Method and system for providing interactivity based on sensor measurements

• US 9,839,856 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Crawford, David, Durham, David, Georges, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Jasmin, Lynda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Griffin, Tamara
• Application Number:
  US12/075,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,563 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1, 705 11, 705500, 463 1, 472137, 700275
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 1/00 Roundabouts
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 11/00 See-saws
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 13/00 Cradle swings; Rocking-horses; Like devices resting on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 15/00 Rocking horses on runners adapted for progressive movement
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 17/00 Hobby-horses
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 19/00 Toy animals for riding
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 21/00 Chutes; Helter-skelters
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 23/00 Rotating or rocking pots , e.g. by moving the whole body rotating or rocking exercising for training agility or coordination of movements A63B22/14, A63B22/16, A63B22/18
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 25/00 Autocar-like self-drivers; Runways therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 27/00 Russian swings; Great wheels, e.g. Ferris wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 3/00 Water roundabouts, e.g. freely floating
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/00 Amusement arrangements hoop exercising apparatus driven by the user A63B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/02 with moving substructures
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 4/00 Accessories for roundabouts not restricted to one of groups A63G1/00 or A63G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 5/00 Games on roundabouts
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 7/00 Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 9/00 Swings
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 25/00 Equipment specially adapted for cinemas cinematographic projection means G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/00 Adaptive control systems, i.e. systems automatically adjusting themselves to have a performance which is optimum according to some preassigned criterion G05B19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

There is provided a system for providing interactivity to a guest of an experiential venue, based on sensor measurement of the guest. The system comprises a sensor configured to sense a guest variable of the guest, where the sensor may be a biometric sensor, a facial recognition sensor, a voice stress analysis sensor, a gesture recognition sensor, a motion tracking sensor, or an eye tracking sensor, and may sense heart rate or another guest variable. The system also comprises a control system, which may be implemented as a computer, in communication with the sensor. The control system is configured to determine a guest state from the guest variable, and to modify a venue variable, for example by selecting a path a theme park ride follows. The control system modifies the venue variable according to the guest state to provide increased satisfaction to the guest of the experiential venue.

Claims

1. A method for providing interactivity to a guest of a theme park based on sensor measurement of the guest, the method comprising:

sensing, using a sensor, a variable characteristic of the guest located in a theme park ride and indicative of an emotional state of the guest, wherein the variable characteristic includes at least one or more of variable biometric and nonbiometric characteristics of the guest;

transmitting the variable characteristic of the guest indicative of the emotional state of the guest from the sensor to a control system;

analyzing the variable characteristic of the guest utilizing the control system;

indicating an emotional state of the guest based on analyzing the variable characteristic of the guest; and

modifying a one or more elements of the theme park ride by the control system using an actuator according to the guest emotional state, wherein the modifying of the one or more elements of the theme park ride is in direct response to the guest emotional state, and wherein the one or more elements of the theme park ride include at least one of a speed of the theme park ride, a length of the theme park ride, an onboard lighting device of a ride car of the theme park ride, an onboard audio of the ride car of the theme park ride, an onboard video of the ride car of the theme park ride, a ride scene of the theme park ride, a motion base device installed on the ride car and a rotation device installed on the ride car.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes one or more of a facial recognition sensor, a voice stress analysis sensor, a gesture recognition sensor, a motion tracking sensor, or an eye tracking sensor, and wherein the variable characteristic of the guest includes one or more of heart rate, skin temperature, perspiration, facial expression, or voice stress.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the one or more elements of the theme park ride is performed without measuring any intentional input from the guest.

4. A system for providing interactivity to a guest of a theme park based on sensor measurement of the guest, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a variable characteristic of the guest located in a theme park ride and indicative of an emotional state of the guest, wherein the variable characteristic includes at least one or more of variable biometric and nonbiometric characteristics of the guest;

a transmitter configured to transmit the variable characteristic of the guest indicative of the emotional state of the guest from the sensor to a control system;

a control system configured to;

analyze the variable characteristic of the guest;

indicate an emotional state of the guest based on analyzing the variable characteristic of the guest; and

modify a one or more elements of the theme park ride by the control system using an actuator according to the guest emotional state, wherein the modifying of the one or more elements of the theme park ride is in direct response to the guest emotional state, and wherein the one or more elements of the theme park ride include at least one of a speed of the theme park ride, a length of the theme park ride, an onboard lighting device of a ride car of the theme park ride, an onboard audio of the ride car of the theme park ride, an onboard video of the ride car of the theme park ride, a ride scene of the theme park ride, a motion based device installed on the ride car and a rotation device installed on the ride car.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the sensor includes one or more of a facial recognition sensor, a voice stress analysis sensor, a gesture recognition sensor, a motion tracking sensor, or an eye tracking sensor, and wherein the variable characteristic of the guest include one or more of heart rate, skin temperature, perspiration, facial expression, or voice stress.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the control system is configured to modify the one or more elements of the theme park ride without measuring any intentional input from the guest.

