Virtual reality system with attachable sensor system

Abstract

The virtual reality system (100) includes a device (150) and a sensor system (101) including a wireless communication interface (114). The sensor system (101) is configured to acquire one or more sensor signals and wirelessly transmit sensor data. The system (100) further includes a virtual reality headset (121) worn by a user (160) associated with the device (150), the virtual reality headset (121) including a processor (124), a memory (126), a display (130), an accelerometer (132), a position 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 that configure the virtual reality headset (121) to present a virtual reality environment to a user (160), receive sensor data from the sensor system (121), and update the presentation of the virtual reality environment for display to the user (160) based on the sensor data.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2022902841 filed on 30 September 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to virtual reality systems. [Background technology]

[0003] Various personnel are routinely required to carry specialized tools and equipment that may be utilized in spontaneous situations. For example, military, police, security, and similar tactical operators are required to carry firearms that may be utilized in spontaneous use during force actions. These situations can have deadly consequences. In some situations, spontaneous behavior is performed infrequently and generally only in response to an individual's perception of an imminent threat.

[0004] When such personnel are placed in an unfamiliar environment, the opportunity for spontaneous behavior increases substantially. This can result in one or more deaths that could have been avoided if personnel had been trained in the specific situation.

[0005] It is advantageous to make the training experience as realistic as possible. This involves personnel wearing the same clothing and using similar equipment that they would normally use. The use of similar equipment has presented difficulties in the field because the feel of the equipment in training can often be different from the personnel's actual equipment. For example, for law enforcement and military personnel, the weapon weight and weapon trigger pressure may differ significantly from the actual weapon weight and trigger pressure of a tactical operator. This can lead to accidental discharge of the weapon or less accurate movement in the field when compared to training. Similarly, emergency training tools can feel quite different to emergency personnel than the actual tools they use in the field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to overcome and / or mitigate one or more of the above disadvantages, or to provide a useful or commercial alternative.

[0007] In one aspect, a virtual reality system is provided, the virtual reality system including: a device; a sensor system attachable to at least one of a user or the device, the sensor system including a position sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a wireless communication interface, the sensor system configured to acquire one or more sensor signals from the position sensor, the gyroscope, and / or the accelerometer and wirelessly transfer the sensor data; and a virtual reality headset worn by a user associated with the device, the virtual reality headset including a processor, a memory, a display, the accelerometer, the position sensor, and the wireless communication interface in communication with the sensor system, the memory of the virtual reality headset including executable instructions that, when executed by the processor of the virtual reality headset, configure the virtual reality headset to present a virtual reality environment to the user via the display, receive sensor data from the sensor system via the wireless communication interface of the virtual reality headset, and update the presentation of the virtual reality environment for display to the user via the display based on the sensor data.

[0008] In certain embodiments, the device is a weapon.

[0009] In certain embodiments, the sensor system includes a sensor microcontroller including a processor and a memory having executable instructions stored therein, the executable instructions, 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.

[0010] In certain embodiments, the memory of the sensor microcontroller has executable instructions stored therein that define a machine-trained model for detecting simulated weapon firing based on one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometer.

[0011] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality system further includes a control processing device including a memory, a communications interface, and a processor, the control processing device configured to establish a wireless network that enables the virtual reality headset to wirelessly communicate with the control processing system.

[0012] In a particular embodiment, the wireless network utilizes the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless network protocols.

[0013] In certain embodiments, the communication interface of the sensor system communicates with the virtual reality headset using a different wireless network.

[0014] In a particular embodiment, the communication interface of the sensor system utilizes the IEEE 802.15.1 protocol to communicate with the virtual reality headset.

[0015] In certain embodiments, the control processing system is a tablet computing device.

[0016] In certain embodiments, the control processing system stores in memory an executable software application that, when executed by a processor of the control processing system, configures the control processing system to present, via a display of the control processing system, a control interface that enables a trainee to select a training scenario for a user wearing a virtual reality headset via an input device of the tablet processing system.

[0017] In certain embodiments, the control processing system is configured to receive virtual reality data from the virtual reality headset indicative of position and orientation data associated with the virtual reality environment, recreate the virtual reality environment based on the virtual reality data, and present a view of the recreated virtual reality environment.

[0018] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality data, including position and orientation data, is time dependent, allowing the virtual reality environment to be regenerated over time.

[0019] In certain embodiments, the control processing system is configured to store the virtual reality headset data in at least one of a memory of the control processing system and a memory of a remote processing system.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the control and processing system is configured to present the recreated virtual reality environment via a display of the control and processing system.

[0021] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality headset stores executable instructions in memory for an executable virtual reality application that, when executed by the processor of the virtual reality headset, generates and updates a virtual reality environment.

[0022] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality headset receives calibration data from the sensor system indicating a plurality of location points in the real-world environment that define a plurality of points in the virtual reality environment, and a processor of the virtual reality headset generates the virtual reality environment based on the calibration data.

[0023] In certain embodiments, the weapon is retrofitted with a device configured to generate a recoil force in response to the trigger of the weapon being actuated by a user to simulate the firing of a projectile.

[0024] In certain embodiments, the accelerometer of the sensor system is configured to sense a recoil force, and the processor of the virtual reality headset is configured to update the virtual reality environment to display the firing of the weapon within the virtual reality environment.

[0025] In certain embodiments, the apparatus includes a pressurized gas source that acts against the bolt of the weapon to generate a recoil force in response to actuation of the weapon.

[0026] In certain embodiments, the device includes a solenoid that is electrically actuated to act on the bolt of the weapon to generate a recoil force in response to actuation of the weapon.

[0027] In certain embodiments, the weapon's sensor system includes a capacitance sensor for sensing that a user is gripping the weapon, the sensor data transmitted to the virtual reality headset indicates that the user is gripping the weapon, and the virtual reality headset is configured to update a display of the virtual reality headset to indicate that the weapon is being gripped in response to the sensor data indicating that the user is gripping the weapon.

[0028] In certain embodiments, the sensor system includes a safety catch switch, and the one or more sensor signals include a safety catch switch signal indicating that a user has moved a safety catch of the weapon to a released position.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the sensor system includes a trigger switch, and the one or more sensor signals include a trigger switch signal indicative of a user pulling a trigger of the weapon.

[0030] In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the sensor system is releasably attached to the weapon via a mounting device via a rail system on the weapon.

[0031] In certain embodiments, the mounting device includes a clamping mechanism for releasably securing at least a portion of the sensor system to a rail system of the weapon.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the sensor system is a distributed system including a first sensor subsystem and a second sensor subsystem, the first sensor subsystem coupled to the weapon and the second sensor subsystem coupled to the user.

[0033] In certain embodiments, the second sensor subsystem is coupled to the user's wrist.

[0034] In certain embodiments, the first sensor subsystem includes a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a communication interface, and the second sensor subsystem includes a position sensor, a further gyroscope, a further accelerometer, and a further communication interface, which wirelessly transfer the first and second portions of the sensor data, respectively, to the virtual reality headset.

[0035] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality system further comprises: a second weapon; a second sensor system coupled to the second weapon, the second sensor system including a position sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a wireless communication interface, the second sensor system configured to receive one or more sensor signals from the position sensor, the gyroscope, and / or the accelerometer and wirelessly transfer sensor data; and a second virtual reality headset worn by a second user associated with the second weapon, the second sensor system including a processor, a memory, a display, the accelerometer, the position sensor, and a wireless communication interface that communicates with the second sensor system, the memory of the second virtual reality headset including executable instructions that, when executed by the processor of the second virtual reality headset, configure the second virtual reality headset to present a virtual reality environment to the second user via the display, receive second sensor data from the second sensor system via the wireless communication interface of the second virtual reality headset, and update the presentation of the virtual reality environment to the second user via the display based on the second sensor data.

