Augmented reality system for amusement ride

Abstract

To provide, generally, an augmented reality system, and more specifically, an augmented reality system for an amusement ride.SOLUTION: An augmented reality system for an amusement ride includes a facial recognition sensor that detects a guest's face, a skeletal recognition sensor that detects a guest's body, a presence sensor that detects a guest's presence, and a controller. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The controller is configured to generate an augmented reality animation based on a first signal indicative of the guest's presence received from the presence sensor. In response to receiving a second signal indicative of the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor, the controller is configured to update the augmented reality animation based on the guest's body. Further, in response to receiving a third signal indicative of the guest's face from the facial recognition sensor, the controller is configured to update the augmented reality animation based on the guest's face.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to augmented reality systems, and more particularly to augmented reality systems for entertainment vehicles.

[0002] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 735,754, filed September 24, 2018, entitled "Augmented Reality System for Amusement Vehicles," the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0003] Generally, an amusement ride may include a ride vehicle and a ride path. The ride vehicle may move along the ride path and carry guests. The amusement ride may also include a display that can present certain images viewable by guests along the ride path. For example, the display may present certain animations, videos, augmented reality images, and other images. For certain rides, guests may interact with the display to control the images. However, due to the complexity of some amusement rides, the display may not be configured to present images to guests throughout the amusement ride. Additionally, guests' ability to interact with displayed images on certain amusement rides may be limited. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the disclosed subject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure; rather, these embodiments are intended merely to provide a brief summary of certain disclosed embodiments. Indeed, the disclosure may encompass a variety of forms that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0005] In certain embodiments, an augmented reality system for an amusement ride includes a facial recognition sensor that detects a guest's face, a skeletal recognition sensor that detects the guest's body, a presence sensor that detects the presence of the guest, and a controller. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The controller is configured to generate an augmented reality animation based on a first signal indicative of the guest's presence received from the presence sensor. The controller is configured to update the augmented reality animation based on the guest's body in response to receiving a second signal indicative of the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor. Further, the controller is configured to update the augmented reality animation based on the guest's face in response to receiving a third signal indicative of the guest's face from the facial recognition sensor.

[0006] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are designated by like numerals and in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view of an embodiment of an entertainment ride system according to aspects of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] 2 is a side view of an embodiment of an augmented reality system for the amusement ride system of FIG. 1 including an augmented reality animation display assembly, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 2 is a side view of an embodiment of an augmented reality system for the amusement ride system of FIG. 1 including multiple display assemblies with individual augmented reality animations, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 3 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process for generating, updating, and presenting an augmented reality animation for the augmented reality system of FIG. 2 according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008]

[0013] The following description will discuss one or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure. In the interest of brevity in describing these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation may be described herein. It will be understood that in developing any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's particular objectives, including compliance with system- and business-related constraints that may vary from implementation to implementation. Moreover, it will be understood that such a development effort may be complex and time-consuming, but would be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0009] When describing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprises," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Any examples of operating parameters and / or environmental conditions do not exclude other parameters / conditions of the disclosed embodiments.

[0010] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include an amusement ride system having an augmented reality system. In certain embodiments, the amusement ride system and / or the augmented reality system include sensors configured to detect a guest's face, body, presence, or a combination thereof while the guest is riding in a ride vehicle of the amusement ride system. For example, a facial recognition sensor can detect a guest's face and / or body, a skeletal recognition sensor can detect a guest's body, and a presence sensor can detect a guest's presence in the ride vehicle. Each sensor can output a signal to a controller of the augmented reality system. Based on the signals received from the sensors, the augmented reality system can generate an augmented reality animation and provide the augmented reality animation to a display assembly disposed adjacent to and / or on the ride vehicle. For example, the display assembly can include a screen viewable by the guest. Thus, the augmented reality system and / or the amusement ride system can detect a guest's face, body, presence, or a combination thereof, generate an augmented reality animation, and display the augmented reality animation for viewing by the guest. In certain embodiments, the augmented reality system may continuously detect the guest's face, body, presence, or some combination thereof, may generate and provide augmented reality animation based on the guest's face, body, presence, or some combination thereof, and may allow the guest to interact with and / or control the augmented reality animation through at least a portion of the entertainment ride system.

