Atmospheric effects systems for presenting atmospheric effects relating to an event

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11266921-B1
Application number	US-202016997518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 19, 2020
Priority date	Aug 19, 2020
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

An air amplifier utilizes a high-pressure input stream of air to accelerate a low-velocity input stream of air to provide a high-velocity, high-volume output stream of air. A coupled air amplifier array includes multiple air amplifiers which couple their respective output streams of air to one another to form a single collective output stream of air. Multiple coupled air amplifier arrays can be utilized to form coupled air amplifier array systems to provide multiple collective output streams of air which can be focused toward to an audience within a venue. The coupled air amplifier array system can be implemented within atmospheric effects systems to provide atmospheric effects, such as wind, scent, and/or temperature to provide some examples, relating to an event. These atmospheric effects systems can present these atmospheric effects to the audience to enhance the immersion of the audience as they are viewing the event. These atmospheric effects systems can include multiple portable mobile effects pods that are situated within different locations within the venue to present these atmospheric effects to different locations with the venue.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile effects pod for presenting an atmospheric effect relating to an event to an audience as the audience is viewing the event within a venue, the mobile effects pod comprising:
a mechanical enclosure;
an airstream pressure regulation device, situated within the mechanical enclosure, configured to provide a first input stream of air at a pressure that is greater than an atmospheric pressure of the venue;
an airstream temperature configuration device, situated within the mechanical enclosure, configured to provide a second input stream of air at a temperature that is different than a temperature of the venue;
an airstream scent injection device, situated within the mechanical enclosure, configured to provide an input stream of fluid having a scent; and
an air amplifier system, having a plurality of air amplifiers situated on the mechanical enclosure, configured to introduce one or more of the first input stream of air, the second input stream of air, or the input stream of fluid into the plurality of air amplifiers to provide a plurality of output streams of air which to couple to one another to present a collective output stream of air having the atmospheric effect to the audience as the audience is viewing the event.

2. The mobile effects pod of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of output streams of air comprises:
a plurality of first output streams of air;
a plurality of second output streams of air at velocities greater than the plurality of first output streams of air; or
a plurality of third output streams of air at velocities greater than the plurality of second output streams of air,
wherein the collective output stream of air comprises:
a first collective output stream of air;
a second collective output stream of air at a velocity greater than the collective first stream of air; or
a third collective output stream of air at a velocity greater than the collective second stream of air, and

wherein the air amplifier system is configured to introduce the first input stream of air into the plurality of air amplifiers in relation to the event to provide the plurality of first output streams of air, the plurality of second output streams of air, or the plurality of third output streams of air which to couple to one another to present the first collective output stream of air, the second collective output stream of air, or the third collective output stream of air, respectively, to the audience as the audience is viewing the event.

3. The mobile effects pod of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of output streams of air comprises:
a plurality of first output streams of air at a second temperature that is different than the temperature of the venue;
a plurality of second output streams of air at the second temperature and velocities greater than the plurality of first output streams of air; or
a plurality of third output streams of air at the second temperature and velocities greater than the plurality of second output streams of air,
wherein the collective output stream of air comprises:
a first collective output stream of air at the second temperature;
a second collective output stream of air at the second temperature and a velocity greater than the collective first stream of air; or
a third collective output stream of air at the second temperature and having a velocity greater than the collective second stream of air,

wherein the air amplifier system is configured to introduce the first input stream of air and the second input stream of air into the plurality of air amplifiers in relation to the event to provide the plurality of first output streams of air, the plurality of second output streams of air, or the plurality of third output streams of air which to couple to one another to present the first collective output stream of air, the second collective output stream of air, or the third collective output stream of air, respectively, to the audience as the audience is viewing the event.

4. The mobile effects pod of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of output streams of air comprises:
a plurality of first output streams of air having the scent;
a plurality of second output streams of air having the scent and at velocities greater than the plurality of first output streams of air; or
a plurality of third output streams of air having the scent and at velocities greater than the plurality of second output streams of air,
wherein the collective output stream of air comprises:
a collective first stream of air having the scent;
a collective second stream of air having the scent and at a velocity greater than the collective first stream of air; or
a collective third stream of air having the scent and at a velocity greater than the collective second stream of air, and

wherein the air amplifier system is configured to introduce the first stream of air and the stream of fluid into the plurality of air amplifiers in relation to the event to provide the plurality of first output streams of air, the plurality of second output streams of air, or the plurality of third output streams of air which to couple to one another to present the first collective output stream of air, the second collective output stream of air, or the third collective output stream of air, respectively, to the audience as the audience is viewing the event.

5. The mobile effects pod of claim 1 , further configured to receive one or more control signals from an atmospheric effects computer system, and
wherein the atmospheric effects computer system is configured to provide the one or more control signals to the mobile effects pod to control introduction of the first input stream of air and the second input stream of air into the plurality of air amplifiers in relation to a character, a plot, a conflict, a resolution, a structure, a scene, a dialogue, or a visual of the event.

6. The mobile effects pod of claim 1 , wherein the airstream pressure regulation device is configured to receive the first stream of air from a compressed air system situated within the venue.

7. The mobile effects pod of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first storage tank configured to store steam provided by a steam generator situated within the venue, the airstream temperature configuration device being further configured to release the steam from the first storage tank as the second stream of air; and
a plurality of second storage tanks configured to store a plurality of fluids, the airstream scent injection device being further configured to provide one or more of the plurality of fluids from the plurality of second storage tanks as the stream of fluid.

8. An atmospheric effects system for presenting an atmospheric effect relating to an event to an audience as the audience is viewing the event, the atmospheric effects system comprising:
an atmospheric effects control system configured to receive event information describing one or more characteristics, one or more parameters, or one or more attributes of the atmospheric effect in relation to the event; and
an air amplifier system, having a plurality of air amplifiers, configured to introduce a first input stream of air at a pressure that is greater than an atmospheric pressure of the venue and one or more of a second input stream of air at a temperature that is different than a temperature of the venue or an input stream of fluid having a scent into the plurality of air amplifiers to provide a plurality of output streams of air which to couple to another other to present a collective output stream of air having the one or more characteristics, the one or more parameters, or the one or more attributes of the atmospheric effect to the audience as the audience is viewing the event.

9. The atmosp

Assignees

• Msg Entertainment Group Llc

Inventors

• Anderson Robert
• Elby Stuart
• Hockman Erik
• Rives Michael Allen
• Wertz Jeffery Lynn
• Beaver Darik Wade
• Adams Jason David
• Anderson Joshua Richard
• Maier Brian Andrew
• Fleming Richard Neal
• Oxford Tony Leonard

Classifications

• F24F13/06

  Outlets for directing or distributing air into rooms or spaces, e.g. ceiling air diffuser · CPC title

• B05B7/0884

  the outlet orifices for jets constituted by a liquid or a mixture containing a liquid being aligned · CPC title

• B05B7/0087

  Atmospheric air being sucked by a gas stream, generally flowing through a venturi, at a location upstream or inside the spraying apparatus · CPC title

• B05B1/005

  Nozzles or other outlets specially adapted for discharging one or more gases · CPC title

• A63J2005/008

  Smell sense · CPC title