Amusement ride vehicle system and method

Abstract

This invention relates to amusement park ride systems and methods. A ride system for an amusement park includes: a ride vehicle configured to accommodate a passenger and configured to travel along a ride path; a head-mounted display configured to be worn by the passenger; and a control system configured to: display virtual driving instructions or augmented reality (AR) objects to the passenger via the head-mounted display; receive signals from a user input device associated with the passenger, wherein the user input device is a directional user input device or a marker user input device; determine that the signals received from the marker user input device correspond to interaction with an AR object overlaid on a real-world environment; and, after determining that the received signals correspond to interaction with an AR object overlaid on a real-world environment, trigger movement of the ride vehicle based on the interaction with the AR object overlaid on the real-world environment and based on the signals received from the marker user input device.

Description

[0001] This is a divisional application. The parent application is entitled "Amusement Ride Vehicle System and Method", filed on March 6, 2018, with application number 201880016523.1.

[0002] Cross-references to related applications

[0003] This application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 467,817, filed March 6, 2017, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DIGITALOVERLAY IN AN AMUSEMENT PARK ENVIRONMENT”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Background Technology

[0004] The topics discussed in this article relate to amusement park attractions, and more specifically, to providing interactive experiences within amusement park rides.

[0005] Amusement parks or theme parks may include a variety of entertainment attractions to provide enjoyment for park guests. For example, attractions may include rides (e.g., closed-loop tracks, dark rides, thrill rides, or other similar rides). In such rides, the movement of the vehicle is constituted by programmed movements, or the vehicle may include features that provide occupants with varying levels of control over the vehicle (e.g., various buttons and knobs). It is now recognized that there is a need for improved rides that provide enhanced occupant control over the vehicle to create a more interactive ride experience. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following outlines certain embodiments that are equivalent to the scope of this disclosure. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure, but are merely intended to provide a brief overview of the possible forms of these embodiments. In fact, these embodiments can encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0007] In one embodiment, a ride system for an amusement park includes: a ride vehicle configured to accommodate a passenger and configured to travel along a ride path; a head-mounted display configured to be worn by the passenger; and a control system configured to: display virtual driving instructions or augmented reality (AR) objects to the passenger via the head-mounted display; receive signals from a user input device associated with the passenger, wherein the user input device is a directional user input device or a marker user input device; determine that the signals received from the marker user input device correspond to an interaction with an AR object overlaid on a real-world environment; and, after determining that the received signals correspond to an interaction with an AR object overlaid on a real-world environment, trigger movement of the ride vehicle based on the interaction with the AR object overlaid on the real-world environment and based on the signals received from the marker user input device.

[0008] In one embodiment, a method for providing entertainment in an amusement park includes: generating a game environment via a computer graphics generation system communicatively coupled to a control system of a ride vehicle, wherein the game environment includes a plurality of augmented reality (AR) objects, wherein the ride vehicle is configured to carry one or more riders and travel along a ride path; displaying the game environment via a first head-mounted display associated with a first rider among the one or more riders; receiving a first signal via a control system from a steering device communicatively coupled to the control system; after determining that the first signal corresponds to a first AR object among a plurality of AR objects superimposed on the real-world environment, triggering movement of the ride vehicle via the control system at least partially based on the first signal; receiving a second signal via the control system from a tagging device communicatively coupled to the control system; and after determining that the second signal corresponds to an interaction between the tagging device and a second AR object among the plurality of AR objects superimposed on the real-world environment, triggering movement of the ride vehicle via the control system at least partially based on a second signal indicating an interaction between the tagging device and the second AR object superimposed on the real-world environment.

[0009] In one embodiment, a ride and gaming control system is integrated with a ride vehicle configured to transport one or more occupants along a ride track. The ride and gaming control system includes: a game controller and a ride controller communicatively coupled to the game controller and configured to receive a first control signal and a second control signal, and configured to control movement of the ride vehicle at least partially based on the first and second control signals. The game controller is configured to: receive a first input signal from a steering user input device configured to be operated by one or more occupants; receive a second input signal from at least one tag user input device configured to be operated by one or more occupants; determine that the received first input signal corresponds to a virtual driving command; output a first control signal indicating a command causing a first movement of the ride vehicle after determining that the received first input signal corresponds to a virtual driving command; determine that the received second input signal corresponds to an interaction between the at least one tag user input device and an augmented reality (AR) object overlaid on a real-world environment; and output a second control signal indicating a command causing a second movement of the ride vehicle after determining that the received second input signal corresponds to an interaction with the AR object overlaid on the real-world environment.

[0010] In one embodiment, a head-mounted display includes: a memory; a processor coupled to the memory; a wearable portion; and electronic glasses configured to be attached to the wearable portion, and including one or more displays configured to display augmented reality (AR) images overlaid on a real-world environment to a rider. Attached Figure Description

[0011] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of this disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same characters run throughout the figures to denote the same parts, wherein:

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an amusement park according to this embodiment, the amusement park including ride attractions with a ride and game control system;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an embodiment of the riding and gaming control system according to this embodiment, which can... Figure 1 The rides within the scenic area were used;

[0014] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of a head-mounted display according to this embodiment, wherein the head-mounted display can... Figure 2 It was used within the ride and game control system;

[0015] Figure 4It is illustrated in the figure of this embodiment. Figure 1 An embodiment of driver control for a vehicle at a tourist attraction is shown, and a schematic diagram of example augmented reality (AR) commands is illustrated.

[0016] Figure 5 It is illustrated in the figure of this embodiment. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of passenger control for a vehicle used at a tourist attraction;

[0017] Figure 6 This is for use according to this embodiment. Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for controlling the movement of a vehicle based at least in part on the actions of the driver of the vehicle, as part of a ride and gaming control system; and

[0018] Figure 7 This is for use according to this embodiment. Figure 2 A flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a method for controlling the movement of a vehicle based at least in part on the actions of one or more occupants of the vehicle as part of a ride and gaming control system. Detailed Implementation

