This disclosure relates to the field of amusement rides. More particularly, this disclosure relates to an interactive amusement ride allowing passengers to at least partially control motion of the ride while interacting with the ride.
Various amusement rides exist that allow passengers provide a thrilling ride for passengers. Although entertaining, some interactivity may be desired during the ride to further engage passengers and provide entertainment to the passengers on the ride.
Although a variety of amusement rides have been constructed, many do not include any interactivity that would allow the passengers to further be entertained during the ride. For example, many existing amusement rides solely entertain the passenger by way of movement of the ride, such as by providing high speed turns. Other types of amusement rides exist that may allow the passenger to control a speed of the passenger on the ride. Mountain coaster-type rides may provide a brake for a passenger to activate such that the passenger may allow a car traveling on a track to speed up or slow down depending on engagement of the brake. Such rides typically do not provide any other type of interactivity for the passenger.
What is needed, therefore, is an amusement ride that both allows the passenger to control at least some dynamics of the ride while also allowing the passenger to actively interact with the ride.
The above and other needs are met by an amusement ride that both allows the passenger to control at least some dynamics of the ride while also allowing the passenger to actively interact with the ride. In a first aspect, an interactive amusement ride includes: a car having at least one control element for controlling movement of the car; a light gun located on the car, the light gun in electronic communication with a control computer of the amusement ride; a track shaped to support the car thereon, the track having an interactive area comprising a portion of the track where a passenger does not control movement of the car with the at least one control element and a ride area comprising a portion of the track one or more targets located along the interactive area of the track, wherein the one or more targets detect a light emission from the light gun when the light gun is oriented towards the one or more targets.
In one embodiment, the control element is a brake for controlling a speed of the car along the ride area.
In another embodiment, the light gun is in wireless communication with the control computer of the amusement ride. In yet another embodiment, operation of the light gun within the ride area is restricted such that the light gun is not operable within the ride area.
In one embodiment, the interactive area is an area where the control element does not affect movement of the car along the track. In another embodiment, the interactive area is an inclined portion of a coaster ride. In yet another embodiment, the ride area is a declined portion of a coaster ride and wherein the control element controls a speed of the car along the track.
In a second aspect, an interactive amusement ride includes: a car having at least one control element for controlling movement of the car; a light gun located on the car, the light gun in electronic communication with a control computer of the amusement ride; a track shaped to support the car thereon, the track having an interactive area comprising an inclined portion of a coaster ride where a passenger does not control movement of the car with the at least one control element and a ride area comprising a decline portion of the track on a coaster ride; one or more targets located along the interactive area of the track, wherein the one or more targets detect a light emission from the light gun when the light gun is oriented towards the one or more targets.
In one embodiment, operation of the light gun within the ride area is restricted such that the light gun is not operable within the ride area.
In a third aspect, an interactive amusement ride includes: a car having at least one control element for controlling braking of the car; a light gun located on the car, the light gun in electronic communication with a control computer of the amusement ride; a track shaped to support the car thereon, the track having an interactive area comprising a portion of the track where a passenger does not control braking of the car with the at least one control element and a ride area comprising a portion of the track one or more targets located along the interactive area of the track, wherein the one or more targets detect a light emission from the light gun when the light gun is oriented towards the one or more targets.
Further features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, appended claims, and accompanying figures, wherein elements are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
Various terms used herein are intended to have particular meanings. Some of these terms are defined below for the purpose of clarity. The definitions given below are meant to cover all forms of the words being defined (e.g., singular, plural, present tense, past tense). If the definition of any term below diverges from the commonly understood and/or dictionary definition of such term, the definitions below control.
The amusement ride 10 includes a track 12. The track 12 may be, for example, a pair of rails or a single rail on which a car 14 rides. The track 12 may include an inclined portion 16 during which the car 14 is pulled uphill towards an elevated portion along the track 12 before moving along the remainder of the track 12 by gravity. The amusement ride 10 may further include a platform 18 where passengers embark and disembark from the car 14.
The car 14 may include a seat 20 for a passenger to sit on the car 14. The car 14 may be, for example, a single passenger car 14 that travels along the track 12. The car 14 may include a passenger control 22 located on the car. The passenger control 22 allows the passenger to control at least one aspect of the car 14 as it travels on the track 12. For example, the passenger control 22 may be a brake that allows the passenger to slow down the car 14 on the track 12 when the passenger engages the brake.
With further reference to
Referring to
The amusement ride 10 may be configured such that the targets 24 are located in desired areas proximate to the track 12. For example, in one embodiment the targets 24 are located in areas where the passenger does not desire to activate the passenger control 22 of the car. For example, the targets 24 may be located along portions of the track 12 where the car is moving slowly, such as on an incline or on slow portions of the ride. On other portions where the car 14 may move faster along the track 12, there may be no targets 24 proximate to the track such that the passenger uses the passenger control 22 to control movement of the car 14 on those portions of the track 12.
Referring to
Further referring to
Embodiments of the amusement ride 10 described herein advantageously enable a passenger to be entertained throughout the duration of the ride. The passenger may use the gun 30 to engage targets 24 along the track 12 during portions of the ride that may be less thrilling. The passenger may otherwise be entertained along other portions of the track 12 that are more thrilling. Further, embodiments of the amusement ride 10 provide multiple means of allowing the passenger to engage with the ride by allowing the passenger to both control movement of the car 14 and to interact with targets 24 around the track 12. Although reference herein is made to a mountain coaster-type ride, it is also understood that embodiments of the amusement ride described herein may be suitable for various other types of rides, such as chairlifts and other coaster-types of rides.
The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The described preferred embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the disclosure to the precise form(s) disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide the best illustrations of the principles of the disclosure and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the concepts revealed in the disclosure in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the disclosure as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
This applications claims priority to and is a non-provisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/086,703 for an “Interactive Amusement Ride” filed on Oct. 2, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63086703 | Oct 2020 | US |