System and method for modular ride vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712635-B2
Application number	US-202017065849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2020
Priority date	Aug 15, 2014
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A system includes a plurality of ride vehicle modules, where each of the plurality of ride vehicle modules includes an interlock system configured to perform linking operations to join to other ride vehicle modules to form a cluster and delinking operations to separate from the other ride vehicle modules throughout a ride, control circuitry configured to control the interlock system and movement of the respective ride vehicle module independently or as a part of the cluster, and communication circuitry configured to wirelessly communicate with the other ride vehicle modules internal and/or external to the cluster. The cluster may change sizes throughout the ride by performing linking and delinking operations as desired. A method for changing the size of clusters of ride vehicle modules throughout a ride is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ride system for an attraction in an amusement park, the ride system comprising:
a first ride vehicle and a second ride vehicle, wherein each of the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle is configured to carry one or more passengers during a ride cycle; and
a control circuitry configured to:
control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to link and move together to provide a visual effect of the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle being a unified ride vehicle during a first portion of the ride cycle; and
control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to delink from and move independently of one another during a second portion of the ride cycle.

2. The ride system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to link in a front-to-back configuration during the first portion of the ride cycle.

3. The ride system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to link with one another or delink from one another in coordination with a simulated event during the ride cycle.

4. The ride system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to link with one another or delink from one another in coordination with a storyline during the ride cycle.

5. The ride system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to delink and proceed in different directions from one another in coordination with a change in terrain during the ride cycle, and the change in the terrain comprises a split in a path being traveled by the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle.

6. The ride system of claim 5 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to delink from one another and to move independently of one another such that the first ride vehicle is directed in a first direction along a first path portion after the split and the second ride vehicle is directed in a second direction along a second path portion after the split.

7. The ride system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the ride cycle comprises a beginning portion of the ride cycle after the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle depart from a passenger loading zone, and the second portion of the ride cycle comprises an intermediate portion of the ride cycle after the beginning portion of the ride cycle and before an end portion of the ride cycle.

8. The ride system of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to link and move together during a third portion of the ride cycle, and the second portion of the ride cycle is between the first portion of the ride cycle and the third portion of the ride cycle.

9. The ride system of claim 1 , comprising a third ride vehicle, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle, the second ride vehicle, and the third ride vehicle to link and move together during the first portion of the ride cycle to provide the visual effect of the first ride vehicle, the second ride vehicle, and the third ride vehicle being the unified ride vehicle, and the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle, the second ride vehicle, and the third ride vehicle to delink from and move independently of one another during the second portion of the ride cycle.

10. The ride system of claim 1 , wherein the first ride vehicle comprises a first drive system that is configured to drive respective movement of the first ride vehicle, and the second ride vehicle comprises a second drive system that is configured to drive respective movement of the second ride vehicle.

11. The ride system of claim 1 , comprising a third ride vehicle configured to carry one or more additional passengers during the ride cycle, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
control the first, second, and third ride vehicles to link and move together to provide the visual effect of the first, second, and third ride vehicles being the unified ride vehicle during the first portion of the ride cycle; and
control the first, second, and third ride vehicles to sequentially delink from and move independently of one another to provide an additional visual effect of the unified ride vehicle being broken into parts in stages during the second portion of the ride cycle.

12. The ride system of claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle to link and move together during the third portion of the ride cycle to provide an additional visual effect of the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle reforming the unified ride vehicle that travels to an unloading station for passengers to exit the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle.

13. A ride system for an attraction of an amusement park, the ride system comprising:
a plurality of ride vehicles configured to carry a plurality of passengers through a ride cycle; and
a control circuitry configured to control the plurality of ride vehicles to be linked to one another during a first portion of the ride cycle and to be delinked from one another during a second portion of the ride cycle, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the plurality of ride vehicles to delink from one another and to move independently of one another along different paths such that a first ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicles carries one or more passengers of the plurality of passengers to experience at least some of the second portion of the ride cycle alone.

14. The ride system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the plurality of ride vehicles to be linked by physical engagement to one another during the first portion of the ride cycle.

15. The ride system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the plurality of ride vehicles to move onto different motion base systems positioned about the attraction during the ride cycle.

16. The ride system of claim 13 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide different storylines along the different paths, control the plurality of ride vehicles to make different movements along the different paths, or both.

17. A method of operating a ride system for use in an attraction of an amusement park, the method comprising:
linking, via a control circuitry, a plurality of ride vehicles during a first portion of a ride cycle to provide a visual effect of the plurality of ride vehicles being a unified ride vehicle;
synchronously moving, via the control circuitry, the plurality of ride vehicles while the plurality of ride vehicles are linked to one another during the first portion of the ride cycle to provide an additional visual effect of the plurality of ride vehicles moving as the unified ride vehicle;
delinking, via the control circuitry, the plurality of ride vehicles from one another during a second portion of the ride cycle; and
independently moving, via the control circuitry, each ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicles while the plurality of ride vehicles are delinked from one another during the second portion of the ride cycle.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising linking, via the control circuitry, the plurality of ride vehicles to one another during

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Boyle Patrick Devin

Classifications

• A63G31/02 Primary

  with moving substructures · CPC title

• A63G7/00 Primary

  Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks · CPC title

• A63G31/16

  creating illusions of travel · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• A63G31/00 Primary

  Amusement arrangements · CPC title