[0011] With the foregoing in mind, embodiments of the present invention relating to an augmented reality system may be utilized in any amusement ride system. For example, FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of an amusement ride system 10. As illustrated, the amusement ride system 10 includes a ride vehicle 12 having one or more seats 13. The ride vehicle 12 may travel generally along a ride path 14 in a direction 15 and may carry guests 16 through the amusement ride system 10. For example, the guests 16 may be seated in the seats 13 and may be restrained by seat restraints 18 as the ride vehicle 12 travels through the amusement ride system 10. The seat restraints 18 may be lap bars, seat belts, overhead restraints, another type of seat restraint, or a combination thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the ride vehicle 12 includes four seats 13, although the ride vehicle 12 may include a different number of seats in other configurations. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the amusement ride system 10 may include additional ride vehicles 12 (eg, two ride vehicles 12, three ride vehicles 12, four ride vehicles 12).

[0012] As illustrated, ride path 14 is a rail system having tracks that define the movement of ride vehicle 12. However, in other embodiments, ride path 14 can be a path along the floor of amusement ride system 10 or another system configured to transport and / or guide ride vehicle 12. For example, ride vehicle 12 can be an automobile, and ride path 14 can be a path configured to guide ride vehicle 12. Additionally, ride vehicle 12 is shown with guest 16 facing sideways toward display assembly 20 and generally transverse (e.g., perpendicular) to direction 15. In certain embodiments, guest 16 can be positioned facing along direction 15 such that display assembly 20 is to the side of guest 16. In certain embodiments, guest 16 can change position while traveling along ride path 14 and / or while stopped on ride path 14. For example, guest 16 can change from the illustrated sideways position to a forward-facing position and / or another position.

[0013] The display assembly 20 may be coupled to and / or mounted to the side of the ride vehicle 12 such that the display assembly 20 moves with the ride vehicle 12 as it moves along the ride path 14. Additionally or alternatively, the display assembly 20 may be coupled to and / or mounted to the ride path 14 such that the ride vehicle 12 can pass by the display assembly 20 as it moves in the direction 15 along the ride path 14. In some embodiments, the display assembly 20 may be positioned generally in front of the ride vehicle 12 along the direction 15 so that guests 16 facing forward along the direction 15 can view the display assembly 20 forward.

[0014] The entertainment ride system 10 includes an augmented reality system 22. Illustratively, the augmented reality system 22 includes four display assemblies 20, four facial recognition sensors 24, four skeletal recognition sensors 26, and four presence sensors 28. However, in certain embodiments, the augmented reality system 22 may include more or fewer display assemblies 20, facial recognition sensors 24, skeletal recognition sensors 26, and / or presence sensors 28. Additionally or alternatively, the augmented reality system 22 may include other types of sensors and / or equipment capable of detecting a guest's head, body, presence, surroundings of the guest, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, the augmented reality system 22 may include all or a portion of the ride vehicle 12 and / or ride path 14. For example, the augmented reality system 22 may include a presence sensor 28 in each seat 13 of the ride vehicle 12.

[0015] As described in further detail below, the augmented reality system 22 can provide augmented reality images and animations for the guest 16 to view and / or interact with. The augmented reality animations can include graphics or animations superimposed on a captured image or animation of the guest 16 such that the graphics or animations appear to be part of the guest 16 within the augmented reality animation. Such graphics or animations can include replacing facial features of the guest with animated facial features (e.g., replacing the guest's nose and eyes with the nose and eyes of an animal), replacing the guest's head with an animated head, replacing the guest's body with an animated body, or other modifications to the captured image or animation of the guest 16. In certain embodiments, the animations can be displayed on the entire display assembly 20. For example, in such embodiments, the entire augmented reality animation is animated and does not include the captured image of the guest 16 and / or the guest's surroundings.

