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US-20260127981-A1 - VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEM WITH ATTACHABLE SENSOR SYSTEM

US20260127981A1US 20260127981 A1US20260127981 A1US 20260127981A1US-20260127981-A1

Abstract

A virtual reality system ( 100 ), including: a piece of equipment ( 150 ); a sensor system ( 101 ) including a wireless communication interface ( 114 ). The sensor system ( 101 ) is configured to obtain one or more sensor signals and wirelessly transfer sensor data. The system ( 100 ) further includes a virtual reality headset ( 121 ) worn by the user ( 160 ) associated with the equipment ( 150 ), including a processor ( 124 ), a memory ( 126 ), a display ( 130 ), an accelerometer ( 132 ), a positional sensor ( 136 ), and a wireless communication interface ( 134 ) in communication with the sensor system ( 101 ). The memory ( 126 ) of the virtual reality headset ( 121 ) includes executable instructions to configure the virtual reality headset ( 121 ) to: present a virtual reality environment to the user ( 160 ); receive, from the sensor system ( 121 ), the sensor data; and update, based on the sensor data, presentation of the virtual reality environment to display to the user ( 160 ).

Inventors

  • Wayne Jones
  • Landon CURRY

Assignees

  • xReality Group Ltd

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20230412
Priority Date
20220930

