Systems and methods for a sphere ride

• US 10,293,265 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Freedman, Daniel Matthew, Han, Ji Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien
• Application Number:
  US15/806,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20190134515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 472 47, 472 59- 61, 472134, 434 29, 434 34, 434 55
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 29/02 with seats staying at the bottom of the drum
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0101 characterised by optical features G02B27/0172 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels

Abstract

A ride vehicle includes a base configured to move through an attraction environment and a sphere engaging the base and further including one or more ride seats disposed within the sphere. The one or more ride seats are coupled to an upper surface of a platform disposed within the sphere. The ride vehicle also includes a sphere drive system of the base configured to engage with an external surface of the sphere to rotate the sphere relative to the base. The upper surface of the platform is configured to remain substantially horizontal while the sphere drive system rotates the sphere.

Claims

1. A ride vehicle, comprising:

a base configured to move through an attraction environment;

a sphere engaging the base and comprising one or more ride seats disposed within the sphere, wherein the one or more ride seats are coupled to an upper surface of a platform disposed within the sphere; and

a sphere drive system of the base configured to engage with an external surface of the sphere to rotate the sphere relative to the base, wherein the upper surface of the platform is configured to maintain an orthogonal orientation relative to a vertical axis through a center of the base while the sphere drive system rotates the sphere about a non-vertical axis.

2. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of the platform is contoured to conform to a contour of an internal surface of the sphere, and wherein the bottom surface of the platform comprises or is coupled to roller bearings configured to interact with the internal surface of the sphere.

3. The ride vehicle of claim 2, wherein the roller bearings are configured to move relative to the sphere when the sphere rotates.

4. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sphere comprises a plurality of panels coupled to a frame.

5. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the platform comprises an inner turntable disposed at least partially within an outer turntable, wherein the inner turntable, the outer turntable, or both are configured to rotate relative to one another, and wherein the ride seats are coupled to the inner turntable and one or more theme elements are coupled to the outer turntable.

6. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the platform comprises a housing configured to house a power source.

7. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a shock absorption system configured to reduce forces experienced by the sphere.

8. The ride vehicle of claim 1, wherein the platform comprises one or more turntables.

9. The ride vehicle of claim 1, comprising a locking system configured to be engaged to couple the platform to the sphere such that the platform is configured to rotate in conjunction with the sphere.

10. The ride vehicle of claim 1, comprising a heads-up-display (HUD) coupled to the platform and configured to display one or more images to one or more users within the one or more ride seats.

11. The ride vehicle of claim 1, comprising a controller configured to send one or more drive signals to the sphere drive system, and wherein the sphere drive system is configured to rotate the sphere such that the external surface of the sphere has a tangential speed substantially matching a speed of the base as it moves through the attraction environment based on the one or more drive signals.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving a load configuration signal;

actuating a door of a spherical cabin of a ride vehicle to an open position based on the received load configuration signal;

rotating an outer turntable of a platform relative to an inner turntable of the platform based on the received load configuration signal, wherein the platform is disposed within the spherical cabin;

receiving one or more passengers within the spherical cabin of the ride vehicle after receiving the load configuration signal;

receiving a ride configuration signal;

rotating the outer turntable relative to the inner turntable based on the received ride configuration signal; and

actuating the door of the ride vehicle to a closed position based on the received ride configuration signal.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising locking the outer turntable and the inner turntable together after actuating the door of the ride vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the door is configured to form a portion of the spherical cabin of the ride vehicle, and wherein actuating the door to the open position comprises:

moving the door radially beyond a surface of the sphere; and

moving the door circumferentially relative to the sphere.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving a signal to cause the sphere to rotate relative to the outer turntable.

16. A ride vehicle comprising:

a sphere cabin configured to be rotated by a sphere drive system, wherein the sphere drive system comprises a plurality of drivers configured to transfer rotational motion to the sphere cabin such that the sphere cabin is capable of being rotated in all directions about its center;

one or more platforms configured to support one or more users within the sphere cabin, wherein the sphere cabin is configured to rotate relative to the one or more platforms;

a base having the sphere drive system; and

one or more ride seats coupled to the one or more platforms and configured to support the one or more users, wherein the one or more platforms and the one or more ride seats are configured to maintain an orientation relative to the base and to a vertical axis through a center of the base during rotation of the sphere cabin about a non-vertical axis.

17. The ride vehicle of claim 16, wherein the one or more platforms comprises:

a power source configured to power one or more operations of the ride vehicle, a motor, a sound system, a special effects system, a controller, or a combination thereof.

18. The ride vehicle of claim 16, wherein an upper surface of the one or more platforms is configured to remain substantially horizontal during the rotation of the sphere cabin.

19. The ride vehicle of claim 16, wherein each driver of the plurality of drivers is configured to be rotated via a spherical induction motor.

20. The ride vehicle of claim 16, comprising:

a base configured to support the sphere cabin, wherein the base comprises one or more motors configured to actuate a plurality of wheels to drive the ride vehicle through an environment.

21. The ride vehicle of claim 16, wherein the one or more platforms comprises an inner turntable disposed at least partially within an outer turntable, and wherein the inner turntable, the outer turntable, or both are configured to rotate relative to one another.

22. A ride vehicle, comprising:

a base configured to move through an attraction environment;

a sphere engaging the base and comprising one or more ride seats disposed within the sphere, wherein the one or more ride seats are coupled to an upper surface of a platform disposed within the sphere; and

a sphere drive system of the base configured to engage with an external surface of the sphere to rotate the sphere relative to the base, wherein the upper surface of the platform is configured to remain substantially horizontal while the sphere drive system rotates the sphere, and wherein the sphere comprises a plurality of panels coupled to a frame.

23. The ride vehicle of claim 22, wherein the platform comprises one or more turntables.