Waterproof virtual reality goggle and sensor system

• US 9,740,010 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2014
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mahmoud A. Alhashim
• Original Assignee: Mahmoud A. Alhashim
• Inventors: Alhashim, Mahmoud A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): MATHEWS, CRYSTAL
• Application Number:
  US14/555,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20160154241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0129 comprising devices for correcting parallax
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• 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: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays

Abstract

A waterproof 3D virtual reality system is described. The virtual reality system includes several key components, such as a submersion tank, an enveloping medium, a waterproof head-mounted display system containing a sensor for tracking the user'"'"'s head movements and an optical element that displays virtual reality images, waterproof hand sensors, electronic surface sensors, a computer/controller that both receives and transmits location and speed data from sensors worn by the user, and a computer-implemented virtual reality video input signal that is dynamically modified in accordance with movement of the user'"'"'s head and/or hand sensors. Furthermore, a method of enhancing a user'"'"'s overall virtual experience is described. This method involves the user occupying a position of partial submersion in a body of fluid, such that the fluid provides buoyancy and resistance to the user.

Claims

1. A 3D virtual reality system, comprising:

a submersion tank comprising an enveloping medium to partially submerge a user and to provide buoyancy to the user;

a waterproof head-mounted display system comprising at least one sensor for tracking the user'"'"'s head movements and at least one optical element that displays virtual reality images to the user;

a plurality of waterproof hand sensors attached to the user to track the user'"'"'s hand movements;

at least three electronic surface sensors positioned on the surface of and partially submerged in the enveloping medium contained in the submersion tank that define a submersible area and continuously track the head-mounted display and hand sensors as the head-mounted display and hand sensors transition to or from above the surface of the enveloping medium in an air environment and below the surface of the enveloping medium in a liquid medium based on their position relative to the position of the surface sensors;

a computer/controller that both receives location and speed data from the head-mounted display and hand sensors worn by the user and transmits said location and speed data into the waterproof head-mounted display unit worn by the user;

a computer-implemented virtual reality video input signal that is dynamically modified in accordance with movement of the user'"'"'s head-mounted display and/or hand sensors.

2. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the submersion tank is a container comprising a cavity capable of holding liquid selected from a group consisting of a swimming pool, wading pool, bathtub, and a hot tub.

3. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the enveloping medium is water.

4. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the waterproof head-mounted display further comprises:

a head strap to secure the display to the head of the user;

a 3D stereoscopic camera with two lenses to provide a source of real-world images;

a screen to show virtual images;

a plurality of lenses to enlarge and view the screen image in parallax, so that the user sees a 3D virtual image, a real image, or a 3D virtual image and a real image viewed together;

at least one sensor to send location and speed data to the computer/controller;

an outer-membrane, outer-wrapping, outer-compartment, coating, or sealant to protect the electronic components in the head-mounted display from liquid damage.

5. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the waterproof head-mounted display further comprises a waterproof containment area for the computer/controller.

6. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the head-mounted display is connected to and powered by the computer/controller.

7. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the computer/controller is a mobile cellular telephone.

8. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of the plurality of lenses is a Fresnel lens or a lenticular lens.

9. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1 wherein two hand sensors are attached to the user to send location and speed data to the computer/controller.

10. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of sensors are attached to the user to track the user'"'"'s movements.

11. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic surface sensors are positioned on the surface of the enveloping medium and send horizontal and vertical position data to the computer/controller to define the submersible area and liquid level.

12. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the submersible area is defined by four electronic surface sensors.

13. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the computer/controller further comprises:

a communication link for communicating with all of the sensors in the virtual reality system;

a graphics processing unit to generate the virtual reality video input signal sent to the waterproof head-mounted display;

a microprocessor-controlled transceiver that both receives real-time rate of change, horizontal, and vertical positional data from a plurality of sensors worn by the user, and also transmits the positional data in real-time to the waterproof head-mounted display;

an input device the user can use for selecting and viewing virtual reality environments.

14. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the communications link is selected from the group consisting of a wired connection and a wireless connection.

15. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the head-mounted display and computer/controller are linked through wireless communication.

16. The 3D virtual reality system according to claim 1, which does not include a breathing apparatus and wherein the user is partially submerged and is not attached to a breathing apparatus.

17. A method, comprising

applying the 3D virtual reality system according to claim 1, wherein the user adopts a position within the submersible area such that one or more sensors are submerged while one or more sensors are not submerged.

18. The method, according to claim 17, wherein the user experiences a virtual reality of partial submersion while the enveloping medium provides buoyancy and resistance to the user.

19. The method, according to claim 17, wherein the virtual reality system is applied for gaming, exercising, education, simulation, or entertainment purposes.

20. The 3D virtual reality system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising seats or platforms at various depths beneath a surface of the enveloping medium in the submersion tank on which the user can stand or sit.