411 results about "Flight simulator" patented technology

The present invention includes systems and methods which overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing improved control of cursor commands directed by a user (such as a pilot). Various embodiments of the invention include such user interface cursor control enhancements as caging, snapping, hysteresis, combinations of 'relative' and 'absolute' cursor data, integration of discrete button movement with continuous cursor movement, and different gain algorithms. The invention may be implemented in a cockpit display, a flight simulator, a graphical flight planning application, or in any other application having a graphical user interface.

Collision detection and estimation from a monocular visual sensor is an important enabling technology for safe navigation of small or micro air vehicles in near earth flight. In this paper, we introduce a new approach called expansion segmentation, which simultaneously detects “collision danger regions” of significant positive divergence in inertial aided video, and estimates maximum likelihood time to collision (TTC) in a correspondenceless framework within the danger regions. This approach was motivated from a literature review which showed that existing approaches make strong assumptions about scene structure or camera motion, or pose collision detection without determining obstacle boundaries, both of which limit the operational envelope of a deployable system. Expansion segmentation is based on a new formulation of 6-DOF inertial aided TTC estimation, and a new derivation of a first order TTC uncertainty model due to subpixel quantization error and epipolar geometry uncertainty. Proof of concept results are shown in a custom designed urban flight simulator and on operational flight data from a small air vehicle.

A motion platform configured as automobile racing vehicle simulator is disclosed. The apparatus that embodies the geometry and various methods of articulation related to a motion platform having advantageous geometric relationships are also set forth. In one embodiment enhanced performance of a motion-generating device having a rider or driver is accomplished through the location of the center of mass of a payload as near as practicable to the pivotal center of the payload support. The device has a base supporting an upstanding column and a sled pivotally mounted to the top of the column. The rider is accommodated on the sled. To achieve the event simulated results intended various acts are performed in configuring the motion platform. These include locating a pivotal center of motion on a column in a position above the base of the motion generating device; locating the position of a center of mass, the center of mass calculated from the mass of the sled and the mass of a rider accommodated on the sled; and mounting the sled on the pivotal center of motion of the device such that the located center of mass is close to the pivotal center of motion of the motion platform.

According to various exemplary embodiments, a content-providing system for a flight simulator suitably includes a gateway having an interface to a digital network and at least one host computer system executing a server portion of the flight simulator program such that the gateway is operable to receive a request for a connection to the server portion from a user executing a client portion of the flight simulator program over the digital network, and to establish a connection between the client portion and the server portion such that primary processing for the flight simulator takes place at the server portion, and such that interface updates are processed at the client portion.

System and method can support a simulated movement of a movable object, such as a simulated flight of an unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV). A process, which can be on a user terminal, can receive state information about the simulated flight from a flight simulator that is associated with the UAV. Then, the process can determine flight information for the simulated flight by associating the received state information with context information obtained by the process on the user terminal, and provides the determined flight information to a display that is associated with the user terminal.

In a flight simulator program, a flight dynamics editing module enables the user to input parameters for modifying an existing aircraft design or creating an aircraft design. Starting with the type and purpose of aircraft, the user is able to specify parameters defining the configuration, and various other aspects of the aircraft, including the number and type of engines, properties of the flight controls, type of landing gear, etc. Once the user has input the parameters, an aerodynamic coefficients generator module included with the flight simulation program determines aerodynamic coefficients for the aircraft design, using classical formulas and determining the coefficients in an appropriate order. The aerodynamic coefficients and certain parameters input by the user are then output as two flight model data files, in a format usable by the flight simulator program, so that the user can evaluate the aircraft design by flying it within the simulation.

Triple Screen Arcade is a video circuitry design that provides a low cost method for creating three video outputs that span a single large video bitmap area. The method uses low cost video controller chips intended for dual screen applications of Laptop PCs (personal computers) combined with an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and other electronic parts. Further a video driver methodology is used to make the process work well in common operating systems. The video product is used for three screen video arcade games, three screen flight simulators and three screen business applications. Three screen spanning using the single large memory map is possible with off-the-shelf high speed gaming and graphics computer programs. All three display data flows are vertically phased locked to reduce eye fatigue and to make frame to frame timing the same for all three displays, thus improving animations that span all three displays.