[0016] The facial recognition sensors 24 are configured to detect facial features of the guest 16. For example, one of the facial recognition sensors 24 can be positioned in front of a particular guest 16 and can detect the facial features of that guest 16. The facial recognition sensors 24 can also detect skeletal features of the guest 16. In particular embodiments, the facial recognition sensors 24 can be cameras (e.g., red / blue / green (RGB) detection cameras or cameras with similar detection capabilities) configured to detect facial and / or skeletal features. The facial recognition sensors 24 can be positioned above and / or coupled to the display assembly 20. The facial recognition sensors 24 can accurately detect the guest's facial features and enable the guest 16 to interact with the augmented reality system 22 and / or the amusement ride system 10. For example, while the guest 16 is viewing an augmented reality animation on the display assembly 20, the facial recognition sensors 24 can continue to observe and detect the guest's facial features and can update the augmented reality animation on the display assembly 20 based on the guest's changing facial features. The augmented reality animation may include replacing some or all of the guest's facial features with animated facial features (e.g., replacing the guest's nose with an animated nose). Thus, the guest 16 may interact with and / or control the augmented reality animation by moving their facial features and / or head via the facial recognition sensor 24. In certain embodiments, the facial recognition sensor 24 may be mounted on the ride vehicle 12 or on another portion of the entertainment ride system 10.

[0017] The skeletal recognition sensor 26 is configured to detect skeletal features of the guest 16. For example, the skeletal recognition sensor 26 may be a depth sensor positioned in front of a particular guest 16 that can detect the guest's head and / or body. The skeletal recognition sensor 26 may be a second camera positioned generally above the display assembly 20 or another type of sensor configured to detect the guest's head and / or body. The skeletal recognition sensor 26 may be positioned above and / or coupled to the display assembly 20 such that the skeletal recognition sensor 26 can accurately detect the guest's head and / or body, allowing the guest 16 to interact with the augmented reality system 22 and / or the amusement ride system 10 by moving their head and / or body. For example, while the guest 16 is viewing an augmented reality animation on the display assembly 20, the skeletal recognition sensor 26 may continue to observe and detect the guest's head and / or body and may update the augmented reality animation on the display assembly 20 based on the guest's changing head and / or body. The augmented reality animation may include replacing some or all of the guest's facial features with animated facial features (e.g., replacing the guest's nose with an animated nose). Thus, the guest 16 may interact with and / or control the augmented reality animation by moving their head and / or body via the skeletal recognition sensor 26. In certain embodiments, the skeletal recognition sensor 26 may be mounted on the ride vehicle 12 or on another portion of the entertainment ride system 10.

[0018] The presence sensor 28 is configured to detect the presence of a guest 16 in the ride vehicle 12. For example, the ride vehicle 12 may include a presence sensor 28 corresponding to each seat 13. The presence sensor 28 may detect the presence of a guest 16 in the seat 13. For example, the presence sensor 28 may be a pressure sensor configured to detect the weight of the guest 16 in the seat 13. In certain embodiments, the presence sensor 28 may be a seat restraint 18 for the seat 13. For example, after the guest 16 is seated in the seat 13, the seat restraint 18 may be secured to indicate the presence of the guest 16 in the seat 13. After the presence sensor 28 detects the presence of the guest 16, the display assembly 20 may provide an augmented reality animation for viewing by the guest 16. The augmented reality animation may include an animation that appears to be seated in the seat 13 shown on the display assembly 20, or may include an animation that occupies the entire screen of the display assembly 20 (e.g., not showing portions of the ride vehicle 12 and / or the guest's surroundings).

[0019] Additionally or alternatively, in certain embodiments, the amusement ride system 10 and / or the augmented reality system 22 may include animated figures (e.g., animatronics) instead of or in addition to the display assembly 20. Such animated figures may be robotic figures that can be controlled to mimic the movements of guests. For example, the augmented reality system 22 may control the animated figures based on signals received from the facial recognition sensors 24, skeletal recognition sensors 26, and / or presence sensors 28, allowing guests to interact with the animated figures and the augmented reality system 22. In some embodiments, the amusement ride system 10 and / or the augmented reality system 22 may replace the display assembly 20 with animated figures based on signals received from the sensors and / or based on the position of the ride vehicle 12 along the ride path 14.

[0020] The entertainment vehicle system 10 and / or the augmented reality system 22 may include a controller 40. Illustratively, the controller 40 includes a processor 42 and a memory 44. In certain embodiments, the entertainment vehicle system 10 and / or the augmented reality system 22 may include additional controllers, additional processors, additional memories, or combinations thereof to perform various functions. For example, each display assembly 20 may include a controller configured to receive signals from various sensors, control animations on the display assembly 20, and communicate with the controller 40, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the memory 44 and other memories of the entertainment vehicle system 10 may include one or more tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable media that store instructions executable by the processor 42 and / or data processed by the processor 42. For example, the memory 44 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), rewritable non-volatile memory such as flash memory, a hard drive, an optical disk, other types of memory, or a combination thereof. Additionally, processor 42 and other processors in entertainment vehicle system 10 may include one or more general-purpose microprocessors, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof.

