System for providing a virtual reality experience

• US 9,669,321 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Figment Productions Limited
• Original Assignee: Figment Productions Limited
• Inventors: Reveley, Simon Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US14/872,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20170080349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 472 43, 472 59- 61, 472130, 434 62, 434 69
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/02 with moving substructures
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 7/00 Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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

Abstract

Provided is a system for providing a virtual reality experience, the system including a vehicle controlled to follow a pre-determined path; a virtual reality controller; one or more headsets each including a virtual reality generator and at least one screen, wherein the virtual reality generator is controlled by the virtual reality controller; and a synchronization sensor, wherein the controller includes a memory adapted to store data relating to the path, the synchronization sensor is connected to the controller and includes at least one accelerometer adapted to sense movement of the vehicle, the controller includes a processor adapted to compare data from the synchronization sensor to the data stored in the memory of the controller to calculate the location of the vehicle on the path, and the controller is adapted to synchronize the virtual reality generator with the location of the vehicle on the path.

Claims

1. A system for providing a virtual reality experience, the system comprising:

a vehicle controlled to follow a pre-determined path;

a virtual reality controller

one or more headsets each including a virtual reality generator and at least one screen, wherein the virtual reality generator is controlled by the virtual reality controller; and

-a synchronisation sensor including at least one accelerometer adapted to sense movement of the vehicle,

wherein the virtual reality controller includes a memory which stores master data relating to the path, the master data relating to forces experienced by the vehicle as it moves along the path;

the synchronisation sensor is connected to the virtual reality controller the virtual reality controller includes a processor adapted to compare movement data from the synchronisation sensor to the master data stored in the memory of the virtual reality controller to calculate the location of the vehicle on the path; and

the virtual reality controller is adapted to synchronise the virtual reality generator with the location of the vehicle on the path.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual reality controller is adapted to be worn by a user and is connected to the virtual reality generator via a wired or wireless connection.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization sensor includes at least two accelerometers.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system further includes one or more batteries electrically connected to the controller and/or the headset.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the synchronisation sensor is adapted to be worn by a user.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the synchronisation sensor is releasably coupled to the vehicle.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the data relating to the path includes force data corresponding to forces exerted upon the vehicle at selected points along the path.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual reality controller is carried by the vehicle.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the master data is indicative of forces experienced by the vehicle as it moves along the path.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the movement data comprises acceleration data.

11. A method of operating a virtual reality experience, the method comprising:

providing a vehicle controlled to follow a pre-determined path, a virtual reality controller including a memory and a processor, one or more headsets each including a virtual reality generator and at least one screen, and a synchronisation sensor including at least one accelerometer adapted to sense movement of the vehicle;

establishing a master data set relating to the movement of the vehicle along the path, the master data set relating to forces experience by the vehicle as it moves along the path;

saving the master data set on the memory of the virtual reality controller;

comparing data from the synchronisation sensor to the master data set to determine the position of the vehicle relative to the path; and

synchronising the virtual reality generator with the location of the vehicle.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the synchronisation of the virtual reality generator to the position of the vehicle is controlled by the virtual reality controller.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the virtual reality generator displays virtual reality images on the or each screen.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the method includes receiving a start signal when the vehicle begins to move along the path and synchronising the virtual reality generator with the start of the vehicle.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of establishing the master data set includes moving the vehicle along the pre-determined path.

16. A system for providing a virtual reality experience, the system comprising:

a vehicle controlled to move along a pre-determined path;

one or more headsets, each headset including a virtual reality generator and at least one screen; and

a synchronisation sensor including at least one accelerometer adapted to sense movement of the vehicle and generate movement data indicative of the movement of the vehicle,

a virtual reality controller including a processor and memory, the controller configured to;

store master data indicative of forces experienced by the vehicle as it moves along the path;

receive the movement data from the synchronisation sensor;

determine the location of the vehicle along the path based upon the movement data from the synchronisation sensor and the master data; and

control the virtual reality generator including synchronise the virtual reality generator with the location of the vehicle on the path.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the master data is indicative of acceleration experienced by the vehicle as it moves along the path.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the movement data comprises acceleration data.

19. A system according to claim 16, wherein the data relating to the path includes force data corresponding to forces exerted upon the vehicle at selected points along the path.

20. A system according to claim 16, wherein the virtual reality controller is carried by the vehicle.