System and method for a moving puzzle theater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586151-B1
Application number	US-201514875309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 5, 2015
Priority date	Oct 5, 2015
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

In one embodiment, a theater ride system includes a processor, a center platform, actuation arms, and maneuverable seating areas. Each maneuverable seating area of at least a first subset of the maneuverable seating areas is coupled to a respective portion of the center platform via a respective actuator arm of the actuation arms. The processor is configured to control the actuator arms to position the maneuverable seating areas in a uniform theater configuration such that each of the maneuverable seating areas is adjacent to at least one other of the maneuverable seating areas and the center platform to resemble stationary seating sections of a theater at a beginning of a show, move the maneuverable seating areas into different configurations during the show, and position the maneuverable seating areas in the uniform theater configuration near an end of the show.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A theater ride system, comprising:
a processor;
a center platform;
a plurality of actuator arms;
a plurality of maneuverable seating areas, wherein each maneuverable seating area of at least a first subset of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas is coupled to a respective portion of the center platform via a respective actuator arm of the plurality of actuator arms;
wherein the processor is configured to control the plurality of actuator arms to:
position the plurality of maneuverable seating areas in a uniform theater configuration such that each of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas is adjacent to at least one other of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas and the center platform to resemble stationary seating sections of a theater at a beginning of a show;
move the plurality of maneuverable seating areas into different configurations during the show; and
position the plurality of maneuverable seating areas in the uniform theater configuration near an end of the show.

2. The theater ride system of claim 1 , comprising an additional center platform disposed beneath the center platform, wherein each maneuverable seating area of at least a second subset of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas is coupled to a respective portion of the additional center platform via an actuator arm.

3. The theater ride system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to control the actuator arms of the center platform and the additional center platform to extend the first and second subsets of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas away from the center platform and the additional center platform, to lower the second subset to a height lower than the first subset, and to rotate the center platform, the additional center platform, or both to move the first subset over the second subset, the second subset under the first subset, or both during a course of operations.

4. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of maneuverable seating areas are arranged in different positions around the center platform in the uniform theater configuration at the end of the show than the uniform theater configuration at the beginning of the show.

5. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator arms are configured to move the plurality of maneuverable seating areas into the different configurations by extending and retracting via a telescoping component, bending via a jointed component, pivoting in the respective side panel of the center platform or the respective maneuverable seating area, sliding vertically, horizontally, or both in the respective side panel of the center platform or the respective maneuverable seating area, or some combination thereof.

6. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the center platform is configured to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.

7. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the actuator arms to tilt the maneuverable seating areas.

8. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the respective portions are side panels of the center platform and wherein a surface of the center platform is used to perform the show and the surface is configured to remain stationary as the side panels coupled to the actuator arms rotate during the show.

9. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the different configurations comprise:
half of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a first grouping and half of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a second grouping;
one third of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a first grouping, one third of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a second grouping, and one third of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a third grouping; or
each of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas isolated from each other by being spaced apart.

10. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the center platform is hexagon shaped, square shaped, circular shaped, or triangle shaped.

11. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the actuator arms to move the plurality of maneuverable seating areas into different configurations during the show in synchronization with a storyline of the show, show elements of the show, user input received via the plurality of maneuverable seating areas, or some combination thereof.

12. The theater ride system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of maneuverable seating areas are positioned in the uniform theater configuration at the beginning of the show such that each of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas is touching at least one other of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas and the platform to resemble stationary seating sections of the theater.

13. A theater ride system, comprising:
a processor;
a plurality of maneuverable seating areas; and
a center platform comprising a plurality of actuator arms each coupled to a respective maneuverable seating area of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas and the center platform;
wherein the processor is configured to direct the system to:
position, via the plurality of actuator arms, the maneuverable seating areas in a uniform theater configuration adjacent to at least one other maneuverable seating area and the center platform to resemble stationary seating sections of a theater at a beginning of a show;
move, via the plurality of actuator arms, the maneuverable seating areas into different configurations during the show; and
position, via the plurality of actuator arms, the maneuverable seating areas in the uniform theater configuration near an end of the show.

14. The theater ride system of claim 13 , wherein the center platform comprises a first section disposed above a second section, wherein a first subset of the plurality of actuator arms is coupled to the first section and a second subset of the plurality of actuator arms is coupled to the second section.

15. The theater ride system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to control the first subset to move the coupled maneuverable seating areas away from the center platform at a first height, to control the second subset to move the coupled maneuverable seating areas away from the center platform at a second height, lower than the first height.

16. The theater ride system of claim 15 , configured to rotate the first section to move the maneuverable seating areas coupled to the first section over the maneuverable seating areas coupled to the second section or to rotate the second section to move the maneuverable seating areas coupled to the second section under the maneuverable seating areas coupled to the first section.

17. The theater ride system of claim 13 , wherein the different configurations comprise:
half of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a first grouping and half of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a second grouping;
one third of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a first grouping, one third of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a second grouping, and one third of the plurality of maneuverable seating areas arranged adjacent to one another in a third grouping; or
each of the plurality of maneuverable seating a

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Boyle Patrick Devin

Classifications

• A47C1/12

  Theatre, auditorium or similar chairs (detachable seats for mounting on stadium benches A47C1/16) · CPC title

• A63J1/00

  Stage arrangements · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• A63J5/12 Primary

  Apparatus for raising or lowering persons · CPC title

• A63J25/00 Primary

  Equipment specially adapted for cinemas (cinematographic projection means G03B) · CPC title