Systems and methods for providing in-app messaging

Abstract

The systems and methods presented herein provide an in-app messaging system (14), the in-app messaging system (14) including an audio generation system (46), the audio generation system (46) configured to encode at least one audio watermark (50) within an audio signal (48) and configured to broadcast the audio signal (48) into a physical environment. The in-app messaging system (14) further includes a portable electronic device (12), the portable electronic device (12) configured to receive the audio signal (48) from the physical environment, configured to identify at least one audio watermark (50) encoded within the audio signal (48), and display in-app messaging information (80) via an application (84) running on the portable electronic device (12). The in-app messaging information (80) is at least partially based on the at least one audio watermark (50).

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 852,660, filed on May 24, 2019, entitled "Systems and Methods for Providing In-App Messaging," which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for providing in-app messaging. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods for enabling customers of an amusement park to view in-app messaging related to attractions of the amusement park, the in-app messaging being generated via an audio watermark encoded within audio provided with respect to a particular attraction.

[0004] An amusement park can include a variety of entertainment attractions, restaurants, souvenir shops, and rides that are useful in providing fun for customers of the amusement park (e.g., families and / or people of all ages). These attractions can be associated with audio presentations and / or video presentations that contribute to the entertainment value. However, customers of the amusement park may expect additional information related to the attractions. Additionally, some customers may not hear as well as other customers, such that providing additional information related to the attractions would be appreciated.

[0005] This section is intended to introduce to the reader various technical aspects that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and / or claimed hereinafter. This discussion is considered to be helpful in providing background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light and not as an admission of prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Certain embodiments are summarized below that are commensurate in scope with the originally claimed subject matter. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter, but rather, these embodiments are only intended to provide a short summary of possible forms of the subject matter. Indeed, the subject matter may encompass a wide variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth hereinafter.

[0007] In some embodiments, an in-app messaging system includes an audio generation system configured to encode at least one audio watermark within an audio signal and broadcast the audio signal into a physical environment. The in-app messaging system also includes a portable electronic device configured to receive the audio signal from the physical environment, configured to identify at least one audio watermark encoded within the audio signal, and display in-app messaging information via an application running on the portable electronic device. The in-app messaging information is at least partially based on the at least one audio watermark.

[0008] Additionally, in some embodiments, the portable electronic device includes an audio sensor configured to detect an audio signal broadcast into the physical environment. The portable electronic device also includes processing circuitry configured to identify at least one audio watermark encoded within the audio signal and configured to cause a display of the portable electronic device to display in-app messaging information at least partially based on the at least one audio watermark.

[0009] Additionally, in some embodiments, an in-app messaging system includes an audio generation system configured to encode at least one audio watermark within an audio signal. The in-app messaging system also includes one or more audio systems configured to broadcast the audio signal into the physical environment.

[0010] Various minor improvements to the features noted above may be implemented with respect to various aspects of the present disclosure. Additionally, further features may be incorporated into these various aspects. These minor improvements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] 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 characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

[0012] Figure 1 is a schematic representation of an amusement park configured to provide in-app messaging via a portable electronic device used by a customer of the amusement park, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an in-app messaging system for providing in-app messaging via an application running on a portable electronic device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 is a screenshot of an application of the in-app messaging system depicting a main menu screen, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4A depiction of a prompt for accessing an audio device of a portable electronic device running the application in response to a customer's confirmation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 A screenshot of an application of an in - app messaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which notifies a customer that in - app messaging will occur via the application;

[0017] Figure 6 A screenshot of an application of an in - app messaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which depicts the presentation of in - app messaging via the application;

[0018] Figure 7 A depiction of a prompt for accessing a camera of a portable electronic device running the application in response to a customer's confirmation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 8 A screenshot of an application of an in - app messaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which depicts the presentation of in - app messaging in combination with a captured video via the application;

[0020] Figure 9 A screenshot of an application of an in - app messaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which depicts a message for a customer presenting that access to an audio device of a portable electronic device needs to be enabled; and

[0021] Figure 10 A screenshot of an application of an in - app messaging system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which depicts a message for a customer presenting that access to a camera of a portable electronic device needs to be enabled. Detailed Description

[0022] One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter. For the sake of providing a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of the actual implementation may be described in the specification. It should be realized that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, many implementation - specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals that may vary depending on the implementation, such as compliance with system - related constraints and business - related constraints. In addition, it should be realized that such development efforts may be complex and time - consuming, but for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from the present disclosure, they will merely be routine tasks of design, fabrication, and manufacture. Moreover, with regard to the use of certain terms such as parallel, perpendicular, etc. herein, it should be understood that these terms allow for certain deviations from the strictly mathematical definitions, for example, to account for deviations associated with manufacturing defects and associated tolerances.

