U.S. patent number 3,628,829 [Application Number 04/870,852] was granted by the patent office on 1971-12-21 for experience theater.
Invention is credited to Morton L. Heilig.
United States Patent |
3,628,829 |
Heilig |
December 21, 1971 |
EXPERIENCE THEATER
Abstract
The combination of a viewing chair and sense-stimulating means
for use in motion picture or television theaters is provided
comprising a seat with armrests and having a back which terminates
into a hood over the chair, support means for the chair including
means adapted to rock the chair in various directions, means for
vibrating said chair, odor-producing means associated with said
chair, odor-conducting conduits associated with said odor-producing
means, means for moving air through the odor-producing means and
the odor-conducting conduits towards the face of a spectator seated
in said chair, air passageways associated with the chair having
exit ports for directing air towards various portions of the
spectator's body, means for feeding air to the air passageways,
exhaust means associated with the hood of the chair for removing
said fed air and odors, and a loudspeaker associated with the hood
of said chair.
Inventors: |
Heilig; Morton L. (New York,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
27064024 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/870,852 |
Filed: |
July 8, 1969 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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533017 |
Mar 9, 1966 |
3469837 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
297/217.4; 52/8;
297/180.14; 472/59; 297/217.3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C
1/12 (20130101); A63J 25/00 (20130101); G09B
9/165 (20130101); A63J 1/00 (20130101); G09B
9/32 (20130101); A63F 13/90 (20140902); A47C
3/02 (20130101); G09B 9/22 (20130101); A47C
7/72 (20130101); G09B 9/10 (20130101); A63J
2005/008 (20130101); A63F 2300/302 (20130101); A63J
2005/006 (20130101); A63F 2300/8082 (20130101); A63J
2005/002 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47C
1/00 (20060101); A47C 7/62 (20060101); A47C
1/12 (20060101); A47C 3/02 (20060101); G09B
9/22 (20060101); A63J 23/00 (20060101); A63J
23/02 (20060101); A63J 1/00 (20060101); G09B
9/32 (20060101); G09B 9/16 (20060101); G09B
9/02 (20060101); G09B 9/10 (20060101); A63J
5/00 (20060101); A47c 001/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;297/217,180,186,184 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Zugel; Francis K.
Parent Case Text
This is a division of application Ser. No. 533,017, filed Mar. 9,
1966 now Pat. No. 3,469,837.
Claims
I claim:
1. The combination of a viewing chair and sense-stimulating means
for use in motion picture and television theaters which comprises,
a seat with armrests and having a back which terminates into a hood
over the chair, support means for said chair including means
adapted to rock said chair in various directions, means for
vibrating said chair, odor-producing means associated with said
chair, odor-conductng conduits associated with said odor-producing
means, means for moving air through said odor-producing means and
said odor-conducting conduits towards the face of a spectator
seated in said chair, air passageways associated with said chair
having exit ports for directing air towards various portions of the
spectator's body, means for feeding air to the air passageways,
exhaust means associated with the hood of said chair for removing
said fed air and odors, and a loudspeaker associated with the hood
of said chair.
2. The viewing chair of claim 1, wherein the support means includes
pivot means adapted to rock the chair in the forwardly and
transverse direction, including means for actuating said pivot, and
wherein the chair has vibration responsive means associated with
the bottom of said chair.
3. The viewing chair of claim 1, wherein said chair is provided
with means to enable said chair to rotate partially about its
vertical axis to enable access to said chair.
4. The viewing chair of claim 1, wherein said chair is provided
with a latchable safety crossbar pivotally mounted across the
handles thereof.
5. The viewing chair of claim 1, wherein a central air system is
provided associated with the air passageways of said chair.
6. The viewing chair of claim 1, including means responsive to
signal means associated with a projection film for coordinating a
plurality of said sense-stimulating means associated with said
chair.
Description
This invention relates to the art of motion picture or television
and the enjoyment thereof. More particularly, the invention relates
to an improved form of motion picture or television entertainment
in which the spectator is enabled, through substantially all of his
senses, to experience realistically the full effect or illusion of
being a part of or physically responding to the environment
depicted by the motion picture. For the sake of brevity, the
invention is referred to herein as the experience theater and is
meant to include any form of animation whether produced by the
passage of light through a moving motion picture film or produced
electronically as, for example, by the technique commonly employed
in television, magnetic tape recording, or even the relatively new
techniques of hollography or laser beam projection.
