JP4461057B2 - Vehicle simulation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle simulation apparatus used for traffic safety education, games, physical fitness training, and the like.

  In order to simulate the driving of airplanes, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, etc., simulation apparatuses corresponding to each vehicle have been proposed, and some of them have been put into practical use.

  In the vehicle simulation apparatus, it is preferable to display the traveling scenery that changes in accordance with the simulated traveling speed in the forward direction so that the actual space is further improved. By the way, if the display device is provided not only in the front but also in the left and right side positions to display the left and right scenes, a more realistic driving situation is realized. From such a viewpoint, a driving system has been proposed in which large screens are arranged on the left and right sides of a driver and a background is projected by a projector (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Scenes are always displayed on the left and right screens in this driving system regardless of the driver's posture and head orientation.

JP 2005-3923 A

  By the way, in the driving system described in Patent Document 1, it is up to the driver to determine whether to view the projected left and right scenes. In particular, when checking left and right at intersections with poor visibility, it is recommended to move the upper body forward to ensure safety confirmation, but even if the left and right scenes are displayed on the simulation device, the confirmation will be made to the driver's intention. If you leave it to me, the effect of making the safety check operation a habit will not be obtained.

  Further, in the driving system described in Patent Document 1, the left and right screens are large and heavy, and project an image with a projector. Therefore, a wide space is required, and installation in a narrow place is difficult. is there. Furthermore, if a simulated vehicle or a driver is present between the projector and the left and right screens, the projection light is shielded, so it is necessary to carefully examine how the projector is arranged. If the projector cannot be placed at an appropriate position facing the left and right screens, the projected image will be distorted.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle simulation apparatus capable of realizing a simulation that surely performs left and right safety checks according to the situation.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle simulation apparatus that can display left and right scenes with a small and simple configuration.

The vehicle simulation device according to claim 1 displays a simulated vehicle operated by the driver and a scene based on the operation of the simulated vehicle, and is viewed from the first viewpoint set based on the boarding position of the driver. A display unit and a side display unit provided on at least one of the left and right sides, wherein a display image is not viewed from the first viewpoint and a display image is viewed from a second viewpoint ahead of the first viewpoint. It is characterized by having. Thus, if the side display unit is set so as not to be viewed from the first viewpoint of the boarding position but to be viewed from the second viewpoint, the left and right safety confirmation operations can be performed reliably.

The vehicle simulation apparatus according to a second aspect is the vehicle simulation apparatus according to the first aspect , wherein a shielding means is provided between the first viewpoint and the side display unit .

The vehicle simulation device according to claim 3 is the vehicle simulation device according to claim 1, wherein a front scene is displayed in a central display area of the screen of the front display unit, and a leftward scene is displayed in a left end display area of the screen. And a display control unit that displays a scene in the right direction on the right end display area of the screen, and the side display unit includes a left side display unit and a right side display provided on the left and right sides of the front display unit. The left side display unit and the right side display unit include a shielding member that shields the left end display area and the right end display area from the first viewpoint, and display images of the left end display area and the right end display area. the characterized by having a, a reflecting member for reflecting in the direction of the second viewpoint. As described above, when the left and right scenes are displayed in the left and right end display areas for displaying the left and right scenes, the front display unit also serves as the side display unit, and has a simple configuration .

A vehicle simulation apparatus according to a fourth aspect is the vehicle simulation apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein a magnifying lens is provided between the second viewpoint and the reflection member. By providing the magnifying lens between the second viewpoint and the reflecting member, the image transferred to the reflecting member can be set small, and the image is hardly visually recognized from the first viewpoint without the magnifying lens.

A vehicle simulation apparatus according to a fifth aspect is the vehicle simulation apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a position detection unit that detects a driver's position and the lateral side according to the position of the driver detected by the position detection unit. Display switching means for switching the display unit between display and non-display is provided. By using the display switching means, it is possible to validate the display on the side display unit only when the driver moves the upper body forward and to perform a confirmation operation.

