Loading turret system and method

Abstract

A scenic spot loading system is provided, which includes a loading platform. The loading platform includes a rotating portion configured to rotate around a central vertical axis of the loading platform and a stationary portion extending between a first edge and a second edge of the loading platform. The first edge and the second edge of the stationary portion include respective interfaces of the stationary portion and the rotating portion. The rotating portion rotates from the first edge to the second edge. The scenic spot loading system further includes a loading path disposed around a periphery of the loading platform.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 826,306, filed on March 29, 2019, entitled “LOADING TURNTABLE SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of amusement parks. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for implementing flexible passenger loading times in an amusement park attraction. Background Art

[0004] Recently, there is an interest in increasing the efficiency of the ride vehicles that improve the attractions of the amusement park by loading passengers. For example, some attractions may include a loading system, which has a ride vehicle that moves continuously along the loading area when passengers are unloaded from the ride vehicle and when new passengers are loaded into the ride vehicle. However, some passengers may take a long time to leave the ride vehicle and / or may take a long time to board the ride vehicle. That is, before the ride vehicle arrives at the end of the loading area, the load passenger may not be fully boarded and fixed within the ride vehicle. In such a case, all ride vehicles may be affected by the movement of the attractions and / or loading area, so as to give the load passenger extra time to board the ride vehicle. For example, in a scenario, each ride vehicle may reach a complete stop, so as to allow the load passenger to have extra time to board the ride vehicle in the loading area. The slowing down or stopping of the movement of the ride vehicle through the attractions may be disadvantageous to the throughput of the attractions, which can cause the waiting time of increase and the income of the reduction of the amusement park. Summary of the invention

[0005] Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the original claimed subject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter, but rather these embodiments are intended to provide only a brief overview of possible forms of the subject matter. In fact, the subject matter may include various forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0006] In one embodiment, an attraction loading system includes a loading platform. The loading platform includes a rotating portion configured to rotate around a central vertical axis of the loading platform and a stationary portion extending between a first edge and a second edge of the loading platform. The first edge and the second edge of the stationary portion include respective interfaces of the stationary portion and the rotating portion. The rotating portion rotates from the first edge to the second edge. The attraction loading system further includes a loading path disposed around a periphery of the loading platform and a ride vehicle configured to travel along the loading path.

[0007] In one embodiment, a method for loading passengers into a ride vehicle includes marking a ride vehicle traveling along a first portion of a loading path and directing the marked ride vehicle to stop along a second portion of the loading path. The method also includes determining an occupancy status of the marked ride vehicle while stopped along the second portion of the loading path. The method further includes directing the marked ride vehicle to travel from the second portion of the loading path along the first portion of the loading path based on the occupancy status.

[0008] In one embodiment, the scenic spot loading platform system includes a loading platform. The loading platform includes a stationary portion and a rotating portion. The rotating portion rotates around the central vertical axis of the loading platform and rotates from a first edge of the stationary portion to a second edge of the stationary portion. The scenic spot loading platform system further includes a motor configured to realize the rotation of the rotating portion and a controller configured to control the speed of the rotation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like symbols refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the loading system;

[0011] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 a schematic cross-sectional side view of a portion of a loading system;

[0012] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a method of operating a loading system; and

[0013] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a loading system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that there are one or more elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements in addition to the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0015] The disclosed embodiments generally relate to a loading system configured to provide a variable amount of available loading time for passengers into a ride vehicle. More specifically, the disclosed technology allows a variable amount of passenger loading time into a specific ride vehicle while allowing other ride vehicles to continue to pass through a loading area at a nominal speed and subsequently enter an attraction. For example, the disclosed loading system may include a loading area platform having a moving portion and a stationary portion. The loading area platform includes a continuously rotating turntable that rotates in unison with the movement of adjacent ride vehicles traveling along a loading area track portion, and both the turntable and the vehicle move at a relatively low speed than the speed of the ride vehicle in the attraction path. More specifically, the rotating turntable can form a partial annular portion disposed around a central axis that is interrupted by a stationary portion. The rotating turntable can rotate through only a portion of the total periphery of the loading area platform. The loading area is configured to receive an occupied ride vehicle (e.g., a passenger occupied vehicle) at a first end of the rotating portion. The ride vehicle and the rotating portion can rotate together from the first end of the rotating portion to the second end of the rotating portion. The rotational speed of the ride vehicle can be substantially matched to the rotational speed of the turntable so that relative movement between the ride vehicle and the turntable can be substantially imperceptible. In other words, the edge of the turntable can be stationary relative to the edge of the ride vehicle to create a stationary physical interface or virtual coupling between the ride vehicle and the turntable.