[0023] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that there is one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than 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 construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0024] Amusement park attractions have become increasingly popular, and various amusement park attractions have been created to provide unique audio and visual experiences to the customers of the amusement park. However, auxiliary systems and methods for further enhancing these experiences are desirable. For example, the embodiments described herein facilitate the delivery of additional information related to various amusement park attractions via a portable electronic device such as a mobile phone (e.g., a smart phone), a tablet computer, a wearable device (e.g., glasses, goggles, a watch, etc.), or any other suitable device that can be carried by a customer of the amusement park. In particular, in certain embodiments, an in-app messaging system can be used to broadcast audio into the physical environment of an amusement park attraction, where the audio includes an audio watermark encoding data related to subtitles associated with the amusement park attraction, data related to multilingual messaging associated with the amusement park attraction, data related to a special guided tour associated with the amusement park attraction, data related to hidden secrets associated with the amusement park attraction, and so on. The portable electronic device can receive the broadcast audio, and depending on certain settings of the particular portable electronic device (e.g., whether in-app messaging has been selected), may cause an application running on the particular portable electronic device to display information related to the data encoded in the audio watermark.

[0025] Furthermore, in certain embodiments, depending on whether the camera of the particular portable electronic device has been activated (e.g., activated by the customer using the portable electronic device), information related to the data encoded in the audio watermark can be displayed on the portable electronic device together with the images and / or videos captured by the camera of the portable electronic device. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the in-app messaging system can be used to encode a video watermark in certain movie presentations associated with an amusement park attraction. If the camera of the portable electronic device has been activated, the camera can detect the video watermark by capturing the video of the movie presentation, and depending on certain settings of the particular portable electronic device (e.g., whether in-app messaging has been selected), may cause an application running on the particular portable electronic device to display information related to the data encoded in the video watermark.

[0026] In view of this, Figure 1is a schematic representation of an amusement park 10 configured to provide in-app messaging via a portable electronic device 12 used by a customer 20 of the amusement park 10. As illustrated, in some embodiments, the amusement park 10 includes an in-app messaging system 14 configured to encode an audio watermark within audio delivered via one or more audio systems 16 located within the amusement park 10, where the audio watermark can be used by the portable electronic device 12 to provide in-app messaging related to various attractions of the amusement park 10 (e.g., captions, multilingual messaging, special guided tours, hidden secrets, etc.). For example, an audio system 16 located within a particular attraction of the amusement park 10 can provide audio related to the particular attraction, and the audio can include an audio watermark specifically related to the particular attraction. In Figure 1 the illustrated embodiment, the in-app messaging system 14 includes a wireless communication system 18 configured to facilitate the delivery of audio to the audio systems 16 located around the amusement park 10. In other words, the in-app messaging system 14 can be implemented as a centralized system that communicates wirelessly with the audio systems 16 located around the amusement park 10. However, in other embodiments, the in-app messaging system 14 can be local to a particular attraction 24.

[0027] Accordingly, the embodiments described herein facilitate providing in-app messaging via a portable electronic device 12 carried by a customer 20 by detecting an audio watermark encoded within audio received from an audio system 16 located around the amusement park 10. For example, when a customer 20 is waiting in a loading queue 22 for a particular attraction 24 (e.g., a ride), in-app messaging related to the particular attraction 24 (for which the customer 20 is in the loading queue 22) can be provided to the customer 20 for entertainment while the customer 20 waits in the loading queue 22. As another example, during the presentation of certain movie presentations (e.g., via one or more display systems 28) at a particular attraction (e.g., a theater 26), in-app messaging related to the particular movie presentation can be provided to the customer 20 to provide the customer 20 with additional information related to the movie presentation. In fact, in-app messaging can be provided in relation to any type of attraction of the amusement park 10. For example, in-app messaging can be provided within and around water slides 30 and other types of thrill rides, recreational areas, etc. In addition, in-app messaging can also be provided for non-ride attractions such as restaurants 32 and for park areas 34 with a particular theme (e.g., a park "village").

