Optical tracking system for automation of amusement park elements

• US 10,207,193 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Stenzler, Paula, Cortelyou, Robert J., McQuillian, Brian B., Oliver, Christopher, Blum, Steven C., Schwartz, Justin M., Okeson, Bradley D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett, Scott L
• Application Number:
  US14/717,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20150336013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/00 Amusement arrangements hoop exercising apparatus driven by the user A63B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A dynamic signal to noise ratio tracking system enables detection of 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 people and/or objects within the area, and a control unit configured to evaluate signals from the detector and control various automated amusement park equipment as a result of this evaluation.

Claims

1. An amusement park tracking and control system, comprising:

an emission subsystem comprising one or more emitters, wherein the one or more emitters is configured to flood a guest attraction area of an amusement park attraction with electromagnetic radiation;

a plurality of retro-reflective markers comprising a first set of retro-reflective markers positioned within a proximity region of a ride vehicle in the guest attraction area and a second set of retro-reflective markers positioned outside of the proximity region of the ride vehicle, wherein the proximity region of the ride vehicle is defined by a threshold distance between a retro-reflective marker of the plurality of retro-reflective markers and the ride vehicle, and wherein a first retro-reflective marker of the first set of retro-reflective markers and a second retro-reflective marker of the second set of retro-reflective markers comprise different retro-reflective coatings, such that different wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation are reflected by the first and second retro-reflective markers to produce a first pattern of reflection and a second pattern of reflection, respectively;

a detection subsystem comprising one or more optical filters, wherein the one or more optical filters is configured to filter electromagnetic radiation not retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area by utilizing directionality associated with the electromagnetic radiation retro-reflected within the guest attraction area; and

a control system comprising processing circuitry configured to receive data indicative of electromagnetic radiation reflection from the plurality of retro-reflective markers and to monitor the electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers for a change from a first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers to a second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers; and

wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to evaluate information relating to a proximity of a person in the guest attraction area to the ride vehicle based on changes in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection, to generate an output to control the ride vehicle within the guest attraction area based on the evaluated information, and to determine whether any of the first set of retro-reflective markers or the second set of retro-reflective markers are blocked from receiving or reflecting emitted electromagnetic radiation based on the change from the first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection to the second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a third set of retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers is positioned on environmental elements of the guest attraction area, and wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to assume that the change from the first pattern of reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers to the second pattern of reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers corresponds to a change in positioning of the person relative to the environmental elements.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a third set of retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers is positioned on environmental elements of the guest attraction area, and the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to evaluate the information by correlating portions of the first pattern of reflection no longer present in the second pattern of reflection to the information relating to the proximity of the person in the guest attraction area to the ride vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to correlate the portions of the first pattern of reflection no longer present in the second pattern of reflection to a grouping of retro-reflective markers within the third set of retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers that are blocked from receiving or reflecting emitted electromagnetic radiation by the person in the guest attraction area.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to identify a position of the person in the guest attraction area based on a stored position of the grouping of retro-reflective markers within the third set of retro-reflective markers that are blocked from receiving or reflecting emitted electromagnetic radiation by the person in the guest attraction area, and to trigger an attraction feature based on the identified position.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to automatically trigger a show effect, dispatch a ride vehicle, or open an access gate, once the identified position is within the proximity region.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processing circuitry of the control system is configured to automatically trigger the show effect, dispatch the ride vehicle, or open the access gate, once the identified position is determined to have first been inside of the proximity region, and then moved outside of the proximity region.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein when the control system determines that at least some of the retro-reflective markers within the proximity region are blocked, the control system has a first output that prevents departure of the ride vehicle, and when the control system determines that none of the retro-reflective markers within the proximity region are blocked, the control system has a second output that automatically causes departure of the ride vehicle.

9. A method of operating an amusement park attraction, comprising:

flooding a guest attraction area of the amusement park attraction with electromagnetic radiation using an emission subsystem comprising one or more emitters;

reflecting the electromagnetic radiation from the emission subsystem using a plurality of retro-reflective markers within the guest attraction area, wherein a first retro-reflective marker is positioned within a proximity region of a ride vehicle in the guest attraction area and a second retro-reflective marker is positioned outside of the proximity region of the ride vehicle, and wherein the proximity region of the ride vehicle is defined by a threshold distance between a retro-reflective marker of the plurality of retro-reflective markers and the ride vehicle, wherein the first and second retro-reflective markers comprise different retro-reflective coatings such that different wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation are reflected by the first and second retro-reflective markers to produce a first pattern of reflection and a second pattern of reflection, respectively;