The vehicle simulation apparatus according to claim 6 is the vehicle simulation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the direction detection means detects the direction of the driver's head and the direction of the driver's head detected by the direction detection means. Display switching means for switching the side display unit between display and non-display. As a result, when the driver's head is facing the front, the side display can be hidden, and when the driver is facing either the left or right, the side display can be displayed. The confirmation operation can be surely performed.

The vehicle simulation apparatus according to a seventh aspect is the vehicle simulation apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein a light control film is pasted on the screen of the side display section.

  According to the vehicle simulation device of the present invention, the lateral display unit is set so that it is not visually recognized from the first viewpoint of the boarding position but from the second viewpoint, thereby ensuring the right and left safety confirmation operations. Can be done.

  According to the vehicle simulation device of the present invention, when the left and right end display areas for displaying the left and right scenes are provided on the front display unit, the front display unit also serves as the side display unit and has a small and simple configuration. Further, the left and right scenes can be displayed at appropriate positions on the left and right by the first mirror member and the second mirror member.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle simulation apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a bicycle simulation apparatus 10a according to the first embodiment includes a simulated bicycle (simulated vehicle) 12 operated by a driver and a front monitor (front display) that displays a scene based on the operation of the simulated bicycle 12. Part) 14, a left side display part 16L for displaying the left scene, a right side display part 16R for displaying the right scene, a pair of left and right mat switches 18 provided at positions where the driver gets on and off, and a bicycle simulation And a main controller 20 that performs overall control of the apparatus 10a. The front monitor 14 has a speaker 21, and a general-purpose product can be used. For example, the front monitor 14 may be disposed on the upper surface of the main control unit 20.

  In the following, the mechanisms provided on the left and right in the bicycle simulation apparatus will be described separately by attaching “L” to the left number code and “R” to the right number code. In addition, the viewpoint of the driver who is on the simulated bicycle 12 is referred to as an eye point EP1, and the viewpoint in a state of getting off the simulated bicycle 12 and moving forward from the handle 28 is referred to as an eye point EP2.

  First, the simulated bicycle 12 will be described. The simulated bicycle 12 includes a frame 22, a saddle 24 connected to the frame 22 via a seat pillar, a handle 28 that can rotate about the head tube of the frame 22, and a stand that fixes and supports the head tube 22 a. And two rear forks 30 and a rear wheel 32 rotatably supported at the rear end of the frame 22. A pipe 34 extending in the lateral direction is provided at the front end of the front fork 30, and the pipe 34 is grounded to the floor. The rear wheel 32 is a rear stand. The simulated bicycle 12 includes a pair of cranks 38 connected to the left and right of the crankshaft, a pedal 40 provided at the tip of the crank 38, a front sprocket 42 provided on the right crank 38, and the front sprocket. 42, a rear sprocket 46 that is rotationally driven through a chain 44, an iron flywheel 48 that is rotationally driven from the rear sprocket 46 through a one-way clutch, a drum brake 50 that brakes the flywheel 48, and a handle. 28, and a brake lever 52 provided at 28.

  Furthermore, the simulated bicycle 12 includes a first speed pickup 54 that detects the rotational speed of the flywheel 48, a second speed pickup 56 that detects the rotational speed of the crankshaft, and a steering angle sensor 58 that detects the steering angle of the handle 28. And a rotation sensor 60 that detects an operation amount of the brake lever 52 via the brake wire. The brake wire is branched halfway, one is connected to the rotation sensor 60 and the other is connected to the drum brake 50. By operating the brake lever 52, the operation amount is detected by the rotation sensor 60, and the drum The flywheel 48 is braked by the brake 50. The front fork 30 is provided with a controller 62. The mat switch 18 can detect the driver's foot.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 62 includes an input interface unit 66, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 68, and a first communication unit 70. The first communication unit 70 is connected to the second communication unit 72 of the main control unit 20 and performs real-time communication with the main control unit 20. In the input interface unit 66, the first speed pickup 54, the second speed pickup 56, the steering angle sensor 58, the rotation sensor 60, and the mat switch 18 are connected to the controller 62, and input signals. The CPU 68 processes or converts the signals of the above electrical components and transmits the signals to the main control unit 20 via the first communication unit 70.