[0021] The controller 40 may further include a user interface 46 that may facilitate communication between the controller 40 and a user (e.g., an operator). The user interface 46 may be located adjacent to the amusement ride system 10 or at a remote location in the case of a remotely controlled or autonomously operated amusement ride system. For example, the user interface 46 may include one or more of buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackpad, etc. that enable user interaction with the controller 40. Additionally, the user interface 46 may include an electronic display that provides visual representations of information, for example, via a graphical user interface (GUI), an application interface, text, still images, video content, or a combination thereof. The user interface 46 may be configured to receive input from a user (e.g., an operator of the amusement ride system 10 and / or the augmented reality system 22).

[0022] In operation, the controller 40, via the processor 42, may receive various input signals from sensors throughout the amusement ride system 10 and / or the augmented reality system 22. For example, the facial recognition sensors 24, skeletal recognition sensors 26, and presence sensors 28 may each output a signal indicative of their detected features (e.g., detected facial features, head, body, and presence of a guest) to the controller 40. The signals output from the facial recognition sensors 24, skeletal recognition sensors 26, and presence sensors 28 may be received by the processor 42 of the controller 40. In certain embodiments, each display assembly 20 may include a display controller that receives signals from the facial recognition sensors 24, skeletal recognition sensors 26, and presence sensors 28. Additionally, the display controller may communicate with the controller 40 and / or generate and provide animations that are displayed for viewing by the guests 16.

[0023] As illustrated, each display assembly 20 is connected to and communicates with the controller 40 via a wired connection 48 (e.g., Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), canbus, ISObus). For example, each display assembly 20 can output signals to and receive signals from the controller 40 via the wired connection 48. Additionally or alternatively, each display assembly 20 can communicate with the controller 40 via a wireless connection. For example, each display assembly 20 can include a display transceiver that outputs signals to and receives signals from the controller transceiver of the controller 40. Each of the display transceiver and the controller transceiver can utilize any suitable wireless communication protocol, such as a standard protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) or a proprietary protocol.

[0024] 2 is a front view of an embodiment of an augmented reality system 22. As illustrated, the augmented reality system 22 includes a display assembly 20, a facial recognition sensor 24, a skeletal recognition sensor 26, and a presence sensor 28. The facial recognition sensor 24 is configured to detect a guest's face and output a signal indicative of the guest's face to the controller 40, the skeletal recognition sensor 26 is configured to detect a guest's body and output a signal indicative of the guest's body to the controller 40, and the presence sensor 28 is configured to detect a guest's presence and output a signal indicative of the guest's presence to the controller 40. In certain embodiments, the augmented reality system 22 may include an additional display assembly 20, an additional facial recognition sensor 24, an additional skeletal recognition sensor 26, and an additional presence sensor 28. Furthermore, the guest 16 may be seated in a seat 13 of the ride vehicle 12 or may be standing within the ride vehicle 12.

[0025] The illustrated embodiment of display assembly 20 includes a screen 50 that provides an augmented reality animation 52 for viewing by guest 16. As illustrated, augmented reality animation 52 includes a clown 54 that can be controlled by guest 16 based on the guest's movements. In certain embodiments, augmented reality animation 52 may include other images and animations in addition to or in place of clown 54 (e.g., farm animals, cartoons, characters).

[0026] In certain embodiments, the controller 40 may include instructions for generating and providing an augmented reality animation 52 to be displayed on the screen 50 based on signals received from the facial recognition sensor 24, the skeletal recognition sensor 26, the presence sensor 28, or a combination thereof. For example, based on a first signal received from the presence sensor 28 indicating the presence of a guest, the controller 40 may generate the augmented reality animation 52 and provide the augmented reality animation 52 on the display assembly 20 for viewing by the guest 16. The augmented reality animation 52 may be positioned on the screen 50 at a location generally corresponding to the location of the guest 16. However, in certain embodiments, the first signal indicating the presence of a guest does not, in itself, enable the guest 16 to interact with certain or all of the augmented reality animations.

