Circular motion theater

• US 8,992,336 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Falcon's Beyond Brands LLC (Falcon’s Beyond Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Falcon's Treehouse LLC (Falcon’s Beyond Global, Inc.)
• Inventors: Magpuri, Cecil D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US13/525,678
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 472 57- 61, 472/75, 472/77, 472/130, 52 6- 8, 52/10, 52/80, 52/81
• US Class Current: 472/60
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/12 Theatre, auditorium, or similar chairs seats detachably mounted on stadium benches A47C1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/14 with planes mounted on springs; with movable planes
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 25/00 Equipment specially adapted for cinemas cinematographic projection means G03B
• 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 21/606 for relief projection
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view

Abstract

An entertainment structure and apparatus principally comprising a 360-degree 2D and/or 3D cinematic theater. Seating for audience members is arrangeable on a circular motion base platform. A compound curved screen may lower from above to surround the theater upon a circular motion base platform, providing seamless media. A 2D/3D projection system is oriented within the structure to provide 2D/3D images on the screen through projection overlap for edge blending. A control system is used to rotate, pitch and roll the motion base platform. The control system can be synchronized with the media presentation. The structure includes a number of variations such as a variety of seating orientations, a stationary screen, a variety of screen configurations, and modular tracking seating.

Claims

1. A theater comprising:

curved rows of seats on a platform rotatably mounted on a motion base, with the seats facing inwardly towards a central area of the theater, the seats rigidly supported on the platform on the motion base, and with the seats substantially surrounding the central area;

an actuator on the motion base linked to the platform for rotating the platform;

a dome screen extending around the seats, with substantially each seat having a sight line to the screen through the central area;

multiple projectors in the theater arranged to project seamless edge blended images of a media presentation onto the screens; and

a controller linked to the motion base for coordinating movement of the motion base with the projected media presentation.

2. The theater of claim 1 with the motion base rotating the platform and providing pitch and roll movements.

3. The theater of claim 1 with the projectors positioned at a central area of the theater and arranged to project images radially outwardly onto the screens.

4. The theater of claim 3 with the seats between the central area and the screens.

5. The theater of claim 1 wherein the controller is operable to control operation of the actuator to rotate the platform in two directions.

6. The theater of claim 1 with the actuator operable to rotate the platform at 1 to 12 RPM.

7. A theater comprising:

one or more rows of seats on a platform rotatably supported on a motion base, with the seats facing inwardly towards a central area of the theater, and with seats on opposite sides of the central area;

one or more curved screens surrounding the seats, with substantially each seat having a sight line to the screen aligned on a radius of the screen;

a 3D image projection system including multiple projectors in the theater arranged to project substantially seamless edge blended 3D images onto the curved screens; and

a controller linked to the motion base for coordinating rotation and pitch movement of the platform on the motion base with the images projected onto the screens.

8. The theater of claim 7 further comprising seat moving actuators on the motion base, for moving the seats relative to a seating platform on the motion base.

9. The theater of claim 8 further comprising a lifter for lifting and lowering the screens vertically.

10. A theater comprising:

a seating platform on a motion base;

rows of seats on the seating platform with the seats facing inwardly towards and substantially surrounding a central area of the theater;

a dome screen around the seats, with each seat having an unobstructed sight line to the screen through the central area;

a 3D image projection system including multiple projectors in the theater arranged to project substantially seamless edge blended 3D images onto the curved screens, with one or more of the projectors adjacent to the central area of the theater and arranged to project images outwardly onto the screens, and with at least some of the seats between the central area and the screens;

a controller linked to the motion base for coordinating movement of the motion base with the images projected onto the screens; and

with the motion base moving the seating platform with rotation and pitch movements.

11. The theater of claim 10 further comprising seat moving actuators on the seating platform and attached to the seats for moving the seats relative to a seating platform on the motion base.