Zone based identification for interactive experiences

• US 9,383,730 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Prestenback, Kyle J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORTELL, JOHN F
• Application Number:
  US13/953,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20150028994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a system configured to trigger interactive experiences for guests. The system may be a zone based identification system that uses identification technology (e.g., RFID, image recognition, etc.) to detect and/or identify guests in zones prior to, during, and after an interactive experience. The zones may be physical areas where guests approach, participate in, and leave the interactive experience. The system may be configured such that as guests progress through zones prior to, during, and after the interactive experience, the system may access guest specific information before the interactive experience, present the guest specific information during the interactive experience, and then stop presenting the information responsive to the guest exiting the interactive experience. In some implementations, the system may comprise one or more objects associated with guests, one or more sensors, one or more processors, one or more host systems, and/or other components.

Claims

1. A zone based identification system configured to trigger interactive experiences for guests, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to presence of objects associated with the guests, the objects including a first object associated with a first guest;

one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions;

manage guest profiles associated with guests, the guest profiles including guest information associated with the guests such that a first guest profile includes guest information associated with the first guest;

detect presence of the first object in a preparation zone based on the output signals, the preparation zone comprising a first physical area located upstream from an experience zone in which the interactive experiences are presented to the guests;

detect presence of the first object in a trigger zone based on the output signals, the trigger zone comprising a second physical area that is downstream from the preparation zone; and

trigger interactive experiences for the guests in the experience zone such that a requirement for triggering an interactive experience for the first guest in the experience zone includes detection of presence of the first object in the preparation zone followed by detection of presence of the first object in the trigger zone, the interactive experience including content related to the guest information in the first guest profile; and

wherein a guest flow pattern between the preparation zone and the experience zone is known such that the triggering of interactive experiences in the experience zone is adapted to the guest flow pattern.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:

cache the guest information in the first guest profile responsive to the detected presence in the preparation zone; and

wherein the interactive experience includes content related to the cached information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to:

determine that the first object has exited the experience zone; and

cause the interactive experience triggered for the first guest to cease responsive to the exit determination.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein determining that the first object has exited the experience zone is based on the output signals from the one or more sensors.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein determining that the first object has exited the experience zone is based on an expiration of a predetermined amount of time since the detected presence of the first object in the trigger zone.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the trigger zone and the experience zone are the same physical area.

7. A method for triggering interactive experiences for guests with a zone based identification system, the method comprising:

generating output signals conveying information related to presence of objects associated with the guests, the objects including a first object associated with a first guest;

managing guest profiles associated with guests, the guest profiles including guest information associated with the guests such that a first guest profile includes guest information associated with the first guest;

detecting presence of the first object in a preparation zone based on the output signals, the preparation zone comprising a first physical area located upstream from an experience zone in which the interactive experiences are presented to the guests;

detecting presence of the first object in a trigger zone based on the output signals, the trigger zone comprising a second physical area that is downstream from the preparation zone;

triggering interactive experiences for the guests in the experience zone such that a requirement for triggering an interactive experience for the first guest in the experience zone includes detection of presence of the first object in the preparation zone followed by detection of presence of the first object in the trigger zone, the interactive experience including content related to the guest information in the first guest profile; and

wherein a guest flow pattern between the preparation zone and the experience zone is known such that the triggering of interactive experiences in the experience zone is adapted to the guest flow pattern.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising caching the guest information in the first guest profile responsive to the preparation zone detection, and wherein the interactive experience includes content related to the cached information.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining that the first object has exited the experience zone and causing the interactive experience triggered for the first guest to cease responsive to the exit determination.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining that the first object has exited the experience zone based on the output signals.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining that the first object has exited the experience zone based on an expiration of a predetermined amount of time since the detection of presence of the first object in the trigger zone.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the trigger zone and the experience zone are the same physical area.

13. A zone based identification system configured to trigger interactive experiences for guests, the system comprising:

one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to presence of objects associated with the guests, the objects including a first object associated with a first guest and a second object associated with a second guest;

one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

manage guest profiles associated with the guests, the guest profiles including guest information associated with the guests, the guest profiles including a first guest profile indicating that the first guest is part of a first guest group and a second guest profile indicating that the second guest is part of the first guest group;

detect presence of the first object and the second object in a preparation zone based on the output signals, the preparation zone comprising a first physical area located upstream from an experience zone in which the interactive experiences are presented to the guests;

indicate that the first guest group is prepared for a first interactive experience, the indication that the first guest group is prepared being responsive to a threshold number of objects associated with guests of the first guest group being detected in the preparation zone;

detect presence of at least one of the first object or the second object in a trigger zone based on the output signals, the trigger zone comprising a second physical area that is downstream from the preparation zone; and

