System and method for monitoring queue characteristics and initiating adjustments - Patents.com

Abstract

The queue control system controls the queue structure of an amusement park queue. The queue control system includes a controller and a queue structure control element associated with the queue structure. The controller receives data feedback indicative of queue characteristics from an input device that monitors queue characteristics of the queue. The queue characteristics may be indicative of queue length, queue wait time, queue velocity, or queue throughput. The controller also outputs control commands based on the data feedback. The queue structure control element receives the control commands and modifies at least one aspect of the queue structure based on the control commands.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 979,311, entitled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING QUEUE CHARACTERISTICS AND INITIATING ADJUSTMENTS," filed February 20, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. (Technical field) This application relates to a system and method for monitoring queue characteristics and initiating adjustments. [Background technology]

[0002] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects that may be related to the various aspects of the present disclosure that 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 this description is to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Since the early 20th century, amusement parks (e.g., theme parks) have become increasingly popular. Thus, there has been an increase in demand for amusement parks and an associated increase in competition. As a result, amusement parks are desirous of adding more entertaining attractions. Ensuring that guests are entertained during their time at the amusement park is a key priority for the amusement park. In amusement parks, large attractions such as rides and shows tend to be popular, but it is necessary to keep guests engaged, fascinated, and interested when visiting other attractions to make the experience more memorable. For example, it is necessary to keep guests engaged, fascinated, and interested while waiting in an attraction queue for various attractions. There is also a need to maintain attraction queue characteristics, which can be costly, in an efficient manner. Thus, it has been recognized that techniques for improved interaction at amusement parks, such as improved queue experiences and characteristic control, are desirable. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] Specific embodiments disclosed herein are summarized below. These aspects are presented only to provide the reader with a brief summary of the specific disclosed embodiments, and these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the disclosure may include a variety of aspects that may be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

[0005] In one embodiment, a queue control system controls a queue structure for a queue at an amusement park. The queue control system includes a controller and a queue structure control element associated with the queue structure. The controller receives data feedback indicative of queue characteristics from an input device that monitors queue characteristics for the queue. The queue characteristics may be indicative of queue length, queue wait time, queue speed, or queue throughput. The controller also outputs a control command based on the data feedback. The queue structure control element receives the control command and modifies at least one aspect of the queue structure based on the control command.

[0006] In one embodiment, a queue control system controls a plurality of lights associated with a queue at an amusement park. The queue control system includes a sensor, a controller, and at least one control element corresponding to the plurality of lights. In particular, the sensor monitors a queue characteristic of the queue. The controller receives data feedback from the sensor indicative of the queue characteristic and determines a lighting control for the plurality of lights based on the data feedback indicative of the queue characteristic. Additionally, the controller outputs a control command indicative of the lighting control. The at least one control element receives the control command and performs the lighting control to change at least one aspect of the plurality of lights based on the control command. The at least one aspect of the plurality of lights may include a light frequency, a light intensity, an activation / deactivation sequence, or a combination thereof.

[0007] In one embodiment, one or more non-transitory computer readable media store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations. The operations performed by the processor include monitoring queue characteristics of a queue at an amusement park via a sensor. The queue characteristics are indicative of a queue length, a queue wait time, a queue speed, or a queue throughput. The processor receives data feedback indicative of the queue characteristics from the sensor and determines a lighting control for a plurality of lights associated with the queue based on the data feedback. The processor also outputs control commands indicative of the lighting control to a plurality of control elements corresponding to the plurality of lights.

[0008] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a queue control system for controlling the queue experience and characteristics of an attraction queue, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling attraction queue experiences and characteristics via the queue control system of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the types of controllable devices that can be controlled by the queue control system of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic side view of a room having the queue control system of FIG. 1 integrated with a lighting system and / or an audio / video system, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 2 is a schematic overhead view of a room having the queue control system of FIG. 1 integrated into a facility feature of an attraction queue according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for controlling a lighting system and / or an audio / video system of an attraction queue via the queue control system of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. [Figure 7] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling facility features of an attraction queue via the queue control system of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] One or more specific embodiments are described below. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described herein. As with any industrial design or design project, it will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the specific goals of the developers, including compliance with system-related and business-related constraints that may vary between implementations. It will be further appreciated that such development efforts may be complex and time-consuming, but will nevertheless be a routine task of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0011] When describing elements of various embodiments of the disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that there is one or more of the element. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Further, the term "or" is intended to be inclusive, meaning that A or B includes A alone, B alone, or both A and B.

[0012] Amusement parks (e.g., theme parks) draw crowds of visitors to their attractions. Amusement parks may have attraction queue structures to organize visitors who want to participate in a particular attraction. Such queue structures often provide a route to a destination (e.g., an entrance to a ride), which may be called a queue exit. In practice, visitors wait in a queue and then exit the queue to participate in the attraction for which the queue was formed. In this disclosure, a queue exit may be called a queue start point, since the exit or start point of a queue is where visitors start to organize in a line. Similarly, a queue end point refers to a queue entry point, which may be a real distance (e.g., in time or space) from the queue start point, depending on how many visitors are in the queue.

[0013] A queue structure, which may include physical, digital, visual, and audio protocols (e.g., housings, walls, gates, doors, speakers, and televisions), may help organize guests in an orderly manner and engage guests during wait times. Queue wait times (wait times) for each attraction may vary in duration from attraction to attraction within an amusement park based on, for example, the demand for the attraction and the duration of the attraction (e.g., ride time). Additionally, the appearance and / or type of queue structure may vary from attraction to attraction based on the type of attraction, the location of the attraction, the time of year, and the like. For example, a queue structure that includes a section where guests are in an outdoor environment may include sprayers to cool guests in hot temperatures. Additionally, a queue structure for a water-themed section of an amusement park may be entirely in an outdoor environment, while a queue structure for a roller coaster attraction may include both outdoor and indoor segments. Regardless of the type of queue structure, guests wishing to participate in various attractions may have to endure long wait times in the queue structure before experiencing the attractions. Waiting guests may be impatient or relatively disinterested, which may impact the guest experience. It is therefore desirable to entertain guests within the queue structure to enhance the guest experience.

[0014] The present embodiment is directed to a queue control system for a queue structure in an amusement park. The queue control system may include an automated controller (e.g., a programmable logic controller) whose processor and memory operate to control communicatively coupled devices by actuating them based on certain queue characteristics detected by a sensing function of the queue control system. Specifically, the queue control system may actuate one or more controllable devices based on queue characteristics indicated by an input device (e.g., an image sensor) monitoring the queue in the queue structure. In some embodiments, the queue control system determines modifications to the operation of the controllable devices based on a comparison of the queue characteristics indicated by the input device to queue characteristics mapped (e.g., stored as a table in a memory) in the queue control system. Once a certain queue characteristic is identified, the queue control system may execute an algorithm (e.g., using a look-up table) to identify and initiate a desired operation of the controllable device corresponding to the queue characteristic. In response to determining that the current state (e.g., operation, state) of the controllable device does not correspond to a desired state of the controllable device in light of the detected queue characteristic, the queue control system may cause the state of the controllable device to be changed to meet the desired state corresponding to the detected queue characteristic. For example, the controllable device includes a light source that can be adjusted in response to cue characteristics such as cue wait time and cue flow rate. As a specific example, in response to the cue wait time decreasing beyond a threshold, the queue control system can increase an operating variable (e.g., frequency modulation rate and / or brightness modulation rate) of the light source, and / or in response to the cue wait time increasing beyond a threshold, decrease the operating variable. Other lighting effects are contemplated and will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In general, the light source can be adjusted based on the cue characteristics indicated by the input device to provide an experience tailored to the cue characteristics at a given time.

[0015] The queue control provided by the present embodiment enhances guest experience and improves the operation of computer systems by making operational changes efficient and accessible to human operators. As an example, the queue control system can improve the efficiency of operating a queue by adjusting special aspects or energy consumption based on one or more queue input characteristics. For example, if the queue control system determines that the queue length is short, the queue control system can control a particular queue structure to close a room, a portion of a room, and corresponding energy consumption features (e.g., lighting, heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning (HVAC) features), etc. These and other aspects will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a queue control system 10. The exemplary queue control system 10 includes a controller 12, an input device 14, a controllable device 16, and a control element 17 (e.g., an actuator). The control element 17, which may be associated with the controllable device 16, represents a feature or set of features for controlling (e.g., actuating, managing) the operation of the controllable device 16. It should be noted that the controller 12, the input device 14, the controllable device 16, and the control element 17 each represent any number of such features that may operate together in accordance with the present embodiment. The controller 12 is communicatively coupled to the input device 14 and the controllable device 16, and receives inputs (e.g., data feedback) from the input device 14 and sends outputs to the controllable device 16. The controller 12 may determine outputs based on algorithms that process the inputs. For example, the controller 12 includes computer readable instructions stored in a memory 18 (e.g., a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium / memory circuit) and a processor 20 for executing the instructions, which may operate to execute an algorithm. More specifically, the memory 18 may include a volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), and / or a non-volatile memory, such as a read only memory (ROM). The memory 18 may store a variety of information and may be used for a variety of purposes related to determining output commands to the controllable device 18. Additionally, the memory 18 may store processor executable instructions, such as firmware or software, for execution by the processor 20. The memory 18 may include a ROM, a flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid state storage medium, or a combination thereof. The memory 18 may store data, instructions, and any other suitable data. For example, the memory 18 may include a mapping of queue characteristics (e.g., queue length) to desired operations or operational values ​​(e.g., on, off, modulate) of the controllable device 16. The mapping may be utilized in determining control parameters (eg, set points or operating values) of the controllable devices 16 .For example, the controller may determine the control parameters by cross-referencing the values ​​of the data feedback with the preferred control parameters. In operation, the processor 20 executes instructions on the memory 18 to generate and / or provide control commands to the controllable devices 16. The processor 20 may be any suitable processor capable of executing instructions to implement the presently disclosed techniques, such as a general purpose processor, a system-on-chip (SoC) device, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other similar processor configuration.

[0017] The input device 14 can be one or more sensors (e.g., image sensors, cameras) positioned at various locations in or near the queue or queue structure to monitor queue characteristics, which can include, among others, queue length, queue flow rate (e.g., throughput), queue wait time, and queue location. A queue as disclosed herein can correspond to a line or assortment of groups and / or individuals present in the queue structure. A queue structure as disclosed herein can correspond to a physical, digital, visual, or audio protocol configured to regulate or be utilized in the queue. For example, the queue structure can include one or more gates, walls, or metal bars that can be used to guide individuals or groups in the queue. Also, the queue structure can include projectors, speakers, displays, etc. to provide guidance and entertainment. A queue length can correspond to the number of people in the queue or the distance therebetween. A queue wait time can correspond to the amount of time it takes a person (or group) to enter and exit the queue, whereby exiting the queue occurs at the queue start point (i.e., the queue generally operates according to a first-in, first-out rule). Thus, the queue wait time of a person who is positioned at a certain position in the queue will generally correspond to the position. As a result, the queue wait time of a person who is positioned further from the head of the queue will be longer than the queue wait time of a person who is positioned closer to the head. Queue flow rate (e.g., throughput, queue speed) can correspond to the amount of distance traversed by individuals and / or groups in the queue divided by the amount of time spent traversing that amount of distance. Additionally or alternatively, queue flow rate may refer to the number of individuals and / or groups entering or leaving the queue over a period of time. In practice, queue flow rate can correspond to the number of individuals leaving and / or entering the queue in a given period of time divided by that period of time. In some embodiments, queue flow rate can correspond to the number of people crossing any point in the queue structure in a given amount of time divided by the given amount of time.Further, in some embodiments, the queue wait time may correspond to a wait time associated with a particular position in the queue, i.e., the queue wait time for a particular person or group in the queue may correspond to a predicted time based on the number of people in front of the particular person or group in the queue divided by the queue flow rate.

[0018] The queue location may correspond to a location of the queue structure (e.g., inside, outside, water's edge). In some embodiments, the queue location may correspond to a section of the queue structure occupied by the queue. In practice, the queue location may correspond to any location of the queue structure occupied by the queue. Additionally, the queue location may correspond to a particular location where the queue approximately ends. The input device 14 generally monitors queue characteristics, such as those described above, and provides feedback to the controller 12. Additionally, in some embodiments, the input device 14 may include an operator interface that receives manual input from an operator via a graphical user interface connected to the operator interface, the manual input corresponding to any of the queue characteristics described above. It should be noted that queue characteristics may be distinguished from other detectable conditions based on correlation with other queue characteristics. In practice, queue characteristics may specifically exclude measures that are not indicative of a queue. For example, queue length may be distinguished from a single individual or group standing at a particular location by detecting and confirming correlation with other measured characteristics. Specifically, for example, if there is a large gap between a single individual and a group of individuals detected as standing closely along the path of the queue, the queue length will not be determined by the single individual based on the identification of the individual as an outlier. As another example, movement (or lack of movement) through a queue can also be used to detect such outliers.

[0019] Based at least in part on the queue characteristics received from the input device 14, the controller 12 communicates control commands (e.g., output, queue control commands) to the controllable devices 16. In particular, the controller 12 communicates the control commands to a control element 17 (e.g., a queue structure control element) coupled to the controllable devices 16, which can cause the control element 17 to execute instructions corresponding to the control commands. The control commands, when executed, can correspond to instructions to enable, activate, deactivate, disable, adjust, operate, etc., one or more functions or aspects of the controllable devices 16. The controllable devices 16 can include devices configured to entertain queue patrons, inform queue patrons, provide structure to the queue structure, and / or control environmental conditions of the queue structure. In practice, modifying the state or status of the controllable devices 16 based on input received from the input device 14 can result in modifications to one or more physical, digital, visual, and / or audio aspects of the queue environment (e.g., the queue structure). As described below, in some embodiments, the controller 12 can receive input from multiple and / or different types of input devices 14 and can output control commands to multiple controllable devices 16 simultaneously or sequentially.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method 30 for executing an output including a queue control command to modify an aspect of a queue structure. The method 30 may be performed by one or more components of the queue control system 10 of FIG. 1. The method 30 includes receiving, at a controller, input parameters indicative of queue characteristics from an input device (block 32). The input device may be communicatively coupled to the controller. As discussed above, the input device may include a camera, a sensor, and the like. Additionally, the queue characteristics may include queue length, queue flow rate, queue wait time, and queue position. Based on the input parameters, the controller may determine a queue control command (block 34). For example, the controller may input the input indicative of the queue characteristics to an algorithm that determines the queue control command based at least in part on the input indicative of the queue characteristics. The queue control command, when executed, may modify an aspect of the queue environment by altering (e.g., changing, modifying, activating, deactivating, updating) an aspect of a controllable device within the queue environment or configured to adjust one or more aspects within the queue environment or a device within the queue environment, as described in more detail below.

[0021] The method 30 also includes outputting a queue control command from the control device to the controllable device (block 36). The queue control command can include computer readable instructions that can cause one or more aspects of the controllable device to be altered, which can also cause one or more aspects of the queue structure to be altered. The queue control command can also include a control signal (e.g., a digital signal, a 4 to 20 milliamp signal) that triggers a response of the controllable device to achieve discrete control and / or analog control. As described above, the controllable device can entertain guests in the queue, provide information to guests in the queue, provide boundaries to the queue structure, and / or control environmental conditions of the queue structure. For example, the controllable device can be one or more light sources that are activated and adjusted to entertain or intuitively inform guests in the queue. Additionally, the controllable device can be a video-enabled device (e.g., a television) that shows an instructional video, a speaker configured to output sound, or an automatic door or gate that helps provide a physical boundary to the queue. Additionally, the controllable devices may be devices that control other environmental characteristics of the cue, such as heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning (HVAC) devices, foggers, sprinklers, etc. Regardless of the type of controllable device, the controllable device is capable of performing certain actions based on the cue control commands it receives from the controller.

[0022] The method also includes executing, by the controllable device, a queue control command to modify an aspect of the queue structure (block 38). The aspect of the queue structure that is modified can correspond to any physical, digital, or virtual modification of the queue structure. For example, the queue control command can stop music playing through a speaker in an unoccupied section of the queue structure. As another example, the queue control command can activate a heater in an occupied queue section to provide warmth to patrons in the occupied queue section. In some embodiments, the method 30 can also include operating one or more controllable devices to modify an aspect of the queue structure in response to a deviation of the input parameters from previously received input parameters. In practice, in these embodiments, the control device can store the previously received input parameters in a memory (e.g., memory 18) or database, and subsequently modify an aspect of the queue in response to an input parameter that deviates from a previously received input parameter (or an average of the previously received input parameters, or some other reference parameter). For example, in response to an increase in queue length, an overflow queue structure may be activated or released to allow a customer to wait in a location preferred by the queue operator. Thus, the present embodiment may improve operation of the controller 12 by increasing operational efficiency and providing improved controllability / accessibility to the human operator.

[0023] 3 is a schematic block diagram of types of controllable devices 16 that may be communicatively coupled to and controlled by controller 12. In particular, controllable devices 16 may include a light 50 (or lighting system) having a control element 51, a television 52 (or some form of video display such as a projector) having a control element 53, a speaker 54 having a control element 55, a heating, ventilation, and / or air conditioning (HVAC) component 56 having a control element 57, a sprinkler 58 having a control element 59, a door or gate 60 (e.g., a translatable gate, rope, chain) having a control element 61, a sprayer 62 having a control element 63, a blower 64 having a control element 65, etc. Below, examples are provided of how each of these types of controllable devices 16 are controlled by controller 12 based on inputs indicative of cue characteristics received from input device 14.

[0024] Based on input parameters indicative of queue characteristics (e.g., predictive indicators) received by the controller 12 (e.g., via an algorithm that receives and processes the inputs and determines an output or control command), the controller 12 can activate, deactivate, adjust, or otherwise control the lights 50 (e.g., light source, lights) via one or more control elements 51. Specifically, the controller 12 can determine a lighting control and output a control command indicative of the lighting control to one or more control elements 51. More specifically, the control command can include a command value for at least one aspect of the lights 50. For example, the lights 50 can be configured to illuminate a section of the queue structure or to entertain guests in the queue. In this case, the lights 50 can be designed to illuminate a particular part of the queue structure. The lights 50 can be given a control command (e.g., command value) to illuminate or deactivate based on, for example, a prediction of the eventual presence of guests at a particular part of the queue structure based on the queue characteristics (e.g., low throughput with increasing queue length). Additionally, the lights 50 may be commanded to deactivate based on an indication that a particular portion of the queue is empty. In other words, as part of the lighting control, the controller 12 may determine light-specific activation and deactivation times for each light of the lights 50 based on input parameters indicative of the queue characteristics.

[0025] Additionally, when entertaining guests, the controller 12 can activate the lights 50 according to a light show (e.g., a presentation of lights that are activated, deactivated, and / or adjusted according to a desired pattern). In one embodiment, a series of lights can be arranged in a row or other arrangement and configured to pulse down the row or other arrangement in succession at a rate determined by the controller 12 based on inputs indicating cue characteristics. In other words, a first light in the row can be activated, and then the first light in the row can be deactivated when a second light in the row is activated. The second light in the row can be deactivated when a third light in the row is activated, and so on. In one embodiment, the successive pulsing of the lights can correspond to the successive pulsing of adjacent lights in the series of lights. In another embodiment, the pulsing of the lights can occur in a pattern different than simply successive or adjacent pulsing. The rate at which the lights are successively activated and deactivated can be determined by the controller 12 based on cue characteristics (e.g., input parameters) such as a cue speed or a cue length. For example, the rate can be increased if the queue is short and decreased if the queue is long. Thus, the controller 12 can output, for each light of the lights 50, an activation command, a deactivation command, and a command value corresponding to a time period between activation corresponding to the activation command and deactivation corresponding to the deactivation command. Additionally, in some embodiments, the command value can include a first activation command corresponding to activation of the first light at a first time instant and a first deactivation command corresponding to deactivation of the first light at a second time instant following the first time instant. Furthermore, the command value can include a second activation command corresponding to activation of the second light at a third time instant and a second deactivation command corresponding to deactivation of the second light at a fourth time instant following the third time instant.

[0026] The present embodiment may operate to avoid displaying the same effects to patrons while they are waiting in a particular queue. For example, the patterns (or other effects) displayed in the light shows described above may be altered based on the queue length so that patrons in the queue do not experience the same light show (or other effect) more than once. For example, the controller 12 may adjust the progression speed of a particular light show (e.g., 0.5x, 1x, 3x normal speed) at a frequency that corresponds to patrons in the queue structure having sufficient time to view the complete light show at least once. That is, the controller 12 may control the amount of time it takes for a particular light show to be completed based on the patron's corresponding queue wait time. To achieve this result, the light show or other effect may extend beyond the time frame that would allow the entire queue to be traversed. In some embodiments, instead of adjusting the progression speed of a particular light show, the controller 12 may add or remove aspects of the light show to control (e.g., limit) patrons' exposure to the same light show while in the queue. This may be done regardless of the progression speed of the particular light show. In one embodiment, instead of (or in conjunction with) changing the progression speed of the light show, the specific patterns in the different colors presented by the lights 50 can be changed. Similarly, the instructional video can be lengthened or shortened based on the queue length to limit exposure to guests based on the time frame in which they can traverse the entire queue. In such an embodiment, the time frame can be estimated / calculated based on data from the input device 14, for example.

[0027] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the activation commands, deactivation commands, and the time periods between activation corresponding to the activation command and deactivation corresponding to the deactivation command can be specific to each light (or set of lights within the light 50) of the light 50. The controller 12 can also control the intensity (i.e., brightness) of the light 50 (e.g., light emitting diode (LED), incandescent, fluorescent) and the type of light (e.g., wavelength and frequency of light) emitted from the light 50 by outputting one or more command values ​​indicative thereof. The controller 12 can also output command values ​​corresponding to the length of time and / or frequency for playing a light show for the light 50 based on received input parameters.

[0028] The lighting features can be driven (controlled) in a manner that provides an effect (e.g., a wavy effect) that intuitively suggests the queue characteristics. For example, a wavy lighting effect can indicate a direction of travel through the queue structure that implicitly invites the guest to the beginning of the queue. If the queue length is less than a threshold, the invitation can be quicker with a faster change to suggest a quicker pace through the queue. Similarly, if the queue length is greater than a threshold, the invitation can be slower with a slower change in lighting to indicate a slower pace through the queue. Similarly, a detected queue characteristic such as queue length can be used to brighten or dim the lighting to intuitively inform the guest of the queue characteristics. As a specific example, in one embodiment, the lights 50 can be positioned along the path of the queue structure. The queue structure can include a tunnel where the guest remains for at least a portion of the queue wait time. Within the tunnel, there can be an array of lights 50 positioned around one or more portions of the walls that form the tunnel. In some embodiments, the lights 50 can be positioned in a line through the tunnel. These lights 50 can be controlled to be activated and / or adjusted based on, for example, an input indicative of a queue wait time. In practice, the queue wait time can be used to determine the rate of activation in the array of lights 50 (e.g., how quickly a light is activated and deactivated relative to other lights in the array of lights 50). For example, in response to a determination that the queue wait time has increased, the rate of activation of the lights 50 can be slowed. Additionally, in response to a determination that the queue wait time has decreased, the rate of activation of the lights 50 can be increased.

[0029] Additionally or alternatively, the controller 12 can control settings of the television 52 based on input parameters indicative of the cue characteristics. These settings can include volume levels, brightness levels, contrast, and / or on / off status, to name a few. The settings can also include determining the video that is to be displayed on the television 52. In practice, in this case, the controller 12 can have a selection of videos to be played based on, for example, the cue wait time. That is, the controller 12 can have a particular video to be played on the television 52 based on a correlation between the particular video and the value of the cue characteristic and / or the value of multiple cue characteristics that in combination can indicate an optimal video. In other words, the controller 12 can cause the television to display a video having video characteristics based on the cue wait time. For example, in response to a relatively short cue wait time, the controller 12 can cause the television 52, via the control element 53, to play a video that is shorter in length than another video that can be mapped to play when the cue wait time is longer. In some embodiments, the controller 12 can determine how often a particular video segment (e.g., a safety segment) is to be played (e.g., every 2 minutes, every 5 minutes, every 10 minutes). The controller 12 can also determine and play a video that corresponds to a particular queue flow rate or range of queue flow rates. In this way, a guest will not experience the same video content more than once while waiting in the queue, except perhaps for certain video segments (e.g., safety segments). This feature can also be applied in other venues where pre-prepared videos are displayed, such as restaurants, food courts, transportation stations, etc.

[0030] Additionally, the controller 12 may control the speaker 54 by adjusting the volume level, determining the tempo or genre of music, or other sound settings. For example, the controller 12 may cause the speaker 54 to play fast tempo music when the cue flow rate exceeds a certain threshold.

[0031] Additionally, the controller 12 can activate or deactivate the HVAC component 56 via the control element 57 based on the received input parameters. For example, the controller 12 can set a desired temperature for the environment to be heated or cooled by the HVAC component 56. In practice, the controller 12 can cause the HVAC component 56 via the control element 57 to operate to cool or warm air in or near the queue structure based on the input parameters. For example, the controller 12 can operate a heater or air conditioning unit in response to a prediction that the queue length is likely to exceed a certain threshold within a time frame based on feedback from a sensor (e.g., a camera, an image sensor). In some embodiments, if a portion of the queue is closed based on the input parameters, the HVAC component 56 or its operation can be turned off completely. Additionally, the sprinkler 58 can be controlled by the controller 12 (e.g., via the control element 59). For example, the sprinkler 58 can be activated to water a portion of the queue structure having forest, trees, etc. In response to the controller receiving an indication from the input device 14 that the queue length is predicted to extend or is extending into an area proximate the sprinkler 58, the controller 12 can turn off the sprinkler or reduce the amount of water.

[0032] In an embodiment, the doors or gates 60 may be controlled by the controller 12 (e.g., via the control element 61). The controller 12 may open or close one or more of the doors or gates 60 in response to receiving input parameters indicative of queue characteristics, such as queue length. It should be understood that this may also include a combination of queue characteristics, such as queue length and throughput. For example, as described below, in response to receiving input parameters indicative of a queue length exceeding a desired capacity (or threshold) of the queue structure, a door (e.g., gate, portal) to the extended queue structure may be opened to accommodate the increased queue length. This may include predicting changes in queue position based on the current queue length and the current throughput. In contrast, in response to a queue length decreasing beyond an optimal capacity or threshold, one or more of the doors or gates 60 may be closed.

[0033] Additionally, the sprayer 62 and / or the blower 64 can be activated or deactivated by the controller 12 via the control elements 63 and 65, respectively, based on input parameters. Indeed, for example, the sprayer 62 and the blower 64 can be activated or deactivated based on input parameters indicative of queue length and / or throughput that suggest that the queue will extend to an outer portion of the queue structure. In some embodiments, the sprayer 62 and the blower 64 are configured to regulate the temperature of a section having the HVAC component 56. It should be noted that in certain embodiments, the sprayer 62, the blower 64, or both, may be considered HVAC components 56. Also, other controllable devices 16 can be controlled by control elements that execute queue control commands received from the controller 12 in response to input parameters indicative of queue characteristics. It should be noted that in some embodiments, any single control element (e.g., actuator) may control multiple controllable devices. As mentioned above, multiple controllable devices 16 (even of different types) may be connected to the controller 12 directly or indirectly via wired or wireless media.

[0034] 4 is a schematic side view of a cue structure 69 (e.g., a room) having a cue control system 10 with an integrated lighting system and audio / video system. The exemplary integrated lighting system includes lights 50 and the audio / video system includes a television 52 and speakers 54. Other components of the integrated lighting system and audio / video system (not shown) can be included in the embodiment of the integrated lighting system and audio / video system. Specifically, the cue structure 69 includes lights 50, a television 52, and speakers 54. These controllable devices 16 can receive cue control commands from the controller 12 based at least in part on input from the input device 14, including one or more cue characteristics. The controller 12 can receive input via manual input or via automatic control via data feedback from sensors or the like. In practice, as discussed above, the input device 14 may include sensors (e.g., infrared sensors, image sensors, cameras) located at various locations in the queue structure that monitor the queue beginning at a starting point 70 (e.g., a boarding entrance) and provide data feedback (e.g., queue length, queue flow rate, queue wait time) to the controller 12. The input device 14 may send the data feedback to the controller 12 on a periodic basis, such as every millisecond, every second, every minute, etc. Based on the data feedback, the controller 12 may issue queue control commands to the controllable devices 16 of the queue structure 69, which may modify one or more operational aspects of the controllable devices 16 of the queue structure 69, for example, the lights 50 may be controlled to change at a rate corresponding to the queue flow rate received from the input device 14.

[0035] In particular, the lights 50 can be adjusted based on queue wait time and / or other queue characteristics to enhance the experience of the patrons in the queue. In one embodiment, the lights 50 can be selectively activated to be active and inactive in a queue. That is, a first light 50 in the queue can be activated, then the first light 50 can be deactivated at the same time as the second light 50 in the queue is activated, and so on. The rate of activation and deactivation can be determined by the controller 12 based on input parameters. For example, if the queue length and queue wait time are long and / or the queue flow rate is slow, having a fast sequence of light changes (or adjustments) of the lights 50 may overwhelm the patrons in the queue. In effect, the enhancement of the patrons' experience and / or enjoyment of the light show may be diminished as the patrons see rapid and repeated adjustments of the lights 50 before reaching the starting point 70. To address this issue, the controller 12 may receive the cue characteristics from the input device 14 and modulate the frequency and / or brightness of the lights 50 at a particular rate desired for patrons in the queue structure 69 based on the cue characteristics of the cue. Specifically, the frequency modulation rate may correspond to a rate of change of the frequency of the emitted light (i.e., changing the wavelength of the emitted light from the lights 50). Or, in other words, the frequency modulation rate may correspond to a rate of change of the color of the lights 50. The brightness modulation rate may correspond to a rate of change of the intensity (i.e., brightness) of the light emitted from the lights 50. Or, in other words, the brightness modulation rate may correspond to a rate of change of the brightness of the lights 50. For example, the controller 12 may include a desired frequency modulation rate value and a brightness modulation rate value corresponding to one or more cue characteristics. The controller 12 may decrease the frequency modulation rate of the lights 50 based on an indication from the input device 14 that the cue wait time exceeds a predetermined threshold. Similarly, if the controller 12 is indicated that the cue wait time is below the threshold, the controller may increase the frequency modulation rate to a value corresponding to the cue wait time. Additionally, the controller 12 can activate and deactivate the lights 50 at a rate that is optimal for guests.In this manner, the controller 12 can, for example, adjust the lighting 50 so that a guest does not experience a lighting pattern / sequence multiple times while in the queue structure 69.

[0036] Further, based on the characteristics of the detected queue, the controller 12, via the control element 53, can activate one or more of the televisions 52 to play an instructional video in response to a queue length that extends to or predictively extends to one or more approximate locations of the televisions 52. The controller 12 can also select a video corresponding to one of a plurality of videos, each corresponding to a different queue wait time. In this manner, the video played on the televisions 52 can instruct or entertain the guest in a time frame corresponding to the queue wait time. In another embodiment, the controller 12 can determine how often a video is played. For example, the controller 12 can determine to play a particular video (e.g., a safety video) every 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or other time interval based on the input parameters. In practice, if the queue is relatively short, the controller 12 can instruct the televisions 52 to play the video more frequently than if the queue is relatively long. In doing so, controller 12 increases the likelihood that a queue patron will watch an entire video before attending an attraction when the queue is relatively short, and increases the likelihood that a queue patron will not watch a video an unnecessary number of times when the queue is long. Thus, controller 12 can ensure that a patron does not watch the same video content, other than a particular video, more than once while in the queue. This can also be accomplished by having different videos displayed in different locations on television 52 of queue structure 69 based on queue wait time and / or queue length.

[0037] In some embodiments, the controller 12 can operate to incorporate multiple presentations of the same effect or information if the queue wait time is longer than a threshold time frame. This can be done to refresh the memory of the patron waiting in the queue before proceeding out of the queue. For example, an instructional video may be presented at two different points (times and locations) based on the queue length. As mentioned above, a particular video can be viewed more than once to refresh the patron's memory and present the relevant information at least twice. For example, a safety video can be played to a patron in the queue structure 69 at the very beginning. If the patron's queue wait time exceeds a threshold amount of time before exiting the queue, the safety video can be played again to remind the patron of the safety protocols on the video. The patron's location can be taken into account by the controller 12 and based on this location, one or more displays can be selected to allow access to the information being presented.

[0038] Additionally, the television 52, lights 50, and speakers 54 may all be activated in response to the queue length exceeding or falling short of a certain threshold length. The queue length in FIG. 4 is shown diagrammatically with stick figures 71 each representing 10 people. Thus, FIG. 4 diagrammatically represents a queue length of 60 guests. In this case, most or all of the television 52, lights 50, and speakers 54 may be activated due to the queue length extending to a section of the queue structure having the controllable device 16. For example, if the queue length is only 20 guests, the controller 12 may determine that one or more of the television 52 or speakers 54 and / or lights 50 far from the starting point 70 need to be turned off and provide corresponding instructions. This programming of the controller 12 will result in efficiency by avoiding energy consumption in features positioned or oriented to display and sound, respectively, to areas or sections of the queue structure different from those near the starting point 70 or near the end of the queue.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a schematic overhead view of a room 81 having a queue control system 10 integrated with facility system components. The room 81 has a section 82 and a section 84. In particular, the controller 12 receives one or more inputs from the input devices 14 and sends outputs to the HVAC components 56, the sprinklers 58, the sprayers 62, the doors or gates 60, and / or the blowers 64 based on queue characteristics identified from the inputs. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the queue begins at a start point 70 and ends near the door 60A. Based on the queue length and / or other queue characteristics, the controller 12 can cause the doors 60A, 60B, 60C to open or close. This can include predictive operations that indicate that the queue length will increase to a particular length within a particular time frame based on changes in queue length and capacity during the overlapping time frames.

[0040] In FIG. 5, the sprayer 62 and the blower 64 are located near the doors 60A and 60C between the exterior and interior environments, and the HVAC components 56 are located in the interior environment. In some embodiments, one or more of the HVAC components 56 can be located outside. Additionally, the arrows appearing from the controller 12 to the input devices 14 and the controllable devices 16 are representative of the relationship between all the input devices 14 and the controllable devices 16 in FIG. 5 (i.e., not just the particular input device 14 and the particular controllable device 16 having an arrow connected to the controller 12). As shown in FIG. 5, the doors 60B and 60C are closed while the door 60A is open. The doors 60B and 60C can be closed because the controller 12, having received one or more queue characteristics (e.g., queue length, queue flow rate) from the input devices 14, determines that the current queue length does not exceed the threshold queue length for opening the doors 60B and / or 60C, and as a result, the doors 60B, 60C can remain in the closed position. Similarly, in section 82 of the queue structure, HVAC components 56, blowers 64, and sprayers 62 can be deactivated or deactivated since the queue length does not exceed the threshold queue length. In this way, power consumption can be saved. However, in some embodiments, sprinklers 58 in section 82 can be activated due to controller 12 receiving an input from an input device indicating closure of section 82 to guests. In some embodiments, the absence of guests in section 82 can constitute an indication of closure of section 82. In this way, guests will not be bothered by watering directed at forests, trees, plants, etc., near the queue structure. In response to the queue length being equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, controller 12 can send a command to open doors 60B and / or doors 60C to allow more people to wait inside the queue structure (e.g., room 81) or outside the boundaries (e.g., physical housing, line of sight) of the queue structure or the controllable device 16 of the queue structure.

[0041] Instead of generally operating one or more controllable devices 16 without considering the queue characteristics, the controllable devices 16 are controlled based on data feedback from the input device 14 that monitors the current queue characteristics. Many of the controllable devices 16 in section 84 of the queue structure are active and enabled since the queue length extends to door 60A. In particular, the HVAC components 56, blowers 64, and sprayers 62 can be active and enabled (or deactivated) to maintain a desired temperature. Since section 84 is open to guests, the sprinklers 58 near door 60A of section 84 can be deactivated or turned off so as not to disturb guests in or entering the queue (e.g., to avoid accidentally spraying water or other liquids). Additionally, in response to one or more queue characteristics being below a threshold value for each of the received one or more queue characteristics, one or more of the controllable devices 16 of FIG. 5 may be commanded by the controller 12 to modify operation. For example, section 82 may correspond to a reserve queuing structure that will only be opened if the queue length of section 84 exceeds a threshold. In response to the queue length of the queue in section 84 moving away from the threshold such that the queue length of the queue in section 84 is less than the queue capacity of section 84, section 82 may be closed or deactivated. Thus, the sprayers 62 and blowers 64 of section 82 may be turned down. The doors / gates 60B, 60C may be in a closed state and the HVAC components 56 of section 82 may also be turned down or returned to a default inactive setting. However, the sprinklers 58 in section 82 may be activated for at least a portion of the time for watering woods, plants, etc., near the queuing structure upon instruction of the closure of section 82 to guests.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method 90 for operating a lighting system and an audio / visual system of a queue structure based on input received from an input device monitoring a queue characteristic. The method 90 of FIG. 6 generally corresponds to controlling the lighting system and the audio / visual system of FIG. 4. In particular, the method 90 is an embodiment for controlling one or more of the controllable devices 16 of FIG. 4. The method 90 may be performed, at least in part, by one or more components of the queue control system 10. The method 90 includes determining, via the input device, an input parameter indicative of a queue attribute (e.g., a queue characteristic) (block 92). As discussed above, the queue attribute or characteristic may be a queue length, a queue wait time, a queue flow rate, or a combination thereof (including a predicted value based on multiple characteristics). The input parameter may be received manually by an operator entering the input parameter into a control device and / or automatically, such as by feedback from a sensor.

[0043] The method 90 also includes determining, via the controller, a control command based on the input parameters (block 94). The controller may determine the control command, for example, based on comparing the received input parameters to stored data (e.g., a table) of cue characteristic values ​​corresponding to desired operating values ​​of the device controlled by the controller. If the controller determines that the received input parameter values ​​correspond to a current operation of the controllable device, the controllable device may continue to operate according to the current operation. However, in response to comparing the received input parameters indicative of the cue characteristics to stored data of mappings of cue characteristics to desired operating parameters of the device and determining that the current operation of the device does not correspond to the desired operation of the device, in block 96, the controller may output a control command to a light, a television (TV), a speaker, or some combination thereof. The control command may cause the operating values ​​of the light, the television, the speaker, or some combination thereof to match the stored desired operating values. Thus, in response to determining the control command in block 94, the controller may output a control command to a light, a television, a speaker, or some combination thereof (block 96). For example, the control command can automatically modify the frequency modulation rate and the brightness modulation rate of the light based on the input parameters indicative of the cue characteristics. In other words, the control device can determine the change rate instruction as the control command based on the input parameters indicative of the cue attributes. Furthermore, the content on the television (or the television-specific settings) can be modified according to the preset content or values ​​corresponding to the values ​​of the input parameters.

[0044] 7 is a flow chart of a method for controlling one or more components (e.g., facility components) of a facility system in a queue structure based on input parameters indicative of queue characteristics. In particular, method 106 is an embodiment for controlling one or more of the controllable devices 16 of FIG. 5. Method 106 may be performed, at least in part, by one or more components of queue control system 10.

[0045] The method 106 includes determining, via an input device, input parameters indicative of queue characteristics (block 108). As described above, the queue characteristics may include queue length, queue wait time, queue flow rate (e.g., throughput), or a combination thereof (e.g., predictive outcome). The input device may include a sensor or a manual interface, as described above with reference to the previous figures.

[0046] The method 106 also includes determining, via the controller, a control command based on the input parameters (block 110). The control command may be determined from a comparison of the input parameters indicative of the queue characteristics to a stored mapping of desired operating conditions of the facility system components to particular queue characteristics. In practice, the controller may have a memory that includes one or more tables or lists of desired operating conditions of the facility system components that correspond to one or more particular queue characteristics.

[0047] The method 106 may also include outputting control commands via the controller and in response to a determination that one or more components of the facility system are not operating in accordance with a desired operating condition based on the input parameters to HVAC components, blowers, sprayers, doors / gates, sprinklers, other facility components, or some combination thereof (block 112). For example, upon receiving an input parameter indicating a queue length that exceeds the capacity of a room where guests are waiting (e.g., a queue structure), a door / gate to a spare room may be opened to accommodate the queue length (or other queue characteristic indicated by the input parameter).

[0048] In some embodiments, the controller may activate or deactivate one or more controllable devices based on a predetermined schedule. For example, the controller may be instructed via manual input that at a particular time of day (or a particular range of times of day), queue lengths are typically long for a particular range of time durations. In response to this instruction, the controller may be configured to activate or deactivate one or more controllable devices based on a predetermined schedule of average queue lengths during the particular time period. This may be done to complement control based on queue characteristics, among other things.

[0049] Generally, the systems and techniques of the present disclosure enhance a guest's experience as they wait in a queue to participate in an attraction. The guest's experience is actively influenced by controlling queue characteristics based on input parameters indicative of queue characteristics (e.g., queue length, queue speed, queue throughput). Queue characteristics can be identified to exclude non-queue characteristics (e.g., a single individual passing through a location).

[0050] While only certain features of the disclosed embodiments 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 present disclosure.

[0051] The technology presented and claimed herein refers to and applies to tangible objects and specific examples of a practical nature that positively improve the art and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Moreover, if any claim appended at the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [performing] ... [function]" or "step for [performing] ... [function]," such elements are to be construed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 112(f). On the other hand, for any claim containing 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]

[0052] 12 Control device 14 Input Devices 16 Controllable Devices

Claims

1. 1. A queue control system configured to control a queue structure of a queue, the queue control system comprising: A control device; A queue structure control element; Equipped with the control device receives data feedback indicative of queue characteristics from an input device monitoring the queue characteristics indicative of queue wait times corresponding to at least one person in the queue; determining a control command based on the data feedback of the queue characteristics indicative of the queue wait time corresponding to the at least one person in the queue; outputting the control command; It is configured as follows: the cue structure control element comprises an actuator configured to produce an effect associated with the cue structure; the queue structure control element is configured to receive the control command; the actuator of the queue structure control element is configured to modify at least one aspect of the queue structure based on the control command such that the effect is presented by the queue structure control element only once during a period corresponding to the queue wait time.

2. 2. The queue control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator of the queue structure control element is configured to modify the at least one aspect of the queue structure such that the effect is presented only once by the queue structure control element during the period corresponding to the queue wait time by modifying a characteristic of a light based on the control command, the control command including a command value for the characteristic of the light.

3. The queue control system of claim 2 , wherein the command value for the characteristic of the light indicates a brightness of the light.

4. 2. The queue control system of claim 1, wherein the queue structure control element comprises a plurality of actuators including the actuator, the plurality of actuators of the queue structure control element configured to modify the at least one aspect of the queue structure such that the effect is presented only once by the queue structure control element during the period corresponding to the queue wait time by modifying a plurality of characteristics of a plurality of lights corresponding to the plurality of actuators based on the control command, the control command including a plurality of command values ​​for the plurality of characteristics of the plurality of lights.

5. 5. The queue control system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of command values ​​include, for each light of the plurality of lights, an activation command, a deactivation command, and a time period between activation corresponding to the activation command and deactivation corresponding to the deactivation command.

6. 6. The queue control system of claim 5, wherein the activation command, the deactivation command, and the period between activation corresponding to the activation command and deactivation corresponding to the deactivation command are unique for each light of the plurality of lights.

7. The plurality of lights include a first light and a second light, and the plurality of command values ​​are a first activation command corresponding to an activation of the first light at a first time point, and a first deactivation command corresponding to a deactivation of the first light at a second time point subsequent to the first time point; a second activation command corresponding to activation of a second light at a third time point, and a second deactivation command corresponding to deactivation of the second light at a fourth time point subsequent to the third time point; The queue control system of claim 4 , comprising:

8. The queue control system of claim 7 , wherein the third point in time is after the first point in time.

9. 10. The queue control system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of lights driven by the queue structure control elements and configured to provide an undulating lighting effect.

10. 2. The queue control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to modify the at least one aspect of the queue structure based on the control command by changing a color of lighting associated with the queue structure such that the effect is presented only once during the period corresponding to the queue wait time.

11. 2. The queue control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator of the queue structure control element is configured to modify, based on the control command, at least one aspect of the queue structure such that the effect is presented only once during the period corresponding to the queue wait time by moving a facility component located upstream of an entrance point to a destination adjacent an end point of the queue structure, the facility component comprising a wall, gate, or door, the wall, gate, or door configured to prevent access to a queue space when in a closed position and to allow access to the queue space when in an open position.

12. 2. The queue control system of claim 1, wherein the queue structure control element comprises a sprayer, and the actuator of the queue structure control element is configured to modify the at least one aspect of the queue structure such that the effect is presented only once during the period corresponding to the queue wait time by activating or deactivating the sprayer based on the control command.

13. The queue control system of claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a sensor or a camera.

14. When executed by at least one processor, the at least one processor is caused to: receiving data feedback indicative of queue characteristics indicative of queue wait time of at least one member in said queue from an input device monitoring queue characteristics of queues in the queue structure; determining whether the data feedback corresponds to a current operation of an aspect of the queue structure; in response to determining that the data feedback does not correspond to the current operation of an aspect of the queue structure, determining a control command based on the data feedback, the control command corresponding to a target frequency for producing an effect associated with the queue structure, the effect being presented only once during a period corresponding to the cue wait time when controlled at the target frequency; outputting the control command to one or more actuators of a queue structure control element, the control command, when executed by the one or more actuators of the queue structure control element, causing the one or more actuators to change an aspect of the queue structure corresponding to the data feedback by causing the effect to be presented only once during the period corresponding to the queue wait time; [0023] 5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions for performing operations including:

15. The effect corresponds to a first segment of an instructional video presented on a television, and the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: performing operations including outputting said control command to said one or more actuators of said queue structure control element, said control command, when executed by said one or more actuators of said queue structure control element, causing said one or more actuators to modify an aspect of said queue structure responsive to said data feedback by operating said television to display said first segment of said instructional video during said period corresponding to said queue wait time; 15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 14.

16. When executed by the at least one processor, the at least one processor 16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, storing instructions for performing an operation including outputting a further control command to the one or more actuators of the queue structure control element, the further control command, when executed by the one or more actuators of the queue structure control element, causing the one or more actuators to operate the television to display a second segment of the explanatory video one or more times during the period corresponding to the queue wait time, the second segment of the explanatory video corresponding to a safety segment of the explanatory video.

17. 1. A queue control system, comprising: a plurality of lights configured to be disposed within a cue structure defining a cue space of the cue and configured to provide an undulating lighting effect within the cue space; an input device configured to monitor a queue characteristic of the queue, including a queue length, a queue wait time, a queue speed, or a queue throughput; A control device; The control device includes: receiving data feedback from the input device indicative of the cue characteristics of the cue during an operation; determining a target speed of the undulating lighting effect provided by the plurality of lights based on the data feedback indicative of the cue characteristics; controlling one or more actuators associated with the plurality of lights such that the plurality of lights provide the wavy lighting effect at the target speed during the operation period; receiving further data feedback from the input device indicative of the cue characteristic of the cue during a further operating period different from the operating period; determining a further target speed, different from the target speed, of the undulating lighting effect provided by the plurality of lights based on the further data feedback indicative of the cue characteristic of the cue during the further operating period; controlling the one or more actuators associated with the plurality of lights such that the plurality of lights provide the wavy lighting effect at the further target speed during the further operation period. A queue control system configured to:

Images