Virtual reality system with drone integration

• US 10,535,195 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2017
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haptech Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sonic Sensory, Inc.
• Inventors: Seiler, Brock Maxwell
• Primary Examiner(s): Sood, Anshul
• Application Number:
  US15/400,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20170193707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/008 Rotors tracking or balancing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/06 actuated automatically
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/24 for use as flying displays, e.g. advertising or billboards
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 40/10 for adjusting control surfaces or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/00 Transport or storage specially adapted for UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/60 by wearable objects, e.g. garments or helmets
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00

Abstract

A virtual reality system includes a drone including a rotor, a display, an audio speaker, a body harness having adjustable straps, and one or more processors in operative communication with the display, the audio speaker, and the drone. The drone may be fixed to the body harness. The one or more processors may be configured to issue audio-visual content to the display and audio speaker and control the rotor based on the issued audio-visual content.

Claims

1. A virtual reality system comprising:

a drone comprising a rotor,

a display, an audio speaker,

one or more processors in operative communication with the display, the audio speaker, and the drone, the one or more processors configured to;

issue audio-visual content to the display and audio speaker,

control the rotor based on the issued audio-visual content,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to build a virtual reality environment, issue the audio-visual content to the display and audio speaker based on a status of the virtual reality environment, and control the rotor based on the status of the virtual reality environment,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to project an avatar into the virtual reality environment, receive a user-originated command, modify a status of the avatar based on the user-originated command and a status of the virtual reality environment, and control the rotor based on the modified status of the avatar,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to apply a physics engine to determine a virtual force applied by the virtual reality environment onto the avatar, and control the rotor based on a magnitude and direction of the virtual force, and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to apply the physics engine to predict a future status of the avatar, prepare a rotor control instruction based on the predicted future status, queue the prepared rotor control instruction in memory, and release_ the prepared rotor control instruction from the queue when the predicted future status of the avatar becomes a current status of the avatar.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more processors is housed within the drone.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the drone comprises an eccentric weight attached to the rotor, the eccentric weight causing the rotor to induce vibration when rotated.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a body harness having adjustable straps, the drone being fixed to the body harness.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the body harness comprises a vest, the vest comprising a plurality of fasteners, the drone being secured to the vest via the fasteners.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a drone cage assembly, the drone cage assembly being secured to the vest, the drone being confined within the drone cage assembly.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the drone cage assembly comprises a peripheral housing defining a central void, the drone being disposed within the void.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the drone cage assembly defines an inner slot extending about a periphery of the central void and the drone comprises a drone housing defining a cylindrical rotor aperture, the drone housing being disposed in the inner slot.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the inner slot is sized and arranged such that the rotor aperture is unobstructed by the peripheral housing of the drone cage assembly.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a resistive heater configured to heat an exhaust stream of the rotor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to apply the physics engine to determine a virtual heat or temperature experienced by the avatar, and control the resistive heater based on the determined virtual heat or temperature.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to, upon determining that a virtual force has been applied onto the avatar, compare the virtual force to a threshold force, and based on the virtual force exceeding the threshold force, control the rotor based on a magnitude and direction of the virtual force.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to monitor a virtual speed of the avatar within the virtual environment and upon detecting that the virtual speed of the avatar exceeds a threshold, control the rotor based on the virtual speed.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the display is a virtual reality headset, the system comprises a plurality of drones, each of the drones comprising a rotor, and the one or more processors are configured to project an airflow exhaust path of the plurality of drones, and select the rotor to be controlled based on the virtual speed of the avatar based on the projected airflow exhaust paths.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the drone is attached to a vest, the vest defining a central void for accommodating a user'"'"'s body, a neck void for accommodating the user'"'"'s neck, and opposing shoulder arm openings, the drone being configured to apply force to the user via the vest.