Interactive tower attraction systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11192041-B2
Application number	US-202017069262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2020
Priority date	Jan 23, 2018
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

A ride attraction system includes a tower track and a ride vehicle configured to accommodate one or more riders. The ride vehicle is coupled to and configured to move relative to the tower track and the ride vehicle includes one or more user input devices. The ride attraction system further includes an image system configured to display a ride environment, wherein the user input devices are configured to enable the one or more riders to interact with elements of the ride environment via the one or more user input devices. The ride attraction system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the ride vehicle and the image system and configured to control movement of the ride vehicle relative to the tower track based on signals from the one or more user input devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ride attraction system, comprising:
a first tower track and a second tower track;
a first ride vehicle coupled to and configured to move relative to the first tower track and a second ride vehicle coupled to and configured to move relative to the second tower track;
one or more first user input devices coupled to the first ride vehicle;
one or more second user input devices coupled to the second ride vehicle;
an image system configured to display a ride environment; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the first ride vehicle, the second ride vehicle, and the image system, wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the first ride vehicle relative to the first tower track and the second ride vehicle relative to the second tower track based on signals from the one or more first user input devices or the one or more second user input devices, wherein the signals are indicative of interaction with the ride environment, and wherein, in response to the signals, the controller is configured to cause the first ride vehicle to move along the first tower track, the second ride vehicle to move along the second tower track, or both, and to trigger one or more special effects.

2. The ride attraction system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of visualization devices configured to display the ride environment.

3. The ride attraction system of claim 1 , wherein the image system comprises an augmented reality (AR) system, a virtual reality (VR) system, a projection system, or a combination thereof, and wherein elements of the displayed ride environment comprise images of characters, targets, or a combination thereof.

4. The ride attraction system of claim 1 , wherein the first ride vehicle is configured to move with three or more degrees of freedom relative to the first tower track.

5. The ride attraction system of claim 1 , wherein the second ride vehicle is configured to move with three or more degrees of freedom relative to the second tower track.

6. The ride attraction system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first user input devices comprise weapons or joy sticks.

7. The ride attraction system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second user input devices comprise weapons or joy sticks.

8. The ride attraction system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more special effects comprise air blasts, heat, or cold wind effects.

9. The ride attraction system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more special effects comprise water spray, smoke, or fog effects.

10. A ride attraction system, comprising:
a plurality of vertical tower tracks;
a plurality of ride vehicles, each ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicles coupled to a respective vertical tower track of the plurality of vertical tower tracks and configured to move in three or more degrees of freedom relative to the respective vertical tower track of the plurality of vertical tower tracks and independently of other ride vehicles of the plurality of ride vehicles;
at least one user input device associated with an individual ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicles, the at least one user input device configured to receive user inputs and provide user input signals;
an augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) image system displaying features of a ride environment; and
a controller configured to receive the user input signals as indicative of user interaction with the displayed features of the AR or VR image system via the at least one user input device and provide instructions to a ride vehicle controller of the individual ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicles to initiate an independent motion pattern of the individual ride vehicle based on the received user input signals.

11. The ride attraction system of claim 10 , comprising one or more visualization devices of the AR or VR image system that display the features of the ride environment.

12. The ride attraction system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more visualization devices comprises a headset or goggles.

13. The ride attraction system of claim 10 , wherein the displayed features are targets that are targeted or selected via the at least one user input device.

14. The ride attraction system of claim 13 , wherein the targets are only visible via visualization devices coupled to the individual ride vehicle and are not visible via visualization devices coupled to other ride vehicles of the plurality of ride vehicles.

15. The ride attraction system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate movement of a mechanical prop based on the user input signals.

16. The ride attraction system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the individual ride vehicle to experience the independent motion pattern while other ride vehicles of the plurality of ride vehicles are not experiencing the independent motion pattern.

17. A ride attraction system, comprising:
a first tower track and a second tower track;
a first ride vehicle coupled to and configured to move relative to the first tower track and a second ride vehicle coupled to and configured to move relative to the second tower track;
one or more first user input devices coupled to the first ride vehicle;
one or more second user input devices coupled to the second ride vehicle;
an image system configured to display a ride environment; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the first ride vehicle, the second ride vehicle, and the image system and configured to receive signals from the one or more first user input devices and the one or more second user input devices, wherein the signals are indicative of interaction with the ride environment, wherein the controller is configured to:
assign a first score to the first ride vehicle based on the signals;
assign a second score to the second ride vehicle based on the signals; and
move the first ride vehicle upward along the first tower track and relative to a position of the second ride vehicle along the second tower track based on the assigned first score.

18. The ride attraction system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to move the first ride vehicle upward along the first tower track while the first score is higher than the second score.

19. The ride attraction system of claim 17 , wherein the assigned first score is a combined score for the first ride vehicle and the assigned second score is a combined score for the second ride vehicle.

20. The ride attraction system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a difficulty level of interaction with the ride environment to increase the assigned score for the first ride vehicle as a result of the assigned first score being higher than a threshold.

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Hall Gregory S
• Mcveen Keith Michael
• Tresaugue Michael

Classifications

• A63G31/02 Primary

  with moving substructures · CPC title

• A63G33/00

  Devices allowing competitions between several persons, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A63G31/16

  creating illusions of travel · CPC title

• A63G31/00 Primary

  Amusement arrangements · CPC title

• A63G2031/002

  Free-fall · CPC title