[0036] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality system further includes a control processing device configured to establish a wireless network that enables the virtual reality headset and the second virtual reality headset to wirelessly communicate with the control processing system.

[0037] In a particular embodiment, the wireless network utilizes a wireless network protocol from the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless network protocols.

[0038] In certain embodiments, the communication interfaces of the sensor system and the second sensor system are configured to communicate with the virtual reality headset using a different wireless network compared to communication with the control processing system.

[0039] In certain embodiments, the communication interfaces of the sensor system and the second sensor system utilize the IEEE 802.15.1 protocol to communicate with the virtual reality headset.

[0040] In certain embodiments, the control processing system is a tablet computing device.

[0041] In certain embodiments, the control processing system stores in memory an executable virtual reality application that, when executed by the tablet processing system, configures a display of the tablet processing system to present a control interface that allows a trainee, via an input device of the tablet processing system, to select a training scenario for a user wearing a virtual reality headset and a second user wearing a second virtual reality headset.

[0042] In certain embodiments, the control processing system is configured to relay virtual reality data between the virtual reality headset and a second virtual reality headset, the virtual reality headset is configured to update a presentation of the virtual reality environment presented to the user based on the virtual reality data received from the second virtual reality headset, and / or the second virtual reality headset is configured to update a presentation of the virtual reality environment presented to the second user based on the virtual reality data received from the virtual reality headset.

[0043] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality data indicates position and orientation data associated with the virtual reality environment, and the control processing system is configured to recreate the virtual reality environment based on the virtual reality data and present a view of the recreated virtual reality environment.

[0044] In certain embodiments, the virtual reality data is time-dependent, allowing the virtual reality environment to be regenerated over time.

[0045] In certain embodiments, the control processing system is configured to store the virtual reality data in at least one of a memory of the control processing system and a memory of a remote processing system.

[0046] In certain embodiments, the control processing system is configured to determine, based on the received virtual reality data, whether a firing path of the user's weapon intersects with a virtual reality representation of a second user in the virtual reality environment and / or whether a firing path of a path of the second user's second weapon intersects with a virtual reality representation of the user in the virtual reality environment.

[0047] In certain embodiments, a virtual reality headset stores executable instructions in memory for executing a first instance of an executable virtual reality application to generate and update a virtual reality environment for the virtual reality headset, and a second virtual reality headset stores executable instructions in memory for executing a second instance of the executable virtual reality application to generate and update a virtual reality environment for the second virtual reality headset.

[0048] In certain embodiments, a virtual reality headset is configured to receive calibration data from a sensor system indicating a plurality of location points in a real-world environment that define a plurality of points in the virtual reality environment, a processor of the virtual reality headset is configured to generate the virtual reality environment based on the calibration data, and a second virtual reality headset is configured to receive second calibration data from a second sensor system indicating a plurality of location points in the real-world environment that define a plurality of points in the virtual reality environment, and a processor of the second virtual reality headset is configured to generate the virtual reality environment based on the second calibration data.

[0049] In certain embodiments, the weapon is retrofitted with a device configured to generate a recoil force in response to the trigger of the weapon being actuated by a user to simulate the firing of the weapon, and the second weapon is retrofitted with a second device configured to generate a recoil force in response to the trigger of the second weapon being actuated by a second user to simulate the firing of the second weapon.

[0050] In certain embodiments, an accelerometer of the sensor system is configured to sense a recoil force generated by the device, and a processor of the virtual reality headset is configured to update the virtual reality environment to display the firing of the weapon in the virtual reality environment, and an accelerometer of a second sensor system is configured to sense a recoil force generated by a second device, and a processor of the second virtual reality headset is configured to update the virtual reality environment to display the firing of the second weapon in the virtual reality environment.

[0051] In certain embodiments, the device includes a pressurized gas source that acts against the bolt of the weapon in response to actuation of the weapon to generate a recoil force, and the second device includes a second pressurized gas source that acts against the bolt of a second weapon in response to actuation of the second weapon to generate a recoil force.

[0052] In certain embodiments, the device includes a solenoid that is electrically activated to act on the bolt of the weapon in response to actuation of the weapon to generate a recoil force, and the second device includes a solenoid that is electrically activated to act on the bolt of a second weapon in response to actuation of the second weapon to generate a recoil force.

[0053] In certain embodiments, the sensor system of the weapon includes a capacitance sensor for sensing that a user is holding the weapon, the sensor data forwarded to the virtual reality headset indicates that the user is holding the weapon, and the virtual reality headset is configured to update a display of the virtual reality headset in response to the sensor data to indicate that the weapon is being held; and the second sensor system of the second weapon includes a second capacitance sensor for sensing that a second user is holding a second weapon, the sensor data forwarded to the second virtual reality headset indicates that the second user is holding a second weapon, and the second virtual reality headset is configured to update a display of the second virtual reality headset in response to the sensor data to indicate that the second weapon is being held.

[0054] In certain embodiments, the sensor system includes a safety catch switch, and the one or more sensor signals include a safety catch switch signal indicative of a user moving a safety catch of a weapon to a released position, and the second sensor system includes a safety catch switch, and the one or more sensor signals acquired by the second sensor system include a safety catch switch signal indicative of a second user moving a safety catch of a second weapon to a released position.

[0055] In certain embodiments, the sensor system includes a trigger switch, and the one or more sensor signals acquired by the sensor system include a trigger switch signal indicating a user pulling the trigger of a weapon, and the second sensor system includes a trigger switch, and the one or more sensor signals acquired by the second sensor system include a trigger switch signal indicating a user pulling the trigger of a second weapon.

[0056] In certain embodiments, at least a portion of the sensor system is releasably attached via a mounting device to the weapon via a rail system of the weapon, and at least a portion of the second sensor system is releasably attached via a second mounting device to a second weapon via a rail system of the second weapon.

[0057] In certain embodiments, the mounting device includes a clamping mechanism for releasably securing at least a portion of the sensor system to a rail system of a weapon, and the second mounting device includes a clamping mechanism for releasably securing at least a portion of the second sensor system to a rail system of a second weapon.

[0058] In certain embodiments, the sensor system is a distributed system including a first sensor subsystem and a second sensor subsystem, where the first sensor subsystem is coupled to a weapon and the second sensor subsystem is coupled to a user, and the second sensor system is a distributed system including a further first sensor subsystem and a further second sensor subsystem, where the further first sensor subsystem is coupled to a second weapon and the further second sensor subsystem is coupled to a second user.

[0059] In certain embodiments, a second sensor subsystem is coupled to a user's wrist and a further second sensor subsystem is coupled to a second user's wrist.

