Weapon shaped virtual reality character controller

• US 6,569,019 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KI Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: William Cochran
• Inventors: Cochran, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Esquivel, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US09/901,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20030013524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 463/36, 463/37, 463/38, 463/2, 463/8, 463/46, 463/47, 341/20
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 33/00 Adaptations for training adaptations of barrels for recoil reinforcement F41A21/26; Gun simulators teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26 ; shooting games A63F9/02; military simulation G09B9/003

Abstract

The present invention is a virtual reality game controller that is shaped like a weapon such as a rifle, pistol or shotgun. The controller has at least one multiaxis controller that is actuated by movement part of the weapon, for example its forearm also has a plurality of switch controls that are positioned on the weapon to control movement and actions and attributes of a VR game character within the VR game space without interrupting the playing of the game.

Claims

1. A weapon shaped game controller to be held in the hands of a game player for use with a computer that is programmed create a virtual reality game space and a virtual reality game character that moves and uses a weapon within said virtual reality game space comprising:

a weapon shaped body, said body having a stock, a barrel having a forearm and at least a first trigger switch and a second trigger switch, first said trigger switch being adapted to fire the weapon within the virtual reality of the computer game and the second trigger switch located in front of and in tandem to said first trigger switch and adapted to change an aspect of the virtual reality game space;

a first multiaxis controller and a second multiaxis controller, both said first and second contollers being attached to the weapon shaped body near the position of the users thumbs when the weapon shaped body is held by the user, and including means for sending commands from said first multiaxis controllers to the computer to move the position of the character within the virtual reality of the computer game and including means for sending commands from said second multiaxis controllers to the computer to move the point of view of the character within the virtual reality of the computer game; and

a plurality of control switch means for controlling aspects of the virtual character or virtual reality within a computer game, said switch means being mounted proximate to and behind the game controller'"'"'s multiaxis controllers within the distance that may be reached by the game player'"'"'s thumbs without repositioning the player'"'"'s hands on the controller'"'"'s weapon shaped body.

2. A controller as in claim 1 including a second plurality of switches located near the trigger switch so as to be actuated by the user'"'"'s thumb while the user'"'"'s trigger finger is on said trigger switch, said switches being adapted to control the actions and movements of the character within the virtual reality game space.

3. A controller as in claim 2 including at least one group of control switches not located proximate the trigger switch.

4. A controller as in claim 2 including means for force feedback to the user when the trigger switch is actuated, whereby the controller simulates the recoil of firing a rifle.