Augmented and/or virtual reality footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10639540-B2
Application number	US-201815975242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2018
Priority date	May 9, 2017
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A physical position of motorized footwear in a physical environment may be tracked, and movement of the footwear may be translated into corresponding movement in a virtual environment. When a distance between the motorized footwear and a boundary of an operational zone defined in the physical environment is less than or equal to a threshold distance, a motor of the motorized shoe may be actuated. Actuation of the motor may in turn actuate a locomotion device of the motorized footwear, to move the motorized footwear back into a return zone defined within the operational zone. This may allow the user to walk, seemingly endlessly in the virtual environment, while remaining within a defined physical space in the physical environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motorized shoe assembly, comprising:
a platform;
a flex region provided on a bottom surface portion of the platform, between a first portion of the platform and a second portion of the platform, the platform being configured to flex at the flex region through a range of flexure, between a neutral state and a fully flexed state;
a locomotion device coupled to the bottom surface portion of the platform, including:
a plurality of wheels; and
at least one belt coupled to the plurality of wheels, the plurality of wheels configured to guide movement of the at least one belt;

a motor coupled to the platform and selectively providing power to the locomotion device to selectively operate the locomotion device; and
a linkage assembly coupled to the bottom surface portion of the platform, and coupled to the locomotion device, wherein the linkage assembly includes a linkage arm extending between the first and second portions of the platform, wherein the linkage arm is rotatable relative to the platform so as to maintain a target amount of tension on the at least one belt through the range of flexure of the platform.

2. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 1 , wherein the locomotion device includes:
a first plurality of wheels arranged along a first lateral side of the linkage assembly on the bottom surface portion of the platform;
a first belt coupled to the first plurality of wheels, wherein the first plurality of wheels guide movement of the first belt;
a second plurality of wheels arranged along a second lateral side of the linkage assembly, opposite the first lateral side thereof, on the bottom surface portion of the platform; and
a second belt coupled to the second plurality of wheels, wherein the second plurality of wheels guide movement of the second belt.

3. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 2 , wherein the motor is configured to:
supply power to a first wheel of the first plurality of wheels to rotate the first wheel of the first plurality of wheels;
move the first belt coupled to the first plurality of wheels in response to the rotation of the first wheel of the first plurality of wheels, the movement of the first belt being guided by the first plurality of wheels;
simultaneously supply power from the motor to a first wheel of the second plurality of wheels to rotate the first wheel of the second plurality of wheels; and
simultaneously move the second belt coupled to the second plurality of wheels in response to the rotation of the first wheel of the second plurality of wheels, the movement of the second belt being guided by the second plurality of wheels.

4. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 1 , wherein the linkage assembly includes:
a first stationary block coupled to the bottom surface portion of the platform;
a second stationary block coupled to the bottom surface portion of the platform;
a first movable block movably coupled to the second stationary block;
a second movable block movably coupled to the second stationary block; and
a linkage arm having a first end thereof rotatably coupled to the first stationary block and a second end thereof rotatably coupled to the first movable block.

5. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 4 , wherein the linkage assembly also includes:
a first guide rod having a first end portion thereof fixed to the second stationary block and a second end portion thereof extending through the first movable block and into the second movable block;
a second guide rod having a first end portion thereof fixed to the second stationary block and a second end portion thereof extending through the first movable block and into the second movable block;
a first tension spring positioned on the first guide rod, between the first movable block and the second movable block; and
a second tension spring positioned on the second guide rod, between the first movable block and the second movable block.

6. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first movable block and the second movable block are configured to move in a first direction along the first and second guide rods in response to a movement of the platform from the neutral state to a flexed state, and to move in a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the first and second guide rods in response to a movement of the platform from the flexed state toward the neutral state.

7. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first tension spring and the second tension spring are configured to remain in tension as the platform moves through the range of flexure.

8. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a processing device operably coupling the motorized shoe assembly with an external computing device, the processing device including a tracking device that is trackable by the external computing device for tracking a physical position of the motorized shoe assembly.

9. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 8 , wherein, in response to a detection of movement of the motorized shoe assembly in a first direction and a detection that a physical distance between the motorized shoe assembly and a physical boundary of a physical operational zone defined a physical environment is less than or equal to a threshold distance, the processing device is configured to:
supply power from the motor to operate the locomotion device, to move the motorized shoe assembly in a second physical direction that is different from the first physical direction, toward a return zone defined within the physical operational zone.

10. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 9 , wherein, in response to a detection of the motorized shoe assembly in the return zone, the processing device is configured to suspend the supply of power from the motor to suspend operation of the locomotion device.

11. The motorized shoe assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply device remotely coupled to the motor.

12. A method, comprising:
tracking a physical position of at least one motorized shoe in a physical environment;
detecting a distance between the at least one motorized shoe and a physical boundary of a physical operational zone defined in the physical environment;
comparing the detected distance to a threshold distance;
actuating a locomotion device of the at least one motorized shoe in response to a detection of the at least one motorized shoe within the threshold distance to the physical boundary of the physical operational zone when the detected distance is less than or equal to the threshold distance based on the comparison; and
moving the at least one motorized shoe into a physical return zone defined within the physical operational zone in response to actuation of the locomotion device to maintain a physical position of the at least one motorized shoe within the physical operational zone.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the moving of the at least one motorized shoe into the physical return zone includes:
transmitting power generated by a motor to the locomotion device of the at least one motorized shoe via a power transmission device; and
rotating the locomotion device in a direction to convey the at least one motorized shoe toward the return zone.

14. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
displaying, in a head mounted display device, a virtual environment; and
moving virtual elements of the virtual environment to correspond to tracked physical movement of the at least one motorized shoe in a first physical direction.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the moving of the at least one motorized shoe into the return zone includes:
mov

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Rathi Nidhi
• Ratner Maksim

Classifications

• A63C17/02

  with wheels arranged in two pairs {(for skateboards A63C17/015)} · CPC title

• A63B22/20

  using rollers, wheels, castors or the like, {e.g. gliding means,} to be moved over the floor or other surface, {e.g. guide tracks,} during exercising · CPC title

• G06F2203/012

  Walk-in-place systems for allowing a user to walk in a virtual environment while constraining him to a given position in the physical environment · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• A63B2071/0644

  with display speed of moving landscape controlled by the user's performance · CPC title