Interactive animated character head systems and methods

• US 10,845,975 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2018
• Issued: 11/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Vyas, Anisha, Cossairt, Travis Jon, Yeh, Wei Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Huntley, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/939,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20190302991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/00 Amusement arrangements hoop exercising apparatus driven by the user A63B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 13/005 with self-moving head or facial features with a choice of features A63H3/365; movable eyes A63H3/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63J 19/006 Puppets or marionettes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/34 Context aware guidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

An interactive system includes one or more processors that are configured to receive a first signal indicative of an activity of a user within an environment and to receive a second signal indicative of the user approaching an animated character head. The one or more processors are also configured to provide information related to the activity of the user to a base station control system associated with the animated character head in response to receipt of the second signal to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user.

Claims

1. An interactive system, comprising one or more processors configured to:

receive a first signal indicative of a user exiting a game attraction of an amusement park and indicative of a number of points earned by the user within the game attraction;

receive a second signal indicative of the user approaching an animated character head after exiting the game attraction; and

provide information related to the points earned by the user within the game attraction to a base station control system associated with the animated character head in response to receipt of the second signal to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user.

2. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to remove a phrase from an inventory of phrases in response to the phrase being spoken by the animated character head during the personalized interaction with the user such that the phrase is not available to be spoken by the animated character head during a future personalized interaction with the user.

3. The interactive system of claim 1, comprising an identification device positioned within the game attraction, wherein the identification device is configured to generate the first signal in response to detection of an identifier supported by a wearable device of the user.

4. The interactive system of claim 3, wherein the identification device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, and the identifier comprises a RFID tag.

5. The interactive system of claim 1, comprising an identification device positioned proximate to the animated character head, wherein the identification device is configured to generate the second signal in response to detection of an identifier supported by a wearable device of the user.

6. The interactive system of claim 1, comprising the base station control system, wherein the base station control system is configured to display an indication of the points earned by the user on a display screen for visualization by a handler.

7. The interactive system of claim 1, comprising the base station control system, wherein the base station control system is configured to process the information to determine a recommended animation for the animated character head, and to display the recommended animation on a display screen of the base station control system for visualization by a handler.

8. The interactive system of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a recommended animation for the animated character head.

9. The interactive system of claim 1, comprising the base station control system, wherein the base station control system comprises an input device that is configured to receive an animation selection input from a handler and a communication device that is configured to communicate the animation selection input to the animated character head.

10. The interactive system of claim 9, comprising the animated character head, wherein the animated character head comprises one or more respective processors that are configured to receive the animation selection input and to control one or more actuators of the animated character head based on the animation selection input.

11. The interactive system of claim 1, comprising the base station control system and the animated character head, wherein the base station control system and the animated character head comprise respective audio communication devices that enable a handler operating the base station control system to verbally communicate with a performer wearing the animated character head.

12. An interactive system, comprising:

one or more identification devices configured to detect an identifier supported by a wearable device of a user;

one or more processors configured to;

monitor activities of the user within a game attraction of an amusement park based on respective signals received from at least one identification device of the one or more identification devices, wherein the activities of the user within the game attraction are associated with points earned by the user within the game attraction;

monitor activities of the user outside of the game attraction based on respective signals received from at least one other identification device of the one or more identification devices, wherein the activities of the user outside of the game attraction are associated with the user approaching an animated character head;

in response to the user approaching the animated character head, output a respective signal based on the points earned by the user within the game attraction to the animated character head, thereby causing the animated character head to present an animation that is relevant to the points earned by the user within the game attraction to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user.

13. The interactive system of claim 12, wherein the one or more identification devices comprise one or more radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers, and the identifier comprises a RFID tag.

14. The interactive system of claim 12, comprising a computing system, a base station control system, and the animated character head, wherein the computing system comprises at least one processor of the one or more processors that is configured to monitor the activities of the user, the base station control system is configured to receive information indicative of the activities of the user from the computing system, the base station control system comprises an input device that is configured to enable a handler to select the animation based on the information indicative of the activities of the user, and the base station control system comprises at least one processor of the one or more processors that is configured to output the respective signal to the animated character head.

15. The interactive system of claim 12, wherein at least one of the one or more identification devices is coupled to the animated character head and is configured to generate a respective signal in response to detection of the identifier supported by the wearable device of the user.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, at one or more processors, a first signal indicative of a user approaching an animated character head within an amusement park;

accessing, using the one or more processors, information related to a prior activity of the user within the amusement park in response to receiving the first signal indicative of the user approaching the animated character head;

providing, using the one or more processors, the information related to the prior activity of the user to a base station control system associated with the animated character head in response to receipt of the first signal to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user;

receiving, at the one or more processors, a second signal indicative of the user being within a game attraction within the amusement park after departing from the animated character head; and

adjusting, using the one or more processors, one or more game elements within the game attraction based on the personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the prior activity of the user is associated with points earned by the user within the game attraction.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising receiving, at the one or more processors, another signal indicative of the prior activity of the user from an identification device that is configured to detect an identifier supported by a wearable device of the user.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising receiving the first signal indicative of the user approaching the animated character head from an identification device that is configured to detect an identifier supported by a wearable device of the user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the identification device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, and the identifier comprises a RFID tag.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising, using one or more respective processors of the base station control system, processing the information to determine a recommended animation for the animated character head, and displaying the recommended animation on a display screen of the base station control system for visualization by a handler.

22. The method of claim 16, comprising:

receiving, at one or more respective processors of the base station control system, an animation selection input from a handler; and

transmitting, using a communication device of the base station control system, the animation selection input to the animated character head.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising, using one or more respective processors of the animated character head, controlling one or more actuators of the animated character head based on the animation selection input.