Methods for dynamic show-length variation

• US 10,561,954 B1
• Filed: 10/29/2018
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Kalama, Asa K., Nettmann, Karl, Huebner, Robert E., King, Jacqueline E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennis, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US16/173,485
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 472 59, 104 69
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 1/24 with seats performing movements in a horizontal plane, other than circular movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications

Abstract

Methods for dynamic show-length variation are disclosed herein. Such methods can include: a track extending from a starting position to a termination position; a first simulation vehicle that can move along the track from the starting position to the termination position; and a content presentation feature. Such methods can further include a processor. The processor can: determine a departure of the simulation vehicle from the starting position; provide content having a beginning, an end, and a plurality of scenes to the content presentation feature while the simulation vehicle is en route between the starting position and the termination position; and customize the length of the provided content so the content reaches the end as the simulation vehicle reaches the termination position.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic show-length variation, the method comprising:

determining a departure of a first simulation vehicle from a starting position;

providing content to a passenger of the first simulation vehicle based on received user inputs in the first simulation vehicle, the content comprising a beginning, an end, and a plurality of scenes, wherein the content is provided while the first simulation vehicle is en route between the starting position and a termination position; and

customizing a length of the provided content so the content reaches the end as the first simulation vehicle reaches the termination position, wherein customizing the length of the provided content comprises;

determining an estimated time until arrival at the termination position;

determining a duration of the provided content until the end of the provided content;

determining a discrepancy between the estimated time until arrival at the termination position and the duration of the provided content until the end of the provided content; and

altering the provided content to minimize the determined discrepancy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the starting position and the termination position are co-located.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is provided via at least one of:

a screen;

a projector;

a speaker;

an animated prop;

an animated figure; and

a display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises an interactive story.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein customizing the length of the provided content comprises at least one of:

adding a scene;

removing a scene;

extending a scene;

or extracting a scene.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the length of the provided content is customized based on a user input received from a passenger in a second simulation vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining arrival at the termination position; and

providing an indicator to a passenger on the first simulation vehicle to disembark the first simulation vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the provided content comprises:

identifying at least one flex scene;

determining an update to the flex scene; and

updating the flex scene.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising generating a virtual world with a gaming engine, wherein the provided content is provided from the generated virtual world, and wherein the flex scene is seamlessly updated without generation of a new world.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an estimated time until arrival at a waypoint located intermediate between the starting position and the terminating position; and

customizing the length of the provided content based on the estimated time until arrival at the waypoint.