Systems and methods for crowd management and maintenance operations

Abstract

The crowd management system 100 includes at least one local controller 107 associated with a scenic spot area 149 of an individual scenic spot 148 within the subject park. The crowd management system 100 comprises a transceiver 606 of at least one local controller 107, wherein the transceiver 606 receives guest data via wireless signals from devices 110 associated with guests within a detection range of the local controller 107. A crowd management system 100 comprises a remote central controller 102 in communication with at least one local controller 107 and a device 110 associated with a guest. The remote central controller 102 receives guest data from the at least one local controller 107 and determines one or more crowd metrics for the individual scenic spot 148 based on the guest data. The remote central controller 102 generates activity commands based on the one or more crowd metrics. The remote central controller 102 transmits the activity command to at least one of the guest-associated devices 110.

Description

This application is a divisional application of the patent application with application number 201880077434.8 and invention name “System and method for crowd management and maintenance operations”. Background Art

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of amusement parks. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus utilized to manage crowd control and maintenance of apparatus associated with an amusement park experience.

[0002] In recent years, theme parks and amusement parks have become more popular and accessible, thereby increasing the average number of customers who visit theme parks every day. The expansion of parks with additional and more complex attractions (e.g., rides, restaurants, shops and performances) generally provides additional capacity to amusement parks to handle a large number of guests. However, additional attractions generally also provide potential guests with a motivation to visit amusement parks. Therefore, although a special amusement park can increase additional capacity, the additional capacity does not always lead to an increased capacity for guests to participate in park entertainment (e.g., shopping, watching performances, riding rides) or a reduced waiting time for attractions. This is because there is often a corresponding increase in the number of people. Although guests have expected larger, better and more complete attractions, they also expect a positive overall experience. Providing a positive overall experience for amusement park guests requires solving certain problems related to controlling the crowds and waiting times associated with certain attractions. In fact, it is now recognized that due to the negative experience in the case of a large number of people leading to a longer waiting time, park guests may be prevented from returning to a special amusement park. Therefore, it is now recognized that it is desirable to improve amusement park crowd control systems and methods. Additionally, an increase in guest traffic may cause equipment associated with an attraction to require servicing more frequently than usual. Therefore, it may be beneficial to improve park maintenance systems and methods. Summary of the invention

[0003] The following summarizes certain embodiments that are commensurate in scope with the originally claimed subject matter. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure, but rather these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief overview of certain disclosed embodiments. In fact, the present disclosure may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0004] According to one embodiment, a crowd management system includes at least one local controller associated with an attraction area of ​​a separate attraction within a theme park. The crowd management system includes a transceiver of the at least one local controller, wherein the transceiver receives guest data via a wireless signal from a guest-associated device within a detection range of the at least one local controller. The crowd management system includes a remote central controller in communication with the at least one local controller. The remote central controller receives the guest data from the at least one local controller and determines one or more crowd metrics for the separate attraction based on the received guest data. The remote central controller generates an activity command based on the determined one or more crowd metrics. The remote central controller transmits the activity command to at least one of the guest-associated devices.

[0005] According to an embodiment, a crowd management system includes a plurality of local controllers associated with respective attractions within a theme park. The system includes a central controller in communication with the plurality of local controllers, wherein the central controller receives communications from the plurality of local controllers, wherein the communications include guest total number information based on detection of wireless guest devices near the respective attractions. The central controller determines one or more crowd metrics for the respective attractions based on the determined communications, wherein the crowd metrics include guest total number information based on detection of wireless guest devices near the respective attractions. The central controller generates an activity command for an individual guest based on the one or more crowd metrics, and transmits the activity command to a device associated with the individual guest.

