Interactive object systems and methods
AssigneeUniversal City Studios LLC
InventorsWei Cheng Yeh, Rachel E. Rodgers, Travis Jon Cossairt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interactive object system includes an interactive object and a source of electromagnetic radiation, e.g., an external source. A power harvesting device of the interactive object receives and harvests power from the electromagnetic radiation to power a special effect system of the interactive object. In an embodiment, the interactive object includes a retroreflective material that reflects electromagnetic radiation, which may be of a same or different wavelength as the electromagnetic radiation from which power is harvested. The interactive object system detects the reflected electromagnetic radiation, which may be used to trigger one or more additional actions related to the interactive object.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- an infrared emitter that emits infrared light;
- an interactive object comprising:
- a housing, wherein at least a portion of an exterior surface of the housing comprises a reflector assembly that is in part transparent to the infrared light and is in part reflective of the infrared light;
- an optical power harvesting device configured to receive the infrared light through the reflector assembly of the housing and to harvest power from the received infrared light;
- and
- a special effect system disposed in or on the housing that receives power from the optical power harvesting device to power one or more effects of the interactive object;
- a detector that detects reflected infrared light from the reflector assembly;
- and
- a controller that controls operation of the infrared emitter and that receives data indicative of the reflected infrared light from the detector.
A method, comprising:
- emitting first electromagnetic radiation, using a first light source, into an area;
- detecting the electromagnetic radiation reflected back from a retroreflective material in the area, wherein the retroreflective material is disposed on an interactive object;
- determining a location of the retroreflective material based on the detected electromagnetic radiation;
- and
- emitting second electromagnetic radiation, using the first light source or a second light source, towards the location to activate a special effect of the interactive object using power harvested from the second electromagnetic radiation.
An interactive object, comprising:
- a power harvesting device, wherein the power harvesting device harvests power from electromagnetic radiation;
- a housing within which the power harvesting device is disposed, the housing comprising:
- a reflector assembly that transmits the electromagnetic radiation through a first portion of the reflector assembly to the power harvesting device and that reflects the electromagnetic radiation to an external detector from a second portion of the reflector assembly, wherein the first portion comprises a transmissive material and wherein the second portion comprises a retroreflective material;
- and
- a special effect system that is powered by the harvested power from the power harvesting device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.