# US 2016/0259332 A1 · Bubble Logic for Ride Vehicle Control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2016/0259332 A1 - Document ID: US20160259332A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/061,356 - Filed: 2016-03-04 - Published: 2016-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-06 - Assignees: Oceaneering International, Inc. - Applicants: Oceaneering International, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Wayne Boshears; Lauren Marie Etta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160259332A1 ## CPC - A63G 7/00: Up-and-down hill tracks; Switchbacks - B61L 25/025: {Absolute localisation, e.g. providing geodetic coordinates} - G05D 1/0289: {with means for avoiding collisions between vehicles (vehicle fittings for automatically controlling speed including means for detecting potential obstacles B60K31/0008; avoiding obstacles by action on the steering system B62D; radar, sonar, lidar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S13/93, G01S15/93, G01S17/93)} - A63G: MERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT - B61L: GUIDING RAILWAY TRAFFIC; ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RAILWAY TRAFFIC (brakes or auxiliary equipment B61H, B61K; point or crossing construction E01B) - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A ride control system uses logic to define and track a virtual space, or bubble, in real time around a plurality of ride vehicle deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate each independently of, and safely with respect to, the other ride vehicle deployed along the same predefined vehicle path at substantially the same time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A ride control system, comprising: a. a plurality of vehicle path sensors deployed about a predefined vehicle path, each vehicle path sensor of the plurality of vehicle path sensors comprising a unique position identifier; b. a plurality of ride vehicles deployed about the predefined vehicle path, each ride vehicle comprising a ride vehicle controller, a ride vehicle communication system, and a ride vehicle detector interoperative with the plurality of vehicle path sensors; c. a data communication system deployed proximate the predefined vehicle path, the data communication system operatively in communication with the plurality of vehicle path sensors and with the plurality of ride vehicles; d. a control system operatively in communication with the data communication system, with the plurality of vehicle path sensors, and with the plurality of ride vehicles deployed about the predefined vehicle path; and e. software operatively resident in the control system, the software comprising: i. deterministic location software, comprising a deterministic algorithm able to determine a current location of each ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicle currently deployed along the predefined vehicle path using the unique position identifiers of the plurality of vehicle path sensor; ii. deterministic spatial software, comprising a deterministic algorithm able to create a dynamic set of spatial coordinates describing a virtual space in real time around each ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicle, the virtual space defining a multi-dimensional set of spatial coordinates in which each ride vehicle can operate at or below a predetermined probability of physical contact with another ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicle; and iii. vehicle control software, comprising a deterministic algorithm able to adjust a predetermined set of physical characteristics of each ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicle based on the dynamic set of spatial coordinates and the determined current location of each ride vehicle of the plurality of ride vehicle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein the ride vehicle communication system comprises a transceiver. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein: a. the vehicle path sensor comprises an active sensor; and b. the ride vehicle detector comprises a passive ride trigger operative to trigger the active sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein: a. the ride vehicle detector comprises an active sensor; b. the vehicle path sensor comprises a passive sensor operative to trigger the active sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ride control system of claim 4, wherein the passive sensor comprises a magnetically encoded strip. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle path sensor comprises an acoustic positioning operator station (APOS) sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein the data communication system (50) comprises a high data rate communication system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein the data communication system (50) comprises a leaky coaxial communication system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein the predefined vehicle path comprises a tracked vehicle path, a non-tracked vehicle path, or a combination thereof ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein the unique position identifier further comprises a predefined set of spatial coordinates related to a current position of the vehicle path sensor with respect to the predefined vehicle path. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The ride control system of claim 1, wherein the control system is disposed proximate the predefined vehicle path. ### Claim 12 A method to allow a first ride vehicle deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate independently of a second ride vehicle deployed along the same predefined vehicle path at substantially the same time in real time, comprising: a. determining, in real time, a current location of a first ride vehicle deployed along a predefined vehicle path by using a first vehicle path sensor of a predetermined set of vehicle path sensors deployed about the predefined vehicle path, the first vehicle path sensor comprising a unique position identifier associated with a first predetermined spatial set of coordinates along the predefined vehicle path, and a first ride vehicle sensor interoperative with the first vehicle path sensor, the first vehicle path sensor reactive to proximity of the first ride vehicle detector when the first ride vehicle detector is deployed along the predetermined vehicle path; b. determining, in real time, a current location of a second ride vehicle deployed along the predefined vehicle path at substantially the same time as the first ride vehicle using a second vehicle path sensor of the