[0019] One or more specific embodiments of this disclosure will now be described. To provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation may be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer’s specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary across various implementations. Furthermore, it should be appreciated that such development efforts can be complex and time-consuming, but remain routine tasks of design, construction, and manufacture for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0020] This embodiment relates to systems and methods for providing enhanced experiences for occupants of ride attractions, such as those with closed-loop tracks, dark rides, or other similar rides. A ride and gaming control system associated with the ride vehicle at the ride attraction can provide an augmented reality (AR) environment via a head-mounted display or other suitable display worn by the occupant. The AR environment can be combined with and function in conjunction with other off-board displays to create an overall ride environment. The AR environment can be presented as a game or amusement environment that the occupant can interact with throughout the ride, or as a portion of a game or amusement environment. To provide a more interactive ride experience and a varied ride experience between subsequent visits, the ride and gaming control system can provide control over the division (e.g., branching) of the ride vehicle's movement by the occupant. That is, the movement of the ride vehicle along and around the ride attraction's tracks (e.g., paths) can be controlled at least in part based on direct input from one or more user input devices, such as steering the ride vehicle via a steering wheel user input device and / or changing the speed of the ride vehicle by pressing one or more pedals (e.g., accelerator pedal, brake pedal). The movement of the vehicle can also be controlled, at least in part, by the riding and gaming control system based on the occupant's interaction with the AR environment (e.g., as part of a game). For example, driving instructions to steer the vehicle can be presented to the occupant via the AR environment, and compliance with or non-compliance with these instructions can result in different movements of the vehicle. As another example, occupant interaction with objects in the AR environment via user input devices (such as releasing (e.g., shooting, throwing, or launching) AR projectiles (e.g., shells, balls, or other objects) to mark or collide with target objects) can result in some movement of the vehicle. Thus, the movement of the vehicle can sometimes be controlled by the driver, sometimes by other occupants, or sometimes by both the driver and other occupants. The vehicle can allow the driver to drive the vehicle at certain times using a steering wheel user input device, and then the vehicle can at other times overtake or supplement the driver's control to influence the movement of the vehicle based on the driver's actions (e.g., following instructions) and / or the occupants' actions (e.g., using AR projectiles to mark objects in the AR environment). Furthermore, the driver can maintain steering control of the vehicle throughout some or all of the ride, but the vehicle's speed can be altered based on the driver's actions and / or the occupants' actions during at least some portions of the ride. The occupants' control over the vehicle's movement and the division of such control can provide a more interactive and varied riding experience. Additionally, in embodiments, the riding and gaming control system can provide a varied riding experience via a weighted process based on the occupants' driving and / or interactions with objects in the AR environment, assessing their skill level.

[0021] Considering the above, Figure 1 The illustration shows a schematic diagram of an amusement park 10 including a ride attraction 12. As illustrated, the amusement park may also include themed attractions 14 (e.g., themed fixtures, architectural layouts, props, decorations, etc.) and other amusement park attractions 16 (e.g., a Ferris wheel or other attractions). The ride attraction 12 may include tracks or paths 18 (e.g., closed-loop tracks or systems of closed-loop tracks) that provide the infrastructure along which ride vehicles 20 can travel. The ride attraction 12 may include ride vehicles 20 that can accommodate and transport one or more riders 22 through the ride attraction 12. Although the vehicle 20 is shown accommodating four riders 22, one or more ride vehicles 20 may each accommodate any number of riders (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, or more). It should also be appreciated that although the ride attraction 12 may be illustrated as having one ride vehicle 20, the ride attraction 12 may include any number of ride vehicles 20 (e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, or more).

[0022] Track 18 can be a simple track or a controlled path, wherein the movement of the ride vehicle 20 can be limited or controlled via electronic, magnetic, or other similar systems. Track 18 can define the linear movement of the ride vehicle 20 as it moves along it. The movement of the ride vehicle 20 can be controlled by a control system of the ride vehicle 20 (e.g., a ride and gaming control system 24), which may include multiple control systems. Similar to causing the linear movement of the ride vehicle 20 along track 18, the ride and gaming control system 24 can cause other movements of the ride vehicle 20, such as rotation, rocking, spinning, vibrating, about-axis rotation, and other similar movements. Additionally, the ride and gaming control system 24 can provide an augmented reality (AR) environment 25 with augmented reality (AR) graphics, which includes AR objects 26 presented to the rider 22 via a head-mounted display worn by the rider 22 throughout the ride attraction 12. The riding and gaming control system 24 can also coordinate the presentation of AR objects 26 via a head-mounted display 28 and / or coordinate the movement of the riding vehicle 20 using other non-onboard effects (such as visual and / or sound presentation) provided by a display effects system 30, which may include a projection gaming computer, display devices (e.g., projection display devices, digital display devices), lighting systems, and sound effects devices (e.g., speakers) arranged along the track 18.

[0023] In operation, the ride attraction 12 can be presented as a game or recreational interaction between a rider 22 of the ride vehicle 20, an AR environment 25 including AR objects 26 (e.g., a gaming environment), and / or one or more other ride vehicles 20 of the ride attraction 12. AR objects 26 can include objects, characters, and instructions for the rider. In some embodiments, the game at the ride attraction 12 can be presented as a competition between ride vehicles 20 and / or between characters presented via the AR environment 25. As the ride vehicle 20 moves along the track 18, a rider 22 can control certain direct movements of the ride vehicle 20 via a user input device 32, such as turning and cornering the ride vehicle 20. The user input device 32 can be communicatively coupled to a ride and gaming control system 24, which can cause movement of the ride vehicle 20 based at least in part on signals received from the user input device 32. Various AR objects 26 (including AR instructions) can be presented to the rider 22 via the ride and gaming control system 24 and a head-mounted display 28 throughout the ride attraction 12. Each passenger may have control over more than one user input device 32, and the user input devices 32 may include a steering user input device 34, a tagging user input device 36, or other user input devices 38 such as an accelerometer user input device. The passenger 22 may interact with an AR object 26 presented via a head-mounted display 28, such as following instructions presented via the AR object 26, or interacting with the AR object 26 via the tagging user input device 36 (e.g., tagging the AR object 26 using an AR projector). Such interactions between the passenger 22 and the AR environment 25 may also trigger or influence movement of the vehicle 20 caused by the riding and gaming control system 24. Thus, the riding and gaming control system 24 can provide segmented control over movement of the vehicle 20 triggered by direct user input from the passenger 22 (e.g., a steering wheel) and by virtual interactions between the passenger 22 and the AR environment 25 (e.g., a gaming environment), as shown in reference... Figure 2 , 4 And discussed in more detail in section 5. Therefore, the riding and gaming control system 24 allows riders 22 to directly and indirectly change the movement of their respective riding vehicles 22 to provide a more interactive riding experience, which can vary during subsequent rides at riding attractions 12.

[0024] Additionally, the vehicle 20 may include multiple user input devices 32, such that each passenger 22 is provided with one or more user input devices 32. For example, each passenger 22 may be provided with a user input device 32 for driving the vehicle 20 (such as a steering user input device 34 and / or other user input devices (e.g., an accelerometer user input device)) and a separate user input device 32 for interacting with AR objects 26 (such as a tagging user input device 36 that may be used to simulate tagging AR objects 26 using AR projectiles or a user input device that may be used to simulate grabbing AR reward objects). The ride and game control system 24 may activate and deactivate control of the user input devices 32 throughout the ride attraction 12. In this way, each passenger 22 may have the opportunity to operate different user input devices 32 to interact with the ride attraction 12 and the AR environment 25 during each operation of the ride attraction 12. Furthermore, the ride and game control system 24 may rotate control of certain user input devices 32 among the passengers 22 of the vehicle 20. For example, each passenger 22 may be provided with a steering user input device 34 and a tagging user input device 36. The ride and gaming control system 24 can activate the steering user input device 34 for one passenger 22, and the marker user input device 36 for other passengers 22 within the ride vehicle 20. After a predetermined amount of time, a certain track length, a certain number of interactions, or other measurements, the ride and gaming control system 24 can switch steering control to another passenger 22, thereby deactivating the steering user input device 34 from the previous driver passenger 22 and activating the marker user input device 36 for the previous driver passenger 22. This switching of control of the various types of user input devices 32 throughout the ride at the attraction 12 can further provide a more interactive ride experience, which can vary during subsequent rides at the attraction 12.