[0060] Other aspects and embodiments will become apparent throughout the detailed description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0061] The present invention will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a system diagram illustrating an exemplary virtual reality system. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method performed by a processor of a virtual reality headset of a virtual reality system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a system diagram of a further example virtual reality system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of the sensor system of FIG. 1 that can be attached to a weapon. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sensor system mounted on a weapon rail. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example bolt assembly disposed within a weapon in an idle position. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the bolt assembly of FIG. 6 positioned within a weapon in a released position. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the bolt assembly of FIG. 6 positioned within the weapon in the switched position. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the bolt assembly disposed within the weapon in the reset position. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of another example of a bolt assembly disposed within a weapon in an idle position. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the bolt assembly of FIG. 10 positioned within a weapon in a switched position. [Figure 12] A functional block diagram of a distributed sensor system is shown. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of a control processing system. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of a virtual reality system for multiple users. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a control processing system presenting a user interface showing a view of a virtual reality environment for a selected training scenario. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a control processing system presenting a user interface showing various scenarios for training a user. [Figure 17] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a user wearing a virtual reality headset, wrist sensors, and holding a weapon. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0062] The following modes, given as examples only, are described to provide a more precise understanding of the subject matter of the preferred embodiment. In the drawings incorporated to illustrate features of the exemplary embodiments, like reference numerals are used to identify like parts throughout the drawings.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 1, an example of a virtual reality system 100 is shown. The virtual reality system 100 includes a device 150, a sensor system 101, and a virtual reality headset 121.

[0064] In one form, the device 150 is a conventional projectile-based weapon 150 that is capable of firing projectiles but is configured not to fire projectiles. For example, the weapon 150 may be an assault rifle. In another example, the weapon 150 is a handgun. In other scenarios, the weapon 150 may be a conducted energy device. In other scenarios, the weapon 150 may be a training weapon that is not capable of firing a projectile, such as a baton, OC spray / pepper spray, etc. Weapon 150 is associated with user 160; for example, weapon 150 may be held by or holstered to user 160. It will be appreciated that the equipment 150 may take other forms for other types of scenarios, such as emergency tools for emergency personnel, such as fire hoses, medical, accident / crash recovery equipment, etc. For clarity, the examples described herein focus on devices 150 that are weapons, but it will be understood that the various examples described herein apply equally to other forms of devices that are not weapons.

[0065] The sensor system 101 is coupled to a weapon 150 and / or a user 160 . The sensor system 101 includes a position sensor 116 , an accelerometer 112 , a gyroscope 118 , and a wireless communication interface 114 . In one embodiment, the wireless communication interface 114 utilizes the IEEE 802.15.1 protocol (eg, Bluetooth). The sensor system 101 is configured to acquire one or more sensor signals from the position sensor 116, the gyroscope 118, and / or the accelerometer 112 and to wirelessly transfer the sensor data. The one or more sensor signals may include three-dimensional coordinate data (eg, x, y, and z coordinates) and / or acceleration data. In a preferred embodiment, the sensor system 101 includes a microcontroller 103 that includes an input / output (i / o) interface 108, and a position sensor 116, an accelerometer 112, a gyroscope 118, and a wireless communication interface 114 communicate with the microcontroller 103 via the i / o interface 108. The microcontroller 103 includes a processor 104 , a memory 106 , and an I / O interface 108 , which are coupled to each other via a bus 109 . The memory 106 stores executable instructions therein that, when executed by the processor 104, cause the sensor system 101 to acquire one or more sensor signals and transfer sensor data to the virtual reality headset 121 via the wireless communication interface 114. In one example, the sensor system 101 may further include a magnetometer 115 for use in generating orientation data. In one example, the sensor system 101 may be a XIAO nRF52840 board that includes an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) that includes an accelerometer 112 and a gyroscope 118. Based on the accelerometer 112 , gyroscope 118 and magnetometer 115 , nine degrees of freedom (DOF) are determined by the sensor system 101 .

[0066] If the weapon 150 has a safety catch, the sensor system 101 includes a safety catch switch 117 . The one or more sensor signals acquired by the sensor system 101 may include a safety catch switch signal generated by the safety catch switch 117, which indicates that the user 160 has moved the safety catch of the weapon 150 to a released position, causing the safety catch switch 117 to be toggled.

[0067] If the weapon 150 includes a trigger, the sensor system 101 may include a trigger switch 119 . The one or more sensor signals acquired by the sensor system 101 include a trigger switch signal generated by the trigger switch 119, which indicates that a user has pulled the trigger of the weapon 150, causing the trigger switch 119 to be toggled.

[0068] In one form, at least a portion of the sensor system 101 may be releasably coupled to a weapon 150, as shown in FIGS. For example, the position sensor 116 and gyroscope 118 may be contained within a housing 405 that is releasably attached via a mounting device 410 to a rail system 510 , such as a Picatinny rail system, of the weapon 150 . In a preferred form, the mounting device 410 includes a clamping mechanism 420 for releasably securing the position sensor 116 and gyroscope 118 to a rail system 510 of the weapon 150 . Other portions of the sensor system 101 may be inserted into the weapon 150 . For example, as described below, the sensor system 101 may include a capacitance sensor 110 inserted into a handle portion of the weapon 150 to sense the grip of the weapon 150 by the user 160 .

[0069] In another example, the sensor system 121 can be a distributed system that includes a first sensor subsystem 1001a and a second sensor subsystem 1001b. The first sensor subsystem 1001a is coupled to the weapon and the second sensor subsystem 1001b is coupled to the user. The first sensor subsystem 1001 a can include an accelerometer 112 , a gyroscope 118 , and a first wireless communication device 114 of a wireless communication interface of the sensor system 101 . A second sensor subsystem 1001b is coupled to the user's wrist. An example of a second sensor subsystem 1001b attached to the user's wrist can be seen in FIG. The second sensor system 1001b may include a position sensor 1116 as well as an additional accelerometer 1112, an additional gyroscope 1118, and a second wireless communication device 1114 of the wireless communication interface of the sensor system 101. The first sensor subsystem 1001a and the second sensor subsystem 1001b are powered by independent power supplies 113, 1113. Advantageously, the sensors of the sensor system 101 are distributed to allow the movements of the user and the weapon 150 to be determined independently. For example, the user can perform an action with the hand that is not holding the weapon 150. By utilizing second sensor subsystem 1001b, this movement of the user's hand can be determined and then presented within the virtual reality environment by virtual reality headset 121 without showing weapon 150. In another example, the user may be holding the weapon 150, and correspondence in the sensor data received from the first sensor subsystem 1001a and the second sensor subsystem 1001b enables the virtual reality headset 121 to determine that the user is holding the weapon 150 in their hands.

[0070] In certain embodiments, the sensor system 101 coupled to the weapon 150 may include a capacitance sensor 110 for sensing when the user is gripping the weapon 150 . This is advantageous because it allows the virtual representation of the user in the virtual reality environment to be updated by the executable virtual reality application as if they were holding the virtual representation of the weapon 150 in response to the sensor data. The capacitance sensor 110 may be located in the handle of the weapon 150 to allow sensing of a gripping action by the user. The capacitive sensor 110 may be provided in the form of a wire extending between the i / o interface of the sensor system's microcontroller and a nut wrapped in conductive tape. A screw is disposed on the handle of the weapon 150 and cooperates with a nut so that when a user grips the handle of the weapon 150, the user's hand contacts the screw, which activates capacitive detection by the microcontroller of the sensor system 101.

[0071] The sensor system 101 may be coupled to a power source 113 . In one form, the power source 113 is provided in the form of a battery. In one example, the one or more batteries are provided in the form of one or more lithium polymer (LiPO) batteries, such as a 3.7V, 400mAh battery pack. One or more of the batteries may be rechargeable batteries. In one form, the one or more batteries are electrically coupled to the microcontroller 103 of the sensor system 101, and the microcontroller 103 includes a charging port that allows an external power source to recharge the one or more batteries. In one form, the charging port may be provided in the form of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, such as a USB-C port. A charging port may be exposed within the housing of the weapon 150 to allow electrical coupling with a charging device. One or more batteries may be located within a cavity in the handle of the weapon 150.

