Navigation Controller for Virtual-Reality Systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017193841-A1
Application number	US-201514985812-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 31, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A virtual-reality navigation controller includes a base and a seating portion. The seating portion includes a seat for supporting a weight of a user seated thereon, and a back-rest coupled to the seat to move integrally with the seat and to support the user's back. The virtual-reality navigation controller further includes a displacement connector between the seating portion and the base to reciprocate the seating portion upwards and downwards, and a motion-detection controller to measure upwards and downwards displacement of the seating portion. The displacement connector is configured to move the seating portion upwards along with the user to support the user when the user ascends from the seat during virtual-reality activities. The displacement connector is further configured to move the seating portion downwards at a slower maximum speed than the upwards movement, when the user's body rests back on the seat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A virtual-reality navigation controller, comprising:
a base; a seating portion, including:
a seat for supporting a weight of a user seated thereon; and
a back-rest coupled to the seat to move integrally with the seat and to support the user's back;
a displacement connector between the seating portion and the base to reciprocate the seating portion upwards and downwards; and a motion-detection controller to measure upwards and downwards displacement of the seating portion, wherein the displacement connector is configured to move the seating portion upwards along with the user to support the user when the user ascends from the seat during virtual-reality activities, and wherein the displacement connector is configured to move the seating portion downwards at a slower maximum speed than the upwards movement, when the user's body rests back on the seat.

2 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 1 , wherein the displacement connector comprises:
a cylindrical housing sealably containing a compressible fluid therein; a piston rod reciprocally disposed in the housing; a piston mounted on the piston rod and disposed to reciprocate upwards and downwards along inner walls of the housing; and at least one check-valve configured to increase an amount of flow of the compressible fluid past the piston in a first direction to accelerate the piston and the seating portion upwards and configured to restrict the amount of flow of the compressible fluid past the piston in a second direction to decelerate the piston and the seating portion downwards.

3 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 2 , wherein the displacement connector forms a spring-loaded connection, and the compressible fluid comprises nitrogen gas.

4 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one check-valve comprises first and second check-valves; the first check-valve is disposed in an open condition and the second check-valve is disposed in a closed condition when the piston rod is extended upwards from the housing for the compressible fluid to travel through the first check-valve and allow the piston to move the seating portion upwards at a first speed matching that of the user's ascent; the first check-valve is disposed in a closed condition and the second check-valve is disposed in an open condition when the piston rod retracts into the housing for the compressible fluid to travel through the second check-valve and allow the piston to move the seating portion downwards at a second speed; and the first check-valve has a larger flow cross-section area than the second check-valve, and a maximum value of the first speed is greater than a maximum value of the second speed.

5 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 2 , wherein the at least one check-valve comprises a ball check-valve or a flap check-valve.

6 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 5 , wherein the at least one check-valve is spring-loaded to keep the check-valve in a closed position.

7 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 6 , wherein the at least one check-valve is disposed in the piston.

8 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 2 , wherein the displacement connector further comprises:
a lubricant contained in the cylindrical housing to lubricate the piston as the piston reciprocates in the upwards and downwards directions; and a seal to contain the compressible fluid and the lubricant in the housing and prevent leakage thereof.

9 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 8 , wherein the lubricant comprises an oily substance to reduce friction as the piston reciprocates in the upwards and downwards directions.

10 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 1 , wherein the seat extends lengthwise along a horizontal axis from a proximal end to a distal end, at least a portion of a length of the seat on both left and right sides being concavely curved toward a center axis along the length of the seat to narrow the seat toward the distal end and to accommodate legs of the user.

11 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 1 , wherein the motion-detection controller is communicatively coupleable to a virtual-reality device to initiate corresponding upwards and downwards motions in virtual reality.

12 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 1 , wherein the motion-detection controller is coupled to the seating portion.

13 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the seating portion is rotatably coupled to the displacement connector to be rotatable about a vertical axis of the displacement connector; and the motion-detection controller is configured to measure yaw rotation of the seating portion about the vertical axis of the displacement connector and communicate the yaw rotation to a virtual-reality device to initiate corresponding rotation in virtual-reality.

14 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 1 , further comprising a head-rest to support a head of the user, wherein the motion-detection controller is coupled to the head-rest.

15 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the base comprises wheels which are configurable to be locked during the movement of the seating portion and freely rotatable when the seating portion is configured for use as a chair during non-virtual-reality activities; and the displacement connector is configured to lock the seating portion into a desired configuration for use as a chair during the non-virtual-reality activities.

16 . A virtual-reality navigation controller, comprising:
a base; a seating portion, including:
a seat for supporting a weight of a user seated thereon, and
a back-rest coupled to the seat to move integrally with the seat and to support the user's back;
a displacement connector between the seating portion and the base, the displacement connector comprising:
a cylindrical housing sealably containing a compressible fluid therein;
a piston rod reciprocally disposed in the housing;
a piston mounted on the piston rod and disposed to reciprocate upwards and downwards along inner walls of the housing;
at least one check-valve configured to increase an amount of flow of the compressible fluid past the piston in a first direction to accelerate the piston and the seating portion upwards and configured to restrict the amount of flow of the compressible fluid past the piston in a second direction to decelerate the piston and the seating portion downwards;
a lubricant contained in the cylindrical housing to lubricate the piston as the piston reciprocates upwards and downwards; and
a seal to contain the compressible fluid and the lubricant in the housing and prevent leakage thereof; and
a motion-detection controller to measure upwards and downwards displacement of the seating portion, the motion-detection controller being communicatively coupleable to a virtual-reality device to initiate corresponding upwards and downwards motions in virtual reality.

17 . The virtual-reality navigation controller of claim 16 , wherein:
the seating portion is rotatably coupled to the displacement connector to be rotatable about a vertical axis of the displacement connector; and the motion-detection controller is further configured to measure yaw rotation of the seating portion about the vertical axis of the displacement connector and communicate the yaw rotation to the virtual-reality device to initiate corresponding rotati

Assignees

• Oculus Vr Llc

Inventors

• Petrov Yury Anatolievich

Classifications

• A63F13/98

  Accessories, i.e. detachable arrangements optional for the use of the video game device, e.g. grip supports of game controllers · CPC title

• A63F13/803

  Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks · CPC title

• A63F13/245

  specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels · CPC title

• A63F13/211

  using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes · CPC title

• G09B9/04 Primary

  for teaching control of land vehicles · CPC title