阅读说明：本技术 装载转台系统和方法 (Loading turret system and method ) 是由 R·L·小汤斯 于 2020-03-05 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了一种包括装载平台的景点装载系统。装载平台包括配置成绕装载平台的中心竖直轴线旋转的旋转部分和在装载平台的第一边缘与第二边缘之间延伸的静止部分。静止部分的第一边缘和第二边缘包括静止部分与旋转部分的相应接口。旋转部分从第一边缘旋转到第二边缘。景点装载系统进一步包括绕装载平台的周缘设置的装载路径。(An attraction loading system including a loading platform is provided. The loading platform includes a rotating portion configured to rotate about a central vertical axis of the loading platform and a stationary portion extending between a first edge and a second edge of the loading platform. The first edge and the second edge of the stationary part comprise respective interfaces of the stationary part with the rotating part. The rotating portion rotates from a first edge to a second edge. The attraction loading system further includes a loading path disposed about a periphery of the loading platform.)

1. An attraction loading system comprising:

a loading platform comprising:

a rotating portion configured to rotate about a central vertical axis of the loading platform; and

a stationary portion extending between a first edge and a second edge, wherein the first edge and the second edge of the stationary portion comprise respective interfaces of the stationary portion and the rotating portion, and wherein the rotating portion rotates from the first edge to the second edge; and

a loading path disposed about a periphery of the loading platform, wherein a ride vehicle is configured to travel along the loading path.

2. The attraction loading system of claim 1, wherein respective top surfaces of the rotating portion and the stationary portion are disposed substantially within a common plane disposed perpendicularly with respect to the central vertical axis.

3. The attraction loading system of claim 1, wherein a rotational speed of the rotating portion is configured to substantially match a travel speed of the ride vehicle along the travel path such that a particular point on a top surface of the rotating portion remains a fixed distance from the ride vehicle as the ride vehicle travels along the loading path.

4. The attraction loading system of claim 3, wherein the stationary portion is configured to be stationary relative to the ride vehicle as the ride vehicle travels along the loading path such that a distance between the ride vehicle and another particular point on the stationary portion varies during the travel.

5. The attraction loading system of claim 1, further comprising a central portion coaxially positioned within the loading platform, wherein the central portion does not rotate with the rotating portion.

6. The attraction loading system of claim 5, comprising a passenger entry path connected to the central portion.

7. The attraction loading system of claim 1, wherein the rotating portion comprises a plurality of wedges coupled to one another via respective interlocking grooves.

8. The attraction loading system of claim 7, wherein an individual wedge of the plurality of wedges positioned adjacent the second edge is configured to move out of the plane of the loading platform during rotation of the rotating portion to cause another wedge of the plurality of wedges to be in a position adjacent the second edge.

9. The attraction loading system of claim 7, wherein individual wedges of the plurality of wedges adjacent the first edge are configured to rotate away from the first edge while another wedge moves into the plane of the loading platform and into a position adjacent the first edge.

10. The attraction loading system of claim 7, wherein each individual wedge of the plurality of wedges is configured to move vertically relative to adjacent wedges of the plurality of wedges via movement along the respective interlocking groove.

11. The attraction loading system of claim 1, comprising a first track switch configured to move the ride vehicle from an attraction path onto a primary portion of the loading path in a first configuration or from a secondary portion of the loading path onto the primary portion of the loading path in a second configuration.

12. The attraction loading system of claim 11, comprising a second track switch configured to move the ride vehicle from the primary portion of the loading path onto the attraction path in a third configuration or from the primary portion of the loading path onto the secondary portion of the loading path in a fourth configuration.

13. The attraction loading system of claim 11, wherein the secondary portion of the loading path is at least partially adjacent to the stationary portion of the loading platform.

14. The attraction loading system of claim 1, wherein the rotating portion rotates below the stationary portion.

15. The attraction loading system of claim 1, wherein a range of rotation of the rotating portion top surface substantially in a common plane with the stationary portion top surface is between the first edge and the second edge.

16. A method of loading passengers into a ride vehicle, comprising:

marking a ride vehicle traveling along a first portion of a loading path;

directing the marked ride vehicle to stop along a second portion of the loading path;

determining an occupancy status of the marked ride vehicle when stopped along the second portion of the loading path; and

based on the occupancy state, directing travel of the marked ride vehicle from the second portion of the loading path along the first portion of the loading path.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the occupancy state is a fully loaded occupancy state.