[0072] The virtual reality headset 121 is worn by a user 160 associated with a weapon 150 . The virtual reality headset 121 includes a processor 124, a memory 126, one or more output devices 130 such as a display and speakers, an accelerometer 132, a gyroscope 133, a position sensor 136, and a wireless communication interface 134 that communicates with the sensor system 101. The virtual reality headset 121 may also include one or more input devices 131 , such as various microphones or buttons on the housing of the virtual reality headset 121 . The virtual reality headset 121 includes a processor 124 , a memory 126 , and a controller 122 providing an input / output (i / o) interface 128 coupled together via a bus 129 .

[0073] In one form, the microphone 131 can capture audio data of the user. The audio data is transferred to be recorded and then used for later playback of the training scenario in the control processing system 170 as described below.

[0074] The communication interface of the virtual reality headset 121 communicates using two different wireless protocols. In particular, communication of sensor data received from the sensor system 101 utilizes the IEEE 802.15.1 protocol (eg, Bluetooth). As described in more detail below, virtual reality headset 121 communication with control processing system 170 utilizes IEEE 802.11 standard protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi).

[0075] The memory 126 of the virtual reality headset 121 includes executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 124 of the virtual reality headset 121, configure the processor 124 of the virtual reality headset 121 to perform the method 200 shown in FIG. 2. In a preferred form, the executable instructions run an instance of an executable virtual reality application to generate, control, and update a virtual reality environment. The virtual reality environment includes a virtual environment as well as one or more virtual characters / representations, including one representing one or more users 160 of the system. In one form, the executable virtual reality application instance may be based on the Unity game engine.

[0076] In a preferred embodiment, the virtual reality headset 121 includes an accelerometer 132 and a gyroscope 138 . Therefore, such that the processor 124 of the virtual reality headset 121 is configured to update the virtual reality environment based on one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometer 132 and gyroscope 138 of the virtual reality headset 121, the movement of the head of a user wearing each virtual reality headset 121 can be detected based on one or more sensor signals obtained by the processor 124 of the virtual reality headset 121 from the accelerometer 132 and / or gyroscope 138.

[0077] In one form, the processor 104 of the sensor system 101 or the processor 124 of the virtual reality headset 121 is configured to detect a simulated firing of the weapon 150 based on one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometer 112. In one form, the recoil force is sensed by the accelerometer 112 and classified as a firing of the weapon 150 . Classification of one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometer 112 may be performed using a machine-trained model. Executable instructions representing the machine-trained model are stored in memory 106 of sensor system 101 or memory of virtual reality headset 121, and one or more signals received from accelerometer 112 are provided as inputs to the machine-trained model, which generates an output indicating whether the one or more sensor signals are classified as a weapon 150 firing.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 1, the virtual reality system 100 may also include a control processing device 170 configured to establish a wireless network that allows the virtual reality headset 121 to communicate wirelessly with the control processing system 170. The control processing system 170 acts as a wireless network access point, establishing and controlling the wireless network. The control processing system 170 includes a communication interface that utilizes the IEEE 802.11 family of wireless network protocols (eg, Wi-Fi).

[0079] Control processing system 170 is provided in the form of a tablet computing device, although other processing systems are possible. Tablet processing system 170 is preferred because it is highly portable. In this embodiment, control processing system 170 acts as an access point for the wireless network. In a preferred embodiment, the wireless network is a Wi-Fi network.

[0080] Referring to FIG. 13, a functional block diagram of a control processing system 170 is shown. The control processing system 170 includes a processor 1310 , a memory 1320 , an input device 1330 , an output device 1340 , and a communication interface 1350 . The input device 1330 and the output device 1340 may be provided as a single input / output device, such as a touchscreen interface. The control processing system 170 stores in memory 1320 a software application 1360 which, when executed by the tablet processing system 170, configures the display of the tablet processing system to present a control interface allowing a trainee to select a training scenario to be simulated in a virtual reality environment for a user 160 wearing a virtual reality headset 121. In this situation, the virtual reality system 100 can operate as a virtual reality weapons training system. The control processing system 170 can operate without an internet connection. This advantageously allows the virtual reality system 100 to be highly portable and to operate in a variety of locations where one or more users 160 may need training. Software application 1360 is configured similarly to virtual reality application 127 of virtual reality headset 121 in that software application 1360 includes a virtual reality generation module that recreates a virtual reality environment based on virtual reality data received from virtual reality headset 121. However, because the control processing system 170 is not the virtual reality headset 121, there are slight differences in the software applications 1360 executed by the virtual reality headset 121 and the control processing system 170.

[0081] 15 and 16, a schematic diagram of an example of a control processing system 170 presenting a user interface for a software application 1360 is shown. In FIG. 15, a schematic diagram shows the main window of the user interface, which presents a particular view of the virtual reality environment. A trainee can interact with the user interface to select a particular user view for viewing the virtual reality environment. The trainee may also choose to view the virtual reality environment from different angles that may not correspond to a particular user view within the virtual reality environment. This feature is particularly advantageous for reviewing already completed scenarios, as it may allow the trainer to provide an alternate view for the trained user 160 to help improve their skills, etc. FIG. 16 shows the user interface of a software application 1360 that allows a trainee to select one of multiple training scenarios for the user(s) to run in. Once a scenario is selected, data indicative of the selected scenario is transferred by the control processing system 170 to each virtual reality headset 121, so that each executable virtual reality application generates the same virtual reality environment.

[0082] The control processing system 170 of FIG. 1 is configured to receive and store virtual reality data from the virtual reality headset 121 . The virtual reality data may include position and orientation / rotation data to enable a virtual reality environment to be recreated by the control processing system 170 . The virtual reality data may further include events that occur in the virtual reality environment. An executable software application stored in the memory of the control processing system 170 is configured to recreate a virtual reality environment using the virtual reality data received from the virtual reality headset 121. A view of the virtual reality environment can then be presented via a display of the control processing system 170. Thus, a trainee 180 operating the control processing system 170 can see the virtual reality environment that the user 160 sees. The control processing system 170 may be configured to store the virtual reality data in a non-volatile manner in the memory of the control processing system 170 . Additionally or alternatively, the control processing system 170 may store the virtual reality data in memory of a remote storage system 190, such as a cloud processing system. The trainee 180 can then replay the stored scenario by interacting with the control processing system 170 to replay the virtual reality environment using the stored virtual reality data. Advantageously, the trainee 180 can select different camera angles to present the recreated virtual reality environment, thereby allowing the trainee or user 160 to view the training scenario from different perspectives and improve their skills in the task being trained. Advantageously, virtual reality data has a significantly more efficient memory footprint compared to video content. Additionally, using virtual reality data to recreate a virtual reality environment provides more flexibility in terms of allowing different viewpoints to be seen. The virtual reality data is time dependent. For example, each virtual reality headset 121 may be configured to periodically transfer virtual reality data to control processing system 170, thereby making the virtual reality data time dependent. Alternatively, the received virtual reality data is time-stamped so that periodic transfer of this virtual reality data is not necessary. Additionally, the audio data is received and stored by the control processing system 170 . The audio data captured by the microphone may be time-dependent so that the audio playback is synchronized with the recreated virtual reality environment as presented via the control processing system 170. The audio data is stored along with the virtual reality data.

