IP Library Granted Patent US 12701360
Granted Patent B2
US 12701360 · App. 17/852,276 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

System and method for three-dimensional control of noise emission in interactive space

Inventor: Cole Paresh Hirapara (Orlando, FL)
Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
H04R3/12H04R29/001H04R2430/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12701360
App. No.
17/852,276
Filed
Jun 28, 2022
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Examiner
LAO, LUNSEE
Art Unit
2691
USPC
381/56
Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for controlling an emission of an audio track in a three-dimensional (3D) space. An audio system is configured to detect an emission of a first audio track via one or more speakers of a plurality of speakers, wherein the first audio track is associated with an attraction, and select a speaker of the plurality of speakers. The audio system is further configured to determine whether the selected speaker is within a predetermined distance from the attraction, determine whether the selected speaker is emitting a second audio track different from the first audio track if the selected speaker is within the predetermined distance from the attraction, and control the emission of the first audio track via the selected speaker if the selected speaker is not emitting the second audio track.

Claims (31)

1 . A system, comprising:

an audio system;

a plurality of speakers of the audio system, wherein one or more speakers of the plurality of speakers is coupled with a fixed attraction and the audio system is configured to emit a plurality of audio tracks into an environment of the fixed attraction via the plurality of speakers;

a moving attraction configured to travel relative to the fixed attraction within the environment, wherein the moving attraction is associated with a first audio track of the plurality of audio tracks, and the first audio track is different than a second audio track of the plurality of audio tracks; and

a control system comprising one or more processors, wherein the control system is configured to;

selectively control the one or more speakers of the plurality of speakers to emit the first audio track and refrain from emitting the second audio track based on the moving attraction being within a threshold distance of the one or more speakers.

2 . The system of claim 1 , comprising an element detection system configured to detect a location of the moving attraction to establish a detected location of the moving attraction, wherein the control system is configured to:

control a first subset of the one or more speakers to emit the first audio track based on the detected location being a first location that is within the threshold distance of the first subset of the one or more speakers; and

control a second subset of the one or more speakers, different than the first subset of the one or more speakers, to emit the second audio track based on the detected location being a second location that is beyond the threshold distance of the second subset of the one or more speakers.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the control system comprises a 3D modeler configured to provide a 3D model of a soundscape within the environment.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the control system is configured to:

determine an interference with the first audio track within the environment based on the 3D model, wherein the interference is associated with an offending device, an offending attraction, and/or an offending interactive element within the environment; and

adjust parameters of the offending device, the offending attraction, and/or the offending interactive element to block the interference.

5 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the control system is configured to:

determine an interference with the first audio track within the environment based on the 3D model, wherein the interference is associated with an offending one or more speakers of the plurality of speakers; and

adjust operation of the offending one or more speakers.

6 . The audio system of claim 3 , wherein the control system is configured to:

determine, via the 3D modeler, a speaker of the plurality of speakers is causing or predicted to cause an echo and/or reverberation based on the 3D model; and

control a volume level of the speaker or disable the speaker to block the echo and/or the reverberation.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more speakers is a subset of the plurality of speakers including more than one speaker of the plurality of speakers and the control system is configured to set individual volume levels of individual speakers of the subset of the plurality of speakers based on respective distances between the individual speakers and a detected location of the moving attraction.

8 . The system of claim 1 , comprising one or more feedback microphones disposed on the moving attraction or in the environment, wherein the control system is configured to, in response to detecting a change in sound levels beyond a sound level threshold based on data from the one or more feedback microphones, adjust volume levels of all or a portion of the plurality of speakers, adjust the threshold distance, or both.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to:

control a subset of the plurality of speakers to emit the second audio track;

determine whether an emission of the first audio track associated with the moving attraction and an emission of the second audio track interfere with each other; and

in response to determining the emission of the first audio track associated with the moving attraction and the emission of the second audio track interfere with each other, adjust operation of at least a portion of the subset of the plurality of speakers.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the control system is configured to:

determine whether the one or more speakers and the subset of the plurality of speakers comprise at least one common speaker;

in response to determining that the one or more speakers and the subset of the plurality of speakers comprise the at least one common speaker:

block the second audio track from being presented via the at least one common speaker based on prioritization of the first audio track over the second audio track; or

block the first audio track from being presented via the at least one common speaker based on prioritization of the second audio track over the first audio track.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of speakers are disposed at a plurality of respective defined positions within the environment.