18. The method of claim 16, comprising guiding the marked ride carrier from the first portion of the loading path to an attraction path after the marked ride carrier travels along the first portion of the loading path.

19. The method of claim 16, comprising guiding the marked ride vehicle from an attraction path back to the first portion of the loading path after completing the attraction path.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein guiding the marked ride vehicle to stop along the second portion of the loading path comprises controlling a track switch to switch from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein the first configuration couples the first portion of the loading path to an attraction path, and wherein the second configuration couples the first portion of the loading path to the second portion of the loading path.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising controlling rotation of a rotating portion of a loading platform to match a speed of the ride vehicle along the first portion of the loading path.

22. An attraction loading platform system comprising:

a loading platform comprising a stationary portion and a rotating portion, wherein the rotating portion rotates about a central vertical axis of the loading platform and rotates from a first edge of the stationary portion to a second edge of the stationary portion;

a motor configured to effect rotation of the rotating portion; and

a controller configured to control a speed of the rotation.

23. The attraction loading platform system of claim 22, wherein the rotating portion is further configured to rotate from the second edge to the first edge by passing under the stationary portion.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of playgrounds. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for achieving flexible passenger loading times in attractions of a casino.

Background

Recently, there has been increased interest in improving the efficiency of loading passengers into ride vehicles at attractions of a casino. For example, some attractions may include a loading system having a ride vehicle that continuously moves along a loading zone as passengers are unloaded from the ride vehicle and as new passengers are loaded into the ride vehicle. However, some passengers may spend long periods of time leaving the ride vehicle and/or may spend long periods of time boarding the ride vehicle. That is, the loading passengers may not fully board and be secured within the ride vehicle before the ride vehicle reaches the end of the loading zone. In such a case, the movement of all ride vehicles through the attractions and/or loading area may be affected to give the loading passenger additional time to board the ride vehicle. For example, in one scenario, each ride vehicle may come to a complete stop to allow additional time for loading passengers to board the ride vehicle in the loading bay. Slowing or stopping movement of the ride vehicle through the attraction may be detrimental to the throughput of the attraction, which can result in increased latency and reduced revenues for the casino.

Disclosure of Invention

Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimed subject matter are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter, but rather these embodiments are intended to provide only a brief summary of possible forms of the subject matter. Indeed, the subject matter may include various forms, which may be similar or different from the embodiments set forth below.

In one embodiment, the attraction loading system includes a loading platform. The loading platform includes a rotating portion configured to rotate about a central vertical axis of the loading platform and a stationary portion extending between a first edge and a second edge of the loading platform. The first edge and the second edge of the stationary part comprise respective interfaces of the stationary part with the rotating part. The rotating portion rotates from a first edge to a second edge. The attraction loading system further includes a loading path disposed about a periphery of the loading platform and a ride vehicle configured to travel along the loading path.

In one embodiment, a method of loading passengers into a ride vehicle includes marking a ride vehicle traveling along a first portion of a loading path and directing the marked ride vehicle to stop along a second portion of the loading path. The method also includes determining an occupancy status of the marked ride vehicle when stopped along the second portion of the loading path. The method further includes, based on the occupancy status, directing the marked ride vehicle to travel from the second portion of the loading path along the first portion of the loading path.

In one embodiment, the attraction loading platform system includes a loading platform. The loading platform comprises a stationary part and a rotating part. The rotating part rotates around the central vertical axis of the loading platform and rotates from a first edge of the stationary part to a second edge of the stationary part. The attraction loading platform system further includes a motor configured to effect rotation of the rotating portion and a controller configured to control a speed of the rotation.

Drawings

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a schematic plan view of the loading system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a portion of the loading system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method of operating a loading system; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a loading system.