[0025] As discussed earlier, the riding and gaming control system 24 can provide the rider 22 with segmented control over the movement of the riding vehicle 20 based at least in part on signals received from one or more user input devices 32 regarding the steering of the riding vehicle 20 and at least in part on the interaction between the rider 22 and the AR environment 25, said control may be presented as a game setting. Figure 2This is a block diagram illustrating the various components of a ride and game control system 24. The ride and game control system 24 may be a dedicated system mounted on or integrated with the ride vehicle 20. The ride and game control system 20 may include a communication network 40 (e.g., a wired and / or wireless communication network, such as a wireless local area network [WLAN], a wireless wide area network [WWAN], and near field communication [NFC]), a ride controller 42, a game controller 44, a monitoring system 46, and one or more game systems 48. The communication network 40 may communicatively couple the ride and game control system 24 to other systems, such as an effect system 30 and / or a ride attraction system. The effect system 30 may include a memory 50 and processor 52 disposed along track 18, a projection game computer, one or more display devices 54, one or more lighting systems 56, and other devices (e.g., a sound system, speakers). The communication network 40 can also communicatively couple various onboard components of the ride vehicle 22 and the ride and game control system 24 (e.g., ride controller 42, game controller 44, monitoring system 46, one or more game systems 48, head-mounted display 28) to each other, as shown in the illustrated embodiment.

[0026] The ride controller 42 of the ride and game control system 24 may be a programmable logic controller (PLC) or other suitable control device. The ride controller 42 may include a processor 58 (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a system-on-a-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration) operatively coupled to a memory 60 (e.g., a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium and / or other storage device) to execute instructions for tracking operating parameters of the ride vehicle 20 and instructions for causing movement of the ride vehicle 20. Thus, the ride controller 42 may be configured to track operating parameters of the ride vehicle 20 (including, but not limited to, the position, yaw, pitch, roll, and speed of the ride vehicle 20) and input control states (e.g., inputs provided by one or more riders 22 to steer and / or drive the ride vehicle 20). Additionally, the ride controller 42 may be configured to control or modify the physical operations of the ride vehicle 22 (e.g., modify the position, yaw, pitch, roll, and speed of the ride vehicle 22) based on input signals received from the user input device 32 and / or the game controller 44. Based at least in part on input signals received from user input device 32 and / or game controller 44, ride controller 42 may output one or more control signals with instruction commands to the motor 62 or brake 64 and / or steering system 65 of ride vehicle 20 to execute the input movement, such as turning ride vehicle 20, changing the speed of ride vehicle 20, rotating ride vehicle 20, or other suitable movement.

[0027] The game controller 44 of the riding and gaming control system 24 may be a programmable logic controller (PLC) or other suitable control device. The game controller 44 may include a processor 66 (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a system-on-a-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration) operatively coupled to a memory 68 (e.g., a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium and / or other storage device) to execute instructions stored in the memory 68. The game controller 44 may be configured to provide operating parameters or information about the riding vehicle 22 to one or more gaming systems 48 and / or riding controllers 42. Operating parameters or information may include, but are not limited to, the position, yaw, pitch, roll, and speed of the riding vehicle 22. Additionally, the game controller 44 may be configured to determine and output signals to one or more gaming systems 48 and / or riding controllers 42 indicating how input signals received from the user input device 32 should affect the movement of the riding vehicle 20. Therefore, the game controller 44 can output command signals to the ride controller 42, which indicate specific movements associated with input signals received via user input devices 32 (e.g., steering user input device 34, one or more marker user input devices 36, and other user input devices 38). The game controller 44 can also coordinate movement commands output to the ride controller with control signals and parameters output to one or more game systems 48 instructing how the ride 20 will move, in order to coordinate the movement of the AR environment 25 presented to the rider 22 via the head-mounted display 28 with the movement of the ride 20.

[0028] The monitoring system 46 may include any suitable sensors and / or computing systems disposed on or integrated with the vehicle 20 to track the position, location, orientation, presence, etc. of the occupant 22 and / or the position, location, or orientation of the vehicle 20. Such sensors may include orientation and position sensors (e.g., accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, GPS receivers), motion tracking sensors (e.g., electromagnetic and solid-state motion tracking sensors), inertial measurement units (IMUs), presence sensors, etc. Information obtained by the monitoring system 46 may be provided to the game controller 44, one or more game systems 48, and / or the occupant controller 42 to determine each occupant's gaze direction, viewing angle, field of view, interaction with the game, etc. In embodiments, the monitoring system 46 may also receive data obtained from the head-mounted display 32 indicating the corresponding occupant's gaze direction, viewing angle, field of view, interaction with the game, etc. (e.g., position and orientation data of the head-mounted display 32).

[0029] One or more gaming systems 48 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or other suitable system, and are typically configured to render virtual or augmented graphics for overlay on a real-world environment view. Thus, one or more gaming systems 48 may generate an AR environment 25 that the rider 22 can interact with within the play setting. One or more gaming systems 48 may also be responsible for game logic and run simulations of real-world vehicle and stage geometry for the placement of virtual objects in real space. In some embodiments, one or more gaming systems 48 are configured to provide an AR and / or gaming experience to the rider 22 via a head-mounted display 32. Specifically, each seat or location of the vehicle 20 may include a dedicated gaming system 48. In embodiments, one or more gaming systems 48 may be communicatively coupled to each other, allowing riders to participate in shared games (e.g., games with multiple players). One or more gaming systems 48 may be communicatively coupled (directly or indirectly) to a ride controller 42, a game controller 44, a monitoring system 46, and an effects display system 34. Each of one or more game systems 48 may include a user input device 32 or a group of multiple user input devices 32 and a computer graphics generation system 70. The user input device 32 may be communicatively coupled to the computer graphics generation system 70, and the computer graphics generation system 70 may be communicatively coupled to a corresponding head-mounted display 32 (e.g., via a communication network 40).

[0030] One or more user input devices 32 may include one or more user input devices (e.g., handheld controllers, joysticks, buttons) disposed on the ride vehicle 20, enabling the respective rider 22 to provide input to the ride controller 42, game controller 44, and / or one or more game systems 48 for playing and controlling the movement of the ride vehicle 20, such as changing the speed and / or direction of the ride vehicle 20. For example, as previously discussed, a steering user input device 34 may include a steering wheel or other device to allow the rider 22 to steer the ride vehicle 20. One or more user input devices 32 may also include a marking device user input device 36 to allow the rider 22 to interact with AR objects 26 in the AR environment 25. User input devices 32 may include any other type of input device, such as an accelerometer user input device, configured to allow the rider 22 to interact with the AR environment (e.g., a game environment) and / or directly control the operation of the ride vehicle 20. Additionally, one or more user input devices 32 may be configured to allow different actions and / or effects to be applied in the AR environment 25. For example, one or more user input devices 32 may allow the rider 22 to control AR objects 26 (e.g., characters, objects) in the AR environment 25 from different directions (e.g., up, down, left, right). In embodiments, one or more user input devices 32 may also include displays and / or touchscreens to enable riding and game-related information to be communicated to the rider 22, such as information about which user input devices 32 are currently activated for each rider 22 and / or ride command.