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A virtual reality system, including: a piece of equipment; a sensor system attachable to at least one of the user or the piece of equipment, wherein the sensor system includes a positional sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a wireless communication interface, wherein the sensor system is configured to obtain, from the positional sensor, the gyroscope and/or the accelerometer, one or more sensor signals and wirelessly transfer sensor data; and a virtual reality headset worn by a user associated with the equipment, including a processor, a memory, a display, an accelerometer, a positional sensor, and a wireless communication interface in communication with the sensor system; wherein the memory of the virtual reality headset includes executable instructions which, when executed by the processor of the virtual reality headset, configure the virtual reality headset to: present a virtual reality environment via the display to the user; receive, from the sensor system via the wireless communication interface of the virtual reality headset, the sensor data; and update, via the display and based on the sensor data, presentation of the virtual reality environment to display to the user.
  2. 2 . The virtual reality system of claim 1 , wherein the piece of equipment is a weapon.
  3. 3 . The virtual reality system of claim 2 , wherein the sensor system includes a sensor microcontroller including a processor and a memory having stored therein executable instructions which when executed by the processor of the sensor microcontroller, configure the processor of the sensor microcontroller to detect a simulated firing of the weapon based on one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometer.
  4. 4 . The virtual reality system of claim 3 , wherein the memory of the sensor microcontroller has stored therein executable instructions defining a machine-trained model for detecting the simulated firing of the weapon based on the one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometer.
  5. 5 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 2 to 4 , further including a control processing device including a memory, a communication interface and a processor configured to establish a wireless network which allows the virtual reality headset to communicate wirelessly with the control processing system.
  6. 6 . The virtual reality system of claim 5 , wherein the wireless network utilises IEEE 802.11 family of wireless network protocols.
  7. 7 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 2 to 6 , wherein the communication interface of the sensor system communicates with the virtual reality headset using a different wireless network.
  8. 8 . The virtual reality system of claim 7 , wherein the communication interface of the sensor system communicates with the virtual reality headset utilising IEEE 802.15.1 protocol.
  9. 9 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 5 to 8 , wherein the control processing system is a tablet computing device.
  10. 10 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 5 to 9 , wherein the control processing system has stored in the memory an executable software application which, when executed by the processor of the control processing system, configures the control processing system to present, via a display of the control processing system, a control interface to allow a trainer to select, via an input device of the tablet processing system, a training scenario for the user wearing the virtual reality headset.
  11. 11 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 5 to 10 , wherein the control processing system is configured to receive, from the virtual reality headset, virtual reality data indicative of positional and orientation data associated with the virtual reality environment, regenerate the virtual reality environment based on the virtual reality data, and present a view of the regenerated virtual reality environment.
  12. 12 . The virtual reality system of claim 11 , wherein the virtual reality data, including the position and orientation data, is temporally dependent to allow the virtual reality environment to be regenerated according to time.
  13. 13 . The virtual reality system of claim 12 , wherein the control processing system is configured to store the virtual reality headset data in at least one of: the memory of the control processing system; and memory of a remote processing system.
  14. 14 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 11 to 13 , wherein the control processing system is configured to present, via the display of the control processing system, the regenerated virtual reality environment.
  15. 15 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 2 to 14 , wherein the virtual reality headset has stored in the memory executable instructions of an executable virtual reality application which, when executed by the processor of the virtual reality headset, generates and updates the virtual reality environment.
  16. 16 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 1 to 15 , wherein the virtual reality headset receives, from the sensor system, calibration data indicative of a plurality of positional points in a real-world environment defining a plurality of points in the virtual reality environment, wherein the processor of the virtual reality headset generates the virtual reality environment based on the calibration data.
  17. 17 . The virtual reality system of any one of claims 2 to 16 , wherein the weapon is retrofitted with an apparatus configured to generate a recoil force in response to a trigger of the weapon being activated by the user to simulate the firing of a projectile.
  18. 18 . The virtual reality system of claim 17 , wherein the accelerometer of the sensor system is configured to sense the recoil force, wherein the processor of the virtual reality headset is configured to update the virtual reality environment to display a firing of the weapon in the virtual reality environment.
  19. 19 . The virtual reality system of claim 18 , wherein the apparatus includes a pressurised gas source which acts against a bolt of the weapon in response to activation of the weapon to generate the recoil force.
  20. 20 . The virtual reality system of claim 18 , wherein the apparatus includes a solenoid which is electrically activated to act against a bolt of the weapon in response to activation of the weapon to generate the recoil force.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority from Australian provisional application 2022902841, filed 30 Sep. 2022, the contents of which is herein incorporated by reference in entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a virtual reality system. BACKGROUND Various personnel are routinely required to carry specialist tools and equipment with the potential to utilise them in spontaneous circumstances. For example, military, police, security guards, and similar tactical operators may be required to carry a firearm with the potential to utilise them in spontaneous use of force actions. These circumstances can result in fatal consequences. In some situations, spontaneous actions are rarely executed and generally only employed in response to an individual's perception of an imminent threat. When such personnel are placed in unfamiliar circumstances, the chance of a spontaneous action being undertaken is substantially increased. This can lead to one or more fatalities which may have been avoided if the personnel had training in a particular circumstance. It is advantageous to make a training experience as realistic as possible. This involves the personnel being dressed in the same attire and using a similar equipment that they would normally use. The use of similar equipment has led to difficulties in the field as the feel of the equipment in training can often be different to a personnel's actual equipment. For example, for law enforcement and military personnel, the weight of the weapon and the trigger pressure of the weapon can be vastly different to that of the tactical operator's actual weapon. This could lead to accidental firing or less precise movement of the weapon in the field when compared to training. Similarly, for emergency personnel, an emergency training tool could feel quite different to the real tool in the field. SUMMARY It is an object of the invention to overcome and/or alleviate one or more of the above disadvantages or provide a useful or commercial alternative. In one aspect there is provided a virtual reality system, including: a piece of equipment; a sensor system attachable to at least one of the user or the piece of equipment, wherein the sensor system includes a positional sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a wireless communication interface, wherein the sensor system is configured to obtain, from the positional sensor, the gyroscope and/or the accelerometer, one or more sensor signals and wirelessly transfer sensor data; and a virtual reality headset worn by a user associated with the equipment, including a processor, a memory, a display, an accelerometer, a positional sensor, and a wireless communication interface in communication with the sensor system; wherein the memory of the virtual reality headset includes executable instructions which, when executed by the processor of the virtual reality headset, configure the virtual reality headset to: present a virtual reality environment via the display to the user; receive, from the sensor system via the wireless communication interface of the virtual reality headset, the sensor data; and update, via the display and based on the sensor data, presentation of the virtual reality environment to display to the user. In certain embodiments, the piece of equipment is a weapon. In certain embodiments, the sensor system includes a sensor microcontroller including a processor and a memory having stored therein executable instructions which when executed by the processor of the sensor microcontroller, configure the processor of the sensor microcontroller to detect a simulated firing of the weapon based on one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometer. In certain embodiments, the memory of the sensor microcontroller has stored therein executable instructions defining a machine-trained model for detecting the simulated firing of the weapon based on the one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometer. In certain embodiments, the virtual reality system further includes a control processing device including a memory, a communication interface and a processor configured to establish a wireless network which allows the virtual reality headset to communicate wirelessly with the control processing system. In certain embodiments, the wireless network utilises IEEE 802.11 family of wireless network protocols. In certain embodiments, the communication interface of the sensor system communicates with the virtual reality headset using a different wireless network. In certain embodiments, the communication interface of the sensor system communicates with the virtual reality headset utilising IEEE 802.15.1 protocol. In certain embodiments, the control processing system is a tablet computing device. In certain embodiments, the control processing system has stored in the memory an executable software application which, when executed by the processor of the control processing system, configures the con