Detailed Description

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. In addition, it should be understood that references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

The disclosed embodiments relate generally to a loading system configured to provide a variable amount of available loading time for passengers into a ride vehicle. More specifically, the disclosed technology permits a variable amount of passenger loading time into a particular ride vehicle while allowing other ride vehicles to continue through the loading zone at a nominal speed and then enter the attraction. For example, the disclosed loading system may include a loading area platform having a moving portion and a stationary portion. The load zone platform includes a continuously rotating turntable that rotates in unison with movement of an adjacent ride vehicle traveling along the load zone track portion, both the turntable and the vehicle moving at a relatively lower speed than the ride vehicle speed in the attraction path. More specifically, the rotary turret may form a partial ring disposed about the central axis, the partial ring being interrupted by the stationary portion. The rotary turntable may be rotated by only a part of the total circumference of the loading area platform. The loading zone is configured to receive an occupied ride vehicle (e.g., a passenger occupied vehicle) at the first end of the rotating portion. The ride vehicle and the swivel portion may rotate together from a first end of the swivel portion to a second end of the swivel portion. The rotational speed of the ride vehicle may substantially match the rotational speed of the turntable such that relative movement between the ride vehicle and the turntable may be substantially imperceptible. In other words, the edge of the turntable may be stationary relative to the edge of the ride vehicle to create a stationary physical interface or virtual coupling between the ride vehicle and the turntable.

When the ride vehicle reaches the first end of the rotating portion of the turntable from the attraction path, passengers may be unloaded from the ride vehicle onto the rotating portion. Once a passenger is unloaded from the ride vehicle, a new passenger may be directed to be loaded from the rotating portion to the ride vehicle. Typically, to increase user throughput through the attraction, the turntable and ride vehicle may rotate continuously at a nominal speed as passengers unload and load the ride vehicle. The ride vehicle may continue to move with the turntable until the ride vehicle reaches the second end of the rotating portion. Passengers are able to unload and load the ride vehicle in the time it takes for the ride vehicle to reach the first end of the rotating portion and rotate to the second end of the rotating portion. If a particular ride vehicle is occupied by a loaded passenger when the ride vehicle reaches the second end of the rotating portion, the ride vehicle may be directed to begin a ride cycle at the attraction along the attraction path.

However, in some cases, the passenger may require more time to load the ride vehicle than the time allotted by the ride vehicle traveling from the first end to the second end of the rotating portion of the turntable. Further, in some cases, a passenger may simply be bored (e.g., due to the passenger's physical or mental state) with respect to loading a moving ride vehicle from a moving platform. In such a case, the ride operator may mark a particular ride vehicle to cause the particular ride vehicle to transition from the second end of the rotating portion to the stationary portion of the turntable. As mentioned above, the stationary part of the turntable may be positioned circumferentially around the central axis between the first and second ends of the rotating part of the turntable. When positioned at a stationary portion of the turntable, passengers may have an increased (e.g., infinite) amount of time to load into a particular ride vehicle. Once the passenger has been successfully loaded into a particular ride vehicle, the ride operator may again mark the particular ride vehicle to move from the stationary portion to the first end of the rotating portion. From the first end of the rotating portion, the particular ride vehicle may again travel to the second end of the rotating portion and be guided from the second end of the rotating portion to the attraction path. In this manner, slower loading passengers may not be distracting to other passengers because each ride vehicle continues to move through the loading zone at a nominal speed regardless of the ride vehicle loading time of the other passengers. Thus, passengers may have an increased amount of available time to load a ride vehicle.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of a loading zone 10 of a loading system 12. As shown, the loading area 10 may be part of an entire ride system 14 (e.g., attraction). For example, passengers may be loaded into the ride vehicle 16 in the loading zone 10, may travel along the attraction path 18 of the ride system 14, and may return to the loading zone 10 to be unloaded from the ride vehicle 16. When traveling along the attraction path 18, the passenger may be exposed to various experiences, such as virtual reality, alternate reality, environmental interaction, multiple ride paths, water characteristics, special effects, and so forth. It should be noted that to focus on aspects of the loading system 12, portions of the ride system 14, such as the attraction path 18, have been intentionally simplified.

