Method and apparatus for verifying and / or configuring the location of physical elements of a vehicle - Patents.com

Abstract

Method and apparatus for verifying and / or configuring the location of a physical element of a vehicle. The method for verifying and / or configuring the location of a physical element of a vehicle comprises: - providing a test apparatus (9) adapted to simulate an arrangement of physical elements of a vehicle, said test apparatus (9) comprising a support structure (10) to which one or more physical elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) are adjustably joined; - acquiring or processing a virtual model representative of the arrangement of one or more physical elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) relative to a support structure (10) of a test apparatus, physically positioning them according to said arrangement, defining a first reference point whose position is known relative to the support structure (10), and measuring the relative distance between said first reference point and a second reference point on a virtual reality viewer; - connecting the user to the electronic processing unit via the viewer; - obtaining and transmitting data indicative of the user's movements to the electronic processing unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally in the field of testing methods and apparatus, and more particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for verifying and / or configuring the location of physical elements of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Test rigs are known for adjusting the arrangement of physical parts of a vehicle passenger compartment, which utilize interaction with a virtual environment projected in 2D onto the exterior walls of a vehicle mockup to simulate real-life conditions of use.

[0003] An example of this device is known from publication US 2015 / 0228199, which illustrates a platform including several moving parts around which a virtual scene can be generated by a projector, representing the conditions outside the passenger compartment.

[0004] The devices according to the aforementioned prior art documents make it possible to position the various physical elements that make up the device and to configure the latter in predetermined operating positions.

[0005] Nevertheless, the test rig according to the aforementioned literature does not allow a complete assessment of the correspondence of this configuration resulting from the adjustment procedure of the physical elements with the structure and operating conditions of a real vehicle, nor is it possible to generate a complex virtual environment that is sufficiently immersive so that the simulation experience covers as many different real vehicle configurations as possible (for example, by completely replicating the interior of the passenger compartment, i.e., also reproducing its features such as finishes, colors or vehicle components that are not physically included in the test rig).

[0006] These factors naturally limit the specific overlap between the test conditions and the actual use conditions of the vehicle.

[0007] To overcome these drawbacks, the prior art has considered several solutions intended to superimpose a virtual scene onto a real environment, such as the passenger compartment of a vehicle. Examples of such solutions are known from DE 10 2015 003884 A1, US 7 761 269 B1 and EP 1 533 683 A2, in which the superimposition of the virtual and real environment is performed by photogrammetric detection of the movements of several markers distributed on the user's body (using the so-called "motion capture" technique).

[0008] A distinctive feature of this approach is the absence of an external reference frame, since the movements and positions of physical entities are simulated based on the positions these entities directly occupy within the virtual scene. In effect, the positions of objects at a given moment are recorded by an optical device that captures the positions of markers relative to these physical elements, the resulting signals from the optical device are projected onto a virtual grid or background, and the movement of the object is detected as the difference between the positions that the markers can occupy at two different moments relative to the virtual background, which constitutes the intrinsic reference frame.

[0009] Without a way to assign an external reference frame, the alignment of the physical environment with the virtual scene becomes more complex, thus increasing the computational cost of the simulation. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned problems.

[0011] To achieve this result, the method according to the invention provides several steps of preparing a test device, comprising one or more physical elements with adjustable position and / or orientation, the specific configuration of which (for example, with reference to the configuration of sports and commercial vehicles, to be subjected to tests assessing its characteristics such as ergonomics, design suitability, aesthetic performance, etc.) is predetermined by processing or obtaining a virtual model by an electronic processing unit.

[0012] The physical elements of the device are then adjusted so that their positions and / or orientations correspond to the positions and / or orientations that the same elements have in the virtual model.

[0013] The vehicle user then interfaces with this electronic processing unit through a virtual reality viewer, allowing the user to become fully immersed in the virtual model.

[0014] This also makes it possible to model a near-perfect recreation of a real vehicle in a virtual environment, including parts of the vehicle that do not have a physical counterpart in the test rig (e.g., a dashboard that is contoured to a certain shape when the test rig does not have an equivalent element), and / or parts that you want to give features (such as color or finish) that the corresponding physical part of the test rig does not have.

