System and method for hierarchical data reporting in attractions - Patents.com
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023568406
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-04-28
- Filing Date
- 2022-05-03
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-25
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-05-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing amusement park attractions face challenges in efficiently handling and monitoring ride and attraction data in real-time due to the complexity and variety of data formats, making it difficult to provide desired experiences for park guests.
A tiered data reporting system is implemented using a primary wireless communications network for real-time high-priority data and a secondary wireless communications network for lower-priority, detailed data, allowing efficient communication and analysis of attraction operational data.
The system enables real-time response to ride vehicle status changes, predicts maintenance needs, and enhances guest experience by providing timely data analysis and management of data transmission loads, improving attraction uptime and visitor satisfaction.
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Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] (CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 184,892, filed May 6, 2021, and entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LAYERED DATA REPORTING IN AN ATTRACTION,” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
[0002] (Technical field) FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to data collection and reporting for elements of attractions, such as amusement attractions. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for communicating data related to the attractions over separate communication networks or layers depending on the type of data. [Background technology]
[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. As such, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
[0004] Amusement or theme parks typically include a variety of entertainment systems or attractions that provide unique experiences to park guests. For example, an amusement park may include different attraction systems such as roller coasters, drop towers, water rides, dark rides, etc. Some attraction systems may include environments with animated figures and special effects that help immerse guests in the experience of the attraction system. However, installing and configuring the features can be difficult, and monitoring different installed features that provide data in real time with different formats and different complexities can be difficult. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] Therefore, improved features and techniques for more efficiently handling ride and attraction data and providing desired effects or experiences to guests would be useful. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] Certain embodiments within the scope of the initially claimed invention are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter but rather, these embodiments are intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms in which the subject matter can be implemented. Indeed, the subject matter may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.
[0007] In one embodiment, a data reporting system for an attraction can include a primary wireless communications network, a secondary wireless communications network, and a ride vehicle of the attraction. The data reporting system for the attraction can also include a controller of the ride vehicle configured to provide ride vehicle operational data indicative of a characteristic of the ride vehicle during operation, and communications circuitry to communicate a first subset of the ride vehicle operational data to the primary wireless network and a second subset of the ride vehicle operational data to the secondary wireless network, where the first subset of the ride vehicle operational data is at a lower bandwidth than the second subset of the ride vehicle operational data.
[0008] In one embodiment, a data reporting system for an attraction includes a ride vehicle having a sensor configured to generate location information for the ride vehicle within the attraction, a ride controller configured to generate log data of ride operation, and communications circuitry to communicate the location information over a primary wireless communications network and to communicate the log data over a secondary wireless communications network. The data reporting system also includes a server configured to receive the location information from the primary wireless communications network and the log data from the secondary wireless communications network and to combine the location information and the log data.
[0009] In one embodiment, the method includes a data reporting system generating operational data for the attraction, communicating a first subset of the operational data in real time over a restricted wireless network, determining a status of the attraction, and selectively communicating a second subset of the operational data over a secondary wireless network based on the attraction status indicating the time between cycles of the attraction.
[0010] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent the same elements throughout. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a tiered reporting system for attractions according to the technology described in this disclosure.
[0012] [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates a perspective view of an attraction environment of a tiered reporting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0013] [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of components within a tiered reporting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0014] [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a data transmission method based on an operating state of an upper layer reporting system according to the present technology; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] In the following, one or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. For the purpose of brevity in describing these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation may be described herein. It will be appreciated that, as with any engineering or design project, the development of any such actual implementation will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to be made to achieve the developer's particular goals, which may vary from implementation to implementation, such as compliance with system and business related constraints. It will be further appreciated that such a development effort may be complex and time consuming, but is a routine exercise in design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. Furthermore, to the extent that certain terms, such as parallel, perpendicular, etc., are used herein, it should be understood that these terms permit certain deviations from the exact mathematical definition, for example, to permit deviations related to manufacturing imperfections and associated tolerances.