Thus, insofar as the invention is concerned, the experience theater
is a new and improved type of theater designed to completely
involve a mass audience into a new and exciting world of
experience.
All other existing theater systems, even the most advanced, such as
Cinerama and Circarama, feed only parts of man's sensory apparatus
with information. Thus, the spectator viewing a film or television
program in these theaters is constantly reminded that he is not
really in the world being depicted on the screen, but rather in a
theater looking at an image of it on the screen.
By feeding almost all of man's sensory apparatus with information
from the scenes or programs rather than the theater, the experience
theater makes the spectator in the audience feel that he has been
physically transported into and made part of the scene itself.
Accordingly, it is the object of the invention to provide an
experience theater system which gives to an observer or spectator a
desired realistic experience by utilizing sensing elements and
conditions which enable the spectator to respond fully to the
illusion of being part of the created environment and thus receive
the full dramatic impact portrayed by the scene.
Another object is to provide a new and improved viewing screen
having a concave configuration adapted to full peripheral viewing,
the screen being formed of a mosaic of reflective elements.
A still further object is to provide the combination of viewing
chairs and associated sense-stimulating elements together with a
concave viewing screen adapted for full peripheral viewing.
Still another object is to provide a viewing chair having
associated sense-stimulating means including mechanical
articulating means for applying controlled movement to the chair to
promote awareness of body position conforming to body attitude
portrayed by a particular motion picture scene.
These and other objects will more clearly appear when taken in
conjunction with the following disclosure and the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrative of one embodiment of a concave
viewing screen provided by the invention;
FIGS. 3 and 4 depict another embodiment of a concave viewing screen
which may be employed in carrying out the invention;
FIGS. 5 to 16 show concave viewing screens and surface portions
utilizing mosaic elements employed in the construction of the
screens;
FIG. 17 is illustrative of one means for arranging viewing chair in
accordance with the carrying out of one embodiment of the
invention;
FIGS. 18 to 21 relate to chair arrangements and manipulation;
FIGS. 22 and 23 show in detail two embodiments of a viewing chair
provided by the invention;
FIG. 22a shows means for tilting the chair.
FIGS. 24 and 25 are illustrative of means which may be employed in
producing aromas;
FIG. 26 depicts an air-distributing system employed in combination
with the viewing chairs;
FIG. 27 shows another arrangement of chairs which may be employed
in the invention;
FIG. 28 is illustrative of a pair of peripheral Polaroid 3D glasses
for use in the experience theater;
FIGS. 29 to 34 are illustrative of various forms of seating
arrangements which may be employed in the experience theater;
and
FIGS. 35 and 36 are block diagrams coordinating signal producing
stimuli on a film with sense-stimulating elements.
As one preferred embodiment of the experience theater the invention
provides a projection screen of concave configuration of
substantially hemispherical sweep which embraces substantially the
entire normal field of vision of a spectator, in combination with a
centrally located projection system, a plurality of loudspeakers
spaced in predetermined positions on the convex side of the screen,
a plurality of specially arranged viewing chairs, with the plane of
support of the chairs steeply inclined to the ceiling of the
theater such that the plane of support subtends the concave screen
much as a cord subtends an arc of a circle, and sense-stimulating
means associated with each of the chairs.
The sense-stimulating means are employed in a manner to stimulate
the natural range of man's major senses, to wit: (1) vision which
involves moving colored imagery which may be depicted in three
dimensions and which may have a horizontal angle of 185.degree. and
a vertical angle of 150.degree.; (2) hearing involving dimensional
sound that comes from all points around the head; smell based on
aromas and taste; (4) tactile sensations of heat and/or cold with
pressure; and (5) kinesthetic sensations involving awareness of
body position.
