Ride vehicle dynamic-boundary progression control.
A method for controlling vehicle progression along a ride path of an amusement park ride. The method includes receiving inputs from a passenger of a vehicle on the ride path and processing the received inputs to determine a vehicle state change. The method includes determining a present or predicted vehicle state and comparing the present or predicted vehicle state with constraints defined by a dynamic boundary associated with the vehicle. The method includes issuing vehicle control commands to a drive assembly to implement the vehicle state change if it complies with the constraints. The dynamic boundary is moved logically along the ride path at a nominal to define a set of boundaries for movement of the vehicle along the ride path. The vehicle state change may be a change that causes the vehicle to travel at a speed differing from the dynamic boundary while remaining within the dynamic boundary.
BACKGROUND(1) 1. Field of the Description(2) The present invention relates, in general, to methods and systems for controlling or managing the overall progression of passenger vehicles through an amusement park ride, and, more particularly, to methods and systems that use dynamic boundaries to define allowable rider inputs that modify vehicle speed and, in some cases, direction of movement along the intended ride path.(3) 2. Relevant Background(4) Amusement park rides or simply “rides” have been around for more than a century and have been used to entertain millions of visitors to amusement park rides, theme parks, carnivals, and fairs, typically by moving one or more riders in each vehicle along a track. For example, roller coasters move passengers rapidly along a track while some theme rides may include slow or show portions as well as fast or thrill portions. Park operators are continually searching for new ride designs to enhance the passenger's experience and to encourage repeated use of a ride, i.e., looking for something that makes the ride different or unique enough each time that a park visitor will take a ride many times.(5) Many rides allow the passenger or rider some control of their vehicle along the ride path. Many rides exist where the passenger vehicle is configured to allow a rider to provide input to rotate their vehicle to face any direction. However, the rider has no control over speed or the vehicle path as the vehicles are, for example, connected to a ch
1. An amusement park ride, comprising: a ride path; a plurality of passenger vehicles adapted with an input device operable by a passenger; and a controller comprising memory storing a dynamic boundary defining a set of boundaries for movement relative to the ride path for the passenger vehicles and a processor executing code causing the processor to determine for the passenger vehicles an allowable vehicle state based on the dynamic boundary, to process inputs from the input device to determine a passenger-desired vehicle state change, and to issue vehicle control commands to control operation of the passenger vehicle by processing the passenger-desired vehicle state change to comply with the allowable vehicle state, wherein the dynamic boundary is moved by the controller along the ride path at one or more predefined nominal speeds, wherein the allowable vehicle state comprises a range of positions within the set of boundaries defined by the dynamic boundary, and wherein the vehicle control commands provide movement from a first position within the dynamic boundary to a second position within the dynamic boundary differing from the first position, whereby the passenger vehicles are nearer to or farther away from a boundary defined by the set of boundaries when in the second position than when in the first position.
5. An amusement park ride, comprising: a ride path; a plurality of passenger vehicles adapted with an input device operable by a passenger; and a controller comprising memory storing a dynamic boundary for the passenger vehicles and a processor executing code causing the processor to determine for the passenger vehicles an allowable vehicle state based on the dynamic boundary, to process inputs from the input device to determine a passenger-desired vehicle state change, and to issue vehicle control commands to control operation of the passenger vehicle by processing the passenger-desired vehicle state change to comply with the allowable vehicle state, wherein the dynamic boundary is moved by the controller along the ride path at one or more predefined nominal speeds during operations of the amusement park ride, wherein the allowable vehicle state comprises a range of positions within a set of boundaries defined by the dynamic boundary, each position within the range of positions defining a differing location for one of the passenger vehicles relative to the set of boundaries to allow the passenger vehicles to move about a space defined by the set of boundaries from a first position to a second position within the dynamic boundary as the dynamic boundary is moved by the controller, and wherein the set of boundaries has a shape or size that differs for at least two portions of the ride path.
11. An amusement park ride, comprising: a plurality of passenger vehicles adapted with an input device operable by a passenger; and a controller comprising memory storing a dynamic boundary for the passenger vehicles and a processor executing code causing the processor to determine for the passenger vehicles an allowable vehicle state based on the dynamic boundary, to process inputs from the input device to determine a passenger-desired vehicle state change, and to issue vehicle control commands to control operation of the passenger vehicle by processing the passenger-desired vehicle state change to comply with the allowable vehicle state, wherein a space defined by a set of boundaries defined by the dynamic boundary varies in size and shape based on location of an individual one of the passenger vehicles along a ride path of the amusement park ride, wherein the passenger-desired vehicle state change comprises a change in speed of the vehicle along the ride path, wherein the allowable vehicle state comprises a range of positions within the space, and wherein the vehicle control commands provide movement from a current position to a new position within the space enclosed by the set of boundaries as the dynamic boundary is moved by the controller along the ride path at one or more predefined nominal speeds, whereby each of the passenger vehicles is movable within the space via the user input device to move closer to and farther away from one or more boundary in the set of boundaries.