predetermined set of vehicle path sensors deployed about the predefined vehicle path, the second vehicle path sensor comprising a unique position identifier associated with a second predetermined spatial set of coordinates along the predefined vehicle path, and a second ride vehicle detector interoperative with the second vehicle path sensor, the second vehicle path sensor reactive to proximity of the second ride vehicle detector when the second ride vehicle detector is deployed along the predetermined vehicle path; c. based on a predetermined set of ride vehicle physical characteristics for each of the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle, calculating a set of spatial coordinates describing a first virtual space in real time around the first ride vehicle and a second virtual space in real time around the second ride vehicle, the first virtual space describing coordinates within which the first ride vehicle can operate without the probability of physical contact with the second ride vehicle; d. calculating a current set of spatial coordinates for the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle with respect to the predefined vehicle path in real time; e. obtaining a first requested set of ride vehicle directives for the first ride vehicle; f. based on the first requested set of ride vehicle directives for the first ride vehicle, calculating a current stopping distance for the first ride vehicle with respect to the predefined vehicle path in real time; g. with the calculated set of spatial coordinates for the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle, comparing the calculated current stopping distance of the first ride vehicle to the calculated spatial coordinates of the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle with respect to the predefined vehicle path in real time; h. if the currently determined current distance between the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle with respect to the predefined vehicle path is greater than the calculated stopping distance, making no change to the set of ride vehicle directives for the first ride vehicle or set of ride vehicle directives for the second ride vehicle; and i. if the currently determined current distance between the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle with respect to the predefined vehicle path is less than the stopping distance, changing either or both of the set of ride vehicle directives for the first ride vehicle and set of ride vehicle directives for the second ride vehicle to place the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle at a distance within which the first ride vehicle can operate without the probability of physical contact with the second ride vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method to allow a first ride vehicle currently deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate independently of a second ride vehicle currently deployed along the same predefined vehicle path of claim 12, wherein the set of ride vehicle directives comprises speed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method to allow a first ride vehicle currently deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate independently of a second ride vehicle currently deployed along the same predefined vehicle path of claim 13, wherein changing either or both of the set of ride vehicle directives for the first ride vehicle and set of ride vehicle directives for the second ride vehicle comprises decreasing or increasing the speed of either or both of the first ride vehicle and the second ride vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method to allow a first ride vehicle currently deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate independently of a second ride vehicle currently deployed along the same predefined vehicle path of claim 12, wherein the predetermined set of ride vehicle characteristics comprises a representative outer boundary of each ride vehicle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method to allow a first ride vehicle currently deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate independently of a second ride vehicle currently deployed along the same predefined vehicle path of claim 12, wherein the virtual space is a function of the speed at which the specific ride vehicle is then currently moving along the predefined vehicle path. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method to allow a first ride vehicle currently deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate independently of a second ride vehicle currently deployed along the same predefined vehicle path of claim 12, wherein: a. the first ride vehicle detector comprises an active sensor; b. the second ride vehicle detector comprises an active sensor; c. the first vehicle path sensor is passively reactive to proximity of the first ride vehicle detector and triggers the active ride vehicle detector at a predetermined distance between the first vehicle path sensor and the first ride vehicle detector; and d. the second vehicle path sensor is passively reactive to proximity of the second ride vehicle detector and triggers the active ride vehicle detector at a predetermined distance between the second vehicle path sensor and the second ride vehicle detector. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method to allow a first ride vehicle currently deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate independently of a second ride vehicle currently deployed along the same predefined vehicle path of claim 11, wherein: a. the first ride path sensor comprises an active sensor; b. the second ride path sensor comprises an active sensor; c. the first vehicle path sensor is triggered by the ride vehicle detector at a predetermined distance between the first vehicle path sensor and the ride vehicle detector; and d. the second vehicle path sensor is triggered by the ride vehicle detector at a predetermined distance between the second vehicle path sensor and the second ride vehicle detector. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method to allow a first ride vehicle currently deployed along a predefined vehicle path to operate independently of a second ride vehicle currently deployed along the same predefined vehicle path of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second ride vehicles (10a,10b) communicates with the control system to provide the control system with their currently associated vehicle path sensor's unique position identifiers and to receive their respective sets of the set of ride vehicle directives from the control system.