Patent Application
20080151370
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of viewing stereoscopic image content using three-dimensional (3-D) selection devices, and more specifically to recycling worn or used selection devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today's movie theaters, amusement parks, and other venues exhibit stereoscopic image content capable of rendering a three-dimensional (3-D) viewing experience for the audience's consumption and enjoyment. In order for audience members to properly view current projected stereoscopic image content, each member must wear a selection device such as 3-D eyewear or 3-D glasses.
Venue operators hand out or provide pairs of 3-D glasses to each attending audience member prior to screening stereoscopic content such as films, motion pictures, and/or 3-D images. The 3-D eyewear or glasses currently provided by movie theaters are considered ‘single-use-only’ items. At the end of screening a film, audience members typically dispose of their pair of 3-D glasses either by taking them home or placing them into a trash container or bin. Glasses deposited in bins are sometimes then taken from the exit of the theater to the entrance of the theater where they are distributed to new incoming audience members with minimal or no cleaning supervision. As may be appreciated, such a procedure can be unsanitary, broken or damaged eyewear remains in circulation, and patrons depositing other materials into the bins can either damage the glasses or create a generally unpleasant condition when the new viewers obtain their eyewear.
A limited number of today's venue operators have put into place a form of on premise eyewear recycling practice as a reuse mechanism. Essentially, the practice includes collecting, cleaning and redistributing 3-D glasses to enable reuse by future attending audience members. However, today's practices remain problematic because they require installation and operation of an on premise 3-D eyewear cleaning system. Movie theater operators who wish to provide an on premise 3-D eyewear recycling practice must fund the cost of purchasing, installing and maintaining the equipment, and need to train personnel to operate the eyewear cleaning equipment. As a result, today's on premise designs may be implemented, for example, using an existing household or industrial dishwasher to clean the eyewear. The dishwasher may be located, for example, in the employee lounge or a separate room and may be in some instances used for purposes other than cleaning eyewear in order to save money. For example, the dishwasher may be used for cleaning dishes and eating utensils. Operators that share a dishwasher in this manner generally cannot provide suitable sanitary conditions required for cleaning 3-D eyewear. For example, the venue operator employee responsible for removing the cleaned eyewear from the dishwasher and returning the eyewear to the venue distribution point for reuse may not have properly cleaned food or other particulate matter from the dishwasher. The presence of other particulate matter may expose the eyewear to undesirable contaminants and lead to unsanitary eyewear being distributed to patrons.
Further, certain types of commonly available dishwashers may operate at significantly high temperatures, such as at temperatures that can melt or break down lenses and/or plastic frame material. While temperature settings can be altered, if the dishwasher is a dual use type machine, operators may not correct the temperature setting or even know how to alter temperature settings. If a lower temperature setting is selected, washing dishware and silverware may be at temperatures too low to ensure adequate cleaning for subsequent use.
In addition, employees stationed at the venue eyewear distribution points may not be free from bacteria or other issues, and may at times have been exposed, knowingly or unknowingly, to an illness. Bacteria and germs may be encountered during the eyewear distribution process, and such undesirable conditions may pass to the cleaned eyewear stored at the various distribution points.
One further issue with current equipment is breakage. Broken glasses can sometimes be repaired but are sometimes so damaged that they cannot be repaired, or their construction essentially prohibits repair or reconstruction. In these instances, unusable eyewear can “float” around in the bottom of the bin or may be discarded by an employee or patron when in reality the eyewear could have been repaired. The net result is lost inventory or inadequately utilized inventory, both of which are undesirable.
Further issues may exist with capacity or throughput in that enough glasses need to be kept on hand to provide to patrons but not so many as to require significant storage requirements. For example, a huge room filled with eyewear kept on hand for numerous performances over multiple weeks is simply an inadequate solution. Conversely, it is unacceptable to run out of glasses when patrons need them to properly enjoy the viewing experience.
Based on the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a 3-D eyewear recycling apparatus and method for use in cleaning used 3-D selection devices returned by audience members that overcome the foregoing drawbacks present in previously known designs used in venues exhibiting stereoscopic image content.
