Object tracking animated figure systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10679397-B1
Application number	US-201916269471-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2019
Priority date	Dec 13, 2018
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

An animation system includes an animated figure, multiple sensors, and an animation controller that includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor. The instructions cause the animation controller to receive guest detection data from the multiple sensors, receive shiny object detection data from the multiple sensors, determine an animation sequence of the animated figure based on the guest detection data and shiny object detection data, and transmit a control signal indicative of the animation sequence to cause the animated figure to execute the animation sequence. The guest detection data is indicative of a presence of a guest near the animated figure. The animation sequence is responsive to a shiny object detected on or near the guest based on the guest detection data and the shiny object detection data.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An animation system, comprising:
an animated figure;
a plurality of sensors; and
an animation controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor, the instructions configured to cause the animation controller to:
receive guest detection data from the plurality of sensors, wherein the guest detection data is indicative of a presence of a guest near the animated figure;
receive shiny object detection data from the plurality of sensors;
determine an animation sequence of the animated figure based on the guest detection data and shiny object detection data, wherein the animation sequence is responsive to a shiny object detected on or near the guest based on the guest detection data and the shiny object detection data, and wherein the animation sequence comprises reactive responses in real-time, pre-programmed responses, or a combination thereof; and

transmit a control signal indicative of the animation sequence to cause the animated figure to execute the animation sequence.

2. The animation system of claim 1 , wherein the received guest detection data is based on information from one or more cameras of the plurality of sensors, and wherein the information is used to identify a skeleton of the guest using skeletal tracking, face of the guest using facial recognition, body parts of the guest using body recognition, or a combination thereof.

3. The animation system of claim 2 , wherein the animation controller is configured to select the shiny object among a plurality of shiny objects identified based on the shiny object detection data by selecting the shiny object closest to the identified face of the guest as determined by skeletal tracking, facial recognition, or a combination thereof.

4. The animation system of claim 3 , wherein the animation controller is configured to disregard other shiny objects among the plurality of shiny objects identified based on the shiny object detection data that are determined to not be positioned on or near the guest.

5. The animation system of claim 2 , wherein animation controller is configured to select the shiny object among a plurality of shiny objects identified based on the shiny object detection data by selecting the shiny object closest to an identified arm or hand of the guest as determined from the skeletal tracking, body recognition, or a combination thereof.

6. The animation system of claim 1 , wherein the shiny object detection data comprises shiny object data from one or more reflectivity sensors, magnetic field, infrared, optical, or inductive metal detection sensors, shape data from one or more cameras, or a combination thereof.

7. The animation system of claim 1 , wherein the animation sequence causes the animated figure to turn its head to track the shiny object or react to indicate detection of the shiny object.

8. The animation system of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores a plurality of animation sequences, and wherein determining the animation sequence comprises selecting an individual animation sequence from the plurality of animation sequences.

9. The animation system of claim 1 , wherein the animation sequence stops in response to the guest detection data being indicative that the guest is no longer within a predetermined range of the animated figure.

10. The animation system of claim 1 , wherein the animation sequence stops after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

11. The animation system of claim 1 , wherein the animation controller is configured to change the animation sequence based on a next-closest guest or shiny object within a predetermined range after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

12. A method, comprising:
receiving guest detection data from a plurality of sensors, wherein the guest detection data is indicative of a presence of a guest near an animated figure;
receiving shiny object detection data from a plurality of sensors configured to detect metal objects or shiny objects;
determining a presence of a metal object or a shiny object on or near the guest based on the received guest detection data and the received shiny object detection data; and
sending a control signal to cause the animated figure to execute an animation based on the presence of the metal object or the shiny object, wherein the animation comprises a reactive response in real-time, a pre-programmed response, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the presence of the metal object or the shiny object on or near the guest is based on information received from one or more cameras of the plurality of sensors, and wherein the information is used to identify a skeleton of the guest using skeletal tracking, a face of the guest using facial recognition, body parts of the guest using body recognition, or a combination thereof, and wherein the metal object or the shiny object is determined to be on or near the guest body using skeleton tracking, on or near the face of the guest as determined by the facial recognition, or on a limb of the guest as determined by the body recognition.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein determining the presence of the metal object or the shiny object comprises selecting the metal object among a plurality of metal objects identified based on the metal object detection data by selecting the metal object closest to a point of interest on or near the identified body parts of the guest as determined by the skeleton tracking or body recognition.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the point of interest includes a waist region, hands, toes, neck, face, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 14 , comprising identifying additional metal objects or shiny objects based on the shiny object detection data and disregarding the additional metal objects or shiny objects based on determining a position of the additional metal objects or shiny objects away from the point of interest using the guest detection data.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the shiny object detection data comprises data from one or more reflectivity sensors, magnetic field, infrared, optical, or inductive metal detection sensors, shape data from one or more cameras, or a combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the animation stops in response to receiving guest detection data indicative that the guest is no longer within a predetermined range of the animated figure.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the animation stops after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

20. The method of claim 12 , comprising changing the animation based on a next-closest guest or shiny object within a predetermined range after a predetermined time period has elapsed.

21. A displayed animated figure system, comprising:
a display screen configured to display an animated figure;
one or more cameras; and
a display controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor, the instructions configured to cause the display controller to:
receive guest detection data, wherein the guest detection data is indicative of a presence of a guest within a predetermined range of the animated figure;
receive image data from the one or more cameras;
determine a guest location relative to the display screen based on the guest detection data;
identify a shiny object on or near the guest based on the image data;
determine an animation sequence of the animated figure to display on the displa

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Churchill David Michael
• Vamos Clarisse
• Bardt Jeffrey A

Classifications

• G06T7/20

  Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) · CPC title

• G06T13/40 Primary

  of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings · CPC title

• G06K9/00362

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K9/00536

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/011 Primary

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title