Amusement devices – Illusion or stage device – Person experiences illusion of being in motion
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-03
2001-10-30
O'Neill, Michael (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices
Illusion or stage device
Person experiences illusion of being in motion
C472S062000, C463S062000, C463S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06309306
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of entertainment attractions, and, more particularly, to interactive game systems. Although the present invention is subject to a wide range of applications, it is especially suited for use in a “Treasure of the Incas®” interactive, telepresence maze-exploration game system and will be particularly described in that connection.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An attraction, such as an interactive game system, provides an entertaining experience to the guests of the attraction, including the drivers and the spectators. A game system which provides an interesting experience for non-players (in addition to players) helps to establish an environment conducive to increased business for an entertainment facility.
One class of entertainment attractions employs remote-controlled (RC) vehicles that traverse a defined environment having definite boundaries, such as, miniature cars and a race course, miniature boats and a lagoon, or hovercrafts and a flat surface surrounded by a retaining wall or rail. In return for a coin or token paid to a cashier or entered into a driver console, a driver is allotted a predetermined amount of play time during which the driver can navigate a RC vehicle about the defined environment.
Typically, the RC vehicles and the defined environment are in direct view of the drivers, and the driver navigates the RC vehicle through the defined environment by watching the RC vehicle as it moves in the defined environment and among other RC vehicles, and making steering and throttle adjustments at the driver console. In addition to the entertainment provided by navigating the RC vehicle, the RC vehicle can trip sensors dispersed about the defined environment. Tripping a sensor can cause different events to occur in the defined environment, such as, flashing lights, squirting water, and fire effects. Examples of such entertainment attractions are provided by Thola Productions, Inc., of Laguna Hills, Calif.
In more sophisticated systems, the RC vehicle is identified by a sensor so that vehicle-specific responses can be made, such as, spinning out the RC vehicle or adding play time to the driver console. An example of this is a hovercraft game provided by Thola Productions, Inc.
Although capable of providing an entertaining experience, the scope of experiences available to the guests of typical attractions utilizing RC vehicles is somewhat limited. For example, the guests have a remote point-of-view of the interactions between the RC vehicle and the defined environment rather than a direct point-of-view, such as, a view obtained by being in the car or the boat, or on the race course or in the water. Thus, the guest cannot fully experience visually the acceleration, bumps, wakes, collisions, spin outs, or falls of the RC vehicles. Further, because the driver must be able to view the RC vehicle and the defined environment in order to navigate, navigation through a maze or night environment is not feasible because the driver could not see the vehicle through the walls of the maze or through the darkness. Thus, the driver is deprived of an entire class of experience, namely, exploration.
It is also the case that most forms of entertainment providing an exploration experience do so with a large real estate footprint, hedge mazes are an example that can cover 20,000 square feet; or are entirely virtual in nature, which “colors” the experience as artificial and deprives the designers of the capabilities available by using stagecraft techniques.
Another drawback of the typical entertainment attraction is that the reward to the driver for an achievement or failure is passive and limited. For example, an achievement is rewarded by flashing lights, extending play time, or executing a choreographed event in the environment; a failure is rewarded by the driver losing control of the RC vehicle as he watches it spin out of control. Consequently, the guests are subjected repetitively to a limited number of stimuli over which the driver has no control. Thus, the guest can lose interest in the entertainment attraction fairly quickly.
A further drawback is that the drivers and driver consoles are typically located adjacent the defined environment because of the need to directly view the vehicle to navigate it. Further, the spectators typically view the action from the perimeter of the defined environment. Consequently, the spectators' view of the defined environment and the action within can be obscured by the drivers and their consoles. Thus, the spectators may not be drawn to the game so as to become drivers themselves.
Still another drawback of the typical entertainment attraction is that play is usually interrupted while a game operator goes into the environment to retrieve an inoperable RC vehicle or return a repaired RC vehicle. Because the players desire non-stop operation, it is preferable that operable RC vehicles continue play while an RC vehicle is retrieved or returned.
An RC toy containing a television camera that uses a television module to display the point of view impressions of the RC vehicle has been described. Also known are miniature RC tanks with mounted television cameras in a simulated terrain. The simulated tanks' drivers view images of the terrain in front of the tank on a television monitor, and maneuver the tanks remotely. These applications, however, do not address employing an RC vehicle in an entertainment attraction.
A need therefore exists for an entertainment attraction that provides a more immersed and expansive entertainment experience to the guests than is possible with conventional entertainment attractions employing RC vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, which tends to address this need, resides in an entertainment attraction employing RC vehicles. The entertainment attraction described herein provides advantages over known entertainment attractions in that it provides a more immersed and expansive entertainment experience to the guests than is possible with conventional entertainment attractions employing RC vehicles.
According to the present invention, reconfiguring a reconfigurable portion of the environment in response to sensing a vehicle. This is accomplished by a detector, corresponding to the reconfigurable portion, that senses the vehicle; and a control system that reconfigures the reconfigurable portion in response to sensing the vehicle. Thus, knowing the vehicle is nearby, the control system can cause the reconfigurable portion to reconfigure in many possible configurations. Thus, the guests' entertainment experience can be increased as the guests are not subjected to the same repetitive environmental response. Instead, the game can “remember” a guest's prior experience and not retrigger or repeat a performance (that is, reconfigure) except for another guest vehicle that has not viewed that particular performance.
In one aspect of the invention, reconfiguring the reconfigurable portion according to a received identifier. This is accomplished by the detector, corresponding to the reconfigurable portion, that receives an identifier of the vehicle, and the control system reconfigures the reconfigurable portion according to the received identifier.
In further accordance with the present invention, providing an overlay over a displayed field of view of a camera of the vehicle. This is accomplished by the detector sensing the vehicle and, in response, the control system providing the overlay over the displayed field of view. Thus, the driver's visual experience is increased as the driver's view is not limited to the video display of the vehicle's camera.
In one aspect of the invention, selecting the overlay from a plurality of overlays according to the received identifier. Thus, the driver's entertainment experience is increased as the driver is not subjected to the same overlay when the vehicle is sensed at a later time.
In another aspect of the invention, the overlay is selected from a plurality of overlays acco
Garlington Joseph O.
Geagley Bradley K.
Hagen-Brenner John T.
Nadler Gary J.
Redmann William G.
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
O'Neill Michael
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