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SonyPatent applicationCars & transportInterest 8/10

Sony patents system to turn real cars into driving simulators

Illustration of the invention
Illustration based on the patent drawing. Not a photo of a real product.
Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Sony describes a system that lets a real car act as a driving simulator by using its actual steering and pedals. The car switches between normal driving and a simulation mode where its movements match a virtual environment, but only if the vehicle is completely stopped.

Why it mattersThis could allow car owners to practice driving skills or enjoy racing games using their existing vehicle's controls without needing a separate simulator rig.

In the filing’s own words

The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that make it possible to realize driving simulation using a vehicle used in normal driving. Driving operation data representing the operation amount of driving operation performed on multiple types of operation systems for operating a vehicle is acquired, a control signal is supplied to multiple types of drive systems that drive the vehicle, and an action performed by the vehicle is controlled. In a travel mode, an action performed by the vehicle is controlled according to control data for controlling traveling of the vehicle according to the driving operation data, in a simulation mode, an action performed by the vehicle is controlled according to control data for controlling a behavior of the vehicle such that a behavior of the vehicle in a virtual space determined according to the driving operation data is reproduced, on the basis of a vehicle setting parameter acquired by communication from a second information processing apparatus, and when operation for giving an instruction to switch from the travel mode to the simulation mode is performed, it is decided whether or not to transition to the simulation mode, according to a stopped state of the vehicle.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An information processing apparatus comprising: a communicating section that communicates with another information processing apparatus; an operation data acquiring section that acquires driving operation data representing an operation amount of driving operation performed on multiple types of operation systems for operating a vehicle; a vehicle action control section that supplies a control signal to multiple types of drive systems that drive the vehicle and controls an action performed by the vehicle; a travel mode control section that, in a travel mode in which traveling is performed using the vehicle, supplies, to the vehicle action control section, control data for controlling traveling of the vehicle according to the driving operation data; a simulation mode control section that, in a simulation mode in which driving simulation is performed using the vehicle, supplies, to the vehicle action control section, control data for controlling a behavior of the vehicle such that a behavior of the vehicle in a virtual space determined according to the driving operation data is reproduced, on a basis of a vehicle setting parameter acquired via the communicating section from the other information processing apparatus; and a stopped state deciding section that, when operation for giving an instruction to switch from the travel mode to the simulation mode is performed, decides whether or not to transition to the simulation mode, according to a stopped state of the vehicle.

Facts

Company
Sony (SONY GROUP CORPORATION)
Official title
INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM
Publication number
US20260330994A1
Application number
19113104
Filed
Sep 11, 2023
Published
Oct 22, 2026
Inventors
3
Claims
19

Classified under

G09B 9/042 Physics & computingB60W 40/08 Operations & transportG06T 7/70 Physics & computingG06V 20/59 Physics & computingG06V 40/10 Physics & computingG09B 9/05 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.