[0016] When the ride vehicle arrives at the first end of the rotating part of the turntable from the scenic spot path, the passenger can be unloaded from the ride vehicle to the rotating part. Once the passenger is unloaded from the ride vehicle, the new passenger can be guided to load from the rotating part to the ride vehicle. Usually, in order to increase the throughput of the user through the scenic spot, when the passenger unloads and loads the ride vehicle, the turntable and the ride vehicle can be rotated continuously at a nominal speed. The ride vehicle can continue to move with the turntable until the ride vehicle arrives at the second end of the rotating part. In the time consumed for the ride vehicle to arrive at the first end of the rotating part and rotate to the second end of the rotating part, the passenger can unload and load the ride vehicle. If when the ride vehicle arrives at the second end of the rotating part, the specific ride vehicle is occupied by the loaded passenger, then the ride vehicle can be guided to start the ride cycle of the scenic spot along the scenic spot path.

[0017] However, in some cases, passengers may need more time to load the ride vehicle than the time allocated by the ride vehicle traveling from the first end of the rotating part of the turntable to the second end. In addition, in some cases, passengers may just have a dislike for loading the moving ride vehicle from the moving platform (for example, due to the passenger's physical or mental state). In such a case, the ride operator can mark a specific ride vehicle to cause the specific ride vehicle to be transferred from the second end of the rotating part to the stationary part of the turntable. As described above, the stationary part of the turntable can be located circumferentially around the central axis between the first and second ends of the rotating part of the turntable. When positioned at the stationary part of the turntable, passengers can have an increased (for example, unlimited) amount of time to load into a specific ride vehicle. Once the passenger has successfully loaded into the specific ride vehicle, the ride operator can mark the specific ride vehicle again to move from the stationary part to the first end of the rotating part. From the first end of the rotating part, the specific ride vehicle can travel to the second end of the rotating part again and be guided to the scenic spot path from the second end of the rotating part. In this way, slower loading passengers may not cause disruption to other passengers because each ride vehicle continues to move through the loading zone at a nominal speed regardless of the loading time of other passengers' ride vehicles. Therefore, passengers may have an increased amount of available time to load ride vehicles.

[0018] Now turning to the attached figure, Figure 1 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a loading area 10 of a loading system 12. As shown, the loading area 10 may be part of an entire ride system 14 (e.g., an attraction). For example, passengers may be loaded into a ride vehicle 16 in the loading area 10, may travel along an attraction path 18 of the ride system 14, and may return to the loading area 10 to unload from the ride vehicle 16. While traveling along the attraction path 18, the passengers may be exposed to various experiences, such as virtual reality, alternate reality, environmental interactions, multiple ride paths, water features, special effects, etc. It should be noted that portions of the ride system 14 (such as the attraction path 18) have been intentionally simplified in order to focus on aspects of the loading system 12.

