Virtual reality game

• US 6,159,100 A
• Filed: 04/23/1998
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rupert L.A. Meghnot
• Original Assignee: Michael D. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Neill, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, Chanda
• Application Number:
  US09/065,152
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/25, 434/55, 434/29, 709/204, 472/59, 472/60
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/26 having at least one additional display device, e.g. on the game controller or outside a game booth
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• 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 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

A virtual reality system is provided including at least one game station. Such game station has at least one virtual reality outfit equipped with a helmet having an input device for subjecting a user to visual and audio stimuli upon the receipt thereof. The outfit also has a plurality of output devices including a movement sensor for generating an output signal upon the detection of a movement of the user and an audio sensor for generating the output signal upon the detection of a vocalization of the user. Further provided is a plurality of auxiliary sensory mechanisms for subjecting the user to various feeling sensory conditions upon the actuation thereof. A server is connected to each game station and adapted to transmit the audio and visual stimuli and further actuate a predetermined number of the auxiliary sensory mechanisms as a function of the output signals of at least one game station.

Claims

1. A virtual reality system comprising, in combination:

a plurality of game stations each situated remote from each other and including;

at least one virtual reality space for being occupied by a user, the virtual reality space having a floor surface for supporting the user and outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, the floor surface extending to the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space;

at least one virtual reality outfit having a helmet with an input device for subjecting the user in the virtual reality space to visual and audio stimuli upon the receipt thereof and a plurality of output devices including a movement sensor for generating an output signal upon the detection of a movement of the user in the virtual reality space and an audio sensor for generating the output signal upon the detection of a vocalization of the user in the virtual reality space,

a plurality of auxiliary sensory mechanisms for affecting an environment of the user in the virtual reality space the auxiliary sensory mechanisms including a fan situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to wind upon the actuation of the fan, a heater situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to heat upon the actuation of the heater, a subwoofer speaker situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to low frequency audible sounds upon the actuation of the subwoofer speaker, and a vibrating floor for vibrating the floor surface on which the user is situated in the virtual reality space for moving the user upon the actuation of the vibrating floor when the user is at any position within the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, and

a card reader for removably accepting, reading, and writing on a card having a unique identification code and credits stored thereon;

a server situated remote from the game stations and connected to each of the game stations over a communication network via a pair of modems, the server being adapted to transmit the audio and visual stimuli, the server being adapted to actuate a predetermined number of the auxiliary sensory mechanisms via a first one of the modems as a function of each of the output signals of a predetermined number of the game stations and further as a function of the identification code and credits read by each card reader, the server further being adapted to transmit via a second one of the modems the audio and visual stimuli to a predetermined number of the game stations for storage in memory of the designated game stations; and

a plurality of CRT viewing screens each connected to the server over the communication network for viewing the audio and video stimuli received by a selected one of the game stations.

2. A virtual reality system comprising:

at least one game station including;

at least one virtual reality space for being occupied by a user, the virtual reality space having a floor surface for supporting the user and outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, the floor surface extending to the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space;

at least one virtual reality outfit having a helmet with an input device for subjecting the user in the virtual reality space to visual and audio stimuli upon the receipt thereof and a plurality of output devices including a movement sensor for generating an output signal upon the detection of a movement of the user in the virtual reality space and an audio sensor for generating the output signal upon the detection of a vocalization of the user in the virtual reality space; and

a plurality of auxiliary sensory mechanisms for subjecting the user to various feeling sensory conditions upon the actuation of the mechanisms; and

a server connected to each game station and adapted to transmit the audio and visual stimuli and further actuate a predetermined number of the auxiliary sensory mechanisms as a function of each of the output signals of the game station.

3. A virtual reality system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the auxiliary sensory mechanisms include a fan situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to wind upon the actuation of the fan.

4. A virtual reality system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the auxiliary sensory mechanisms include a heater situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to heat upon the actuation of the heater.

5. A virtual reality system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the auxiliary sensory mechanisms include a subwoofer speaker situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to low frequency audible sounds upon the actuation of the subwoofer speaker.

6. A virtual reality system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the auxiliary sensory mechanisms include a vibrating floor for vibrating the floor surface on which the user is situated in the virtual reality space for moving the user upon the actuation of the vibrating floor when the user is at any position within the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space.

7. A virtual reality system as set forth in claim 2 and further included as a component of each game station a card reader for removably accepting, reading, and writing on a card having a unique identification code and credits stored thereon, whereby the server is adapted to transmit the audio and visual stimuli and further actuate a predetermined number of the auxiliary sensory mechanisms as a function of each of the output signals of a predetermined number of the game stations and further as a function of the identification code and credits read by each card reader.

8. A virtual reality system as set forth in claim 2 as set forth in claim 2 wherein a plurality of game stations are provided and are situated remote from each other and are further connected via a communication network.

9. A virtual reality system as set forth in claim 8 wherein each game station is equipped with a pair of modems.

10. A virtual reality system as set forth in claim 9 and further included is at least one viewing screen connected to the server over the communication network for viewing the audio and video stimuli received by a selected one of the game stations.

11. A method of participating in a virtual reality system comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of game stations each situated remote from each other and including;

at least one virtual reality space for being occupied by a user, the virtual reality space having a floor surface for supporting the user and outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, the floor surface extending to the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space;

at least one virtual reality outfit having a helmet with an input device for subjecting the user in the virtual reality space to visual and audio stimuli upon the receipt thereof and a plurality of output devices including a movement sensor for generating an output signal upon the detection of a movement of the user in the virtual reality space and an audio sensor for generating the output signal upon the detection of a vocalization of the user in the virtual reality space,

a plurality of auxiliary sensory mechanisms for affecting an environment of the user in the virtual reality space, the auxiliary sensory mechanisms including a fan situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to wind upon the actuation of the fan, a heater situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to heat upon the actuation of the heater, a subwoofer speaker situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to low frequency audible sounds upon the actuation of the subwoofer speaker, and a vibrating floor for vibrating the floor surface on which the user is situated in the virtual reality space for moving the user upon the actuation of the vibrating floor when the user is at any position within the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, and

a card reader for removably accepting, reading, and writing on a card having a unique identification code, credits and a score thereon;

providing a server situated remote from the game stations and connected to each of the game stations over a communication network via a pair of modems, the server being adapted to transmit the audio and visual stimuli, the server being adapted to actuate a predetermined number of the auxiliary sensory mechanisms via a first one of the modems as a function of each of the output signals of a predetermined number of the game stations and further as a function of the identification code and credits read by each card reader, the server further being adapted to transmit via a second one of the modems the audio and visual stimuli to a predetermined number of the game stations for storage in memory of the designated game stations;

providing a plurality of CRT viewing screens each connected to the server over the communication network for viewing the audio and video stimuli received by a selected one of the game stations;

picking a character associated with each user situated at the game stations;

deducting and tracking points of each user as a function of the output signals; and

storing a current number of points associated with each user on the card thereof.