[0027] In response to receiving a second signal indicative of the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor 26, the controller 40 can update the augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's body. For example, if the controller 40 first receives a first signal indicative of the guest's presence as described above and then receives a second signal indicative of the guest's body, the controller 40 can update the augmented reality animation 52 to mimic the movements of the guest's body. In certain embodiments, if the controller 40 simultaneously receives both a first signal indicative of the guest's presence from the presence sensor 28 and a second signal indicative of the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor 26, the controller 40 can generate the augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's body. For example, the augmented reality animation 52 can be an animation that mimics the movements of the guest 16. In this manner, the controller 40 can enable the guest 16 to control the body of the augmented reality animation 52.

[0028] In response to receiving a third signal from facial recognition sensor 24 indicative of the guest's face and / or body, controller 40 can generate or update augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's face and / or body. For example, if controller 40 receives a first signal from presence sensor 28 indicative of the guest's presence, a second signal from skeletal recognition sensor 26 indicative of the guest's body, and a third signal from facial recognition sensor 24 indicative of the guest's face and / or body, controller 40 can generate augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's face and / or body. Augmented reality animation 52 can include portions of a video feed (e.g., a video feed captured by facial recognition sensor 24), such as captured images / footage of guest 16, of ride vehicle 12 and / or the guest's surroundings. Additionally, augmented reality animation 52 can include animation superimposed on a video feed such that the animation appears to be part of guest 16 and / or part of the video feed. For example, the augmented reality animation 52 may include portions of a captured video (e.g., a live video feed) of the guest 16 positioned within the ride vehicle 12 and an animation that appears to be part of the guest 16 and / or part of the guest's surroundings. The animation may include replacing some of the guest's facial features, body parts, the entire guest body, or a combination thereof. In this manner, the controller 40 may enable the guest 16 to control the facial features and / or head of the augmented reality animation 52. In certain embodiments, the controller 40 may generate and provide the augmented reality animation 52 based on a second signal indicative of the guest's body and a third signal indicative of the guest's face and / or body, and enable the guest 16 to interact with and control the body and facial features of the augmented reality animation 52. Additionally, the controller 40 may update a previously generated augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's presence and / or body to include control of the facial features. The facial recognition sensor 24, along with the skeletal recognition sensor 26 and the presence sensor 28, may continue to detect and output signals to the controller 40.As the controller 40 receives each signal, the controller 40 generates and / or updates the augmented reality animation 52 based on the received signal.

[0029] In certain embodiments, the amusement ride system 10 may include elements that prevent certain sensors from detecting features (e.g., face and body) of a guest. For example, as the ride vehicle 12 travels along the ride path 14, elements of the amusement ride system 10 may prevent certain sensors, such as the facial recognition sensor 24 and the skeletal recognition sensor 26, from detecting and / or tracking the guest's respective features (e.g., face and body). If a given sensor (e.g., the facial recognition sensor 24 or the skeletal recognition sensor 26) is unable to detect the guest 16, the controller 40 may generate and provide an augmented reality animation based on signals received from another sensor (e.g., the skeletal recognition sensor 26 or the presence sensor 28).

[0030] For example, if the controller 40 initially receives a signal indicating the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor 26 but does not receive a signal indicating the guest's face from the facial recognition sensor 24, the controller 40 can generate and provide to the display assembly 20 an augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's body. Furthermore, if the controller 40 receives a signal indicating the guest's presence from the presence sensor 28 but does not receive a signal indicating the guest's face or a signal indicating the guest's body, the controller 40 can generate and provide to the display assembly 20 an augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's presence. However, if the controller 40 receives a signal indicating the guest's face from the facial recognition sensor 24 or a signal indicating the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor 26 after receiving a signal indicating the guest's presence from the presence sensor 28, the controller 40 generates an updated augmented reality animation 52 based on the newly received signal (e.g., a signal indicating the guest's face and / or body from the facial recognition sensor 24 or a signal indicating the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor 26). In this manner, the augmented reality animation 52 or the guest's ability to control the augmented reality animation 52 may change based on signals received by the controller 40 from the various sensors.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of an augmented reality system 22. As illustrated, the augmented reality system 22 includes four display assemblies 20, four facial recognition sensors 24, four skeletal recognition sensors 26, and four presence sensors 28. However, in certain embodiments, the augmented reality system 22 may include more or fewer display assemblies 20, facial recognition sensors 24, skeletal recognition sensors 26, presence sensors 28, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, each display assembly 20 may be controlled by an independent controller (e.g., controller 40 of FIGS. 1 and 2 ) configured to provide the augmented reality animation 52 displayed on the display assembly 20. For example, the controller 40 may receive signals from a corresponding facial recognition sensor 24, a corresponding skeletal recognition sensor 26, a corresponding presence sensor 28, or a combination thereof, and may generate the augmented reality animation 52 based on the received signals. In certain embodiments, a single controller may receive signals from all sensors of the augmented reality system 22 and control all display assemblies 20.