[0016] The present disclosure is directed to a tiered reporting system that may be implemented in an amusement park attraction, including shows, rides, promotions, and the like. As provided herein, the tiered reporting system facilitates the capture, communication, processing and / or analysis, and storage of data for various components of an attraction, such as an amusement park attraction. The data may relate to game features, including audio, visual, and physical effects that may be experienced by passengers in the vehicles, as well as dynamic experiences based on player interaction and interaction with various game effects. Passengers may also be equipped with virtual reality / augmented reality (AR / VR) headsets with additional features to provide a more immersive experience. These attraction components generate respective operational data, some of which may be considered "fast" data that is communicated quickly, e.g., near real-time or in real-time, to a controller to enable feedback actions based on analysis of the data.
[0017] In one embodiment, one or more components of the tiered reporting system can generate, collect, and publish or transmit real-time high-speed operational data (e.g., health data) related to the status of one or more components during operation of the vehicle. For example, vehicle vehicle operational data can include, but is not limited to, operational status, fault identification, location data, speed, passenger status, sensor readings, or status of coupled devices such as headsets. Thus, high-speed data, which is of higher priority, can be structured to facilitate faster communication, compressed, communicated at a lower bandwidth, and / or transmitted over limited-access communication paths dedicated to high-speed data communication. Operational data can also include "low-speed" data, which is lower priority and contains more information and therefore can be communicated at a higher bandwidth. The low-speed data can be communicated in real-time or in batches over a communication path separate from the high-speed data.
[0018] While high-speed data and low-speed data are communicated on separate paths, the high-speed data and low-speed data may have one or more common destinations and may be jointly provided to a particular processing layer and / or storage layer. Thus, provided herein is a tiered data reporting technique that provides attraction operation information and analysis at various levels of detail and accuracy depending on the desired outcome. Without real-time low-speed data, real-time high-speed data may be fed into safety analysis to enable the attraction controller to rapidly respond to ride vehicle position deviations or vehicle stops during ride operation. Additionally, the real-time high-speed data may enable the attraction controller to modify current ride decisions based on the real-time high-speed data. For example, the real-time high-speed data may indicate that the ride vehicle may be capable of accommodating fewer passengers than normal. Thus, the attraction controller may provide instructions to one or more team members to modify the current ride procedure to account for changes in the ride vehicle capacity. Thus, the high-speed data, in embodiments, may be time-sensitive data that is communicated while the ride is operating and acts in real-time. The real-time high-speed data is communicated over a dedicated communication path to avoid bottlenecks or slowdowns that may be associated with low and high bandwidth data. The more highly detailed operational low speed data can be combined with the high speed data in one or more layers of analytics to model historical rides, identify baselines / trends, spot outliers, and predict whether performance metrics are likely to become outliers to enable preemptive maintenance and improve attraction uptime and guest show performance.
[0019] With the above in mind, Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of a tiered reporting system 10 in accordance with the present disclosure. The tiered reporting system 10 may be implemented to report data generated in an attraction environment via one or more client tiers, one or more server tiers, one or more wireless network communication tiers, and one or more storage tiers. As illustrated, the attraction environment includes one or more ride vehicles 14, each of which includes a vehicle game client 18 that receives vehicle operation data from one or more hardware or software elements of the vehicle 14.
[0020] The vehicle game clients 18, as provided herein, may be implemented as hardware or software and are operable to communicate with one or more servers, such as the vehicle game server 20. The one or more vehicle game clients 18 may include components, further described below, configured to collect and publish or communicate vehicle vehicle operation data to the vehicle game server 20 via a primary wireless network 23. The vehicle vehicle operation data may include, but is not limited to, power levels, test logs, fault data, and the like. In some embodiments, high priority specific vehicle vehicle operation data may be communicated to the vehicle game server 20 via a wired or wireless connection. The data on the vehicle game server 20 may then be transmitted to the vehicle data server 22 via a restricted primary wireless network 23. Additionally or alternatively, the vehicle game clients 18 and / or the vehicle game server 20 may communicate low priority highly detailed data directly to the vehicle data server 22 via a secondary network 25, shown as an analytical wireless network. As mentioned above, the secondary network 25 may have a higher bandwidth than the primary wireless network 23 to accommodate larger data set sizes. Additionally, the highly detailed data may provide a log of a historical or longer term view of each component of the system 10. It should be noted that the vehicle game server 20 may also compile operational data from the vehicle game clients 18 into highly detailed data and communicate this to the vehicle data server 22 over the secondary network.
