms but all tend to move the passenger compartment by pitching, down on either side, and/or tipping, up or down in the front or back. Typically sled type simulators operate in a bowl, on a track or on a pivot point. These devices are the closest to the traditional amusement park or arcade rides and may or may not be combined with a imagery system as a part of the simulation. 
     There have also been designs for simulators based on suspending the passenger compartment from above, whereby actuators suspended from a frame support and control the movement of the passenger compartment. The inventors know of no production models or patents for this type of motion system simulator but believe such a design may exist. 
     The following patents describe inventions which constitute the most pertinent prior art that the applicant is aware of. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,256, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Trumbull describes an amusement ride that uses three hydraulic rams that can tilt the passenger frame or move it up or down. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,140, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Fogerty describes a ride assembly for simulating travel that uses carriage members to provide pitching and rolling, in limited degrees, to a passenger housing. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,236, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Czarnecki describes a trip motion simulator which provides motion to a people-holding capsule by supporting the capsule on pitch and roll cradles, with the cradles themselves mounted on a platform that permits fore and aft as well as side to side motion. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,470, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Astroth et al. describes a system for adding realism to video display which uses a platform mechanism to tilt the single passenger seat while moving the views on the video display accordingly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,945, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Browning et al. describes an entertainment structure in which the seats in an auditorium are tilted and rotated to enhance the visual presentation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,128, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Wachsmuth et al. describes a spatial disorientation trainer-flight simulator which uses a cockpit gimbaled on three independently controlled axes, ie., pitch, roll and yaw, revolving about a planetary axis. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,129, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Newman et al. describes a simulation device in which a passenger cabin is mounted on a pivoting structure providing pivoting and pitching motion to the passenger, under passenger control as part of a video arcade game. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,771, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Nelson et al. describes a video simulation apparatus. This machine has an enclosed cockpit containing movement controls and may be occupied by one or two persons. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,162, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Trumbull et al. describes an amusement ride of the type that moves and tilts passengers viewing a motion picture. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,849, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Hollingsworth III et al. describes a point of view motion simulator system to be used essentially for applying motion to seats within a motion picture theater. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,878, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Wuu describes a movie theater where the seats are attached to a movable platform which provides tilting motion to participants of the ride. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,933, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Watkins et al. describes a seat base motion controller for providing seat motion for seat motion systems used in amusement rides and the like. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,932, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Yamaguchi describes an amusement apparatus based on a rotary capsule which holds one or two individuals and performs rotary motions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,352, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Denne describes a simulator mechanism that provides 6-degrees of freedom in motion. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,150, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Carlos et al. describes a flight simulator utilizing a sphere assembly mounted on a pedestal. The sphere and pedestal are both moveable under the control of motion actuation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,247, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Barr et al. describes a ride attraction which provides motion for a number of vehicles within a large stationary domed projection screen. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,875, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for the material that is disclosed therein, to Trumbull describes a method for generating supplemental motion in simulator. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for the simulation of motion sensations to passengers. This invention achieves this object by using a motion support structure, attached to each end of a passenger-holding capsule, which is capable of inducing on the capsule motion forces moving the capsule forward and backward, laterally (side by side), up and down, and/or rotationally about both the length of the capsule and about the center of the capsule. This invention accomplishes control of the motion by control parameters being processed by an external processor. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a motion simulator apparatus capable of full 360 degree rotations. It achieves this object through the innovative use of a central axis assembly connected to the motion support structure. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a motion simulator apparatus which is easily transportable and requires little special expertise or effort to set-up and operate. It accomplishes this object by being generally self contained and by being designed to fit within the size constraints of commercial transportation. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a motion simulator apparatus which can be used as an integral component in a complete entertainment simulator package, including film or video, display, sound and motion. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 depicts a side view of the simulator invention. 
     FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the simulator invention. 
     FIG. 3 depicts an end view of the simulator invention. 
     FIG. 4 depicts the passenger-holding capsule positioned on an x-y-z coordinate system to show the motions described as horizontal (H), vertical (V), rotational (R), and lateral one (L1). 
     FIG. 5 depicts the passenger-holding capsule positioned in the x-z plane of an x-y-z coordinate system to show the motion described as pivotal (P). 
     FIG. 6 depicts the passenger-holding capsule positioned in the x-z plane of an x-y-z coordinate system to show the motion described as lateral two (L2). 
     FIG. 7 depicts the system block diagram of the simulator invention. 
     FIG. 8 depicts a view of the horizontal ball screw drive mechanism. 