  The main control unit 20 includes a situation setting unit 80 that sets a simulated driving situation, an arithmetic processing unit 82 that performs arithmetic processing according to the traveling state, a display control unit 84 that performs display control of the front monitor 14, and the speaker 21. A sound driver 86 that outputs the sound, a warning unit 88 that gives a predetermined warning to the driver, and a storage unit 90 that can read and write data.

  In the arithmetic processing unit 82, for example, the simulated traveling speed V is obtained based on the signal of the first speed pickup 54 acquired through the controller 62, and the simulated traveling direction is obtained based on the signal obtained from the rudder angle sensor 58. Set the current position on the simulation. The storage unit 90 is provided with an image database 90a in which an image of a scene corresponding to the current position obtained by the arithmetic processing unit 82 or polygon data for constituting the image is recorded.

  For example, the warning unit 88 determines whether or not the operation of the driver is appropriate based on signals obtained from the second speed pickup 56, the rotation sensor 60, and the mat switch 18, and the operation is inappropriate. A predetermined warning is issued. This warning is displayed as characters on the screen 14 a of the front monitor 14 or warned as sound from the speaker 21.

  The display control unit 84 includes a central region display control unit 92, a left region display control unit 94, a right region display control unit 96, and an image composition unit 98. The central area display control unit 92 has a function of displaying an image in a wide central display area 100 excluding a narrow area at both right and left ends on the screen 14a of the front monitor 14 (see FIG. 1). The scene in front of the current position is set and displayed based on the image database 90a. The left area display control unit 94 has a function of displaying an image in the left end display area 102L set at a substantially central height in a narrow area at the left end on the screen 14a, and displays a leftward scene at the current position in the image database. Set and display based on 90a. Further, the right area display control unit 96 has a function of displaying an image in the right end display area 102R set to the right end symmetrical to the left end display area 102L, and the right direction scene at the current position is based on the image database 90a. Set and display. The central display area 100, the left end display area 102L, and the right end display area 102R are conceptually different images, but are displayed on the same screen 14a, so that they are combined into one image by the image combining unit 98. Is displayed. The images displayed in the center display area 100, the left end display area 102L, and the right end display area 102R are set based on the simulated situation set by the situation setting unit 80 in addition to the current position. The vehicle traveling state, the walking state of the pedestrian, etc. are displayed as a signal, and the image reflecting the color and operation is displayed as an image of the vehicle, the pedestrian, etc.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the left side display unit 16L includes a first mirror member 110L that reflects the image displayed in the left end display area 102L to the left side, and an image reflected by the first mirror member 110L. A second mirror member 112L that further reflects toward the center and a magnifying lens 114L that magnifies the image of the left end display area 102L projected on the second mirror member 112L. The first mirror member 110L is provided obliquely in top view so that one piece is substantially in contact with the boundary between the left end display area 102L and the central display area 100 on the screen 14a, and the left end display area 102L cannot be seen from the driver. So that it covers. The second mirror member 112L is arranged at the same height as the left end display region 102L at the side of the front monitor 14 and slightly behind, and is set obliquely when viewed from above.

  The magnifying lens 114L is a Fresnel lens, has a saw-like prism with a fine pitch, and is formed in a thin square plate shape. The magnifying lens 114L is made of an acrylic resin or the like, and has a lightweight and strong configuration. In addition, the magnifying lens 114L is disposed between the second mirror member 112L and the eye point EP2, and is directed toward the eye point EP2 so as to enlarge and display the second mirror member 112L over almost the entire surface as viewed from the eye point EP2. Is set to

  As is clear from FIG. 2, the magnifying lens 114L is viewed obliquely from the eye point EP1, and the displayed image is not sufficiently recognized by the driver because the distance is long. Further, the image displayed with respect to the eye point EP1 is an image showing a position different from the second mirror member 112L as indicated by the optical path A, and the image in the left end display area 102L is not visually recognized.