[0021] In one embodiment, one or more components of the tiered reporting system may collect and transmit highly detailed data, e.g., low speed data, related to the performance of the components. The highly detailed data may be collected by the vehicle game client 18 of the vehicle 14 and communicated to the secondary network 25, which has a higher bandwidth than the primary wireless network 23, as described above. It should be appreciated that the secondary network 25 may operate with closer radio and / or antenna proximity for effective communication, line-of-sight communication, slower handoff between wireless access points, or any combination thereof, to accommodate the higher bandwidth. Through the secondary network 25, the highly detailed data from the vehicle vehicle 14 may be communicated to the vehicle data server 22. The highly detailed data may also be communicated from the projected game client 24 and / or the vehicle game server 26 to the vehicle data server 22. From the vehicle data server 22, the data may be uploaded to the cloud-hosted analytics engine 28. It should be noted that if the restricted wireless network 23 is not available to transmit the data, the data may be stored on the vehicle 14 until the data can be transmitted. Real-time data relating to the operation of the vehicle 14 may be transmitted to the vehicle data server 22 via a restricted wireless network 23, e.g., the primary wireless network of the attraction environment 12. Note that the restricted wireless network 23 has limited access, e.g., may not be accessible by passengers within the attraction. The restricted wireless network may require or operate using low bandwidth similar to standard Wi-Fi. Additionally, health data of one or more projected game clients 24 may be transmitted to a vehicle game server 26 and then transmitted via a wired connection to the vehicle data server 22. At the vehicle data server 22, the data may be uploaded to a cloud-hosted analytics engine 28.
[0022] As passengers move through the attraction, the tiered reporting system allows real-time data to be transmitted to the restricted primary wireless network 23. To manage data load, the ride vehicles 14 may be equipped with a data feedback mechanism that limits data transmission to maintain the primary wireless network 23 and / or secondary network 25. Data load management may also be enabled by positioning the ride vehicles 14 at various wireless access points throughout the ride so that no single wireless access point is overwhelmed by the influx of data. Positioning of the ride vehicles 14 may be done automatically by the ride logic or manually when the ride is not operating. For example, the ride may not be operating during the ride cycle or during the drop-off / boarding process for guests and when the ride vehicles 14 are generally stationary. In one embodiment, the ride logic distributes the ride vehicles 14 throughout the boarding / drop-off area to distribute the data load to different wireless access points in the area and operates based on the amount of data being transmitted. If one wireless access point is at full capacity, the controller of the attraction, in an embodiment, can command other ride vehicles to autonomously move to other locations associated with other wireless access points.
[0023] When the vehicle is not operating, the highly detailed vehicle operation data may be transmitted over the primary network 23, the secondary network 25, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the highly detailed vehicle operation data is restricted to the secondary network 25 while the vehicle is operating, but may be communicated over the primary network when the vehicle is not operating. In one embodiment, communication from the system to the vehicle 14 may be over the secondary network. In one example, such communication to the vehicle vehicle 14 over the secondary network 25 may modify the code / software that generates the highly detailed vehicle vehicle operation data, configure the software that generates the highly detailed vehicle vehicle operation data, place data / logic on the vehicle that changes how the data is interpreted. This may affect what data is considered high speed data and low speed data, and how frequently the data is recorded / reported / received. The highly detailed data may provide insight into larger and / or longer term issues that may occur during one or more ride-throughs. Additionally, the highly detailed data may relate to activities that are ancillary to the vehicle, such as activities available to passengers while waiting in a queue. For example, a ride may have sensors placed throughout the queue that can detect signals from portable devices associated with the ride The sensors can collect data regarding how frequently passengers interact with activities while in the queue.
[0024] The vehicle data server 22 may also receive data from other components of the system, such as one or more projected game clients 24, via the primary wireless network 23. The projected game clients 24 may include any suitable projectors, augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR) headsets, etc. The projected game clients may be distributed throughout the attraction, with the AR / VR headsets located on the ride vehicles 14 and the projectors being part of the environment. In one embodiment, headset specific information may be generated and collected by the ride vehicle game clients 18.