[0015] The method further provides for defining a first reference point whose position is known in the physical environment, measuring a distance from a second reference point on the viewer, and then positioning the user's viewpoint on the viewer according to that distance.

[0016] In this way, the user's viewpoint and the virtual model are linked, so that the part of the virtual model that the user sees depends on the actual movement of the user's head.

[0017] The above and other objects and advantages are achieved, according to one aspect of the present invention, by a method and apparatus having the features defined in the appended claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] The functional and structural features of some preferred embodiments of the method and apparatus according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a testing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the test apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are a schematic side view and a close-up view, respectively, of a seat that may be incorporated into a testing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of a steering wheel that may be incorporated into a test apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are schematic perspective views of a structure simulating a vehicle roof (which may be incorporated into a test rig) and a close-up view of the structure, respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6A-6D are schematic perspective views of a pedal board that may be incorporated into a test apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and multiple close-up views of the pedal board, respectively. [Figure 7-8] 7A to 8B are each a schematic illustration of method steps for verifying and / or configuring the placement of physical elements of a vehicle, in which parts of a test apparatus are placed at reference points (respectively points indicating the standard position of the user's heel, points indicating the position of the user's feet, and points indicating the rearmost and lowest positions of the seat relative to the front of the vehicle) so that the positions and / or orientations of these apparatus parts relative to the support structure of the test apparatus match the positions and / or orientations of these parts in a pre-processed or pre-acquired virtual model, according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Before describing several embodiments of the present invention in detail, it should be made clear that the present invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and may indeed be practiced or constructed in different ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used is for the purpose of description and should not be construed as limiting.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 1 as an example, a method for verifying and / or configuring the arrangement of physical elements of a vehicle includes providing a test device 9 adapted to simulate the arrangement of physical elements of the vehicle.

[0022] The test apparatus 9 comprises a support structure 10 to which one or more physical elements 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 are joined, the position and / or orientation of which is adjustable relative to the support structure 10 .

[0023] The physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 comprise at least a seat 12, and / or a steering wheel 14, and / or a pedal board 16, and / or a roof 18, and / or at least one door, and / or an armrest for a user of the test device 9, and / or a compartment used as a trunk.

[0024] The method further includes the following steps: obtaining or processing, by an electronic processing unit, a virtual model representative of the arrangement of one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 relative to a support structure 10 of the test apparatus; arranging one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 according to the arrangement such that positions and / or orientations of the one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 relative to the support structure 10 correspond to positions and / or orientations of corresponding one or more physical elements in the virtual model; interfacing the user with the electronic processing unit through a virtual reality viewer in which the virtual model is displayed from a predetermined point of view; acquiring data indicative of the user's movements; and transmitting the electronic processing unit.

[0025] In this way, the user will have the opportunity to fully immerse himself in the virtual environment and evaluate the ergonomic, structural and aesthetic suitability of the vehicle being tested.

[0026] The virtual model may be processed or obtained using, for example, a CAD / CAE / CAM platform.

[0027] The method comprises: defining a first reference point, the position of which relative to the support structure 10 is known; measuring a relative distance between the first reference point and a second reference point on a viewer; and measuring, via the processing device, the relative distance between the first reference point and the second reference point; Positioning, via the processing device, the point of view of the viewer as a function of the relative distance.

[0028] According to an embodiment, the step of positioning one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 so that their position and / or orientation coincides with the position and / or orientation of corresponding one or more physical elements in the virtual model is carried out by moving one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 as a function of their distance from one or more predetermined reference points P, O, H identified with respect to the support structure 10 until the position and / or orientation of one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 coincides with the position and / or orientation that these parts of the apparatus have in a pre-processed or pre-acquired virtual model.

[0029] For example, one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 may be moved until their position and / or orientation determines a particular placement of the user's heel relative to a heel point P that indicates a normal position of the user's heel (as illustrated in FIG. 7A ); and / or their position and / or orientation may be moved to determine a particular placement of the user's foot relative to a heel point O indicating the position of the user's foot (as shown by way of example in FIG. 7B ); and / or Their position and / or orientation may be moved until a particular placement of the seat 12 is determined relative to seat point H, which indicates the rearmost and lowest position of the seat relative to the front of the vehicle (as shown by way of example in Figures 8A and 8B). The locations of these reference points P, O, H are generally predetermined in accordance with conventional type approval specifications.