The invention is a light flight simulator, belonging to a simulator to simulate air flight, comprising 6-freedom moving platform, movement controller, pattern processing computer, helmet, master control force feedback unit, sound synthesis and reproducing device, computer for processing models and kernel calculation, driving handle, pedals, switches and handgrips, where the 6-freedom moving platform comprises main beam, truss structure, driving handle, pedal, screw, motor, and chassis, as well as switches, handgrips and other parts equipped on cabin. And the invention implements 6-freedom full dynamic simulation, effectively reduces structural height, and has features of small volume, lightweight, simulation reality and low price.

The invention discloses a virtual reality aircraft cockpit system with force / haptic feedback, namely, a flight simulator which uses a helmet mounted display, a motion tracking sensor and a force / haptic feedback system to replace a physical cockpit and a control mechanism of a conventional flight simulator and takes a virtual reality technology as a man-machine interaction mode. The virtual reality aircraft cockpit system is composed of computers and corresponding virtual reality interface equipment, adopts a network based distributed structure and takes the computers as a computing nodes, and different computing nodes perform communication through the network; motion data is acquired through the motion tracking sensor, the helmet-mounted display is taken as visual feedback equipment to output a virtual scene, and the force / haptic feedback system provides real force / haptic feedback for a user. Compared with the traditional flight simulator, the virtual reality aircraft cockpit system is small in size and low in cost, has high flexibility in structure and function, and can realize good force / haptic feedback experience, so that better immersion and interactivity are acquired.

The invention discloses a six-displacement-sensor dynamic measuring method of a space six-degree-of-freedom movement. According to the method, six displacement sensors are connected in parallel to carry out dynamic measurement on the six-degree-of-freedom movement of a moving object. The method mainly comprises a series of steps of: overlapping a parallel measurement mechanism of the six displacement sensors, establishing a coordinate system, converting coordinates, inversely solving positions, positively solving the positions and the like. The measurement mechanism comprises an upper platform, stay wire type displacement sensors and a lower platform. After the measurement mechanism is established, a position-posture relation between a stay wire length and the upper platform can be found by establishing the suitable coordinate system through converting the coordinates; the initial stay wire length can be calculated by inversely solving and a variation principle of the space six-degree-of-freedom movement of an object to be detected is calculated by changing and positively solving the stay wire length. The six-displacement-sensor dynamic measuring method can simultaneously measure a movement principle of a moving object to be measured in six degrees of freedom, the measurement precision is high, the algorithm is easy to realize and the reliability is strong; and the application range is wide and the six-displacement-sensor dynamic measuring method can be applied to important national defense fields of parallel machine tools, flight simulators, wind tunnel test model devices, space butt joint equipment and the like.

A foot operated data entry pad has a plurality of foot buttons. The foot buttons are used to enter data values—e.g., numbers or symbols separately or in combination. Each button is capable of entering different data values, preferably depending on the length of time that it is pressed or on the number of times that it is pressed in succession. A small controller may be included to allow the user to control the computer's pointer, allowing the user to switch between data entry fields, as with a mouse. An automated voice system, or other audible and / or visual indicator system, may also be included to help the user keep track of the data value as it changes and is entered. Various embodiments are capable of entering a variety of alphanumeric data rather than a simple binary-type data set, such as yes / no or on / off, or instructions, such as a joystick used with a flight simulator program. Multiple data entry pads may optionally be used in conjunction.

The invention discloses a low-cost flight simulator cabin display and control system which is a combined training simulator cabin display and control system used for large aircraft air-service and ground-service personal training. The low-cost flight simulator cabin display and control system is an interface for transmitting information between an operator and a flight simulator, is composed of a display part and a control part and is composed of a simulated cabin, control mechanisms, a resolving control computer, an instrument emulation computer, displayers and control templates. The displayers display instruments and various control signals, the control templates with integrated control knobs and switches are installed outside the displayers for achieving man-machine interaction, the control templates and the displayers are assembled according to the proportions of a true aircraft, and the simulated cabin is built. According to the low-cost flight simulator cabin display and control system, the method that the virtual instruments and the control templates are combined is used; compared with a full-hardware simulator based on solid instruments, the device structure of the simulator is simplified, the development cost is reduced, the development cycle is shortened, and the design change efficiency of the system is improved; meanwhile, the problem that the man-machine interaction fidelity of a virtual display and control system based on the touch technology is not high can be solved.