[0032] In certain embodiments, the amusement ride system 10 and / or the augmented reality system 22 may include a display assembly that displays multiple augmented reality animations. For example, a single display assembly may be viewable by multiple guests 16 and may display an augmented reality animation 52 for each guest 16. A controller may generate multiple augmented reality animations 52 for each guest 16 and provide the multiple augmented reality animations 52 to the single display assembly.

[0033] The controller for each display assembly 20 can provide different augmented reality animations 52 for each display assembly 20. For example, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3 , the augmented reality animations 52 displayed on each screen 50 are different. Guests viewing and / or interacting with the display assemblies 20 can have different levels of control over the augmented reality animations 52 displayed on their respective display assemblies 20. For example, a first guest positioned adjacent to a first display assembly 20A can control the facial features and / or body movements of the augmented reality animation 52 displayed on the first display assembly 20A based on one of the corresponding face recognition sensors 24 that can detect the facial features and / or body of the first guest. A second guest positioned adjacent to a second display assembly 20B can control the body movements of the augmented reality animation 52 displayed on the second display assembly 20B based on one of the corresponding skeletal recognition sensors 26 that can detect the body of the second guest. A third guest positioned adjacent to the third display assembly 20C can control both the body movements and facial features of the augmented reality animation 52 displayed on the third display assembly 20C based on a facial recognition sensor 24 capable of detecting the facial features and / or body of the third guest and a skeletal recognition sensor 26 capable of detecting the body of the third guest. A fourth guest positioned adjacent to the fourth display assembly 20D can view the augmented reality animation 52 displayed on the fourth display assembly 20D based on a presence sensor 28 capable of detecting the presence of the fourth guest (e.g., within the ride vehicle 12). In some embodiments, as described herein, part or all of the screen 50 can be replaced with an animated figure (e.g., an animatronic) that generally mimics the movements of the guest.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method 60 for generating and / or updating the augmented reality animation 52 of FIGS. 2 and 3 . While shown in a particular order, it should be noted that the operations described with respect to method 60 may be performed in an order different from that shown and described, and indeed, such reordering of method 60 is encompassed by this disclosure. Method 60 may be performed by the augmented reality system 22, for example, by the controller 40. The controller 40 may initially receive an indication that the ride vehicle 12 of FIG. 1 has reached a position in front of and / or adjacent to the display assembly 20, as shown in block 62. For example, the controller 40 may receive this indication from a second controller of the amusement ride system 10. The second controller may be configured to track the position of the ride vehicle 12 along the ride path 14 and output a signal indicative of the position of the ride vehicle 12 to the controller 40.

[0035] In certain embodiments, the controller 40 may receive an indication that a ride sequence has begun. The memory 44 of the controller 40 may store ride path data, including information regarding the position of the ride vehicle along the ride path 14 as a function of time and / or other factors. The controller 40 may determine that the ride vehicle 12 has reached a position in front of and / or adjacent to the display assembly 20 based on elapsed time and / or other factors. In certain embodiments, the indication that a ride sequence has begun and / or that the ride vehicle 12 has reached a position adjacent to the display assembly 20 is not necessarily used, and therefore block 62 of the method 60 may be omitted.

[0036] Controller 40 may then receive an indication of guest 16 from any of facial recognition sensor 24, skeletal recognition sensor 26, and presence sensor 28. For example, in block 64, controller 40 may receive an indication of the guest's presence from presence sensor 28. In block 66, controller 40 may receive an indication of the guest's body from skeletal recognition sensor 26. In block 68, controller 40 may receive an indication of the guest's face and / or body from facial recognition sensor 24.

