Granted Patent B2

US 12,722,093 · App. 17/959,647 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Inventor: Patrick John Goergen (Orlando, FL)

Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC

A63G31/02A63G31/16

Abstract

Claims (74)

1 . A controller for an amusement park attraction system, the controller comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

operating the amusement park attraction system in a primary mode;

receiving a plurality of operating parameter values of the amusement park attraction system during operation of the amusement park attraction system in the primary mode, wherein an operating parameter value of the plurality of operating parameter values comprises a distance between a first boundary associated with a first object and a second boundary associated with a second object,

determining the distance is outside of a corresponding threshold range of values associated with the operating parameter value in the primary mode;

transitioning operation of the amusement park attraction system from the primary mode to a secondary mode of a plurality of secondary modes in response to determining the operating parameter value is outside of the corresponding threshold range of values in the primary mode, wherein operating the amusement park attraction system in the secondary mode comprises adjusting operation of one or both of the first object or the second object;

determining a corresponding threshold ranges of values associated with the secondary mode in response to transitioning the operation of the amusement park attraction system from the primary mode to the secondary mode;

receiving an updated plurality of operating parameter values during the operation of the amusement park attraction system in the secondary mode; and

comparing the updated plurality of operating parameter values to the corresponding threshold ranges of values associated with the secondary mode.

2 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the memory stores a model that associates the plurality of secondary modes to respective, corresponding operating parameter values of the plurality of operating parameter values that are outside of the respective, corresponding threshold ranges of values, and the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

selecting the secondary mode from the plurality of secondary modes based on the secondary mode being associated with the operating parameter value that is outside of the corresponding threshold range of values in accordance to the model; and

transitioning the operation of the amusement park attraction system from the primary mode to the secondary mode upon selecting the secondary mode from the plurality of secondary modes.

3 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

determining an additional operating parameter value of the plurality of operating parameter values is outside of an additional corresponding threshold range of values in the secondary mode; and

transitioning the operation of the amusement park attraction system from the secondary mode to an additional secondary mode in response to determining the additional operating parameter value is outside of the additional corresponding threshold range of values in the secondary mode.

4 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

determining the distance is below the threshold range of values; and

adjusting movement of the first object to increase the distance, wherein the first object is a ride vehicle.

5 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

determining the distance is above the threshold range of values; and

adjusting actuation of the first object or the second object in response to determining the distance is above the threshold range of values.

6 . The controller of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

determining an absence of receipt of an additional operating parameter value of the plurality of operating parameter values; and

transitioning the operation of the amusement park attraction system from the primary mode to an additional secondary mode of the plurality of secondary modes in response to determining the absence of the receipt of the additional operating parameter value.

7 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of operating parameter values of an amusement park system;

operating the amusement park system in a primary mode in response to determining each operating parameter value of the plurality of operating parameter values is within a respective, corresponding threshold range of values;

determining an operating parameter value of the plurality of operating parameter values is outside of a corresponding threshold range of values;

identifying a maintenance operation associated with the operating parameter value being outside of the corresponding threshold range of values;

selecting a secondary mode from a plurality of secondary modes based on the secondary mode being associated with the operating parameter value that is outside of the corresponding threshold range of values; and

operating the amusement park system in the secondary mode to present imagery based on the maintenance operation.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

identifying a prop of the amusement park system based on the maintenance operation; and

operating the amusement park system in the secondary mode to present the imagery based on the prop.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the operating parameter value indicates an amount of light provided by a light emitter of the amusement park system, and the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

determining the amount of the light provided by the light emitter is below a threshold level; and

operating the amusement park system in the secondary mode to present the imagery to adjust the amount of the light.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

identifying a first prop associated with the operating parameter value that is outside of the corresponding threshold range of values;

determining a function associated with the first prop;

determining a second prop associated with the function; and

operating the amusement park system in the secondary mode to adjust operation of the second prop.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the function comprises a near contact condition with a ride vehicle, and the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

determining the operating parameter value being outside of the corresponding threshold range of values indicates an absence of the near contact condition between the first prop and the ride vehicle; and

operating the amusement park system in the secondary mode to adjust movement of the second prop to within a threshold distance of the ride vehicle to provide an additional near contact condition between the second prop and the ride vehicle.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

determining fatigue of different portions of a prop of the amusement park system based on the plurality of operating parameter values; and

determining a boundary of the prop based on the fatigue of the different portions.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the operating parameter value comprises a set of coordinate points of the boundary of the prop in a coordinate system representing a space of the amusement park system, and the corresponding threshold range of values comprises a corresponding threshold range of coordinate points in the coordinate system.

14 . An amusement park system, comprising:

a prop;

an actuator configured to drive movement of the prop; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the actuator, wherein the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of operating parameter values of the amusement park system;

determining an operating parameter value of the plurality of operating parameter values is outside of a threshold range of values;

determining the prop is associated with the operating parameter value that is outside of the threshold range of values;

operating the amusement park system in a secondary mode of a plurality of secondary modes, instead of in a primary mode, in response to determining the operating parameter value is outside of the threshold range of values;

determining an absence of receipt of an additional operating parameter value of the plurality of operating parameter values; and

transitioning the operation of the amusement park system from the primary mode to an additional secondary mode of the plurality of secondary modes in response to determining the absence of the receipt of the additional operating parameter value.

15 . The amusement park system of claim 14 , comprising a ride vehicle, wherein the operating parameter value comprises a distance between the prop and the ride vehicle, the threshold range of values comprises a threshold range of distances, and the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:

determining the distance is outside of the threshold range of values; and

operating the amusement park system in the secondary mode to adjust the distance toward the threshold range of values.

16 . The amusement park system of claim 15 , wherein the prop comprises:

a first component;

a second component configured to move relative to the first component; and

a third component configured to move relative to the second component;

wherein the actuator comprises a first actuator configured to drive relative movement between the second component and the first component, the amusement park system comprises a second actuator configured to drive relative movement between the third component and the second component, and the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that one of the relative movement between the first component and the second component or the relative movement between the second component and the third component causes the distance to be outside of the threshold range of distances; and

operating the amusement park system in the secondary mode to adjust the other of the relative movement between the first component and the second component or the relative movement between the second component and the third component to adjust the distance toward the threshold range of distances.

17 . The amusement park system of claim 14 , comprising an additional prop and an additional actuator configured to drive movement of the additional prop, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to the additional actuator, the operating parameter value comprises a positioning of the prop, the threshold range of values comprises a threshold range of positionings around a target positioning of the prop, and the controller is configured to perform operations comprising:

determining the positioning of the prop is outside of the threshold range of positionings; and

operating the amusement park system in the secondary mode to adjust the positioning of the additional prop toward the target positioning of the prop.

18 . The amusement park system of claim 14 , comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is configured to receive the plurality of operating parameter values from the plurality of sensors, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises an optical sensor, a position sensor, a vibration sensor, a force sensor, a deformation sensor, a pressure sensor, a power sensor, or any combination thereof.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (18)