An AutoTrim function automatically adjusts the trim of the elevator of a simulated aircraft to compensate for pitching moments that are not caused by a user affirmatively controlling the elevator. A flight simulator program determines a sum of the pitching moments acting on the simulated aircraft, excluding the user setting of the elevator. The sum of the longitudinal pitching moments is then set equal to zero to solve for a desired position for setting the AutoTrim control. A time lag is applied in setting the AutoTrim control to the desired position, to provide greater realism. Use of the AutoTrim control provides enhanced control authority to the user in controlling the longitudinal pitch of the aircraft. The AutoTrim control functionality is stopped as the angle of attack of the aircraft approaches a stall condition, but resumes when the plane is flying in a substantially safer flight condition.

A vertical wind tunnel flight simulator comprises a flight chamber wherein a flier may experience a freefall simulation. Airflow to support the flier is induced by fans connected above the flight chamber through a duct. A staging area having openings to the flight chamber is adjacent to the flight chamber. One or two return air ducts are used to return air from the fans outlet to the fans inlet. Opposed louvers are included on at least one duct segment thereby regulating the temperature via forcing ambient air into the simulator. The use of many duct segments having diverging walls adds commercial value to the system by lowering the height. Mounting components on the roof and behind walls creates a spectacular pedestrian viewing scene of people in flight.

The invention relates to an unmanned helicopter performance testing platform, belongs to the field of aerospace technologies and aims at solving the problems that the fixing structure is unstable, the balance performance in the movement process is poor and a testing table is damaged in the prior art. The unmanned helicopter performance testing platform comprises a platform body assembly and a flight simulator, wherein an unmanned helicopter is fixedly arranged on an upper platform of a six-degree-of-freedom moving platform, and lifting force data generated during the flight of the unmanned helicopter is transmitted to a computer through a lifting force sensor A which is fixedly arranged on the lower surface of a lower platform of the six-degree-of-freedom moving platform and a lifting force sensor B which is fixedly arranged on the lower surface of an iron plate module, so as to realize performance testing. The unmanned helicopter performance testing platform has the beneficial effects that the action of the unmanned helicopter is provided by virtue of the six-degree-of-freedom moving platform and a positioning sleeve can prevent the helicopter from flying away from the testing table when the flight control of the helicopter fails or an experiment fails; since the lower surface of the lower platform of the six-degree-of-freedom moving platform is seated on the upper surface of a shock absorbing plate, the balance of the unmanned helicopter is kept; the shock absorbing plate, a large compression spring and a small compression spring also play a certain role in buffering.

The invention is embodied in the form of a flight simulator in the conditions of vortex danger and in conditions when a pilot is informed about the possibility to penetrate into said dangerous area of vortex sheddings produced by a vortex generator. The inventive simulator is embodies in the form of modular variants and comprises a module (9) for imitating vortex conditions for determining the trajectory and intensity of the vortex sheddings of vortex generators as the population of vorticity areas, a module (10) for imitating the action of vortex disturbances on an aircraft and for determining additional forces and torques induced by the vortex sheddings of vortex generators, a module (17) for the parameters of the dangerous area of the vortex disturbances, a warning module for calculating the vortex disturbances danger on a modulated control plane located in front of the aircraft at an anticipated distance therefrom equal to a distance which is covered by the aircraft during a selected forecast time and is sufficient for carrying out a flight manoeuvre by the aircraft in order to move away from the dangerous trailing vortex area.

A system, method, and apparatus to train autopilots to fly a simulated aeronautical vehicle includes a three-degree of freedom gimbaled platform comprising a pitch, roll, and yaw axis; an autopilot comprising an inertial measurement unit mounted to the platform; motors that rotate the platform along the pitch, roll, and yaw axes; shaft encoders connected to the motors to calculate an angular position of the platform; motor drivers connected to the motors to power the motors; a microcontroller connected to the motor drivers; a quadrature encoder connected to the shaft encoders and the microcontroller; sensors that generate and sense environmental conditions affecting the platform and the autopilot; a flight simulator connected to the microcontroller; and a computer that executes the flight simulator causing actuation of the platform, causing the sensors to generate environmental conditions, and causing the autopilot to react to the environmental conditions.