  On the other hand, also on the reflective surface of the second mirror member 112L, the left end display region 102L cannot be viewed from the eye point EP1. In other words, even when the second mirror member 112L is hidden or not hidden by the magnifying lens 114L when viewed from the eye point EP1, the second mirror member 112L projects a portion different from the left end display area 102L. Even if a part of the image of the left end display area 102L is projected on the second mirror member 112L when viewed from the eye point EP1, the distance is far from the eye point EP1, and the image to be projected is small. Therefore, the image cannot be visually recognized substantially.

  The right side display unit 16R includes a first mirror member 110R that reflects the image displayed in the right end display area 102R to the right side, and a second mirror member that further reflects the image reflected by the first mirror member 110R closer to the center. 112R, and a magnifying lens 114R that magnifies the image of the right end display area 102R projected on the second mirror member 112R. Thus, the right side display portion 16R is configured to be bilaterally symmetric with the left side display portion 16L, and has the same operation as the left side display portion 16L.

  Next, a method for simulating bicycle travel using the bicycle simulation apparatus 10a configured as described above will be described.

  In this bicycle simulation device 10a, the simulation starts when the driver approaches the simulated bicycle 12 and steps on the mat switch 18 to turn it on. “The simulated operation starts. Sit down on the saddle and hit the pedal. "Is displayed on the screen 14a, or the sound of a similar word is emitted from the speaker 21 (hereinafter referred to as output). The simulation includes modes such as a running mode, a footing mode, a walking mode, and a reverse mode, and simulations are performed according to each situation.

  The traveling mode is a mode for performing a simulated traveling by the driver stroking the pedal 40 while sitting on the saddle 24 and operating the handle 28. In this case, a scene that changes based on the simulated traveling speed V and the steering angle obtained based on the first speed pickup 54 and the steering angle sensor 58 is displayed on the central display area 100 of the screen 14a. In the foot landing mode, the driver operates the brake lever 52 to set the simulated traveling speed V to 0, gets off, and steps on the mat switch 18. As a result, a scene in which the driver and the bicycle are stopped at a red signal is displayed on the central display area 100 of the screen 14a.

  The walking mode is a mode for pushing a bicycle on a pedestrian path or the like, for example, a mode for learning pushing walking that does not cause trouble for other pedestrians. In this case, the driver gets off the vehicle, and the walking state is reproduced by stepping on the mat switch 18, and a corresponding scene is displayed on the central display area 100 of the screen 14 a of the front monitor 14. The reverse mode is a mode in which the driver who gets off moves backward while pushing the bicycle. In this case, the driver gets off the vehicle and steps on the mat switch 18 while turning on a predetermined reverse switch to reproduce the reverse state, which corresponds to the central display area 100 on the screen 14a of the front monitor 14. A scene is displayed. In each of these modes, a front scene is displayed in the central display area 100 based on the current position obtained by the arithmetic processing unit 82, and the left side display unit 16L and the right side display unit 16R are displayed. The left and right scenes are displayed.

  Next, the left / right confirmation process performed in the simulation will be described with reference to FIG. This left / right confirmation process is a process performed in the footwear mode, the walking mode, etc., for acquiring the left / right safety confirmation operation. For example, it is wide from a narrow alley where both sides are “塀”. The situation is set so that the left and right sides of the street are confirmed in a simulated situation at an intersection that goes out on the street. In such a situation setting, the left side display unit 16L and the right side display unit 16R are viewed from slightly ahead of the assumed current position (for example, from the front by a distance corresponding to the distance between EP1 and EP2). You may make it display the image of the left-right direction. In other words, it is preferable to display an image indicating the vehicle traveling situation in the left-right direction on a wide street as seen from the front rather than the image of “塀” directly beside the driver.

  First, in step S1, an output “Please check left and right before starting running” is performed. This guidance may be omitted if it is performed by an advanced user, and the left and right confirmation may be performed spontaneously.

  Here, the driver is required to confirm left and right by the left side display unit 16L and the right side display unit 16R. Each display image on the left side display portion 16L and the right side display portion 16R is not visually recognized from the eye point EP1, but moves from the saddle 24 and moves the upper body slightly forward from the handle 28 to move the head of the eye point EP2. It can be visually recognized when it reaches the position. That is, an action is required as if the upper body is moved from an actual narrow alley and the left and right of the wide street are confirmed, and the left and right safety confirmation operations can be reliably acquired.