[0083] In certain configurations, the weapon 150 is capable of firing projectiles, but the weapon 150 is retrofitted with devices to prevent the firing of projectiles. However, the device is configured to simulate a recoil force in response to the trigger of the weapon 150 being actuated by the user 160 . In one form, the accelerometer 112 of the sensor system 101 senses the recoil force as a detected firing of the weapon 150, and the processor 124 of the virtual reality headset 121 is configured to update the virtual reality environment to display the firing of the weapon 150 in the virtual reality environment.

[0084] In one form, the device is a gas-powered simulated recoil system. Actuation of the trigger causes a controlled release of compressed gas that acts on the gun's bolt or slide to simulate a recoil force that is sensed by the accelerometer as a simulated firing of the weapon 150. In one form, a gas-powered simulated recoil system is available from Dvorak Instruments Inc., 9402 E. 55th St, Tulsa, OK 74145, United States of America.

[0085] In another form, the device includes a solenoid that is electrically activated to actuate the bolt of the weapon 150 to generate a recoil force in response to the weapon being actuated. In one form, the device may be provided in the form of a bolt carrier group trigger resetter such as described in International Patent Application No. US2021 / 049174, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0086] In another form, the device may be provided in the form of a bolt assembly 610 that may be suitable for an assault rifle, as shown in Figures 6-11 and described below.

[0087] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a bolt assembly 610 positioned within the firing chamber of a weapon (not shown). The bolt assembly 610 is designed to replace the bolt carrier on a military assault weapon such as an M4. The bolt assembly 610 includes a bolt body 620 , a trigger reset mechanism 630 , and a microcontroller 640 .

[0088] The bolt body 620 is made from a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum and is shaped to generally replicate the outer dimensions of the bolt carrier particular to the weapon 150 . Thus, the bolt body fits easily within the firing chamber of the weapon 150. The bolt body 620 is positioned above the trigger mechanism 670 .

[0089] The bolt body 620 is used to mount a trigger reset mechanism 630 . The trigger reset mechanism is formed by a solenoid 631 , a lever 632 and a cam 633 . The solenoid 631 is attached to one end of the bolt body 620 and includes a piston 634 . The piston 634 is attached to the lever 632 . The cam 633 is pivotally mounted to the bolt body 620 and is positioned adjacent to the lever 632 . The piston 634 of the solenoid 631 is movable between a retracted position and an extended position.

[0090] The microcontroller 640 is located adjacent to the cam 633 . In one form, the microcontroller 640 is an Arduino microcontroller. The microcontroller 640 is connected to a sensor 641 and a Bluetooth transmitter (not shown). The sensor 641 is a mechanical microswitch that is movable between a depressed position and an released position in response to the movement of the cam 633 .

[0091] In the form of a battery 650, the power source is located within a magazine-shaped casing 651. Battery 650 has four cells and is used to power microcontroller 640 (and therefore the sensors and transmitter) and solenoid 631 via wiring circuitry 660 . The wiring circuit 660 includes both a battery terminal 661 and a bolt terminal 662 for releasably connecting the battery 650 to the microcontroller 640 and the solenoid 631 . Battery 650 has a charging port 652, an on / off switch 653, and an associated LED 654 to indicate when battery 650 is charging, fully charged, and in use.

[0092] The bolt assembly 610 is positioned above a standard trigger mechanism 670 which includes a trigger 671 , a sear 672 and a hammer 673 . The solenoid 631 is located behind the trigger mechanism 670 in this embodiment.

[0093] In use, the bolt assembly 610 remains in an idle position as shown in FIG. The bolt assembly 610 is ready for use when the battery 650 is switched to the on position. In the idle position, the piston of the solenoid 631 is in the extended position and the sensor is in the open position.

[0094] When the trigger of trigger mechanism 670 is pulled, the hammer 673 is released from the sear, as shown in FIG. This causes the hammer 673 to come into contact with the rotating cam.

[0095] Hammer 673 moves cam 633 relative to the lever, moving solenoid 631 from the extended position to the retracted position. The movement of cam 633 also moves sensor 641 from the open position to the depressed position, as shown in FIG. By moving the sensor 641 from the open position to the pressed position, the microcontroller communicates with the transmitter to send a Bluetooth signal to an external unit, such as a virtual reality headset or computer, indicating that a virtual shot has been fired.

[0096] The microcontroller then allows the solenoid 631 to be energized. This causes the piston of the solenoid 631 to move from the retracted position to the extended position. This causes the attached lever to push against the cam 633, causing it to rotate. Rotation of cam 633 causes hammer 673 to pivot and be captured by the sarve, thus resetting the trigger mechanism, as shown in FIG. When the trigger is pulled again, the above sequence is repeated.

[0097] 10 and 11 show a second embodiment of a bolt assembly 610. The bolt assembly 610 shown in Figures 10 and 11 is similar in design to the bolt assembly 610 shown in Figures 6-9, and therefore like numbers are used to describe like components.

[0098] The bolt assembly 610 again includes a bolt body 620 , a trigger reset mechanism 630 , and a microcontroller 640 . The bolt body 620 is shaped to fit within the firing chamber of the weapon.

[0099] The bolt body 620 is used to attach a trigger rest mechanism 630 . The trigger reset mechanism 630 is formed by a solenoid 631 and a cam 633 . The solenoid 631 is attached to the bolt body 620 with the piston 634 of the solenoid 631 positioned adjacent to the cam 633 . The piston 634 of the solenoid 631 is movable between a retracted position and an extended position.

[0100] The microcontroller 640 is located adjacent to the cam 633 . The microcontroller 640 is connected to a sensor 641 and a Bluetooth transmitter (not shown). The sensor 641 is a mechanical sensor that is movable between a pressed position and an released position in response to the movement of the cam 633 .

[0101] The cam 633 is pivotally mounted to the bolt body 620 and the cam 633 is biased towards the sensor 641 by a spring 635 .

[0102] The battery 650 is located in a magazine-shaped casing 651 as described above and is wired in the same manner as described above. Therefore, the wiring is not shown in FIGS.

[0103] During use, the bolt assembly 610 remains in an idle position as shown in Figure 10. The bolt assembly 610 is ready for use when the battery 650 is switched to the on position. In the idle position, the solenoid piston 634 is in the extended position and the sensor 641 is in the open position.

[0104] When the trigger 671 of the trigger mechanism 670 is pulled, as shown in FIG. 11, the hammer 673 is released from the sear 672 . As a result, the hammer 673 comes into contact with the rotary cam 633 .

[0105] Hammer 673 moves cam 633 relative to piston 634, moving solenoid 631 from the extended position to the retracted position. The spring 635 buffers the force of the hammer 673 . The movement of cam 633 also moves sensor 641 from the depressed position to the released position. By moving the sensor 641 from the pressed position to the released position, the microcontroller 640 communicates with the transmitter to send a Bluetooth signal to an external unit, such as a virtual reality headset or computer, indicating that a virtual shot has been fired.

[0106] The microcontroller 640 then allows the solenoid 631 to be energized. This causes the piston 634 of the solenoid 631 to move from the retracted position to the extended position. This causes the piston 634 to push the cam, causing the cam 633 to rotate. Rotation of cam 633 causes hammer 673 to pivot and be captured by sarve 672, thus resetting trigger mechanism 670, as shown in FIG. When trigger 671 is pulled again, the above sequence is repeated.

[0107] The bolt assembly 610 allows the operator to use their weapon in training. The bolt assembly 610 resets the trigger mechanism to provide the weapon operator with the same trigger pressure as when firing live ammunition. Operators train with their own weapons without the need for external modifications. This significantly enhances virtual reality training.

