Aerial display system with floating projection screens

• US 8,825,225 B1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Stark, James Alexander, Trowbridge, Robert Scott, Wong, Clifford
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US13/768,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 701/2, 701/4, 701/23, 701/24, 353/10, 353/70, 353/7, 353/121, 353/37, 348/51, 359/458, 359/462
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/00 Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 19/18 involving the use of optical projection means, e.g. projection of images on clouds projection apparatus per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/06 by aeroplanes, airships, balloons, or kites
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/14 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address

Abstract

A system for presenting an aerial display over an audience of spectators. The system includes a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a plurality of flexible projection screens. Each of the screens is supportable in a display air space by the UAVs. The system includes a ground control system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs. During operation during a display time period, the UAVs execute the flight plans to move and to position the flexible projection screens within the display air space. The flexible projection screens each may include a mesh body configured to have low wind resistance and to provide a projection surface for reflecting light. The system may include a projector projecting light onto the projection surface of at least one of the flexible projection screens during the display time period.

Claims

1. A system for providing an aerial display, comprising:

a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs);

a plurality of flexible projection screens, each supportable off the ground in a display air space by one or more of the UAVs; and

a ground control system with a processor executing a fleet manager module and with memory storing a different flight plan for each of the UAVs, wherein, during a display time period, the UAVs execute the flight plans to move and to position the flexible projection screens within the display air space.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the flexible projection screens each comprises a mesh body configured to have low wind resistance and to provide a projection surface for reflecting light.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a projector projecting light onto the projection surface of at least one of the flexible projection screens during the display time period.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the projector is adapted to track movement of the at least one of the flexible projection screens to project the light onto the projection surface while the flexible projection screen is positioned at two or more positions or orientations in the display air space.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the flexible projection screens each comprises an emissive display with air passageways to reduce wind resistance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the emissive displays each comprises a plurality of spaced apart light rods connected via a flexible frame, the flexible frame including tether points for connection to the UAVs.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the light rods each comprises a plurality of sets of light emitting diodes selectively operable to emit differing colors along a length of the light rod.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight plans are downloaded pre-flight to each of the UAVs and wherein during the display time period the UAVs independently and concurrently execute the downloaded flight plans.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the flight plans are downloaded pre-flight to each of the UAVs and wherein during display time period the UAVs independently and concurrently execute the downloaded flight plans and the fleet manager module communicates instructions to each of the UAVs to control operation of the UAVs during the performance of the aerial display.

10. An aerial display method, comprising:

at a plurality of multicopters, receiving a flight plan unique to each of the multicopters;

concurrently operating the multicopters to execute the flight plans within an air space; and

during the operating of the multicopters, supporting with the multicopters a plurality of projection screens to generate a visual display in the air space.

11. The method of claim 10, further including:

providing a communications channel between pairs of the multicopters;

with a first one of the multicopters detecting a second one of the multicopters in a predefined space proximal to the first one of the multicopters; and

operating the first one of the multicopters in a new manner based on an identity of the second one of the multicopters.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the projection screens comprises a flexible emissive display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the flexible emissive displays each comprises a flexible frame supporting a plurality of elongated light rods formed of a plurality of colored light sources and wherein gaps are provided between at least a number of the light rods to provide air passageways to reduce wind resistance.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the projection screens comprises a body with holes providing air passageways and a projection surface on at least a first side that is reflective of light and wherein the method further comprises projecting light upon projection surfaces of the projection screens.

15. An apparatus for use in an aerial display, comprising:

a multicopter,

a display element, with a projection surface, supported and selectively positioned by the multicopter within a display air space; and

a projector assembly projecting light onto the projection surface while the display element is flying through the display air space.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the projector assembly comprises a media controller projecting the light based on a show program and based on a position of the display element within the display air space.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the display element comprises a planar, flexible body with the projection surface on a side of the body.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the body includes air passageways to reduce air resistance.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the body comprises a sheet of material that is reflective to light on the side of the body containing the projection surface.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the projector assembly comprises two or more projectors concurrently projecting the light upon the projection surface, whereby the projected light is a blending of two or more light streams on the projection surface.