Enhanced interactivity in an amusement park environment using passive tracking elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9616350-B2
Application number	US-201514717664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	May 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A dynamic signal to noise ratio tracking system enables detection and tracking of machines and people within the field of view of the tracking system. The tracking system may include an emitter configured to emit electromagnetic radiation within an area, a detector configured to detect electromagnetic radiation reflected back from within the area, and a control unit configured to evaluate signals from the detector and control the machines or other equipment as a result of this evaluation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An amusement park system, comprising:
a plurality of retro-reflective markers positioned within a guest attraction area;
an emission subsystem configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the plurality of retro-reflective markers;
a detection subsystem configured to detect retro-reflection of the electromagnetic radiation from the plurality of retro-reflective markers while filtering electromagnetic radiation that is not retro-reflected; and
a control system communicatively coupled to the detection subsystem and comprising processing circuitry configured to:
monitor the retro-reflection from the plurality of retro-reflective markers; and
correlate the retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation to a person and an automated amusement park machine in the guest attraction area; and
track movement of the person and the amusement park machine relative to one another in space and time based on changes in the retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation detected by the detection subsystem.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detection subsystem comprises at least one detection camera having at least one optical filter, wherein the at least one optical filter is configured to filter electromagnetic radiation that is not retro-reflected while not filtering electromagnetic radiation that is retro-reflected by the plurality of retro-reflective markers such that the at least one detection camera has a dynamic signal to noise ratio.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of retro-reflective markers comprises at least one retro-reflective marker positioned on the automated amusement park machine, and the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to track movement of the at least one retro-reflective marker to facilitate tracking movement associated with the automated amusement park machine.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of retro-reflective markers comprises a pattern of retro-reflective markers positioned on a floor or a wall, or both, of the guest attraction area, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to:
monitor changes in retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation from the pattern of retro-reflective markers positioned on the floor or the wall, or both;
correlate the changes in the retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation from the pattern to a location and movement of the person; and
control movement of the automated amusement park machine relative to the location and movement of the person based, at least in part, on the tracked movement of the at least one retro-reflective marker positioned on the automated amusement park machine.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of retro-reflective markers comprises a pattern of retro-reflective markers positioned on a floor or a wall, or both, of the guest attraction area, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to:
monitor changes in retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation from the pattern of retro-reflective markers positioned on the floor or the wall, or both;
correlate the changes in the retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation from the pattern to a location and movement of the person and at least a location of the automated amusement park machine;
apply a boundary to the location of the automated amusement park machine, the boundary comprising a set distance extending away from the location of the automated amusement park machine or a set aspect of the pattern of retro-reflective markers immediately surrounding the automated amusement park machine;
track the movement of the person and the automated amusement park machine relative to one another and relative to the boundary applied to the location of the automated amusement park machine; and
control the automated amusement park machine based on the tracked location and movement of the person and the location of the automated amusement park machine.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to halt movement of the automated amusement park machine if the tracked location and movement of the person encroaches into the boundary applied to the location of the automated amusement park machine.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the detection subsystem comprises at least two detection cameras configured to detect, from different perspectives, retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation from the plurality of retro-reflective markers to track movement of the automated amusement park machine, or the person, or both, in three spatial dimensions.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of retro-reflective markers comprises three retro-reflective markers positioned on different portions of the automated amusement park machine, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to track movement of the three retro-reflective markers to track movement of the automated amusement park machine in three spatial dimensions.

9. The system of claim 8 , comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having the three retro-reflective markers positioned on the UAV, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to wirelessly communicate with the UAV and control movement of the UAV through the guest attraction area based, at least in part, on tracked locations of people within the guest attraction area and respective boundaries applied to regions of the guest attraction area.

10. The system of claim 8 , comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising at least one of the retro-reflective markers positioned on a surface of the UAV, and the detection subsystem comprises at least one detection camera positioned within the guest attraction area to detect retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation from the at least one retro-reflected marker positioned on the surface of the UAV.

11. The system of claim 1 , comprising an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having an emitter of the emission subsystem and a detector of the detection subsystem positioned on the UAV such that the emitter and the detector have an overhead view of the guest attraction area as the UAV moves through the guest attraction area.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of retro-reflective markers comprise retro-reflective markers positioned in a pattern on a floor of the guest attraction area, and wherein the UAV is configured to move according to retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation from the pattern on the floor.

13. A method of tracking and controlling amusement park equipment, comprising:
flooding a guest attraction area of an amusement park attraction with electromagnetic radiation using an emission subsystem comprising one or more emitters;
detecting wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area while filtering wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation not retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area using a detection subsystem having one or more optical filters; and
tracking, in space and time, a movement and a location of an automated amusement park machine relative to a movement and a location of a person based on changes in the retro-reflected electromagnetic radiation with a control system communicatively coupled to the detection subsystem.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:
retro-reflecting the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emission subsystem using a retro-reflective marker positioned on the automated amusement park machine; and
wherein tracking, in space and time, the movement and the location of the automated amusement park machine compri

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Stenzler Paula
• Cortelyou Robert J
• Mcquillian Brian B
• Oliver Christopher
• Blum Steven C
• Zielkowski Amanda K

Classifications

• A63G33/00 Primary

  Devices allowing competitions between several persons, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G01J1/0295

  Constructional arrangements for removing other types of optical noise or for performing calibration · CPC title

• G01J1/0266

  Field-of-view determination; Aiming or pointing of a photometer; Adjusting alignment; Encoding angular position; Size of the measurement area; Position tracking; Photodetection involving different fields of view for a single detector · CPC title

• G06V20/52 Primary

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G06V10/245

  by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning · CPC title