[0108] Referring to FIG. 2, a flow chart illustrating a method 200 performed by the virtual reality headset 121 of the virtual reality system 100 of FIG. 1 is shown. At step 210, the method 200 includes presenting a virtual reality environment to the user 160 via the display 130. In step 220 , the method 200 includes receiving sensor data from the sensor system 101 via the wireless communication interface 134 of the virtual reality headset 121 . At step 230, the method 200 includes updating the presentation of the virtual reality environment via the display 130 based on the sensor data. As will be appreciated, the processor 124 preferably runs an instance of an executable virtual reality application 127 to present and update the virtual reality environment.

[0109] In one form, when a training session is initiated, a calibration request is forwarded from the control processing system 170 to the virtual reality headset 121 in response to the training user 180 interacting with the input device 1330 of the control processing system. The virtual reality weapons training system 100 can be initialized and calibrated for a particular real-world environment. In response to receiving the calibration request and prior to generating the virtual reality environment, the virtual reality headset 121 is configured to receive calibration data from the sensor system 101 of the weapon 150 indicating a plurality of points in the real-world environment that define a plurality of points in the virtual reality environment. The processor 124 of the virtual reality headset 121 generates the virtual reality environment based on the calibration data. In particular, points from the real-world environment may define corners of the virtual reality environment, and processor 124 generates the virtual reality environment using the points indicated by the calibration data. The calibration data can include positions detected using position sensors to determine dimensions of the physical real-world environment used to generate the virtual reality environment.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 3, a further example of a virtual reality weapons training system 100 is shown. In particular, the virtual reality weapon training system 100 of FIG. 3 differs from the virtual reality weapon training system 100 of FIG. 1 in that it includes a first user 160a and a second user 160b, where the first user 160a has a first weapon 150a. The first sensor system 101a is coupled to the weapon and / or the first user 160a. A first virtual reality headset 121a is worn by a first user 160a. A second user 160b has a second weapon 150b. A second sensor system 101b is coupled to a second weapon 150b and / or a second user 160b. A second virtual reality headset 121b is worn by a second user 160b. The second weapon 150b, the second sensor system 101b, and the second virtual reality headset 121b are configured in the same manner as described above in connection with the weapon 150, the sensor system 101, and the virtual reality headset 121, respectively. The virtual reality weapons training system 100 of FIG. 3 allows two users to train within the same virtual reality environment. It will be appreciated that the virtual reality weapons training system 100 of FIG. 3 allows multiple users to train within the same virtual reality environment.

[0111] The first virtual reality headset 121a and the second virtual reality headset 121b are configured in a similar manner as described above in connection with the virtual reality headset 121.

[0112] A first instance of an executable virtual reality application 127 is stored in memory and executable by a processor of the first virtual reality headset 121a. A second instance of the executable virtual reality application 127 is stored in the memory of the second virtual reality headset 121b. The executable virtual reality applications 127 are preferably configured identically to effectively create, control, and update the same virtual reality environment from different user perspectives. The first user's 160a interactions with the virtual reality environment are shared with the second virtual reality headset 121b by the first virtual reality headset 121a via the control processing system 170. Similarly, the second user's 160b interactions with the virtual reality environment are shared with the first virtual reality headset 121a by the second virtual reality headset 121b via the control processing system 170. Thus, each instance of the executable virtual reality application 127 uses the same data to update the virtual reality environment presented to each user.

[0113] More specifically, in the virtual reality weapons training system 100 of FIG. 3, the control processing system 170 is configured to relay virtual reality data between the first virtual reality headset 121a and the second virtual reality headset 121b. The first virtual reality headset 121a and the second virtual reality headset 121b are configured to update the presentation of the virtual reality environment based on the received virtual reality data. Thus, the executable virtual reality applications 127 running by each virtual reality headset 121 a, 121 b in the multi-user system 100 are substantially synchronized by the relay of data by the control processing system 170. The virtual reality data can be position and / or orientation data of the user's 160 weapon 150, position and / or orientation data of the user's 160 virtual reality headset 121, position and / or orientation data of the user's 160 limbs (such as the user's hands), and events generated within the virtual reality environment, such as a virtual reality character being shot, and a character shot command being transferred from one virtual reality headset 121 to the other virtual reality headset 121 to play a character shot sequence.

[0114] The control processing system 170 of Figure 3 is configured to receive and store virtual reality data in order to recreate the virtual reality environment and present a particular view of the virtual reality environment via the display 130 of the virtual reality headsets 121a, 121b. Thus, a trainee 180 operating the control processing system 170 can view the virtual reality environment as viewed by the first user 160a, the second user 160b, and in some instances, as viewed by both the first user 160a and the second user 160b simultaneously, and in other instances, can alternate between camera views with a reproduction of the virtual reality environment. The control processing system 170 may be configured to store the virtual reality data in a non-volatile manner in the memory of the control processing system 170 . Additionally or alternatively, the control processing system 170 may store the virtual reality data in the memory of a remote processing system 190, such as a cloud processing system, if an internet connection is available. In some examples, the audio data captured by the microphone of each virtual reality headset 121 is synchronized in time with the presentation of the recreated virtual reality environment. The audio data is stored along with the virtual reality data. The audio data is time-stamped to allow synchronization with the recreated virtual reality environment.

[0115] If multiple users 160a, 160b, ... 160n are training in the virtual reality environment, the trainee user 180 can select one of the training users 160a, 160b, ... 160n from the software application interface, so that the recreated virtual reality environment is displayed from the perspective of the selected user 160.

[0116] In the multi-user system 100 shown in FIG. 3, the control processing system 170 can receive data from the first virtual reality headset 121a and / or the second virtual reality headset 121b indicating whether the firing path of the first weapon 150a of the first user 160a intersects with the virtual representation of the second user 160b in the virtual reality environment and / or whether the firing path of the path of the second weapon 150b of the second user 160b intersects with the virtual representation of the first user 160a in the virtual reality environment. This is advantageous because it allows users to train in the correct technique to prevent injury (accidental friendly fire) in a real-world environment.

[0117] The virtual reality weapons training system 100 of FIG. 3 can be initialized and calibrated for a particular real-world environment. In particular, prior to generating the virtual reality environment, the first virtual reality headset 121a is configured to receive calibration data from the first sensor system 101a indicating a plurality of points in the real-world environment that define a plurality of points in the virtual reality environment. The processor 124a of the first virtual reality headset 121a generates a virtual reality environment based on the calibration data. Similarly, the second virtual reality headset 121b is configured to receive, from the second sensor system 101b, calibration data indicative of a plurality of points in the real-world environment that define a plurality of points in the virtual reality environment. The processor 124b of the second virtual reality headset 121b generates a virtual reality environment based on the calibration data. In particular, points from the real-world environment may define corners of the virtual reality environment, and the processors 124a, 124b generate the virtual reality environment using the points indicated by the calibration data.

[0118] As can be seen from the above description, the first sensor system 101a and the second sensor system 101b are configured similarly to the sensor system 101 described above for the single-user system. Similarly, the first weapon 150a and the second weapon 150b are configured similarly to the weapon 150 for the single user system. Furthermore, the first virtual reality headset 121a and the second virtual reality headset 121b are configured similarly to the virtual reality headset 121 for the single-user system. However, for the sake of completeness, the first and second sensor systems, the first and second weapons 150a and 150b, and the first and second virtual reality headsets 121a and 121b are described in further detail below.

