WO2008000094A1

WO2008000094A1 - Training tool

Info

Publication number: WO2008000094A1
Application number: PCT/CA2007/001174
Authority: WO
Inventors: Neil Siewert
Original assignee: Neil Siewert
Priority date: 2006-06-30
Filing date: 2007-06-29
Publication date: 2008-01-03

Abstract

A sensory experience apparatus that relays information from an environment and control functions being used in or for that environment to manipulate a focus apparatus for the tactile, visual and possible auditory experience of a person remote of one or more of the primary sensory elements of that experience. This involves a primary control apparatus relaying data for a secondary control apparatus such that the secondary control apparatus emulates the primary control apparatus in time with focus apparatus being controlled within an environment. This may further involve timely or stored data relay of visual and possible audio data that corresponds to secondary control apparatus manipulation responding to focus apparatus being viewed manipulated. The experience allowing person/s at or handling secondary controls the ability to experience through tactile sensation the movements required to manipulate focus apparatus while using visual senses to coordinate the hands and eyes for control mastering or experience.

Description

TITLE: TRAINING TOOL

The invention deals with but is not restricted to its preferred embodiment as a useful tool for training that involves an arrangement utilizing a secondary remote device for trainee use, that receives communications from a primary remote device to move joystick controls for the secondary remote device in conjunction with the primary remote device. The remote control apparatus may involve a wired or wireless arrangement.

With this arrangement, a person training to use joystick controls would be able to have his hands on the controls while the primary remote device is being operated in the correct manner by the trainer. By having his/her hands on the joystick/s while corresponding movements to the primary remote are taking place with a trainers hands the trainee is receiving a tactile response training stimuli that teaches the correct measures of movement required to complete maneuvers with the joysticks of a remote device for jobs, tasks or operations. In this manner the trainee will also be able to watch maneuvers taking place, for example, on a job, and feel the correct corresponding movements required. This device will save money in training time and give the trainee the opportunity to be more competent upon first trial of the primary remote.

This would be a benefit because a trainee is not always in a position to see the control movements made by a person training him/her to use the controlling apparatus and even with that benefit will not have the hands on feel for it.

One embodiment of the invention can be applied to a mobile ground vehicle apparatus with articulated overhead apparatus that is used to reach heights and distances to complete job tasks such as construction jobs like Concrete Pumping.

For training purposes the invention will be useful where the remote/s have certain command and/or training features. These features could be built into two separate remotes or built into one remote and the corresponding one or more remotes could also have the same features. One feature can be described as a 'master' switch or button. The master button will allow the trainer to, at stages during the training, send a signal to the trainees remote to enable it so that the trainee will be able to command the articulated device with his remote emulating the movements that he has been feeling. The master button can be pressed again to disengage the trainee in the event that the trainer wishes to retrieve command of the articulated device for some reason.

Another feature is voice communications capability which in one embodiment could be in the form of a plurality of shortwave headsets or some other apparatus that allows the trainer to communicate and explain his movements of the joysticks for the articulated apparatus to a remote location or to a trainee on hand that is impaired for hearing slightly from noisy equipment or distance on the jobsite from the trainer.

Data transfer from primary to secondary controller/s apparatus could involve a wired or wireless data transfer or a combination of the both during any stage of a data transfer arrangement.

This type of training could be incorporated into a classroom situation wherein, a classroom of students whishing to learn how to operate articulated devices and apparatus would sit at a desk with a corresponding set of controls to the workman on site. The worksite having various cameras arranged to give views of the apparatus being operated & may be presented in real time or as a training video. In this way a man training someone on site could also be training a classroom of people at the same time.

Another embodiment of audio and visual and sensory supply by the primary or master controller and audio visual apparatus for secondary controllers that includes a secondary memory apparatus is one where the primary or secondary controller contains a disk reading and writing apparatus that records audio visual data in conjunction with data regarding the movements of the command/primary controller.

This data stored on secondary memory apparatus such as a HD DVD could then be used for long distance play for classroom AV and secondary controller stimuli. This could be done through communications network such as a LAN or WAN, or be played at a training/stimulus site for one or more individuals. This may include further live interaction from an onsite location that may or may not be stored on the disk. The secondary controller/s may also have read and write storage capacity for secondary memory devices for receiving or sending data either wired or wirelessly. This may include the primary apparatus sending its stimuli data to a remotely located secondary memory apparatus that conjunctively coincides and records the AV data with the stimuli data for play and stimuli for persons at any later stage.

The man training from the work site could also pass over control of the articulated device to a student remotely situated in the classroom to make maneuvers or perform functions of the articulated device. This can be achieved with a communications arrangement in existence or not yet in existence such as satellite, wireless, cable, microwave or any combination of communications arrangements built into the master controls operated by the onsite trainer so that this type of training arrangement would be capable for students and trainer located at any points in the world.