[0028] As described in more detail herein, in-app messaging can be provided via an application running on a portable electronic device 12 owned by a customer 20. In some embodiments, when a customer 20 arrives at an entrance passageway 36 (e.g., a hotel front desk, a kiosk, a customer service counter, a park gate), in addition to other items such as a park map, virtual queue instructions, and amenity instructions, an access credential (e.g., an active wearable device or ticket that can run an application providing in-app messaging) can also be provided to the customer 20. However, in some instances, the customer 20 may have obtained the access credential prior to arrival and can skip collecting such a credential at the entrance passageway 36. In either case, the access credential can be linked to an application running on the portable electronic device 12 owned by the customer 20. Information media (e.g., audio, video) and instructional signage can be present at the entrance passageway 36. Additionally, in some embodiments, if the customer 20 does not have an application installed on their portable electronic device 12, the customer 20 may be prompted to download the application when the customer 20 passes through the entrance passageway (or shortly thereafter). As described in more detail herein, the audio and video presented at the entrance passageway 36 can also be supplemented via in-app messaging using the application running on the customer 20's portable electronic device 12. In some cases, if the customer 20 is not carrying the portable electronic device 12 with them, the portable electronic device 12 can be distributed to the customer 20, for example, at a kiosk 38 located within the entrance passageway 36 of the amusement park 10 exactly.

[0029] As described in more detail herein, in-app messaging is provided to the portable electronic device 12 via an in-app messaging system 14, and the portable electronic device 12 can include one or more computers 40, each of the one or more computers 40 including at least one processor 42 and at least one memory 44, and the at least one processor 42 and the at least one memory 44 can deliver audio including an audio watermark to an audio system 16 located around the amusement park 10.

[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an in-app messaging system 14 for providing in-app messaging via an application running on a portable electronic device 12, where the portable electronic device 12 is owned by a customer 20 or distributed to the customer 20 by the amusement park 10. As Figure 2 illustrated, in some embodiments, the in-app messaging system 14 can include one or more portable electronic devices 12 that can be used by a customer 20 of the amusement park 10. Additionally, as also in Figure 2As described in, in some embodiments, the in-app messaging system 14 can include an audio generation system 46 configured to generate audio 48 that includes an audio watermark 50 encoded therein. The audio watermark 50 can be broadcast by one or more audio systems 16 located around the amusement park 10 and can be detected by one or more portable electronic devices 12 to generate in-app messaging that can be displayed via an application running on the one or more portable electronic devices 12. Additionally, as also in Figure 2 As described in, in some embodiments, the in-app messaging system 14 can include a video generation system 52 configured to generate a video 54 that includes a video watermark 56 encoded therein. The video watermark 56 can be broadcast by one or more display systems 28 located around the amusement park 10 and can be detected by one or more portable electronic devices 12 to generate in-app messaging that can be displayed via an application running on the one or more portable electronic devices 12. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, Figure 2 the in-app messaging system 14 described in can be used solely to provide in-app messaging for a particular attraction of the amusement park 10. However, in other embodiments, the in-app messaging system 14 can be used to coordinate and provide in-app messaging for any number (if not all) of the attractions of the amusement park 10.

[0031] As Figure 2 As described in, in some embodiments, the audio generation system 46 can include processing circuitry such as a processor 58 and a memory 60 that can be used to generate audio 48 that includes an audio watermark 50 associated with a particular attraction of the amusement park 10. More specifically, the processor 58 can execute processor-executable instructions stored in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium such as the memory 60 and / or other storage devices to generate the audio watermark 50 using an audio watermarking algorithm such as an extended spectrum audio watermarking algorithm, a least significant bit audio watermarking algorithm, a phase decoding audio watermarking algorithm, an echo hiding audio watermarking algorithm, a time scale modification audio watermarking algorithm, an amplitude modification audio watermarking algorithm, a replica modulation audio watermarking algorithm, a dither audio watermarking algorithm, a self-labeling audio watermarking algorithm, or some combination thereof, and to encode the audio watermark 50 within the audio 48 provided to the one or more audio systems 16. In some embodiments, the processor 58 can be a general-purpose processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration.