The invention discloses a flight stimulator system with persistent overload simulation capability. The flight stimulator system comprises a flight stimulator and an overload component model, wherein the overload component model is stored in a PC (Personal Computer); the flight stimulator comprises a nacelle, a rolling frame, a spiral arm, a weight balancing block, a base assembly, a first drive assembly, a second drive assembly, a third drive assembly and a fourth drive assembly, wherein the spiral arm, the nacelle and the rolling frame form a moving manned centrifugal platform; the moving manned centrifugal platform is driven by a motor in the base assembly and is also driven by the first drive assembly, the second drive assembly, the third drive assembly and the fourth drive assembly to realize persistent and non-instantaneous overload. A control method of the flight stimulator system comprises the following steps of: operating the flight parameters output by each device in the cockpit by a trainee; then, processing the flight parameters through the overload component model to as to obtain control parameters required by three-axial overload; and finally, accurately simulating three-axial persistent overload on the trainee by controlling the angular velocity of the spiral arm and the roll angle and the pitch angle of the nacelle.

Flight simulator with the ability to subject a passenger in a passenger compartment to sudden and possibly substantial horizontal and vertical thrusts in addition to a full 360 degrees of motion along a pitch, roll and yaw axes is described. In some embodiments, sustained G forces are also possible by mounting the passenger compartment in a support arm which includes an additional boom around which the passenger compartment is rotated to provide sustained acceleration to passenger compartment occupants.

The invention discloses a full-function flight simulator. A flight simulation system is arranged in a simulation cockpit, the flight simulation system comprises an instrument table board, a signal device, a control device and an optical device. A movable platform comprises a working table top and a hydraulic actuator cylinder, the working table top is mounted on the hydraulic actuator cylinder, the simulation cockpit is mounted on the working table top, and the hydraulic actuator cylinder is connected with a hydraulic generating device. A view generating device is connected with the optical device in the simulation cockpit. An instructor commanding and controlling table is connected with the flight simulation system in the simulation cockpit, and a computer system is connected with the flight simulation system in the simulation cockpit, the movable platform, the hydraulic generating device, the view generating device and the instructor commanding and controlling table respectively. The full-function flight simulator improves the exercise and training naturalness, and represents the almost true flight environments and the flight motion states of an air vehicle under various flight conditions in real time.

A foot operated data entry pad has a plurality of foot buttons. The foot buttons are used to enter data values—e.g., numbers or symbols separately or in combination. Each button is capable of entering different data values, preferably depending on the length of time that it is pressed or on the number of times that it is pressed in succession. A small controller may be included to allow the user to control the computer's pointer, allowing the user to switch between data entry fields, as with a mouse. An automated voice system, or other audible and / or visual indicator system, may also be included to help the user keep track of the data value as it changes and is entered. Various embodiments are capable of entering a variety of alphanumeric data rather than a simple binary-type data set, such as yes / no or on / off, or instructions, such as a joystick used with a flight simulator program. Multiple data entry pads may optionally be used in conjunction.

The invention relates to a simulation device for a steering wheel of an airplane flight simulator. The device mainly consists of a steering wheel surface, a transmission mechanism, angular displacement sensors, a mechanical structure, a serial bus (USB), an HID (Human Interface Device), and the like. By controlling the steering wheel to make longitudinal displacement and rotary displacement around a vertical shaft, the device controls the state of elevators and the state of ailerons of the flight simulator, thus controlling the flight attitude; and the device simulates the operating force of an airplane through a spring and the structural frictional force. The device has a simple structure and high simulation degree, and directly measures the displacement value of the steering wheel by adopting an aileron angular displacement sensor and an elevator angular displacement sensor, thus avoiding the error of mechanical transmission of indirect measurement and achieving high measurement accuracy. The device adopts a universal interface so that a driver does not need to be installed on a computer of a host machine, and the device can be applied to different types of flight simulators.