[0006] According to one embodiment, a system includes an interactive device element of a separate attraction within a theme park. The interactive device element includes one or more sensors and a controller that receives data from the one or more sensors. The data includes information indicating a guest interaction with the interactive device element. The controller determines one or more maintenance-related metrics for the interactive device element based on the received data. The controller generates a maintenance command for the interactive device element based on the one or more maintenance-related metrics, and deactivates the interactive device element based on the maintenance command. The controller may activate a different interactive device element when deactivating the interactive device element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] 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, and in which: Figure 1 is a flow chart of a method for using a crowd management system according to the present embodiment; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a theme park including a crowd management system according to the present embodiment; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a crowded area of ​​a theme park utilizing a crowd management system according to the present embodiment; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a less crowded area of ​​a theme park utilizing a crowd management system according to the present embodiment; Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an attraction including dynamically activated interactive device elements according to the present embodiment; Figure 6 is a schematic representation of an activated wearable according to the present embodiment; and Figure 7 is a block diagram of a control system according to the present embodiment, which may be implemented to manage crowds in a theme park and / or maintenance of equipment in the theme park. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] The currently disclosed embodiment promotes virtual crowd management in theme parks. A virtual crowd management system as provided herein manages the total number of guests between and within the various attractions of a theme park to limit or eliminate a large number of people waiting in a line or waiting to access a device at a given attraction (such as a ride). For example, when a special ride or area of ​​a park is too crowded, all or some guests in the crowded area may receive a notification: a new reward or device is accessible in another section of the park. These messages motivate users to redistribute in the park to reduce the total number of guests in the crowded area and to provide increased enjoyment. In addition, the disclosed technology can be used to manage interactive device elements in an amusement park. In one embodiment, an interactive device element can be dynamically activated as a motivation to move a guest to a new location in the park and / or a special attraction. In addition, when in a crowded area, the interactive device element can be controlled to be less activated or less responsive. In this way, when the surrounding area becomes more crowded, the guest loses interest in a special interactive device element, so a feedback loop is created to cause a local reduction in the crowding around the interactive element.

[0009] In certain embodiments, the disclosed technology includes a controller (e.g., a remote central controller) that evaluates a metric (e.g., a crowd metric) of the total number and distribution of guests and sends messages or other notifications to guests that encourage a desired guest distribution, such as notifications related to a sequence of activities to be performed by the guest that encourage guests to leave a crowded attraction. The system receives various inputs from local controllers associated with (one or more) attractions and / or guests for dynamically managing crowds and / or interactive devices. In certain embodiments, crowd management is managed in part via a guest device such as an activated wearable (e.g., a bracelet, wearable tag, necklace, or badge) that is carried by or associated with the guest and interacts with various attractions and signals the guest to leave the attraction, go to a different area of ​​the attraction, or go to a different area of ​​the park. In other embodiments, crowd management can be managed via an application on the guest's mobile device.

[0010] Signals may also be used by the controller to collect data about the maintenance of a device associated with a given attraction, and to output a maintenance request to a display or operator when the device needs servicing. The controller may be configured to communicate with a maintenance controller, or the controller may monitor and control the maintenance of the device. For example, the maintenance of the device may be monitored via a sensor such as an impact sensor, an accelerometer, an operating time sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, an optical sensor, or any other suitable sensor for monitoring a device associated with an attraction (e.g., an interactive device element). The sensor may output a signal to indicate how long the attraction has been interacted with, how long the attraction has been open or in use, to indicate wear on a portion of the attraction, etc. When the remote central controller determines that the device has reached a maintenance threshold (e.g., an upper limit of operation, being in service for too long), the remote central controller may warn the operator or output a message to the display that a servicing or maintenance operation should be performed.

[0011] Figure 11 is a flow chart of a method for using a crowd management system according to the present technology. The method 10 is initiated by receiving and / or providing (box 12) user identification information for a guest and detecting (box 14) the entry of the guest when the guest enters the amusement park. Once in the park, the method 10 includes receiving (box 16) one or more signals about the guest, such as data associated with the guest and collected or provided as part of the credential information. The data can be provided via a local controller and / or an associated device of the guest (e.g., an activated wearable) and can include information such as the location or position of the guest. The method 10 may include determining (box 18) a crowd metric for or in a separate attraction, such as when the attraction waiting time is above a threshold. The method 10 includes generating (box 20) an activity command based on one or more crowd metrics. In some embodiments, the activity command may include a message or notification to a separate guest to go to a different attraction of the corresponding attraction. The method 10 may include transmitting (box 22) the activity command to an application on a device associated with the guest or a mobile device of the guest. Details of various aspects of the method 10 will be discussed in further detail below with respect to relevant system features.