According to one aspect of the present design, there is provided a system and method for recycling 3-D selection devices, such as eyewear used in viewing stereoscopic images, is provided. The design comprises collecting previously distributed 3-D selection devices, transporting selected collected 3-D selection devices to a centralized 3-D selection device cleaning facility, receiving selected collected 3-D selection devices from the centralized 3-D selection device cleaning facility, and distributing cleaned 3-D selection devices to audience members. Eyewear may be packaged, and multiple venues may employ a single centralized cleaning facility.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:
The following description and the drawings illustrate specific embodiments sufficiently to enable those skilled in the art to practice the system and method described. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, process and other changes. Examples merely typify possible variations. Individual components and functions are generally optional unless explicitly required, and the sequence of operations may vary. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or substituted for those of others.
The present design is an apparatus and method configured to recycle selection devices previously worn by viewing audience members, thus preparing the selection devices for reuse by newly attending audience members. Selection devices, i.e. 3-D eyewear or glasses, may include active eyewear designs, such as shuttering eyewear, and passive eyewear designs. As used herein “selection device(s)”, “3-D eyewear”, “3-D glasses” or just simply “eyewear” and similar terms all refer to devices worn by the audience members to properly view stereoscopic content, unless specifically described otherwise.
As may be appreciated, the eyewear discussed herein is typically of high quality, as opposed to single use or universally disposable eyewear, such as single use paper or cardboard eyewear. By providing high quality eyewear, such as hard plastic quality constructed eyewear, such eyewear may be cleaned and reused with excellent results. The eyewear of the present design is typically cleanable using a cleaning solution, heated water mixed with a product such as soap, or otherwise able to have dirt, oils, and other unwanted materials removed therefrom. Thus while many such types of eyewear may use the beneficial aspects disclosed herein, such eyewear may include hard plastic eyewear, hard plastic eyewear formed around metal, or formed from composite or other cleanable materials.
While the present design may be used in various environments and applications, it will be discussed herein with a particular emphasis on a movie theater environment, where audience members go to view stereoscopic image content. Other venues may employ the current design, including but not limited to theme parks, corporate sites, and so forth. In such environments, it is noted that frequency of eyewear distribution is of particular importance. In a situation such as a theme park, where a new viewing occurs three times every hour, and up to ten or more hours per day, patrons are provided with eyewear at a much more rapid rate than at a movie theater where four or even fewer showings per day are the norm. As a result, eyewear at a rapid turnover venue requires that a relatively large quantity of eyewear be available, while a smaller inventory may be maintained at a slow turnover venue. Thus recycling eyewear using on-site facilities at a high turnover venue can be inconvenient, as personnel must be available to constantly clean and reuse the eyewear, or alternately a high volume of inventory must be kept on hand to satisfy demand.
Eyewear Collection Receptacle
The present design is an apparatus configured to aggregate selection devices being returned by audience members after viewing a stereoscopic film, image, or movie. The present design may provide an eyewear receptacle 100 for use in collecting and storing any type of selection device, e.g. 3-D glasses, worn by the audience members including active eyewear designs, such as shuttering eyewear, and passive eyewear designs that may include linear and circular polarizing optics and constructed using cardboard, paper, plastic, plastic-framed or other kinds of eyewear. The apparatus of the present design may be configured to prevent undesirable articles, material or items from being deposited by the audience members into the present design, such as typical movie theater trash and other debris.
While the present receptacle design may be used in various environments and applications, it will be discussed herein with a particular emphasis on a movie theater environment, where audience members go to view stereoscopic content. For example, one embodiment of the present design may include a receptacle component that comprises one or more receptacle panels forming a flat top or lid portion over the receptacle, the flat lid formed to receive the desired items. Each receptacle panel may include a plurality of independent openings that may be geometrically arranged and sized to allow only selection devices to pass through the openings. The present design may affix or position the top or lid portion of the receptacle on a collection bin component configured to hold and store the returned eyewear. The collection bin may be secured using a lock or other security device suitable for protecting the contents of the collection bin. At the end of the business day or after a movie screening, movie operators may access and remove the returned or deposited eyewear by unlocking an opening the collection bin. Under normal operation, eyewear is removed in, for example, a standard sized shipping box within the bin when the box is full and ready to ship to the recycling center or central cleaning facility. In this manner, the eyewear does not need to be handled and transferred from one container to another, but simply fall right into the shipping carton.
