Virtual reality game

Claim 1

A virtual reality system comprising, in combination: a plurality of game stations each situated remote from each other and including: at least one virtual reality space for being occupied by a user, the virtual reality space having a floor surface for supporting the user and outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, the floor surface extending to the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space; at least one virtual reality outfit having a helmet with an input device for subjecting the user in the virtual reality space to visual and audio stimuli upon the receipt thereof and a plurality of output devices including a movement sensor for generating an output signal upon the detection of a movement of the user in the virtual reality space and an audio sensor for generating the output signal upon the detection of a vocalization of the user in the virtual reality space, a plurality of auxiliary sensory mechanisms for affecting an environment of the user in the virtual reality space the auxiliary sensory mechanisms including a fan situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to wind upon the actuation of the fan, a heater situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to heat upon the actuation of the heater, a subwoofer speaker situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to low frequency audible sounds upon the actuation of the subwoofer speaker, and a vibrating floor for vibrating the floor surface on which the user is situated in the virtual reality space for moving the user upon the actuation of the vibrating floor when the user is at any position within the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, and a card reader for removably accepting, reading, and writing on a card having a unique identification code and credits stored thereon; a server situated remote from the game stations and connected to each of the game stations over a communication network via a pair of modems, the server being adapted to transmit the audio and visual stimuli, the server being adapted to actuate a predetermined number of the auxiliary sensory mechanisms via a first one of the modems as a function of each of the output signals of a predetermined number of the game stations and further as a function of the identification code and credits read by each card reader, the server further being adapted to transmit via a second one of the modems the audio and visual stimuli to a predetermined number of the game stations for storage in memory of the designated game stations; and a plurality of CRT viewing screens each connected to the server over the communication network for viewing the audio and video stimuli received by a selected one of the game stations.

Claim 13

A method of participating in a virtual reality system comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of game stations each situated remote from each other and including: at least one virtual reality space for being occupied by a user, the virtual reality space having a floor surface for supporting the user and outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, the floor surface extending to the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space; at least one virtual reality outfit having a helmet with an input device for subjecting the user in the virtual reality space to visual and audio stimuli upon the receipt thereof and a plurality of output devices including a movement sensor for generating an output signal upon the detection of a movement of the user in the virtual reality space and an audio sensor for generating the output signal upon the detection of a vocalization of the user in the virtual reality space, a plurality of auxiliary sensory mechanisms for affecting an environment of the user in the virtual reality space, the auxiliary sensory mechanisms including a fan situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to wind upon the actuation of the fan, a heater situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to heat upon the actuation of the heater, a subwoofer speaker situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to low frequency audible sounds upon the actuation of the subwoofer speaker, and a vibrating floor for vibrating the floor surface on which the user is situated in the virtual reality space for moving the user upon the actuation of the vibrating floor when the user is at any position within the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, and a card reader for removably accepting, reading, and writing on a card having a unique identification code, credits and a score thereon; providing a server situated remote from the game stations and connected to each of the game stations over a communication network via a pair of modems, the server being adapted to transmit the audio and visual stimuli, the server being adapted to actuate a predetermined number of the auxiliary sensory mechanisms via a first one of the modems as a function of each of the output signals of a predetermined number of the game stations and further as a function of the identification code and credits read by each card reader, the server further being adapted to transmit via a second one of the modems the audio and visual stimuli to a predetermined number of the game stations for storage in memory of the designated game stations; providing a plurality of CRT viewing screens each connected to the server over the communication network for viewing the audio and video stimuli received by a selected one of the game stations; picking a character associated with each user situated at the game stations; deducting and tracking points of each user as a function of the output signals; and storing a current number of points associated with each user on the card thereof.

Claim 14

A method of participating in a virtual reality system comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of game stations each situated remote from each other and including: at least one virtual reality space for being occupied by a user, the virtual reality space having a floor surface for supporting the user and outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, the floor surface extending to the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space; at least one virtual reality outfit having a helmet with an input device for subjecting the user in the virtual reality space to visual and audio stimuli upon the receipt thereof and a plurality of output devices including a movement sensor for generating an output signal upon the detection of a movement of the user in the virtual reality space and an audio sensor for generating the output signal upon the detection of a vocalization of the user in the virtual reality space, a plurality of auxiliary sensory mechanisms for affecting an environment of the user in the virtual reality space, the auxiliary sensory mechanisms including a fan situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to wind upon the actuation of the fan, a heater situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to heat upon the actuation of the heater, a subwoofer speaker situated adjacent to the virtual reality space for subjecting the user to low frequency audible sounds upon the actuation of the subwoofer speaker, and a vibrating floor for vibrating the floor surface on which the user is situated in the virtual reality space for moving the user upon the actuation of the vibrating floor when the user is at any position within the outer boundaries of the virtual reality space, and a card reader for removably accepting, reading, and writing on a card having a unique identification code, credits and a score thereon; providing a server situated remote from the game stations and connected to each of the game stations over a communication network via a pair of modems, the server being adapted to transmit the audio and visual stimuli, the server being adapted to actuate a predetermined number of the auxiliary sensory mechanisms via a first one of the modems as a function of each of the output signals of a predetermined number of the game stations and further as a function of the identification code and credits read by each card reader, the server further being adapted to transmit via a second one of the modems the audio and visual stimuli to a predetermined number of the game stations for storage in memory of the designated game stations; providing a plurality of CRT viewing screens each connected to the server over the communication network for viewing the audio and video stimuli received by a selected one of the game stations; picking a character associated with each user situated at the game stations; deducting and tracking points of each user as a function of the output signals; and storing a current number of points associated with each user on the card thereof.