[0019] The loading system 12 may include a loading platform 20, an entry ramp 22, a loading path 24, and a ride vehicle 16. As shown, the loading platform 20 may extend circumferentially about a central vertical axis 25 to form a substantially flat surface in a plane perpendicular to the central vertical axis 25. The loading platform 20 may include a rotating portion 26 (e.g., a rotating turntable) and a stationary portion 28 (e.g., a stationary platform). The stationary portion 28 may include a stationary central portion 30 and a stationary radial portion 32. The stationary central portion 30 may be disposed about the central vertical axis 25. In fact, as shown, in some embodiments, the stationary central portion 30 may be substantially circular, wherein the center of the stationary central portion 30 is coaxial with the central vertical axis 25 and concentric with the annular portion formed by the rotating portion 26 and the stationary radial portion 32. More specifically, the visible surface or top surface 49 of the rotating portion 26 may extend only partially circumferentially about the central vertical axis 25 between the first edge 40 and the second edge 42 to form a partial annular portion or partial curved portion completed by the top surface 51 of the radial portion 32. The radial portion 32 may also extend only partially circumferentially about the central vertical axis 25 between the first edge 40 and the second edge 42. In fact, the first edge 40 and the second edge 42 may define a circumferential (e.g., relative to the central vertical axis 25) boundary between the rotating portion 26 and the radial portion 32.

[0020] In some embodiments, the rotation of the rotating portion 26 is a partial rotation from the first edge 40 of the stationary radial portion 32 to the second edge 42 of the stationary radial portion 32. That is, the rotating portion 26 does not form a complete loop around the periphery of the loading platform 20. However, in some embodiments, the rotating portion 26 sinks below the stationary radial portion 32 so that the top surface 49 appears again at the first edge 40. In such embodiments, the rotating portion 26 rotates in a complete loop or complete rotation around the axis of rotation. However, portions of the rotating portion 26 are below the common plane and do not form a top surface 49.

[0021] The rotating portion 26 can be composed of a series of wedges 44. The rotation of the rotating portion 26 can be driven by the wedges 44 through the rotation of the rotating portion 26 about the central vertical axis 25. In some embodiments, the rotating portion 26 can rotate in a clockwise 48 direction. Generally, the top surface 49 of the rotating portion 26 and the top surface 51 of the radial portion 32 can both be substantially disposed in a common horizontal plane (e.g., relative to the central vertical axis 25). Therefore, in the depicted embodiment, the top surface 49 of the wedge 44 is configured to be substantially disposed within the common horizontal plane when rotating through the rotating portion 26, and is configured to pass below the common horizontal plane when rotating through the stationary radial portion 32. For further illustration, Figure 2is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a wedge 44 about a first edge 40 of a loading system 12. As shown, a top surface 49 of the rotating portion 26 can be substantially coplanar with a top surface 51 of the stationary radial portion 32. In certain embodiments, adjacent wedges 44 can include a partially vertical interface 53 having interlocking grooves, similar to the function of steps in an escalator, such that adjacent wedges 44 can slide at least partially vertically (e.g., relative to the central vertical axis 25) along the grooves and relative to each other. Indeed, in some embodiments, the top surface 49 of the wedge 44 and the edges 40, 42 of the stationary radial portion 32 can include an interlocking interface 47 (e.g., grooves, teeth, ridges, etc.), similar to the top surface of a step of a conventional escalator. For example, as the wedge 44 rotates clockwise 48 past the second edge 42 (e.g., transferring from the rotating portion 26 to the stationary radial portion 32), the wedge 44 can move vertically below the stationary radial portion 32. For example, now returning to reference Figure 1 , the individual wedge-shaped portion 44a may move out of the plane and in a direction away from or downward from the top surface 49 of its adjacent wedge-shaped portion 44. The wedge-shaped portions 44 may further rotate clockwise 48 below the common horizontal plane of the stationary radial portion 32 toward the first edge 40. When the wedge-shaped portions 44 reach the first edge 40, the wedge-shaped portions 44 may shift vertically upward, shown as individual wedge-shaped portions 44b, such that the top surfaces 49 of the wedge-shaped portions 44 are disposed within the common horizontal plane as the wedge-shaped portions 44 pass the first edge 40.

[0022] The entry ramp 22 can be any suitable angled path, which can include steps, a substantially flat angled surface, an escalator, or any combination thereof. Generally, passengers can enter the loading area 10 from the entrance 50, descend the entry ramp 22 toward the central portion 30 of the loading platform 20, and load into the ride vehicle 16. Similarly, users can ascend the entry ramp 22 toward the entrance 50 to exit the loading area 10. As shown, the radial portion 32 can be disposed below a portion of the entry ramp 22.