[0012] Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of a theme park including a crowd management system according to the present technology. System 100 includes a remote central control system 102, monitoring sensors 104, wireless communication system 106, local control system 107, system display 108, activated wearables 110 (e.g., bracelets including accessible data and communication features), and other components coordinated according to the present embodiment, as described in detail below. Certain aspects of system 100 will be described in detail in terms of their use in a Figure 1 The present embodiment is referenced to the portion that functions in the illustrated method 10. In particular, it should be noted that the present embodiment facilitates crowd management so that amusement park guests 120 can be directed or motivated to enter a particular area or attraction in the park. The present embodiment can function to encourage participation in other areas of the amusement park, such as dining, shopping, and other entertainment venues (e.g., rides, shows) in other areas of the park.

[0013] As generally represented by box 14 of method 10, when guest 120 arrives at a ticketing location (e.g., a guest service counter, a park gate), an entry credential (e.g., a ticket or an activated wearable 110) may be provided to guest 120 in addition to other items (such as a park map). Information media (e.g., audio, video) and indicator signs may be present at all such ticketing locations. Although certain disclosed embodiments are discussed in the context of guest-associated devices such as activated wearables 110, it should be understood that guest-associated devices may also include guest mobile devices (e.g., smart phones). In some instances, guest 120 may have already obtained an entry credential prior to arrival and may skip obtaining such a credential at a ticketing location. The entry credential may be bound to a guest profile or user identification information provided by each guest (represented by box 12).

[0014] As generally represented by block 16 of method 10, the remote central controller 102 operates to receive a signal regarding the guest 120 from the user's associated device (e.g., the activated wearable 110). The signal may include guest identification information and / or information regarding the location of the guest 120, as determined via the signal output from the user's associated device (e.g., the activated wearable 110). Other information regarding the guest 120 may be output from the attraction 148, including the wait time of the guest 120 in an area of ​​the park, the number of times the guest 120 attempted to interact with the attraction, etc., as determined by the guest's interaction with one or more interactive device elements. As a specific example, when the guest 120 has attempted to interact with a particular attraction 148 (such as by repeatedly making physical contact with an interactive device element of the attraction 148), the activated wearable 110 and / or interactive device element may provide a signal to the local controller 107, which in turn is communicated to the remote central controller 102 to indicate this.

[0015] As generally represented by box 18, method 10 may include determining when the number of guests 120 and / or the expected waiting time for an attraction 148 is above a threshold. For example, an activated wearable 110 may output a signal to a remote central controller 102 indicating that the guest 120 has been waiting in an area of ​​the attraction for more than a threshold amount of time (e.g., more than 30 minutes). The waiting time may be determined based on the guest location information and the guest identification information, such as via a signal from one or more activated wearable sensors 109 (e.g., a reader, a wireless communication beacon) positioned at the attraction and configured to receive an identification signal from each activated wearable 110 in range. For example, when an activated wearable 110 with a particular guest identification number is determined to be in range of a particular activated wearable sensor 109, an average waiting time may be estimated. In one example, the average waiting time may be determined by comparing the previous location of the guest 120 with the new location of the guest 120 to determine how long the guest 120 remains located near the attraction 148.

[0016] As generally represented by box 20, method 10 may include initiating an activity command when the waiting time of an attraction or other crowd management metric exceeds a threshold. As generally represented by box 22, method 10 may include transmitting the activity command to a guest device (e.g., an activated wearable 110). This embodiment may function to encourage participation of guests 120 in other areas of the park. For example, an activity command may request that guests 120 leave from a ride facility where guests are waiting in a line to go to another area of ​​the park to complete an activity (e.g., ride a different ride facility). Upon completing an activity command (e.g., one or more tasks), when guest 120 returns to the ride facility where guest 120 was originally waiting, guest 120 may be rewarded by being provided with an enhanced user experience. Once guest 120 has completed the task associated with the activity command, guest 120 is able to mark the task completion on the activated wearable 110 by interacting with the display of the activated wearable (e.g., marking the task completed). When guest 120 marks the task completed, remote central controller 102 receives a signal from the activated wearable 110 that guest 120 has completed the task. Thus, the remote central controller 102 is alerted to the possibility that the guest 120 may be ready to return to the original attraction. In some embodiments, the remote central controller 102 may determine that the crowd in the area of ​​the first attraction 148 (i.e., the pond attraction 148) is still too large and the associated wait time is too long. In response, the remote central controller 102 may output another activity command (e.g., another task) to encourage the guest 120 to complete the other task. Figure 3-4 Learn more about activity commands.

