Electronic display for vibro-kinetic platform

• US 9,078,523 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D-Box Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: D-Box Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Mnard, Jean-Franois, Simoneau, Martin, Trottier, Sylvain, Sncal, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): MCPARTLIN, SARAH BURNHAM
• Application Number:
  US13/251,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20120019030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 297/217.3, 297/232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/12 Theatre, auditorium, or similar chairs seats detachably mounted on stadium benches A47C1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/13 Indicators; Devices for reserving or the like coin-freed apparatus for seats or footstools G07F17/08
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/002 Chair or stool bases A47C3/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/72 Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/723 with display screens
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/727 with speakers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• 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 2300/302 specially adapted for receiving control signals not targeted to a display device or game input means, e.g. vibrating driver's seat, scent dispenser
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 1/04 with toboggans
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/04 with jolting substructures
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 25/00 Equipment specially adapted for cinemas cinematographic projection means G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00

Abstract

The present document describes a vibro-kinetic seating kit for providing seating to a user at a seating location in a multi-seating environment comprising other seating locations and for rendering a vibro-kinetic effect to the user. The vibro-kinetic seating kit comprises an electronic display and a vibro-kinetic platform which comprises a seat portion associated with the seating location and for providing the seating to the user; and an actuation system mechanically connected to the seat portion for rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user. The electronic display associated to the vibro-kinetic platform is for receiving display data and for electronically showing visual information indicative of the display data which comprises an identification tag for the seating location relative to the other seating locations in the multi-seating environment.

Claims

1. A vibro-kinetic seating kit for providing seating to a user at a seating location in a multi-seating environment comprising other seating locations and for rendering a vibro-kinetic effect to the user synchronized with one of audio and video information provided to the user, the vibro-kinetic seating kit comprising:

a vibro-kinetic platform comprising;

a seat portion associated with the seating location and for providing the seating to the user; and

an actuation system mechanically connected to the seat portion for rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user, the actuation system comprising a plurality of upstanding linear actuators concurrently producing at least two of pitch, roll and up/down movements of the seat portion for rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user, as synchronized with one of audio and video information provided to the user;

a vibro-kinetic controller for receiving a vibro-kinetic signal and communicating the vibro-kinetic signal to the actuation system, the actuation system rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user based on the vibro-kinetic signal;

a user input device for the user to communicate with the vibro-kinetic controller to modulate an intensity of the vibro-kinetic effect; and

an electronic display associated to the vibro-kinetic platform for receiving display data and for electronically showing visual information indicative of the display data which comprises data indicative of the modulation of intensity of the vibro-kinetic effect.

2. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 1, wherein the user input device is for receiving actions from the user and producing input commands based on the received actions.

3. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 2, wherein the user input device comprises at least one of a touch screen, touch sensitive input device, a keyboard, a pointing device, a switch, a knob and a pushbutton.

4. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 2, wherein the vibro-kinetic controller is for receiving at least one of the input commands and for altering the vibro-kinetic signal sent to the actuation system based on the at least one of the input commands thus altering the vibro-kinetic effect rendered to the user.

5. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the input commands is for controlling at least one of an intensity of vibration and an intensity of movement of the vibro-kinetic platform.

6. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 2, wherein the display data further comprises at least one of:

at least one of the input commands; and

an operational state of the vibro-kinetic platform affected by at least one of the input commands.

7. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 1, wherein the display data further comprises a reservation state indicative of whether or not the seating location is reserved for the user.

8. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 1, further comprising an occupation detector for detecting the presence of the user in the seating location and for producing an occupation state indicative of the presence, and wherein the occupation state affects at least one of the visual information and a format of the visual information appearing on the electronic display.

9. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 1, wherein the display data further comprises an operational state of the vibro-kinetic platform.

10. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 1, wherein the electronic display is further for showing visual information which comprises at least one of:

an error message, an advertisement, a user survey, an image, an animation, a game, instructions for operating the vibro-kinetic platform, emergency information and information concerning an event.

11. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 10, wherein the visual information concerning an event comprises at least one of statistical data of the event, scheduling data of the event, a location of the event, images related to the event, and video related to the event.

12. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 1, wherein the electronic display is installed on the seat portion.

13. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 1, wherein the actuation system is anchored to the ground.

14. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of upstanding linear actuators of the actuation system concurrently produce at least pitch, roll and up/down movements of the seat portion for rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user.

15. A vibro-kinetic seating kit for providing seating to a user and for rendering a vibro-kinetic effect to the user synchronized with one of audio and video information provided to the user, the vibro-kinetic seating kit comprising:

a vibro-kinetic platform comprising;

a seat portion for providing the seating to the user; and

an actuation system mechanically connected to the seat portion for rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user, the actuation system comprising a plurality of upstanding linear actuators concurrently producing at least two of pitch, roll and up/down movements of the seat portion for rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user, as synchronized with one of audio and video information provided to the user;

a vibro-kinetic controller for receiving a vibro-kinetic signal and communicating the vibro-kinetic signal to the actuation system, the actuation system rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user based on the vibro-kinetic signal;

a user input device for the user to communicate with the vibro-kinetic controller to modulate an intensity of the vibro-kinetic effect; and

an electronic display associated to the vibro-kinetic platform for showing visual information indicative of the modulation of intensity of the vibro-kinetic effect.

16. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 15, wherein the event comprises one of a virtual game and a live event.

17. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 15, wherein the actuation system is anchored to the ground.

18. The vibro-kinetic seating kit of claim 15, wherein the plurality of upstanding linear actuators of the actuation system concurrently produce at least pitch, roll and up/down movements of the seat portion for rendering the vibro-kinetic effect to the user.