Augmented reality for an amusement ride

• US 10,636,218 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Melo, Anthony, Krauthamer, Akiva Meir
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Michael
• Application Number:
  US16/212,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20200098182A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/16 creating illusions of travel
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/40 of characters, e.g. humans, animals or virtual beings
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/176 Dynamic expression
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/23 Recognition of whole body movements, e.g. for sport training

Abstract

An augmented reality system for an amusement ride includes a facial recognition sensor that detects a guest'"'"'s face, a skeletal recognition sensor that detects a guest'"'"'s body, a presence sensor that detects a guest'"'"'s presence, and a controller. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The controller is configured to generate an augmented reality animation based on a first signal indicative of the guest'"'"'s presence received from the presence sensor. In response to receiving a second signal indicative of the guest'"'"'s body from the skeletal recognition sensor, the controller is configured to update the augmented reality animation based on the guest'"'"'s body. Further, in response to receiving a third signal indicative of the guest'"'"'s face from the facial recognition sensor, the controller is configured to update the augmented reality animation based on the guest'"'"'s face.

Claims

1. An amusement ride system, comprising:

a display assembly;

a ride vehicle positioned on a ride path and configured to carry a guest;

a facial recognition sensor configured to detect the guest'"'"'s face;

a skeletal recognition sensor configured to detect the guest'"'"'s body;

a presence sensor configured to detect the guest'"'"'s presence in the ride vehicle; and

a controller comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the controller is configured to;

generate an augmented reality animation based on a first signal indicative of the guest'"'"'s presence received from the presence sensor;

in response to receiving a second signal indicative of the guest'"'"'s body from the skeletal recognition sensor, update the augmented reality animation based on the guest'"'"'s body;

in response to receiving a third signal indicative of the guest'"'"'s face from the facial recognition sensor, update the augmented reality animation based on the guest'"'"'s face;

provide the augmented reality animation to the display assembly for viewing by the guest; and

update the augmented reality animation based on updated signals from the skeletal recognition sensor, the facial recognition sensor, or both.

2. The amusement ride system of claim 1, wherein the third signal indicative of the guest'"'"'s face comprises an indication of the guest'"'"'s facial features.

3. The amusement ride system of claim 1, wherein the guest'"'"'s presence comprises a position in the ride vehicle.

4. The amusement ride system of claim 1, wherein the facial recognition sensor comprises an RGB camera.