Patent Publication Number: US-6220965-B1

Title: Amusement system

Description:
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION IS AMUSEMENT RIDE ATTRACTIONS AND SYSTEMS. 
     Amusement rides have long been well liked by both children and adults, due to the excitement and thrills created in part by the movement of a ride vehicle through an attraction. Arcade style shooting games have also been a popular game of skill for many years. 
     Amusement rides and shooting games have been combined into amusement systems. In these systems, passengers sit in a vehicle which moves through a ride attraction. The passengers are provided with simulated weapons, for shooting at various targets within the attraction. The simulated weapons typically project a light beam. When photo sensors in the targets detect the light beam, the target has been “hit” and the player accumulates points. 
     While these types of amusement ride/shooting games have been successfully used, it has now been discovered that they lack certain design elements which significantly improve the rider&#39;s experience. In addition, with the ever increasing sophistication of entertainment provided by home video games, arcade games, motion pictures, and amusement park rides and attractions, there is a need for an improved amusement ride/shooting game system offering greater excitement, thrills, and levels of competition. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new amusement system combining features from a ride attraction, and from a shooting game, together with new features, to provide a more exciting and/or challenging experience for riders. 
     To this end, in a first aspect of the invention, an amusement system includes first and second vehicles moveable along first and second paths. The first and second vehicles, at least initially, advance through the ride attraction adjacent to each other. Consequently, passengers in the first and second vehicles can shoot at targets in competition with each other. 
     In a second separate aspect of the invention, a vehicles moves on a path through an attraction. Passengers are accommodated in passenger positions on a vehicle body. The vehicle body is rotatably supported on a vehicle chassis. The body spins relative to the moving or stationary chassis, depending on events occurring during the ride. 
     In a third aspect of the invention, movement of a first or second vehicle along a path is changed depending upon events occurring during the ride. As an example, the “second” vehicle spins around, or slows down, if the points accumulated by passengers in the “first” vehicle exceed a predetermined limit, or if passengers in the first vehicle shoot and hit a vehicle target on the second vehicle. 
     Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The drawings, however, are provided only for the purpose of illustration of the preferred embodiment, and should not be taken as a limitation of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings, wherein the same element number denotes the same element, throughout the several views: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game room or scene of the present amusement system; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the entire amusement system; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the vehicles shown in FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing various elements of the vehicles shown in FIGS.  1  and  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Referring now in detail to the drawings, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present amusement system  10  has multiple game rooms or scenes  18  within a building  12 . A first path  20  and a second path  22  extend generally side by side through the various game rooms  18 , in a continuous loop. A passenger loading/unloading platform  24  is provided on either side or in-between the first path  20  and second path  22  within the building  12 . 
     A first vehicle  30  moves along the first path  20 , and a second vehicle  32  moves along the second path  22 . The vehicles  30  and  32  have wheels  36 , either above or below the track floor or ground  35  of the game rooms  18 . The first path  20  and second path  22  preferably include tracks or rails on which the wheels  36  roll, to guide the vehicles through the game rooms. A buss bar  58  or equivalent electrical power transfer device advantageously runs under or in each path  20  and  22 , to provide power and optionally data communications to the vehicles  30  and  32 . 
     Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first vehicle  30  has a body  38  having rider positions, or seats  48 , for accommodating riders. The vehicle body  38  is supported on a turntable  40 , which in turn is supported on a vehicle chassis  34 . The chassis  34  rolls along the path  20  on the wheels  36 . Various turning or spinning attachments between the body  38  and chassis  34  may be used in place of the turntable  40 . In the embodiment shown, the turntable  40  includes a ring gear  44  attached to the body  38 . A vehicle spin motor  42  turns a pinion gear  46  meshed with the ring gear  44 , so that the vehicle body  38  spins on the chassis  34  when the spin motor  42  is turned on. Drive motors  49  power the wheels  36  to propel the vehicle along the path. Alternatively, the vehicles can be moved along the path by other well-known techniques. The second vehicle  32  is preferably identical in engineering design to the first vehicle  30 , although it may have different schematic scenic external appearances and/or props. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, simulated weapons  50  are provided on the vehicle body  38  at each passenger position  48 . Each weapon  50  is connected to the vehicle body  38 , and to a vehicle computer  54  on the vehicle, via a cable or via a wireless link  52 . When a passengers pulls the trigger of the weapon  50 , the weapon emits a directed or collimated beam of light. Lights on the weapon  50  may also light up, and sounds may be emitted from the weapon, when the trigger is pulled to provide information or feedback to the rider, or to better simulate the theme of the amusement system. Preferably, each vehicle is provided with different type of weapons, having different shooting or scoring characteristics, to offer a greater variety of experiences for the riders. Vehicle displays  55  are provided on the vehicle body  38 , to display various information to the riders. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, animated FIGS. 60 are provided along the paths  20  and  22 , along with various fixed targets  61 , moving targets  64 , and scenery  66 . The animated FIGS.  60  and targets  61  and  64  have detectors  62 , which detect when they are “hit” by a light beam emitted from a weapon  50 . Vehicle targets  63  may also be placed on the moving vehicles. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a control computer  72  in a control room, is linked to track sensors  56  along side the paths  20  and  22 , to monitor the positions of the vehicles  30  and  32 , and to control various events occurring in the amusement system  10 . The control computer  72  is also linked to the animated FIGS.  60  and to the detectors  62 , to control movement of the animated FIGS.  60  and moving targets  64 , to detect when a target is hit, and to record a score for the player or vehicle scoring the hit. The control computer  72  is also linked to the vehicle computer  54 , either via the buss bar  58 , or through wireless techniques. As shown in FIG. 2, multiple first and second vehicles move along spaced apart on the first and second track, so that there is at least one pair of vehicles in each game room  18  at any given time. 
     In use, riders board the vehicles  30  and  32  at the load/unload platform  24 . A safety restraint keeps the riders seated. The vehicles  30  and  32  then move into the first game room or scene  18 . Various animated figures move about in the game room  18 , with some moving towards the vehicles  30  and  32 , to seemingly threaten the riders. The riders shoot at the animated FIGS. 60 or at the fixed and moving targets  61  and  64 , using the weapons  50 . The light beam emitted from each weapon  50  is preferably modulated, so that the detectors  62  and control computers  72  can identify each weapon  50  and the rider who successfully “hit” any of the targets or figures. 
     The control computer  72  preferably provides instructions to the vehicle computer  54  which in turn controls the spin motor  42  and vehicle drive motor  49 . For example, if, in one or more of the game rooms or scenes  18 , the riders in the “first” vehicle  30  outscore the riders in the “second” vehicle  32  by a preset amount (scoring achieved by successfully hitting a target with a light beam from the weapon  50 ) then the control computer  72  instructs the vehicle computer  54  to change a movement profile of vehicle  2 , e.g., causing vehicle  2  to spin, by turning on the spin motor  42 , or causing the second vehicle  32  to slow down, by slowing the drive motor  49  or both. The control computer  72  and vehicle computer  54  control all aspects of the amusement system, such as vehicle, animated figure, and target movement and position, sound and lighting effects, simulated gun and scoring characteristics, etc., using well known techniques. 
     Of course, other aspects of the ride, in addition to vehicle movement, can also be changed based on the occurrence or non-occurrence of an event. The vehicle computer  54  and the control computer  72  communicate with each other in real time. Any device or activity controlled by the vehicle computer  54  or the control computer  72  (e.g., vehicle movement; guns; targets; animation; sound; lighting; special effects, etc.) can be started, stopped, or changed, based on preprogrammed instructions, events occurring during the ride, or both. 
     Thus, a novel amusement system has been shown and described. Various modifications may of course be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention, therefore, should not be limited, except to the following claims, and their equivalents.