Interactive play center

• US 9,396,618 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WhiteWater West Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: WhiteWater West Industries Limited
• Inventors: Weston, Mark, Weston, Denise, Briggs, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US14/502,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20150090242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 472/13, 472/117, 472/128, 472/43, 273/317, 273/459, 124/41.1, 124/79
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3218 wherein at least part of the system is portable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/38 Ball games; Shooting apparatus

Abstract

An entertainment venue, amusement attraction, or interactive play center configured to provide a variety of activities for users. The attraction may include blaster cannons, sorting stations, fountain components, registration stations, video monitors, targets, and other interactive elements. Several of these components may receive and/or propel elements (such as foam balls, water, light or lasers, etc.) and accumulate points for users based upon this activity. A registration and tracking system can keep track of specific users and their activities for the purpose of generating or compiling statistics or generating a score for the users. A mobile application associated with the interactive play center may be used during play to indicate additional information or features about the amusement attraction or to allow for continued entertainment by users even after they have left the entertainment venue or interactive play center. This may be conveyed via augmented reality or other visual/audible notification.

Claims

1. An interactive play center comprising:

a receptacle configured to receive an element;

a blaster component configured to emit an object based upon receipt of the element by the receptacle;

a target configured to be engaged by the object emitted from the blaster component; and

a fountain component having a column with a cavity disposed therein, the fountain component in communication with the receptacle and configured to receive the element and eject the element out of the fountain component such that the element falls at an undetermined location within the interactactive play center.

2. The interactive play center of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is coupled with the blaster component.

3. The interactive play center of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is coupled with a sorting component separate from the blaster component.

4. The interactive play center of claim 1 wherein the object is a beam of light, a laser beam, a stream of water, or the element received by the receptacle.

5. The interactive play center of claim 1 wherein the element is a ball.

6. The interactive play center of claim 5 wherein the ball is made of plastic or foam.

7. The interactive play center of claim 1 wherein the fountain component is configured to receive the element in the cavity and eject the element from the cavity via pressurized air.

8. The interactive play center of claim 7 wherein the column of the fountain component is at least partially transparent.

9. An interactive play center comprising:

a first receptacle configured to receive an element, the first receptacle associated with a first characteristic;

a second receptacle configured to receive the element, the second receptacle associated with a second characteristic;

a blaster component configured to emit an object based upon receipt of the element by the first receptacle or the second receptacle;

an expelling component having a vertical column,the expelling component configured to receive the element and expel the element out of the column such that the element falls at an unpredictable location within the interactive play center;

a target configured to be engaged by the object emitted from. the blaster component; and

a processor configured to modify a score if the object engages the target.

10. The interactive play center of claim 9 wherein the first characteristic is a first color and the second characteristic is a second color different from the first color.

11. The interactive play center of claim 9 wherein the target is configured to be worn by a user.

12. The interactive play center of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to modify the score based upon receipt of the element by the first receptacle.

13. The interactive play center of claim 9 wherein the blaster component is configured to emit the object if the element has the first characteristic and is received by the first receptacle, but not emit the object if the element has the second characteristic and is received by the first receptacle.

14. The interactive play center of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to increase the score if the element has the first characteristic and is received by the first receptacle, but not increase the score if the element has the second characteristic and is received by the first receptacle.

15. An interactive play center comprising:

a receptacle configured to receive an element;

a first interactive component disposed at a first location;

a second interactive component disposed at a second location;

a fountain component having a column configured to receive the element after receipt of the element by the receptacle, the fountain component configured to eject the element upwardly out of the column via pressurized air such that the element drops due to gravity toward a location within the interactive play center; and

a processor configured to increase a score by a first value based upon interaction with the first interactive component and increase the score by a second value based upon interaction with the second interactive component.

16. The interactive play center of claim 15 wherein the first interactive component or the second interactive component is a blaster component configured to emit an object.

17. The interactive play center of claim 15 wherein the first interactive component or the second interactive component is a sorting component, the sorting component coupled with the receptacle.

18. The interactive play center of claim 15 further comprising a software application configured to be installed on a mobile device, the software application configured to indicate if the first interactive component will accumulate a greater number of points if used compared to the second interactive component.

19. The interactive play center of claim 15 further comprising a display coupled with the processor, the display configured to convey the score based upon interfacing with the processor.

20. The interactive play center of claim 19 wherein the display is further configured to convey if the first value is higher than the second value based upon interfacing with the processor.