[0023] The ride vehicle 16 may enter the loading area 10 from the attraction path 18. In particular, the attraction path 18 may connect to the loading path 24 at a first connection location 54 (e.g., a first track transition 55) and a second connection location 56 (e.g., a second track transition 57). The ride vehicle 16 may travel from the attraction path 18 to the first connection location 54 and travel clockwise 48 along the loading path 24 toward the second connection location 56. As will be appreciated, from the second connection location 56, the ride vehicle 16 may either be directed (e.g., recirculated) to continue clockwise 48 along the loading path 24 toward the first connection location 54, or may be directed along the attraction path 18.

[0024] As shown, the loading path 24 can be arranged around the perimeter (i.e., the circumference) of the loading platform 20. Passengers can load and unload the ride vehicles 16 as the ride vehicles 16 move along the loading path 24. The loading path 24 can include a track or a conveyor, or can be a virtual path along which the ride vehicles 16 travel. In some embodiments, the loading path 24 is the path along which the ride vehicles 16 travel when rotating with the loading platform 20 (i.e., rotating with the loading platform 20 or rotating at the same speed as the loading platform 20). As shown, when traveling along the loading path 24, the ride vehicles 16 can rotate at substantially the same rotational speed as the loading platform 20. In this way, the position and orientation of each ride vehicle 16 along the perimeter of the loading platform 20 can remain substantially constant. In other words, each ride vehicle 16 may maintain a temporarily fixed position relative to the periphery of the loading platform 20 while traveling through the loading path 24, and as the loading platform 20 rotates about the central vertical axis 25, such that the orientation of the loading platform 20 relative to the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., with the seat faces facing toward the center of the loading platform 20 or beside the edge of the loading platform 20) is substantially maintained. For example, in the presently illustrated embodiment having a substantially circular loading platform 20, each ride vehicle 16 may continuously face the central vertical axis 25 of the loading platform 20 as the ride vehicles 16 travel along the loading path 24. In certain embodiments, the rotation speed of the loading platform 20, and the speed of the ride vehicles 16 in the loading path 24, is less than the average speed of the ride vehicles 16 in the attraction path 18.

[0025] In the depicted embodiment, the ride vehicle 16 is configured to enter the loading area 10 from the attraction path 18 and pass through the first connection location 54 to travel clockwise 48 along the loading path 24 toward the second connection location 56 (e.g., the main portion 60 of the loading path 24). As the ride vehicle 16 travels along the main portion 60 of the loading path 24, passengers may be unloaded from the ride vehicle 16. Once passengers are unloaded from the ride vehicle 16, new passengers may be directed to load into the ride vehicle 16. As the ride vehicle 16 travels along the main portion 60, new passengers may attempt to load into the ride vehicle 16. If the new passenger has been successfully loaded into the ride vehicle 16 before the ride vehicle 16 reaches the second connection location 56, the ride vehicle 16 may be directed from the loading path 24 (e.g., via the second track transition 57 of the second connection location 56) to the attraction path 18. However, in some cases, a passenger may request or require additional time to load into the ride vehicle 16, or an operator may subjectively determine that a passenger may benefit from having additional time to load into the ride vehicle 16. For example, a passenger may indicate a preference not to load into the ride vehicle 16 from the rotating portion 26 of the loading platform 20. Thus, in such a situation, the ride operator may flag the ride vehicle 16 to cause the ride vehicle 16 to transfer from the main portion 60 of the loading path 24, across the second connection location 56, and toward the first connection location 54 (e.g., the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24). The ride vehicle 16 may come to a complete stop at the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 to allow passengers to be loaded into the ride vehicle 16 from the stationary radial portion 32. In some embodiments, multiple ride vehicles 16 may be positioned along the secondary portion 66 to allow passengers to be loaded into multiple ride vehicles 16 from the stationary loading portion 28 simultaneously. For example, as shown in the current embodiment, the secondary portion 66 may accommodate approximately two ride vehicles 16. However, it is to be understood that the secondary portion 66 may accommodate any suitable number of ride vehicles 16 .