     FIG. 9 depicts a view of the vertical ball screw drive mechanism and of the rotational flywheel drive mechanism. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is a simulator system for use in providing motion sensations or cues to passengers as a part of a total sensory environment. Motion sensations or cues are defined as the sensory response in the human user to the feelings of motion, orientation, velocity and acceleration. The primary use for this invention is in entertainment, or ride, applications. However, other uses for this invention which should be included but not limited to include education, training and research. The preferred embodiment of this invention includes a passenger-holding capsule composed of a light-weight filament wound composite material (other materials which could be used include: fiberglass, aluminum, thermoplastic or any other material from which a suitable capsule could be made), a support structure for the capsule, a number of tracks along which the capsule moves, a number of actuators to provide force to the capsule or its support structure, and a control system to coordinate, manage and monitor the simulator operation. 
     FIG. 1 shows the side view of the simulator invention, positioned in an imaginary x-y plane 115. The passenger-holding capsule 101 is shown suspended by a pair of spindles 104a and 104b and a pair of vertical supports 103a and 103b above a set of tracks, horizontal track 111, lateral track 112, single ended lateral track 113 and pivotal track 114. Along these tracks horizontal motion 260, lateral motion 250, single ended lateral motion 270 and pivotal motion 280 can occur. The types of motion created on these tracks are more particularly described in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. Entrance and exit from the passenger-holding capsule 101 is provided via a series of doors 102 in each side of the capsule. Vertical motion of capsule 101 (either up or down) is indicated by an arrow 150 on FIG. 1. This vertical motion is enabled by activation of the vertical motor 201 turning the vertical belt 314 which is attached to the vertical ball screw 313 thereby applying vertical force to the cross piece of the support structure 315 which is attached to the spindle 104. The weight of the assembly is counterbalanced by pneumatic cylinders 107 contained within the vertical supports 103a and c. Rotational motion, shown in FIG. 1 by curved arrows 160 and 170, is enabled by use of the rotational motor 105 moving a drive belt 303 which in turn applies torque to a flywheel 106. The flywheel 106 transfers the torque through a rotational bearing 108 to the spindle 104 and from there to the passenger-holding capsule 101. Note that in this manner rotation can be continued indefinitely. Horizontal motion, shown in FIG. 2 by an arrow 260, is accomplished by activating horizontal motor 302 turning horizontal belt 312 which is attached to the horizontal ball screw 311 which in turn is connected to the under section of the support structure 103. Horizontal wheels 110 are also attached to the under section of the support structure 103. These wheels 110 ride on a horizontal track 111. In the preferred embodiment horizontal track 111 is of very limited length, short enough to fit within the limits of a standard cargo truck. This horizontal track 111 is designed to provide the means by which forward and backward motion is accomplished. Similarly, the lateral motion is accomplished by activating a set of linear motors 307a and 307b, one of which is positioned each side of the passenger-holding capsule 101. Each linear motor 307 turns a linear belt 316 which is attached to linear ball screw 317 thereby applying linear force to the support structure 103 and moving the capsule 101 side to side. Lateral wheels 304 are attached to the support structure 103 and are positioned on the lateral track 112. The lateral track 112 provides the means by which the entire passenger-holding capsule can be moved side to side. Single ended lateral motion (shown in FIG. 2 by arrow 270) is accomplished by movement of only one end of the passenger-holding capsule 101 along the second lateral track 113. This single ended lateral motion method, is also accomplished by the means of linear motors 308 which turns single ended lateral belt 318 which is attached to singled ended linear ball screw 319 thereby applying the single ended linear force to the support structure 103 and moving one end of capsule 101. Single ended lateral wheels 305 which are attached to the support structure 103 and positioned on the second lateral track 113. This single ended lateral motion provides the means for laterally shifting the front and the back of the passenger-holding capsule 101 independently. The pivotal motion (shown in FIG. 2 by an arrow 280) is driven is by linear motors 309 which turns pivot belt 320 which is attached to pivot ball screw 321 thereby applying the pivotal force to the support structure 103 and moving the capsule 101 about its center. Pivot wheels 306 which are attached to the support structure 103 and are positioned on the pivot track 114. This pivotal motion method provides the means to pivot the passenger-holding capsule 101 about its center. Each of the tracks 111, 112, 113, 114 are layered atop each other. Each of the tracks 111, 112, 113, 114 are, in the preferred embodiment, composed of a metal structure of two joined track structures. The preferred embodiment of the invention is configurable, enabling the combination of one or more of the motion means as necessary to simulate the required motion. 
     FIG. 2 shows a top view, in an imaginary x-z plane 210, of the simulator invention. In this view the passenger-holding capsule 101 is shown centered between each of the sets of tracks 111, 112, 113, 114 and in an upright position. The vertical motors 210 are shown connected to the vertical supports 103 to provide the necessary lift or release to the vertical motion. 
