SYSTEM, METHOD, OR APPARATUS RELATING TO A RECONFIGURABLE COMMUNAL SPACE

• US 20100139176A1
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Camill, Todd P., Wallden, Michael R., Flueck, Charles A., Driscoll, Anthony J.
• Application Number:
  US12/331,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20100139176A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/9
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/10 for meetings, entertainments, or sports

Abstract

Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices and systems associated with a reconfigurable communal space are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a reconfigurable communal space;

said reconfigurable communal space comprising vantage point locations for members of an audience;

wherein said vantage point locations comprise a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction defining locations of audience members relative to an event; and

wherein said vantage point locations are reconfigurable in response to progression of said event to thereby reconfigure said communal space and to alter an entertainment experience for said at least some of said audience members at least in part by adjusting a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction, of said at least some vantage point locations as said event progresses.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein altering an entertainment experience for at least some of said audience members comprises altering a perspective for said at least some of said audience members.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said perspective comprises an auditory perspective, a visual perspective, a perceptible acceleration, and/or a position in space.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said communal space is further reconfigurable so that a perspective of a plurality of said audience members are capable of being directed and changed as said event progresses.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said perspective comprises an auditory perspective, a visual perspective, a perceptible acceleration, and/or a position in space.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said communal space is further reconfigurable so that at least one or more of said audience members are able to interact with said event as it progresses.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of said audience members becomes a portion of the event from a perspective of at least one other of said audience members.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said vantage point locations comprise one or more accommodations for one or more of said audience members.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more accommodations comprise one or more movable vehicles.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said one or more moveable vehicles comprise a plurality of individual seats.

11. The system of claim 1, and further comprising one or more adjustable floor pieces.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more adjustable floor pieces are operable to adjust at least a vertical position of said at least some vantage points locations.

13. The system of claim 1, and further comprising one or more lifting mechanisms.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said one or more lifting mechanisms are operable to adjust a vertical position, a horizontal position, a direction, or combinations thereof, of one or more of said at least some vantage points locations.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said moveable seating vehicles comprises one or more guided vehicles.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said one or more guided vehicles comprises at least a guest controlled vehicle or a vehicle controlled by a control system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said vehicle controlled by a control system comprises a wire guided vehicle, a tracked vehicle, and/or a magnetically guided vehicle.

18. A method comprising:

reconfiguring one or more portions of a communal space as an event progresses at least in part to direct a vantage point location of one or more individual audience members as said event progresses;

wherein said vantage point location comprises a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction defining a location of said one or more individual audience members relative to said event; and

wherein said vantage point location is reconfigurable in response to progression of said event to thereby reconfigure said communal space and to alter an entertainment experience for said one or more individual audience members at least in part by adjusting a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction, of said vantage point location as said event progresses.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein directing or changing said vantage point location of one or more individual audience members comprises directing or changing a perspective of said one or more individual audience members.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said perspective of said one or more individual audience members comprises an auditory perspective, a visual perspective, a perceptible acceleration, and/or a position in space.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said vantage point locations comprise one or more moveable vehicles.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more moveable vehicles comprise a plurality of individual seats.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more moveable seating vehicles comprise at least a guest or rider controlled vehicle or a control system controlled vehicle.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said control system controlled vehicle comprises a wire guided vehicle, a tracked vehicle, and/or a magnetically guided vehicle.

25. The method of claim 19, and further comprising:

adjusting an aspect of at least one vantage point location so that at least one audience member interacts with said event as it progresses.

26. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

adjusting a vantage point location of at least one audience member so that said audience member becomes a portion of said event from a perspective of at least one other audience member.

27. An apparatus comprising:

means for establishing one or more vantage point locations in a communal space defining a perspective of audience members;

means for reconfiguring said one or more vantage point locations of a communal space as an event progresses;

wherein said one or more vantage point locations comprise a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction defining locations of said audience members relative to said event; and

wherein said one or more vantage point locations are reconfigurable in response to progression of said event to thereby reconfigure said communal space and to alter an entertainment experience for said at least some of said audience members at least in part by adjusting a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction, of said at least some vantage point locations as said event progresses.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein reconfiguring one or more vantage point locations as said event progresses comprises adjusting an aspect of at least one vantage point location associated with at least one spectator.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said aspect of at least one vantage point locations comprises at least a horizontal position, a vertical position, and/or a direction.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said one or more vantage point locations comprise one or more moveable vehicles.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, and further comprising:

means for adjusting a vantage point location associated with at least one audience member so that said at least one audience member interacts with the event as it progresses.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said one or more moveable vehicles comprise one or more guided vehicles.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said one or more guided vehicles comprise at least a quest or rider controlled vehicle or a control system controlled vehicle.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said control system controlled vehicle comprises at least a wire guided vehicle, a tracked vehicle, and/or a magnetically guided vehicle.

35. An apparatus comprising:

a reconfigurable communal space;

said reconfigurable communal space comprising vantage point locations for audience members;

wherein said vantage point locations comprise a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction defining locations of said audience members relative to an event; and

one or more lifting, lowering, and/or rotating mechanisms operable to adjust a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a rotational position of one or more of said vantage point locations as said event progresses, to thereby direct said one or more of said vantage point locations, reconfigure said communal space, and/or to alter an entertainment experience for said audience members as said event progresses.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said one or more lifting, lowering, and/or rotating mechanisms are further operable to alter a perspective at least some of said audience members.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said perspective comprises an auditory perspective, a visual perspective, a perceptible acceleration, and/or a position in space.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein at least one of said audience members becomes a portion of the event from a perspective of at least one other of said audience members.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said vantage point locations comprise one or more accommodations for one or more of said audience members.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said one or more accommodations comprise one or more movable vehicles.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said one or more moveable vehicles comprise a plurality of individual seats.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said one or more moveable vehicles comprises at least a guest controlled vehicle or a vehicle controlled by a control system.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said vehicle controlled by a control system comprises a wire guided vehicle, a tracked vehicle, and/or a magnetically guided vehicle.

44. An article comprising:

a storage medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein said instructions, if executed by a computing platform, enable said computing platform to;

reconfigure one or more portions of an communal space as an event progresses at least in part to direct a vantage point location of one or more individual audience members as said event progresses;

wherein said vantage point location comprises a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction defining a location of said one or more individual audience members relative to said event; and

wherein said vantage point location is reconfigurable in response to progression of said event to thereby reconfigure said communal space and to alter an entertainment experience for said one or more individual audience members at least in part by adjusting a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction, of said vantage point location as said event progresses.

45. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform;

said computing platform adapted to reconfigure one or more portions of a communal space as an event progresses at least in part to direct a vantage point location of one or more individual audience members as said event progresses;

wherein said vantage point location comprises a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction defining a location of said one or more individual audience members relative to said event; and

wherein said vantage point location is reconfigurable in response to progression of said event to thereby reconfigure said communal space and to alter an entertainment experience for said one or more individual audience members at least in part by adjusting a vertical position, a horizontal position, and/or a direction, of said vantage point location as said event progresses.