The experience theater utilizes sense-stimulating means to feed
sensory information to approximately 95 percent of this system, in
the following manner: (a) a hemispherical or marshmallow or
obloidal-shaped screen to reflect moving, colored images with
three-dimensional effect that fills 170 percent of the spectator's
horizontal vision and 125 percent of his vertical vision; (b) the
use of 5 to 30 speakers to provide directional sound from all
points in the screen and one small speaker in each chair provides
sound from behind the spectator's head; (c) the feeding of aromas
through the arm of each chair with immediate evacuation through the
hooded space above the spectator's head; these aromas can be
changed instantly according to the needs of the film; (d) the
application of tactile sensations by blowers that blow air of
controlled and varying temperatures to the head and hands of the
spectator and the use of a vibrating oscillator in each chair which
conveys the appropriate vibrations (motorcycle, train, automobile,
etc.) to the entire body of the spectator; (e) and the simulation
of body attitude by tilting the spectator's chair to various angles
as might occur in a banking airplane or a speedboat.
The advantages of the invention are achieved by utilizing the
foregoing effects or sensations in combination. If any of the above
sensations are provided alone, the psychological effect is
completely unnatural and therefore ineffective and unsatisfying.
But when provided together in a properly programmed manner, the
effect is completely natural, therefore very convincing and
enjoyable.
For example, three-dimensional imagery is not satisfactory without
substantially full use of peripheral vision, and aromas are
unnatural unless objects are portrayed with a three-dimensional
effect, etc. The natural and necessary unity of all these sensory
stimuli is the key idea of the experience theater, but the
invention goes much further in that it solves the many problems
that immediately arise when the traditional means of supplying one
sensation conflict with these necessary to provide another; and
when its desired to provide these multiple stimuli to a mass
audience rather than to one individual.
In this connection, the shape of the concave screen is very
important, several embodiments of which are shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.
In order to take full advantage of the peripheral field of vision
made possible by the screen, the viewing chairs are supported on a
plane "P" steeply inclined to an imaginery plane "V" extending
vertically downward from the ceiling "C". As will be noted, the
plane of support of the chairs subtends the concave screen "S". In
effect, the audience is closed in by the screen itself, with the
concave portion facing the audience, the plane of support of the
chairs making, for example, an angle of about 65.degree. with the
floor of the theater.
The concave screen "S" shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (FIG. 2 is a top view
of FIG. 1), while substantially hemispherical has a somewhat
marshmallow or obloidal shape. That is to say, the central portion
10 of the concave screen and the sides 10b are partly flattened. In
the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the central and side concave
portions 10a are more spherically shaped.
While it is appreciated that planetariums and some recent theater
developments use a hemisphere above the audience with the audience
on the ground floor looking up, this position is physically tiring
so the spectator and psychologically unnatural, since the spectator
is used to looking ahead at the world, while walking or driving;
rarely up at it. In order for the spectator to look ahead, and yet
to have a completely free horizontal visual field requires a
special arrangement whereby the spectators sit substantially above
one another.
Both the hemispherical and obloidal screens completely fill the
spectator's free visual field with imagery 170.degree. horizontally
and 120.degree. vertically, the only limitations being those
imposed by the other spectators, his own body, and the evacuation
hood above his head.
The concave screen depicted by FIGS. 1 and 2 is advantageous in
that it allows the entire audience to be further away from the
central and most important part of the screen, thus providing
better definition and more comfortable eye focusing. Additionally,
it frees the key central part of the image from the serious
spherical distortion that necessarily accompanies spherical
screens. Thus, in the key central part of the picture where the
screen is flattened, buildings, telephone poles and horizon lines
are straight rather than curved.
Referring to FIG. 1, steeply rising steps 11 are shown for
supporting viewing chairs. A projection system 12 is located
centrally and in front of concave portion 10 of the screen.
Loudspeakers 13 are strategically placed and spaced about the back
or convex portion of the screen. As shown in the drawing, the front
or concave screen is made up of a plurality of facets or mosaic
elements 14 (to be described in more detail later) shaped and
disposed at a predetermined angle of reflection, such that rays of
light directed to any of said faces from the projection system 12
by means of a wide angle lense are caused to reflect back to the
viewing audience without bounding from one section of the screen to
the other. Thus, ray 15a (FIG. 1) is shown reflected via ray 15b to
the top of the viewing stand, while ray 16a is shown reflected to
the bottom but away from the screen. The same is true of rays 17a,
17b and 18a, 18b, etc.
