Claims
- 1. A driver control for a vehicle comprising:
a chassis; carousel structure rotatable with respect to the chassis; and seating structure revolvable with the carousel structure to a plurality of positions from which a driver can control the vehicle.
- 2. The driver control of claim 1, wherein the seating structure is rotatable with respect to the carousel structure.
- 3. The driver control of claim 2, wherein the revolution of the seating structure is coordinated with the rotation of the carousel structure so that the seating structure revolves and faces in one predetermined direction as the carousel structure rotates.
- 4. A driver control cockpit adapted for a drivable vehicle having a rolling platform controllable from the cockpit, the control cockpit comprising:
carousel structure adapted to be rotatable with respect to the rolling platform; seating structure having a passageway revolvable with the carousel structure to a plurality of positions from each of which a driver can drive the vehicle; and a driver vehicle interface positionable with respect to the seating structure for operation in each of the positions and connectable to the rolling platform to control the rolling platform through the passageway in the seating structure.
- 5. The control cockpit of claim 4, wherein the seating structure is rotatable with respect to the carousel structure.
- 6. The driver control cockpit of claim 4, including the vehicle and rolling platform and wherein the vehicle has multiple driving functions and the rolling platform is controllable to drive the vehicle in at least one of the vehicle driving functions comprising steering, accelerating, decelerating, clutching, and braking the vehicle.
- 7. The driver control cockpit of claim 6, wherein the rolling platform is controllable for at least another of the vehicle driving functions by a foot action.
- 8. The driver control cockpit of claim 4, wherein the seating structure includes a driver seat and a passenger seat adjacent to each other and revolvable with the passageway, and wherein a connection of the driver vehicle interface to the rolling platform includes a wire bundle having sufficient slack in cooperation with the revolving passageway so that control data may be passed between the driver vehicle interface and the rolling platform without overly twisting the wire bundle.
- 9. The driver control cockpit of claim 4, wherein the plurality of positions is up to four positions forming a diamond pattern for the seating structure sufficient to define selectively a left-hand drive, right-hand drive, center-front drive, and center-rear drive.
- 10. The driver control cockpit of claim 5, wherein the revolution of the seating structure is coordinated with the rotation of the carousel structure so that the seating structure faces in one predetermined direction as the carousel structure rotates.
- 11. The driver control cockpit of claim 6, wherein the rolling platform is controlled for the at least one of the vehicle driving functions in accordance with the position of the seating structure.
- 12. A vehicle comprising:
a controllable rolling platform having a first passageway; carousel structure rotatable with respect to the rolling platform and having a second passageway revolvable with respect to the rolling platform and in communication with the first passageway; seating structure revolvable with respect to the rolling platform to a plurality of positions from each of which a driver can drive the vehicle; and a driver vehicle interface positionable with respect to the seating structure for operation in each of the positions and connectable to the rolling platform to control the platform through the first and second passageways.
- 13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the seating structure includes a driver's seat and a passenger seat.
- 14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the passenger seat has a foldable seatback, and one of the plurality of positions of the seating structure positions the driver's seat behind the passenger seat with the foldable seatback folded down to provide a support table in front of the driver's seat.
- 15. A driver control for a vehicle comprising:
a vehicle portion; seating structure movable with respect to the vehicle portion; and a driver's interface movable with said seating structure to a plurality of positions from which a driver can control the vehicle.
- 16. The driver control of claim 15, wherein the seating structure is movable laterally with respect to the vehicle portion.
- 17. The driver control of claim 15, wherein the seating structure is movable longitudinally with respect to the vehicle portion.
- 18. The driver control of claim 15, including operable components mounted with respect to the vehicle portion, and controllable by-wire from the driver interface.
- 19. A vehicle comprising:
a controllable chassis; seating structure movable with respect to the chassis to a plurality of positions from each of which a driver can drive the vehicle; and a driver vehicle interface movable with the seating structure for operation in each of the positions and connectable to the chassis to control the chassis.
- 20. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the connection of the driver vehicle interface to the chassis is by-wire.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/341,517 filed Dec. 13, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60341517 |
Dec 2001 |
US |