The classroom embodiment described may not be restricted to the type of apparatus operated or the location of the apparatus. For example, the classroom embodiment could consist of trainees learning in real time the operation of the Canada Arm of the space shuttle while it is being employed in space to repair satellites or spacecraft. Furthermore, the classroom embodiment could consist of flight trainees learning in real time conjunction with a fighter jet pilot operating the controls of his jet apparatus during an operation. This could apply to any field such as driver training for trucks etc...

The applications of the classroom and data storage embodiments could be numerous to include such wide ranging apparatus such as motion picture cameras for training at film schools, or medical apparatus for operating on patients while running a medical school class, or apparatus used to move radioactive uranium at nuclear power plants. This could also be a useful method and apparatus for training people moves for video games or operating remote cameras. The applications could be valuable in any number of fields. The invention could also have interesting value in the training of personnel for remote controlled robots, such as robots used for bomb squads, earthquake rubble search etc...

The invention could also work in reverse with the classroom embodiment wherein the person at a remote location is the more experienced 'trainer' and the person on site is the trainee, and it is the job of the trainer to walk the trainee through procedures even though they can't be on site. This would be valuable for difficult job trouble shooting activities where a more experienced person can from a remote location, talk and walk a person through the correct procedures as well as assume control of the apparatus on site from corresponding console controls to complete necessary task the he/she feels the person on site is not up to.

With regards to what would make the training remote work, one way of doing it would be a series of gears around the remote joystick ball that has corresponding gears at required angles such that when the training remote's information processor receives wireless or wired signal information regarding the movements of the master remotes joystick movements it sends instructions to the various appropriate gears to move the training remote joystick to correspond with the master remote's joystick movements.

Another interesting embodiment or application of the 'in the field' and 'in the classroom' embodiments is one where someone is instructing someone to use a remote for such things as remote control airplanes, helicopters, cars, boats and the like. This would be especially handy for children and people with learning disabilities. The benefit for children would be that when young hand eye co-ordination and depth perception for operating remote controlled apparatus is not always developed or developed quickly, so a remote control airplane could become a projectile. The invention would also be useful for people like the mentally handicapped for the training reasons but also to give them a sense of enjoyment at getting the feel of operating a remote controlled airplane. With regards to the classroom embodiment it can be done as part of a course, like a module in a course, or be a complete course in itself.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that the invention is not restricted in its use to the particular application described, and neither is the present invention restricted in its preferred embodiment with regard to the particular elements and/or features described or depicted herein. It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. For example variations in materials used and the shape, number, and arrangement of various elements may be made, changes and modifications in form and details may be made, as well as implementation of variations, and modifications of the invention in its various aspects, as well as variations in the implementation of the invention such as numerous changes in the details of procedures for accomplishing the same results can be made. Therefore, the invention should be understood to include all such variations, modifications and changes within its scope.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described in some further detail with reference to and as illustrated in accompanying figures. These embodiments are illustrative, and not meant to be restrictive of the scope of the invention. Suggestions and description of other embodiments may be included but they may not be illustrated in the accompanying figures or alternatively features of the invention may be shown in the figures but not described in the specification.

List of Drawings FIGURE l

1. Trainer operating power machinery with controller

2. Trainers (Master) Controller

3. Trainee at site location

4. Trainee's controller receiving signal from trainers controller and his tactile reception.

5. Signal from master controller to concrete pump truck

6. Signal from master controller to onsite trainee's controller

7. Signal from master controller to remote location classroom and students simulation controllers.

8. Remote location classroom

9. Classroom teacher

10. Video feed of onsite location

11. Cribber on receiving end of boom being operated

FIGURE 2

Communications arrangement for secondary apparatus receipt of tactile, visual, and auditory data for further relay for sensory experience.

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91.1)

Claims

Claims:

1. A method for training hand eye coordination for controller apparatus, wherein there is provided a primary controller apparatus that controls one or more further controller apparatus that simulate primary control movements for training/learning for tactile response to sensory input.

2. An apparatus for training that has one or more hand controls for controlling apparatus that sends communications to one or more controllers to simulate hand control movements.

3. An apparatus for training that has one or more hand controls for controlling apparatus that receives communications from another controller to simulate hand control movements.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said primary apparatus controls secondary apparatus by sending data to a secondary memory and audio visual device that is intermediate to the secondary simulatory controller/s, and relays sensory stimuli.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said primary controller provides corresponding data for a secondary memory device used for audio visual apparatus or data transfer, and said secondary memory device is an intermediary to the secondary controller/s and individual/s being trained or learning.

6. An apparatus for training according to claim/s 2 & 3 wherein said apparatus having a primary controller provides or corresponds with a secondary memory and audio visual apparatus as an intermediary to secondary controller/s and individuals being trained or learning.