  In step S2, an image obtained by adding an image of the vehicle 200 (see FIG. 1) to the left and right background scenes is displayed on the left side display unit 16L and the right side display unit 16R. As the vehicle 200 to be displayed is traveling, for example, an image of the front surface of the vehicle 200 that gradually increases is displayed on the right side display portion 16R, and then an image of a side surface of the vehicle 200 that passes from right to left in the central display region 100. Is displayed, and an image of the rear surface of the vehicle 200 that gradually decreases is displayed on the left side display portion 16L. Such display of the vehicle 200 is continued within the time counted by the timer process in step S9, and one or more vehicles 200 are displayed.

  In step S3, it is confirmed whether the mat switch 18 is on or off. If it is off, the process proceeds to step S4, and if it is on, the process proceeds to step S5. In step S4, a warning “Please check your feet with your feet” is output, and the process proceeds to step S5.

  In step S5, it is confirmed whether or not the simulated traveling speed V based on the signal from the first speed pickup 54 is zero. When V> 0, the process proceeds to step S6, and when V = 0, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S6, a warning that “the vehicle is still passing through, so please do not exit” is output, and the process proceeds to step S7. In this case, outputting a horn simulated sound from the speaker 21 is more effective as a caution.

  In step S7, the operation amount of the brake lever 52 based on the signal from the rotation sensor 60 is checked. If the brake operation is not performed, the process proceeds to step S8, and if the brake operation is performed, the process proceeds to step S9. In step S8, a warning “Please apply brakes and stop reliably” is output, and the process proceeds to step S9.

  In step S9, an elapsed time during which the vehicle 200 is displayed is checked by a timer. When the specified time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S2 to continue displaying the vehicle 200, and when the specified time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S10. The specified time may be changed appropriately using random numbers or the like.

  In step S10, the vehicle 200 is deleted from the images displayed on the left side display unit 16L and the right side display unit 16R. At this time, since it is unnatural if the displayed vehicle 200 is suddenly deleted, the display of the vehicle 200 displayed at that time may be continued until it runs away, and then the display of the new vehicle 200 may be stopped. .

  In step S11, it is confirmed whether or not the simulated traveling speed V based on the signal from the first speed pickup 54 is zero. When V = 0, the process waits, and when V = 0, the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, the elapsed time from the time when the vehicle 200 is deleted from the image in the process of step S10 is recognized by a predetermined timer, and an output corresponding to the timer is performed. In other words, when this elapsed time is within the prescribed time, it outputs “Your right and left safety check was done correctly before driving.” If it is longer than the prescribed time, “Is you looking at the left and right? ”Is not coming.” And prompts to start driving. After the completion of step S12, the left / right safety confirmation process shown in FIG. In such a left-right safety confirmation process, automatic scoring may be performed according to a predetermined rule based on the attention process in steps S4, S6, and S8.

  As described above, according to the bicycle simulation apparatus 10a according to the first embodiment, the left and right scenes are displayed in the left end display area 102L and the right end display area 102R on the screen 14a. Serves as a side display unit and has a simple configuration, and a single front monitor 14 is sufficient for the display device. Therefore, it is particularly suitable for applications that frequently convey. In addition, by performing the reflection twice by the first mirror members 110L and 110R and the second mirror members 112L and 112R, it is possible to freely set the position and orientation in which the scene is displayed, and almost no image is generated from the eye point EP1. It can be set to be visible from the eye point EP2, which is the position where the upper body is not visually recognized. Therefore, the left and right safety confirmation operations can be performed with certainty, and the safety confirmation operations can be learned and made into a habit.

  Furthermore, since the image is magnified by using the magnifying lenses 114L and 114R, the second mirror members 112L and 112R, the left end display area 102L, and the right end display area 102R can be set small. In addition, since a projection device such as a projector is not used to display an image, it can be installed in a small place.