[0031] The computer graphics generation system 70 can generate and transmit AR graphics (e.g., an AR environment 25 including AR objects 26) to be displayed on a corresponding head-mounted display 28, enabling the corresponding rider 22 to visualize the AR environment 25 (e.g., a game environment). The computer graphics generation system 70 includes processing circuitry such as a processor 72 (e.g., a general-purpose processor or other processor) and a memory 74, and can process data useful in generating the AR environment 25 for the corresponding rider 22. Data useful in generating the AR environment 25 may include, but is not limited to, real-time data received from the corresponding head-mounted display 28, one or more user input devices 32, and game controller 44 (e.g., data from the rider controller 42 and monitoring system 46) and data stored in the memory 74.

[0032] Computer graphics generation system 70 can use such data to generate reference frames to register AR environment 25 to the real environment of ride location 12 (e.g., to a generated real-world image or to an actual physical environment). Specifically, in some embodiments, by using reference frames generated based on orientation data, location data, viewpoint data, motion tracking data, etc., computer graphics generation system 70 can render a view of AR environment 25 in a manner that is temporally and spatially equivalent to what the corresponding rider 22 would perceive without wearing head-mounted display 28. Computer graphics generation system 52 can store a model of ride location 12 constructed using spatial information including real-world physical features of the ride location 12, including the subject environment (e.g., the physical scene of ride location 12). This model can be used, along with other inputs (such as inputs from ride controller 42, game controller 44, monitoring system 46, and / or head-mounted display 28), to locate the corresponding rider 22 and determine the rider's gaze direction and / or field of view. This model can be used to provide display signals to a head-mounted display 28, which are dynamically updated as the rider 22 travels along the track 18.

[0033] For example, the computer graphics generation system 70 may selectively generate AR graphics (e.g., AR objects 26 including instruction objects) for the AR environment 25 to reflect changes in the orientation, position, gaze direction, field of view, motion, etc., of the corresponding occupant. The computer graphics generation system 70 may selectively generate the AR environment 25 based on data received from the monitoring system 46, the game controller 44, and / or the occupant controller 42 indicative of the position, yaw, speed, and / or other operational parameters of the occupant vehicle 20. The computer graphics generation system 70 may also selectively generate AR graphics to reflect changes in input provided by the corresponding occupant using one or more user input devices 32. Furthermore, the computer graphics generation system 70 may generate AR graphics based on simulated interactions that may cause the AR object 26 to be affected based on certain predetermined or modeled responses stored by the computer graphics generation system 70 (e.g., in memory 74). As an example, the predetermined or modeled responses may be implemented by a physics engine or similar module or implemented as part of the computer graphics generation system 70. In some embodiments, the computer graphics generation system 70 can track the information or data described above corresponding to multiple riders 22 in the shared game, so that riders 22 in the shared game can see game effects applied by other riders 22 (e.g., players) in the shared game.

[0034] Additionally, the computer graphics generation system 70 can receive input signals instructing the movement of the vehicle 20 from the ride controller 24 and / or the game controller 44, allowing the computer graphics generation system 70 to generate the AR environment 25 based at least in part on how the vehicle 20 is moving along or around the track 18. That is, the game controller 44 can determine, at least in part, how the vehicle 20 should move in response to input received from the user input device 32 (e.g., the steering user input device 34, the marker user input device 36, and other user input devices 38) instructing the rider 22 to interact with the AR environment 25, and the game controller 44 can output signals to the computer graphics generation system 70 instructing how the vehicle 20 will move in response to the rider's interaction with the AR environment 25. Thus, the computer graphics generation system 70 can generate the AR environment 25 based at least in part on how the rider 22 is causing the vehicle 20 to move. Furthermore, the computer graphics generation system 70 can receive signals from the ride controller 42 instructing certain direct user inputs (such as turning the ride vehicle 22) received from the steering user input device 34, so that the computer graphics generation system 70 can further generate the AR environment 25 based at least in part on how the ride vehicle 20 is being moved by the rider 22.

[0035] Figure 3 This is an illustration of an embodiment of a head-mounted display 28 that a passenger 22 may wear during a ride at attraction 12. In this embodiment, the head-mounted display 28 may be coupled to (e.g., tethered to) the vehicle 20. In this embodiment, the passenger 22 of the vehicle 20 may purchase or otherwise be provided with the head-mounted display 28. The head-mounted display 28 may include electronic glasses 80 (e.g., AR glasses, goggles) and a wearable portion 82 configured to house at least a portion of the electronic glasses 80. The head-mounted display 28 may be used alone or in combination with other features to create a surreal environment 84 (e.g., including an AR environment 25), which may include an AR experience or other similar surreal environments for the respective passenger 22. Specifically, the head-mounted display 28 may be worn by the passenger 22 throughout the ride at attraction 12.

[0036] The head-mounted display 28 may include a processor 86 and memory 88 (e.g., a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium). The processor 86 and memory 88 may be configured to allow the head-mounted display 28 to act as a display (e.g., to receive signals from a computer graphics generation system 70 that ultimately drives the display). The processor 86 may be a general-purpose processor, a system-on-a-chip (SoC) device, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or some other similar processor configuration.

[0037] The head-mounted display 28 may include a tracking system 90, which may include orientation and / or position sensors (such as accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, GPS receivers), motion tracking sensors, electromagnetic and solid-state motion tracking sensors, IMUs, presence sensors, etc. The tracking system 90 may collect real-time data indicating the occupant's position, orientation, focal length, gaze direction, field of view, motion, or any combination thereof. The head-mounted display 28 may include a communication interface 92 (e.g., including a wireless transceiver) that can transmit real-time data captured via the tracking system 90 to a processor 86 and / or a computer graphics generation system 70 for processing. The communication interface 92 may also allow the head-mounted display 28 to receive display signals transmitted by the computer graphics generation system 70.

[0038] The electronic glasses 80 of the head-mounted display 28 may include one or more displays 94. The one or more displays 94 may include a see-through display surface on which images are projected, such as a see-through liquid crystal display (LCD), a see-through organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, or other similar displays useful for displaying real-world and AR graphic images to the rider 22. For example, the rider 22 may view AR graphics displayed on the respective displays 94 as overlaid onto the actual and physical real-world environment. According to this embodiment, the head-mounted display 28 may receive display signals (e.g., AR graphics along with corresponding overlay information, such as spatial and / or temporal information about the one or more displays 94) via a communication interface 92, such that the head-mounted display 28 may process the AR graphics via a processor 86 and overlay the AR graphics onto the one or more displays 94, thereby allowing the rider 22 to perceive that the AR graphics of the AR environment 25 are integrated into the real-world environment. In embodiments, the head-mounted display 28 may include one or more sound devices (e.g., headphones, speakers, microphones).