[0017] Figure 31 is a schematic diagram of a crowded area of ​​a theme park utilizing a crowd management system 100 according to the present technology. As discussed above, a theme park includes various attractions (e.g., rides). Certain attractions or rides may attract greater interest at a given time. In the illustrated example, attraction 148 has attracted a large number of guests 120 in area 149 of the park. The activated wearables 110 worn by the guests 120 output corresponding signals to the remote central controller 102, which aggregates information from the signals to indicate the number of guests in the area, the length of time the guests spend in the area, etc. Other signals may also be received by the remote central controller 102.

[0018] For example, the remote central controller 102 may receive a signal from an attraction 148 (e.g., a sensor 104 associated with the attraction 148). The sensor 104 may include an impact sensor, an accelerometer, an operating time sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, an optical sensor, a camera, a microphone, or any other suitable sensor for monitoring an attraction. The sensor 104 may be associated with an interactive device element 147 (shown here as a duck feed dispensing station) and may output a signal to indicate how long the attraction has been interacted with, how long the attraction has been open or in use, how many actuations each interactive device element 147 has experienced to indicate wear and tear on a portion of the attraction, etc. When the remote central controller 102 determines that an individual interactive device element 147 has reached an upper limit of operation, has been in service for too long, etc., the remote central controller 102 may alert an operator 128 (see FIG. 102) or output a message to the display 108 that a service or maintenance operation should be performed. Although the interactive device element 147 depicted is shown as a duck feed dispenser (e.g., dispensing a portion of feed when the guest 120 actuates a button), it should be understood that the interactive device element 147 can be configured according to the attraction narration and can be configured to release items, provide special effects, generate guest rewards (e.g., which are in turn associated with the guest profile), etc. In addition, the actuation or interaction with the interactive device element 147 can be a physical touch, a sensed probe movement, a sensed audio or visual guest action, etc. In one embodiment, one or more sensors 104 may include an RFID reader that senses the guest's proximity to the interactive device element 147, whereby the remote central controller 102 and / or the local controller 104 will record the proximity as a successful guest interaction. However, in order to enhance guest immersion and enjoyment, the interactive device element 147 may also include a mechanical or electronic response to a successful interaction. In this way, guests 120 of different physical strengths or abilities can still achieve successful interactions with the interactive device element 147.

[0019] The remote central controller 102 can dynamically adjust the configuration for certain attractions, which is pushed down to each local controller 107 and activated wearable 110. By adjusting the configuration for the attractions, the remote central controller 102 can control the flow of guest traffic to reduce congestion in the area. Similarly, the remote central controller 102 can control the flow of guest traffic to reduce the number of users interacting with the attractions when the attractions have interacted with more users than expected. For example, if a single user has made physical contact with a certain interactive device element 147 for longer than expected, the remote central controller 102 can initiate a cooling activity command. The cooling activity command can be received by the local controller 107 to reduce the output of the affected attractions. In response, the interactive device element 147 can stop outputting a response to reduce interaction with the guest 120. For example, the interactive device element 147 can stop lighting up, making noises, giving scores, or otherwise generating reactions in response to interactions with guests. In other words, the attraction may reduce the desired response to the guest 120 to encourage the guest 120 to stop interacting with the interactive device elements 147 of the attraction 148 .