[0037] The controller 40 may generate and / or update the augmented reality animation 52 based on the received indication of the guest 16 and provide the generated and / or updated augmented reality animation 52 to the respective display assembly 20. For example, at block 70, the controller 40 may generate and / or update the augmented reality animation 52 based on the indication of the guest's presence and provide it to the display assembly 20. The display assembly 20 may display the augmented reality animation 52 at a predetermined location for viewing by the guest 16 in response to the guest's presence within the ride vehicle 12.

[0038] At block 72, the controller 40 may generate and / or update and provide to the display an augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's body indication, allowing the guest 16 to view and interact with the augmented reality animation 52 displayed on the display assembly 20. The guest 16 may move their body (e.g., head, arms, torso), and the controller 40 may update the augmented reality animation 52 to generally match the guest's body movements for viewing by the guest 16. At block 74, the controller 40 may generate / update and provide the augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's face and / or body indication, allowing the guest 16 to view and interact with the augmented reality animation 52 displayed on the display assembly 20. The guest 16 can move their facial features (e.g., eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth) and / or body, and the control device 40 can update the augmented reality animation 52 to generally match the guest's facial features and / or body movements (e.g., happy face, sad face, smiling face, eye movements, mouth movements, and movements of other facial features of the augmented reality animation 52) for viewing by the guest 16.

[0039] The controller 40 may determine which indication to use to generate and / or update the augmented reality animation 52 based on the amount of interaction that the indication and corresponding augmented reality animation 52 would allow for the guest 16. For example, if the controller 40 receives both an indication of a guest's presence from the presence sensor 28 (e.g., a signal indicating the guest's presence from the presence sensor 28) and an indication of the guest's face and / or body from the facial recognition sensor 24, the controller 40 may generate and / or update the augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's face and / or body. This may allow the guest 16 to have greater interaction with the entertainment ride system 10 by allowing them to move their facial features and see the augmented reality animation 52 moving in a similar manner.

[0040] As another example, if the controller 40 simultaneously receives both an indication of a guest's presence from the presence sensor 28 and an indication of the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor 26, the controller 40 may generate and / or update the augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's body. Furthermore, if the controller 40 receives both an indication of the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor 26 and an indication of the guest's face and / or body from the facial recognition sensor 24, the controller 40 may generate and / or update the augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's face and / or body. In certain embodiments, the controller 40 may generate and / or update the augmented reality animation based on the indication of the guest received from the skeletal recognition sensor 26 and the indication of the guest's face and / or body received from the facial recognition sensor 24 to enable the guest 16 to interact with the body and face of the augmented reality animation 52.

[0041] After generating and / or updating the augmented reality animation 52, the method 60 may proceed to query 76. At query 76, the controller 40 may determine whether the ride vehicle 12 is still in a position in front of and / or adjacent to the display assembly 20. For example, the controller 40 may receive a signal from a second controller that the ride vehicle 12 is still in that position, or may determine that the ride vehicle 12 is still in that position based on information stored in the memory 44 of the controller 40. Based on a determination that the ride vehicle 12 is still in a position in front of and / or adjacent to the display assembly 20, the method 60 may return to any of blocks 64, 66, or 68. Thus, the controller 40 may continue to receive indications of the guest 16 and may update the augmented reality animation 52 accordingly.

[0042] The controller 40 may stop providing the augmented reality animation 52 to the display assembly 20 based on a determination that the ride vehicle 12 is not in front of and / or adjacent to the display assembly 20, as shown in block 78. For example, the controller 40 may stop outputting a signal indicating the up-to-date information augmented reality animation 52 to the display assembly 20. In response, the display assembly 20 may stop displaying the augmented reality animation 52. In this case, the controller 40 may cause the display assembly 20 to display a canned animation, a blank screen, or another feature.