The loading system 12 may include a loading platform 20, an entry ramp 22, a loading path 24, and a ride vehicle 16. As shown, the loading platform 20 may extend circumferentially about the central vertical axis 25 to form a substantially flat surface in a plane perpendicular to the central vertical axis 25. The loading platform 20 may include a rotating portion 26 (e.g., a rotating turntable) and a stationary portion 28 (e.g., a stationary platform). The stationary portion 28 may include a stationary center portion 30 and a stationary radial portion 32. The stationary center portion 30 may be disposed about the central vertical axis 25. Indeed, as shown, in some embodiments, the stationary center portion 30 may be substantially circular, with the center of the stationary center portion 30 being coaxial with the central vertical axis 25 and concentric with the annulus formed by the rotating portion 26 and the stationary radial portion 32. More specifically, the visible or top surface 49 of the rotating portion 26 may extend only partially circumferentially about the central vertical axis 25 between the first edge 40 and the second edge 42 to form a partial annulus or partial bend completed by the top surface 51 of the radial portion 32. The radial portion 32 may also extend only partially circumferentially about the central vertical axis 25 between the first edge 40 and the second edge 42. Indeed, the first edge 40 and the second edge 42 may define a circumferential (e.g., relative to the central vertical axis 25) boundary between the rotating portion 26 and the radial portion 32.

In certain embodiments, the rotation of the rotating portion 26 is a partial rotation from a first edge 40 of the stationary radial portion 32 to a second edge 42 of the stationary radial portion 32. That is, the rotating portion 26 does not form a complete cycle around the circumference of the loading platform 20. However, in some embodiments, the rotating portion 26 sinks below the stationary radial portion 32 such that the top surface 49 again appears at the first edge 40. In such embodiments, the rotating portion 26 rotates in a complete cycle or complete rotation about the axis of rotation. However, portions of rotating portion 26 are below the common plane and do not form top surface 49.

The rotating portion 26 may be comprised of a series of wedges 44. Rotation of the rotating portion 26 may be driven by the wedge 44 through rotation of the rotating portion 26 about the central vertical axis 25. In some embodiments, the rotating portion 26 may rotate in a clockwise 48 direction. Generally, top surface 49 of rotating portion 26 and top surface 51 of radial portion 32 may both be disposed substantially in a common horizontal plane (e.g., relative to central vertical axis 25). Thus, in the depicted embodiment, the top surfaces 49 of the wedges 44 are configured to be disposed substantially within a common horizontal plane as they rotate through the rotating portion 26 and are configured to pass below the common horizontal plane as they rotate through the stationary radial portion 32. For further illustration, fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the wedge 44 with respect to the first edge 40 of the loading system 12. As shown, the top surface 49 of the rotating portion 26 may be substantially coplanar with the top surface 51 of the stationary radial portion 32. In certain embodiments, adjacent wedges 44 may include a partially vertical interface 53 with interlocking grooves, similar to the function of a step in an escalator, such that adjacent wedges 44 may slide at least partially vertically (e.g., relative to central vertical axis 25) along the grooves and relative to each other. Indeed, in some embodiments, the top surface 49 of the wedge 44 and the edges 40, 42 of the stationary radial portion 32 may include an interlocking interface 47 (e.g., grooves, teeth, ridges, etc.) similar to the top surface of a step of a conventional escalator. For example, as the wedge 44 rotates clockwise 48 past the second edge 42 (e.g., transitioning from the rotating portion 26 to the stationary radial portion 32), the wedge 44 may move vertically below the stationary radial portion 32. For example, referring back now to fig. 1, an individual wedge 44a may move out of plane and in a direction away from the top surface 49 of its adjacent wedge 44 or downward from the top surface 49 of its adjacent wedge 44. The wedge 44 may rotate further clockwise 48 below the common horizontal plane of the stationary radial portion 32 toward the first edge 40. When the wedge 44 reaches the first edge 40, the wedge 44 may shift vertically upwards, shown as a separate wedge 44b, such that the top surfaces 49 of the wedges 44 are disposed within a common horizontal plane as the wedge 44 passes the first edge 40.

Entrance ramp 22 may be any suitable angled path, which may include steps, a substantially flat angled surface, an escalator, or any combination thereof. Typically, passengers may enter loading area 10 from entry 50, descend from entry ramp 22 toward central portion 30 of loading platform 20, and load into ride vehicle 16. Similarly, a user may ascend from entrance ramp 22 toward entrance 50 to exit loading zone 10. As shown, radial portion 32 may be disposed below a portion of inlet ramp 22.

