Abstract:
A vest that is worn while playing a video game is in the shape of a bandoleer and has a multiplicity of tactile signal-producing elements thereon. The tactile-signal producing elements are located all around the player so the player will receive tactile signals from all directions and the signals can be received simultaneously so action in the video game will be accurately and realistically reproduced in the form of tactile signals.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to the general art of amusement devices, and to the particular field of amusement devices that include perceptible outputs or displays.  
         [0003]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Video games are typically played using a computer-based system. A player manipulates a keyboard, a mouse, or a joystick as a game scene is displayed on a video monitor, or the like. In addition to video output, many games also produce an audio output that enhances the visual experience.  
         [0005]     With the advances made in microprocessors, video games are becoming more and more sophisticated and more and more prevalent, both in homes and in arcades.  
         [0006]     While the sophistication of video games has improved to include both visual and audible sensations, there is yet another area that can be used to further enhance the enjoyment of video games. This area includes the sense of touch. That is, if a video game can include tactile sensations that correspond to the visual and/or audio scene associated with the game, the enjoyment of the game will be enhanced.  
         [0007]     Therefore, there is a need for a system for producing tactile sensations corresponding to scenes associated with a video game.  
         [0008]     While the art contains some forms of tactile systems, such as vibrating seats, vibrating joysticks and the like, the sophistication of video games has far surpassed such simple sensations.  
         [0009]     For example, a particular video game may require a player to be located “in” the action. That is, the player may be receiving some sort of signal or stimulus from several directions at the same time. While some video games include the ability to have a surround sound effect, this audible effect is not sufficient to provide the multi-directional signal stimulus required for a fully simulative game. A simple vibration of a seat or of a joystick also does not simulate the sophisticated scenes and action that are available with many presently-available video games. Sensory inputs should be available from all directions, including front, rear, side, top, bottom and at all angles in order to accurately reflect the video game scene. Furthermore, many video games have a great deal of action occurring at the same time. The player is required to receive and process multiple simultaneous inputs. If a tactile input is only one dimensional and occurs from only one or two sources, the real action of the game is not being accurately simulated.  
         [0010]     Therefore, there is a need for a system for producing complex tactile sensations which more nearly correspond to scenes associated with a video game than presently available systems.  
       PRINCIPAL OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     It is a main object of the present invention to provide a system for producing tactile sensations corresponding to scenes associated with a video game.  
         [0012]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for producing complex tactile sensations which more nearly correspond to scenes associated with a video game than presently available systems.  
         [0013]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for producing complex tactile sensations which can be received by a user from all directions and at all angles to accurately reflect and correspond to scenes associated with a video game than presently available systems.  
         [0014]     It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for producing complex tactile sensations which can be received by a user simultaneously from all directions and at all angles to accurately reflect and correspond to scenes associated with a video game than presently available systems.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     These, and other, objects are achieved by a bandoleer-type vest having a plurality of buttons on each strap of the bandoleer, with each button including a system for producing tactile sensory signals. Each button is connected to the game controller and will generate a tactile signal that is sensed by a person wearing the vest in accordance with signals generated by the game controller. The vest fits around the wearer&#39;s shoulders, upper torso, waist, back and chest so there are tactile signal generators located all around the wearer&#39;s body. In this manner, the wearer will receive tactile signals on all parts of his or her body and the signals can be co-ordinated by the game controller to correspond to the action occurring in the game. Thus, for example, if a player is “attacked” from behind or from the side, or even from below on the side, the wearer can “feel” the attack and take appropriate action.  
         [0016]     The bandoleer-type vest permits a video game to provide a total experience by including complex and multiple tactile signals that are co-ordinated with the visual and audible signals being received by the user. The “all around” nature of the tactile signals is similar to the “all around” audio experience of a surround sound system and the enhancement of the experience is also similar. The games become more real as the senses of the player are stimulated and the reality is enhanced when the senses are stimulated in ways that accurately and completely reflect the total and multi-directional action occurring in the game as opposed to simple and one-dimensional and one-directional stimuli which may not accurately reflect the total action occurring at any particular time during the video game which may be occurring from many directions. The vest of the present invention permits a player to receive stimuli from many directions at the same time, which further enhances the enjoyment of the game. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the bandoleer-type video game vest embodying the present invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 2  shows a detail of the vest shown in  FIG. 1  and illustrates a tactile signal generating element on the vest.  
         [0019]      FIG. 3  illustrates the vest embodying the present invention as it is worn by a user. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]     Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a tactile signal-producing vest  10  that is worn while a wearer is playing a video game.  
         [0021]     Vest  10  comprises a bandoleer vest  12  which includes a first belt  14  which is adapted to encircle a wearer&#39;s waist when the vest is worn by the user as shown in  FIG. 3 . The first belt  14  has a body portion  16 , a first end  18  on the body portion  16 , and a second end  20  on the body portion  16 . A first buckle portion  22  is located on the body  16  adjacent to the first end  18  and a second buckle portion  24  is located on the body  16  adjacent to the second end  20 . A longitudinal axis  26  extends from the first end  18  to the second end  20 .  
         [0022]     A multiplicity of tactile signal-producing elements, such as tactile-producing element  30 , are mounted on the body portion  16  of the first belt  14 . The tactile signal-producing elements  30  are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis  26  of the body  16  of the first belt  14 . Each tactile signal-producing element  30  includes a signal-receiving circuit  32  and a vibration-producing element  34  connected to the signal-receiving circuit  32  to be activated when the signal-receiving circuit  32  connected thereto receives an activating signal and is activated thereby. As can be understood from  FIG. 3 , each vibration-producing element  34  of the first belt  14  is located to contact the wearer when the vest is worn.  
