Combined Virtual and Physical Environment

• US 20160275722A1
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyper Reality Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: The Void, LLC
• Inventors: Bretschneider, Ken, Hickman, Curtis, Jenson, James
• Granted Patent: US 11,030,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/212 using sensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat or leg activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/00 Simulators for teaching or training purposes for the use of weapons F41; computing aspects G06; protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality H04L67/131

Abstract

In part, the disclosure related to systems and methods of merging a simulation experience with physical objects and sensory stimuli generated outside of the simulation in a controlled physical environment to enhance the simulated experience.

Claims

1. An immersive simulation system comprising:

a first pod comprising

one or more panels defining one or more interaction zones for a first user,

a portal sized to permit the first user to enter the first pod, the portal defined by one or more panels,

a first tracking system responsive to one or more wearable sources of electromagnetic signals disposed on the first user,

one or more sensory system stimulating devices responsive to changes in first user position or first user movement, wherein activation of the one or more sensory stimulating devices is synchronized with one or more events of interest in a simulation running on one or more computing devices.

2. The immersive simulation system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more panels is a first modular panel comprising a surface or an object corresponding to a simulated surface or a simulated object in the simulation.

3. The immersive simulation system of claim 1 wherein synchronizing such one or more events and the activation is performed using one or more control signals generated by the tracking system in response to one or more of the electromagnetic signals from the one or more wearable sources.

4. The immersive simulation system of claim 1 further comprising a wearable computing device comprising a memory storage device, a wireless network adapter, and a processor, wherein the processor is running the simulation, wherein the simulation comprises one or more software routines to transmit data corresponding to one or more actions of the first user in the simulation such that the first user receives one or more auditory, tactile, or olfactory stimuli from the sensory stimulating devices triggered in response to the one or more user actions.

5. The immersive simulation system of claim 1 further comprising an arrangement of N pods, wherein the first pod and the second pod are two of the N pods, wherein N users are simultaneously participating in the simulation or a personalized instance of the simulation.

6. The immersive simulation system of claim 1 wherein the simulation is optically transmitted to the user by a device selected from the group consisting of virtual reality googles, a mobile device, a projector, glasses, one or more displays, and a vehicle.

7. The immersive simulation system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the panels are curved, and wherein the simulation directs user movement and provides synchronized display images

8. An immersive simulation system comprising:

an environmental system configured to track a position of a user within the physical environment;

a wireless communication system;

a user-worn system comprising;

a wireless communication adapter configured to communicate with the wireless communication system and configured to receive a representation of the position of the user; and

a display component configured to generate at least a partial visual representation of a virtual environment based on the position of the user or a user action, the virtual environment including one or more of a simulated surface or a simulated object; and

a physical representation

an audio component configured to generate at least a partial audio representation of the virtual environment.

9. A system for creating an immersive virtual environment comprising:

an environmental system configured to track a position of a user within the physical environment;

a wireless communication system;

a user-worn system comprising;

a wireless communication adapter configured to communicate with the wireless communication system and configured to receive a representation of the position of the user;

a display component configured to generate at least a partial visual representation of a virtual environment based on the position of the user, the virtual environment including the plurality of physical features;

an audio component configured to generate at least a partial audio representation of the virtual environment.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the environmental tracking system further comprises:

at least one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag disposed on the user; and

a plurality of RFID receivers disposed throughout the physical environment;

wherein the position of the user is tracked based on proximity of the at least one RFID tag to the plurality of RFID receivers.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the environmental tracking system is further configured to determine a position, speed, and rotation of the user.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the environmental tracking system comprises an electromagnetic tracking system.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the environmental tracking system comprises at least one of a radio frequency identification (RFID) position tracking system and a Bluetooth®

-based position tracking system.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the environmental tracking system comprises a plurality of sensors associated with a plurality of physical objects within the physical environment.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the user-worn system further comprises:

a local tracking system configured to determine a position of at least one extremity of the user; and

the display component is configured to include information regarding the position of the at least one extremity of the user in the visual representation of the virtual environment.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the display component is further configured to generate the visual representation based on a virtual tactile sensation of a physical object in the physical environment.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the environmental tracking system further comprises:

at least one Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag disposed on the user; and

a plurality of RFID receivers disposed throughout the physical environment;

wherein the position of the user is tracked based on proximity of the at least one RFID tag to the plurality of RFID receivers.