SENSING AND MANAGING VEHICLE BEHAVIOR BASED ON OCCUPANT AWARENESS

Number: 20170021282
Published: 2017-01-26
Filed: 2015-07-21
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: COMPLOI; Dumene
CPC: A63G25/00; A63G31/00; B60W40/08
Verdict: Medium Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Ride-vehicle sensor hardware that senses and manages vehicle behavior based on occupant awareness.

Abstract

A method for controlling a ride experience through a ride space of an amusement park ride. The method includes, with a sensor mounted on an automated trackless vehicle being controlled to travel along a first ride path, sensing passenger data for a passenger. The method involves processing the passenger data to determine a passenger state at a particular point intime during the ride experience. The method includes determining a location of the automated trackless vehicle on the first ride path. The method involves, based on the passenger state and the location of the automated trackless vehicle on the first ride path, determining a second ride path for the automated trackless vehicle to move through the ride space.The method includes controlling the automated trackless vehicle to move off the first ride path and along the second ride path, e.g., to alter the passenger's state to enhance theride experience.

Background

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic or functional block drawing of a ride or ride system operating to manage progression of a vehicle through a ride or travel space and/or show element operations based on a determined “state” of a passenger of the vehicle;

FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of a method of (or algorithm for) managing a passenger's ride experience based on emotional states of the vehicle's passenger(s) such as by operation of the ride system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a portion of a ride system illustrating its operations to modify movement of the vehicle (changing the ride system operations) in response to passenger state;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a portion of a ride system, similar to FIGS. 3A and 3B, illustrating its operations to modify operation of a display element (e.g., changing displayed content) in response to passenger state; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow chart of a method of (or algorithm for) managing vehicle behavior based in part upon an occupant's (or passenger's) state.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is directed toward sensing and managing vehicle behavior based on a sensed and/or determined state of a vehicle passenger. Here, the term “state” of a passenger is intended to havea broad meaning and may correspond with a level of attentiveness, with an emotional state, or with other passenger characteristics relating to a ride experience. Briefly, the control methods and s

Claims

22. A method of controlling a ride experience through a ride space of an amusement park ride, comprising: with a sensor mounted on or provide within anautomated trackless vehicle being controlled to travel along a first ride path, sensing passenger data for a passenger of the automated trackless vehicle; processing the passengerdata to determine a passenger state; determining a location of the automated trackless vehicle on the first ride path; based on the passenger state and the location of the automated trackless vehicle on the first ride path, determining a second ride path for the automated trackless vehicle to move through the ride space; and controlling the automated trackless vehicle to move off the first ride path and along the second ride path, wherein the passenger data comprises a physiological parameter of the passenger, and wherein the processing comprises determining the physiological parameter is outside a range of goal values for the physiological parameter for a passenger during the ride experience. 27. A method of controlling a ride experience through a ride space of an amusement park ride, comprising: with a sensor mounted on or provide within an automated trackless vehicle being controlledto travel along a first ride path, sensing passenger data for a passenger of the automated trackless vehicle; processing the passenger data to determine a passenger state; determining a location of the automated trackless vehicle on the first ride path; when the passenger state is outside a predefined range of passenger states for the amusement park ride, determining a second ride path for the automated trackless vehicle to move through the ridespace; and controlling the automated trackless vehicle to move off the first ride path and along the second ride path, wherein the ride space includes first display elements alongthe first ride path and second display elements along the second ride path that differ from the first display elements, whereby the second ride path is selected during the ride experience to move the passenger state into or toward the predefined range of passenger states for the amusement park ride.