[0026] The secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 can be disposed below the entrance ramp 22. That is, when passengers attempt to load into the ride vehicle 16, the passengers and the ride vehicle 16 can be disposed below the entrance ramp 22. Thus, the entrance ramp 22 is arranged such that the clearance below the entrance ramp 22 is sufficient to permit the ride vehicle 16 and any unloaded passengers to travel below the entrance ramp 22 from the location of the second connection location 56 to the clearance of the first connection location 54.

[0027] Additionally or alternatively, the ride vehicle 16 may be transferred to the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 based on the loading time of the passengers. For example, if a new passenger is not successfully loaded into the ride vehicle 16 before the ride vehicle 16 reaches the second connection location 56, the ride vehicle 16 may be directed (e.g., via the second track transition 57) to continue along the loading path 24 toward the first connection location 54 (e.g., along the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24). If the ride vehicle 16 is directed from the second connection location 56 toward the first connection location 54, the ride vehicle 16 may come to a complete stop along the secondary portion 66 until the passengers have been successfully loaded into the ride vehicle 16. That is, if a passenger is not loaded into the ride vehicle 16 when the ride vehicle 16 reaches the second connection location 56, the passengers may be transferred from the rotating portion 26 to the stationary radial portion 32 to be loaded into the ride vehicle 16, as described above.

[0028] After passengers are loaded into the ride vehicle 16 from the stationary radial section 32, the ride vehicle 16 may transfer across the first connection location 54 (e.g., from the secondary section 66 to the main section 60 via the first track transition 55) to recirculate along the main section 60 with the ride vehicle 16 coming from the attraction path 18. The ride vehicle 16 may then travel along the main section 60 and board the attraction path 18 at the second connection location 56.

[0029] With this in mind, Figure 3 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a loading process 80 that may be utilized by the loading system 12. Thus, the following discussion may be related to Figure 3 Parallel reference Figure 1 Additionally, the following discussion refers to the progression of a particular ride vehicle 16 through the loading process 80 .

[0030] At box 82, the ride vehicle 16 traveling along the main portion 60 (e.g., clockwise 48) can be marked. In particular, the ride operator can provide input to a controller (e.g., a vehicle controller and / or an attraction master controller) to mark the ride vehicle 16. Providing the input can include pressing a button on a control panel, using a key, using a short-range communication device (e.g., an RFID tag), or any other suitable input. Marking the ride vehicle 16 distinguishes the ride vehicle 16 from other ride vehicles 16 with respect to the operation of the controller. In some embodiments, the ride operator can provide input to mark the ride vehicle 16 based on a request from a passenger who wants to board the ride vehicle 16.

[0031] At block 84, the ride vehicle 16 may be directed from the main portion 60 of the loading path 24, which may be adjacent to the rotating portion 26, to the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24, which may be adjacent to the stationary radial portion 32. That is, in some embodiments, the second track transition 57 disposed at the second connection location 56 may direct the ride vehicle 16 from the main portion 60 to the secondary portion 66, as opposed to directing the ride vehicle 16 from the main portion 60 to the attraction path 18. In some embodiments, the embodiments described in block 82 may implement (e.g., trigger) the embodiments described with reference to block 84.

[0032] At box 86, the ride vehicle 16 may cease movement along the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24. In other words, the ride vehicle 16 may come to a stop along the secondary portion 66 adjacent to the stationary radial portion 32. In some embodiments, a braking system of the ride vehicle 16 may be activated to cause the ride vehicle 16 to come to a stop at the secondary portion 66. Additionally, in some embodiments, the ride operator may simply guide the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., by grabbing onto the ride vehicle 16 by hand or a device and walking along the loading platform 20) to a stationary position along the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24.