     FIG. 3 shows an end view of the simulator invention. In this view the stacking of the motion tracks 111, 112, 113, 114 is shown. The linear motor 302 which drive the linear belt 312 which turns the linear ball screw 311 is shown. This drive mechanism used to transfer power from the linear motors 302 to the support structure 103. Linear wheels are 304 are shown riding on the linear track 112. The rotational motor 105 is shown connecting to the drive belt 303 which is in turn connected to the flywheel 106 which is in turn connected to the rotational bearings 108 which is in turn connected to the spindle 104 and which is connected to the passenger-holding capsule 101. In this manner the rotational motor 105 applies force turning the passenger-holding capsule. Complete rotations are possible in either direction upon command to the rotational motor 105. 
     FIG. 4 is a representation of the passenger-holding capsule 101 in three-space. X, Y, and Z represent the axis defining the three-space as shown in the figure. Vertical motion is shown as motion along or in parallel to the Y axis. Horizontal motion is shown as motion along or in parallel to the X axis. Linear motion is shown as motion along or in parallel to the Z axis. Rotational motion is shown as motion around an imaginary vector running through the center of the passenger-holding capsule 101 in either direction. 
     FIG. 5 is a representation of the passenger-holding capsule 101 in the X-Z plane. Pivotal motion is show as motion rotating end-for-end about an imaginary center point in the passenger-holding capsule 101. 
     FIG. 6 is a representation of the passenger-holding capsule 101 in the X-Z plane. Single-ended lateral motion is shown as a rotation about an imaginary point in the center of either end of the passenger-holding capsule 101. 
     FIG. 7 shows the block diagram of the system implementation of the simulator invention. A computer system 701 controls the operation of the simulator invention by performing a process of monitoring the position of the passenger-holding capsule 101 and applying control inputs to the motor controllers 705 which in turn activate the linear motors 302 thereby, adjusting the position of the passenger-holding capsule 101. The computer system 701 in the preferred embodiment is defined as a stand-alone processor with random access memory, hard disk permanent storage, a monitor, keyboard and mouse for user interface devices, and a modem for connection to remote computer systems for the purpose of transferring new simulation environment processes. Power is supplied to all components of the system through the use of a power generator 704. In the preferred embodiment, the computer system 701 also activates and controls a laser disk based video system 702, a audio system 703 and various safety devices, such as the entrances and exits 102, the weight distribution within the passenger-holding capsule 101 the fastening of user seat-belts, the monitor of fire/smoke alarms and air conditioning, as well as control and communication with a smart terminal 707 which is installed inside the passenger-holding capsule 101. All electronic communication to and from the interior of the passenger-holding capsule 101 pass through a commutator 706, which is designed to permit continuous connectivity between the interior and the exterior of the passenger-holding capsule without regard to the rotational state or movement of the capsule. 
     FIG. 8 further shows the ball screw mechanism as applied to horizontal movement. The horizontal motor 302 turns the horizontal belt 312, thereby turning the horizontal ball screw 311 and driving the support structure 103 along the horizontal tracks 111. Horizontal wheels 110 are used to reduce friction between the support structure 103 and the tracks 111. Lateral, single ended lateral and pivotal movements are accomplished in an identical manner with the only significant difference being that the track is positioned at a 90 degree angle from the horizontal track 111 for the lateral track 112 and the track is curved as shown in FIG. 2 for the single ended lateral track 113 and for the pivotal track 114. 
     FIG. 9 further shows the ball screw mechanism as applied to vertical movement. The vertical motor 201 driving the vertical belt 314, itself turning the vertical ball screw 313 which is attached to the cross piece of the support structure 901. 
     In the present preferred embodiment of this invention the passenger-holding capsule 101 is composed of a filament wound composite structure as is commonly understood in the filament winding structure art. The support structure 103 and the rails 111, 112, 113 and 114 are constructed of steel, formed, joined, finished and painted in accordance with standard commonly understood methods of metal work. The motors 105, 201, 302, 307, 308 and 309 are commercially available electric motors. The pneumatic cylinders and actuators 107 are also standard commercially available parts. The motor control units 705 are standard digital motor controllers. The computer system is a Pentium based microcomputer operating at 90 MHz with 32 MBytes of dynamic Random Access Memory, a 1.6 GByte hard disk, a floppy drive, a modem, monitor, keyboard and mouse. This computer system is a common commercially available system. The commutator is a commercially available component. A smart, or processor based, terminal 707 is included in the preferred embodiment of the invention. This terminal 707 is also a common commercially available computer interface. 
     The preferred control logic for managing the operation of the invention has been encoded into a computer program. This computer program runs on the computer system 701. Attached herein is the source code of the computer program which is an enabling example of the control process. This computer program serves to illustrate one way in which the method of the present control process can be implemented. It should be recognized that the process and the method of the present invention are not intended to be limited by the program listing included herein. This process could be implemented using virtually any other language. 
     It is to be understood that the above described embodiments are merely illustrative of numerous and varied other embodiments which may constitute applications of the principles of the invention. Such other embodiments may be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention and it is our intent that they be deemed within the scope of our invention. ##SPC1##