Systems and methods for deploying and resetting show elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12280320-B2
Application number	US-202217852648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2022
Priority date	Jun 9, 2022
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A show system includes a rotatable beam assembly having a rotatable beam, a first track, a second track, and one or more motors. The show system also includes a first show element coupled to the first track to enable the first show element to translate along the first track and a second show element coupled to the second track to enable the second show element to translate along the second track. The show system further includes a controller communicatively coupled to the rotatable beam assembly and configured to provide control signals to the one or more motors to rotate the rotatable beam to cause the first show element to rotate from a show location to a reset location and to cause the second show element to rotate from the reset location to the show location.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A show system, comprising
a rotatable beam assembly comprising a rotatable beam, a first track, a second track, and one or more motors;
a first show element coupled to the first track to enable the first show element to translate along the first track and a second show element coupled to the second track to enable the second show element to translate along the second track; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the rotatable beam assembly and configured to provide control signals to the one or more motors to:
with the first show element in a show location, drive the first show element to translate along the first track to present a respective motion profile in a scene;
rotate the rotatable beam to cause the first show element to rotate from the show location to a reset location and to cause the second show element to rotate from the reset location to the show location; and
with the second show element in the show location, drive the second show element to translate along the second track to present a respective motion profile in the scene.

2. The show system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to provide the control signals to the one or more motors to drive the first show element to translate along the first track in a first direction to present the respective motion profile in the scene, and simultaneously drive the second show element to translate along the second track in a second direction to carry out a reset process.

3. The show system of claim 1 , wherein the first track is disposed on a first side of the rotatable beam and the second track is disposed on a second side of the rotatable beam.

4. The show system of claim 3 , wherein the first side is opposite the second side.

5. The show system of claim 1 , wherein the first show element is a duplicate of the second show element.

6. The show system of claim 1 , wherein the respective motion profile presented by the first show element is a duplicate of the respective motion profile presented by the second show element.

7. The show system of claim 1 , wherein the first show element, the second show element, or both are configured to morph between one or more geometric configurations.

8. The show system of claim 1 , comprising an actuator configured to move one portion of the first show element relative to another portion of the first show element as the first show element translates along the first track to present the respective motion profile.

9. The show system of claim 1 , wherein controller is configured to provide the control signals to the one or more motors to drive the first show element to translate along the first track to present the respective motion profile to one or more guests in a first ride vehicle and to drive the second show element to translate along the second track to present the respective motion profile to one or more additional guests in a second ride vehicle.

10. The show system of claim 9 , comprising one or more sensors configured to generate signals indicative of a position of the first ride vehicle, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and is configured to provide the control signals to the one or more motors to drive the first show element to translate along the first track to present the respective motion profile based on the position of the first ride vehicle.

11. A method of operating a show system, the method comprising:
driving, via one or more motors and with a first show element in a show location, the first show element to translate in a first direction along a first track coupled to a rotatable beam to present a respective motion profile to one or more guests in a first ride vehicle;
rotating, via the one or more motors, the rotatable beam to cause the first show element to rotate from the show location to a reset location and to cause a second show element to rotate from the reset location to the show location; and
driving, via the one or more motors and with the second show element in the show location, the second show element to translate in the first direction along a second track to present a respective motion profile to one or more additional guests in a second ride vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein rotating the rotatable beam causes the first show element to rotate from the show location to the reset location, and simultaneously causes the second show element to rotate from the reset location to the show location.

13. The method of claim 11 , comprising driving the first show element to translate in the first direction along the first track, and simultaneously driving, via the one or more motors, the second show element to translate along the second track in a second direction to carry out a reset process.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein rotating the rotatable beam comprises rotating the rotatable beam approximately 90 to 180 degrees.

15. The method of claim 11 , comprising driving, via an actuator of the first show element, one portion of the first show element relative to another portion of the first show element as the first show element translates in the first direction along the first track to present the respective motion profile.

16. The method of claim 11 , comprising rotating, via the one or more motors, the rotatable beam back and forth to cause the first show element to sway as the first show element translates in the first direction along the first track coupled to the rotatable beam to present the respective motion profile to the one or more guests in the first ride vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
receiving, at a controller, signals indicative of a position of the first ride vehicle; and
driving the first show element to translate in the first direction along the first track coupled to the rotatable beam to present the respective motion profile to the one or more guests in the first ride vehicle based on the position of the first ride vehicle.

18. A show system, comprising:
a rotatable beam assembly comprising a rotatable beam, a first track positioned on a first side of the rotatable beam, a second track positioned on a second side of the rotatable beam, and one or more motors configured to drive rotation of the rotatable beam;
a first show element coupled to the first track to enable the first show element to translate along the first track;
a second show element coupled to the second track to enable the second show element to translate along the second track; and
a controller configured to provide control signals to one or more motors to rotate the rotatable beam to alternate presentation of the first show element and the second show element within a scene.

19. The show system of claim 18 , wherein the first side of the rotatable beam is opposite the second side of the rotatable beam.

20. The show system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to provide the control signals to the one or more motors to rotate the rotatable beam to:
present the first show element in the scene to enable the first show element to provide a respective motion profile for viewing by a guest while the second show element is in a reset location; and
present the second show element in the scene to enable the second show element to provide a respective motion profile for viewing by another guest while the second show element is in the reset location.

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Clark Benjamin Robert

Classifications

• A63G31/02

  with moving substructures · CPC title

• A63G31/16 Primary

  creating illusions of travel · CPC title

• A63J1/028

  Means for moving hanging scenery · CPC title

• A63G31/00

  Amusement arrangements · CPC title

• A63J5/02 Primary

  Arrangements for making stage effects; Auxiliary stage appliances · CPC title