Ride Vehicle PED Holder With Locking and In-Ride Charging

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing amusement park ride systems do not effectively secure personal electronic devices (PEDs) during rides, leading to potential loss and fail to provide charging and enhanced experience features to passengers.

Innovation Solution

A PED holding system that includes a lock to secure PEDs to the ride vehicle, a charging system to charge the devices during the ride, and features to enable software application functionality, such as camera access and control of show effects, by transitioning from an unlocked to a locked configuration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a lock is introduced to secure PEDs to the ride vehicle, then device security is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice securityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lock mechanism is merged with the PED holding system, integrating security functionality into the existing ride vehicle infrastructure. The lock works in conjunction with the container and charging system, combining multiple functions (holding, securing, charging) into a unified system that reduces overall complexity despite adding security features.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a charging system is added to charge PEDs during the ride, then passenger experience is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger experienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The container serves multiple functions: it holds the PED during the ride, provides security through the lock mechanism, and enables charging through the integrated charging system. This multi-functionality approach adds passenger experience benefits while avoiding the need for separate independent systems for each function, thereby managing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If software application features are enabled based on lock status, then passenger experience is improved, but control difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeature accessibilityVSAvoidcontrol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from the lock status (locked/unlocked state) to automatically enable or disable specific software application features. This feedback mechanism simplifies control by using the existing lock state information to trigger feature availability, avoiding complex manual control systems while still providing adaptive feature access based on security conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4058164B1Systems and methods to hold and charge a personal electronic device on a ride vehicle
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC
  • EP4058164B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4058164B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4058164B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Present systems and methods are directed to a ride system (10) that includes a personal electronic device (PED) holding system (24) for a ride vehicle (12). The PED holding system (24) includes a lock (60) that is configured to move from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration to lock a PED (40) of a passenger of the ride vehicle (12) to the ride vehicle (12) during a ride cycle. The PED holding system (24) also includes a charging system (42, 44) that is configured to charge an energy storage component of the PED (40) during the ride cycle.