The ride vehicle 16 may enter the loading area 10 from the attraction path 18. In particular, the attraction path 18 may connect to the load path 24 at a first connection location 54 (e.g., a first track switch 55) and a second connection location 56 (e.g., a second track switch 57). The ride vehicle 16 may travel from the attraction path 18 to the first connection location 54 and clockwise 48 along the loading path 24 toward the second connection location 56. As will be appreciated, from the second connection location 56, the ride vehicle 16 may either be directed (e.g., re-circulated) to continue clockwise 48 along the loading path 24 toward the first connection location 54, or may be directed along the attraction path 18.

As shown, the loading path 24 may be disposed about a perimeter (i.e., circumference) of the loading platform 20. Passengers may load and unload the ride vehicle 16 as the ride vehicle 16 moves along the loading path 24. The loading path 24 may include a track or conveyor, or may be a virtual path along which the ride vehicle 16 travels. In some embodiments, the loading path 24 is the path along which the ride vehicle 16 travels when rotating with the loading platform 20 (i.e., rotating with the loading platform 20 or rotating at the same speed as the loading platform 20). As shown, the ride vehicle 16 may rotate at substantially the same rotational speed as the loading platform 20 while traveling along the loading path 24. In this manner, the position and orientation of each ride vehicle 16 along the perimeter of the loading platform 20 may remain substantially constant. In other words, each ride vehicle 16 may maintain a temporarily fixed position relative to the perimeter of the loading platform 20 while traveling through the loading path 24, and while the loading platform 20 rotates about the central vertical axis 25, such that the orientation of the loading platform 20 relative to the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., with the seats facing toward the center of the loading platform 20 or alongside the edges of the loading platform 20) is substantially maintained. For example, in the presently illustrated embodiment having a substantially circular loading platform 20, each ride vehicle 16 may continuously face a central vertical axis 25 of the loading platform 20 as the ride vehicle 16 travels along the loading path 24. In certain embodiments, the rotational speed of the loading platform 20 and the speed of the ride vehicle 16 in the loading path 24 is less than the average speed of the ride vehicle 16 in the attraction path 18.

In the depicted embodiment, the ride vehicle 16 is configured to enter the loading zone 10 from the attraction path 18 and pass through the first connection location 54 to travel clockwise 48 along the loading path 24 toward the second connection location 56 (e.g., a main portion 60 of the loading path 24). Passengers may be unloaded from the ride vehicle 16 as the ride vehicle 16 travels along the main portion 60 of the loading path 24. Once a passenger is unloaded from the ride vehicle 16, a new passenger may be directed to load into the ride vehicle 16. As the ride vehicle 16 travels along the main portion 60, new passengers may attempt to load the ride vehicle 16. If a new passenger has successfully loaded into the ride vehicle 16 before the ride vehicle 16 reaches the second connection location 56, the ride vehicle 16 may be directed from the loading path 24 (e.g., via the second track transition 57 of the second connection location 56) to the attraction path 18. However, in some cases, the passenger may request or require additional time to load into the ride vehicle 16, or the operator may subjectively determine that the passenger may benefit from having additional time to load into the ride vehicle 16. For example, the passenger may indicate a preference not to load from the rotating portion 26 of the loading platform 20 into the ride vehicle 16. Thus, in such a situation, the ride operator may mark the ride vehicle 16 to cause the ride vehicle 16 to transition from the primary portion 60 of the load path 24, across the second connection location 56, and toward the first connection location 54 (e.g., the secondary portion 66 of the load path 24). The ride vehicle 16 may come to a complete stop at the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 to allow passengers to load into the ride vehicle 16 from the stationary radial portion 32. In some embodiments, multiple ride vehicles 16 may be positioned along the secondary portion 66 to allow passengers to be loaded into multiple ride vehicles 16 from the stationary loading portion 28 at the same time. For example, as shown in the current embodiment, the secondary portion 66 may accommodate approximately two ride vehicles 16. However, it is understood that the secondary portion 66 may accommodate any suitable number of ride vehicles 16.

The secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 may be disposed below the entrance ramp 22. That is, when a passenger attempts to load into the ride vehicle 16, the passenger and ride vehicle 16 may be disposed below the entrance ramp 22. Thus, the entrance ramp 22 is arranged such that the clearance below the entrance ramp 22 is sufficient to permit clearance for the ride vehicle 16 and any unloaded passengers to travel from the position of the second connection location 56 to the first connection location 54 below the entrance ramp 22.