[0025] The projector, AR / VR headset, or other physical object may be configured to transmit health data to the ride game server 26 via the primary wireless network 23. The operational data of the projected game client 24 may include, but is not limited to, status, power levels, test logs, fault data, and the like. In some embodiments, the data of the projected game client 24 may be communicated to the ride game server 26 via a wired connection. In the case of a stationary projected game client 24, the wired connection may extend through or over the ground of the attraction environment to a central computing system. On the other hand, a mobile projected game client 24 may be adapted to accommodate a wired connection tethered to the ride vehicle 14. Additionally or alternatively, the ride station and / or maintenance bay (as described above) may include an adapter that connects to the AR / VR headset 34 to collect and communicate health data to the ride game server 26.
[0026] Once the data of the projecting game client 24 is communicated to the vehicle game server 26, it may then be communicated to the vehicle data server 22 via the primary wireless network 23. Additionally or alternatively, the projecting game client 24 may communicate the highly detailed data directly to the vehicle data server 22 via the secondary network 25. As mentioned above, the secondary network 25 has a higher bandwidth than the primary wireless network 23 to accommodate larger data set sizes. Furthermore, the highly detailed data may provide a longer term view of each component of the attraction environment. The vehicle game server 26 may also compile health data from the projecting game client 24 into highly detailed data, which may then be communicated to the vehicle data server 22 via the secondary network.
[0027] Once the data is in the vehicle data server 22, it can be uploaded to a cloud-hosted analytics engine 28. Once the data is exposed to the cloud-hosted analytics engine 28, artificial intelligence and / or machine learning algorithms are employed to understand baseline values and trends and discover outliers. Artificial intelligence and / or machine learning can also predict whether performance metrics are likely to become outliers, enabling preemptive maintenance and improving vehicle uptime and passenger experience.
[0028] The disclosed layered data reporting system can be used in combination with data generated by an attraction or other entertainment environment. As illustrated by FIG. 2, the attraction environment 12 can include one or more features that enhance the immersive experience and generate associated motion data that is provided to the layered data reporting system. For example, in one embodiment, one or more ride vehicles 14 traverse a ride path 38. The attraction environment 12 can include virtual game features as provided by the projector 32 on a video display 42. The video display 42 can include a variety of selectable virtual display features that are selectable by a game player (e.g., guest 36) before the ride begins. The guest 36 can also be equipped with an augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR) headset 34. The AR / VR headset 34 can have a display that includes virtual display features similar to those on the video display 42. Both high-speed and low-speed motion data from the projector 32, the video display 42, and / or the AR / VR headset 34 can be provided to the projection game client 24. As discussed, a specific AR / VR headset 34 can be connected to the ride vehicle 14 and these operational data can additionally or alternatively flow through the vehicle game client 18.
[0029] Guests 36 can interact with the virtual display features displayed on the display of the AR / VR headset 34. The video projection can generate display instructions to display images according to the environment 12. The images can be determined based on the location of the guest 36 on the ride path 38. Additionally, the same, similar, or additional visual effects are projected on the display on the AR / VR headset 34. This allows the guest 36 to see additional visual effects that may not be physically present in the environment 12 while interacting with objects in the attraction environment. Fast or high priority motion data collected by the projection game client 24 and provided to the ride data server 22 (FIG. 1) can include headset failure data, display failure data, or timing data indicative of display coordination with corresponding audio, video, or special effects. Slow or low priority motion data can include detailed gaze direction information, detailed image display data, and interaction data.
[0030] Additionally, the projection game client 24 or other client of the system 10 (see FIG. 1 ) may receive or collect motion data from interactive physics objects 40, such as surface features that may reflect projections in response to the environment and form dynamic physical barriers, visual interests, or special effects devices such as water sprayers, fog machines, wind machines, etc. Such physics objects 40 may also include robotic figures. High-speed or high-priority motion data from physical objects may include fault data that requires rerouting the ride vehicle 14, activating an alternative special effect, or disabling a coordinated display sequence specific to or mapped to a moving physical object. Low-speed or low-priority motion data may include object motion tracking and object motion location relative to the ride vehicle 14, projection mapping data for assessing the accuracy of a projection-mapped display, or gaze direction information for determining whether a physical object is of interest to a passenger 36.