[0032] In some embodiments, the audio generation system 46 may be configured to deliver audio 48 to one or more audio systems 16 located around the amusement park 10 via a wireless communication system 18 (e.g., a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), a near field communication (NFC) network, or any other suitable wireless network). In such embodiments, the audio generation system 46 may include communication circuitry 62 configured to wirelessly communicate with the communication circuitry 64 of one or more audio systems 16 to deliver the audio 48 to the one or more audio systems 16. However, in other embodiments (particularly those in which the audio generation system 46 is only providing audio 48 for a particular attraction of the amusement park 10), the communication circuitry 62 of the audio generation system 46 may be directly coupled to the communication circuitry 64 of one or more audio systems 16, for example, via a cable (such as an audio cable, a communication cable, etc.).

[0033] In some embodiments, one or more of the audio systems 16 may also include processing circuitry such as a processor 66 and a memory 68, which may be used to process the audio 48 received from the audio generation system 46 and broadcast the audio 48 into the physical environment around the one or more audio systems 16. More specifically, the processor 66 may execute processor-executable instructions stored in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as the memory 68 and / or other storage devices) to process the audio 48 received from the audio generation system 46 and broadcast the audio 48. In some embodiments, the processor 66 may be a general-purpose processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration.

[0034] In some embodiments, the portable electronic device 12 may be a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone), a tablet computer, a wearable device (e.g., such as augmented reality (AR) glasses, AR goggles, a watch, etc.), or any other suitable device that can be carried by a customer 20 around the amusement park 10 and is configured to run an application to display in-app messaging information related to a particular attraction of the amusement park 10, at least in part based on an audio watermark 50 encoded in the audio 48, where the audio 48 may be detected by one or more audio sensors 70 (e.g., a microphone, etc.) of the portable electronic device 12. In some embodiments, one or more of the audio sensors 70 may detect the audio 48 by listening for the audio 48 passively. However, in other embodiments, one or more of the audio sensors 70 may be prompted to listen for the audio 48 actively, at least in part based on a user request received via an input device 72 (e.g., a button, a touch screen, etc.) of the portable electronic device 12.

[0035] In some embodiments, to provide in-app messaging based at least in part on an audio watermark 50 encoded within the received audio 48, the portable electronic device 12 can include processing circuitry, such as a processor 74 and a memory 76. In some embodiments, the processor 74 can be a general-purpose processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration. The processor 74 can execute processor-executable instructions stored in a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as the memory 76 and / or other storage devices, to identify the audio watermark 50 encoded within the audio 48 and thereby cause the display 78 of the portable electronic device 12 to display in-app messaging information 80 based at least in part on the audio watermark 50. In some embodiments, the processor 74 can execute processor-executable instructions to identify the audio watermark 50 by decoding the audio watermark 50 encoded within the audio 48 by using an audio watermarking algorithm, such as an extended-spectrum audio watermarking algorithm, a least significant bit audio watermarking algorithm, a phase-coded audio watermarking algorithm, an echo hiding audio watermarking algorithm, a time-scale modification audio watermarking algorithm, an amplitude modification audio watermarking algorithm, a replica modulation audio watermarking algorithm, a flutter audio watermarking algorithm, a self-labeling audio watermarking algorithm, or some combination thereof.

[0036] In some embodiments, the processor 74 can execute processor-executable instructions to locally determine the in-app messaging information 80 based at least in part on the audio watermark 50, such as by accessing the in-app messaging information 80 from a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of the portable electronic device 12, such as the memory 76 and / or other storage devices. However, in other embodiments, the processor 74 can execute processor-executable instructions to cause the communication circuitry 82 of the portable electronic device 12 to wirelessly transmit a signal indicating the audio watermark 50 to the communication circuitry 62 of the audio generation system 46, where the audio generation system 46 is configured to determine the in-app messaging information 80 based at least in part on the signal received from the portable electronic device 12, such as by accessing the in-app messaging information 80 from a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of the audio generation system 46, such as the memory 60 and / or other storage devices, and is configured to transmit the in-app messaging information 80 back to the portable electronic device 12 via wireless communication of the communication circuitry 62, 82.

