Systems and methods for providing a show effect for an attraction system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11976794-B2
Application number	US-202217585236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2022
Priority date	Jan 26, 2022
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A show effect system may include a plasma tube configured to generate an electric arc within the plasma tube and a light strip extending along the plasma tube. The light strip may include a plurality of light emitters configured to output light through the plasma tube and backlight the electric arc generated by the plasma tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A show effect system, comprising:
a plasma tube having an axial length greater than a width and configured to generate an electric arc within the plasma tube; and
a light strip extending along the axial length of the plasma tube, wherein the light strip comprises a plurality of light emitters configured to output light through the plasma tube and backlight the electric arc generated by the plasma tube.

2. The show effect system of claim 1 , wherein the plasma tube comprises a frosted portion configured to diffuse the light output by the light strip.

3. The show effect system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of light emitters of the light strip faces the frosted portion and is configured to output the light through the plasma tube via the frosted portion.

4. The show effect system of claim 1 , comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the plasma tube, wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the plasma tube to generate the electric arc.

5. The show effect system of claim 4 , wherein the plasma tube comprises a switch, and the controller is configured to operate the switch to control a frequency, an amplitude, or both of a voltage applied to the plasma tube to generate the electric arc.

6. The show effect system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to:
instruct the switch to increase the frequency, the amplitude, or both of the voltage applied to the plasma tube to increase a volatility of the electric arc generated by the plasma tube; and
instruct the switch to reduce the frequency, the amplitude, or both of the voltage applied to the plasma tube to reduce the volatility of the electric arc generated by the plasma tube.

7. The show effect system of claim 1 , comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the light strip, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the plurality of light emitters to output the light sequentially along the light strip.

8. The show effect system of claim 7 , comprising a vehicle, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the vehicle, and the controller is configured to instruct the vehicle to move in coordination with the light output sequentially along the light strip.

9. An attraction system, comprising:
a plasma tube configured to generate an electric arc within the plasma tube;
a light strip extending along the plasma tube, wherein the light strip is configured to output light through the plasma tube and illuminate the electric arc generated by the plasma tube; and
a vehicle configured to move along a path proximate to at least a portion of the plasma tube and the light strip.

10. The attraction system of claim 9 , wherein the light strip is positioned at a first side of the plasma tube, and wherein the vehicle moves along a second side, opposite the first side, of the plasma tube.

11. The attraction system of claim 9 , wherein the plasma tube comprises a coating or tinting configured to change a visualized color of the light output by the light strip through the plasma tube.

12. The attraction system of claim 9 , wherein the light strip comprises a plurality of bulbs configured to output the light through the plasma tube, and wherein the light strip is positioned to offset the plurality of bulbs from the plasma tube.

13. The attraction system of claim 12 , wherein the light strip comprises a base, the plurality of bulbs is coupled to the base, and the base is mounted to the plasma tube.

14. The attraction system of claim 9 , comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the light strip, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a location of the vehicle; and
instruct the light output by the light strip based on the location of the vehicle.

15. The attraction system of claim 9 , wherein the plasma tube comprises an actuator configured to adjust a pressure within the plasma tube, the attraction system comprises a controller communicatively coupled to the actuator, and the controller is configured to instruct the actuator to adjust the pressure within the plasma tube.

16. A show effect system, comprising:
a plasma tube having an axial length greater than a width, wherein the plasma tube comprises a switch configured to apply a voltage to generate an electric arc within an internal volume of the plasma tube;
a light strip external to the plasma tube and configured to output a light, wherein the light strip extends along the axial length of the plasma tube and is oriented to output the light through the plasma tube and onto the electric arc generated within the internal volume of the plasma tube; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the plasma tube and the light strip, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:
instructing the switch to apply the voltage to generate the electric arc; and
instructing the light strip to output the light.

17. The show effect system of claim 16 , wherein the plasma tube comprises an actuator configured to adjust a pressure within the internal volume of the plasma tube, and the controller is configured to instruct the switch to apply the voltage having a frequency, an amplitude, or both based on the pressure.

18. The show effect system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the actuator, and the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:
instructing the actuator to adjust the pressure within the internal volume of the plasma tube to a first pressure;
instructing the switch to apply the voltage having a first amplitude based on the first pressure within the internal volume of the plasma tube;
instructing the actuator to adjust the pressure within the internal volume of the plasma tube to a second pressure below the first pressure; and
instructing the switch to apply the voltage having a second amplitude based on the second pressure within the internal volume of the plasma tube, wherein the second amplitude is less than the first amplitude.

19. The show effect system of claim 16 , wherein the light strip comprises a plurality of light emitters configured to output the light, and the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving a video file comprising a plurality of frames, and each frame of the plurality of frames comprises a plurality of pixels;
mapping a light emitter of the plurality of light emitters to a pixel of the plurality of pixels;
determining a respective color of each pixel of the plurality of pixels for each frame of the plurality of frames; and
instructing the plurality of light emitters to output the light based on the respective colors of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of light emitters.

20. The show effect system of claim 16 , wherein the plasma tube comprises a plurality of plasma tube sections and a coupler configured to couple the plurality of plasma tube sections to one another, and the internal volume of the plasma tube extends through the plurality of plasma tube sections.

21. The show effect system of claim 16 , comprising a vehicle, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the vehicle, and the controller is configured to instruct the light strip to output the light in coordination with movement of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Hall Gregory Shellman
• Bruno Dante Lamar
• Rossett Matthew Robert
• Migliacci Rachel Nicole

Classifications

• F21W2131/40

  Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use · CPC title

• A63G31/00

  Amusement arrangements · CPC title

• F21V3/049

  Patterns or structured surfaces for diffusing light, e.g. frosted surfaces · CPC title

• F21V23/0435

  activated by remote control means · CPC title

• H05B35/00 Primary

  Electric light sources using a combination of different types of light generation · CPC title