[0119] Referring to FIG. 14, a first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b is coupled to a first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b and / or a first user 160a / second user 160b. The first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b includes position sensors 116a, 116b, accelerometers 112a, 112b, gyroscopes 118a, 118b, and wireless communication interfaces 114a, 114b. In one embodiment, the wireless communication interfaces 114a, 114b utilize the IEEE 802.15.1 protocol (eg, Bluetooth). The first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b are configured to acquire one or more sensor signals from the position sensors 116a, 116b, the gyroscopes 118a, 118b and / or the accelerometers 112a, 112b and to wirelessly transfer the sensor data. The one or more sensor signals may include various types of data, such as three-dimensional coordinate data (eg, x, y, and z coordinates) and / or acceleration data. In a preferred embodiment, the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b includes a microcontroller 103a, 103b including an input / output (i / o) interface 108a, 108b, and the position sensors 116a, 116b, accelerometers 112a, 112b, gyroscopes 118a, 118b, and wireless communication interfaces 114a, 114b communicate with the microcontrollers 103a, 103b via the i / o interfaces 108a, 108b. The microcontrollers 103a, 103b include processors 104a, 104b, memories 106a, 106b, and I / O interfaces 108a, 108b, which are coupled to each other via buses 109a, 109b. The memories 106a, 106b store executable instructions therein which, when executed by the processors 104a, 104b, cause the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b to acquire one or more sensor signals and transfer sensor data to the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b via the wireless communication interface 108b. In one example, the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b may further include magnetometers 115a, 115b. In one example, the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b may be a XIAO nRF52840 board including an inertial measurement unit (IMU) including accelerometers 112a, 112b and gyroscopes 118a, 118b.

[0120] If the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b has a safety catch, the sensor system 101a, 101b includes a safety catch switch. The one or more sensor signals acquired by the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b may include a safety catch switch signal generated by a safety catch switch, which indicates that the first user 160a / second user 160b has moved the safety catch of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b to a released position, causing the safety catch switch to be toggled. In an example in which the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b includes a trigger, the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b includes a trigger switch. The one or more sensor signals acquired by the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b include a trigger switch signal generated by a trigger switch, which indicates that a user has pulled the trigger of the weapon and the trigger switch is toggled.

[0121] In one form, at least a portion of the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b can be releasably coupled to the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b as shown in Figures 4 and 5 for the first sensor system / second sensor system 101. For example, the position sensors 116a, 116b and gyroscopes 118a, 118b may be contained within a housing 405 that is releasably attached to a rail system 510, such as a Picatinny rail system, of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b via a first / second mounting device 410. In a preferred form, the first / second mounting device 410 includes a clamping mechanism 420 for releasably securing the position sensors 116a, 116b and gyroscopes 118a, 118b to the rail system 510 of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b. Other parts of the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b may be inserted into the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b. For example, as described below, the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b may include capacitance sensors 110a, 110b inserted into the handle portion of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b to sense the user 160's grip of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b.

[0122] In another example, the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b may be a distributed system including a first sensor subsystem and a second sensor subsystem as described in relation to the single-user system with reference to FIG. 12.

[0123] In certain embodiments, the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b coupled to the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b may include capacitance sensors 110a, 110b for sensing that a user is holding the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b. This is advantageous because it allows the virtual representation of the user in the virtual reality environment to be updated by the executable virtual reality application 127 to grip the virtual representation of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b in response to the sensor data. The capacitance sensors 110a, 110b may be located within the handles of the first / second weapons 150a, 150b to enable sensing of gripping actions by the user. The capacitive sensors 110a, 110b may be provided in the form of wires extending between the i / o interfaces of the microcontrollers 103a, 103b of the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b and nuts wrapped in conductive tape. The screw protrudes through the rear wall of the handle of the first weapon / second weapon and cooperates with a nut so that when the first user / second user grips the handle of the first weapon / second weapon, the first user / second user's hand comes into contact with the head of the screw, which activates capacitive detection by the microcontrollers 103a, 103b of the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b.

[0124] The first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b can be electrically coupled to a power source 113a, 113b. In one form, the power source 113a, 113b is provided in the form of one or more batteries. In one example, the one or more batteries are provided in the form of one or more lithium polymer (LiPO) batteries, such as a 3.7V, 400mAh battery pack. One or more of the batteries may be rechargeable batteries. In one form, one or more batteries are electrically coupled to the microcontrollers 103a, 103b of the sensor systems 101a, 101b, and the microcontrollers 103a, 103b include a charging port that allows an external power source to recharge the one or more batteries. In one form, the charging port may be provided in the form of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, such as a USB-C port. A charging port may be exposed within the housing of the first / second weapon 150a, 150b to allow electrical coupling with a charging device.

[0125] The first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b is worn by the first user 160a / second user 160b associated with the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b. The first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b includes a processor 124a, 124b, a memory 126a, 126b, one or more output devices 130a, 130b such as a display and a speaker, an accelerometer 132a, 132b, a gyroscope 133a, 133b, a position sensor 136a, 136b, and a wireless communication interface 134a, 134b that communicates with the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b and the control processing system 170. The first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b may include one or more input devices 131, such as various microphones or buttons on the housing of the virtual reality headset. The virtual reality headsets 121a, 121b include processors 124a, 124b, memories 126a, 126b, and controllers 122a, 122b that provide input / output (i / o) interfaces 128a, 128b coupled to each other via buses 129a, 129b.

[0126] Audio data captured by the microphone of each virtual reality headset 121a, 121b is transferred to the control processing system 170 for synchronization with the playback of the virtual reality environment in the control processing system.

[0127] The wireless communication interfaces 114a, 114b of the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b communicate using two different wireless protocols. In particular, communication of the sensor data received from the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b utilizes the IEEE 802.15.1 protocol (eg, Bluetooth). As described in more detail below, communication between the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b and the control processing system 170 utilizes IEEE 802.11 standard protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi).

[0128] The memory 126a, 126b of the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b includes executable instructions that, when executed by the processor 124a, 124b of the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b, configure the processor 124a, 124b of the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b to perform the method 200 described with respect to FIG. 2. In a preferred form, the executable instructions run an instance of an executable virtual reality application 127 to generate, control, and update a virtual reality environment. The virtual reality environment includes a virtual environment as well as one or more virtual characters / representations, including those representing one or more users 160 a , 160 b of the virtual reality system 100 . In one form, each instance of the executable virtual reality application 127 may be based on the Unity game engine.

[0129] In a preferred embodiment, the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b includes an accelerometer 132a, 132b and a gyroscope 138a, 138b. Therefore, such that the processors 124a, 124b of the virtual reality headsets 121a, 121b are configured to update the virtual reality environment based on one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometers 131a, 132b and gyroscopes 138a, 138b of the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b, the head movements of the first user 160a / second user 160b wearing the respective virtual reality headsets 121a, 121b can be detected based on one or more sensor signals obtained from the accelerometers 132a, 132b and / or gyroscopes 138a, 138b.

[0130] In one form, the processors 104a, 104b of the sensor systems 101a, 101b or the processors 124a, 124b of the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b are preferably configured to detect a simulated firing of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b based on one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometers 112a, 112b. In one form, the recoil force is sensed by the accelerometers 112a, 112b and classified as a first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b firing. Classification of one or more sensor signals received from the accelerometers 112a, 112b may be performed using a machine-trained model. Executable instructions representing a machine-trained model are stored in memory 106a, 106b of first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b or memory 126a, 126b of first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b, and one or more signals received from accelerometers 112a, 112b are provided as inputs to the machine-trained model, and an output is generated indicating whether the one or more sensor signals are classified as a fire of first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b.