Additionally or alternatively, the ride vehicle 16 may be transferred to the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 based on the loading time of the passenger. For example, if a new passenger is not successfully loaded into the ride vehicle 16 before the ride vehicle 16 reaches the second connection location 56, the ride vehicle 16 may be directed (e.g., via the second track transition 57) to continue along the loading path 24 toward the first connection location 54 (e.g., along the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24). If the ride vehicle 16 is guided from the second connection location 56 toward the first connection location 54, the ride vehicle 16 may come to a complete stop along the secondary portion 66 until the passenger has been successfully loaded into the ride vehicle 16. That is, if a passenger is not loaded into the ride vehicle 16 when the ride vehicle 16 reaches the second connection location 56, the passenger may be transferred from the rotating portion 26 to the stationary radial portion 32 for loading into the ride vehicle 16, as described above.

After passengers are loaded into the ride vehicle 16 from the stationary radial portion 32, the ride vehicle 16 may be transitioned across the first connection location 54 (e.g., from the secondary portion 66 to the primary portion 60 via the first track transition 55) to recirculate along the primary portion 60 with the ride vehicle 16 arriving from the attraction path 18. The ride vehicle 16 may then travel along the main portion 60 and board the attraction path 18 at the second connection location 56.

With this in mind, FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a loading process 80 that may be utilized by the loading system 12. Thus, the following discussion may refer to FIG. 1 in parallel with FIG. 3. In addition, the following discussion refers to the progress of a particular ride vehicle 16 through the loading process 80.

At block 82, the ride vehicle 16 traveling along the main portion 60 (e.g., clockwise 48) may be marked. In particular, the ride operator may provide input to a controller (e.g., a vehicle controller and/or an attraction master controller) to mark the ride vehicle 16. Providing input may include pressing a button on a control panel, using a key, using a short-range communication device (e.g., an RFID tag), or any other suitable input. The marking of the ride vehicle 16 distinguishes the ride vehicle 16 from other ride vehicles 16 with respect to the operation of the controller. In some embodiments, the ride operator may provide input to mark the ride vehicle 16 based on a request by a passenger who wishes to board the ride vehicle 16.

At block 84, the ride vehicle 16 may be directed from the primary portion 60 of the loading path 24, which may be adjacent to the rotating portion 26, to the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24, which may be adjacent to the stationary radial portion 32. That is, in some embodiments, the second track transition 57 disposed at the second connection location 56 may guide the ride vehicle 16 from the primary portion 60 to the secondary portion 66 as opposed to guiding the ride vehicle 16 from the primary portion 60 to the attraction path 18. In some embodiments, the embodiment described in block 82 may implement (e.g., trigger) the embodiment described with reference to block 84.

At block 86, the ride vehicle 16 may discontinue movement along the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24. In other words, the ride vehicle 16 may come to a stop along the secondary portion 66 adjacent the stationary radial portion 32. In some embodiments, the braking system of the ride vehicle 16 may be activated to cause the ride vehicle 16 to come to a stop at the secondary portion 66. Further, in some embodiments, the ride operator may simply direct the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., by grasping the ride vehicle 16 by hand or device and walking along the loading platform 20) to a resting position along the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24.

At block 88, the occupancy status of the ride vehicle 16 may be determined. For example, the ride operator may determine that the passenger is fully loaded and secured in the ride vehicle 16. When this is determined, the ride operator may provide an occupancy confirmation input to the controller. Providing input may include pressing a button on a control panel, using a key, using a short-range communication device (e.g., an RFID tag), or any other suitable input. The ride operator may provide input based on his subjective judgment. That is, the ride operator may determine that input is provided when the ride vehicle is fully occupied, partially occupied, or without passengers. Further, in some embodiments, the occupancy status of the ride vehicle 16 may be based on one or more sensors that detect the presence of passengers in the ride vehicle and the status of the ride vehicle's restraint and provide occupancy confirmation input to the controller.

At block 90, the ride vehicle 16 may be recirculated from the secondary portion 66 (e.g., via the first track transition 55 at the first connection location 54) to the main portion 60 of the loading path 24. That is, the ride vehicle 16 may be placed within the stream of incoming ride vehicles 16 from the attraction path 18 to the loading area 10.