[0030] Advantageously, there is also the step of processing the virtual model using the electronic processing unit to obtain an integrated virtual model further including virtual elements representative of interior and / or exterior elements of the vehicle in order to simulate real conditions of use of the vehicle, which can for example be obtained by using virtual rendering and prototyping software such as the program commercially known by the acronym VRED® distributed by Autodesk Inc.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the method comprises interfacing a user with a plurality of wearable sensors capable of transmitting signals representative of its position and / or movement in space, which can be performed, for example, by a photogrammetry system, by so-called "motion capture" devices known per se.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the aforementioned steps of positioning the physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 according to the positions and / or orientations assumed by them in the virtual model are performed by electromechanical adjustment.

[0033] Furthermore, a test device 9 for verifying the arrangement of the physical elements of the vehicle includes: The vehicle has a support structure 10 to which one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 are attached. The positions and / or orientations of the physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 are adjustable relative to the support structure 10. The physical elements include at least a seat 12, and / or a steering wheel 14, and / or a pedal board 16, and / or a roof 18, and / or at least one door, and / or an armrest for a user of the test apparatus, and / or a compartment used as a trunk. The test device 9 also an electronic processing unit configured to acquire or process a virtual model representative of the arrangement of one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 relative to a support structure 10 of the test apparatus 9; a virtual reality viewer configured to view the virtual model from a predetermined point of view; Acquisition and transmission means are provided which are respectively configured to acquire and transmit data indicative of user movements to said electronic processing unit. The electronic processing unit is configured to position the viewer's point of view POV as a function of the relative distance between a first reference point whose position relative to the support structure 10 is known and a second reference point on the viewer.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the acquisition means comprises a plurality of wearable sensors (not shown), each wearable sensor being configured to transmit a signal representative of its position in space and / or its movement.

[0035] Advantageously, the test apparatus 9 further comprises electromechanical adjustment means 26 configured to adjust the position and / or orientation of one or more of the internal physical elements 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 relative to the support structure 10 .

[0036] Preferably, the support structure 10 has rails 10a and / or telescoping columns 10b configured to slidably and / or pivotally support one or more physical elements 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 of the vehicle.

[0037] According to a preferred embodiment, the electronic processing unit is further configured to process the virtual model to obtain an integrated virtual model further comprising virtual elements representative of interior and / or exterior elements of a vehicle.

[0038] Various aspects and embodiments of the method and apparatus for verifying and / or configuring the location of physical elements of a vehicle according to the present invention have been described. It is understood that each embodiment can be combined with any other embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but can be varied within the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A test apparatus (9) for confirming the arrangement of physical elements of a vehicle, Support structure (10), One or more physical elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) are connected to the support structure (10) and whose position and / or orientation can be adjusted, The one or more physical elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) are a support structure (10) including at least one seat (12), and / or a steering wheel (14), and / or a pedalboard (16), and / or a roof (18), and / or at least one door, and / or an armrest for a user of the test apparatus (9), and / or a trunk compartment. An electronic processing unit configured to acquire or process a virtual model showing the arrangement of one or more physical elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) with respect to the support structure (10) of the test apparatus (9), A virtual reality viewer configured to display the virtual model from a predetermined viewpoint (POV), Includes an acquisition means and a transmission means configured to acquire data indicating user movements and transmit it to the electronic processing unit, The electronic processing unit is configured to position the viewpoint (POV) of the virtual reality viewer according to the relative distance between a first reference point whose position relative to the support structure (10) is known and a second reference point on the virtual reality viewer. The system further comprises electromechanical adjusting means (26) adapted to adjust the position and / or orientation of one or more physical elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) relative to the support structure (10), A test apparatus wherein the electronic processing unit is further configured to process the virtual model to obtain an integrated virtual model that further includes virtual elements representing internal and / or external elements of the vehicle.

2. The acquisition means comprises a plurality of wearable sensors, The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of wearable sensors is configured to transmit a signal indicating position and / or motion in space.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising electromechanical adjusting means (26) adapted to adjust the position and / or orientation of one or more physical elements (12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22) with respect to the support structure (10).

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