  In the above example, the left side display unit 16L and the right side display unit 16R are set so as to be viewed from the eye point EP2 and not from the eye point EP1, but other than the left and right safety check operations. When used for (for example, a use of a game that does not assume getting off), it may be set to be viewed from the eye point EP1.

  Next, bicycle simulation apparatuses 10b to 10d according to other embodiments will be described. Hereinafter, parts having the same configuration as the bicycle simulation apparatus 10a are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the bicycle simulation apparatus 10b according to the second embodiment includes a simulated bicycle 12, a main control unit 20, a front monitor 120, and a left monitor (side display unit) that displays a left scene. 122L and a right monitor (side display unit) 122R for displaying the right scene. The front monitor 120, the left monitor 122L, and the right monitor 122R have independent configurations, and are controlled by the display control unit 84 (see FIG. 2) of the main control unit 20 to display individual images. Specifically, the front monitor 120 is controlled by the central region display control unit 92, the left monitor 122L is controlled by the left region display control unit 94, and the right monitor 122R is controlled by the right region display control unit 96. The front monitor 120 has the same hardware configuration as the front monitor 14, but the left end display area 102 </ b> L and the right end display area 102 </ b> R are not displayed on the screen 120 a, and the front scene is displayed on the entire surface. The Therefore, the image composition unit 98 (see FIG. 2) is not necessary.

  The front monitor 120 is disposed in front of the simulated bicycle 12 in the same manner as the front monitor 14 described above. The left monitor 122L is arranged at a position slightly behind the left side of the front monitor 120, and the right monitor 122R is arranged at a symmetrical position, and is set so as to point in the direction of the eye point EP2.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the left monitor 122 </ b> L is provided with a shielding plate (shielding means) 124 </ b> L that protrudes from the end surface near the rear. The shielding plate 124L is set to be approximately 90 ° in top view with respect to the screen of the left monitor 122L, and is configured so that the entire screen is not visible from the eye point EP1. Further, as is clear from FIG. 5, the length of the shielding plate 124L is set so that the entire front monitor 120 can be viewed as viewed from the eye point EP1.

  Similarly, the right monitor 122R is provided with a shielding plate (shielding means) 124R that shields the screen of the right monitor 122R when viewed from the eye point EP1, and the length of the screen is visible to the front monitor 120. Is set.

  According to such a bicycle simulation apparatus 10b, the entire front monitor 120 can be used for front display. Further, the left monitor 122L and the right monitor 122R can be reliably shielded from the eye point EP1 by the simple shielding plates 124L and 124R. Further, since a projection device such as a projector is not used to display an image, it can be installed in a narrow place and the image is not distorted.

  The shielding plates 124L and 124R are not limited to being integrated with the left monitor 122L and the right monitor 122R, and may be provided between the eye point EP1 and are indicated by two-dot chain lines 126L and 126R in FIG. The left monitor 122L and the right monitor 122R are provided separately from each other, and their orientations may be set as appropriate.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, a bicycle simulation apparatus 10c according to the third embodiment includes a simulated bicycle 12, a main control unit 20, a front monitor 120, and a left monitor (side view) that displays a left scene. Display unit) 130L and a right monitor (side display unit) 130R for displaying the right scene. The left monitor 130L and the right monitor 130R have the same configuration and the same arrangement as the left monitor 122L and the right monitor 122R, and light control films (shielding means) 132 are pasted on the screens. Further, the shielding plates 124L and 124R are not provided. That is, it can be said that the bicycle simulation apparatus 10d is obtained by replacing the shielding plates 124L and 124R in the bicycle simulation apparatus 10c according to the second embodiment with the light control film 132.