         [0023]     A second belt  40  includes a first body portion  42  that, as shown in  FIG. 3 , is adapted to extend over one shoulder of the wearer adjacent to the wearer&#39;s neck when the vest is worn. The first body portion  42  includes a first end  44  and a second end  46  as well as a longitudinal axis  48  that extends between the first end  44  of first body portion  42  and the second end  46  of first body portion  42 . The first body portion  42  of the second belt  40  is adapted to extend across the wearer&#39;s chest when the vest is worn. The second belt  40  further includes an intermediate body portion  50  which is adapted to extend across the wearer&#39;s abdomen when the vest is worn. The intermediate portion  50  includes a first end  52 , a second end  54 , and a longitudinal axis  56  which extends between first end  52  and second end  54 . A second body portion  60  of belt  40  is adapted to extend across the wearer&#39;s shoulder blades and across the wearer&#39;s back when the vest is worn. End  54  of the intermediate body portion  50  of the second belt  40  is fixed to the first belt  14 . The second body portion  60  of the second belt  40  includes a first end  62  fixed to the first belt  14  at a location spaced apart from end  54  of the intermediate body portion  50 , a second end  64 , and a longitudinal axis  66  that extends between the first end  62  of the second body portion  60  of the second belt  40  and the second end  64  of the second body portion  60  of the second belt  40 . The second belt  40  further includes a first buckle portion  68  on the second end  46  of the first body portion  42  of the second belt  40  and a second buckle portion  70  on the second end  64  of the second body portion  60  of the second belt  40 . The second belt  40  further includes a multiplicity of tactile signal-producing elements, such as element  72 , mounted on the first body portion  42  of the second belt  40  and on the second body portion  60  of the second belt  40  and on the intermediate body portion  50  of the second belt  40 . The tactile signal-producing elements  72  of the second belt  40  are spaced apart from each other in the directions of the longitudinal axes of the first body portion  42  of the second belt  40  and the second body portion  60  of the second belt  40  and of the intermediate body portion  50  of the second belt  40 . Each tactile signal-producing element  72  of the second belt  40  includes a signal-receiving circuit  74 , a vibration-producing element  76  connected to the signal-receiving circuit  74  of the signal-producing element  72  on the second belt  40  to be activated when the signal-receiving circuit  74  connected thereto receives an activating signal and is activated thereby. Each vibration-producing element  76  of the second belt  40  is located to contact the wearer when the vest is worn.  
         [0024]     A third belt  80  includes a first body portion  82  that is adapted to extend over a second shoulder of the wearer adjacent to the wearer&#39;s neck and to extend across the wearer&#39;s chest when the vest is worn. First body portion  82  includes a first end  84 , a second end  86 , and a longitudinal axis  88  that extends between first end  84  and second end  86 . Third belt  80  further includes an intermediate body portion  90  which is adapted to extend across the wearer&#39;s abdomen when the vest is worn. Intermediate body portion  90  includes a first end  92  which is fixed to the first belt  14  at a location spaced apart from end  54  of the first belt  14 , a second end  94 , and a longitudinal axis  96  which extends between first end  92  and second end  94 . A second body portion  100  is adapted to extend across the wearer&#39;s shoulder blades and across the wearer&#39;s back when the vest is worn. The second body portion  100  of the third belt  80  has a first end  102  that is fixed to the first belt  14  at a location spaced apart from first end  92  of intermediate body portion  90 , a second end  104 , and a longitudinal axis  106  which extends between the first end  102  of the second body portion  100  of the third belt  80  and the second end  104  of the second body portion  100  of the third belt  80 . The third belt  80  further includes a first buckle portion  108  on the second end  86  of the first body portion  82  of the third belt  80  and a second buckle portion  110  on the second end  104  of the second body portion  100  of the third belt  80 . The third belt  80  further includes a multiplicity of tactile signal-producing elements, such as element  112 , mounted on the first body portion  82  of the third belt  80  and on the second body portion  100  of the third belt  80  and on the intermediate body portion  90  of the third belt  80 . The tactile signal-producing elements  112  of the third belt  80  are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the first body portion  82  of the third belt  80  and the second body portion  100  of the third belt  80  and the intermediate body portion  90  of the third belt  80 . Each tactile signal-producing element on the third belt  80  includes a signal-receiving circuit  114  and a vibration-producing element  116  connected to the signal-receiving circuit  114  of the signal-producing element  112  of the third belt  80  to be activated when the signal-receiving circuit  114  connected thereto receives an activating signal and is activated thereby. Each vibration-producing element  116  of the third belt  80  is located to contact the wearer when the vest is worn.  
         [0025]     A belt-coupling element  120  is fixed to the second ends of the first body portions of the first and second belts, and is fixed to the first ends of the intermediate body portions of the first and second belts  14 ,  40 . The belt-coupling element  120  is located adjacent to the chest of the wearer when the vest is worn and further includes a tactile signal-producing element  122  thereon which is located adjacent to the chest of the wearer when the vest is worn. Tactile signal-producing element  122  is identical to the above-described tactile signal-producing elements and thus will not be again described.  
         [0026]     The buckle elements of the first and second belts  14 ,  40  are located adjacent to the wearer&#39;s shoulders when the vest is being worn.  
         [0027]     A circuit  124  is adapted to connect each signal-receiving circuit of the vest to a signal-producing circuit associated with a video game. Circuit  124  is known to those skilled in the art and thus will not be described.  
         [0028]     It is understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangements of parts described and shown.