On-Board Ride Vehicle Cache for Real-Time Player State

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current amusement park ride systems lack enhanced passenger control and efficient game data updating, leading to a less interactive and delayed experience for riders.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an on-board ride and game control sub-system on each ride vehicle to locally cache player state data during ride cycles and synchronize it with global data maintained by an off-board system, enabling real-time game achievements and enhanced interactive experiences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If player state data is stored centrally on the off-board control system, then system complexity is reduced, but data access speed and real-time responsiveness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata access speedVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the centralized player state data storage into two segments: local cache storage on the ride vehicle and central database storage on the off-board system. The on-board system maintains a local cache of player state data that can be accessed quickly during ride operations, while the off-board system maintains the authoritative central database. This segmentation enables fast local data access while preserving the benefits of centralized data management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-loading player state data into the local cache on the ride vehicle before the ride cycle begins. This allows the on-board system to access player state data immediately without needing to query the central system during the ride, thereby improving data access speed and real-time responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If game data is updated in real-time during ride cycles, then player experience and interactivity are improved, but data synchronization complexity and potential conflicts increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegame data update efficiencyVSAvoidsynchronization complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the on-board system continuously monitors changes to player state data during ride cycles and automatically triggers synchronization with the off-board central system after the ride completes. This feedback loop ensures data consistency without requiring complex real-time synchronization protocols, as updates are propagated systematically after each ride cycle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of continuous real-time synchronization, the system uses periodic action by synchronizing player state data at discrete intervals - specifically, after each ride cycle completes. This approach reduces synchronization complexity and potential conflicts while still maintaining up-to-date game data, as synchronization occurs at predetermined moments rather than continuously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Adaptability or versatility

If local caching of player state data is implemented on ride vehicles, then real-time game achievements and interactivity are enabled, but memory requirements and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteractive capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by implementing caching selectively - only player state data that is frequently accessed during ride operations is cached locally on the ride vehicle. This selective local caching provides the necessary interactivity and real-time game achievement capabilities while minimizing the amount of data stored locally, thereby reducing memory requirements and associated power consumption compared to caching all possible data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20230321552A1Systems and methods for storing player state caches locally on ride vehicles

Publication Date: 2023.10.12 UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods presented herein include ride vehicles configured to locally store player state caches. For example, ride vehicles may include an on-board ride and game control sub-system configured to control local features of a ride and game control system associated with an amusement park ride system (e.g., that occur locally on the ride vehicles), to locally cache player state data for riders of the ride vehicles during ride cycles of the ride vehicles, and to synchronize the locally-cached player state data with global player state data maintained by an off-board ride and game control sub-system after the ride cycles of the ride vehicles.