Systems and methods for an immersion theater environment with dynamic screens

• US 9,785,044 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barco Incorporated (Barco NV)
• Original Assignee: Barco Incorporated (Barco NV)
• Inventors: Gocke, Alexander William
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sultan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US14/957,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/24 Constructional features of stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/562 Screens moving during projection G03B21/58 - G03B21/62 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/58 collapsible, e.g. foldable; of variable area
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/606 for relief projection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3147 Multi-projection systems displays in general H04N9/12; video walls G06F3/1446, G09G2300/026

Abstract

Provided herein are systems and methods to configure an immersive theater environment by moving one or more screens. A movie screen can be provided with one or more actuators coupled to the movie screen, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to move the movie screen in a plurality of directions including, for example, up, down, left, right, back, forward, pitch, roll, and yaw. This system can include a processor coupled to the actuator, wherein the processor is configured to control the movement of the one or more actuators, synchronize cinema content for movement of the movie screen, process cinema content for metadata cues indicating movement of the movie screen, and track positions of the movie screen.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of movie screens;

a plurality of actuators coupled to each of the plurality of movie screens, wherein the plurality of actuators are configured to move each of the plurality of movie screens in a plurality of up, down, left, right, back, forward, pitch, roll, and yaw; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of actuators, the processor configured to;

control the movement of the plurality of actuators,

synchronize cinema content for the plurality of movie screens,

process cinema content for metadata cues indicating movement of the plurality of movie screens, and

track positions of the plurality of movie screens.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more actuators are further configured to curve the plurality of movie screens.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust cinema content for the curvatures.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to coordinate one or more projectors using at least the positions of the plurality of movie screens.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of movie screens comprises a front screen, a right screen, and a left screen.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the right screen and the left screen are trapezoidal in shape.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the right screen and left screen are further coupled to a rail system that is configured to slide the right screen and the left screen.

8. A method, comprising:

projecting a cinema presentation onto a plurality of movie screens;

analyzing metadata cues in the cinema presentation;

moving one or more of the plurality of movie screens in a plurality of up, down, left, right, back, forward, pitch, roll, and yaw based on at least the metadata cues; and

synchronizing the cinema presentation projection to the movement of the one or more of the plurality of movie screens.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising curving one or more of the plurality of movie screens in response to the metadata cues.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing one or more of the plurality of movie screens in drums and then dropping down the stored movie screens in response to metadata cues.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the movement occurs in at least one of before, during, and after a movie presentation.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising curving one or more of the plurality of movie screens at least one of before, during, and after a movie presentation.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing one or more of the plurality of movie screens in drums and then dropping down the stored movie screens at least one of before, during, and after a movie presentation.