  The light control film 132 is the same type of film that is attached to a display screen of a mobile phone for so-called peeping prevention and used for limiting the viewing angle. Due to the viewing angle restriction function of the light control film 132, the field of view of the screens of the left monitors 130L and 130R is limited to the ranges 134R and 134L, and the screens of the left monitor 130L and the right monitor 130R are not visually recognized from the eye point EP1. It is clearly visible from the eye point EP2.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8, a bicycle simulation apparatus 10d according to the fourth embodiment includes a simulated bicycle 12, a main control unit 140, a front monitor 120, a left monitor 122L that displays a left scene, A right monitor 122R that displays the right scene, a rear monitor 142 that displays the rear scene, and a head tracking sensor (position detecting means) 144 that detects that the driver's head is at the position of the eye point EP2. . The rear monitor 142 is disposed behind the simulated bicycle 12 so that the screen is directed forward. Therefore, the driver can visually recognize the screen of the rear monitor 142 by looking back. The rear monitor 142 is display-controlled by the main control unit 140 together with the front monitor 120, the left monitor 122L, and the right monitor 122R. As the head tracking sensor 144, for example, a photoelectric non-contact sensor can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the main control unit 140 has substantially the same configuration as the main control unit 20, and a display control unit 146 corresponding to the display control unit 184 is provided. In addition, a head tracking sensor 144 is connected to the main controller 140, and the position of the driver's head can be detected.

  The display control unit 146 includes a front display control unit 150, a left display control unit 152, a right display control unit 154, a rear display control unit 156, a position determination unit 158, and a switcher (display switching unit) 160. . The front display control unit 150, the left display control unit 152, and the right display control unit 154 correspond to the central region display control unit 92 (see FIG. 2), the left region display control unit 94, and the right region display control unit 96, Display control of the front monitor 120, the left monitor 122L, and the right monitor 122R is performed. Further, the rear display control unit 156 performs display control of the rear monitor 142.

  The switcher 160 is inserted between each display control unit 150 to 156 and each monitor, and permits or stops the supply of the image signal to the monitor under the action of the position determination unit 158. In FIG. 9, the switcher 160 is conceptually represented as an assembly of switching elements. However, in practice, the supply / stop of the image signal may be controlled by a display control driver or the like.

  The position determination unit 158 operates the switcher 160 based on the signal supplied from the head tracking sensor 144. Specifically, when the driver is in the normal boarding position and the head is at the eye point EP1, the head tracking sensor 144 supplies an off signal to the position determination unit 158, whereby the position determination unit 158 is switched to the switcher. 160, the image signals are supplied to the front monitor 120 and the rear monitor 142 to display the image, and the supply of the image signals to the left monitor 122L and the right monitor 122R is stopped, and the image display is switched to non-display. .

  Further, when the driver moves the upper body and the head is at the position of the eye point EP2, the head tracking sensor 144 supplies an ON signal to the position determination unit 158, whereby the position determination unit 158 controls the switcher 160. The image signal is supplied to the left monitor 122L and the right monitor 122R to display the image, and the supply of the image signal to the front monitor 120 and the rear monitor 142 is stopped to hide or the previous image is held. Display a still image. By doing so, the front monitor 120 and the rear monitor 142 can be visually recognized from the eye point EP1 during normal operation, and the display images of the left monitor 122L and the right monitor 122R are not visually recognized. Further, in the left and right safety confirmation processing (see FIG. 4), the left monitor 122L and the right monitor 122R can be visually recognized from the eye point EP2, and the safety confirmation operation can be reliably learned. Furthermore, the number of displayed monitors is always two, and the generation processing of an image to be displayed is unnecessary for other non-display or still image display monitors, so that the amount of calculation processing is reduced.

  As a means for hiding the image display, it is only necessary to hide the moving image. For example, the last displayed image may be held as a still image. By displaying the still image, it is possible to reduce a sense of incongruity at the time of switching, and the realism is improved. Whether to continue non-display, still image display, or video display for the front monitor 120 and the rear monitor 142 may be set in consideration of the function of the switcher 160 and the number of output ports.

  Furthermore, instead of the head tracking sensor 144, as shown in FIG. 10, a direction sensor (orientation detecting means) 162 for detecting the orientation of the driver's head (face) may be provided. The direction sensor 162 detects the orientation of the driver's head based on the detected identification body 166 provided on the helmet 164 worn by the driver, and supplies a detection signal to the main control unit 140. In the main control unit 140 and the display control unit 146, when it is determined that the driver is looking forward based on the signal obtained from the direction sensor 162, the front monitor 120 is displayed and the left or right direction is viewed. When it is determined that the left monitor 122L or the right monitor 122R is activated according to the direction, the rear monitor 142 is not displayed when it is determined that the user is looking backward.