[0037] In some embodiments, the in-app messaging information 80 can include closed caption information, open caption information, real-time caption information, multilingual translation information, tour guide information, hidden secret information, or some combination thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the in-app messaging information 80 can include captions directly related to the audio 48 and / or video 54 being broadcast near a particular attraction 24 of the amusement park 10. In other embodiments, the in-app messaging information 80 can include multilingual translations related to the audio 48 and / or video 54 being broadcast near a particular attraction 24 of the amusement park 10. For example, if the settings of the portable electronic device 12 being used by the customer 20 indicate that the preferred language is Spanish and the audio 48 and / or video 54 being broadcast near a particular attraction 24 of the amusement park 10 is in English, then the in-app messaging information 80 can provide a translation of the audio 48 and / or video 54. In other embodiments, the in-app messaging information 80 can include tour guide information that can provide additional information about a particular attraction 24 and / or the amusement park 10 in general. In other embodiments, the in-app messaging information 80 can include hidden secrets about a particular attraction 24 and / or the amusement park 10 in general that other customers 20 may not be aware of.

[0038] As described in more detail herein, the processor 74 of the portable electronic device 12 can execute processor-executable instructions to execute an application 84 that displays the in-app messaging information 80 via the display 78 of the portable electronic device 12. In some embodiments, the processor 74 can execute processor-executable instructions to launch the application 84 in response to the identification of the audio watermark 50. In other embodiments, in a situation where the in-app messaging information 80 is determined locally by the portable electronic device 12, the processor 74 can execute processor-executable instructions to launch the application 84 in response to the determination of the in-app messaging information 80. In other embodiments, in a situation where the in-app messaging information 80 is determined by the audio generation system 46, the audio generation system 46 can send a control signal to the portable electronic device 12 to launch the application 84 and display the in-app messaging information 80 via the application 84 in response to the determination of the in-app messaging information 80.

[0039] Similarly, the video generation system 52 may include processing circuitry such as a processor 86 and a memory 88, which may be used to generate a video 54 that includes a video watermark 56 associated with a particular attraction of the amusement park 10. More specifically, the processor 86 may execute processor-executable instructions stored on a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as, the memory 88 and / or other storage devices) to generate the video watermark 56 using a video watermarking algorithm (such as, a spread spectrum video watermarking algorithm, a least significant bit video watermarking algorithm, a phase-coded video watermarking algorithm, an echo hiding video watermarking algorithm, a time-scale modification video watermarking algorithm, an amplitude modification video watermarking algorithm, a replica modulation video watermarking algorithm, a dither video watermarking algorithm, a self-labeling video watermarking algorithm, or some combination thereof), and to encode the video watermark 56 within the video 54 provided to one or more display systems 28. In some embodiments, the processor 86 may be a general-purpose processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration.

[0040] In some embodiments, the video generation system 52 may be configured to deliver the video 54 to one or more display systems 28 located around the amusement park 10 via a wireless communication system 18. In such embodiments, the video generation system 52 may include communication circuitry 90 configured to wirelessly communicate with the communication circuitry 92 of one or more display systems 28 to deliver the video 54 to the one or more display systems 28. However, in other embodiments (particularly, embodiments in which the video generation system 52 is only providing the video 54 for a particular attraction of the amusement park 10), the communication circuitry 90 of the video generation system 52 may be directly coupled to the communication circuitry 92 of one or more display systems 28, for example, via a cable (such as, a video cable, a communication cable, etc.).

[0041] In some embodiments, one or more display systems 28 may also include processing circuitry such as a processor 94 and a memory 96, which may be used to process the video 54 received from the video generation system 52 and broadcast the video 54 into the physical environment around the one or more display systems 28. More specifically, the processor 94 may execute processor-executable instructions stored on a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as, the memory 96 and / or other storage devices) to process the video 54 received from the video generation system 52 and broadcast the video 54. In some embodiments, the processor 94 may be a general-purpose processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration.

[0042] In some embodiments, the portable electronic device 12 may be configured to run an application 84 to display in-app messaging information 80 related to a particular attraction of the amusement park 10 based at least in part on a video watermark 56 encoded within the video 54, which may be detected by one or more cameras 98 of the portable electronic device 12. In particular, in some embodiments, the customer 20 may direct one or more cameras 98 towards the video 54 such that the video 54 may be detected by one or more cameras 98. Additionally, as described in more detail herein, in some embodiments, a processor 74 of the portable electronic device 12 may execute processor-executable instructions to cause any video captured by one or more cameras 98 to be displayed in conjunction with the in-app messaging information 80 via the application 84.

