SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DISTRIBUTED CONTROL OF AN INTERACTIVE ANIMATRONIC SHOW

• US 20090069935A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wieland, Alexis Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/007 involving water
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 7/00 Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks

Abstract

A system and method of distributed control of an interactive animatronic show is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of animatronic actors, at least one of the actors comprising a processor and one or more motors controlled by the processor. The system also includes a network interconnecting each of the actors, and a plurality of sensors providing messages to the network, where the messages are indicative of processed information. Each processor executes software that schedules and/or coordinates an action of the actor corresponding to the processor in accordance with the sensor messages representative of attributes of an audience viewing the show and the readiness of the corresponding actor. Actions of the corresponding actor can comprise animation movements of the actor, responding to another actor and/or responding to a member of the audience. The actions can result in movement of at least a component of the actor caused by control of the motor.

Claims

1. A system for distributed control of an interactive show, the system comprising:

a plurality of actors in the interactive show, at least one of the actors comprising

a processor, and

one or more motors controlled by the processor;

a network interconnecting each of the actors; and

a plurality of sensors providing messages to the network, wherein the messages are indicative of processed information;

wherein each processor executes software that schedules and/or coordinates an action of the actor corresponding to the processor in accordance with the sensor messages representative of attributes of an audience viewing the show and the readiness of the corresponding actor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the action of the corresponding actor comprises animation movements of the actor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the action results in movement of at least a component of the actor caused by control of the motor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the action of the corresponding actor comprises outputting sound or a projected effect.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the action of the corresponding actor comprises responding to another actor or responding to a member of the audience.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the actors further comprises an audio/video device and/or an electro/magnetic/mechanical/acoustic/static transducer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one motor of the corresponding actor is configured to turn the actor toward a nearby member of the audience or to turn the actor toward another actor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of sensors broadcasts an identical message to each actor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the message is indicative of the location of a member of the audience that is moving the most as detected by at least the one of the plurality of sensors or that is the closest to a particular actor as detected by at least the one of the plurality of sensors.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the message is indicative of the location of a member of the audience that exceeds a size threshold, is moving, and is close to a particular actor.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the message is indicative of an attribute of a member of interest in the audience.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the attribute includes information about at least one of where the member of interest is looking, whether the member of interest is talking, what the member of interest is saying, and what the member of interest is doing.

13. The system of claim 1, additionally comprising one or more show components connected to the network, at least one of the show components comprising a processor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the show components include at least one of a show curtain, a show effects device, and show lighting.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors comprises a processor configured to process sensor data into the messages.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensors comprises a digital camera.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the sensors comprises a game controller.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the messages inhibits a particular action and/or inhibits one or more actors selected by use of the game controller from performing actions.

19. A method of distributing control of an interactive show having a plurality of actors and a network, the method comprising:

identifying one or more members of interest in an audience viewing the interactive show;

broadcasting a first message representative of an attribute of the one or more members of interest to all the actors;

processing the first message and a location of a particular actor so as initiate actions by the particular actor responsive to the one or more members of interest; and

broadcasting a second message representative of the actions of the particular actor to other actors so that the other actors can respond to the actions.

20. The method of claim 19, additionally comprising acknowledging the broadcast second message by one of the other actors so as to indicate a readiness to perform actions.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the identifying the one or more members of interest comprises processing sensor data so as to identify the one or more members matching a certain criterion.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the criterion corresponds to at least one of a size, velocity and location of one or more members of the show audience.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the attribute comprises a location of the one or more members of interest in world coordinates.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the attribute comprises information about what the one or more members of interest is doing.

25. The method of claim 24, additionally comprising changing an action by the particular actor based on what the one or more members of interest is doing.