Virtual reality archery training system

• US 10,281,232 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2018
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accubow LLC
• Original Assignee: Accubow LLC
• Inventors: Pell, Matthew Allen-Tesch
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernstrom, Kurt
• Application Number:
  US15/881,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20180149444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 434 11, 434247, 124 231, 124 241, 124 86, 463 2, 463 5, 463 31, 463 51, 463 52, 482122, 482126
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00069 Setting or adjusting the resistance level; Compensating for a preload prior to use, e.g. changing length of resistance or adjusting a valve
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/028 made of material having high internal friction, e.g. rubber, steel wool, intended to be compressed resistance provided by plastic deformable materials A63B21/00189
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/0414 with both ends stationary during the actual exercise, i.e. moving only at intermediate locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/157 Ratchet-wheel links; Overrunning clutches; One-way clutches
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4043 Free movement, i.e. the only restriction coming from the resistance A63B21/00043, A63B21/072 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/12 Absolute positions, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/803 Motion sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/808 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/50 Wireless data transmission, e.g. by radio transmitters or telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2244/04 Bow shooting
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/03508 For a single arm or leg, A63B21/0726 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/1209 Involving a bending of elbow and shoulder joints simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/00 Training appliances or apparatus for special sports training of parachutists B64D23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0622 Visual, audio or audio-visual systems for entertaining, instructing or motivating the user
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 : Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 : Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 : Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 : Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/1411 : Bow-strings
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/1426 : Bow stabilisers or vibration dampers
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/1476 : Devices for archery training
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 5/1492 : with cameras; mounting of cameras on bows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 : with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 : the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 : Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

An adjustable archery training bow assembly includes a single resistance element and an adjustment mechanism that can be actuated by a user to vary the tension level in the resistance element for training purposes. The training bow also includes a mount for receiving a mobile device, which allows the user to practice various augmented reality-archery training scenarios. The adjustable archery training bow is used to enhance the user'"'"'s skills, such as his/her strength, stability, and accuracy to help deliver on-target an arrow fired from a real, non-training bow.

Claims

1. A virtual reality archery training system, comprising:

archery training bow, wherein the archery training bow includes;

a main body having a handle;

a resistance member, said resistance member is attached to an adjustable tension mechanism that permits a user to vary the tension of the resistance member;

a vibration damper coupled to the main body;

a mobile device mount disposed between the handle and a first end of the main body; and

a mobile device releasably coupled to the mobile device mount and having a display, a microphone, and an archery application installed thereon,

wherein;

(i) the microphone is configured to record sounds produced from contact between the resistance member and an end of the vibration damper and (ii) the archery application is configured to render graphics on the display that simulate real life archery scenarios.

2. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a magnetometer, MEMS gyroscope, and a display;

said magnetometer is configured to provide an initial reference point for the archery application;

said MEMS gyroscope is configured to inform the archery application how far the mobile device has moved from the initial reference point; and

wherein the graphics rendered on the display are altered based on the movement of the mobile device from the initial reference point.

3. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 1, wherein a simulated arrow is fired within the archery application if the sound produced from contact between the resistance member and the end of the vibration damper is greater than a predetermined value.

4. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 3, wherein a flight path of the simulated arrow is shown on the display.

5. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 4, wherein the flight path of the simulated arrow is affected by a simulated gravitational force.

6. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 5, wherein different point values are awarded based on whether the simulated arrow hits a simulated target.

7. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 1, wherein the simulated real life archery scenarios is one of the following:

i) hunting, ii) Olympic target shooting, iii) strength building, iv) augmented reality archery training scenario, v) virtual reality archery challenge, or vi) augmented reality archery challenge.

8. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 1, wherein the archery application allows a user to input personal specifications, said personal specifications include one of the following:

height, arrow speed, or number of sight pins.

9. A method of using an archery training bow assembly without releasing an arrow, comprising:

providing an archery training bow assembly, the archery training bow assembly including a main body, a damper coupled to the main body, a resistance member operably connected to the main body, and a mobile device releasably coupled to the main body and having both an integrated microphone and an archery application installed thereon;

drawing the resistance member from an initial position to a drawn position;

holding the resistance member in the drawn position while aiming the archery training bow at a simulated target generated by the archery application on a display integrated into the mobile device;

releasing the resistance member after a predefined amount of time;

using the microphone to record the sound caused by contact between the resistance member and the damper; and

rendering graphics on the display that simulate a real life archery scenario.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of using a magnetometer and a MEMS gyroscope, both of which are integrated into the mobile device, to determine a direction and angle of the bow and in response generating graphical representation of what is located at the determined direction and angle in the archery application.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the real life archery scenario simulated by the graphics rendered on the display is a simulated arrow fired when the recorded sound is above a predefined value.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of displaying a flight path of the-simulated arrow.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a step of displaying a contact location on the simulated target where the simulated arrow made contact.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of displaying points that were awarded based on the location of where the simulated arrow contacted the simulated target.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the simulated target is an animal or an Olympic target.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of inputting a user'"'"'s personal specification, said personal specifications include one of the following:

height, arrow speed, or number of sight pins.

17. A virtual reality archery training system, comprising:

archery training bow, wherein the archery training bow includes;

a main body,

a resistance member that is operably coupled to the main body,

a vibration damper coupled to the main body,

a mobile device mount coupled to the main body, and

a mobile device releasably coupled to the mobile device mount, the mobile device having;

(i) a display, (ii) a sensor, and (iii) an archery application installed thereon;

wherein the sensor is configured to wirelessly determine when the resistance member makes sufficient contact with the end of the vibration damper, which causes the archery application to render a flight path of the simulated arrow on the display.

18. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 17, wherein the sensor is any one of the following:

(i) microphone, (ii) front facing camera, (iii) LiDAR sensor, or (iv) barometer.

19. The virtual reality archery training system of claim 17, wherein archery application includes an online community section.