[0043] In some embodiments, to provide in-app messaging based at least in part on a video watermark 56 encoded within the received video 54, a processor 74 of the portable electronic device 12 may execute processor-executable instructions to identify the video watermark 56 encoded within the video 54 and to cause a display 78 of the portable electronic device 12 to display the in-app messaging information 80 based at least in part on the video watermark 56. In some embodiments, the processor 74 may execute processor-executable instructions to identify the video watermark 56 by decoding the video watermark 56 encoded within the video 54 by using a video watermarking algorithm such as an extended-spectrum video watermarking algorithm, a least significant bit video watermarking algorithm, a phase-coded video watermarking algorithm, an echo hiding video watermarking algorithm, a time-scale modification video watermarking algorithm, an amplitude modification video watermarking algorithm, a replica modulation video watermarking algorithm, a dither video watermarking algorithm, a self-labeling video watermarking algorithm, or some combination thereof.

[0044] In some embodiments, a processor 74 of the portable electronic device 12 may execute processor-executable instructions to locally determine the in-app messaging information 80 based at least in part on the video watermark 56 by, for example, accessing the in-app messaging information 80 from a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of the portable electronic device 12 such as the memory 76 and / or other storage devices. However, in other embodiments, the processor 74 may execute processor-executable instructions to cause a communication circuitry 82 of the portable electronic device 12 to wirelessly transmit a signal indicating the video watermark 56 to a communication circuitry 90 of the video generation system 52, where the video generation system 52 is configured to determine the in-app messaging information 80 based at least in part on the signal received from the portable electronic device 12 by, for example, accessing the in-app messaging information 80 from a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium of the video generation system 52 such as the memory 88 and / or other storage devices, and is configured to transmit the in-app messaging information 80 back to the portable electronic device 12 via wireless communication of the communication circuitries 82, 90.

[0045] As described in more detail herein, a processor 74 of the portable electronic device 12 can execute processor-executable instructions to execute an application 84 that displays in-app messaging information 80 via a display 78 of the portable electronic device 12. In some embodiments, the processor 74 can execute processor-executable instructions to launch the application 84 in response to the identification of a video watermark 56. In other embodiments, in a case where the in-app messaging information 80 is determined locally by the portable electronic device 12, the processor 74 can execute processor-executable instructions to launch the application 84 in response to the determination of the in-app messaging information 80. In other embodiments, in a case where the in-app messaging information 80 is determined by the video generation system 52, the video generation system 52 can send a control signal to the portable electronic device 12 to launch the application 84 and display the in-app messaging information 80 via the application 84 in response to the determination of the in-app messaging information 80.

[0046] The in-app messaging provided by the in-app messaging system 14 described herein can be optional for a customer 20 of the amusement park 10. Figures 3 to 10 A series of screen shots depicting the application 84 described herein are provided to illustrate how a customer 20 can select to access certain in-app messaging features described herein. Although these series of screen shots depict options presented via the application 84 related to in-app caption information, it will be appreciated that similar options related to other types of in-app messaging information 80 can also be presented via the application 84. Figure 3 A screen shot depicting a main menu screen 100 of the application 84 is provided, the screen shot including an "In-App Available Captions" menu option 102 that can be selected by a customer 20 via the application 84 to enable in-app caption information via the application 84. If the customer 20 selects the "In-App Available Captions" menu option 102, a prompt 104 can be initiated via the application 84 to ensure that the customer 20 consents to the application 84 accessing an audio sensor 70 (e.g., a microphone) of the portable electronic device 12 that is running the application 84 (see, e.g., Figure 4 )). If the customer 20 selects "OK" via the prompt 104 (i.e., to enable the audio sensor 70 of the portable electronic device 12), then once the portable electronic device 12 (and more specifically, the audio sensor 70 of the portable electronic device 12) is in an audio source (e.g., an audio system 16 of the amusement park 10) (see, e.g., Figure 5Within the range of (), applying 84 will inform the customer that in-app subtitles will start to appear automatically (e.g., when the audio sensor 70 of the portable electronic device 12 listens to the audio 48 that may include the audio watermark 50 as described in more detail herein). It will be appreciated that if the portable electronic device 12 is not within the range of the audio source, a blank screen may be shown via the application 84.

