Modular Infrastructure For An Interactive Computer Program

Abstract

A modular infrastructure, for an interactive computer program comprising a computer generated environment, comprising an instrument module, a seat and a display. The instrument module replicates a first and a third portion of a cockpit from a simulated vehicle. The instrument module comprises a tangible instrument for a user to interact within the computer generated environment and a shared tangible instrument, replicating the third portion accessible to a real co-user in a second infrastructure, which replicates a second and the third portion of the cockpit. Images from the computer generated environment and of a virtualized participant representing the real co-user are displayed. A display position relative to an instrument position of the third portion and relative to a seat position is customizable to support different configurations of the interactive computer program. A method for providing the interactive computer program in the modular infrastructure and the second infrastructure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A modular infrastructure for an interactive computer program comprising a computer generated environment, the infrastructure comprising:
 an instrument module replicating a first portion and a third portion of a cockpit from a simulated vehicle, wherein the interactive computer program simulates the simulated vehicle of the computer generated environment and wherein a second infrastructure replicates a second portion and the third portion of the cockpit from the simulated vehicle, the instrument module comprising:
 at least one tangible instrument for a user to interact within the computer generated environment, the at least one tangible instrument being accessible to the user of the interactive computer program, the at least one tangible instrument being relevant for the simulated vehicle of the computer generated environment; 
 at least one shared tangible instrument, replicating the third portion of the cockpit, accessible to the user, wherein a corresponding shared tangible instrument, replicating the third portion of the cockpit, is accessible to a real co-user of the interactive computer program in the second infrastructure, wherein the third portion of the cockpit of the simulated vehicle is different from the first portion of the cockpit and from the second portion of the cockpit in the second infrastructure; and 
   a seat maintained on the floor of the modular infrastructure at a seat position;   at least one display for:
 displaying images from the computer generated environment of the interactive computer program; and 
 displaying images of a virtualized participant of the interactive computer program representing the real co-user in the cockpit of the simulated vehicle, wherein the tangible instrument is not accessible to the virtualized participant of the interactive computer program; 
   wherein a display position relative to an instrument position of at least the third portion of the cockpit from the simulated vehicle and relative to the seat position is customizable in the modular infrastructure to support different configurations of the interactive computer program.   
     
     
         2 . The modular infrastructure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one display further displays images of at least one virtualized instrument corresponding to a remote tangible instrument from the second portion of the cockpit in the second infrastructure, wherein the remote tangible instrument is accessible to the real co-user of the interactive computer program. 
     
     
         3 . The modular infrastructure of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one display further displays complementary images of the cockpit of the simulated vehicle, the complementary images comprising images of the at least one virtualized instrument and of the virtualized participant of the interactive computer program in the cockpit of the simulated vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The modular infrastructure of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one tangible instrument is accessible to the user while the user is at least one of being seated, in motion or standing. 
     
     
         5 . The modular infrastructure of  claim 2 , wherein the virtualized participant is controlled by artificial intelligence to mimic reactions of the real co-user of the interactive computer program. 
     
     
         6 . The modular infrastructure of  claim 1  further comprising a sightline tracking module for tracking at least one factor of the user's sightline for geometry correction of the images displayed on at least one of the first display and the second display. 
     
     
         7 . A method for providing an interactive computer program in a first infrastructure and a second infrastructure, the method comprising:
 providing a tangible instrument module, in the first infrastructure, replicating a first portion of a cockpit from a simulated vehicle, for a user to interact with the interactive computer program,   displaying, on a first display screen of the first infrastructure, a computer generated environment of the interactive computer program, wherein the interactive computer program simulates the simulated vehicle of the computer generated environment, the tangible instrument module being relevant for the simulated vehicle of the computer generated environment;   providing a second tangible instrument module, in the second infrastructure, replicating a second portion of the cockpit from the simulated vehicle, for a real co-user to interact with the interactive computer program from the second infrastructure,   displaying, on a first display screen of the second infrastructure, the computer generated environment of the interactive computer program to the real co-user;   providing a shared tangible instrument module in the first infrastructure replicating a third portion of the cockpit, different from the first portion, accessible to the user in the first infrastructure;   providing a corresponding shared tangible instrument module in the second infrastructure replicating the third portion of the cockpit, different from the second portion, accessible to the real co-user in the second infrastructure;   in the first infrastructure, displaying images of a virtualized participant of the interactive computer program, representing the real co-user, wherein the tangible instrument module is not accessible to the virtualized participant and the virtualized instrument module is accessible to the real co-user;   in the second infrastructure, displaying images of a second virtualized participant of the interactive computer program, representing the user, wherein the second tangible instrument module is not accessible to the second virtualized participant and the second virtualized instrument module is accessible to the user; and   customizing a display position relative to an instrument position of at least the third portion of the cockpit in at least one of first and the second infrastructures to support different configurations of the interactive computer program.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising in the first infrastructure, on a second display screen thereof, displaying images of a virtualized instrument module of the interactive computer program, the virtualized instrument module being relevant for the simulated vehicle of the computer generated environment and the second tangible instrument module corresponding to the virtualized instrument module. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, in the first infrastructure, displaying complementary images of the cockpit of the simulated vehicle, the complementary images comprising images of the virtualized instrument module and of the virtualized participant of the interactive computer program in the cockpit of the simulated vehicle. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising in the second infrastructure, on a second display screen thereof, displaying images of the tangible instrument module from the first infrastructure as a second virtualized instrument module of the interactive computer program to the real co-user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising, in the second infrastructure, displaying complementary images of the cockpit of the simulated vehicle, the complementary images comprising images of the second virtualized instrument module and of the second virtualized participant of the interactive computer program in the cockpit of the simulated vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the tangible instrument module is accessible to the user while the user is at least one of being seated, in motion or standing. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the virtualized participant is controlled by artificial intelligence to mimic reactions of the real co-user of the interactive computer program. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising tracking at least one factor of the user's sightline for geometry correction of the images displayed in the first infrastructure.