Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Multiroom or level – Nonrectangular
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-16
2001-10-16
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Multiroom or level
Nonrectangular
C472S059000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301845
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to an amusement and virtual reality ride, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for enacting a ship at sea, the ship impacting an iceberg, and the ship sinking after impacting the iceberg. The ride may also include an enactment of an underwater ride to the sunken ship. The method may further include an enactment of a dive through the ocean and a view of the sunken ship resting on the sea bottom.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND KNOWN ART
Recent years have seen an evolution of enactments of happenings and events of more than ordinary interest.
The field of creating and/or re-enacting such sensations of reality has become known as the field of “virtual reality”.
A related development has led to the creation of so-called theme parks, wherein participants are treated to enactments of happenings of more than ordinary interest, often times as enactments of historical events, sometimes in futuristic settings, sometimes in historical or pre-historic settings, and at other times as settings of pure fantasy.
It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to expand the concept of virtual reality to further enhance the concept of virtual reality by adding new effects and elements thereto as described in more detail below.
It is a further object of the present invention to apply the concept of the above enhanced virtual reality to an enactment of the sinking of the ocean liner Titanic.
It is another object of the invention to apply the present enhanced concept of virtual reality to an enactment of a travel from the ocean surface to the wreck of the ocean liner Titanic now resting on the sea bottom in the northern Atlantic Ocean.
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method for enacting an ocean sail of a ship using elements of virtual reality, the method which comprises the steps of enacting the ship departing a port of embarkation, enacting the ship crossing a body of water, enacting the ship impacting an iceberg, enacting the ship sinking and enacting rescue efforts of surviving passengers and crew.
The method further includes the step of forming the ship in likeness of the ocean liner Titanic, including the step of forming the iceberg in likeness of the iceberg that impacted the ocean liner Titanic.
The method further includes forming elements of virtual reality, such as elements of visual, acoustic, olfactory, tactile, physical motion and temperature reality.
The method may additionally include the steps of forming an element of visual reality by means of wide angle image projection apparatus for projecting images of the enactment in rapid succession, creating an illusion of live motion, and forming the element of acoustic reality by means of sound apparatus synchronized with the projection apparatus. In particular, the element of acoustic reality includes sound effects projected from any direction in the space above and from below the ground plane. The sound effects may further include enhanced echo effects.
The method according to the invention may further include the steps of forming elements of olfactory reality by means of air-moving apparatus synchronized with the projection apparatus, and drawing the air from smell-generating sources.
The method according to the invention may additionally include steps of forming the element of temperature reality by means of air-moving apparatus, synchronized with the projection apparatus, and drawing the air from air-heating, air-cooling and air pressure controlling sources.
The method according to the invention can further include steps of controlling the acoustic, olfactory, temperature, visual and physical motion virtual reality elements by means of cues embedded in an electronic memory being scanned in synchronism with the image projection apparatus.
The method according to the invention may further include the step of forming the element of visual virtual reality as a three dimensional image, projecting the image on a three dimensional image screen, and forming the element of acoustic virtual reality as a three dimensional sound signal.
The inventive concept may further include polarizing the images into complementary polarized images being polarized at respective 90° angles to each other, forming a viewing area within a focal region of the three dimensional image screen, and providing a seating facility for at least one person within the focal region.
The invention may additionally include a method of agitating the seating facility and controlling the agitating by means of cues embedded in the aforesaid computer memory.
The invention further includes means, apparatus and devices for performing the steps of the method described above, such as for example, wide angle image projection apparatus for projecting wide angle images for the enactment of a sail; sound projection apparatus for creating sound elements of the virtual reality in at least two directions, synchronized with the image projection apparatus; means for creating olfactory elements of the virtual reality synchronized with the image projection apparatus; and means for creating hot air and cold air synchronized with the image projection apparatus; and furthermore, wide angle screen means juxtaposed with the wide angle projection apparatus for displaying the wide angle images, the wide angle screen means having a focal region within view of the projected images; seating means disposed in the focal region for seating viewers of the images, the focal region being exposed to the elements of virtual reality, including the olfactory elements, and the hot air and cold air.
The apparatus according to the invention may further include wide angle image projection apparatus, wherein the wide angle is up to a 360° in a horizontal plane, and the wide angle image projection apparatus, including upward directed projection means for projecting overhead images of the enactment, synchronously coupled to the wide angle projection apparatus.
The apparatus according to the invention may further include digital signal detection means coupled to digital image projection apparatus operative for receiving digital control signals embedded in the projected digital images, the digital control signals being operative for digitally controlling functions of at least one of the means for creating the olfactory elements of virtual reality.
The invention may further include forming a likeness of the sunken ship resting on a sea bottom; forming a tubular person passage to the likeness of the sunken ship, the tubular passage having walls being at least in places of transparent material for enabling a view of at least the sunken ship, and a view of sea life around the sunken ship.
The invention may further include an apparatus wherein the focal region includes sound damping elements for dampening inherent local echoes created in the focal region.
The apparatus preferably includes a control and sound strip synchronously coupled to the projection apparatus, the control and sound strip having a plurality of sound tracks for generating sound effects stored on the sound tracks, a clock track having control clock elements, and a frame identity track including an image frame identity number specific to each image frame embedded in the frame identity track.
The invention may further include frame alignment means coupled to the frame identity track for aligning frames of same identity to the frame identity track.
The image and sound projection apparatus may additionally include means for generating elements of virtual reality, comprising at least one image projector for projecting a plurality of serially connected image frames disposed on a respective image strip; at least one sound projector for reading an equal plurality of serially connected sound frames disposed on a respective sound strip in synchronism with the image frames, wherein the image frames and the sound frames are mutually paired by means of identical frame identity numbers disposed on each pair of image and sound frames; frame identity number reading and synchronizing means coupled to ea
Oltman Flynn & Kubler
Stephan Beth A.
LandOfFree
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