  Thereby, a monitor corresponding to the orientation of the head can be selectively displayed, and when left-right confirmation is required, the head can be turned in the direction of confirmation to perform a reliable safe operation. Also, the amount of image processing calculation can be reduced by hiding the monitor in the direction where the head is not facing.

  Further, to obtain a more realistic scene, for example, when the driver's head is facing left front, the front monitor 120 and the left monitor 122L are displayed, and the right monitor 122R and the rear monitor 142 are not displayed. As shown, two monitors may be displayed when facing an oblique middle portion.

  The vehicle simulation apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, a simulation of a motorcycle or a four-wheeled vehicle is used. It can also be applied to a device. When applied to a four-wheel vehicle simulation, it is suitable for training when going out of a garage with poor visibility. Moreover, it is used not only for traffic safety education but also for games and physical fitness training.

1 is a perspective view of a bicycle simulation apparatus according to a first embodiment. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a bicycle simulation apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is a top view of the bicycle simulation apparatus concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a right-and-left safety confirmation process. It is a top view of the bicycle simulation apparatus concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a perspective view of a left monitor. It is a top view of the bicycle simulation apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the bicycle simulation apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram of the bicycle simulation apparatus which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows a driver | operator's head and a direction sensor.

Explanation of symbols

10a to 10d ... bicycle simulation device 12 ... simulated bicycle 14, 120 ... front monitor (front display unit)
16R ... right side display unit 20 ... main control unit 84 ... display control unit 92 ... center region display control unit 94 ... left region display control unit 96 ... right region display control unit 98 ... image composition unit 100 ... center display region 102L ... left end Display region 102R ... Right end display region 110L, 110R ... First mirror member 112L, 112R ... Second mirror member 114L, 114R ... Magnifying lens 122L, 130L ... Left monitor 122R, 130R ... Right monitor 124L, 124R ... Shielding plate 132 ... Light Control film 142 ... rear monitor

Claims (7)

A simulated vehicle operated by the driver;
A front display unit that displays a scene based on the operation of the simulated vehicle and is visually recognized from a first viewpoint set based on the boarding position of the driver;
A display image is not visually recognized from the first viewpoint, and a display image is visually recognized from a second viewpoint in front of the first viewpoint, and a side display unit provided on at least one of the left and right sides;
A vehicle simulation apparatus comprising: The vehicle simulation apparatus according to claim 1,
A vehicle simulation apparatus, wherein a shielding means is provided between the first viewpoint and the side display unit. The vehicle simulation apparatus according to claim 1,
A display controller for displaying a front scene in a central display area of the screen of the front display section, displaying a left scene in the left end display area of the screen, and displaying a right scene in the right end display area of the screen; ,
Have
The side display unit includes a left side display unit and a right side display unit provided on the left and right of the front display unit,
The left side display unit and the right side display unit include a shielding member that shields the left end display region and the right end display region from the first viewpoint, and display images of the left end display region and the right end display region in the second direction. A reflective member that reflects in the direction of the viewpoint;
A vehicle simulation apparatus comprising: The vehicle simulation device according to claim 3,
A vehicle simulation apparatus, wherein a magnifying lens is provided between the second viewpoint and the reflecting member. The vehicle simulation apparatus according to claim 1,
Position detecting means for detecting the position of the driver;
Display switching means for switching the side display portion between display and non-display according to the position of the driver detected by the position detection means;
A vehicle simulation apparatus comprising: The vehicle simulation apparatus according to claim 1,
Orientation detection means for detecting the orientation of the driver's head;
Display switching means for switching the side display portion between display and non-display according to the orientation of the driver's head detected by the orientation detection means;
A vehicle simulation apparatus comprising: The vehicle simulation apparatus according to claim 1,
A vehicle simulation apparatus , wherein a light control film is pasted on the screen of the side display section .

Images