Driving simulator testing for determining the functional impact of peripheral optical errors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503121-B2
Application number	US-202318478750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2023
Priority date	Sep 29, 2022
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

A method of quantifying the effect of peripheral optical errors on driving includes displaying, on a central portion of a display, a visual representation of a vehicle on a dynamic roadway; intermittently displaying a curve in the dynamic roadway; intermittently displaying, on a peripheral portion of the display, a target object; receiving a signal in response to a participant viewing the target object; determining a reaction time and determining target detection accuracy. Another method includes displaying a participant vehicle and a lead vehicle in front of the participant vehicle on a roadway; signaling an alert when the participant vehicle is outside of a distance range to the lead vehicle; intermittently displaying, on a peripheral portion of the display, a target object; receiving a signal in response to a participant detecting the target; and quantifying the effect of the peripheral optical errors based on reaction time and target detection accuracy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of quantifying an effect of peripheral optical errors on driving, the method comprising:
displaying, on a central portion of at least one display of a driving simulator, a visual representation of a vehicle on a dynamic roadway; intermittently displaying, on the central portion of the at least one display, a curve of a plurality of curves in the dynamic roadway and at least one character at each curve of the plurality of curves and further comprising displaying, on the central portion, a numerical countdown at each curve of the plurality of curves prior to the displaying of the at least one character; intermittently displaying, on a peripheral portion of the at least one display of the driving simulator, a target object of a plurality of target objects, wherein the target object comprises moving the target object laterally toward the central portion of the at least one display; receiving, from an indicator in the driving simulator, a signal in response to a participant viewing the target object in the peripheral portion of the at least one display; determining, by a processor of the driving simulator, a reaction time between the displaying of the target object and the receiving of the signal; determining, by the processor of the driving simulator, target detection accuracy as a ratio of a number of target objects correctly detected by the participant to a total number of the plurality of target objects displayed; and quantifying the effect of the peripheral optical errors on driving based on the reaction time and the target detection accuracy.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining a participant's identification of the at least one character.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising discarding the reaction time in response to the participant not accurately identifying the at least one character.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising disregarding the reaction time in response to the vehicle not remaining in a lane of the dynamic roadway during the curve in the dynamic roadway.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermittently displaying the target object comprises moving the target object laterally toward the central portion of the at least one display.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target object is a visual representation of a pedestrian.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the target object is a visual representation of a cyclist.

8 . A method of quantifying an effect of peripheral optical errors on driving, the method comprising:
displaying, on central portion of at least one display of a driving simulator, a participant vehicle and a lead vehicle in front of the participant vehicle on a roadway; signaling an alert, with the driving simulator, when the participant vehicle is outside of a distance range to the lead vehicle; intermittently displaying, on a peripheral portion of the at least one display of the driving simulator, a target object of a plurality of target objects, wherein the intermittently displaying the target object comprises varying a position of the target object between a plurality of discrete peripheral locations, wherein the plurality of discrete peripheral locations are selected from the group consisting of 20 ° left of the participant's visual axis; 30° left of the participant's visual axis, 40° left of the participant's visual axis, 20° right of the participant's visual axis; 30° right of the participant's visual axis, and 40° right of the participant's visual axis: receiving, from an indicator in the driving simulator, a signal in response to a participant detecting a target in the peripheral portion of the display; determining, by a processor of the driving simulator, a reaction time between the displaying of the target object and the receiving of the signal; determining, by the processor of the driving simulator, target detection accuracy as a ratio of a number of target objects correctly detected by the participant to a total number of the plurality of target objects displayed; and quantifying the effect of the peripheral optical errors on driving based on the reaction time and the target detection accuracy.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the intermittently displaying the target object comprises varying the target object between a first visual representation of the target object and a second visual representation of the target.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first visual representation is a cyclist and the second visual representation is a pedestrian.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the alert comprises a light having a first color on an instrument panel of the participant vehicle in response to the participant vehicle being too far from the lead vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising intermittently changing a speed of the lead vehicle.

Assignees

• Amo Groningen Bv

Inventors

• Reints Roy
• Van Der Mooren Marrie
• Canovas Vidal Carmen
• Le Brun Johan
• Adrian Julien
• Séron-Camps Tanguy
• Pagot Chloé
• Reeves Christopher
• Rosen Robert

Classifications

• B60W2050/146

  Display means · CPC title

• B60W2040/0818

  Inactivity or incapacity of driver · CPC title

• B60W50/14

  Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention · CPC title

• B60W40/072

  Curvature of the road · CPC title

• B60K35/00

  Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles · CPC title