[0047] As described in more detail herein, in certain embodiments, the in-app messaging information 80 (e.g., Figure 6 the in-app subtitle information as illustrated in) displayed via the application 84 can be supplemented by the video 108 captured by one or more cameras 98 of the portable electronic device 12 running the application 84. For example, the application 84 can display a camera icon 106, and the customer 20 can select the camera icon 106 via the application 84 to enable the video 108 captured by one or more cameras 98 of the portable electronic device 12 running the application 84 to be displayed in conjunction with the in-app messaging information 80. Figure 6 An illustration of the application 84 where in-app messaging is enabled, but the camera 98 of the portable electronic device 12 is disabled. If the customer 20 clicks on the camera icon 106, a prompt 110 can be initiated via the application 84 to ensure that the customer 20 consents to the application 84 accessing the camera 98 of the portable electronic device 12 running the application 84 (see, for example, Figure 7 ). If the customer 20 selects "OK" via the prompt 110 (i.e., to enable the camera 98 of the portable electronic device 12), the application 84 will start to display the video 108 captured by one or more cameras 98 of the portable electronic device 12 running the application 84. For example, where the in-app messaging information 80 is overlaid on top of the video 108 (see, for example, Figure 8 ). It will be appreciated that the customer 20 can switch the video 108 on / off by clicking on the camera icon 106.

[0048] On some occasions, the portable electronic device 12 being used by the customer 20 may not have certain settings selected to enable the audio sensor 70 (e.g., microphone) or camera 98 of the portable electronic device 12 to be used by the application 84. In such instances, the application can prompt for access to these components of the portable electronic device 12 to enable the use of a specific feature selected by the customer 20 via the application 84. For example, Figure 9 An illustration of the application 84 that displays a message 112 to the customer 20 indicating the need to enable access to the audio sensor 70 (e.g., microphone) of the portable electronic device 12 in order to use the in-app messaging feature of the application 84, and, Figure 10Application 84 depicts message 114 that shows access to camera 98 of portable electronic device 12 to enable use of the video capture feature of portable electronic device 12 for customer 20.

[0049] Although only certain features have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of this disclosure.

[0050] The technology set forth and claimed herein is referenced and applied to substantial objects and specific examples of a practical nature, which demonstrably improve the art and are thus not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Moreover, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [performing]... [function]" or "step for [performing]... [function]," it is intended that such elements will be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claim that contains elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements will not be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

1. An in-application message sending and receiving system, comprising: An audio generation system configured to encode at least one audio watermark within an audio signal generated for a cinematic presentation of an attraction in an amusement park and to broadcast the audio signal into the physical environment of the amusement park; And A portable electronic device configured to receive the audio signal from the physical environment of the amusement park, configured to identify the at least one audio watermark encoded within the audio signal, and configured to display in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction via an application running on the portable electronic device during the cinematic presentation of the attraction, wherein the in-application messaging information is at least partially based on the at least one audio watermark, and wherein the in-application messaging information supplements the cinematic presentation of the attraction.

2. The in-application message sending and receiving system according to claim 1, wherein, The portable electronic device is configured to determine the in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction at least partially based on the at least one audio watermark.

3. The in-application message sending and receiving system according to claim 2, wherein, The portable electronic device is configured to access the in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction from a computer-readable memory medium of the portable electronic device.

4. The in-application message sending and receiving system according to claim 2, wherein, The portable electronic device is configured to wirelessly access the in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction from the audio generation system.

5. The in-application message sending and receiving system according to claim 1, wherein, The portable electronic device is configured to transmit a signal indicating the at least one audio watermark to the audio generation system, and wherein the audio generation system is configured to determine the in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction at least partially based on the signal received from the portable electronic device and to transmit the in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction to the portable electronic device.

6. The in-application message sending and receiving system according to claim 5, wherein, The audio generation system is configured to transmit a control signal to the portable electronic device to initiate the application in response to the determination of the in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction.

7. The in-application message sending and receiving system according to claim 1, comprising: A video generation system configured to encode at least one video watermark within a video signal generated for the cinematic presentation of the attraction and to broadcast the video signal into the physical environment of the amusement park, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to receive the video signal from the physical environment of the amusement park and to identify the at least one video watermark encoded within the video signal, wherein the in-application messaging information is at least partially based on the at least one video watermark.

8. The in-application message sending and receiving system according to claim 1, wherein, The portable electronic device is configured to identify the at least one audio watermark using one or more of the following algorithms: spread spectrum audio watermarking algorithm, least significant bit audio watermarking algorithm, phase decoding audio watermarking algorithm, echo hiding audio watermarking algorithm, time scale modification audio watermarking algorithm, amplitude modification audio watermarking algorithm, replica modulation audio watermarking algorithm, flutter audio watermarking algorithm, self-labeling audio watermarking algorithm.