[0033] At box 88, the occupancy state of the ride vehicle 16 can be determined. For example, the ride operator can determine that the passengers are fully loaded and secured into the ride vehicle 16. When this is determined, the ride operator can provide an occupancy confirmation input to the controller. Providing input can include pressing a button on a control panel, using a key, using a short-range communication device (e.g., an RFID tag), or any other suitable input. The ride operator can provide input based on his or her subjective judgment. That is, the ride operator can determine to provide input when the ride vehicle is fully occupied, partially occupied, or without passengers. In addition, in some embodiments, the occupancy state of the ride vehicle 16 can be based on one or more sensors that detect the presence of passengers in the ride vehicle and the state of the restraints of the ride vehicle and provide an occupancy confirmation input to the controller.

[0034] At box 90, the ride vehicle 16 may be recirculated from the secondary portion 66 (e.g., via the first track transition 55 at the first connection location 54) to the main portion 60 of the loading path 24. That is, the ride vehicle 16 may be placed within the flow of incoming ride vehicles 16 from the attraction path 18 to the loading area 10.

[0035] For purposes of illustration, the ride vehicles 16 moving along the main portion 60 of the loading path 24 may generally move at constant intervals along the loading path 24. Therefore, assuming that each ride vehicle 16 is also directed from the main portion 60 along the attraction path 18, the ride vehicles 16 may also generally travel at constant intervals along the attraction path 18. However, as described in the embodiment of block 84, at the second connection location 56, the ride vehicles 16 may be directed from the main portion 60 to the secondary portion 66, as opposed to being directed along the attraction path 18. In such an embodiment, an extended interval (e.g., a gap, bubble, space) may occur between two adjacent vehicles 16 traveling along the attraction path 18 because the ride vehicle 16 that has been disposed between adjacent vehicles 16 along the loading path 24 is directed to the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24, rather than to the attraction path 18.

[0036] Adjacent ride vehicles 16 may travel along the attraction path 18 while maintaining an extended interval between them. Thus, when adjacent ride vehicles 16 return from the attraction path 18 to the loading area 10, the ride vehicles 16 in the secondary portion 66 may be transferred to the main portion 60 of the loading path 24 so that the ride vehicles 16 are disposed between two adjacent ride vehicles 16 (e.g., in the extended interval between them). For example, when an occupancy confirmation signal (e.g., block 88) is received, the ride vehicles 16 may be ready to transfer to the extended interval (the extended interval created by the ride vehicles 16 by transferring to the secondary portion 66) traveling along the attraction path 18. In fact, the embodiment of block 90 may be triggered or implemented based on the embodiment of block 88. When adjacent ride vehicles 16 with an extended interval between them arrive at the first connection position 54 from the attraction path 18, the ride vehicles 16 may be transferred to the space between the adjacent ride vehicles 16 to continue along the main portion 60 of the loading path 24.

[0037] At box 92, the ride vehicle 16 may transfer from the main portion 60 of the loading path 24 to the attraction path 18 at the second connection location 56 (e.g., via the second track transition 57). In practice, since passengers have already been loaded into the ride vehicle 16 from the stationary radial portion 32 when the ride vehicle 16 stops at the secondary portion 66, the ride vehicle 16 may be directed to the attraction path 18 upon reaching the second connection location 56 to complete the ride loop.

[0038] In some embodiments, to unload from the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., after the ride vehicle 16 has completed a ride loop along the attraction path 18), the ride vehicle 16 may be marked again (e.g., block 82) to transfer to the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 to allow passengers to unload onto the stationary radial portion 32. Thus, while the ride vehicle 16 is still in place at the radial portion 32, additional passengers may also be loaded into the ride vehicle 16. In some embodiments, the ride vehicle 16 may be a continuously marked vehicle such that the ride vehicle 16 may be directed to stop at the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 after each ride loop.