7. A method of providing interactivity to a theme park ride based on sensor measurements of one or more guests in a ride car, the theme park ride having a plurality of ride segments include a ride beginning segment, a first ride alternate segment, a second ride alternate segment, and a ride end segment, the method comprising:

moving the ride car including the one or more guests in the ride beginning segment;

sensing, using a sensor, a variable characteristic of the one or more guests located in the ride car and indicative of an emotional state of the one or more guests while moving in the ride beginning segment, wherein the variable characteristic includes at least one or more of variable biometric and nonbiometric characteristics of the guest;

transmitting the variable characteristic of the one or more guests indicative of the emotional state of the one or more guests from the sensor to a control system;

analyzing the variable characteristic of the one or more guests using the control system indicating an emotional state of the one or more guests in the ride car based on analyzing the variable characteristic of the one or more guests in the ride car; and

selecting, by the control system using an actuator, between one of the first ride alternate segment and the second ride alternate segment based on the emotional state of the one or more guests in the ride car; and

moving the ride car including the one or more guests in the selected one of the first ride alternate segment and the second ride alternate segment, wherein the moving of the ride car in the selected one of the first ride alternate segment and the second ride alternate segment is to affect a physical change of the theme park ride in direct response to the emotional state of the one or more guests in the ride car.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein after moving the ride car including the one or more guests in the selected one of the first ride alternate segment and the second ride alternate segment, the method further comprising:

moving the ride car including the one or more guests in the selected one of the first ride alternate segment and the second ride alternate segment.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor includes one or more of biometric sensors having a facial recognition sensor, a voice stress analysis sensor, a gesture recognition sensor, a motion tracking sensor, or an eye tracking sensor.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the variable characteristic includes one or more of heart rate, skin temperature, perspiration, facial expression, or voice stress.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor is located outside of the ride car.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor is not in physical contact with the one or more guests.

13. A method for providing interactivity to a guest of a theme park based on sensor measurement of the guest, the method comprising:

determining that the guest is within a sensing range of a sensor;

sensing, using the sensor and in response to the determining, a variable characteristic of the guest located in a theme park ride and indicative of an emotional state of the guest, wherein the variable characteristic includes at least one or more of variable biometric and nonbiometric characteristics of the guest;

transmitting the variable characteristic of the guest indicative of the emotional state of the guest from the sensor to a control system;

analyzing the variable characteristic of the guest utilizing the control system;

indicating an emotional state of the guest based on analyzing the variable characteristic of the guest; and

modifying a one or more elements of the theme park ride by the control system using an actuator according to the guest emotional state, wherein the modifying of the one or more elements of the theme park ride is in direct response to the guest emotional state, and wherein the one or more elements of the theme park ride include at least one of a speed of the theme park ride, a length of the theme park ride, an onboard lighting device of a ride car of the theme park ride, an onboard audio of the ride car of the theme park ride, an onboard video of the ride car of the theme park ride, a ride scene of the theme park ride, a motion base device installed on the ride car and a rotation device installed on the ride car.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying the one or more elements of the theme park ride is performed without measuring any intentional input from the guest.

15. A system for providing interactivity to a guest of a theme park based on sensor measurement of the guest, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to sense a variable characteristic of the guest located in a theme park ride and indicative of an emotional state of the guest, wherein the variable characteristic includes at least one or more of variable biometric and nonbiometric characteristics of the guest;

a transmitter configured to transmit the variable characteristic of the guest indicative of the emotional state of the guest from the sensor to a control system;

a control system configured to;

determine that the guest is within a sensing range of the sensor, prior to the sensor performing sensing the variable characteristic of the guest located in the theme park ride;

analyze the variable characteristic of the guest;

indicate an emotional state of the guest based on analyzing the variable characteristic of the guest; and

modify a one or more elements of the theme park ride by the control system using an actuator according to the guest emotional state, wherein the modifying of the one or more elements of the theme park ride is in direct response to the guest emotional state, and wherein the one or more elements of the theme park ride include at least one of a speed of the theme park ride, a length of the theme park ride, an onboard lighting device of a ride car of the theme park ride, an onboard audio of the ride car of the theme park ride, an onboard video of the ride car of the theme park ride, a ride scene of the theme park ride, a motion base device installed on the ride car and a rotation device installed on the ride car.

16. A method of providing interactivity to a theme park ride based on sensor measurements of one or more guests in a ride car, the theme park ride having a plurality of ride segments include a ride beginning segment, a first ride alternate segment, a second ride alternate segment, and a ride end segment, the method comprising:

moving the ride car including the one or more guests in the ride beginning segment;

determining that the one or more guests are within a sensing range of a sensor;

sensing, using the sensor and in response to the determining, a variable characteristic of the one or more guests located in the ride car and indicative of an emotional state of the one or more guests while moving in the ride beginning segment, wherein the variable characteristic includes at least one or more of variable biometric and nonbiometric characteristics of the guest;

transmitting the variable characteristic of the one or more guests indicative of the emotional state of the one or more guests from the sensor to a control system;

analyzing the variable characteristic of the one or more guests using the control system indicating an emotional state of the one or more guests in the ride car based on analyzing the variable characteristic of the one or more guests in the ride car; and

selecting, by the control system using an actuator, between one of the first ride alternate segment and the second ride alternate segment based on the emotional state of the one or more guests in the ride car; and

moving the ride car including the one or more guests in the selected one of the first ride alternate segment and the second ride alternate segment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein moving the ride car is performed without measuring any intentional input from the one or more guests.