Apparatus for detecting guest interactions and method therefore

• US 6,307,952 B1
• Filed: 03/03/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Dietz, Paul H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johns, Andrew W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NAKHJAVAN, SHERVIN K
• Application Number:
  US09/261,654
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/107, 382/312, 348/1, 348/2, 348/13, 348/21, 348/77, 348/162, 348/163, 345/112, 345/326, 345/358, 463/1, 463/7, 463/9, 463/36, 463/37, 463/49, 463/53
• US Class Current: 382/107
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1012 involving biosensors worn by the player, e.g. for measuring heart beat, limb activity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/00 Games not otherwise provided for aspects of games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions showing representations related to the game A63F13/00 ; miscellaneous sporting games A63B67/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/586 using transmission of continuous unmodulated waves, amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated waves and based upon the Doppler effect resulting from movement of targets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883

Abstract

An apparatus detects individual guest interactions in an installation (10) for entertaining one or more guests (12). The apparatus comprises one or more directional, velocity-dependent sensors (24), each motion sensor having a field of view covering a different one of the guests. The motion sensor generates a guest-interaction signal (26) when the guest in its field of view moves in an appropriate manner. The motion sensor can be arranged directly above or in front of the guest, depending on the type of motion that is desired to be detected. The sensor can employ an ultrasonic signal to detect motion, which is less susceptible to light and radio-frequency interference. A controller (22) responds to the guest-interaction signals and manipulates a plurality of guest interfaces (18,20,21).

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting individual guest interactions in an installation for entertaining one or more guests, the apparatus comprising at least one directional, velocity-dependent sensor, each having a field of view uniquely covering each guest and generating a guest-interaction signal when the guest in the field of view makes an appropriate gesture.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each directional, velocity-dependent motion sensor is arranged directly above the corresponding guest.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each directional, velocity-dependent motion sensor is arranged directly in front of the corresponding guest.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each directional, velocity-dependent motion sensor includes:

a transmitter for emitting an ultrasonic signal of a predetermined frequency in the direction of the guest;

a receiver for receiving the ultrasonic signal reflected from the guest; and

a detection circuit responsive to the received reflected ultrasonic signal for generating the guest-interaction signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each detection circuit generates the guest-interaction signal when the power of the received reflected signal in a predetermined frequency band exceeds a threshold.

6. An interactive entertainment installation, the interactive entertainment installation being divided into a plurality of defined areas, each defined area for occupancy by at least one guest of a plurality of guests of the interactive entertainment installation, the interactive entertainment installation comprising:

a plurality of guest interfaces;

one or more directional, velocity-dependent motion sensors, each directional, velocity-dependent motion sensor configured to emit an ultrasonic signal in the direction of a different one of the plurality of defined areas, to receive the ultrasonic signal reflected from the different one of the plurality of defined areas, and to generate a guest-interaction signal in response to the received reflected ultrasonic signal from the different one of the plurality of defined areas when the at least one guest occupying the different one of the plurality of defined areas makes an appropriate gesture; and

a controller for manipulating the plurality of guest interfaces in response to each generated guest-interaction signal.

7. The interactive entertainment installation of claim 6, wherein each directional, velocity-dependent motion sensor is arranged directly above the different one of the plurality of defined areas, and the physical movement for generating a guest-interaction signal is a vertical movement within a certain velocity range by the at least one guest occupying the different one of the plurality of defined areas.

8. The interactive entertainment installation of claim 7, wherein the vertical movement is a hand-raising gesture.

9. The interactive entertainment installation of claim 7, wherein the vertical movement is a hand-lowering gesture.

10. The interactive environment of claim 7, wherein the vertical movement comprises an upward body movement.

11. The interactive environment of claim 7, wherein the vertical movement comprises a downward body movement.

12. The interactive environment of claim 7, wherein the guest-interaction signal is not generated for stationary parts of the guest.

13. The interactive entertainment installation of claim 6, wherein each directional, velocity-dependent motion sensor is arranged directly in front of the at least one guest occupying the different one of the plurality of defined areas, and the physical movement for generating a guest-interaction signal is a horizontal movement by the at least one guest.

14. The interactive entertainment installation of claim 13, wherein the horizontal movement is a forward-thrown punch, kick, or similar motion.

15. An interactive entertainment installation, the interactive entertainment installation being divided into a plurality of defined areas, each defined area for occupancy by at least one guest of a plurality of guests of the interactive entertainment installation, the interactive entertainment installation comprising:

means for interfacing with the plurality of guests;

for each defined area,

means for emitting a signal of a predetermined frequency in the direction of a different one of the plurality of defined areas and receiving the signal reflected from the different one of the plurality of defined areas, and

means responsive to the received signal reflected from the different one of the plurality of defined areas for generating a guest-interaction signal; and

means for manipulating the plurality of guest interfaces in response to each generated guest-interaction signal.

16. A method for detecting guest interactions in an interactive entertainment installation, the interactive entertainment installation for occupancy by a plurality of guests, the method comprising:

for each of the plurality of guests,

emitting a signal of a predetermined frequency in the direction of the guest,

receiving the signal reflected from the guest with a directional, velocity-dependent sensor, wherein each sensor has a field of view uniquely covering each guest, and

generating, in response to the received reflected signal in the field of view, a guest-interaction signal.