Virtual attraction controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10514933-B2
Application number	US-201815906990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2018
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

A ride system includes a first ride vehicle and a second ride vehicle positioned within a course and configured to travel within the course. The ride system also includes a control system having at least one controller and at least one position tracking system, where the at least one controller is configured to control movement of the first and second ride vehicles, and where the at least one position tracking system is configured to facilitate identification of a first location and a second location of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, within the course. The ride system also includes a wireless network configured to enable communication between components of the ride system. The at least one controller is configured to receive data indicative of the first and second locations of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, where the at least one controller determines a control loop for the first and second ride vehicles based on the data indicative of the first and second locations, and where the at least one controller is configured to process the data indicative of the first and second locations to synchronize one or more show elements with the first and second locations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ride system, comprising:
at least one ride vehicle positioned within a course and configured to travel within the course, wherein the course comprises a main path and an alternate path;
a vehicle controller of the at least one ride vehicle;
a primary controller configured to determine a maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle based on maintenance data indicative of the maintenance status and to determine a control loop for the at least one ride vehicle to control the movement of the at least one ride vehicle based on a location of the at least one ride vehicle and the maintenance status; and
a wireless network, wherein the primary controller is configured to receive the maintenance data indicative of the maintenance status via the wireless network, and wherein the primary controller is configured to provide instructions to the vehicle controller to control the at least one ride vehicle according to the control loop, wherein the instructions cause the vehicle controller of the at least one ride vehicle to move the at least one ride vehicle from the main path to the alternate path based on the maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle being associated with a determined due maintenance for the at least one ride vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary controller is configured to determine the maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle based on a trend of loading conditions, a trend of motor output power, velocity of the at least one ride vehicle, or some combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary controller further comprises a memory device configured to at least store pre-determined threshold data, wherein the pre-determined threshold data comprises a pre-determined threshold of loading conditions and a pre-determined threshold of motor output power for the at least one ride vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the primary controller is configured to compare the maintenance data indicative of the maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle to the pre-determined threshold data to determine the maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the primary controller is configured to compare a total loading condition of the at least one ride vehicle to the pre-determined threshold of loading conditions to determine the maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle, wherein the maintenance status indicates that the at least one ride vehicle has the determined due maintenance based upon a determination that the total loading condition is greater than the pre-determined threshold of loading conditions.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle controller is configured to record the maintenance data indicative of the maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle.

7. The system claim 6 , wherein the vehicle controller is configured to transmit the maintenance data indicative of the maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle via the wireless network.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the maintenance data indicative of the maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle comprises data regarding a trend of loading conditions, a trend of motor output power, velocity of the at least one ride vehicle, or some combination thereof.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the primary controller is configured to determine the location of the at least one ride vehicle based on location data from a position tracking system.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control loop is configured to synchronize movement of the at least one ride vehicle along the main path with one or more show elements.

11. A ride system, comprising:
at least one ride vehicle positioned within a course and configured to travel within the course, wherein the course comprises a main path and an alternate path;
a position tracking system, wherein the position tracking system is configured to facilitate identification of a location of the at least one ride vehicle within the course;
a primary controller, wherein the primary controller is configured to predict a maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle and to provide instructions to control movement of the at least one ride vehicle;
a wireless network configured to enable communication between components of the ride system, wherein the primary controller is configured to receive data indicative of the maintenance status and the location of the at least one ride vehicle, wherein the primary controller determines a control loop for the at least one ride vehicle to control movement of the at least one ride vehicle based on the data indicative of the maintenance status and the location of the at least one ride vehicle; and
a track switch configured to divert the at least one ride vehicle from the main path to the alternate path in response to receiving a maintenance signal from the primary controller, wherein the primary controller is configured to transmit the maintenance signal based on the predicted maintenance status of the at least one ride vehicle operating according to the control loop.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the track switch is connected to the primary controller via the wireless network, a hardwired connection, or a combination thereof.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the track switch is configured to switch a bridge track in response to receiving the maintenance signal from the primary controller.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the bridge track is configured to switch between a first position and a second position, wherein the first position directs the at least one ride vehicle to continue on the main path, and wherein the second position directs the at least one ride vehicle to the alternate path.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the primary controller is configured to modify a motion profile of the at least one ride vehicle when the at least one ride vehicle is on the alternate path.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the alternate path comprises a maintenance station.

17. A ride system, comprising:
a first ride vehicle positioned within a course and configured to travel within the course, wherein the course comprises a main path and an alternate path;
a first position tracking system of the first ride vehicle;
a second ride vehicle positioned within the course and configured to travel within the course;
a second position tracking system of the second ride vehicle; and
a control system comprising:
a primary controller configured to receive a primary data set from the first position tracking system and the second position tracking system; and
a backup controller configured to receive a backup data set from the first position tracking system and the second position tracking system, wherein the control system is configured to select between the primary data set and the backup data set to determine a first control loop for the first ride vehicle to control movement of the first ride vehicle and a second control loop for the second ride vehicle to control movement of the second ride vehicle based on the primary data or the backup data, and wherein the primary controller is configured to move the first ride vehicle from the main path to the alternate path while the second ride vehicle is maintained on the main path according to the first control loop and the second control loop.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the alternate path is a maintenance path, and wherein the control system is configured to receive maintenance data a

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Maycock Mark Bruce
• Vance Eric

Classifications

• G06F9/5061

  Partitioning or combining of resources · CPC title

• A63G31/00 Primary

  Amusement arrangements · CPC title

• A63G31/02 Primary

  with moving substructures · CPC title

• B61L15/0027

  Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R · CPC title

• G06F9/4411 Primary

  Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers · CPC title