US 5,547,382 AGranted

Riding simulation system for motorcycles

AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsGorou Yamasaki, Iseno Mitsuru, Yukio Miyamaru

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Abstract

A motorcycle riding simulation system including a model motorcycle operated and ridden upon by a person. Responsive to operation by the person riding, the model motorcycle is moved by a driven mount to pitch, yaw and roll to simulate riding conditions. A moving image such as scenery which would be seen from a running motorcycle is displayed in front of the person riding. The moving image is varied in response to driving conditions of the model motorcycle and is provided by a display with a curved screen. An image projector projects images on the curved screen from behind. The system is provided with an image recorder for recording both images displayed by the display and driving operation data. An output provides access to recorded information in the image recorder. A background image is reflected in the rear view mirrors of a two-wheeled simulation vehicle. The image is formed by a background image generator. Video signals fed from the background image generator are displayed as images by a background image display, whereby background images can be reflected in the rear view mirrors of the simulation vehicle.

A riding simulation system comprising:

a simulation vehicle to be driven by a driver and having rear view mirrors;
display means disposed in front of said simulation vehicle for displaying images of pre-recorded running scenes observable by the driver;
a mount including drive means for imparting simulative running behaviors to said simulation vehicle;
processor means for controlling said display means and said mount in accordance with driving operations performed by the driver to simulate running conditions;
a backward image generator including:
(a) a first image control which generates first coordinate information indicative of a running position of another vehicle moving on an imaginary traveling map, and extracts second coordinate information indicative of a running position of said simulation vehicle and speed information indicative of a running speed of said simulation vehicle from information generated by said processor means;
(b) a second image control which, on the basis of said first and second coordinate information, generates first frame information designating an image of another vehicle of a size proportional to the distance between said simulation vehicle and said another vehicle, and second frame information designating the course image in the rear view corresponding to said second coordinate information;
(c) a first image producer having stored pre-recorded images of said another vehicle for reproducing an image of said another vehicle selected in accordance with said first frame information out of said pre-recorded images of said another vehicle;
(d) a second image producer having stored pre-recorded course images in the rear view for reproducing, on the basis of said speed information, a course image selected in accordance with said second frame information out of said pre-recorded course images;
and
(e) an image combining means for combining said output images from said first and second image producers and thereby forming said backward image;
and
backward image display means provided in said simulation vehicle for displaying, as images, video signals fed from said backward image generator.

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Abstract

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