[0031] The hierarchical reporting system 10 (see FIG. 1) can be implemented for data reporting of operational data from an attraction (e.g., attraction environment 12 of FIG. 2). FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an attraction system 48 that can collect or receive operational data for reporting via the reporting system 10. The system 48 includes an attraction controller 49 that is communicatively coupled to one or more ride vehicles 14 and one or more AR / VR headsets 34. The controller 49 can be communicatively coupled to other elements in the environment 12 as provided herein. The controller 49 can include separate control circuitry for enabling interactive and dynamic elements, including display circuitry 58. Additionally, the controller 49 can include or be communicatively coupled to tags or sensors 50 used to track the ride vehicles 14, input devices for an operator interface 52, audio components 54, a special effects controller 56 for controlling one or more physical effects (e.g., interactive physical objects 40; see FIG. 2), and a communications module 59 for communicating high-speed and / or low-speed data. One or more of the disclosed features of the controller 49 may alternatively be implemented in the vehicle 14 .
[0032] In some embodiments, the controller 49 can send instructions to the ride vehicle 14 over the secondary network 25 when the ride is operational. The instructions can include, but are not limited to, instructions regarding how to collect data and / or instructions to determine whether the collected data is high speed data or low speed data. Determining whether the data collected by the health data feedback system 74 of the ride vehicle 14 is high speed data or low speed data can increase the efficiency of the tiered reporting system 10.
[0033] The ride vehicle 14 may include components that generate operational data, such as a motor 66 and brakes 68. Movement of the ride vehicle 14 may include running (e.g., accelerating, decelerating), turning, and stopping the ride vehicle 14. The motor 66 may be powered by any suitable power source 62, including, but not limited to, a battery, a solar panel, a generator, a gas engine, or any combination thereof. The operation of the motor 66 and brakes 68 may be controlled by a vehicle controller 64. For example, the vehicle controller 64 may control the motor 66 to adjust its output power to accelerate or decelerate the ride vehicle 14. Additionally, the vehicle controller 64 may control the brakes 68 to decelerate or stop the ride vehicle 14. Additionally, the vehicle controller 64 may operate based on commands from a player via an operator interface 70 (e.g., to steer the vehicle based on operator control of a steering wheel or joystick). The operational data generated by the components of the ride vehicle 14 is reported to a hierarchical reporting system, as provided herein. In one example, high speed or high priority data may include speeds that are out of acceptable range, and low speed or low priority data may include power fluctuations in the motor 66 that may be flagged for future maintenance.
[0034] The ride vehicle 14 may include a position feedback system 72 for monitoring its position within the attraction. In one embodiment, the position feedback system 72 interacts with one or more sensors or tags 50. The ride position feedback system 72 may include a reader capable of sensing the sensors or tags 50 to provide position information of the ride vehicle 14. The reader then provides the position information to the vehicle controller 64, which is communicated to the vehicle game server 20 (FIG. 1) via the communication module 60. Additionally, the health or performance data feedback system 74 may include sensors or tags that collect real-time health data of the ride vehicle 14. The communication module 60 may also facilitate communication with the ride game server 20 to facilitate transmission of the health data from the health data feedback system 74. In this manner, the real-time health data of the ride vehicle 14 may be communicated to the ride game server 20, and thus to the ride data server, within a short time interval (e.g., 1s, 2s, 3s, etc.). If the primary wireless network 23 is unavailable, the real-time operating data may be stored in memory of the vehicle controller 64 until the primary wireless network 23 becomes available.
[0035] Additionally or alternatively, if the primary wireless network 23 is not available, real-time health data can be communicated to the ride data server 22 over the secondary network 25. Also, highly detailed data from the ride vehicles 14 can be communicated to the ride data server 22 over the secondary network when the attraction is non-operational. In some embodiments, if bandwidth is available, highly detailed data can be communicated to the ride data server 22 over the primary wireless network 23.
[0036] The attraction environment may include various components that may enable the passengers 36 to interact with the attraction environment and the ride vehicle 14. Specifically, the AR / VR headset 34 may include display circuitry 80 that may present visualizations on a display 84. The visualizations may be the same as or similar to the visualizations on the video display 42. The AR / VR headset 34 may also include an audio component 82 that projects audio that is the same as or similar to the audio of the audio component 54 of the attraction environment. This may allow the passengers 36 to have an immersive ride experience and increase their enjoyment of the ride.