trigger the interactive experiences for the guests in the experience zone such that a requirement for triggering a first interactive experience for the first guest group in the experience zone includes detection of presence of the first object and the second object in the preparation zone followed by detection of presence of at least one of the first object or the second object in the trigger zone, the first interactive experience including content related to the guest information in the first guest profile and the second guest profile; and

wherein a guest flow pattern between the preparation zone and the experience zone is known such that the triggering of interactive experiences in the experience zone is adapted to the guest flow pattern.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the objects include a third object associated with a third guest and a fourth object associated with a fourth guest;

the guest profiles include a third guest profile indicating that the third guest is part of a second guest group and a fourth guest profile indicating that the fourth guest is part of the second guest group; and

the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to;

detect presence of the third object and the fourth object in the preparation zone;

indicate that the second guest group is prepared for a second interactive experience; and

detect presence of at least one of the third object or the fourth object in the trigger zone; and

responsive to detection of presence of the third object and the fourth object in the preparation zone, and then at least one of the third object or the fourth object in the trigger zone, determine an interactive experience priority between the first interactive experience and the second interactive experience, and trigger the first interactive experience and the second interactive experience based on the determined priority.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to iterate the interactive experience priority based on a current presentation of the interactive experience, the current presentation of the interactive experience including one or more of a presentation time, or a quantity of guest information presented from the guest profiles.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein determining the interactive experience priority is based on one or more of a quantity of guests in the first guest group, a quantity of guests in the second guest group, a quantity of guest information from guest profiles associated with guests in the first guest group that has been previously presented during the interactive experience, or a quantity of guest information from guest profiles associated with guests in the second guest group that has been previously presented during the interactive experience.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to cache the guest information in the first guest profile and the second guest profile responsive to the determined presence in the preparation zone, and wherein the first interactive experience includes content related to the cached information.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the trigger zone and the experience zone are the same physical area.

19. A method for triggering interactive experiences for guests with a zone based identification system, the method comprising:

generating output signals conveying information related to presence of objects associated with the guests, the objects including a first object associated with a first guest and a second object associated with a second guest;

managing guest profiles associated with the guests, the guest profiles including guest information associated with the guests, the guest profiles including a first guest profile indicating that the first guest is part of a first guest group and a second guest profile indicating that the second guest is part of the first guest group;

detecting presence of the first object and the second object in a preparation zone based on the output signals, the preparation zone comprising a first physical area located upstream from an experience zone in which the interactive experiences are presented to the guests;

indicating that the first guest group is prepared for a first interactive experience, the indication that the first guest group is prepared being responsive to a threshold number of objects associated with guests of the first guest group being detected in the preparation zone;

detecting presence of at least one of the first object or the second object in a trigger zone based on the output signals, the trigger zone comprising a second physical area that is downstream from the preparation zone;

triggering the interactive experiences for the guests in the experience zone such that a requirement for triggering a first interactive experience for the first guest group in the experience zone includes detection of presence of the first object and the second object in the preparation zone followed by detection of presence of at least one of the first object or the second object in the trigger zone, the first interactive experience including content related to the guest information in the first guest profile and the second guest profile; and

wherein a guest flow pattern between the preparation zone and the experience zone is known such that the triggering of interactive experiences in the experience zone is adapted to the guest flow pattern.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the objects include a third object associated with a third guest and a fourth object associated with a fourth guest, and wherein the guest profiles include a third guest profile indicating that the third guest is part of a second guest group and a fourth guest profile indicating that the fourth guest is part of the second guest group, the method further comprising:

detecting presence of the third object and the fourth object in the preparation zone,

indicating that the second guest group is prepared for a second interactive experience,

detecting presence of at least one of the third object or the fourth object in the trigger zone; and

responsive to detection of presence of the third object and the fourth object in the preparation zone, and then at least one of the third object or the fourth object in the trigger zone, determining an interactive experience priority between the first interactive experience and the second interactive experience, and to trigger the first interactive experience and the second interactive experience based on the determined priority.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising iterating the interactive experience priority based on a current presentation of the interactive experience, the current presentation of the interactive experience including one or more of a presentation time, or a quantity of guest information presented from the guest profiles.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining the interactive experience priority based on one or more of a quantity of guests in the first guest group, a quantity of guests in the second guest group, a quantity of guest information from guest profiles associated with guests in the first guest group that has been previously presented during the interactive experience, or a quantity of guest information from guest profiles associated with guests in the second guest group that has been previously presented during the interactive experience.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising caching the guest information in the first guest profile and the second guest profile responsive to the preparation zone detection, and wherein the first interactive experience includes content related to the cached information.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the trigger zone and the experience zone are the same physical area.