[0039] To illustrate the driver's control over the movement of the vehicle 20, Figure 4This is a schematic diagram illustrating how a driver 100 (e.g., a passenger 22 having control over a steering user input device 34 for activating steering of the vehicle 20) steers the vehicle 20 via the steering user input device 34. As previously mentioned, the riding and driving control system 24 of the vehicle 20 allows the passenger 22 to have segmented control over the movement of the vehicle 20. Thus, the driver 100 can influence the movement of the vehicle 20 in two ways: via direct input of the movement of the vehicle 20, such as steering the vehicle 20 using the steering user input device 34; and via indirect input, such as by complying with one or more AR commands 104 presented to the driver 22. That is, the driver 100 can steer the vehicle 20 via the steering user input device 34. In addition, the driver 100 can influence the speed of the vehicle 20 through their driving actions in complying with the presented AR commands 104.

[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, the ride vehicle 20 is traveling along track 18 in direction 106. Rider 22 may be viewing an AR environment 25 (e.g., a gaming environment) combined with the themed attraction 108 (e.g., a real-world scene of ride attraction 12) via a head-mounted display 28. At certain points during ride attraction 12, a rider 22 may be the driving rider 100. The driving rider 100 may be the rider 22 whose corresponding steering user input device 34 is currently active. As previously discussed, the ride and gaming control system 24 may rotate control of the steering user input device 34 among riders 22 throughout ride attraction 12, allowing each rider 22 of the ride vehicle 20 an opportunity to steer the ride vehicle 20. The steering user input device 34 may output signals to the ride and gaming control system 24 (e.g., to the ride controller 42, game controller 44, and / or the corresponding gaming system 48) to directly control the movement of the ride vehicle 20. While traveling along track 28, the driver / occupant 100 can be presented with AR objects 26 or physical objects (i.e., command objects 104) via a corresponding head-mounted display 28. Command objects 104 can present driving or gaming commands to the driver / occupant 100, such as turning in a certain direction, increasing or decreasing speed, following a track at a fork, or colliding with or avoiding AR objects 26 in the AR environment 25. Command objects 104 indicating driving commands can be presented only to the driver / occupant 100, or they can be presented to all occupants 22 of the vehicle 20. Furthermore, although command objects 104 are shown as arrows in the illustrated embodiment, command objects 104 can be text, symbols, graphics, characters, or any other object that can be used to instruct the driver / occupant 100 to turn or control the direction of the vehicle 20.

[0041] As an example, in the illustrated embodiment, the driver / passenger 100, controlling the steering user input device 34, is presented with an instruction object 104 combined with the theme attraction 108 within their field of view 110 via a corresponding head-mounted display 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the instruction object 104 is presented as an arrow indicating the direction of turn to be followed at the upcoming track junction 112. The track 18 branches at track junction 112, allowing the driver to continue on the current path by remaining on track 14, or to use the steering user input device 34 to turn the vehicle 20 to follow the path 116 indicated by the instruction object 104. If the driver / passenger 100 uses the steering user input device 34 to turn the vehicle 20 toward track 116, the turning of the vehicle 20 in the direction of track 116 can be controlled via the ride controller 42 and / or game controller 44 of the ride and game control system 24. Thus, the driver / passenger 100 can directly control the movement of the vehicle 20 via the steering user input device 34.

[0042] Additionally, the driver / passenger 100 can control the movement of the vehicle 20 by following instruction object 104. Thus, correct compliance with the instructions presented by instruction object 104 can result in additional movement of the vehicle 20, and / or can be added to the driver / passenger 100's score or the vehicle 20's score, which can lead to additional movement of the vehicle 20 triggered by the ride and game control system 24. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, if the driver / passenger 100 follows instruction object 104 by turning the vehicle 20 toward track 116 using steering user input device 34, the turning of the vehicle 20 toward track 116 will not only be at least partially based on signals received from steering user input device 34, but additional movement of the vehicle 20 can also be triggered by correctly following instruction object 104 and / or by increasing the driving score. Movement triggered by following instruction object 104 can include any movement attached to a direct movement initiated by an input signal from the steering user input device 34, such as a change in the speed of vehicle 20 (e.g., from a first non-zero speed to a second non-zero speed), starting vehicle 20, stopping vehicle 20, or other suitable movement. For example, movement triggered by following instruction object 104 could cause vehicle 20 to move faster to provide a more exciting ride, or cause vehicle 20 to move slower to allow other passengers 22 more time to interact with AR objects 26, thereby allowing other passengers 22 and / or vehicle 20 to collect more points. In this way, the driver 100 can indirectly control the movement of vehicle 20 by following the presented instruction object 104. In addition, following instruction object 104 can cause changes in the AR environment 25 so that other passengers 22 can be presented with more AR objects 26.

[0043] In embodiments, in addition to triggering movement of vehicle 20 by complying with instruction object 104 and / or increasing the score of driver 100 or vehicle 20, driver 100 may also cause vehicle 20 to move by failing to comply with or improperly complying with instruction object 104. Such movement may include vehicle 20 spinning, vehicle 20 slowing down, or other suitable movement. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, if driver 100 fails to comply with instruction object 104 instructing vehicle 20 to turn toward track 116 (e.g., after the instruction is displayed and / or during a period before track junction 112), the ride and game control system 24 may cause vehicle spinning and / or changing speed at least in part based on the missed instruction object 104. For example, movement triggered by failing to comply with or missing instruction object 104 could result in vehicle 20 moving faster to make it harder for other riders 22 to earn points or moving slower to make the game easier. Thus, in this embodiment, the driver / passenger 100 can also indirectly cause the vehicle 20 to move by failing to comply with the presented command object 104. Additionally, missing the command object 104 can cause the AR environment 25 to change, allowing other passengers 22 to be presented with fewer or different AR objects 26. In this embodiment, missing the command object 104 can lead to a decrease in the passenger's score or the vehicle's score, which can in turn trigger the movement of the vehicle 20.

[0044] In an embodiment, the game controller 44 and / or corresponding game system 48 of the ride and game control system 24 may include a weighting system that can cause the presentation of a specific AR object (including instruction object 104) to each rider 22 or ride vehicle 20 corresponding to the skill level of the rider 22 or ride vehicle 20 as determined by the weighting system. The ride and game control system 24 may monitor the driving and / or interaction with the AR environment 25 (including instruction object 104) of each rider 22 and / or ride vehicle 20 for a defined time period at the start of the ride location 12. Based at least in part on the monitored driving and / or interaction with the AR environment 25, the ride and game control system 24 may determine the initial skill level of the rider 22 or ride vehicle 20. Subsequent scenes or predetermined interactions may be generated by the computer graphics generation system 70 and presented to one or more riders 22 based on the determined skill level.