9. The in-application message sending and receiving system according to claim 1, wherein, The in-app messaging information related to the movie presentation of the attraction includes one or more of the following: closed caption information, open caption information, real-time caption information, multilingual translation information, guided tour information, hidden secret information.

10. A portable electronic device, comprising: One or more audio sensors configured to detect an audio signal broadcast into the physical environment of the amusement park as part of a movie presentation of an attraction of the amusement park; and Processing circuitry configured to identify at least one audio watermark encoded within the audio signal and configured to cause a display of the portable electronic device to display in-app messaging information related to the movie presentation of the attraction during the movie presentation of the attraction, at least in part based on the at least one audio watermark, wherein the in-app messaging information supplements the movie presentation of the attraction.

11. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to determine the in-app messaging information related to the movie presentation of the attraction at least in part based on the at least one audio watermark.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to access the in-app messaging information related to the movie presentation of the attraction from a computer-readable memory medium of the portable electronic device.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to wirelessly access the in-app messaging information related to the movie presentation of the attraction from a computer-readable memory medium separate from the portable electronic device.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to launch an application in response to the identification of the at least one audio watermark.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, The one or more audio sensors are configured to detect the audio signal by passively listening to the audio signal.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, The one or more audio sensors are configured to detect the audio signal by actively requesting the audio signal at least in part based on user input received via an input device of the portable electronic device.

17. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, comprising at least one camera configured to capture video, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to cause the display of the portable electronic device and the in-app messaging information related to the movie presentation of the attraction to jointly display the video.

18. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, comprising at least one camera configured to receive a video signal broadcast into the physical environment of the amusement park as part of the movie presentation of the scenic spot, and wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to identify at least one video watermark encoded within the video signal and configured to cause the display of the portable electronic device to display the in-app messaging information related to the movie presentation of the attraction at least in part based on the video watermark.

19. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, The processing circuitry is configured to use one or more of the following algorithms to identify the at least one audio watermark: spread spectrum audio watermarking algorithm, least significant bit audio watermarking algorithm, phase decoding audio watermarking algorithm, echo hiding audio watermarking algorithm, time scale modification audio watermarking algorithm, amplitude modification audio watermarking algorithm, replica modulation audio watermarking algorithm, flutter audio watermarking algorithm, self-labeling audio watermarking algorithm.

20. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein, The in-app messaging information related to the movie presentation of the attraction includes one or more of the following: closed caption information, open caption information, real-time caption information, multilingual translation information, guided tour information, hidden secret information, secret information.

21. An in-app messaging system, comprising: An audio generation system configured to encode at least one audio watermark within an audio signal; And One or more audio systems configured to broadcast, during a cinematic presentation of an attraction, the audio signal that is part of the cinematic presentation of the attraction as an amusement park attraction, into the physical environment of the amusement park, wherein the audio signal supplements the cinematic presentation of the attraction.

22. The in-app messaging system according to claim 21, wherein, The audio generation system is configured to: Receive a signal from a portable electronic device, wherein the signal indicates the at least one audio watermark; Determine in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction, at least in part based on the signal received from the portable electronic device; and Transmit the in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction to the portable electronic device.

23. The in-app messaging system according to claim 22, wherein, The audio generation system is configured to transmit a control signal to the portable electronic device to display the in-application messaging information via an application running on the portable electronic device.

24. The in-app messaging system according to claim 23, wherein, The audio generation system is configured to transmit a control signal to the portable electronic device to launch the application in response to the determination of the in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction.

25. The in-app messaging system according to claim 22, wherein, The in-application messaging information related to the cinematic presentation of the attraction includes one or more of the following information: closed caption information, open caption information, real-time caption information, multilingual translation information, guided tour information, hidden secret information.

26. The in-app messaging system according to claim 21, wherein, The audio generation system is configured to encode the at least one audio watermark within the audio signal using one or more of the following algorithms: spread spectrum audio watermarking algorithm, least significant bit audio watermarking algorithm, phase decoding audio watermarking algorithm, echo hiding audio watermarking algorithm, time scale modification audio watermarking algorithm, amplitude modification audio watermarking algorithm, replica modulation audio watermarking algorithm, flutter audio watermarking algorithm, self-labeling audio watermarking algorithm.

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