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
An interactive object system, comprising:
- an interactive object comprising:
- an exterior surface of a housing that is in part transparent to infrared light and is in part reflective of infrared light;
- and
- a power harvesting device configured to receive the infrared light through the housing and to harvest power from the received infrared light;
- a special effect system coupled to the interactive object that receives power from the power harvesting device to power one or more special effects;
- and
- at least one infrared light emitter that emits light into the housing to the power harvesting device.
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 of the reflector assembly comprises a transmissive material and wherein the second portion of the reflector assembly comprises a reflective material;
- and
- a special effect system that is powered by the harvested power from the power harvesting device.
An interactive wand, comprising:
- an optical power harvesting device;
- a housing within which the optical power harvesting device is disposed, the housing comprising a reflector assembly that transmits infrared light through a first portion of the reflector assembly to the power harvesting device and that reflects the infrared light 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;
- a special effect system that is powered by the harvested power from the optical power harvesting device;
- and
- an object controller that generates instructions to activate a special effect of the special effect system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.