By using a screen of the foregoing type with substantially full
peripheral vision, new and improved 3-D effects can be
achieved.
Peripheral imagery without 3-D is not usually satisfactory because
the spectator's natural binocular vision can immediately sense that
the film's monocular image is lying flat on a deeply curved
surface.
Equally unsatisfactory is 3-D without peripheral imagery because
the 3-D images which appear to be floating in space seem
unnaturally truncated by the edges of the conventionally
rectangular screen. For example, a man whose head and shoulders are
floating in the space before a viewer appears as if some giant
sword has sliced off his trunk and legs at the point where it
touches the edges of the frame.
Three-dimensional pictures may be obtained with the invention by
projecting a left- and right-eyed image from two motion picture or
television projectors 19 and 20 (FIG. 2) through polarized filters,
each angled at 90.degree. from each other.
The surface of the screen should advantageously be aluminized in
order for the light reflected from it to maintain its polarization.
But if the surface of either the hemispherical or obloidal screen
are aluminized without special precautions serious problems may
arise. First, hot spots may appear to the spectator wherever the
angle of the incident is the same as the angle of the reflected
light and, secondly, light will bounce from one surface to another,
causing a serious washing out or graying of image contrast. Hence
the surface of the aluminized screen should preferably be
constructed of a mosaic of elements each disposed relatively to
impinging rays such that the rays are evenly reflected back to the
audience while none of the rays is reflected to the other screen
surfaces. Examples of various mosaic elements which may be employed
are shown in FIGS. 5 to 16.
The mosaic elements making up the concave screen may comprise
aluminized metal, plastic or glass elements formed so that
individual squares or hexagonal surfaces or faces are each
individually aimed to reflect the rays coming from the projector to
the audience. The mosaic element should be capable of being angled
in different planes, for example, by being adjustably mounted on
ball sockets as in FIG. 13. There, it will be noted that various
methods of mounting the mosaic element are depicted. The supporting
base of the screen 21 is shown to be perforated with holes 22
through which sound from mounted loudspeaker 23 passes. Attached to
supporting base 21 are elements 24a to 24d, all of which illustrate
various methods of locking the element. Thus, element 24a
illustrates a ball-socket mounting using a rear screw 25; element
24b a side screw 26; element 24c a front screw 27; and element 24d
a biasing spring 28.
Another embodiment employing the same principle is to form plastic
or glass elements having a front or rear coating of silver to form
hundreds of tiny (one-half to one-sixteenth inch) convex mirrors 29
or semimirrors as in FIG. 12. Each of the mosaic surfaces may
either be an actual mirror, or a metallized reflective surface
having a matte finish which reflects a light with more diffusion
than a true mirror, but less diffusion than reflection from a white
surface (a white paper surface). Each mirror is set at a specific
angle such as the plates described above, but in addition, each
mirror has a particular vertical and horizontal curvature that
reflects a specific light pattern which exactly covers the audience
from that position (note FIGS. 6 and 7). Holes 30 for sound are
provided at the corners. Thus, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the
central mirrors reflect the widest patterns (6a) while the side
mirrors (6b, 6c) reflect narrower and narrower patterns. The
advantage of this mirror system, squarish mirrors, FIGS. 6a, b, c,
for the obloidal screen (FIG. 9) and round mirrors, FIGS. 7a, b, c,
for the spherical screen (FIG. 8) is: (1) maintenance of
polarization; (2) minimizing of hot spots; (3) maximum utilization
of available light energy.
Thousands of mirrors (or semimirrors) may be pressed into one plate
as shown in FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 15. These mirrors can be either
square or hexagonal (note FIGS. 14 and 16), and curved or flat
(note FIGS. 12 and 15), depending on their position in the overall
screen. At the juncture of the small convex mirror surfaces tiny
holes 30 are provided to allow sound to pass through the screen as
shown in FIGS. 10 and 12. The panels are numbered in the back for
proper locating, and fitted with a female thread (31) and key slot
32 for quick mounting onto a rear support frame.
Another form of concave screen is that shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B
which depict a spherical screen made up of aluminized surfaces in
the form of concentrically located annular segments 29a, each
angled to reflect the light back to the audience while none is
reflected to other parts of the screen.
Two projectors 33a and 33b (FIG. 5) are mounted at the center of
the plane of support of the viewing chairs. The projectors are
adapted to be synchronized mechanically or electrically and
equipped with wide angle 170.degree. - 180.degree. lenses and
polarizing filters.
Either a separate 5 to 30 channel tape playback synchronized to the
projection system or magnetic tracks on the film itself (see FIGS.
35 and 36) may feed 5 to 30 speakers located behind the screen and
small speakers placed behind the head of each spectator (note FIGS.
22 and 23).
To keep the spectator's vertical field free of obstruction, it has
been found advantageous to place them one above the other. This can
be directly one above the other in very small theaters (of three or
four rows), but in larger theaters a completely vertical placement
of the audience would result in a real physical danger from falling
and a frightening psychological sense of insecurity for those on
the upper levels.
These problems are solved by supporting the audience in a plane
"P," 65.degree. from the horizontal (FIGS. 1 and 17). This offers
safety as well as a greater sense of security. Referring to FIGS.
17, six levels 34 to 39 are provided for supporting chairs 34a to
39a. With regard to FIG. 17, safety can be further enhanced by
having a transparent or glass or plastic sheet 40 extend at an
angle of approximately 38.degree. from the horizontal. The
spectator can be held back by this and yet see through it. Safety
may be provided, however, by the manner in which the spectator gets
to and from his seat and by the safety features of the seat
itself.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the spectators rise to the
appropriate level by escalator or elevator and then approach their
seats from the rear of the spectator plane "P." The chairs are
adapted to swivel at a point 41 just beneath the seat, so that the
empty seat is facing away from the screen toward the approaching
spectator. He sits in the chair then lowers the safety crossbar 42
shown in FIG. 19 which locks automatically. Only when this bar is
down can the spectator pull finger loops 43 which via cable 44
cause pin 45 (note pull against biasing spring 46 out of hole 47
and allow the chair to spin around and face the theater. The pin
then drops in to hole 48 setting the chair in the forward looking
position. Solenoid 49 is provided to prevent the safety bar from
being reopened until the chair is spun back to the rear facing
position.
Chairs 50 are spaced in couples (note FIG. 18) with a space of
approximately 1 foot between each couple. This allows the spectator
in a chair on either side of the space ,note 51) to spin in that
direction and get his knees and feet through. The spectator rotates
the chair by pushing with his feet against the base which does not
turn. Thus, the spectators approach their chairs from the rear,
lock the crossbar, spin around, watch the show, then spin back,
raise the crossbar and get out with complete safety. This system is
desirable for shows of 40 minutes or longer where spectators must
be able to leave their chairs at will to go to the rest room.
In a less elaborate form of the experience theater shown in FIGS.
20, 21 and 27 which would be used for shows under 40 minutes, the
spectators approach and leave their seats from the front much as in
a normal theater, except that they do so during intermission when
the lights are on. The safety is provided in the following
manner:
All crossbars 52 (FIG. 20) are electrically locked by a
spring-biased solenoid 53 while the show is on. When the last scene
of the film fades into darkness, hydraulic arms 54 (note FIGS. 20
and 27) located at each side of a bank of chairs that comprise each
row (note FIG. 29) rises to a height of about 4 feet and 71/2
inches by means of telescoping members 54a, 54b and 54c which raise
a bar 55 up to a height of about 3 feet 9 inches. The rising bar
unravels a thick yet flexible plastic sheet 56 from a roll 57
(hidden by jack 54 but shown at other levels) thus creating a wall
to protect the spectator. Once the plastic wall is up, the solenoid
is actuated to free safety bar 52 (note FIG. 21), allowing each
spectator to raise his safety bar. The spectators can then stand
and exit single file in both directions, holding on to raised bar
55 (FIG. 27) for balance. When the theater is empty, new spectators
enter from either side, sit in their seats, and lower their safety
crossbars. Once the theater is full, all crossbars are locked by
switch actuated means (not shown), and the lights go down. In the
darkness, hydraulic arms 54 lower and the plastic wall is pulled
back on roll 57 by means of a spring coiled mechanism (not shown)
completely freeing the spectators' field of view for the show which
then starts. The wall behind each chair in FIG. 20, shows the grid
52a of an evacuation channel for removing previously supplied
fragrances, a loudspeaker 52b, and a recess 52c for holding
Polaroid glasses 52d and a germicidal lamp 52e.
The seats or chairs of the experience theater are important in
carrying out one embodiment of the invention by providing many of
the sensory stimuli.
Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, a preferred embodiment of a viewing
chair 60 is shown supported by a double-acting swivel along two
axes 61, 62 disposed at right angles to each other. Arm 63 which
may be gear or hydraulic driven, controls the front-back pitch in
relationship to the scene of the screen. Arm 64 (not shown here)
similarly controls sideways tilt (note FIG. 22A). Thus, the
spectators watching scenes taken from a motorcycle or airplane will
pitch and tilt just as the vehicle does, thus strongly reinforcing
the spectator's feeling that he is physically on the vehicle. The
rest of the chair floats on a bed of springs (or optionally, foam
rubber). A vibrator or oscillator 66 is provided to vibrate the
rest of the chair in the rhythm appropriate to the scene, such as
the varying speeds and surges and bumps of a speedboat. These
vibrations are communicated to every part that touches the chair,
i.e. the feet, the legs, the buttocks, the arms and the back, just
as would happen if the spectator were actually sitting in a
speedboat. The oscillator is variable and controlled by either
pitch or volume variations on one channel of the magnetic guide
track on the film.
FIG. 22A shows one method of tilting the chair using a pair of
reversible motors M-1, M-2, which are activated by a sensed signal
(note FIG. 35). Thus, motor M-1 causes gear G-1 to rotate and in
turn meshing gear G-2. Coaxially mounted with gear G-2 is an
internally threaded worm gear W-1 which rides on driven worm gear
63a, worm gear 63a being driven in either direction as shown by the
arrows, which gear in turn actuates pivotally mounted arm 63 for
tilting the chair back and forth about axis 61 (FIG. 22). Motor M-2
similarly actuates arm 64 via gears W-3 and W-4, internal worm gear
W-5 and worm gear 64a.
Aroma systems without 3-D have been attempted in the past but they
have always failed because of the psychological paradox of smelling
a flat two-dimensional image. Odor implies a physical reality-- a
palpable presence-- thus, the object providing the aroma should
preferably be three-dimensional, if a satisfactory natural
impression is to be made on the spectator.
Aromas are provided in one of two ways, either from a central,
electronically controlled fragrance system, FIG. 26 (note 67)
through a fixed tube 68 and then flexible tube system 69. The
aromas are carried into one or both arms of the chair and directed
upward, towards the face through a small slotted hole 70. One of
the serious problems with other attempts to add aromas to films has
been the contamination of the theater air with one odor and the
inability to clear the air of this aroma before the next one
arrived.
The experience theater chair solves this problem by placing a hood
71 (FIGS. 22 and 23) over the spectator's head, and by applying
mild suction through hole 72 so that the fragrance laden air is
immediately evacuated once it passes the face. This air is
evacuated through flexible tube 73 then rigid tubing 74 system and
expelled from the theater.
Another way of providing aromas is to put individual aroma
cartridges 75 (FIGS. 24 and 25) into the arm of each chair (FIG.
22). The cartridge may comprise a plastic box with, for example, 12
fragrance slots 76. An appropriate wire mesh containing solid aroma
pellets 77 is placed in each chamber. The top cover 78 is put on
and then the two holes 79 in the side of each chamber 80 are
plugged by a side cover 81 with protruding plugs on the inside. A
door 82 located on the spacious side of chair is opened, the side
cover removed and the cartridge put in.
The system works in the following manner. Blower 83 is activated
whenever a fragrance is desired. This creates a negative air
pressure. One channel on the film's (84 in FIG. 35) magnetic track
carries specific frequencies which are related to specific odors.
Note channels C-1 (front tilt), C-2 (side tilt), C-3 (vibrations)
and C-4 (aromas) in FIG. 35. Whenever the film calls for a given
odor, the appropriate signal on channel C-4 activates magnetic head
85 which through electronic filters and amplification (not shown)
causes a signal to be sent to solenoids in all of the chairs
corresponding to odor stimulation 88 in FIG. 35. The solenoid 89
(FIG. 24) raises bar 90 to a position where the two holes 79A (FIG.
24) in the bar (which normally act as closed gates) and allows air
to pass through it.
Odorless air is sucked into the chamber now heavily saturated with
fragrance through holes 91, 92 and sucked out again through hole
92A and then blown gently up toward the face through latticed hole
93. The whole system may be easily removed for servicing and
repair.
Breezes of varying velocities to produce tactile sensations can
also be provided in the experience theater in several ways. A
central air system shown in FIG. 26 takes air in through a filter
94 from the outside, heats it or cools it in a temperature control
chamber 95 depending on the scene (i.e. steel mill-- hot; water
skiing-- cool, etc.) and then applies pressure from one large
blower 96 whose speed is controlled by either the varying pitch or
volume of one channel on the magnetic soundtrack (note FIG. 35).
This air is then led through a fixed 97 and flexible duct 98 to
four points of all chairs (FIG. 23); the furthest point of each arm
99 blowing breezes back on to the hand, the central front part of
hood 100 blowing breezes down on to the face and back over the hair
and the rear of head and behind the head 101 blowing forward. Each
of these exits are open or closed by solenoids 99a, 100a and 101a
controlled by the film's magnetic track in such a way that breeze
blows either from the front or the back or only on the head to
produce the tactile sensation indicated generally by the numeral
102 (FIGS. 35 and 36).
Another way of supplying breezes to the same points of the body is
to have very small electrically controlled blowers 103, 104 and 105
placed at these points in the chair shown in FIG. 22. In this case,
a signal turning the motor on and off and governing the velocity of
the motor eliminates the screen need for solenoid gates as in the
first breeze system.
Each blower has its own air intake from the theater air and each
one is also equipped with tiny heating and cooling units to vary
the temperature of the air according to the scene.
A soft plastic sheet 106 (FIG. 22) with holes for the passing of
sound and air is placed behind the head so the spectator can lean
back if he desires. This is important for the seats in the lower
rows which may be tilted slightly back to allow their occupants a
more comfortable view of the screen. The left- and right-eyed
images reach the appropriate eye of the spectator through the use
of Polaroid glasses 107 (FIGS. 22, 23 and 28).
The glasses are contained in small container 108 shown in FIG. 23
on the roomy side of the chair, and attached by fine supply chain
109 to prevent their getting lost or stolen. The box contains a
germicidal lamp 110 to disinfect the glasses. This lamp is adapted
to light up during intermission.
The box is divided into two compartments (FIG. 19), one to hold the
smaller glass for people who don't wear glasses 111 and the other
112 a larger glass which fits easily over all pairs of prescription
glasses.
The design of the polarized glasses is important in achieving the
full advantages of the preferred aspects of the invention (FIG.
28). One of the main reasons why 3-D movies have not been too
successful has been the flimsy uncomfortable nature of the very
cheap paper glasses which have been used.
The glasses employed with the experience theater, while still
relatively inexpensive, are strong quality glasses that are
designed in such a way that within a few minutes the spectator
completely forgets that he is wearing them.
This is accomplished first by having the polarized filters 113 so
large and curved as to extend beyond the widest peripheral range of
the eye in both the horizontal and vertical direction and also
large enough to cover any glasses worn by the spectator. As will be
noted in FIG. 28, the glasses are formed of two halves which meet
centrally above the nose at 114, the two halves each curving about
each side of the face above the cheek bones to provide a wide angle
field of view, and each polarized at 90.degree. to the other.
To minimize pressure points on the face and head, the edges of the
polarizers are carefully rounded and the nose support broad and
carefully molded at 115. The side head clasps 116 are contoured to
the head and broadened to a winglike structure in order to
distribute the pressure. It is perforated by holes at 117 to allow
the rear and front air breezes to penetrate, thus minimizing the
head's awareness of the broad clasp.
The seat design of the simpler version of the experience theater
shown in FIG. 27 accomplishes substantially the same effects as
those described in FIGS. 18 to 23 except that the chair does not
tilt. The major difference is that the concrete structure of the
theater wall 118 itself assumes many of the functions built into
the more elaborate chair.
The chair floats on strips of rubber 119 and may be caused to
vibrate by means of vibrator 120. Aromas are fed through a central
system 121 through a tube in the arm 122,. Instead of using a
breeze blower to the hand, for economy rear and upper face blowers
123, 124 are built right into the concrete. A straight concrete
overhang 125 replaces the elaborate chair's hood and traps the
fragrances and evacuates them through a wall channel 126. The
Polaroid glasses are held in a recess 127 in the cement to the rear
and side of the head. It also contains a germicidal lamp 128 which
is actuated during intermission.
The experience theater is the first theater which gives its
audience a total illusion of being physically carried into a
completely different environment. This is achieved by combining all
the sense stimuli into one unified system. Thus, the experience
theater provides the art with a new and substantially broadened
medium of entertainment.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the novel screen
and theater provided by the invention may take on various
embodiments, depending upon the seating capacity desired in the
theater.
Referring to FIG. 31, a view is shown in elevation looking from the
screen and facing viewing chairs designated generally by numeral
130, the periphery 131 representing the outline of the somewhat
hemispherically shaped screen. The height of the theater as
measured across the vertical mouth of the screen is about 44 feet
and the width about 51 feet. Six rows of seats 130a to 130f are
shown, providing an aggregate seating total of 90 spectators.
Projection cameras 132, 133 are shown located substantially
centrally of the seats, said cameras being adapted for use in 3-D
movies using polarized light and polarized viewing lenses.
In the more elaborate theater of FIG. 32, similarly viewed as in
FIG. 31, the height of the theater as measured across the mouth of
hemispherical screen 134 would be about 64 feet, the width being
substantially the same. Nine rows of seats are provided having a
seating capacity of about 164 spectators. A pair of cameras 135,
136 are located centrally of the seats.
FIG. 33 depicts still another embodiment similar to FIG. 32 but
having a height of 74 feet and seating an aggregate of about 228
spectators. Theaters having a squarish screen 137 as in FIG. 30 but
designed with the substantially hemispherical shape (i.e. having a
marshmallow or obloidal contour) can be designed to provide even a
larger seating capacity. Thus, in FIG. 30, nine rows of seats are
provided having a seating capacity of 224 spectators.
Since the seating arrangement of the experience theater is
predicated on using a height greater than the horizontal extension
of the theater, a practical way of increasing the seating capacity
is to place two theaters back to back as shown in FIG. 34. The
double theater is characterized by an overall enclosure 138 having
two hemispherical ends 139 and 140, each enclosing a substantially
hemispherical screen 139a and 140a, the convex side of each screen
having strategically located loudspeakers 141 and 142. Steeply
inclined seats 143, 144 are provided, respectively, in each of the
theaters the seats being supported along plane supports 145, 146 as
shown. The two theaters can either shown the same program
simultaneously, or different ones simultaneously. Or they can show
the same program at staggered times so the people anxious to see
the show need only wait half the time before the next show begins.
In the double theater shown, which may have a capacity of 460
spectators, an entertainment lobby 147 may be provided having means
shown for keeping the spectators occupied while waiting for the
next show.
By using the combination of the novel chair and novel screen, the
sense-stimulating devices associated with each of the chairs can be
programmed or coordinated with signal means in the form of magnetic
tracings or channels as shown for film 84, 84A in the block diagram
of FIGS. 35 and 36. Left- and right-eye films (84, 84A) are shown
by way of example for the projection of 3-D movies. Channels C-1 to
C-8 on film 84 are related to various senses shown in the block
diagram while channels C-9 to C-16 relate to distribution of sounds
to the various loudspeakers. Of course, where 3-D movies are not
involved and only one film is employed, the film may be adapted to
carry all of the necessary signal responses.
While magnetic channels are shown associated with each of the
films, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that all
of the magnetic signals could in the alternative be carried on a
separate reel of magnetic tape synchronized with the two picture
reels. Also, where the television principle of transmission is
employed using videotapes, two videotapes may be employed for
transmitting the left- and right-eyed images.
Although the present invention has been described in conjunction
with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that
modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the
art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are
considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and
the appended claims.
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