[0020] In another example, when the remote central controller 102 determines that the crowd metric for a given attraction 148 indicates undesirable crowding, the remote central controller 102 may initiate an activity command. The activity command may include a request for the guest 120 to complete an activity, a request for the guest 120 to complete a certain number of tasks from a task list, to complete certain tasks in a sequence, etc. In the illustrated example, the remote central controller 102 may determine that the crowd collected at an attraction 148 (e.g., a pond attraction for feeding ducks) is too large via crowd metrics collected through activated wearables 110 associated with the guests. That is, in one embodiment, the crowd metric is a guest density at a particular area 149 or attraction 148, which may be evaluated based on determining the number of detected activated wearable signals associated with individual guests 120 generated within the area 149 or at the attraction 148 at a particular time and comparing the number to a threshold. When the estimated number of guests 120 in the area 149 is above the threshold, the crowd metric may indicate undesirable crowding. In such an embodiment, an activity command may be sent to one or more guest devices (e.g., activated wearables 110) determined to be in a crowded area 149 or attraction 148 to encourage the corresponding guest 120 to leave and go to other areas 149 or attractions 148. Conversely, a sparsely populated area 149 or attraction 148 may trigger an activity command based on a crowd metric indicating a low guest density. Such an activity command may be sent to guests 120 who are not in a sparsely populated area 149 or attraction 148 but are located elsewhere in the park. Other crowd metrics may be waiting times for attractions 148, crowd density around a particular interactive device element 147, and the like. In other words, the remote central controller 102 may typically monitor both attractions 148 and sparsely populated areas 149 with higher crowd density to determine which areas of the theme park the guest 120 may be transferred to.

[0021] In order to move guests 120 to a sparsely populated area 149, the remote central controller 102 may initiate an activity command based on crowd metrics to change the game configuration associated with an individual attraction 148 (e.g., a pond attraction). The activity command may include transmitting an activity command to a guest-associated device (e.g., an activated wearable 110) to encourage the guest to move to another attraction (e.g., a horse attraction) to control the flow of guest traffic and reduce pond attraction traffic, as described in reference to FIG. Figure 4 Further explained.

[0022] Figure 41 is a schematic diagram of a less crowded area 151 of a theme park utilizing a crowd management system according to the present technology. In the illustrated example, an activity command has been pushed down from the remote central controller 102 to the local controller 107, and thereby to the activated wearable 110 associated with the guest 120. As described above, the activity command may include a request for the guest 120 to complete an activity, a request for the guest 120 to complete a certain number of tasks from a task list, a request for the guest 120 to complete certain tasks in a sequence, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the activity command includes a request for the guest 120 to leave the pond attraction ( Figure 3 ) to visit the horse attraction 150 to relieve congestion at the pond attraction 148. By following the activity command, when the guest 120 returns to the original attraction (i.e., the pond attraction 148), the guest 120 can be provided with an enhanced user experience, as further explained below.

[0023] Returning to the discussion of the activity command, the guest 120 may be signaled to interact with the horse attraction 150 via the activity command output to the activated wearable 110. In the illustrated example, the guest 120 is instructed to complete the task of feeding apples to the horse. Once the guest 120 has completed this task of the activity command, the guest 120 is able to mark the task completion on the activated wearable 110 by interacting with the display of the activated wearable (e.g., marking the task completion). When the guest 120 marks the task completion, the remote central controller 102 receives a signal from the activated wearable 110 associated with the guest that the guest 120 has completed the task. Therefore, the remote central controller 102 is alerted to the possibility that the guest 120 may return to the original attraction (i.e., the pond attraction 148). In some embodiments, the remote central controller 102 may determine that the crowd in the area of ​​the first attraction 148 (i.e., the pond attraction 148) is still too large and the associated waiting time is too long. In response, the remote central controller 102 may encourage the guest 120 to complete another task. For example, the remote central controller 102 can output another activity command to instruct the guest 120 to complete another task to continue to keep the guest 120 not empty and reduce the congestion in the area of ​​the original scenic spot (i.e., the pond scenic spot 148). In some embodiments, the activity command can only include one task for the guest 120 to complete. In other embodiments, the activity sequence can require the guest 120 to complete a certain number of tasks from the task list or complete certain tasks in the sequence. When the activity sequence is completed, the guest 120 will be instructed to return to the original scenic spot (i.e., the pond scenic spot 148). By completing the activity sequence, the guest 120 can be provided with an enhanced user experience (e.g., the unique virtual aspects of the scenic spot can be enabled). For example, the guest 120 can be provided with access to the private area of ​​the pond 152, more food for feeding ducks, etc. By completing the activity sequence, the guest 120 will have contributed to reducing the congestion in the area of ​​the original scenic spot (i.e., the pond scenic spot 148).