monitoring electromagnetic radiation retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area for a change from a first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers to a second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection by the plurality of retro-reflective markers;

filtering electromagnetic radiation not retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area using a detection subsystem having one or more optical filters, wherein the one or more optical filters is configured to filter electromagnetic radiation not retro-reflected from within the guest attraction area by utilizing directionality associated with the electromagnetic radiation retro-reflected within the guest attraction area;

determining whether the first retro-reflective marker or the second retro-reflective marker is blocked from receiving or reflecting emitted electromagnetic radiation based on the change from the first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection to the second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection;

evaluating information relating to a proximity of one or more persons in the guest attraction area to the ride vehicle with a control system communicatively coupled to the detection subsystem based on the change in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection; and

controlling the ride vehicle within the guest attraction area based on the evaluated information using the control system.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the ride vehicle within the guest attraction area based on the evaluated information comprises controlling the ride vehicle based on an evaluated position of the one or more persons in the guest attraction area, wherein the evaluated position is determined by the control system based on the change in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein evaluating information relating to a proximity of the one or more persons in the guest attraction area to the ride vehicle comprises comparing the first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection to the second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection to identify differences between the first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection and the second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection, and correlating the identified differences to movement of the one or more persons with respect to the ride vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising reflecting the electromagnetic radiation from the emission subsystem using third retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers positioned on wearable items worn by individuals in the guest attraction area, and estimating changes in respective positions of the third retro-reflective markers based on the identified differences between the first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection and the second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection using the control system.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising triggering an attraction feature based on an estimated position of the third retro-reflective markers using the control system.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising reflecting the electromagnetic radiation from the emission subsystem using third retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers positioned on environmental elements in the guest attraction area, and estimating respective positions of the one or more persons based on the identified differences between the first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection and the second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection using the control system.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising triggering an attraction feature based on the estimated respective positions of the one or more persons using the control system.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising causing a surveillance system to automatically trigger observation of a controlled access zone using the control system when the control system determines, based on portions of the first pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection no longer present in the second pattern of electromagnetic radiation reflection, that certain of the third retro-reflective markers are blocked by the one or more persons located within the controlled access zone, and moving a camera of the surveillance system in accordance with a position of the third retro-reflective markers that are blocked by the one or more persons located within the controlled access zone.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising determining a third pattern of reflection from third retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers and comparing the determined third pattern with a previously determined pattern to identify differences between the determined third pattern and the previously determined pattern, and correlating the identified differences to a length of a queue of guests waiting to purchase an item from a kiosk comprising control circuitry that controls a quantity of the item able to be purchased, and updating the quantity, using the control system and the kiosk, based at least in part on the determined length of the queue.

18. The method of claim 9, comprising:

reflecting the electromagnetic radiation from the emission subsystem using third retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers positioned on environmental elements in the guest attraction area;

estimating one or more parameters of the one or more persons based on an identified difference between a detected pattern of reflection from the third retro-reflective markers and a stored pattern of reflection from the third retro-reflective markers using the control system;

correlating the one or more parameters to a size requirement of an amusement ride using the control system;

providing an advisory, using a guest advisory system and the control system, to the one or more persons if the one or more parameters are not in compliance with the size requirement.

19. The method of claim 9, comprising:

reflecting the electromagnetic radiation from the emission subsystem using a plurality of third retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers, each third retro-reflective marker of the plurality of third retro-reflective markers being positioned at a different respective location on a stage of the guest attraction area;

monitoring, using the control system, the plurality of third retro-reflective markers for changes in reflective patterns from each of the third retro-reflective markers to evaluate whether actors on the stage are appropriately positioned relative to an attraction feature;

controlling the attraction feature based on the changes in the reflective patterns using the control system.

20. The method of claim 9, comprising:

reflecting the electromagnetic radiation from the emission subsystem using third retro-reflective markers of the plurality of retro-reflective markers disposed on a control panel of an attraction area to produce reflective patterns;

monitoring reflection of the electromagnetic radiation from the third retro-reflective markers for the change in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection, wherein the change in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection is indicative of one or more third retro-reflective markers being covered by an operator;

comparing, using the control system, the change in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection to patterns stored in a memory of the control system to determine whether the change in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection is indicative of a control input;

controlling an attraction feature, using the control system, when the control system identifies that the change in the monitored electromagnetic radiation reflection is indicative of the control input.