The design may be made of plastic, such as a molded heavy duty (ABS) plastic. Alternatively, the container may be made of metal, such as sheet metal, but other materials may be used. The sides or panels of the design may be joined using conventional means, including but not limited to welding or bolting, but other materials may be used for some portion of or the entire receptacle. The lid portion can be affixed many different ways and removable from the container in various generally known configurations all within the scope of the current invention. For example, a top or lid may be provided that is hinged or held in place by interlocking components, tongue and groove type arrangements, and the top portion may be affixed using mechanical retaining bars making removal difficult, or a magnetic attachment/release arrangement may be employed, among other solutions. The present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments presented herein.
The design of
In this arrangement, the top 200 of the apparatus, for example, may include three receptacle panels 201 and one blank panel 203 configured to form a pyramid structure 202, as illustrated in
Locking may be provided by either providing an opening near the base of the top 200 where a conventional padlock may be inserted together with a hinge formed on the opposite side enabling the top to be rotated and the contents removed. Alternately, collection bin 102 may include a lockable or closable door or opening at the bottom of the top 200 or on a side of the top 200 that may be locked and hinged or otherwise opened to remove the contents. Other locking or retention mechanisms, including a lockable or closable door or opening on one side of collection bin 102, may be employed while within the scope of the present design.
Openings 103 may be arranged to allow audience members of a minimum height, such as children, to reach the lower openings 103 in a manner sufficient to deposit their used glasses. Arranging the openings 103 having this configuration at this minimum height can allow eyewear deposit while simultaneously prohibiting the deposit of inappropriate or undesirable items through the openings 103. The overall height of collection bin 102 in combination with receptacle panels 101 may enable both tall and short patrons easy and simultaneous access to eyewear receptacle 100, thus not impeding the ability of audience members to deposit their glasses in the receptacle and quickly exit the theater.
The construction of collection bin 102 further prevents already collected items from being removed or stolen from the collection bin. As shown in
The receptacle panels combined to form the top 200 and the geometric shape of the openings 103 may form an ornamental ‘eye-catching’ visually distinctive appearance that may capture the attention of departing audience members indicating an expectation that the eyewear they received for viewing the movie are expected to be returned to the theater after use. The ornamental ‘eye-catching’ visually distinctive appearance formed by the present design to inform the audience members to return their eyewear may reduce the rate of inventory loss experienced by the movie theater operators.
Note that collection bin 255 differs from collection bin 102 as it is inside bin 252. As used herein, the term “collection bin” is intended to be used broadly to mean a bin that collects the glasses or eyewear, and may comprise a component inside the entire structure as shown in
If desired, optional directing elements 254 may be employed, providing the ability for glasses deposited in openings 256 to be directed to the collection bin 255 rather than fall to the ground. A typical arrangement has optional directing elements 254 extending from an edge or proximate an edge of the upper corners/edges of bin 252 downward to the top edges/corners of collection bin 255, but other geometries may be employed. Optional directing elements 254 may be unnecessary if the collection bin 255 is approximately as large or fits adequately within bin 255. Such a geometry may be realized if the bin 255 is standard size or slightly larger than a standard size shipping container.
In a square or substantially rectangular bin arrangement, four optional directing elements 254 may be provided, essentially forming a tray resembling, for example, a square with a square hole therein. The tray (not shown) is not completely flat but angled to some extent and has a slight downward slope. The tray helps prevent theft and helps guide the glasses into the shipping box or collection box 255, similar to the effect of a funnel.
A construction such as that shown in
Eyewear receptacle 100 may include signage 104 affixed to the top of a receptacle panel 101 of pyramid structure 202 as illustrated in
The present design's use of signage 104, openings 103, and receptacle panels 101 to create an ornamental visually distinctive experience is intended to increase awareness and allow audience members to identify that eyewear receptacle 100 is the appropriate place for returning 3-D glasses. Improving audience member awareness and providing a means to allow easy and rapid identification of the eyewear receptacle 100 as the place for disposing of their 3-D glasses can reduce the rate of lost inventory.