[0024] Figure 5147a and an inactive subset of interactive device elements 147b. In the depicted embodiment, the interactive device elements 147 may be substantially of the same type, for example, a wall 300 configured to include an interactive panel 302 that displays eggs 304 of an egg collection device for the attraction 148 when activated. The interactive panel 302 may be configured to be pressed to permit the guest 120 to virtually collect the displayed eggs 304. As provided herein, the collection may be recorded to or associated with a guest identification of a guest device near the individual interactive panel 302. For example, the interactive panel 302 may include an RFID reader that reads identification information of a guest device (e.g., an activated wearable 110). Upon successful interaction, the activated wearable 110 may also light up or otherwise indicate that the interaction is complete to encourage the guest 120 to move on and allow other guests 120 to interact with the wall 300. In one embodiment, the interactive panel 302 will dim or will no longer display the egg 304 once actuated, thereby indicating that the egg 304 has been collected. In response, the controller 302 can then provide an activation instruction to one of the inactive subsets of the interactive device elements 147b, which can then dynamically become part of the active subset and can begin to display the egg 304. In this way, the active subset and the inactive subset can change membership dynamically and in response to guest actions. In addition, dynamic adjustment can encourage guests to fan out along the wall 300 to reduce crowding because new eggs 304 can appear randomly at any time. In addition, dynamic reconfiguration can cover up any non-functional or queue-maintained interactive device elements 147 by providing guests 120 with alternative options.

[0025] Figure 64 is a schematic representation of a guest device configured as an activated wearable 110 according to the present embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the activated wearable 110 includes a housing 400 in the form of a bracelet. However, in other embodiments, it may include a necklace, a headband, a ring or other conveniently wearable items. Device 402 may be embedded in housing 400. Device 402 may include several separate or combined components that perform certain functions. In the illustrated embodiment, device 402 includes a memory / identifier 404, a power module 406, a display 408, an indicator 410, a transmitter 412, and a receiver 414. In some embodiments, memory / identifier 404 may include a simple identifier (e.g., an RFID tag), which the remote central controller 102 associates with the guest 120. In operation, device 402 may operate to receive information at least from the remote central controller 102 to provide information (e.g., activity commands) to the guest 120. Specifically, device 402 may communicate with the remote central controller 102 via the communication system 106. In some embodiments, this may include communication from the device 402 to the remote central controller 102. However, in other embodiments, the use of monitoring sensors 104 (e.g., proximity sensors) to detect devices 402 throughout a park area and the use of a remote central controller 102 to analyze such data may provide information related to the devices 402 (e.g., the number of users 120 near an attraction, the wait time experienced by users 120 associated with the devices 402). The activated wearable 110 may include one or more lights or other indicators that may flash or illuminate in response to a successful interaction with an interactive device element 147 (e.g., in response to a wireless signal from the controller 102 indicating a successful interaction).

[0026] Figure 76 is a block diagram of a control system 600 that can be implemented to manage crowds in a theme park and / or maintenance of devices in a theme park. The system 600 includes a remote central controller 102 that communicates with one or more local controllers 107. The local controllers 107 can be co-located with a given attraction or within a certain radius of the attraction. Each local controller 107 can receive a signal from an activated wearable 110 associated with a corresponding guest 120. That is, in some embodiments, each local controller 107 can monitor the number of guests near the attraction. One or both of the remote central controller 102 and the local controller 107 can include communication circuits (e.g., communication circuits 604 or 606), such as antennas, radio transceiver circuits, and signal processing hardware and / or software (e.g., hardware or software filters, A / D converters, multiplexer amplifiers) or a combination thereof, and can be configured to communicate via IR wireless communication, satellite communication, broadcast radio, microwave radio, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Wifi, UHF, NFC, etc. through a wired or wireless communication path. Such communication may also include intermediate communication equipment, such as a radio tower. In one embodiment, the communication between the remote central controller 102 and the local controller 107 is wired. The system 600 may also include an interactive device element 147, which may also include a communication circuit 602 and one or more sensors 104 as provided herein. The communication between the interactive device element 147 and the local controller 107 may be wired or wireless. In addition, the local controller 107 may communicate with an additional reader or other guest device detector 609 that monitors the location and identity of the guests to determine the crowd measurement. Such a detector may include a communication circuit 611 as provided herein.

[0027] In addition, one or both of the remote central controller 102 and the local controller 107 may include a display 615, a memory device (e.g., memory device 608 or 610) for storing instructions executable by a processor (e.g., processor 612 or 614) to perform the methods and control actions described herein. For example, the processor 612 can execute instructions for crowd management based on input from the local controller 107 and data about guests entering the ride and guests leaving the park. Additional inputs may include the location of the guest within the park or how long the guest has been near the attraction. For example, an activity command can be generated and output to the user's activated wearable based at least in part on the location of the guest relative to the attraction, as determined via a wireless signal or global positioning system (GPS) information from the guest's activated wearable. The system 600 can store guest locations during a park visit to create an accessible record of guest locations within the park for use in determining which guests will be motivated to leave the attraction and return later for an enhanced user experience. If the guest is estimated to be within a first distance relative to the attraction for the first time, a message with the status of his or her wait time is sent to the activated wearable (e.g., "20 minutes until duck feeding"), which accounts for the user being one of the earliest guests to arrive at the attraction. Whereas if the guest arrives at the attraction later when the crowd is greater than an acceptable upper threshold, an activity command (e.g., "Feed the horses at the horse riding attraction to receive a better duck feeding experience when you return") can be generated to account for the crowd in the vicinity and the increased wait time for the attraction 148. In this way, guests who arrive late to the attraction can be motivated to return to the attraction later when the crowd has dispersed or the crowd has decreased to an acceptable amount.

[0028] The processor may include one or more processing devices, and the memory may include one or more tangible, non-transitory machine-readable media. As an example, such machine-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and can be accessed by the processor or by other processor-based devices (e.g., mobile devices). For example, the remote central controller 102 and the local controller 107 can be accessed by an operator interface 620 (e.g., a computer-based workstation or a mobile device), and / or can include an input / output interface 616.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the remote central controller 102 may dynamically present ride options to each guest via an activated wearable 110 to encourage guests 120 to visit historically less crowded attractions first, enabling users to have an enhanced experience when they visit more crowded attractions.

[0030] Although only certain features of the present embodiment have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, it should be understood that some elements of the disclosed embodiments may be combined or exchanged with each other.

Claims

1. A system comprising: An interactive device element of a separate attraction within a theme park, the interactive device element comprising one or more sensors; as well as A controller configured to: receiving data from the one or more sensors, wherein the data includes information indicative of a guest's interaction with the interactive device element; determining one or more maintenance-related metrics of the interactive device element based on the received data; generating a maintenance command for the interactive device element based on the one or more maintenance-related metrics; deactivating the interactive device element based on the maintenance command; as well as A different interactive device element is activated when the interactive device element is deactivated.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to send an activity command related to the different interactive device elements to one or more guest devices when the different interactive device elements are activated.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the different interactive device elements and the interactive device elements are located within the single attraction. 4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit the maintenance command to a task program to queue a maintenance request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance command comprises a command to overhaul or replace the device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a shock sensor, an accelerometer, an operation time sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, an optical sensor, or a combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the maintenance-related metrics include a number of guest interactions with the interactive device elements.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more maintenance-related metrics indicate wear and tear on a portion of the attraction.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The one or more maintenance-related metrics indicate upper operating limits for individual interactive device elements.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more maintenance-related metrics indicate maintenance of a mechanical or electronic response of an individual interactive device element.

11. A method comprising: receiving data from one or more sensors, wherein the data includes information indicative of guest interactions with interactive device elements of the attraction; determining one or more maintenance-related metrics for the interactive device element based on the received data; generating a maintenance command for the interactive device element based on the one or more maintenance-related metrics; deactivating the interactive device element based on the maintenance command; and A different interactive device element is activated when the interactive device element is deactivated.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising sending an activity command associated with the different interactive device element to one or more guest devices upon activation of the different interactive device element.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The different interactive device elements and the interactive device elements are located within the single attraction.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising sending the maintenance command to a task program to queue a maintenance request.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the maintenance command comprises a command to repair or replace the device.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The one or more maintenance-related metrics are indicative of wear and tear on a portion of the attraction.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The one or more maintenance-related metrics are indicative of upper operating limits for individual interactive device elements.

18. The method of claim 11, comprising displaying an indication of the maintenance command.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the indication indicates that servicing of at least one of the interactive device elements is required.

20. The method of claim 11, comprising sending the maintenance command from a remote central controller.

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