Virtual attraction controller

• US 9,908,056 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Maycock, Mark Bruce, Vance, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Zanelli, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/265,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20170001123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• 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 7/00 Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 25/00 Equipment specially adapted for cinemas cinematographic projection means G03B
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0027 Radio-based, e.g. using GSM-R
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 23/20 with transmission of instructions to stations along the route
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 25/025 Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 27/20 Trackside control of safe travel of vehicle or train, e.g. braking curve calculation
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4405 Initialisation of multiprocessor systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5061 Partitioning or combining of resources

Abstract

A ride system includes a first ride vehicle and a second ride vehicle positioned within a course and configured to travel within the course. The ride system also includes a control system having at least one controller and at least one position tracking system, where the at least one controller is configured to control movement of the first and second ride vehicles, and where the at least one position tracking system is configured to facilitate identification of a first location and a second location of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, within the course. The ride system also includes a wireless network configured to enable communication between components of the ride system. The at least one controller is configured to receive data indicative of the first and second locations of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, where the at least one controller determines a control loop for the first and second ride vehicles based on the data indicative of the first and second locations, and where the at least one controller is configured to process the data indicative of the first and second locations to synchronize one or more show elements with the first and second locations.

Claims

1. A ride system, comprising:

a first ride vehicle and a second ride vehicle positioned within a course and configured to travel within the course;

a control system comprising at least one controller and at least one position tracking system, wherein the at least one controller is configured to control movement of the first and second ride vehicles, and wherein the at least one position tracking system is configured to facilitate identification of a first location and a second location of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, within the course; and

a wireless network configured to enable communication between components of the ride system, wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive data indicative of the first and second locations of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, wherein the at least one controller determines a control loop for the first and second ride vehicles based on the data indicative of the first and second locations, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to process the data indicative of the first and second locations to synchronize one or more show elements with the first and second locations.

2. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller comprises a primary controller, a first ride controller corresponding with the first ride vehicle, and a second ride controller corresponding with the second ride vehicle, wherein the primary controller and the first ride controller are configured to coordinate to control the movement of the first ride vehicle, and wherein the primary controller and the second ride controller are configured to coordinate to control the movement of the second ride vehicle.

3. The ride system of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller further comprises a backup controller configured to receive the data indicative of the first and second locations of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, wherein the backup controller and the first ride controller are configured to coordinate to control the movement of the first ride vehicle, wherein the backup controller and the second ride vehicle are configured to coordinate to control the movement of the second ride vehicle, and wherein the control system comprises a bi-directional voting circuit configured to select between the data received by the primary controller and the data received by the backup controller.

4. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the first ride vehicle comprises a first transceiver, the second ride vehicle comprises a second transceiver, and the at least one controller comprises a primary controller, wherein the primary controller comprises a primary transceiver, and wherein the wireless network enables communication between the primary transceiver and the first transceiver, and between the primary transceiver and the second transceiver.

5. The ride system of claim 1, comprising a first reader of the first ride vehicle, a second reader of the second ride vehicle, and a plurality of position indicators of the at least one position tracking system, wherein the plurality of position indicators is located throughout the course, wherein the first and second readers are in communication with the at least one controller, wherein each position indicator of the plurality of position indicators is readable by the first and second readers, and wherein the first and second readers, upon reading first and second position indicators of the plurality of position indicators, communicate the data indicative of the first and second locations, or a precursor of the data indicative of the first and second locations, to the at least one controller.

6. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the first ride vehicle comprises a platform and a base, wherein the platform is rotatable with respect to the base in a roll direction, a pitch direction, or a yaw direction, or some combination thereof, wherein the first location of the first ride vehicle comprises a linear component of the base with respect to the course, and wherein the first location of the first ride vehicle comprises a rotational component of the platform with respect to the base in the roll direction, the pitch direction, or the yaw direction.

7. The ride system of claim 6, wherein the at least one controller is configured to synchronize the one or more show elements with the linear component of the first location, the rotational component of the first location, or both.

8. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine a maintenance status of the first ride vehicle, the second ride vehicle, or both based on a trend of operation for the first ride vehicle, the second ride vehicle, or both.

9. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the control loop is determined based at least in part on characteristics of the one or more show elements.

10. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller receives data indicative of first and second velocities of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, and wherein the controller is configured to:

synchronize the one or more show elements with the first velocity and the second velocity.

11. The ride system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller receives data indicative of first and second velocities of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively, and wherein the controller is configured to:

determine the control loop based at least in part on the first velocity and the second velocity.

12. A ride system, comprising:

a first ride vehicle and a second ride vehicle positioned at first and second locations, respectively, along a course, and configured to move throughout the course;

a control system comprising a primary controller, a backup controller, and a bi-directional voting circuit, wherein the primary controller is configured to receive a first data set indicative of the first and second locations of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively

wherein the backup controller is configured to receive a second data set indicative of the first and second locations of the first and second ride vehicles, respectively

wherein the bi-directional voting circuit is configured to select between the first data set and the second data set to enable the control system to form a control loop for the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle, and wherein the control system controls movement of the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle based on the control loop.

13. The ride system of claim 12, comprising a first reader of the first ride vehicle, a second reader of the second ride vehicle, and a position tracking system configured to enable identification of the first and second locations, wherein the position tracking system comprises a plurality of position indicators positioned along the course, and wherein the first and second readers are configured to communicate the first data set, the second data set, or both to the primary controller, the backup controller, or both.

14. The ride system of claim 13, comprising a first vehicle transceiver corresponding with the first ride vehicle, and a second vehicle transceiver corresponding with the second ride vehicle, wherein the first reader and the second reader communicate the first data set, the second data set, or both to the primary controller by way of the first vehicle transceiver and the second vehicle transceiver.

15. The ride system of claim 12, wherein the first ride vehicle comprises a platform and a base, wherein the platform is rotatable with respect to the base in a roll direction, a pitch direction, or a yaw direction, and wherein the first location of the first ride vehicle comprises a linear component of the base with respect to the course, and a rotational component of the platform with respect to the base in the roll direction, the pitch direction, or the yaw direction.

16. The ride system of claim 12, comprising a wireless network configured to facilitate communication between at least two of the primary controller, the backup controller, the bi-directional voting circuit, a first transceiver or a first ride controller of the first ride vehicle, a second transceiver or a second ride controller of the second ride vehicle, a first position reader of the first ride vehicle, or a second position reader of the second ride vehicle.

17. The ride system of claim 16, wherein the primary controller, the backup controller, or both communicate(s) with the first transceiver or the first ride controller, and with the second transceiver or the second ride controller, to form the control loop.

18. The ride system of claim 12, wherein the primary controller comprises a primary transceiver, and the backup controller comprises a backup transceiver.

19. A method for controlling a first ride vehicle and a second ride vehicle within a course using a control system, comprising:

identifying a first location of the first ride vehicle and a second location of the second ride vehicle;

transmitting a first data set indicative of the first and second locations to a primary controller;

transmitting a second data set indicative of the first and second locations to a backup controller;

selecting a controlling data set between the first and second data sets;

forming a control loop based on the controlling data set; and

controlling movement of the first and second ride vehicles in accordance with the control loop.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein identifying the first location of the first ride vehicle and the second location of the second ride vehicle comprises:

identifying a first linear component of a first base of the first ride vehicle with respect to the course;

identifying a first rotational component of a first platform of the first ride vehicle with respect to the first base, wherein the first rotational component comprises a first degree of roll, a first degree of pitch, or a first degree of yaw;

identifying a second linear component of a second base of the second ride vehicle with respect to the course;

identifying a second rotational component of a second platform of the second ride vehicle with respect to the second base, wherein the second rotational component comprises a second degree of roll, a second degree of pitch, or a second degree of yaw; and

wherein controlling movement of the first and second ride vehicles in accordance with the control loop comprises controlling the first linear component, the first rotational component, the second linear component, and the second rotational component.