A detailed view of the present design apparatus openings 103 in the receptacle panel 101 is illustrated in
Again, different shapes, quantities, and sizes may be employed, and different angles of opening orientation may be provided, but the values of Table 1 corresponding to the illustrations in
Beginning at the apparatus point of ingress or ‘mouth’, elliptically shaped openings 103 in conjunction with the shape of the supporting receptacle panels 101 may be configured to force the direction of travel for the returned glasses to easily pass downward and into the collection bin 102.
In addition, eyewear receptacle 100 may include lock 501 integral with the collection bin or receptacle panel component. In this arrangement, securing the apparatus may involve operating the integral lock by placing it in the closed position when the eyewear receptacle is closed.
The present design may locate a hinge 504 on the opposite side of the eyewear receptacle 100. When lock 501 is removed, hinge 504 may allow the eyewear receptacle 100 to open and allow movie operators to remove returned eyewear. Hinge 504 may be a continuous hinge with a length equal to the length of one side of the collection bin 102, or may be one or more smaller hinges fixed along the edge of the collection bin 102. Although
Although
The collection bin may include other access components, including but not limited to sliding and/or locking panels or openings formed in the sides. If openable panels are provided, rather than the locking mechanism of
As such a collection bin is generally bulky and difficult to move, if one side of the collection bin is intended to be placed against a wall, a simple opening that would face the wall under normal may be sufficient to allow access by venue personnel when removal of the contents was desired. In other words, a simple opening may suffice when venue personnel must make a significant effort, such as physically moving the heavy collection bin, to gain access to the opening.
Alternatively, the design may employ wheels, such as caster wheels, mounted on the bottom for easy movement. When a 3-D movie ends its run, the design can be easily moved from the theatre lobby space. Also, the unit can be moved into place at the end of the movie showtime to a prominent position so people can use the unit. The unit may or may not be positioned proximate a wall or vertical surface.
Referring to
Eyewear Recycling Using Centralized Cleaning Facility
One aspect of the present design may include one or more localized receptacle components for collecting worn or soiled eyewear positioned within a venue such as a movie theater, a centralized cleaning facility where one or more eyewear washing machine components and, optionally, one or more packaging devices or components for sealing and protecting the clean eyewear from environmental exposure are available for use. As may be appreciated, where on-site cleaning facilities are provided, the present design employing a centralized cleaning facility may be augmented by on-site cleaning and/or simple recycling from the discarded location or bin to the distribution point of the venue. Thus the present design is not specifically exclusive to all other forms of recycling but may be employed in addition to other recycling methods.
Clean eyewear may be provided in an optional wrapping or other container, such as a plastic disposable wrapping that may include advertising imprinted thereon. Each venue may provide the eyewear to the centralized cleaning facility 702 using any type of available shipping via shipping path 703, including but not limited to the proprietor of the venue transporting the eyewear or having an employee transport the eyewear, or engaging a delivery service such as the US Post Office, United Parcel Service, or Federal Express or other shipping company or entity transport the eyewear to the central facility. Alternately, a separate entity may maintain the cleaning facility 702 and may provide for pickup of the eyewear by its employees or personnel specifically designated to make such a pickup. In this context, the proprietor of the cleaning facility 702 may be a venue owner or any person or entity wishing to offer the service so discussed.
Return of the eyewear from the cleaning facility 702 to the venue such as movie theater 701 via shipping path 703 may employ similar or identical transportation services, including but not limited to the venue sending a representative to pick up the cleaned or new glasses at the facility. The eyewear may be returned to the venue or movie theater using a delivery service (Post Office, DHL, etc.) or may be returned by the proprietor of the cleaning facility or his/her employees. Note that eyewear may be collected using one method via shipping path 703 and may be returned to the venue via the same or another shipping method as desired.
Optional storage facility 750 is provided, enabling eyewear to be stored. While shown as a separate entity interacting with centralized cleaning facility 702, in reality optional storage facility 750 may be located at centralized cleaning facility 702, and may ship directly to movie theatres/venues 701, or may receive shipments from movie theatres/venues 701, although those paths are not shown. More than one optional storage facility may be provided.