[0037] The AR / VR headset 34 may also include a communications module 86. It is noted that the communications module 86 may be the same as or similar to the communications modules 59, 60 described above. The communications module 86 may communicate the real-time health data of the AR / VR headset 34 to the vehicle game server 26 via the primary wireless network 23, which is then communicated to the vehicle data server 22 for uploading to the cloud-hosted analytics engine 28. Alternatively, or in addition, the communications module 86 may communicate the highly detailed data directly to the vehicle data server 22 via the secondary network for uploading to the cloud-hosted analytics engine 28. The AR / VR headset 34 may be communicatively coupled to the ride vehicle 14 such that the real-time health data and the highly detailed data of the AR / VR headset are stored in the memory of the vehicle controller 64 when the primary and secondary networks are unavailable.
[0038] In addition to being communicatively coupled to the ride vehicle 14, the AR / VR headset 34 may be physically tethered to the ride vehicle 14. This connection may be made via any suitable form of wiring capable of communicating information. In certain embodiments, the power source 62 may also provide power to the AR / VR headset 34 when the AR / VR headset 34 is tethered to the ride vehicle 14.
[0039] 4 is a flow diagram of a method of data reporting. Initially, components within the attraction (e.g., ride vehicle 14, AR / VR headset 34, animatronics, etc.) may generate, collect, and store operational data including a first subset of high priority data, a second subset of data that is highly detailed, low priority operational data, or any combination thereof, as indicated by block 90. Each component may include elements configured to generate, collect, and store data. For example, vehicle controller 64 may generate, collect, and store data. Although the controller is not depicted in the other components shown in FIG. 3, it should be noted that components within the attraction, including but not limited to ride vehicle 14, AR / VR headset 34, may include elements similar to ride controller 64, such as suitable memory capable of storing data and instructions, and a processor configured to generate data and execute instructions stored in memory. The first subset of operational data is automatically communicated in real time as it is generated, independent of attraction status (block 92).
[0040] In response to collecting the operational data, the system 10 can determine an attraction status, such as whether the attraction is operational, as indicated by block 94. The attraction status can be operational while the ride vehicle is operational during an attraction cycle, or non-operational, e.g., in the time period between cycles of the attraction, or when the ride vehicle is in operation or on a ride path. When the ride is in operation, the system 10 transmits high priority operational data over the primary wireless network 23. Due to limited bandwidth, the primary wireless network 23 can only transmit real-time operational data, in contrast to the data transmission protocol for the secondary network, which is more data intensive and transmits log data that can be batch transmitted over the secondary network when the ride is non-operational.
[0041] When the status is not operational, the components within the attraction may not generate, collect, and store new operational data or may do so only at a very limited rate. However, data stored in the memory of each of the components within the attraction during a ride cycle may be transmitted over the secondary network. Additionally or alternatively, data transmission of real-time data may be delayed, as indicated by block 96, such that highly detailed data is preferentially transmitted over the secondary network. Delayed data transmission may also occur when the primary wireless network 23 and / or the secondary network are unavailable.
[0042] In some embodiments, both the primary and secondary networks are available and transmit data, whereby the primary wireless network 23 transmits only real-time operational data and the secondary network transmits highly detailed data in real-time or on a delayed or periodic schedule. The high priority and low priority data can be combined and uploaded to a cloud-hosted analytics engine 28. The cloud-hosted analytics engine 28 can be used to make attraction-related decisions based on the real-time health data, the highly detailed data, or any combination thereof.
[0043] The low priority data and the high priority data may be combined based on time stamp information or the data source or origin (e.g., power data from a vehicle power system). In an embodiment, the high priority data may be present in the low priority data, but in a more data-intensive form in the low priority data.
[0044] While only certain features have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes which fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.
[0045] The approaches presented and claimed herein refer to and apply substantial objects and specific embodiments of a practical nature that clearly improve the technical field of the present invention, and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or theoretical in nature. Moreover, when any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as a "means for "performing" a "function" or a "step for "performing" a "function," such elements are to be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claim that contains an element designated in any other manner, such elements are not to be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f). [Explanation of symbols]
[0046] 10. Tiered reporting system 14 Vehicles 18 Vehicle Game Client 20 Vehicle Game Server 22 Vehicle Data Server 23 Vehicle & Game Control Restricted Radio 25 Analysis Radio 28 Cloud-hosted analytics engine
Claims
1. 1. A data reporting system for an attraction, comprising: a primary wireless communication network; a secondary wireless communication network separate from the primary wireless communication network, the primary wireless communication network including a limited-access communication path and configured to transmit data at a higher rate than the secondary wireless communication network; a ride vehicle of the attraction; and Equipped with The ride vehicle includes: a controller of the ride vehicle configured to provide ride vehicle operational data indicative of characteristics of the ride vehicle during operation; a communications circuit for communicating a first subset of the vehicle operation data to the primary wireless network and a second subset of the vehicle operation data to the secondary wireless network; A data reporting system.
