Optical tracking system for automation of amusement park elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207193-B2
Application number	US-201514717989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

A dynamic signal to noise ratio tracking system enables detection of people within the field of view of the tracking system. The tracking system may include an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within an area, a detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected back from people and/or objects within the area, and a control unit configured to evaluate signals from the detector and control various automated amusement park equipment as a result of this evaluation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An amusement park tracking and control system, comprising:
an emission subsystem comprising one or more emitters, wherein the one or more emitters is configured to flood a guest attraction area of an amusement park attraction with electromagnetic radiation;
a plurality of retro-reflective markers comprising a first set of retro-reflective markers positioned within a proximity region of a ride vehicle in the guest attraction area and a second set of retro-reflective markers positioned outside of the proximity region of the ride vehicle, wherein the proximity region of the ride vehicle is defined by a threshold distance between a retro-reflective marker of the plurality of retro-reflective markers and the ride vehicle, and wherein a first retro-reflective marker of the first set of retro-reflective markers and a second retro-reflective marker of the second set of retro-reflective markers comprise different retro-reflective coatings, such that different wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation are reflected by the first and second retro-reflective markers to produce a first pattern of reflection and a second pattern of reflection, respectively;
a detection subsystem comprising one or more optical filters, wherein the one or more optical filters is configured to filter electromagnetic radiation not retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area by utilizing directionality associated with the electromagnetic radiation retro-reflected within the guest attraction area; and
a control system comprising processing circuitry configured to receive data indicative of electromagnetic radiation reflection from the plurality of retro-reflective markers and to monitor the electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers for a change from a first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers to a second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers; and
wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to evaluate information relating to a proximity of a person in the guest attraction area to the ride vehicle based on changes in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection, to generate an output to control the ride vehicle within the guest attraction area based on the evaluated information, and to determine whether any of the first set of retro-reflective markers or the second set of retro-reflective markers are blocked from receiving or reflecting emitted electromagnetic radiation based on the change from the first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection to the second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a third set of retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers is positioned on environmental elements of the guest attraction area, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to assume that the change from the first pattern of reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers to the second pattern of reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers corresponds to a change in positioning of the person relative to the environmental elements.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein a third set of retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers is positioned on environmental elements of the guest attraction area, and the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to evaluate the information by correlating portions of the first pattern of reflection no longer present in the second pattern of reflection to the information relating to the proximity of the person in the guest attraction area to the ride vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to correlate the portions of the first pattern of reflection no longer present in the second pattern of reflection to a grouping of retro-reflective markers within the third set of retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers that are blocked from receiving or reflecting emitted electromagnetic radiation by the person in the guest attraction area.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to identify a position of the person in the guest attraction area based on a stored position of the grouping of retro-reflective markers within the third set of retro-reflective markers that are blocked from receiving or reflecting emitted electromagnetic radiation by the person in the guest attraction area, and to trigger an attraction feature based on the identified position.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to automatically trigger a show effect, dispatch a ride vehicle, or open an access gate, once the identified position is within the proximity region.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to automatically trigger the show effect, dispatch the ride vehicle, or open the access gate, once the identified position is determined to have first been inside of the proximity region, and then moved outside of the proximity region.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the control system determines that at least some of the retro-reflective markers within the proximity region are blocked, the control system has a first output that prevents departure of the ride vehicle, and when the control system determines that none of the retro-reflective markers within the proximity region are blocked, the control system has a second output that automatically causes departure of the ride vehicle.

9. A method of operating an amusement park attraction, comprising:
flooding a guest attraction area of the amusement park attraction with electromagnetic radiation using an emission subsystem comprising one or more emitters;
reflecting the electromagnetic radiation from the emission subsystem using a plurality of retro-reflective markers within the guest attraction area, wherein a first retro-reflective marker is positioned within a proximity region of a ride vehicle in the guest attraction area and a second retro-reflective marker is positioned outside of the proximity region of the ride vehicle, and wherein the proximity region of the ride vehicle is defined by a threshold distance between a retro-reflective marker of the plurality of retro-reflective markers and the ride vehicle, wherein the first and second retro-reflective markers comprise different retro-reflective coatings such that different wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation are reflected by the first and second retro-reflective markers to produce a first pattern of reflection and a second pattern of reflection, respectively;
monitoring electromagnetic radiation retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area for a change from a first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers to a second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers;
filtering electromagnetic radiation not retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area using a detection subsystem having one or more optical filters, wherein the one or more optical filters is configured to filter electromagnetic radiation not retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area by utilizing directionality associated with the electromagnetic radiation retro-reflected within the guest attraction area;
determining whether the first retro-reflective marker or the second retro-reflective marker is blocked from receiving or reflecting emitted electromagnetic r

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Stenzler Paula
• Cortelyou Robert J
• Mcquillian Brian B
• Oliver Christopher
• Blum Steven C
• Schwartz Justin M
• Okeson Bradley D

Classifications

• A63G31/00 Primary

  Amusement arrangements · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• G08B21/22

  responsive to presence or absence of persons · CPC title

• G06V10/245 Primary

  by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning · CPC title

• G06K9/00771

  Physics · mapped topic