Theater entrance

• US 10,450,765 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2018
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Oehl, Wilhelm, Herman, David, Voron, Vincent, Burlock, Donald, Sijen, Pascal, Kukshtel, Christopher Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Canfield, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/910,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20190071887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 362147, 362151, 362152, 362153, 52 6, 52174, 472 75
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 19/02 Borders; Finishing strips, e.g. beadings; Light coves for protecting edges of plaster E04F13/06
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/00 Buildings or groups of buildings for public or similar purposes; Institutions, e.g. infirmaries or prisons
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/10 for meetings, entertainments, or sports
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/12 Tribunes, grandstands or terraces for spectators
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/22 Theatres; Concert halls; Studios for broadcasting, cinematography, television or similar purposes
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/30 Constructional features of auditoriums
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/56 Projection screens

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an entrance to a theater of the type normally used to show motion pictures. The motion picture theater entrance has distinctive outer walls separating a vestibule from a lobby. The vestibule has a curved image projection wall located inside said vestibule and is connected to a viewing area by a curved walkway. The entrance also may include border lighting along the upper and or lower edges of its walls.

Claims

1. A theater configuration, comprising:

a lobby;

a seating area;

an entrance to the seating area;

a vestibule extending between the lobby and the entrance, the vestibule having a curved image projection wall and a floor;

the floor of the vestibule comprising a curved pathway that connects the lobby to the entrance, the curved pathway being defined by the image projection wall; and

a plurality of projectors that project images onto the image projection wall.

2. The theater configuration of claim 1, wherein the curved pathway includes border lighting.

3. The theater configuration of claim 2, wherein the image projection wall has a top edge and a bottom edge, and the border lighting is located in a recess at the bottom edge of the image projection wall.

4. The theater configuration of claim 2, further comprising a walkway leading to the seating area, the walkway including additional border lighting.

5. The theater configuration of claim 4, wherein the walkway is curved.

6. The theater configuration of claim 5, wherein the curved walkway is substantially parallel to the curved pathway of the vestibule.

7. The theater configuration of claim 5, wherein the curved walkway is defined by an inner wall and an outer wall that are substantially parallel.

8. The theater configuration of claim 1, wherein the entrance is positioned at one end of the vestibule.

9. The theater configuration of claim 4, wherein the entrance is positioned substantially centrally in the walkway.

10. The theater configuration of claim 1, wherein the vestibule further comprises a ceiling, and the projectors are located in the ceiling.