Systems and methods for an interactive augmented reality kiosk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026065820-A1
Application number	US-202519379337-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2025
Priority date	Mar 28, 2023
Publication date	Mar 5, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A show effect system of an amusement park may include an enclosure, an interaction space within the enclosure, where the interaction space receives an object from outside of the enclosure, and a display system that presents imagery. The show effect system may also include a beam splitter positioned to enable visibility, from a viewing portion, into the interaction space through the beam splitter and of the virtual image via reflection off the beam splitter. A sensor of the show effect system may monitor the interaction space and provide sensor data related to the object within the interaction space. One or more controllers of the show effect system may be communicatively coupled to the sensor and the display system and may perform operations including determining one or more parameters of the object based on the sensor data and generating image data based on the parameter of the object.

First claim

1 . A show effect system of an amusement park, the show effect system comprising:
a display system configured to present imagery; a beam splitter positioned to, from a guest perspective, enable visibility of an object within an interaction space through the beam splitter and to enable visibility of the imagery via reflection off the beam splitter; a sensor configured to generate sensor data indictive of the guest perspective based on monitoring a guest area of the show effect system; and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to instruct an actuator to adjust a position of the beam splitter relative to the display system based on the sensor data.

2 . The show effect system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data comprises a height of a guest within the guest area, an eye level of the guest, an orientation of the guest, eye movement of the guest, or any combination thereof.

3 . The show effect system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the guest perspective based on the sensor data and instruct the actuator to adjust the position of the beam splitter relative to the display system based on the guest perspective.

4 . The show effect system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the actuator to adjust the position of the beam splitter relative to the display system to maintain an angle of the beam splitter relative to the guest perspective.

5 . The show effect system of claim 4 , wherein the angle comprises between 40 and 50 degrees.

6 . The show effect system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the actuator to adjust the position of the beam splitter relative to the display system by adjusting a distance between the beam splitter and the display system.

7 . The show effect system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the actuator to rotate the beam splitter relative to the display system to adjust the distance between the beam splitter and the display system.

8 . The show effect system of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the actuator to translate the beam splitter relative to the display system to adjust the distance between the beam splitter and the display system.

9 . The show effect system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the actuator to adjust the position of the beam splitter relative to the display system by rotating the beam splitter relative to the display system to adjust an angle of the beam splitter relative to the display system.

10 . The show effect system of claim 1 , comprising the interaction space and a conveyor system configured to introduce the object into the interaction space, and wherein the controller is configured to:
generate image data based on a parameter of the object; and instruct the display system to present the imagery based on the image data.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
receiving sensor data from one or more sensors monitoring a viewing location of a show effect system, wherein the sensor data is indicative of a viewer perspective of imagery from a display system reflected off a beam splitter; determining one or more characteristics associated with the viewer perspective based on the sensor data; and instructing an actuator to adjust a position of the beam splitter relative to the display system based on the one or more characteristics associated with the viewer perspective.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a height of a viewer within the viewing location, an eye level of the viewer, a line of sight of the viewer, an orientation of the viewer, eye movement of the viewer, or any combination thereof.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising instructing the actuator to adjust the position of the beam splitter relative to the display system to maintain an angle of the beam splitter relative to the viewer perspective.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the angle comprises between 40 and 50 degrees.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising instructing the actuator to adjust the position of the beam splitter relative to the display system by:
rotating the beam splitter relative to the display system to adjust a distance between the beam splitter and the display system; translating the beam splitter relative to the display system to adjust the distance between the beam splitter and the display system; or both.

16 . An attraction system for an attraction, the attraction system comprising:
an enclosure comprising a beam splitter that defines a first space and a second space within the enclosure, wherein the first space is configured to receive an object, the second space comprises a display system configured to project an image onto the beam splitter, and the beam splitter is configured to enable visibility of the object within the first space through the beam splitter and to enable visibility of the image projected onto the beam splitter via reflection off the beam splitter; and a controller configured to:
receive sensor data from a sensor, wherein the sensor data is indicative of a perspective of a guest in a guest area; and
instruct an actuator to actuate the beam splitter from a first position relative to the display system to a second position relative to the display system based on the perspective of the guest.

17 . The attraction system of claim 16 , wherein the sensor comprises a camera configured to monitor the guest area associated with the enclosure.

18 . The attraction system of claim 16 , comprising the display system, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the display system to adjust a size of the image based on actuation of the beam splitter from the first position to the second position.

19 . The attraction system of claim 16 , comprising the display system, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the display system to adjust a location of the image projected onto the beam splitter based on actuation of the beam splitter from the first position to the second position.

20 . The attraction system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to instruct the actuator to actuate the beam splitter from the first position to the second position by rotating the beam splitter relative to the display system, translating the beam splitter relative to the display system, or both.

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Mall Jr Howard Bruce
• Waller Matthew
• Jeromin Aaron Chandler

Classifications

• G02B26/0816 Primary

  by means of one or more reflecting elements · CPC title

• G09G2354/00

  Aspects of interface with display user · CPC title

• G02B30/00

  Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images (in microscopes G02B21/22) · CPC title

• G09G2340/04

  Changes in size, position or resolution of an image · CPC title

• A63J21/00

  Conjuring appliances; Auxiliary apparatus for conjurers · CPC title