Methods and apparatus to provide user a somatosensory experience for thrill seeking jumping like activities

Abstract

A method of providing user somatosensory experience for “thrill seeking jumping like activities” (for purposes such as but not limited to training, game, or entertainment) involves: Providing means for changing elevation of user that rapid enough for user to feel the difference of gravity feeling or “G force” with feelings of user under stationary situation, wherein the facing direction relative to the direction of movement and/or pose of the user can be changed, and the speed of elevation change provide by the means can be controlled/adjusted; While the user using the elevation changing means, using a computer-implemented virtual reality system to present to the user a virtual reality environment. The view point and/or direction changes in the virtual reality environment are consistent with the position changes and/or self motion of the user in the elevation changing means; So that the user experiences the virtual reality environment under a “variable gravity” condition or “G-Force” provided by the elevation changing means in a synchronized way, such “variable gravity” condition enhancing experience of the virtual reality environment. It is also possible for users to interact with the system by means such as game controller or gesture and etc, so that the output of the elevation means could be affected/changed by user input.

1 . A method of providing user somatosensory experience for “thrill seeking jumping like activities”, the method comprising:
 Providing means for changing elevation of user that rapid enough for user to feel the difference of gravity feeling or “G force” with feelings of user under stationary situation, wherein the speed of elevation change provide by the means can be controlled/adjusted and the facing direction relative to the direction of movement and/or pose of the user can be changed, 
 While the user using the elevation changing means, using a computer-implemented virtual reality system to present to the user a virtual reality environment. The view point and/or direction changes in the virtual reality environment are consistent with the position changes and/or self motion of the user in the elevation changing means, 
 So that the user experiences the virtual reality environment under a “variable gravity” condition or “G-Force” provided by the elevation changing means (in a synchronized way), such “variable gravity” condition enhancing experience of the virtual reality environment. 
 
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein using the computer-implemented virtual reality/mixed reality system including modeling an virtual environment in which user can perform “thrill seeking jumping like” activities such as but not limited to: bungee jumping, sky diving, parachuting, jet pack flying, ski jumping, X bike, ATV or snow mobile jumping, flying with special(or fictional) equipments or riding fictional animals and etc. The virtual environment could have a setting that is on earth or extraterrestrial. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented virtual reality system includes a virtual reality display on at least one surface in the visual environment. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the surface is at least one wall of the simulating environment (that surrounds user). 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein using the computer-implemented virtual reality system includes having the user don (i) a head-mounted display system, such display system including at least one sensor to identify at least one position of the user's head, wherein the display system and the sensors form a part of the computer-implemented virtual reality system. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein using the computer-implemented virtual reality system includes having the user don (i) a head-mounted display system, such display system including at least one motion-tracking sensor for tracking the user's head movement, wherein the display system and the sensors form a part of the computer-implemented virtual reality system 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein using a means for changing elevation of user includes using a resilient link/connection—to support the weight/provide lift for user, such as but not limited to using hoist (which use cable) or bungee cord, crane like systems and etc. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein using a means for changing elevation of user includes using rigid link/connection such as a track (rail) or cylinder to support the weight/provide lift to the users such as but not limited to “Turbo Drop” like system, elevator like system or slide way like system. 
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein a motion and position associated with the user is monitored and the virtual reality environment is adjusted in a manner responsive to the position. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein one or more control means or manipulator(s) which is(are) provided to one or more users for them to interact/play games with this system. User's input via the controllers or by other pre-defined methods such as gesture or pose could affect/change the output of the elevation changing means. 
     
     
         11 . A virtual reality apparatus for providing a user with an “thrill seeking jumping like activities” somatosensory experience, the apparatus comprising:
 an elevation changing means for user than can move user rapid enough to feel the difference of gravity feeling or “G force” (compared with feelings of user under stationary situation). In such means the speed of elevation change provide can be controlled/adjusted and the facing direction relative to the direction of movement and/or pose of the user can be changed; 
 a computer-implemented virtual reality system that presents to the user a virtual reality environment while user is using the elevation changing means. The visual display of the virtual reality environment moves together with user when user's elevation changed. The view point and/or direction changes in the virtual reality environment are consistent with the position changes and/or self motion of the user in the elevation changing means, enhancing user experience. 
 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the computer-implemented virtual reality/mixed reality system modeling an virtual environment in which user can perform “thrill seeking jumping like” activities such as but not limited to: bungee jumping/sky diving/parachuting/jet pack flying/ski jumping/X bike jumping/ATV or snow mobile jumping/flying with special(or fictional) equipments or riding fictional animals, and etc, the virtual environment could have a setting that is on earth or extraterrestrial. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the computer implemented virtual reality system includes: a head-mounted display system, such display system including at least one sensor to identify at least one of position and motion of the user's head, wherein the display system and the sensor form a part of the computer-implemented virtual reality system, the head-mounted display system integrated with the elevation changing means for use by the user. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the computer implemented virtual reality system includes: an external display providing a visual display of the virtual reality environment. This external display could provide visual display on at least one wall of the environment surrounding user 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein a motion and position associated with the user is monitored and the virtual reality environment is adjusted in a manner responsive to the position. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 11  including one or more control means or manipulator(s) which is(are) provided to one or more users for them to interact/play games with this system. User's input via the controllers or by other pre-defined methods such as gesture or pose could affect/change the output of the elevation changing means. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 11  includes means to blow artificial wind to the user (such as fans). 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 11  includes a tactile component for transmitting a tactile signal to the user.