[0039] Figure 4 is a block diagram of the loading system 12. Figure 4 As seen in FIG. 1 , the loading system includes a turntable assembly 106 that drives the rotation of the loading platform 20 via a motor 108 and a turntable controller 110. The turntable controller 110 can be coupled to a central ride controller 120 (e.g., an attraction controller) and can communicate via a wireless network (e.g., a wireless local area network [WLAN], a wireless wide area network [WWAN], a near field communication [NFC]) and / or via a wired network (e.g., a local area network [LAN], a wide area network [WAN]). The controller 120 includes a processor 124 and a memory 126. It should be understood that other disclosed components of the loading system 12 can also include a memory and a processor and can be operated to execute processor-based instructions stored in the memory. The central ride controller 120 can also control vehicle movement and can communicate with the first track transition 55 and the second track transition 57 and their respective controllers 130, 132 to guide the movement of the ride vehicle 16 between the attraction path 18 and the loading path 24. For example, in one embodiment, the controller 120 may receive a signal or data that one or more ride vehicles 16 approaching the second track transition 57 are not tagged. When the ride vehicle or multiple ride vehicles 16 approach the second track transition 57, the second track transition 57 receives a signal to transition to a position (or remain therein) to direct the ride vehicle 16 onto the attraction path 18. In another example, when the ride system 14 is in operation and the ride vehicles 16 passing through the loading path 24 are tagged, the second track transition 57 receives a signal from the controller 120 to move to a position (or remain therein) to recirculate the ride vehicles 16 toward the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24.

[0040] The central controller 120 may permit operator input via an operator interface 140, which may include a display 142. In some embodiments, an operator may send one or more signals to the central controller 120 via the operator interface 140 to operate the loading system 12 as discussed herein.

[0041] In general, the embodiments disclosed herein are configured to provide a system and method for providing a variable loading time for passengers to be loaded into a ride vehicle. For example, the disclosed embodiments include an attraction with a loading area, the loading area having a ride vehicle that is configured to rotate with a turntable when passengers unload and load the ride vehicle. Typically, when the ride vehicle travels through the loading area, the passenger has a set amount of time to load into the ride vehicle. However, the passenger may prefer more than the set amount of time, or may prefer to load into the ride vehicle from a stationary surface. Therefore, the turntable may include a stationary portion and a rotating portion. Typically, passengers can be loaded into the ride vehicle in the rotating portion, and can be guided to start a ride cycle from the rotating portion. However, the turntable also includes a stationary portion, which is configured to accommodate the ride vehicle to remain stationary for a period of time when other vehicles continue to move through the loading area via the rotating portion. Therefore, some passengers who need extra time to load into the ride vehicle can do so without interfering with the throughput of other ride vehicles. The uninterrupted process of the ride vehicle passing through the attraction enables the attraction to circulate a large number of tourists through the attraction, thereby improving the efficiency of the attraction.

[0042] Although only certain features of the present embodiment have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the substantive spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, it should be understood that certain elements of the disclosed embodiments may be combined or exchanged with each other.

[0043] The technology presented and claimed herein is cited and applied to physical and specific examples of a practical nature that significantly improve the art and is therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. In addition, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [performing] ... [function]" or "steps for [performing] ... [function]," it is intended that these elements be interpreted in accordance with 35 USC 112 (f). However, for any claim containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that these elements not be interpreted in accordance with 35 USC 112 (f).

Claims

1. A scenic spot loading system, comprising: Loading platform, including: a rotating portion configured to rotate about a central vertical axis of the loading platform; and a stationary portion extending between a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edge and the second edge of the stationary portion comprise respective interfaces of the stationary portion with the rotating portion, and wherein the rotating portion rotates from the first edge to the second edge; a loading path disposed about a perimeter of the loading platform, wherein a ride vehicle is configured to travel along the loading path; and a track transition configured to move the ride vehicle from a main portion of the loading path to an attraction path in a first configuration and to move the ride vehicle from the main portion of the loading path to a secondary portion of the loading path to re-circulate the ride vehicle in a second configuration.

2. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 1, wherein: Respective top surfaces of the rotating portion and the stationary portion are disposed substantially within a common plane disposed perpendicularly relative to the central vertical axis.

3. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 1, wherein: The rotation speed of the rotating section is configured to substantially match the travel speed of the ride vehicle along the loading path so that a particular point on the top surface of the rotating section remains a fixed distance from the ride vehicle as the ride vehicle travels along the loading path.

4. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 3, wherein: The stationary portion is configured to be stationary relative to the ride vehicle as the ride vehicle travels along the loading path such that a distance between the ride vehicle and another particular point on the stationary portion changes during travel.

5. The attraction loading system of claim 1, further comprising a central portion coaxially positioned within the loading platform, wherein: The central portion does not rotate with the rotating portion.

6. The attraction loading system of claim 5 including a passenger entry path connected to the central portion.

7. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 1, wherein: The rotating portion includes a plurality of wedge-shaped portions coupled to each other via corresponding interlocking grooves.

8. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 7, wherein: An individual wedge of the plurality of wedges positioned adjacent the second edge is configured to move out of the plane of the loading platform during rotation of the rotating portion to guide another wedge of the plurality of wedges into a position adjacent the second edge.

9. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 7, wherein: An individual wedge of the plurality of wedges adjacent the first edge is configured to rotate away from the first edge while another wedge moves into the plane of the loading platform and into a position adjacent the first edge.

10. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 7, wherein: Each individual wedge-shaped portion of the plurality of wedge-shaped portions is configured to move vertically relative to an adjacent wedge-shaped portion of the plurality of wedge-shaped portions via movement along the respective interlocking groove.

11. The attraction loading system of claim 1 , comprising a second track transition configured to move the ride vehicle from the attraction path to a main portion of the loading path in a third configuration or to move the ride vehicle from the secondary portion of the loading path to the main portion of the loading path in a fourth configuration.

12. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 11, wherein: The secondary portion of the loading path is at least partially adjacent to the stationary portion of the loading platform.

13. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 1, wherein: The rotating part rotates below the stationary part.

14. The scenic spot loading system according to claim 1, wherein: The rotation range of the rotating portion top surface substantially in a common plane with the stationary portion top surface is between the first edge and the second edge.

15. A method of loading passengers into a ride vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a sensor signal indicative of an occupancy status of a ride vehicle traveling along a first portion of a loading path; controlling a track transition from a fifth configuration to a sixth configuration, wherein the fifth configuration couples a first portion of the loading path to an attraction path, and wherein the sixth configuration couples the first portion of the loading path to a secondary portion of the loading path, based on a sensor signal indicating an incompletely loaded occupancy state of the ride vehicle; directing the ride vehicle to stop along a second portion of the loading path; receiving an occupancy confirmation signal from the ride vehicle while stopped along the second portion of the loading path; and Based on the occupancy confirmation signal, the track transition is controlled to cause the ride vehicle to recirculate along the first portion of the loading path.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising directing the ride vehicle from the first portion of the loading path to the attraction path after the ride vehicle travels along the first portion of the loading path.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising directing the ride vehicle from the attraction path back to the first portion of the loading path after completing the attraction path.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising controlling rotation of a rotating portion of a loading platform to match a speed of the ride vehicle along the first portion of the loading path.

19. A scenic spot loading platform system, comprising: A loading platform comprising a stationary portion and a rotating portion, wherein the rotating portion rotates about a central vertical axis of the loading platform and rotates from a first edge of the stationary portion to a second edge of the stationary portion; a motor configured to rotate the rotating portion; a controller configured to control a speed of the rotation; and and a track transition configured to transition between a seventh configuration in which a ride vehicle moves from an attraction path to a main portion of a loading path in the seventh configuration, or to transition between an eighth configuration in which a ride vehicle moves from a secondary portion of the loading path to a main portion of the loading path, wherein the loading path is disposed around the loading platform.

20. The scenic spot loading platform system according to claim 19, wherein: The rotating portion is further configured to rotate from the second edge to the first edge by passing under the stationary portion.

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