Entertainment venue and associated systems/methods

• US 8,926,441 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2014
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willowbrook Capital Advisors, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dreamlight Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Fox, Steve, Vass, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US14/183,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20140235362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 472 58- 64, 472 75- 80, 472/136, 52/6, 52/7, 52/8, 52/9, 52/10
• US Class Current: 472/75
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/3211 Structures with a vertical rotation axis or the like, e.g. semi-spherical structures
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/0061 Buildings with substantially curved horizontal cross-section, e.g. circular
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/24 Constructional features of stages
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/30 Constructional features of auditoriums
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/56 Projection screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/60 characterised by the nature of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/31 using parallax barriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/001 Constructional or mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/026 Supports for loudspeaker casings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/001 Adaptation of signal processing in PA systems in dependence of presence of noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

An entertainment venue can include one or more theaters, including a toroidal or other immersive display screen (which immerses the audience in a contiguous projection surface), a moving stage, and an audience area. Audience seating in the theater faces outwardly in an “inverted-theater-in-the-round” arrangement.

Claims

1. An entertainment venue comprising:

an immersive display screen (IDS), wherein the IDS is toroidal in shape;

an audience area enclosed within the IDS, wherein seating in the audience area faces out from a center of the entertainment venue; and

a performance stage enclosed within the IDS theater screen and encircling the audience area.

2. The venue of claim 1, further comprising a torus-center area outside of the IDS and inside of the entertainment venue at a position that is substantially central to the IDS, wherein the torus-center area houses support facilities for the entertainment venue.

3. The venue of claim 1, wherein the performance stage is operable to move around the audience area in a circular fashion.

4. The venue of claim 1, wherein the audience area is moveable in a circular fashion with respect to the performance stage.

5. The venue of claim 1, wherein the entertainment venue has an external structure that is ellipsoidal in shape, and wherein the external structure encloses at least the IDS.

6. The venue of claim 1, wherein the entertainment venue has an external structure that is domed in shape, and wherein the external structure encloses at least the IDS.

7. The venue of claim 6, wherein the external structure is configured to provide at least a partial display of images displayed on the IDS.

8. The entertainment venue of claim 7, further comprising display components configured to present images on the IDS, wherein the display components are used to simultaneously present the images on the exterior structure.

9. The venue of claim 1, wherein multiple performance options can be utilized in the venue, and wherein the multiple performance options include one or more of:

live musical concerts, lectures, movies, and pre-produced content.

10. The venue of claim 1, wherein the audience area comprises a standing-room area closest to the performance stage, a VIP area farthest from the performance stage, and a seating area between the standing-room area and the VIP area.

11. The venue of claim 1, further comprising a ground floor area beneath the audience area and substantially within the IDS.

12. The venue of claim 1, further comprising an audio system comprising:

speaker systems configured to provide sound to an entirety of the audience area, wherein the speaker systems are further configured to minimize acoustic reflections.

13. The venue of claim 1, further comprising a speaker system comprising a transparent material substantially covering the IDS, the transparent material comprising:

first speaker sections, wired to projects sound towards an audience area;

microphone sections wired to capture sound directed from the audience area; and

second speaker sections, severally disposed adjacent to the microphone sections, wherein the second speaker sections are operable to provide active noise cancelation of the captured sound from the audience area.

14. The venue of claim 1, wherein an exterior structure is configured to provide at least a partial display of images displayed simultaneously on the IDS.

15. The venue of claim 1, further comprising a second performance stage encircling a torus-center of the IDS, wherein the performance stage is movable in a circular fashion around the torus center of the IDS.

16. The venue of claim 15, wherein a floor structure of the audience area is capable of movement in a vertical direction, and wherein the movement in the vertical direction facilitates switching the seating arrangement between at least an outward-facing position and an inward-facing position.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising moving the performance stage around an audience area such that the portion of the live performance that is directly visible from a section of the audience area changes with time.

17. A method comprising:

presenting video images on an immersive display screen (IDS), wherein the IDS is toroidal in shape;

providing a live performance on a performance stage disposed within the IDS, wherein the live performance is associated with the presented video images.

19. An entertainment venue comprising:

a substantially toroidal immersive display screen (IDS);

an audience area enclosed within the IDS, wherein seating in the audience area faces toward a torus-center of the IDS; and

a performance stage encircling the torus-center of the IDS, wherein the performance stage is movable in a circular fashion around the torus center of the IDS.