Note further that the cleaning facility may also employ recycling in terms of using certain parts such as discarded or mismatched temple pieces or used or mismatched lenses to make new complete eyewear sets, or even going so far as to melt down and reuse plastic or other eyewear material to make new eyewear. Such processes may be performed at the cleaning facility or off site, by the proprietor or by a third party. Thus the cleaning facility may do more than simply clean the used eyewear.
The benefit of the present design is in the requirements placed on the venue operator. Without the current design, a venue operator who periodically washed eyewear using a device such as an on-site dishwasher/washing machine would need personnel to collect eyewear, filter out trash and/or broken pieces, bring the eyewear to the washing site, wash the eyewear, take the eyewear from the wash site, and distribute the eyewear. While a single person might be able to perform all these functions, the number of man-hours required was significant, and this was required at each and every venue site. The economy of the present design is the ability to only require each venue to have personnel to collect the glasses and place them in a designated area and to retrieve or obtain incoming glasses and distribute them to the patrons. This requires significantly less time or man-hours for each venue. While time is required to perform the transportation and washing illustrated in
At the end of the business day, or other appropriate business cycle, theater operators may empty the previously worn eyewear from one or more localized receptacles in order to collect the eyewear and may package and ship the worn eyewear at point 905 to a centralized cleaning location 702. At the centralized washing facility, the worn eyewear may be unpacked at point 906 and placed into a eyewear washing machine at point 907, for example, an autoclave, an ultrasonic machine, pressure washer, or other washing device and may use a disinfectant, soap, or the like for the purpose of cleaning the eyewear at point 908. After the washing machine or device completes the process of cleaning and optionally drying at point 908, the resulting cleaned eyewear may be packaged in individual containers or packages at 909. Individual containers may protect the eyewear from environmental exposure and may ensure the eyewear remain clean. For example, packaging may include a self-sealing pouch, bag, tube, wrap, and other containers or enclosures to protect the eyewear from contamination. Eyewear packaged at the centralized cleaning facility may be shipped and returned to the originating movie theaters 701 at point 310.
Multiple washing machines or devices may be employed at a centralized cleaning facility, and more than one centralized cleaning facility may be available depending on circumstances. While a washing device is depicted here, it is to be understood that washing or cleaning may be accomplished without using a machine or washing device, including but not limited to washing by hand or other available cleaning technique.
It should be noted that all eyewear is not necessarily transported nor cleansed in the manner suggested, but selected eyewear may be collected, transported, cleaned and returned. Different scenarios may result in some eyewear being retained at the venue and not transported to the cleaning facility, selected eyewear may be cleaned while other eyewear is discarded due to age, wear, or otherwise being unusable, outdated, or unacceptable, and certain eyewear, even though cleaned may not be returned to any collection facility for various reasons, including but not limited to a diminished need for eyewear at venues serviced by the collection facility. Certain eyewear may simply not be cleaned, for example eyewear provided in the collection bin that has not been removed from a protective wrapper. In this case, the cleaning facility personnel may simply transport the eyewear back to a venue without cleaning the eyewear. However, it is expected that the vast majority of eyewear will be selected, collected, transported, cleaned, and returned, while some eyewear may not have some of the listed procedures occur depending on circumstances.
Further, it is to be noted that eyewear may not be returned from the same facility from which it originates, unless for example some reason is provided to do so, such as venue owner request or the name of the venue or other indication is provided on or with the eyewear. Also, while it is implied that the cleaning facility is remote or separate from the venues, in reality the centralized facility may be located at a venue, such as when the venue has sufficient space and personnel to clean the eyewear in the manner disclosed.
The design presented herein and the specific aspects illustrated are meant not to be limiting, but may include alternate components while still incorporating the teachings and benefits of the invention. While the invention has thus been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention, and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known and customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains.
The foregoing description of specific embodiments reveals the general nature of the disclosure sufficiently that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt the system and method for various applications without departing from the general concept. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. The phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