[0045] In this way, each passenger 22 or vehicle 20 can be presented with an AR environment 25 (including instruction objects 104) corresponding to a determined skill level, such that each passenger 22 or vehicle 20 can be presented with different AR objects at the same interactive area along the ride spot 12. The weighted system of the ride and game control system 24 can determine and update the skill level of the passenger 22 and / or vehicle 20 at each predetermined interactive area, thereby allowing the AR environment 25 to correspond to the skill level of the passenger 22 and / or, in general, all passengers 22 of the vehicle 20 as the vehicle 20 travels through the ride spot 12. Therefore, the instruction objects 104 presented to the driver 100 can be based at least in part on the currently determined skill level of the driver 100 and / or the currently determined skill level of the passengers 22 of the vehicle 20 as a whole. Furthermore, the various types of movements of the vehicle 20, directly and indirectly triggered by input received from the steering user input device 34, can be at least partially based on the current determined skill level of the driver 100 and / or the current determined skill level of the vehicle 20 as a whole, and of the passengers 22. For example, if the driver 100 is determined to have a relatively high skill level, the instruction object 104 may appear closer to the track junction 112 compared to a lower skill level, and / or correct compliance with the instruction may result in a greater change in the speed of the vehicle 20.

[0046] Similarly, Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a marker rider 130 having control over a marker user input device 36 for interacting with AR objects 26 in an AR environment 25. Several riders 22 can control the marker user input device 36 simultaneously, and as previously discussed, control of different types of user input devices 32 can rotate among the riders 22 of the vehicle 20 throughout the ride at the attraction 12. As previously mentioned, the ride and game control system 24 of the vehicle 20 can allow riders 22 to control the movement of the vehicle 20 in a segmented manner. Thus, the marker rider 130 can influence the movement of the vehicle 20 through interaction with AR objects 26 in the AR environment 25 (e.g., a game environment). Although described as a marker user input device in the illustrated embodiment, the user input device 32 other than the steering user input device 34 can be any other type of user input device 32 that can be used to interact with the AR environment 25, such as a device for grasping or moving AR objects 26 or other suitable user input devices 32.

[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, the ride vehicle 20 is traveling along track 18 in direction 106. Rider 22 can be viewing an AR environment 25 combined with themed attractions 108 (e.g., a real-world scene of ride attraction 12) via a head-mounted display 28. While traveling along track 18, one or more marked riders 130 can have AR objects 26, such as objects, rewards, and / or characters, presented within their field of view 134. Marked riders 130 can use AR projectors 136 to mark AR objects or otherwise interact with them, as in the illustrated embodiment. Such interaction with AR objects 26 in the AR environment 25 can indirectly affect or trigger movement of the ride vehicle 20 via the ride and play system 24. Interaction with AR objects 26 can also increase rider scores or ride vehicle scores, which in turn can affect or trigger movement of the ride vehicle 20. For example, marked riders 130 can use AR projectors 136 to mark the presented AR objects 26. If a marked rider 130 marks or hits AR object 26 or wins a game with AR object 26 (e.g., a character), the riding and game control system 24 can trigger certain movements of the riding vehicle 20, such as changing the speed of the riding vehicle 20, causing the riding vehicle 20 to spin, rocking the riding vehicle 20 or components of the riding vehicle 20 (e.g., the seat), or other suitable movements. Additionally, achieving certain rider scores or riding vehicle scores can also trigger such movements of the riding vehicle 20. The game controller 44 and / or the corresponding game system 48 can receive input signals from the marked user input device 36 and, at least in part based on the received signals, can output control signals to the riding controller 42 to cause certain movements of the riding vehicle 20. Thus, one or more marked riders 130 or 22 who are not currently controlling the user input device 34 can indirectly control the movement of the riding vehicle 20 by interacting with the presented AR object 26.

[0048] As discussed previously, in this embodiment, the game controller 44 and / or the corresponding game system 48 of the ride and game control system 24 may include or act as a weighting system that can cause the presentation of a specific AR object 26 to each rider 22 or ride vehicle 20 corresponding to a skill level of the rider 22 or ride vehicle 20 as determined by the weighting system. The ride and game control system 24 may monitor the driving and / or interaction with the AR environment of each rider 22 and / or ride vehicle 20 for a defined time period at the start of the ride at the attraction 12. Based at least in part on the monitored driving and / or interaction with the AR environment 25, the ride and game control system 24 may determine the initial skill level of the rider 22 or ride vehicle 20. Subsequent scenes or planned interactions may be generated by the computer graphics generation system 70 and presented to one or more riders 22 based on the determined skill level.

[0049] In this way, each passenger 22 or vehicle 20 can be presented with an AR environment 25 corresponding to a determined skill level, such that each passenger 22 or vehicle 20 can be presented with different AR objects 26 at the same interactive area along the ride spot 12. The weighted system of the ride and game control system 24 can determine and update the skill level of the passenger 22 and / or vehicle 20 at each predetermined interactive area, thereby allowing the AR environment 25 to correspond to the skill level of the passenger 22 and / or, in general, all passengers 22 of the vehicle 20 as the vehicle 20 travels through the ride spot 12. Therefore, the AR object 26 presented to the marked passenger 130 can be based at least in part on the currently determined skill level of the driver 100 and / or the currently determined skill level of the passengers 22 of the vehicle 20 as a whole. Furthermore, the various types of movement of the vehicle 20 indirectly triggered by input received from the marked user input device 36 can be based at least in part on the currently determined skill level of the marked passenger 130 and / or the currently determined skill level of the passengers 22 of the vehicle 20 as a whole. For example, if the marked passenger 130 is determined to have a relatively high skill level, the difficulty level of the interaction can be relatively high compared to a lower skill level, such as making it harder to hit the AR object 26, and hitting or marking the AR object 26 can cause a greater change in the speed of the vehicle 20.

[0050] It should be understood that, Figure 4 and Figure 5 Both have been simplified to show only the perspective of one passenger 22 at a time, and all passengers 22 in the vehicle 20 at the same time can control one or more user input devices 32. As discussed above, the interaction and driving execution of all passengers 22 in the vehicle 20 with the AR object 26 can influence and cause the movement of the vehicle 20 via the riding and gaming control system 24.

[0051] As discussed previously, the movement of the vehicle 20 can be controlled by both the driving passenger 100 and other passengers (e.g., marker passenger 130). The driving passenger 100 can control the steering of the vehicle 20 via a steering user input device, and additionally, in an embodiment, the driving passenger 100 can control the speed of the vehicle 20 via other user input devices 38 (such as an accelerator user input device or a brake user input device). The movement of the vehicle 20, such as the steering and / or speed of the vehicle 20, can also be controlled based on the actions of the driving passenger 100 and / or other passengers 22 (e.g., marker passenger 130) relative to the AR environment 25 or the game. Considering this, Figure 6This is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 150 for controlling or triggering movement of a ride vehicle 20 via a ride and gaming control system 24, based at least in part on direct and indirect motion inputs received by the driver / passenger 100. Method 150 can be continuously executed by the ride and gaming control system 24 while the ride vehicle 20 is traveling along track 18 and during transfers between passengers 22 during the period when driving control of the ride vehicle (e.g., control of steering user input device 32 and / or accelerator user input device) is conducted through ride spots 12. Method 150 includes generating and displaying AR instruction objects 34 to present driving instructions to the driver / passenger 100 (box 152). As previously discussed, instruction objects 34 can be text, symbols, graphics, characters, or any other object instructing the driver / passenger 100 to steer or control the ride vehicle 20 in a particular manner. Instruction objects 104 can also be objects to be avoided on track 18. The current driver occupant 100 of vehicle 20 can directly steer vehicle 20 via steering user input device 34 in response to instruction object 104 generated and displayed to driver occupant 100 via game controller 44 and / or corresponding game system 48. Based on the steering by driver occupant 100 via steering user input device 34, a signal indicating the steering is received by ride controller 42 and / or game controller 44 of ride and game control system 24 (box 154).