[0131] The first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b can fire projectiles, but the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b is retrofitted with a first / second device 610 for preventing the firing of projectiles. However, the first / second device 610 is configured to simulate the recoil force of firing the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b in response to the trigger of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b being actuated by the first user 160a / second user 160b. In one form, the accelerometers 112a, 112b of the first sensor system 101a / second sensor system 101b sense a recoil force as a detected firing of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b, and the processors 124a, 124b of the first virtual reality headset 121a / second virtual reality headset 121b are configured to update the virtual reality environment to display the firing of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b in the virtual reality environment.

[0132] In one form, the secondary weapon device 610 is a gas-powered simulated recoil system. Actuation of the trigger causes a controlled release of compressed gas that acts on the firearm's bolt or slide to simulate a recoil force that is sensed by an accelerometer as a simulated firing of the primary or secondary weapon. In one form, a gas-powered simulated recoil system is available from Dvorak Instruments Inc., 9402 E. 55th St, Tulsa, OK 74145, United States of America.

[0133] In another form, the device 610 includes an electrically actuated solenoid that acts on the bolt of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b in response to actuation of the first weapon 150a / second weapon 150b to generate a recoil force. In one form, the device may be provided in the form of a bolt carrier group trigger resetter such as described in International Patent Application No. US2021 / 049174, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0134] In another form, the device 610 may be provided in the form of a bolt assembly 610 as shown in Figures 6-11 and described above.

[0135] As used herein, adjectives such as first and second, left and right, above and below, etc. may be used merely to distinguish one element or action from another, and do not necessarily require or imply such an actual relationship or order. Where the context permits, a reference to an integer or a component or step (or the like) should not be construed as being limited to only one of that integer, component, or step, but rather may be one or more of that integer, component, step, etc.

[0136] The foregoing description of various embodiments of the present invention is provided for the purposes of description to persons skilled in the relevant art. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to any single disclosed embodiment. As noted above, numerous alterations and modifications to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Thus, while several alternative embodiments have been specifically discussed, other embodiments will be apparent or relatively easy to develop by those skilled in the art. The present invention is intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications, and variations of the invention discussed herein, as well as other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as described above.

[0137] As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," or similar terms are intended to imply a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a method, system, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements, but may fully include other elements that are not listed.

[0138] The reference in this specification to any known matter or to any prior publication is not, and should not be construed as, an acknowledgement or admission or suggestion that the known matter or prior art publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the field to which this specification pertains.

[0139] Although particular examples of the invention have been described, it will be understood that the invention extends to alternative combinations of the features disclosed or that are apparent from the disclosure provided herein.

[0140] Numerous and various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosed invention or which are obvious from the disclosure provided herein.

[0141] It will be understood that the order in which steps are performed in the methods described above may be varied unless otherwise specified.

Claims

1. It is a virtual reality system, Equipment and A sensor system that can be attached to a user or at least one of the aforementioned devices, wherein the sensor system includes a position sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a wireless communication interface, and the sensor system is configured to acquire one or more sensor signals from the position sensor, the gyroscope, and / or the accelerometer, and to wirelessly transmit sensor data; A virtual reality headset, wearable by the user, associated with the device, including a processor, memory, display, accelerometer, position sensor, and wireless communication interface for communicating with the sensor system, A control processing system including memory, a communication interface and a processor, The control processing system establishes a wireless network that enables the virtual reality headset to communicate wirelessly with the control processing system, and operates as an access point for the wireless network. The control processing system's display presents a control interface that allows the trainee to select a training scenario to be simulated in a virtual reality environment for the user wearing the virtual reality headset. When the aforementioned training scenario is selected, the system is configured to transfer data indicating the selected training scenario to each virtual reality headset. The memory of the virtual reality headset contains executable instructions for an executable virtual reality application, and when the executable instructions are executed by the processor of the virtual reality headset, The virtual reality environment is presented to the user via the display, and the executable virtual reality application generates the virtual reality environment using data representing the selected training scenario. The virtual reality headset receives the sensor data from the sensor system via the wireless communication interface of the virtual reality headset. A virtual reality system comprising a virtual reality headset configured to update the presentation of the virtual reality environment for display to the user via the display and based on the sensor data.

2. The virtual reality system according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned device is a weapon.

3. The sensor system includes a sensor microcontroller which includes a processor and a memory that stores executable instructions internally. The virtual reality system according to claim 2, wherein the executable instruction, when executed by the processor of the sensor microcontroller, configures 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. The weapon may be retrofitted with a device configured to simulate the firing of a projectile by generating a recoil force in response to the trigger of the weapon being operated by the user. The accelerometer of the sensor system is configured to sense the reaction force, The virtual reality system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the processor of the virtual reality headset is configured to update the virtual reality environment to display the firing of the weapon in the virtual reality environment.

5. The apparatus includes a pressurized gas source, The virtual reality system according to claim 4, wherein the pressurized gas source acts on the bolt of the weapon in response to the operation of the weapon to generate the reaction force.

6. The sensor system of the weapon includes a capacitive sensor for sensing that the user is gripping the weapon, The sensor data transmitted to the virtual reality headset indicates that the user is holding the weapon. The virtual reality system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the virtual reality headset is configured to update the display of the virtual reality headset to indicate that the weapon is being held in response to sensor data indicating that the user is holding the weapon.

7. The sensor system includes a safety catch switch, The virtual reality system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the one or more sensor signals include a safety catch switch signal indicating that the user moves the safety catch of the weapon to the release position.

8. The sensor system includes a trigger switch, The virtual reality system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the one or more sensor signals include a trigger switch signal indicating that a user pulls the trigger of the weapon.

9. The virtual reality system according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein at least a portion of the sensor system is releasably mounted to the weapon via a mounting device through a rail system of the weapon.

10. The sensor system is a distributed system including a first sensor subsystem and a second sensor subsystem. The first sensor subsystem is coupled to the weapon, The virtual reality system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second sensor subsystem is coupled to the user.

11. The first sensor subsystem includes the gyroscope, the accelerometer, and the communication interface. The second sensor subsystem includes the position sensor, a further gyroscope, a further accelerometer, and a further communication interface. The virtual reality system according to claim 10, wherein the communication interface and the further communication interface wirelessly transfer a first portion and a second portion of the sensor data to the virtual reality headset, respectively.

12. The second weapon, A second sensor system coupled to the second weapon, comprising a position sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a wireless communication interface, The second sensor system is configured to receive one or more sensor signals from the position sensor, the gyroscope and / or the accelerometer, and to wirelessly transmit sensor data. The system further comprises a second virtual reality headset worn by a second user associated with the second weapon, which includes a processor, memory, display, accelerometer, position sensor, and wireless communication interface for communicating with the second sensor system, The memory of the second virtual reality headset includes executable instructions, and when these executable instructions are executed by the processor of the second virtual reality headset, The virtual reality environment is presented to the second user via the display, The second sensor data is received from the second sensor system via the wireless communication interface of the second virtual reality headset. The virtual reality system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second virtual reality headset is configured to update the presentation of the virtual reality environment to the second user via the display and based on the second sensor data.

13. The control processing system is a tablet computing device, according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

14. The virtual reality system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control processing system is configured to operate without an internet connection.

15. The virtual reality system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the virtual reality data is time-dependent so as to enable the virtual reality environment to be regenerated over time.

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