The invention discloses a foldable, scalable and multifunctional operation platform. The foldable, scalable and multifunctional operation platform comprises an engine base (1), three drive rods (3, 7 and 11), three pairs of spherical hinges, a movable folding and scaling platform (A) and connecting pieces, wherein the three spherical hinges are formed by connecting a first spherical groove (4) and a first spherical shaft (5), a second spherical groove (8) and a second spherical shaft(9) as well as a third spherical groove (12) and a third spherical shaft (13), the tail ends of the three drive rods and the engine base are respectively connected into a rotation pair by a rotating shaft and are axially fixed by a clamping spring, and the head ends of the three drive rods are connected with the movable folding and scaling platform through the spherical hinges; and a telescopic connecting rod (A1) and a telescopic connecting rod (A2) as well as a telescopic connecting rod (A3) and a telescopic connecting rod (A4) are respectively connected into one rotation pair by rotating pins, the telescopic rotating rod (A2) and the telescopic connecting rod (A3), the telescopic connecting rod (A4) and a telescopic connecting rod (A5) as well as a telescopic connecting rod (A6) and the telescopic connecting rod (A1) are respectively connected into one rotation pair by utilizing cylinder ends of the second spherical shaft (9), the third spherical shaft (13) and the first spherical shaft (5), and the telescopic connecting rod (A5) and the telescopic connecting rod (A6) form rotation driving due to the matching of a steering engine and a steering wheel. The foldable, scalable and multifunctional operation platform disclosed by the invention has a simple structure and low cost, is easily processed and manufactured and can be used for a military detection platform, a light industry production line, a flight simulator platform and art show.

A foot operated data entry pad has a plurality of foot-operated buttons. The foot buttons are used to enter data values—e.g., numbers or symbols separately or in combination. Each button is capable of entering different data values, preferably depending on the length of time that it is pressed or on the number of times that it is pressed in succession. A small controller may be included to allow the user to control the computer's pointer, allowing the user to switch between data entry fields, as with a mouse. A heel rest may serve as both a heel rest and a button / switch for sending an electric / electronic signal. An automated voice system, or other audible and / or visual indicator system, may also be included to help the user keep track of the data value as it changes and is entered. Various embodiments are capable of entering a variety of alphanumeric data rather than a simple binary-type data set, such as yes / no or on / off, or instructions, such as a joystick used with a flight simulator program. Multiple data entry pads may optionally be used in conjunction.

The invention discloses an simulation system for receiving a marine AIS signal onboard, and a testing method. The simulation system comprises multiple AIS receivers, a summary processor, a flight simulator, and an AIS signal generator, wherein multiple AIS receivers are used for receiving a ship AIS signal, each AIS receiver is connected with a time service unit; multiple AIS receivers are connected with a summary processor through a communication network; the summary processor combines resolving data of multiple AIS receivers and deletes the redundancy data to form an AIS database; the flightsimulator controls the flight height and direction of the simulation aircraft so as to simulate the flight path of the real aircraft; the AIS signal generator computes all AIS signal received by theaircraft at this moment by combining an AIS database according to the aircraft location and moment sent by the flight simulator, and sends the computed AIS signals to a radio frequency signal generator to generate a very-high-frequency radio frequency signal. Through the simulation system disclosed by the invention, the problem that the big difference is existent between the simulation testing ofthe existing onboard AIS and the actual use condition can be solved, and the system can be used for the signal simulation and testing equipment development of the onboard AIS.

Provided is a three-rotational-freedom series-parallel driving mechanism. One two-rotational-freedom parallel mechanism and a 360-degree-rotational-freedom mechanism are in series connection to form the three-rotational-freedom series-parallel driving mechanism. The two-rotational-freedom parallel mechanism comprises a static platform, a movable platform located above the static platform, a restraining branched chain and two driving branched chains, wherein the restraining branched chain and the two driving branched chains are connected between the static platform and the movable platform. Each driving branched chain is composed of a guide mechanism, a moving pair, a Hooke hinge, a connecting rod and a spherical hinge. The three-rotational-freedom series-parallel driving mechanism is simple in structure. Due to the fact that driving motors of the two driving branched chains are fixedly connected with the static platform, moving mass of the three-rotational-freedom series-parallel driving mechanism is small, and high speed is achieved easily. Due to the fact that the connecting rods of the two driving branched chains are two-force rods, the three-rotational-freedom series-parallel driving mechanism is high in bearing capacity. If used for driving a flight simulation control cabin to move, compared with a Stewan parallel mechanism, the three-rotational-freedom series-parallel driving mechanism can greatly reduce production and maintenance cost of a flight simulator and has wide application prospect.

An interchangeable instrument panel overlay system for a flight simulator interchangeable with another simulating a different aircraft. Each instrument panel simulating a particular type of aircraft and containing switches, knobs, and / or buttons of approximately the same type and approximately the same location as in the simulated aircraft. The instrument panels capable of simulating a variety of avionics suites, gauges, and / or other equipment. The instrument panels capable of being affixed over a visual display displaying avionics suites, gauges, and / or other equipment.