[0043] The controller 40 may iteratively execute each of blocks 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, and query 76 to generate and provide the augmented reality animation 52 for viewing by the guest 16. For example, after initially generating and providing the augmented reality animation 52, the controller 40 may receive additional signals from the facial recognition sensor 24, the skeletal recognition sensor 26, the presence sensor 28, or a combination thereof, update the augmented reality animation 52, and provide the updated augmented reality animation 52 to the display assembly 20. Thus, the controller 40 may update the augmented reality animation 52 based on the guest's body movements and / or facial features. The guest 16 may view each version of the augmented reality animation 52 and may move their body and / or facial features to continue to animate the augmented reality animation 52. In this manner, the guest 16 may interact with and / or control the augmented reality animation 52. Thus, the augmented reality system 22 may provide an interactive environment that is entertaining for the guest 16.

[0044] While only certain features of the present disclosure 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 as fall within the true spirit of the present 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 art of the present invention, and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or theoretical in nature. Furthermore, to the extent that any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for 'performing' a "function"" or "steps for 'performing' a "function," such elements shall be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §112(f). However, for any claim containing elements designated in any other manner, such elements shall not be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §112(f).

Claims

1. 1. An augmented reality system for an amusement vehicle, the augmented reality system comprising: a facial recognition sensor configured to detect a face of a guest; a skeletal recognition sensor configured to detect the body of a guest; a presence sensor configured to detect the presence of a guest; a control unit including a processor and a memory; The control device includes: generating an augmented reality animation based on a first signal indicative of the presence of the guest received from the presence sensor; updating the augmented reality animation based on the guest's body in response to receiving a second signal indicative of the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor; updating the augmented reality animation based on the face of the guest in response to receiving a third signal indicative of the face of the guest from the facial recognition sensor; It is configured as follows: Augmented reality systems for recreational vehicles.

2. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the augmented reality animation generated based on the first signal includes an animation that mimics the presence of the guest.

3. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the augmented reality animation generated based on the guest's body includes an animation that mimics the guest's body movements.

4. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the augmented reality animation generated based on the guest's face includes an animation that mimics movements of the guest's facial features.

5. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein receiving the second signal or the third signal enables the guest to control the augmented reality animation.

6. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the presence sensor is located within a seat of the entertainment vehicle.

7. The augmented reality system of claim 1 , wherein the skeletal recognition sensor and the facial recognition sensor are cameras.

8. The augmented reality system of claim 7 , wherein the controller provides the augmented reality animation to a display assembly for viewing by the guest.

9. 1. An amusement ride system, the amusement ride system comprising: a ride vehicle positioned on the ride path and configured to transport guests; a facial recognition sensor configured to detect a face of the guest; a skeletal recognition sensor configured to detect the body of the guest; a presence sensor configured to detect the presence of the guest within the ride vehicle; a control unit including a processor and a memory; The control device includes: generating an augmented reality animation based on a first signal indicative of the presence of the guest received from the presence sensor; updating the augmented reality animation based on the guest's body in response to receiving a second signal indicative of the guest's body from the skeletal recognition sensor; updating the augmented reality animation based on the face of the guest in response to receiving a third signal indicative of the face of the guest from the facial recognition sensor; It is configured as follows: Amusement ride systems.

10. 10. The amusement ride system of claim 9, wherein the third signal indicative of the guest's face includes an indication of facial features of the guest.

11. 10. The amusement ride system of claim 9, wherein the guest presence includes a location within the ride vehicle.

12. 10. The amusement ride system of claim 9, including a display assembly, wherein the controller is configured to provide the augmented reality animation to the display assembly for viewing by the guest.

13. The amusement ride system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to update the augmented reality animation based on updated signals from the bone recognition sensor, the facial recognition sensor, or both.

14. 10. The amusement ride system of claim 9, wherein the facial recognition sensor includes an RGB camera.

15. 1. A method for generating augmented reality animation for an amusement vehicle, comprising: receiving an indication of a guest's presence and generating the augmented reality animation in response to receiving the indication of the guest's presence; receiving an indication of the guest's body and updating the augmented reality animation in response to receiving the indication of the guest's body; receiving an indication of a guest's face and updating the augmented reality animation in response to receiving the indication of the guest's face; A method comprising:

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising displaying the augmented reality animation on a display assembly.

17. 16. The method of claim 15, comprising detecting an indication of the presence of the guest with a presence sensor.

18. 16. The method of claim 15, comprising detecting bodily indications of the guest using a skeletal recognition sensor.

19. 16. The method of claim 15, including detecting an indication of the guest's face using a facial recognition sensor.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein updating the augmented reality animation allows the guest to control the augmented reality animation.

Images