2. The data reporting system of claim 1 , wherein the primary wireless communication network does not receive data communicated via the secondary wireless network.
3. The data reporting system of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of vehicle operating data comprises real-time vehicle operating data.
4. 2. The data reporting system of claim 1, comprising a data server that receives the first subset of the vehicle vehicle operation data from the primary wireless network and receives the second subset of the vehicle vehicle operation data from the secondary wireless network.
5. 10. The data reporting system of claim 1, comprising a display controller configured to perform transmitting images to an AR / VR headset, the AR / VR headset coupled to the ride vehicle.
6. 6. The data reporting system of claim 5, wherein the AR / VR headset generates headset operational data, a portion of the headset operational data being provided to a controller of the ride vehicle as part of a first subset of the ride vehicle operational data.
7. the AR / VR headset comprises headset communication circuitry configured to receive the transmitted image and communicate headset operational data to the secondary wireless network, the headset operational data including a first portion of headset operational data and a second portion of the headset operational data; The data reporting system of claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the headset operational data is structured to facilitate faster communication than the second portion of the headset operational data.
8. 8. The data reporting system of claim 7, wherein the display controller receives the headset operational data and separates the headset operational data into the first portion and the second portion.
9. The data reporting system of claim 8 , wherein the display controller communicates the first portion of the headset operational data over the primary wireless network.
10. The data reporting system of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of the ride vehicle operation data includes position data of the ride vehicle.
11. 10. The data reporting system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of sensors configured to detect guest interactions, said plurality of sensors generating guest data that is communicated to a data server via said secondary wireless network.
12. The data reporting system of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of the vehicle vehicle operational data has a higher priority than the second subset of the vehicle vehicle operational data.
13. The data reporting system of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of vehicle operational data comprises compressed vehicle operational data.
14. 2. The data reporting system of claim 1, wherein the first subset of the ride vehicle operational data includes health data related to the ride vehicle, the health data including operational status, fault identification, location data, speed, passenger status, sensor measurements, coupling device status, or combinations thereof.
15. 2. The data reporting system of claim 1, further comprising an attraction controller communicatively coupled to the ride vehicle, the controller of the ride vehicle configured to determine, based on instructions from the attraction controller, whether a portion of the ride vehicle operating data belongs to the first subset of the ride vehicle operating data or the second subset of the ride vehicle operating data.
16. 1. A method for reporting data on an attraction, comprising: generating ride vehicle operation data indicative of characteristics of a ride vehicle of the attraction during operation; communicating a first subset of the vehicle operation data over a primary wireless communication network; communicating a second subset of the vehicle vehicle operation data over a secondary wireless communication network separate from the primary wireless communication network, the primary wireless communication network including a limited-access communication path and configured to transmit data at a higher rate than the secondary wireless communication network; A method comprising:
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the primary wireless communications network is a wireless network dedicated to the first subset of the vehicle vehicle operational data.
18. determining that the primary wireless communication network is unavailable for communicating a portion of the first subset of the vehicle operation data; communicating a portion of the first subset of the vehicle operation data over the secondary wireless network; 17. The method of claim 16, comprising:
19. determining that the primary wireless communication network is unavailable for communicating a portion of the first subset of the vehicle operation data; storing a portion of the first subset of the vehicle operation data until the primary wireless communication network is available; 17. The method of claim 16, comprising:
20. compressing a portion of the vehicle motion data to generate a compressed portion of the vehicle motion data; communicating the compressed portion of the vehicle operation data as a first subset of the vehicle operation data over the primary wireless network; 17. The method of claim 16, comprising:
21. compiling a portion of the ride vehicle operation data to generate a compiled portion of the ride vehicle operation data; communicating the compiled portion of the vehicle operation data as a second subset of the vehicle operation data over the secondary wireless communication network; 17. The method of claim 16, comprising: