Vehicle Tracking System

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a tracking system for a ride vehicle. The tracking system for the ride vehicle includes a contact switch sensor including a plurality of contact closure switches. The contact switch sensor is located on the ride vehicle. The tracking system for the ride vehicle further includes a plurality of position indicator devices located on or near a path of the ride vehicle. Each position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices is configured to communicate position information to the contact switch sensor via the plurality of contact closure switches when the ride vehicle passes by a respective position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 022,216, entitled "RIDE VEHICLE TRACKING SYSTEM," filed May 8, 2020, and U.S. Utility Application No. 17 / 306,635, entitled "RIDE VEHICLE TRACKING SYSTEM," filed May 3, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth below for all applicable purposes.

[0002] The technology described below relates generally to vehicle systems, and more particularly to vehicle vehicle tracking systems. [Background technology]

[0003] Major theme park attractions, such as ride systems, typically track ride vehicles through the use of cameras, wireless networks, infrared (IR) track sensors, and / or rotary encoding technology. These can be expensive options and can significantly increase the operational complexity of the ride system. Additionally, ride vehicles can track their progress and / or location in the ride system by maintaining timers. In some scenarios, ride vehicles may rely on timers to synchronize certain functions of the ride vehicle, such as displaying audiovisual effects. However, if the ride vehicle experiences any delays, these functions may lose proper synchronization, which can adversely affect the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the present disclosure or to delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the present disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the present disclosure in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0005] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a tracking system for a ride vehicle. The tracking system includes a contact switch sensor having a plurality of contact closure switches, the contact switch sensor located on the ride vehicle. The tracking system further includes a plurality of position indicator devices located on or near a path of the ride vehicle. Each position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices is configured to communicate position information to the contact switch sensor via the plurality of contact closure switches when the ride vehicle passes by the respective position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices.

[0006] In one embodiment, a ride vehicle is disclosed. The ride vehicle includes a contact switch sensor having a plurality of contact closure switches. The contact switch sensor is configured to receive position information from a plurality of position indicator devices via the plurality of contact closure switches. The ride vehicle further includes processing circuitry configured to determine a position of the ride vehicle along a route based on the position information.

[0007] In one embodiment, a method for tracking a ride vehicle is disclosed. The method includes receiving position information with a contact switch sensor from at least one position indicator device of a plurality of position indicator devices located on or near a path of the ride vehicle. The contact switch sensor includes a plurality of contact closure switches configured to receive the position information when the ride vehicle passes by at least one position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices. The method further includes determining a position of the ride vehicle on the path based on the position information. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary vehicle system according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one exemplary implementation of a tracking system according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a side view of a contact switch sensor and position indicator device according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one exemplary implementation of a tracking system according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a top view of the contact switch sensor shown in FIG. 4 during actuation of the switch lever. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a side view of a contact switch sensor and position indicator device according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a ride vehicle and tracking system according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a ride vehicle, a tracking system, and an off-board ride system according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a side view of a ride vehicle on a route of a ride system according to various aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart according to various aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring such concepts. Although aspects and embodiments are described herein by way of example for some examples, those skilled in the art will appreciate that additional implementations and use cases can be realized in many different configurations and scenarios. The innovations described herein can be implemented across many different platform types, devices, systems, shapes, sizes, and / or packaging arrangements.

[0010] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle tracking system. Figure 1 is a top view of a vehicle system 100 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle system 100 may include a path 102 and at least one ride vehicle 104 configured to travel along the path 102. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the path 102 may include one or more tracks or guide rails, such as a central guide rail 108 shown in Figure 1, for guiding and / or moving the ride vehicle 104 along the path 102.

[0011] As described in detail herein, the ride system 100 may include multiple position indicator devices configured to communicate (e.g., to the ride vehicle 104) the current position of the ride vehicle 104 traveling along the route 102. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 , the ride system 100 may include a first position indicator device 110, a second position indicator device 112, a third position indicator device 114, a fourth position indicator device 116, a fifth position indicator device 118, a sixth position indicator device 120, and a seventh position indicator device 122. The position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 may be located on or near the route 102. It should be understood that the number of position indicator devices included in FIG. 1 represents one example implementation, and thus, a fewer or greater number of position indicator devices than shown in FIG. 1 may be used in other implementations.

[0012] In some aspects of the present disclosure, each position indicator device may correspond to a different portion (also referred to as a different zone) of the path 102. For example, the first position indicator device 110 may correspond to a first portion 130 (e.g., also referred to as Zone 1) of the path 102, where the first portion 130 begins at the position indicator device 110 and ends at the position indicator device 112. As another example, the second position indicator device 112 may correspond to a second portion 132 (e.g., also referred to as Zone 2) of the path 102, where the second portion 132 begins at the position indicator device 112 and ends at the position indicator device 114. Thus, the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 may correspond to portions 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, 140, and 142 of the path 102, respectively.

[0013] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the ride vehicle 104 may include one or more contact switch sensors configured to receive position information from position indicator devices of the ride system 100. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the ride vehicle 104 may include a contact switch sensor 106 configured to receive position information from position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122. The communication of position information from the position indicator devices to the contact switch sensor 106 is described in more detail with reference to Figures 2-6.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one exemplary implementation of a tracking system 200 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the tracking system 200 includes a contact switch sensor 106 and a position indicator device (e.g., the fifth position indicator device 118). The contact switch sensor 106 may be coupled to an exterior surface of the ride vehicle 104 (e.g., the shaded area within the dotted line in FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 2, the contact switch sensor 106 may include a set of switch levers 250, 252, 254, each capable of opening or closing a corresponding contact switch housed within the contact switch sensor 106. As used herein, the term contact switch may refer to any type of switch including at least two contacts configured to physically come into contact to achieve a closed state (e.g., an ON state) and remain separated to achieve an open state (e.g., an OFF state). Thus, the term "contact switch" can be used synonymously with the term "contact closure switch," and the term "contact switch sensor" can be used synonymously with the term "contact closure switch sensor."

[0015] In some aspects of the present disclosure, each contact switch housed within the contact switch sensor 106 can output a first binary value (e.g., a logical "1") when closed or a second binary value (e.g., a logical "0") when open. In some examples, each switch lever 250, 252, 254 can be operated to close a corresponding contact switch in the contact switch sensor 106 by applying an appropriate amount of force to the switch lever 250, 252, 254. The switch lever 250, 252, 254 can automatically return (e.g., with a spring) to its initial position and open the corresponding contact switch in the contact switch sensor 106 when the force applied to the switch lever 250, 252, 254 is released.

[0016] In some aspects of the present disclosure, binary outputs (e.g., logic "1" or logic "0") from the contact switches in contact switch sensor 106 can be grouped together to generate an n-bit binary word. In the example implementation of FIG. 2, because contact switch sensor 106 includes three contact switches, contact switch sensor 106 can output a 3-bit binary word. For example, the binary output from the contact switch corresponding to switch lever 250 can be the most significant bit of the 3-bit binary word, the binary output from the contact switch corresponding to switch lever 252 can be the middle bit of the 3-bit binary word, and the binary output from the contact switch corresponding to switch lever 254 can be the least significant bit of the 3-bit binary word. For example, if none of switch levers 250, 252, 254 are actuated, contact switch sensor 106 can output the 3-bit binary word "000." As another example, when switch levers 250, 254 are actuated (e.g., moved in the direction of the dashed arrows in FIG. 2 ) and switch lever 252 is not actuated, contact switch sensor 106 can output the 3-bit binary word “101.” Thus, in the example implementation of FIG. 2 , contact switch sensor 106 can output one of eight unique 3-bit binary words (e.g., “000,” “001,” “010,” “011,” “100,” “101,” “110,” or “111”) at a given time based on the state (e.g., actuated / unactuated) of switch levers 250, 252, 254. In some example implementations, contact switch sensor 106 can provide the 3-bit binary word to a processing circuit (e.g., processing circuit 762 described with reference to FIG. 7 ) via a set of wires (not shown for ease of illustration).

[0017] In some aspects of the present disclosure, when the contact switch sensor 106 passes by a position indicator device, the position indicator device (e.g., the fifth position indicator device 118 shown in FIG. 2 ) can communicate position information to the contact switch sensor 106 by applying a unique combination of actuation and de-actuation to a switch lever of the contact switch sensor 106. The contact switch sensor 106 can generate (e.g., output) a unique n-bit binary word (e.g., a 3-bit binary word in the implementation of FIG. 2 ) based on the combination of actuation and de-actuation. For example, the unique n-bit binary word can correspond to one of the zones on the pathway 102.

[0018] In some implementations, each position indicator device may include a unique combination of actuation areas and cavity areas configured to communicate the n-bit binary word described above to the contact switch sensor 106. For example, with reference to FIG. 2 , the fifth position indicator device 118 may include actuation areas 256, 260 and cavity area 258. Note that actuation area 256 is generally aligned with switch lever 250, cavity area 258 is generally aligned with switch lever 252, and actuation area 260 is generally aligned with switch lever 254. As shown in FIG. 2 , as the ride vehicle 104 moves (e.g., in direction 201) past the stationary fifth position indicator device 118, actuation areas 256, 260 may contact and actuate switch levers 250, 254 (e.g., in the direction of the dashed arrows in FIG. 2 ), while cavity area 258 may not contact switch lever 252, resulting in de-actuation of switch lever 252. As explained above, this combination of actuation and de-actuation may enable the contact switch sensor 106 to output the 3-bit binary word "101."

[0019] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the ride vehicle 104 may store a table containing a list of unique n-bit binary words that may be received from the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120 within the ride system 100. The table may indicate a zone on the route 102 (e.g., zone 1, zone 2, ..., or zone 7) that corresponds to each unique n-bit binary word. Thus, upon receiving an n-bit binary word from a position indicator device, the ride vehicle 104 can identify the received n-bit binary word in the table and immediately determine which zone on the route 102 it has entered. The table may also indicate a vehicle configuration that corresponds to each unique n-bit binary word. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the ride vehicle configuration can customize the operation of the ride vehicle 104 for each zone on the route 102 (e.g., zone 1, zone 2, ..., or zone 7). An example of the table described above is shown below in Table 1.

[0020] Table 1 TIFF0007761589000001.tif62143

[0021] FIG. 3 is a side view of the contact switch sensor 106 and position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The contact switch sensors 106 and position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 shown in FIG. 3 may collectively be referred to as a tracking system. The side view of the contact switch sensor 106 and position indicator devices shown in FIG. 3 may be similar to the view of the contact switch sensor 106 shown in FIG. 2 as viewed in the direction of arrow 203. As shown in configurations 332, 334, 336, 338, 340, 342, and 344 in FIG. 3 , the contact switch sensor 106 can receive unique position information from the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 via switch levers 250, 252, and 254. 3 can be configured to communicate corresponding 3-bit binary words "001," "010," "011," "100," "101," "110," and "111" to the contact switch sensor 106. Referring to position indicator device 110 of configuration 332, for example, cavity regions 346, 348 and actuation region 350 of position indicator device 110 can communicate the 3-bit binary word "001" to the contact switch sensor 106 as the contact switch sensor 106 passes by the position indicator device 110. As another example, with reference to position indicator device 112 in configuration 334, cavity regions 352, 356 and actuation region 354 of position indicator device 112 may communicate the three-bit binary word "010" to contact switch sensor 106 as contact switch sensor 106 passes by position indicator device 112. In the exemplary implementation of FIG. 3, the three-bit binary words "001," "010," "011," "100," "101," "110," and "111" may correspond to zones 1-7 of pathway 102 in FIG. 1, respectively.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating another exemplary implementation of a tracking system 400 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the tracking system 400 includes a contact switch sensor 106 and a position indicator device (e.g., fifth position indicator device 118). As shown in FIG. 4, the contact switch sensor 106 can include a set of contact switches 462, 464, 466, each of which can be opened or closed by actuating its push button 463, 465, 467 with a corresponding switch lever 450, 452, 454. In some aspects of the present disclosure, each of the contact switches 462, 464, 466 can output a first binary value (e.g., a logical "1") when closed and a second binary value (e.g., a logical "0") when open. In some examples, each of the switch levers 450, 452, 454 can be operated to close its corresponding contact switch 462, 464, 466 by applying an appropriate amount of force to the switch lever 450, 452, 454. For example, the appropriate amount of force applied to the switch lever 450 can be the amount of force necessary to actuate (e.g., depress) the corresponding push button 463, effectively closing the contact switch 462. The switch lever 450 can automatically return to its initial position and open its corresponding contact switch 462 when force is no longer applied to the switch lever 450.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a top view of the contact switch sensor 106 shown in FIG. 4 during actuation of the switch lever 450. In configuration 510, the contact switch sensor 106 may be moving in direction 401 while the fifth position indicator device 118 is stationary as described above with reference to FIG. 4. Note that in configuration 510, the push button 463 of the contact switch 462 has not yet been actuated (e.g., depressed), and therefore, the contact switch 462 remains open. In configuration 520, as the contact switch sensor 106 continues to move in direction 401, the switch lever 450 contacts the fifth position indicator device 118 and moves toward the contact switch 462. As shown in configuration 520, the switch lever 450 actuates the push button 463, closing the contact switch 462. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, push button 463 and / or switch lever 450 can be configured with one or more springs (or other suitable mechanisms) to return to their original position (e.g., configuration 510) after contact switch sensor 106 has been completely passed by fifth position indicator device 118. In these embodiments, push button 463 and switch lever 450 can be prepared to receive position information from a subsequent position indicator device (sixth position indicator device 120).

[0024] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the binary outputs (e.g., a logical "1" or a logical "0") from contact switches 462, 464, 466 in contact switch sensor 106 can be grouped together to generate a 3-bit binary word similar to the implementations previously described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. For example, the binary output from contact switch 462 can be the most significant bit of the 3-bit binary word, the binary output from contact switch 464 can be the middle bit of the 3-bit binary word, and the binary output from contact switch 464 can be the least significant bit of the 3-bit binary word. For example, with reference to FIG. 4, when none of switch levers 450, 452, 454 are actuated, contact switch sensor 106 can output the 3-bit binary word "000." As another example, if switch levers 450, 454 are actuated (e.g., moved in the direction of the dashed arrows in FIG. 4 due to contact with respective actuation areas 456, 460) and switch lever 452 is not actuated (e.g., due to cavity area 458), contact switch sensor 106 may output the 3-bit binary word "101." Thus, in the example implementation of FIG. 4, contact switch sensor 106 may output one of eight unique 3-bit binary words (e.g., "000," "001," "010," "011," "100," "101," "110," or "111") at a given time based on the state (e.g., actuated / unactuated) of switch levers 450, 452, 454.

[0025] In some aspects of the present disclosure, and as described in detail with reference to FIG. 6 , the contact switch sensor 106 can be configured to receive position information from the position indicator device of FIG. 1 without physical contact with the position indicator device. FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of the contact switch sensor 106 and the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The contact switch sensor 106 and the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 illustrated in FIG. 6 can collectively be referred to as a tracking system. For example, the contact switch sensor 106 can include a magnetically controlled contact switch (e.g., magnetically controlled contact switches 650, 652, and 654) that can be controlled (e.g., opened and closed) via a magnetic trigger element. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the magnetically controlled contact switches (also referred to as magnetically controlled contact switch devices) described herein can be reed switches or other suitable types of magnetically controlled switches. Thus, in some aspects of the present disclosure, each of the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 (e.g., as shown in respective configurations 632, 634, 636, 638, 640, 642, 644 in FIG. 6 ) can apply a unique combination of magnetic triggering and non-triggering to the magnetically controlled contact switches of the contact switch sensor 106 to communicate position information to the contact switch sensor 106. The contact switch sensor 106 can generate (e.g., output) a unique n-bit binary word (e.g., a 3-bit binary word in the implementation of FIG. 6 ) based on the combination of magnetic triggering and non-triggering. For example, the unique n-bit binary word can correspond to one of the zones on the pathway 102.

[0026] In some aspects of the present disclosure, each of the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 may include one or more magnetic trigger elements, such as a magnet or any magnetic material, that can trigger a corresponding magnetically controlled contact switch 650, 652, 654 (e.g., change the state of the magnetically controlled contact switch 650, 652, 654 from ON to OFF or from OFF to ON, depending on the implementation). In some aspects of the present disclosure, each of the magnetically controlled contact switches 650, 652, 654 may output a first binary value (e.g., a logical "1") when triggered or a second binary value (e.g., a logical "0") when untriggered. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the binary value outputs (e.g., logic "1" or logic "0") from the magnetically controlled contact switches 650, 652, 654 of the contact switch sensor 106 can be grouped together to generate a 3-bit binary value word similar to the implementation previously described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0027] In one example implementation, the magnetically controlled contact switches 650, 652, 654 can output a logic "1" when triggered or a logic "0" when untriggered. In this embodiment, the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 of Figure 6 can be configured to communicate corresponding 3-bit binary words "001", "010", "011", "100", "101", "110", or "111" when the contact switch sensor 106 is located in proximity to the position indicator device (e.g., at a distance of 10 centimeters (cm) or less). For example, with reference to the first position indicator device 110 of configuration 632, the first position indicator device 110 can trigger the magnetically controlled contact switch 654 (e.g., via the magnetic trigger element 646) to not trigger the magnetically controlled contact switches 650, 652 to communicate the 3-bit binary word "001" to the contact switch sensor 106 when the contact switch sensor 106 passes by the first position indicator device 110. As another example, with reference to the second position indicator device 112 of configuration 634, the magnetic trigger element 648 can trigger the magnetically controlled contact switch 652 to communicate the 3-bit binary word "010" to the contact switch sensor 106 when the contact switch sensor 106 passes by the second position indicator device 112. In the exemplary implementation of FIG. 6, the 3-bit binary words “001”, “010”, “011”, “100”, “101”, “110”, and “111” may correspond to zones 1 through 7 of path 102 in FIG. 1, respectively.

[0028] 7 illustrates a block diagram of a ride vehicle 104 and a tracking system 700 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In some aspects of the present disclosure, and as illustrated in FIG. 7, the ride vehicle 104 may include a processing circuit 762, a first on-board device 764, a second on-board device 766, an Nth on-board device 768, a user interface 770, a memory device 771, and a contact switch sensor 106. In some examples, the processing circuit 762 may be a subsystem controller (SSC). The on-board devices 764, 766, 768 may be devices installed in or on the ride vehicle 104.

[0029] In some aspects of the present disclosure, one or more of the on-board devices 764, 766, 768 may function to entertain and / or enhance the user experience while aboard the ride vehicle 104. For example, the first on-board device 764 may include a digital monitor capable of displaying menus, controls, video, still images, and / or interactive games, the second on-board device 766 may include an audio device such as a sound speaker, and the Nth on-board device 768 may include one or more lighting devices configured to illuminate the interior and / or exterior of the ride vehicle 104. The user interface 770 may include a touchscreen, touchpad, keyboard, joystick, tactile buttons, knobs, levers, and / or any other suitable interface device(s). In some aspects of the present disclosure, the processing circuitry 762 may control and / or operate the on-board devices 764, 766, 768, the user interface 770, the memory device 771, and / or the contact switch sensor 106 based on software stored in a memory (e.g., the memory device 771).

[0030] 7 , the tracking system 700 can include a contact switch sensor 106 and a position indicator device 701. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the contact switch sensor 106 can receive position information 778 from the position indicator device 701. In some examples, the position indicator device 701 can be any one of the position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, and 122 described above. Accordingly, the position information 778 can be communicated to the contact switch sensor 106 via one or more of the mechanisms described herein, such as by actuating a switch lever via physical contact or by triggering a magnetically controlled contact switch. The contact switch sensor 106 can provide the position information 778 to the processing circuit 762 in the form of a unique n-bit binary word 772. The value of n can correspond to the number of switches implemented in the sensor 106. For example, if the sensor 106 is implemented according to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 2, the sensor 106 may provide a unique 3-bit binary word to the processing circuit 762 .

[0031] The processing circuit 762 can be configured to receive the n-bit binary word 772 and search a table (e.g., Table 1) in the memory device 771 that contains a list of n-bit binary words that may be received from a location indicator device in the ride system 100. Upon finding a match of the n-bit binary word 772 in the table, the processing circuit 762 can determine the location of the ride vehicle 104 on the route 102 by obtaining (e.g., from the table) the location (e.g., zone) associated with the matched n-bit binary word 772. For example, with reference to Table 1, if the n-bit binary word 772 is "110," the processing circuit 762 can find the binary word "110" in Table 1 and determine that the ride vehicle 104 is in Zone 6 on the route 102.

[0032] The processing circuitry 762 can be configured to customize the operation of the on-board devices 764, 766, 768 based on the position of the ride vehicle 104 on the route 102, as described above with reference to Figure 1. For example, when the ride vehicle 104 is in a first portion 130 of the route 102 (e.g., Zone 1), the processing circuitry 762 can operate the on-board devices 764, 766, 768 and the user interface 770 according to a first configuration (e.g., vehicle configuration "A" in Table 1). When the ride vehicle 104 is in a second portion 132 of the route 102 (e.g., Zone 2), the processing circuitry 762 can operate the on-board devices 764, 766, 768 and the user interface 770 according to a second configuration (e.g., vehicle configuration "B" in Table 1). For example, a first configuration may allow the processing circuit 762 to enable all of the on-board devices 764, 766, 768, while a second configuration may require the processing circuit 762 to disable one or more of the on-board devices 764, 766, 768. In another example, the first and second configurations may enable the processing circuit 762 to interpret any user input 776 differently based on the location of the ride vehicle 104. In one example scenario, if the user interface 770 includes a tactile button, activation of the tactile button by the user when the ride vehicle 104 is in the first portion 130 of the route 102 (e.g., Zone 1) may cause the processing circuit 762 to play an audible sound effect within the ride vehicle 104 (e.g., via a sound speaker within the second on-board device 766). However, activation of the same tactile button when the ride vehicle 104 is in the second portion 132 of the route 102 (e.g., Zone 2) may cause the processing circuit 762 to disable the audible sound effects and illuminate the interior and / or exterior of the ride vehicle 104 (e.g., via a light source in the Nth onboard device 768).

[0033] 8 is a block diagram of a ride vehicle, a tracking system, and an off-board vehicle system according to various aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 8, the ride vehicle 104 may include a processing circuit 762, a first on-board device 764, a second on-board device 766, an Nth on-board device 768, a user interface 770, a memory device 771, and a contact switch sensor 106 previously described with reference to FIG. 7. The ride vehicle 104 may further include a ride vehicle indicator device 129 configured to communicate ride vehicle information 896 to an off-board vehicle system 802. In some aspects of the present disclosure, and as shown in FIG. 8, the off-board vehicle system 802 may include a processing circuit 882, a first off-board device 884, a second off-board device 886, an Mth off-board device 888, a memory device 880, and a contact switch sensor 890.

[0034] 8, tracking system 800 may include contact switch sensor 106 of ride vehicle 104, ride vehicle indicator device 129, and position indicator device 701. For example, ride vehicle indicator device 129 may be implemented similarly to any of position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 described herein. In some aspects of the present disclosure, contact switch sensor 890 shown in FIG. 8 may be any one of contact switch sensors 124, 126, 128 on path 102 shown in FIG. 1. For example, contact switch sensor 890 of off-board ride system 802 may be implemented similarly to contact switch sensor 106 of ride vehicle 104. Thus, when a ride vehicle 104 passes by a contact switch sensor 890, the ride vehicle indicator device 129 may communicate ride vehicle information 896 in the form of a k-bit binary word to the contact switch sensor 890 via one or more of the mechanisms described herein, such as by actuating a switch lever of the contact switch sensor 890 via physical contact or by triggering a magnetically controlled contact switch of the contact switch sensor 890. The value of k may correspond to the number of switches implemented in the contact switch sensor 890.

[0035] In some examples, the k-bit binary word may be assigned exclusively to the ride vehicle 104, thereby enabling the off-board ride system 802 to specifically identify the ride vehicle 104 at various locations (e.g., zones) on the route 102. In these examples, different ride vehicles may be assigned different k-bit binary words. In other examples, the same k-bit binary word may be assigned to ride vehicles of the same type or group. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the ride vehicle indicator device 129 may be located below the ride vehicle 104. This allows the ride vehicle indicator device 129 to communicate ride vehicle information to the contact switch sensor 890 located on the route 102 when the ride vehicle 104 passes over the contact switch sensor 890.

[0036] Processing circuitry 882 may be configured to receive k-bit binary word 893 and match k-bit binary word 893 against a table containing a list of unique k-bit binary words that may be received from a set of ride vehicles in ride system 100. For example, the table may be stored in memory device 880. Thus, processing circuitry 882 may use k-bit binary word 893 and the table stored in memory device 880 to readily identify a particular ride vehicle at a location (e.g., zone) on route 102. An example of a table that may be stored in memory device 880 is shown in Table 2. In Table 2, each k-bit binary word is associated with a ride vehicle identifier (ID) and the zone configuration that applies to that ride vehicle identifier.

[0037] Table 2 TIFF0007761589000002.tif62143

[0038] Off-board devices 884, 886, 888 may be devices installed on ride system 100 but not on ride vehicle 104. In some aspects of the present disclosure, one or more of off-board devices 884, 886, 888 may be located in the same zone of route 102 and may serve to entertain and / or enhance the user experience while riding on ride vehicle 104. In other aspects of the present disclosure, one or more of off-board devices 884, 886, 888 may be located in different zones. For example, first off-board device 884 may include a media projection device capable of displaying moving images, still images, and / or interactive games, second off-board device 886 may include an audio device such as a sound speaker, and Mth off-board device 888 may include one or more animatronic devices. In some aspects of the present disclosure, processing circuitry 882 may control and / or operate off-board devices 884, 886, 888, memory device 880, and / or contact switch sensor 890 based on software stored in memory (e.g., memory device 880).

[0039] In one example implementation, the off-board devices 884, 886, 888 may be installed in zone 2 (e.g., second portion 132) of the route 102. The processing circuitry 882 may be configured to customize the operation of the off-board devices 884, 886, 888 based on a particular vehicle (e.g., ride vehicle 104) present in zone 2 of the off-board devices 884, 886, 888. For example, when the ride vehicle 104 is in zone 2, the processing circuitry 882 may operate the off-board devices 884, 886, 888 according to a first off-board configuration. When a different ride vehicle is in zone 2 of the route 102, the processing circuitry 882 may identify the different ride vehicle based on ride vehicle information received from the different ride vehicle (e.g., via contact switch sensor 890) and operate the off-board devices 884, 886, 888 according to a second off-board configuration.

[0040] For example, the processing circuitry 882 may utilize the zone configuration column of Table 2 to determine an appropriate off-board configuration (also referred to as a zone configuration) to apply for each vehicle ID. For example, a first off-board configuration (e.g., zone configuration “Q” in Table 2) may cause the processing circuitry 882 to display a first image (e.g., via a media projection device of the first off-board device 884) of a first vehicle vehicle (e.g., vehicle vehicle ID 1 (Table 2)) in zone 2, while a second configuration (e.g., zone configuration “R” in Table 2) may cause the processing circuitry 882 to display a second image (e.g., via a media projection device of the first off-board device 884) of a second vehicle vehicle (e.g., vehicle vehicle ID 2 in Table 2) in zone 2.

[0041] In some aspects of the present disclosure, ride vehicle indicator device 129 may be altered based on a command from processing circuitry 762. For example, ride vehicle indicator device 129 may be implemented with one or more actuators configured to alter a physical characteristic of ride vehicle indicator device 129. In this example, processing circuitry 762 may send a command to alter a physical characteristic of ride vehicle indicator device 129 via data path 894 such that ride vehicle indicator device 129 communicates a different k-bit binary word to contact switch sensor 890. This allows processing circuitry 762 to effectively alter the identity of ride vehicle 104 (e.g., ride vehicle ID in Table 2) during operation of ride system 100 depending on characteristics associated with ride vehicle 104 (e.g., story, theme, fictional character, etc.).

[0042] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the ride indicator device (e.g., ride vehicle indicator device 129) and the on-board contact switch sensor (e.g., contact switch sensor 890) may be integrated into a first sensor and indicator device, and the position indicator device (e.g., position indicator device 701) and the off-board contact switch sensor (e.g., contact switch sensor 890) can be integrated into a second sensor and indicator device. The first sensor and indicator device can be installed on the ride vehicle 104. In these aspects, when the ride vehicle 104 passes the second sensor and indicator device, the first sensor and indicator device can communicate specific ride vehicle information to the second sensor and indicator device and simultaneously receive position information from the second sensor and indicator device. In some examples, the first and second sensor and indicator devices can be implemented using switch levers configured to actuate one another.

[0043] FIG. 9 is a side view of a ride vehicle 104 on a path 102 of a ride system 100 in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 9, the ride vehicle 104 can move in a forward direction 950 along the path 102 while carrying at least one passenger 952 (also referred to as a user). As further shown in FIG. 9, the ride vehicle 104 can include a contact switch sensor 106 located on an side of the ride vehicle 104 (e.g., to the right of the passenger 952). The location of the contact switch sensor 106 on the ride vehicle 104 can be aligned with position indicator devices (e.g., position indicator devices 110, 112) within the ride system 100. As shown in FIG. 9, the position indicator devices (e.g., position indicator devices 110, 112) can be attached to posts 954, 956. In other aspects of the present disclosure, the position indicator devices (e.g., position indicator devices 110, 112) may be mounted to a wall (e.g., using brackets, adhesives, etc.), suspended from an overhead support (e.g., truss, ceiling beam, etc.), and / or otherwise secured in a suitable location that enables communication of position information to the contact switch sensor 106.

[0044] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the ride vehicle 104 may include one or more on-board devices 958, 964, 966. In one exemplary implementation, the on-board devices 958, 964, 966 of FIG. 9 may be the first, second, and Nth on-board devices 764, 766, 768, respectively, described above with reference to FIG. 7. For example, the on-board device 958 may be a digital monitor including a display screen 960 capable of displaying menus, controls, video, still images, and / or interactive games, the on-board device 964 may be an audio device such as a sound speaker, and the on-board device 966 may be a lighting fixture configured to illuminate the interior and / or exterior of the ride vehicle 104. The ride vehicle 104 may include a user interface 962. In one exemplary implementation, the user interface 962 may be the user interface 770 described above with reference to FIG. 7.

[0045] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the contact switch sensors 106, 890 and position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 701 described herein can be constructed from robust materials, such as plastic, ceramic, or metal, to ensure a long life. Accordingly, the contact switch sensors 106, 890 and position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 701 described herein can be highly weather-resistant, allowing for outdoor use in harsh weather conditions. Furthermore, the contact switch sensors 106, 890 and position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 701 described herein can operate under any lighting conditions.

[0046] In some implementations, at least a portion of the path 102 of the ride system 100 may include a body of water (e.g., in scenarios where the ride vehicle 104 is implemented as a boat or log for transporting passengers). In these implementations, the contact switch sensors and position indicator devices described herein can be submerged in the body of water while retaining their full functionality. In some aspects of the present disclosure, when the body of water is moving at a flow rate and the contact switch sensor (e.g., contact switch sensor 106) is implemented with a switch lever (e.g., switch levers 250, 252, 254 shown in FIG. 2), the switch lever can be configured to withstand the flow rate to prevent inadvertent or false activation.

[0047] Because the ride vehicle 104 may determine its position (e.g., zone) along the route 102 by physically passing each of the position indicator devices, the ride vehicle 104 may not need to maintain a master clock for tracking purposes as it travels along the route 102. As a result, even if the ride vehicle 104 experiences delays on the route 102, location information from the position indicator devices (e.g., position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122) can be provided to the ride vehicle 104 on time and regardless of the speed of the ride vehicle 104. Furthermore, because the contact switch sensors (e.g., contact switch sensors 106, 890) can be configured to receive position information from position indicator devices (e.g., position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122) via physical contact (e.g., actuation of a switch lever) or magnetic triggering, the described embodiments can effectively reduce the complexity of a ride system (e.g., ride system 100). Thus, the ride system 100 described herein can not only avoid the need for expensive network and / or wireless communications to enable tracking in the ride vehicle 104, but also reduce the processing workload and operational complexity of the ride vehicle.

[0048] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process 1000 for tracking a vehicle according to one aspect of the present disclosure. As described below, some or all of the illustrated features may be omitted in certain implementations within the scope of the present disclosure, and some illustrated features may not be necessary for the implementation of all embodiments. In some examples, process 1000 may be implemented by the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 7-9. In some examples, process 1000 may be implemented by any suitable device or means for implementing the functions or algorithms described below. In FIG. 10, optional blocks are indicated by dashed lines.

[0049] In block 1002, a ride vehicle (e.g., ride vehicle 104) receives position information (e.g., position information 778) at a contact switch sensor (e.g., contact switch sensor 106) from at least one position indicator device of a plurality of position indicator devices (e.g., position indicator devices 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 701) located on or near a path (e.g., path 102) of the ride vehicle. The contact switch sensor includes a plurality of contact closure switches (e.g., contact switches 462, 464, 466) configured to receive the position information when the ride vehicle passes by at least one position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices. In some examples, the plurality of position indicator devices correspond to different zones of the ride vehicle's path (e.g., zones 1-7 in FIG. 1 ), and the contact switch sensor is configured to output an n-bit binary word (e.g., via a plurality of contact closure switches) based on the position information. The n-bit binary word corresponds to one of the different zones. As described in detail herein, position information can be communicated to the contact switch sensor from a position indicator device having a unique combination of actuation and de-actuation applied to the contact switch sensor with physical contact, or a unique combination of magnetic triggering and de-triggering applied to the contact switch sensor without physical contact.

[0050] In some aspects, the contact switch sensor further includes a plurality of switch levers (e.g., switch levers 250, 252, 254, 450, 452, 454) configured to physically contact at least some of the plurality of position indicator devices. Each switch lever of the plurality of switch levers is configured to open or close a corresponding contact closure switch of the plurality of contact closure switches. In some examples, the plurality of contact closure switches are magnetically controlled contact switches (e.g., magnetically controlled contact switches 650, 652, 654). In these examples, each position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices includes one or more magnetic trigger elements (e.g., magnetic trigger elements 646, 648).

[0051] In block 1004, the ride vehicle determines a location of the ride vehicle on the route (e.g., one of Zones 1-7 in FIG. 1 ) based on the location information. In some examples, the location information may be represented as an n-bit binary word, and the ride vehicle can use a table (e.g., a table) to determine a location (e.g., a zone) corresponding to the n-bit binary word.

[0052] In block 1006, the ride vehicle optionally operates one or more on-board devices of the ride vehicle (e.g., on-board devices 764, 766, 768) based on the position of the ride vehicle on the route. For example, when the ride vehicle 104 is in a first portion 130 of the route 102 (e.g., Zone 1), the ride vehicle may operate the on-board devices 764, 766, 768 according to a first configuration (e.g., vehicle configuration "A" in Table 1). When the ride vehicle 104 is in a second portion 132 of the route 102 (e.g., Zone 2), the ride vehicle may operate the on-board devices 764, 766, 768 according to a second configuration (e.g., ride vehicle configuration "B" in Table 1).

[0053] Within this disclosure, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation or aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects of the disclosure. Likewise, the term "aspect" does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation. The term "coupled" is used herein to refer to a direct or indirect coupling between two objects. For example, if object A physically touches object B, and object B touches object C, objects A and C can be considered coupled to each other even though they are not in direct physical contact with each other. For example, a first object can be coupled to a second object even though the first object is not in direct physical contact with the second object.

[0054] One or more of the components, steps, features, and / or functions illustrated in Figures 1-10 may be rearranged and / or combined into a single component, step, feature, or function, or may be embodied in multiple components, steps, or functions. Additional elements, components, steps, and / or functions may also be added without departing from the novel features disclosed herein. The devices, devices, and / or components illustrated in Figures 1-10 may be configured to perform one or more of the methods, features, or steps described herein. Additionally, the novel algorithms described herein may be efficiently implemented in software and / or embedded in hardware.

[0055] It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods is an illustration of an example process. Based on design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods can be rearranged. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not intended to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless specifically stated herein.

[0056] The above description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Accordingly, the claims are not intended to be limited to the embodiments set forth herein but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims. Reference to a singular element shall mean "one or more," and not "one and only one," unless specifically stated otherwise. Unless otherwise specified, the term "some" means one or more. References to "at least one" of a list of items refer to any combination of those items, including single elements. By way of example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to encompass a; b; c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b, and c. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later become known to those skilled in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be made available to the general public, regardless of whether such disclosure is expressly recited in the claims. No claim element shall be construed under 35 U.S.C. §112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for," or, in the case of a method claim, the phrase "step for." [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 104 Vehicles 106 Contact switch sensor 118 Position indicator device 200 Tracking System 250 switch lever 252 Switch Lever 254 Switch Lever 256 operating range 258 Cavity Region 260 Operating Range

Claims

1. 1. A tracking system for a vehicle, comprising: a contact switch sensor located on the ride vehicle, the contact switch sensor including a plurality of contact closure switches; a plurality of position indicator devices located on or near a path of the ride vehicle, each position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices configured to communicate position information to the contact switch sensor via the plurality of contact closure switches when the ride vehicle passes by each position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices; a ride vehicle indicator device located on the ride vehicle and configured to communicate ride vehicle information to a contact switch sensor of an off-board ride system when the ride vehicle passes by the contact switch sensor of the off-board ride system; A tracking system comprising:

2. The contact switch sensor further includes a plurality of switch levers configured to physically contact at least some of the position indicator devices of the plurality of position indicator devices, each switch lever of the plurality of switch levers configured to open or close a corresponding contact closure switch of the plurality of contact closure switches. The tracking system of claim 1 .

3. 10. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact closure switches are magnetically controlled contact switches and each position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices includes one or more magnetic trigger elements.

4. The tracking system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of position indicator devices correspond to different zones of the route of the ride vehicle.

5. The location information is A unique combination of activation and deactivation applied through physical contact, or said unique combination of magnetic triggering and non-triggering without physical contact; 5. The tracking system of claim 4, wherein the signal is communicated to the contact switch sensor via

6. 6. The tracking system of claim 5, wherein the contact switch sensor is configured to output a unique n-bit binary word based on the unique combination of activation and deactivation or the unique combination of magnetic trigger and de-trigger, the unique n-bit binary word corresponding to one of the different zones.

7. 2. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the off-board vehicle system contact switch sensor is located on or near the path of the vehicle, and the vehicle information is a k-bit binary word corresponding to the vehicle.

8. A vehicle, a contact switch sensor including a plurality of contact closure switches and configured to receive position information from a plurality of position indicator devices via the plurality of contact closure switches; processing circuitry configured to determine a position of the ride vehicle on a route based on the position information; a ride vehicle indicator device located on the ride vehicle and configured to communicate ride vehicle information to a contact switch sensor of an off-board ride system when the ride vehicle passes by the contact switch sensor of the off-board ride system; A vehicle equipped with:

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the contact switch sensor includes a plurality of switch levers configured to physically contact at least some of the position indicator devices of the plurality of position indicator devices, and each switch lever of the plurality of switch levers is configured to open or close a corresponding contact closure switch of the plurality of contact closure switches.

10. 10. The ride vehicle of claim 8, wherein said plurality of contact closure switches are magnetically controlled switches and each position indicator device of said plurality of position indicator devices includes one or more magnetic trigger elements.

11. 9. The ride vehicle of claim 8, wherein the plurality of position indicator devices correspond to different zones of a route of the ride vehicle, and the contact switch sensor is configured to output an n-bit binary word based on the position information, the n-bit binary word corresponding to one of the different zones.

12. The ride vehicle of claim 11 , wherein said n-bit binary word comprises binary outputs from said plurality of contact closure switches.

13. 9. The ride vehicle of claim 8, wherein the contact switch sensor of the off-board ride system is located on or near the path of the ride vehicle, and the ride vehicle information is a k-bit binary word corresponding to the ride vehicle.

14. 1. A method for tracking a vehicle, comprising: receiving position information with a contact switch sensor from at least one position indicator device of a plurality of position indicator devices located on or near a path of the ride vehicle, the contact switch sensor including a plurality of contact closure switches configured to receive the position information when the ride vehicle passes by at least one position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices; determining a position of the ride vehicle on the route based on the position information; receiving ride vehicle information at a contact switch sensor of the off-board ride system from a ride vehicle indicator device located on the ride vehicle as the ride vehicle passes by the contact switch sensor of the off-board ride system; A method comprising:

15. The method described in claim 14, wherein the contact switch sensor further includes a plurality of switch levers configured to physically contact at least some of the position indicator devices of the plurality of position indicator devices, and each switch lever of the plurality of switch levers is configured to open or close a corresponding contact closure switch of the plurality of contact closure switches.

16. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of contact closure switches are magnetically controlled contact switches and each position indicator device of the plurality of position indicator devices includes one or more magnetic trigger elements.

17. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of position indicator devices correspond to different zones of the route of the ride vehicle, and the contact switch sensor is configured to output an n-bit binary word based on the position information, the n-bit binary word corresponding to one of the different zones.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising operating one or more on-board devices of the ride vehicle based on the location of the ride vehicle on the route.

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