Vehicle operation simulation system and method

Abstract

A projection assembly displays a virtual driving environment, associated with a vehicle, in the interior portions of an actual vehicle. A capture and processing subsystem includes at least one image sensor and at least one processor, and is removably mounted to the interior of the actual vehicle and is operatively coupled to the projection assembly. The image sensor has a field of view encompassing at least a portion of a driver's side area of the actual vehicle. The processor translates a vehicle operating action performed by a driver of the vehicle to a virtual action in the virtual driving environment. The translation is based in part on images captured by the image sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for simulating operation of a vehicle in an actual vehicle, the system comprising:
 a projection assembly including at least one image projection unit for displaying a virtual driving environment, associated with the vehicle, in interior portions of the actual vehicle; and   a capture and processing subsystem removably mountable to an interior of the actual vehicle and operatively coupled to the projection assembly, the capture and processing subsystem including:
 at least one image sensor having a field of view encompassing at least a portion of a driver's side area of the actual vehicle, and 
 at least one processor configured to translate a vehicle operating action performed by a driver of the actual vehicle to a virtual action in the virtual driving environment, wherein the translation is based in part on images captured by the at least one image sensor, and wherein the actual vehicle is disabled prior to performance of vehicle operating actions by the driver of the actual vehicle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one sensor operatively coupled to the at least one processor and functionally associated with a vehicle control element of the actual vehicle, wherein the vehicle control element is outside of the field of view of the at least one image sensor.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the translation is further based in part on reading an operation state of the vehicle control element by the at least one sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the vehicle control element includes at least one of a gas pedal or a brake pedal. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a control subsystem operatively coupled to the capture and processing subsystem, wherein the control subsystem is configured to actuate the capture and processing subsystem to operate in a calibration mode and an operational mode.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein in the calibration mode, the control subsystem provides the driver with a sequence of vehicle operating actions. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the sequence of vehicle operating actions includes operation of a plurality of vehicle control elements of the actual vehicle, wherein at least a portion of the vehicle control elements are outside of the field of view of the at least one image sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of vehicle control elements include a steering mechanism, a gear shift, a gas pedal, and a brake pedal. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the control subsystem includes an application executable on a mobile communication device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the projection assembly is removably mountable to the interior of the actual vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the projection assembly is deployed outside of the actual vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the capture and processing subsystem further includes a communications module for transmitting information to, and receiving information from, a control subsystem. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 at least one server, wherein the communications module and the control subsystem exchange information via the at least one server.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an audio unit operatively coupled to the projection assembly and the capture and processing subsystem, the audio unit operative to produce sound effects corresponding to the virtual driving environment.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one actuator mechanically coupled to the actual vehicle and functionally associated with the capture and processing subsystem, the at least one actuator operative to induce movement of the actual vehicle in response to the vehicle operating action performed by the driver.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the capture and processing subsystem is retained within a housing having an attachment mechanism for attaching the housing to at least one of a roof or a headrest of the actual vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . A system for simulating operation of a vehicle in an actual vehicle, the system comprising:
 at least one image projection unit for displaying a virtual driving environment, associated with the vehicle, in an interior of the actual vehicle;   a sensor assembly including:
 an image sensor having a field of view encompassing at least a portion of a driver's side area of the actual vehicle, and 
 at least one sensor reading an operation state of a vehicle control element of the actual vehicle, wherein the vehicle control element is outside of the field of view of the image sensor; and 
   at least one processor operatively coupled to the at least one image projection unit and the sensor assembly, the at least one processor configured to translate a vehicle operating action performed by a driver of the actual vehicle to a virtual action in the virtual driving environment, wherein the translation is based in part on images captured by the image sensor and data sent by the at least one sensor, and wherein the actual vehicle is disabled prior to performance of vehicle operating actions by the driver of the actual vehicle.   
     
     
         18 . A method for simulating operation of a vehicle in an actual vehicle, the system comprising:
 disabling the actual vehicle;   displaying a virtual driving environment, associated with the vehicle, in an interior of the actual vehicle;   capturing, via an image sensor deployed inside the actual vehicle, at least one image of a vehicle operating action performed by a driver of the actual vehicle, the image sensor having a field of view encompassing at least a portion of a driver's side area of the actual vehicle; and   translating the vehicle operating action performed by the driver to a virtual action in the virtual driving environment, wherein the translating is based in part on the at least one image captured by the image sensor.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 instructing, by a control subsystem, the driver to perform a sequence of vehicle operating actions;   capturing images of the driver performing the vehicle operating actions; and   analyzing, by at least one processor, the captured images of the driver performing the vehicle operating actions to produce a mapping to simulated actions in the virtual driving environment.