Apparatus for detecting guest interactions and method therefore
AssigneeDisney Enterprises, Inc.
InventorPaul H. Dietz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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).
Claims16
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.