Modular Simulated Environment Facility with Overhead Camera Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a reconfigurable simulated environment facility that can quickly and easily change configurations for various applications, such as personnel training and gaming, while ensuring comprehensive coverage by cameras and efficient control of environmental functions.
Innovation Solution
The facility consists of modular walls, connectors, cameras mounted above the walls for a 'top-down' view, a support structure, and a user interface for configuring lighting, imagery, sound, and other effects, allowing for easy reconfiguration and comprehensive coverage of the environment without the need to move cameras.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If walls are arranged in different configurations to form multiple rooms, then the facility becomes more reconfigurable and adaptable, but the camera coverage becomes more difficult to maintain comprehensively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by mounting cameras above the walls rather than at ground level, changing the spatial dimension of camera placement. This overhead positioning allows cameras to view the floor area of all rooms regardless of wall configuration, maintaining comprehensive coverage while the walls are reconfigured into different room layouts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by positioning cameras on the support structure above all possible wall configurations. This single camera placement serves multiple functions: it can capture images of any room configuration, eliminates the need for multiple camera positions, and provides comprehensive coverage across all adaptive arrangements of the facility.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If cameras are mounted on walls to achieve comprehensive coverage, then camera coverage is improved, but the facility loses reconfigurability as cameras must be moved with wall reconfiguration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by moving cameras from the wall level (two-dimensional plane) to an overhead position on the support structure (three-dimensional space). This dimensional change allows cameras to maintain fixed positions while still achieving comprehensive coverage of all reconfigurable wall arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The overhead camera positioning creates a top-down view that effectively copies or replicates the ability to observe all areas that would be visible from multiple wall-mounted positions. This single overhead perspective provides equivalent comprehensive coverage to multiple wall-mounted cameras without requiring physical relocation.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If multiple cameras are positioned at different heights and locations, then comprehensive coverage is achieved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using a single camera position on the overhead support structure to perform the function that would otherwise require multiple cameras at different wall locations. This universal positioning achieves comprehensive coverage of all room configurations with minimal camera hardware and simplified arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
By transitioning from multiple cameras distributed across wall surfaces to a single overhead camera position, the patent reduces device complexity. The dimensional change to overhead mounting consolidates the camera system into a simpler, more uniform arrangement that maintains comprehensive coverage while reducing the number of cameras and installation complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A facility for use in providing a simulated environment comprises a plurality of walls and a plurality of connectors for interconnecting the walls in at least two different configurations to form at least two rooms, a plurality of cameras, and a support structure configured to support the plurality of cameras above the height of the walls. In this way the cameras may be arranged such that the floor area all of the rooms is visible by the cameras in the different wall configurations. The facility may include one or more functions such as lighting, imagery, explosion, smoke generation, aroma generation, sound, appearance or movement of a target. The functions may be configured, for example via a user interface on a computing device, to be operated from any of control devices, e.g. wall mounted, trigger devices, e.g. hand held, or sensors.