[0052] Next, the ride and game control system 24 can trigger direct movement of the ride vehicle 20, such as turning the ride vehicle 20 in the direction of the steering input, at least in part, based on the received steering input received via the ride controller 42 and / or the game controller 44 (box 156). Next, the ride and game control system 24 can determine, via the game controller 44 and / or the corresponding game system 48, whether the steering input received from the steering user input device 34 corresponds to an instruction presented to the driver / passenger 100 via the instruction object 104 (box 158). For example, whether the driver appropriately turned the steering wheel (e.g., the steering user input device 34) and / or operated other inputs such as the accelerator user input device within a time period after the instruction object 104 was presented. If the ride and game control system 24 determines that the received steering input corresponds to the instruction object 104, the ride and game control system 24 can trigger additional movement of the ride vehicle 20, such as a change in the speed of the ride vehicle 20 (box 160). Additionally or alternatively, movement of the vehicle 20 may be influenced or triggered at least in part based on the passenger score and / or the vehicle score, such that movement is triggered when the passenger score and / or the vehicle score exceeds a threshold score. In such an embodiment, the passenger score and / or the vehicle score may increase in response to the driver correctly complying with instruction 104.

[0053] If the ride and game control system 24 determines that the received steering input does not correspond to the command object 104, the ride and game control system 24 may trigger different movements of the ride vehicle 20, such as changes in the speed of the ride vehicle 20 and / or spins of the ride vehicle 20 (box 162). In an embodiment, if the ride and game control system 24 determines that the received steering input does not correspond to the presented command object 104, movement may not be triggered. It should be understood that method 150 may be an iterative or repetitive process performed throughout the ride site 12 to trigger movement of the ride vehicle 20.

[0054] Figure 7 This is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 170 for controlling or triggering movement of a ride vehicle 20 via a ride and game control system 24, at least in part based on interactions between one or more marked riders 130 and the AR environment 25. Method 170 may be continuously executed by the ride and game control system 24 while the ride vehicle 20 is traveling along track 18 and during the period when control of one or more marked user input devices 36 is applied throughout the ride location 12, or during certain times or portions of the transfer of ride locations 12 between riders 22. Method 170 includes generating and displaying an AR object 26 of the AR environment 25 to one or more marked riders 130 (box 172). One or more marked riders 130 may interact with the AR object 26 via one or more marked user input devices 36 (e.g., marking at the AR object 26). Based on the interaction of one or more current marked riders 130 with the AR object 26, signals indicating interaction are received by the game controller and / or corresponding game system 48 of the ride and game control system 24 (box 174).

[0055] Next, the ride and game control system 24 can determine, via the game controller 44 and / or the corresponding game system 48, whether the received signal indicating an interaction between one or more marked riders 130 and the AR object 26 corresponds to a hit on the AR object 26 or a win in a simulated game (box 176). If the ride and game control system 24 determines that the interaction corresponds to a hit on the AR object 26 or a win in a simulated game, the ride and game control system 24 can trigger movement of the ride vehicle 20, such as a change in the speed of the ride vehicle 20 (box 178). Additionally or alternatively, movement of the ride vehicle 20 based at least in part on the interaction between one or more marked riders 130 and the AR environment 25 can be triggered based at least in part on the rider score and / or the ride vehicle score, such that additional movement is triggered when the rider score and / or the ride vehicle score exceeds a threshold score. In such an embodiment, the rider score and / or the ride vehicle score can increase based on a hit or a win. If the ride and game control system 24 determines that the interaction does not correspond to a mark or hit on the AR object 26 or a win in the simulated game, the ride and game control system 24 may trigger movement of the ride vehicle 20, such as changing the speed of the ride vehicle 20, or may not trigger additional movement of the ride vehicle 20.

[0056] It should be understood that methods 150 and 170 can be performed independently or together throughout the ride at attraction 12. Methods 150 and 170 can be performed alternately or at different parts of attraction 12. Therefore, the movement of vehicle 20 can sometimes be controlled by driver 100, sometimes by other passengers 22 (e.g., marker 130), or sometimes by both driver 100 and marker 130. Furthermore, when each passenger 22 can control at least one user input device 32 at the same time, methods 150 and 170 can be performed continuously for each passenger 22 and each user device throughout the ride at attraction 12 to create segmented control over the movement of vehicle 20 through the passengers 22 and their interactions with the AR environment 25 (e.g., a gaming environment).

[0057] Although certain features of this embodiment have been described and illustrated herein, many modifications and alterations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and alterations falling within the true spirit of this disclosure. Furthermore, it should be understood that certain elements of the disclosed embodiments can be combined or interchanged with each other.

[0058] The techniques given and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and specific examples of practical nature, which significantly improve the field of expertise, and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Furthermore, if any claim appended to this specification contains one or more elements expressed as “component for [performing]...[function]” or “step for [performing]...[function]”, it is intended that such elements be interpreted under 35 USC112(f). However, for any claim containing elements expressed in any other manner, it is not intended that such elements be interpreted under 35 USC112(f).

Claims

1. A ride system for an amusement park, comprising: A vehicle configured to accommodate passengers and to travel along a passenger route; A head-mounted display configured to be worn by the rider; as well as The control system is configured as follows: Virtual driving instructions or augmented reality objects are displayed to passengers via a head-mounted display; Receive signals from a user input device associated with the passenger, wherein the user input device is a turning user input device or a marking user input device; Determine that the signals received from the labeled user input device correspond to interactions with augmented reality objects superimposed on the real-world environment; and After determining that the received signal corresponds to an interaction with an augmented reality object superimposed on the real-world environment, the movement of the vehicle is triggered based on the interaction with the augmented reality object superimposed on the real-world environment and based on the signal received from the marked user input device.

2. The riding system according to claim 1, wherein, The control system is configured as follows: Receive additional signals from the user input device; Determine that the additional signals received from the steering user input device correspond to virtual driving commands; as well as In response to the determination that the additional signal corresponds to a virtual driving command, the movement of the vehicle is triggered based on the additional signal.

3. The riding system according to claim 2, wherein, Steering user input devices include steering wheels, handheld controllers, joysticks, or buttons, which are configured to be operated by the passenger to steer the vehicle.

4. The riding system according to claim 2, wherein, The control system is configured to control the steering system to steer the vehicle according to additional signals received from the steering user input device, and to trigger a change in the vehicle's speed in response to determining that the additional signals correspond to virtual driving instructions.

5. The riding system according to claim 2, wherein, The control system is configured to adjust the display of augmented reality objects based on additional signals.

6. The riding system according to claim 1, wherein, The control system is configured to display the augmented reality object and the second augmented reality object in an augmented reality environment via a head-mounted display.

7. The riding system according to claim 6, wherein, The augmented reality object is the target object and the second augmented reality object is the augmented reality projector, which is configured to be virtually released onto the target object based on user input at a marked user input device.

8. The riding system according to claim 6, wherein, The signal is based on a collision between the second augmented reality object and the augmented reality object in the augmented reality environment, and the control system is configured to trigger a change in the speed of the vehicle after determining that the signal corresponds to a collision between the second augmented reality object and the augmented reality object.

9. The riding system according to claim 6, wherein, The signal is based on the fact that the second augmented reality object did not collide with the augmented reality object in the augmented reality environment, and the control system is configured to trigger the rotational movement of the vehicle after determining that the signal corresponds to the second augmented reality object not colliding with the augmented reality object.

10. The riding system according to claim 1, wherein, The control system is configured to determine the rider's skill level based on a weighted process of previous interactions between the rider and multiple other augmented reality objects throughout a portion of the ride prior to the interaction, wherein the augmented reality objects and the multiple other augmented reality objects are portions of the augmented reality environment visible to the rider via a head-mounted display, and the control system is configured to adjust the augmented reality environment based on the rider's skill level.

11. The riding system according to claim 10, wherein, The control system is configured to change the speed of the vehicle based on the rider's skill level.

12. The riding system according to claim 10, wherein, The control system is configured to allow the passenger to control the vehicle based on their skill level.

13. The riding system according to claim 1, wherein, The augmented reality object is configured as an augmented reality reward object, and the interaction is configured to virtually grasp the augmented reality reward object via a labeled user input device.

14. The riding system according to claim 1, wherein, After determining that the received signal corresponds to an interaction with an augmented reality object, the control system is configured to increase the rider score associated with the rider.

15. The riding system according to claim 14, wherein, The control system is configured to trigger the movement of the vehicle after the rider's score exceeds a threshold score.

16. The riding system according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle is configured to accommodate multiple passengers, and the control system is configured to present multiple augmented reality objects to each of the multiple passengers via a corresponding head-mounted display, and the presentation of each of the multiple augmented reality objects is based on the respective skill level of each of the multiple passengers, previous interactions of each passenger with one or more of the multiple augmented reality objects, or both.

17. The riding system according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle is configured to accommodate multiple passengers, and the control system is configured to increase the vehicle score associated with the multiple passengers after determining that the received signal corresponds to an interaction with the augmented reality object.

18. The riding system according to claim 17, wherein, The control system is configured to trigger the movement of the vehicle after the score of the vehicle exceeds a threshold score.

19. The riding system according to claim 1, wherein, Movement includes changes in the speed of the vehicle, rotational movement of the vehicle relative to the travel path, swaying movement of the vehicle, or any combination thereof.

20. A method of providing entertainment in an amusement park, comprising: A computer graphics generation system communicatively coupled to the control system of a vehicle generates a game environment, wherein the game environment includes multiple augmented reality objects, and the vehicle is configured to carry one or more passengers and travel along a riding path. The game environment is displayed via a first head-mounted display associated with a first of the one or more occupants; The first signal is received by the steering device of the control system, which is coupled from the communication ground to the control system. After determining that the first signal corresponds to the first augmented reality object among the plurality of augmented reality objects superimposed on the real-world environment, the movement of the vehicle is triggered by the control system at least in part based on the first signal; The second signal is received via a tagging device coupled to the control system from the communication ground; and After determining that the second signal corresponds to an interaction between the tagging device and a second augmented reality object among the plurality of augmented reality objects superimposed on the real-world environment, the movement of the vehicle is triggered by the control system at least in part based on the second signal indicating the interaction between the tagging device and the second augmented reality object superimposed on the real-world environment.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The first augmented reality object includes a virtual driving command object, and the second augmented reality object includes a target object, wherein the movement of the vehicle includes a first type of movement of the vehicle and a second type of movement of the vehicle, the method comprising: Determine that the first signal received from the steering device corresponds to a virtual driving instruction object; In response to determining that a first signal received from the steering device corresponds to a virtual driving instruction object, a first type of movement of the vehicle is triggered. Determining that the second signal received from the tagging device corresponds to a virtual interaction with the target object; and In response to the determination that the second signal received from the marking device corresponds to a virtual interaction with the target object, a second type of movement of the vehicle is triggered.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The first type of movement involves changing the direction of the vehicle being traveled.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein, The second type of movement involves changing the speed of the vehicle being traveled.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein, The display of the game environment is configured to be adjusted via a computer graphics generation system based on determining that a first signal corresponds to a first augmented reality object, determining that a second signal corresponds to a second augmented reality object, or both.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The second signal is a collision between a third augmented reality object and a second augmented reality object in the game environment, where the second augmented reality object is the target object and the third augmented reality object is an augmented reality projector configured to be virtually released onto the target object based on user input at a marking device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, The movement of the vehicle is based at least in part on the collision between the third augmented reality object and the second augmented reality object.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining a score of the vehicle based at least in part on a first signal and a second signal via a control system, wherein, The movement of the vehicle is triggered at least in part based on the score exceeding a threshold score.

28. A ride and gaming control system integrated with a ride vehicle configured to carry one or more occupants along a ride track, the ride and gaming control system comprising: The game controller is configured as follows: Receive a first input signal from a steering user input device configured to be operated by the one or more occupants; Receive a second input signal from at least one marked user input device configured to be operated by the one or more occupants; Determine that the first received input signal corresponds to a virtual driving command; After determining that the received first input signal corresponds to a virtual driving command, a first control signal is output that instructs the vehicle to make a first movement. Determine that the received second input signal corresponds to an interaction between the at least one labeled user input device and an augmented reality object superimposed on the real-world environment; as well as After determining that the received second input signal corresponds to an interaction with an augmented reality object superimposed on the real-world environment, a second control signal is output, indicating a command to cause a second movement of the vehicle. as well as A ride controller communicatively coupled to a game controller and configured to receive a first control signal and a second control signal, and configured to control the movement of the ride vehicle based at least in part on the first control signal and the second control signal.

29. The riding and gaming control system of claim 28, comprising a computer graphics generation system communicatively coupled to a game controller and one or more head-mounted displays, each configured to be worn by a respective rider among the one or more riders, wherein, The computer graphics generation system is configured to generate and display virtual driving instructions and augmented reality objects via each of the one or more head-mounted displays.

30. The riding and gaming control system according to claim 28, wherein, The ride controller is configured to adjust the speed of the ride vehicle based at least in part on a first control signal or a second control signal.

31. The riding and gaming control system according to claim 28, wherein, The operation of the steering user input device, the operation of the at least one marked user input device, or both are configured to transfer between the one or more passengers via the riding and gaming control system as the vehicle travels along the riding track.

Images