Virtual elastic component simulator

A system for simulating the replacement of an elastic component in an elastic system which utilizes a transfer function of the elastic system:

• (a) an input means for entering a transfer function of a virtual elastic component, said virtual elastic component representing an actual elastic component in said elastic system;
• (b) a vibrating means for inducing vibrations in said elastic system;
• (c) a vibration detector for detecting vibrations in the elastic system and generating vibration signals;
• (d) a first arithmetic unit for calculating the ratio between a transfer function for an elastic component and the transfer function of a virtual elastic component entered by the input means;
• and
• (e) a second arithmetic unit for multiplying said vibration signals by said ratio and generating output vibration signals.

A vibration signal generator apparatus for generating vibration signals that are used by a vibrating system to vibrate an elastic system having an elastic component, said elastic system and said elastic component having associated transfer functions, said vibration signal generator further comprising:

• (a) an input means for entering a transfer function of a virtual elastic component, said virtual elastic component representing an actual elastic component in said elastic system, and for entering a vibration signal representative of vibrations in said elastic system;
• (b) a first arithmetic unit for calculating the ratio between a transfer function for an elastic component and the transfer function of a virtual elastic component entered by the input means;
• and
• (c) a second arithmetic unit for multiplying said vibration signals by said ratio and generating output vibration signals.

A system for simulating the actual replacement of an elastic component in an elastic system comprising:

• (a) an elastic system having at least one elastic component;
• (b) an input means for entering a transfer function of a virtual elastic component, said virtual elastic component representing an actual elastic component in said elastic system;
• (c) a vibrating system for inducing vibrations in said elastic system;
• (d) means for controlling said vibrating system;
• (e) a detector for detecting vibrations in the elastic system and generating vibration signals;
• (f) a first arithmetic unit for calculating a transfer function of the elastic system and an inverse transfer function of the elastic system;
• (g) a second arithmetic unit for Fourier transforming the vibration signals output from the detector to generate transformed vibration signals;
• (h) a third arithmetic unit for calculating the ratio between a transfer function for an elastic component and the transfer function of a virtual elastic component entered by the input means;
• (i) a fourth arithmetic unit for multiplying said Fourier-transformed vibration signals by said ratio and generating vibration signals by inverse Fourier transforming the multiplied result;
• and
• (j) wherein said means for controlling said vibrating system inputs said generated vibration signals and controls said vibrating system to produce vibrations in said elastic system.

A method for virtually changing an elastic member of an elastic system of a vehicle and simulating the effect of this virtual change comprising the following steps:

• determining the transfer function of an elastic component;
• inputting a transfer function for a virtual elastic component said virtual elastic component representing an elastic component in said elastic system;
• calculating a ratio between the transfer function of the elastic component and the transfer function of the virtual elastic component;
• determining a transfer function of a virtual elastic system from said ratio;
• and
• using said transfer function of a virtual elastic system to simulate the effect of using a virtual component is said elastic system.