For purposes of illustration, the ride vehicle 16 moving along the main portion 60 of the loading path 24 may generally move at constant intervals along the loading path 24. Thus, assuming that each ride vehicle 16 is also guided from the main portion 60 along the attraction path 18, the ride vehicle 16 may also generally travel at constant intervals along the attraction path 18. However, as described in the embodiment of block 84, at the second connection location 56, the ride vehicle 16 may be guided from the primary portion 60 to the secondary portion 66, as opposed to being guided along the attraction path 18. In such embodiments, an extended spacing (e.g., gap, bubble, space) may occur between two adjacent carriers 16 traveling along the attraction path 18 because a ride carrier 16 that has been disposed between adjacent carriers 16 along the loading path 24 is directed to the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24, rather than to the attraction path 18.

Adjacent ride vehicles 16 may travel along the attraction path 18 while maintaining the extended spacing therebetween. Thus, when an adjacent ride vehicle 16 returns from the attraction path 18 to the loading area 10, the ride vehicle 16 in the secondary portion 66 may transition to the main portion 60 of the loading path 24 such that the ride vehicle 16 is disposed between (e.g., in an extended space between) two adjacent ride vehicles 16. For example, upon receiving an occupancy confirmation signal (e.g., block 88), the ride vehicle 16 may be ready to transition into the extended interval of travel along the attraction path 18 (the extended interval created by the ride vehicle 16 by transitioning into the secondary portion 66). Indeed, the embodiment of block 90 may be triggered or implemented based on the embodiment of block 88. As adjacent ride vehicles 16 with extended spacing therebetween arrive at the first connection location 54 from the attraction path 18, the ride vehicle 16 may shift into the space between adjacent ride vehicles 16 to continue along the main portion 60 of the loading path 24.

At block 92, the ride vehicle 16 may transition from the main portion 60 of the loading path 24 to the attraction path 18 at the second connection location 56 (e.g., via the second track transition 57). Indeed, since passengers have been loaded into the ride vehicle 16 from the stationary radial portion 32 when the ride vehicle 16 stops at the secondary portion 66, the ride vehicle 16 may be directed to the attraction path 18 to complete the ride cycle upon reaching the second connection location 56.

In some embodiments, to unload from the ride vehicle 16 (e.g., after the ride vehicle 16 has completed a ride cycle along the attraction path 18), the ride vehicle 16 may be marked again (e.g., block 82) for transfer to the secondary portion 66 of the loading path 24 to allow passengers to unload onto the stationary radial portion 32. Thus, other passengers may also be loaded into the ride vehicle 16 while the ride vehicle 16 is still in place at the radial portion 32. In some embodiments, the ride vehicle 16 may be a continuously marked vehicle such that the ride vehicle 16 may be guided to stop at the secondary portion 66 of the load path 24 after each ride cycle.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the loading system 12. As seen in fig. 4, the loading system includes a turntable assembly 106, which turntable assembly 106 drives the rotation of the loading platform 20 via a motor 108 and a turntable controller 110. The turntable controller 110 may be coupled to a central ride controller 120 (e.g., an attraction controller) and may communicate over a wireless network (e.g., wireless local area network [ WLAN ], wireless wide area network [ WWAN ], near field communication [ NFC ]) and/or over a wired network (e.g., local area network [ LAN ], wide area network [ WAN ]). The controller 120 includes a processor 124 and a memory 126. It should be understood that other disclosed components of the loading system 12 may also include a memory and a processor, and may be operative to execute processor-based instructions stored in the memory. The central ride controller 120 may also control vehicle movement and may communicate with the first and second track switches 55, 57 and their respective controllers 130, 132 to guide movement of the ride vehicle 16 between the attraction path 18 and the load path 24. For example, in one embodiment, the controller 120 may receive signals or data that one or more ride vehicles 16 proximate to the second track switch 57 are not marked. As the ride vehicle or vehicles 16 approach the second track switch 57, the second track switch 57 receives a signal to switch to a position (or remain therein) to guide the ride vehicle 16 onto the attraction path 18. In another example, when the ride system 14 is in operation and the ride vehicle 16 traversing the load path 24 is marked, the second track switch 57 receives a signal from the controller 120 to move to a position (or remain therein) to re-circulate the ride vehicle 16 toward the secondary portion 66 of the load path 24.

The central controller 120 may permit operator input via an operator interface 140, which operator interface 140 may include a display 142. In some embodiments, an operator may send one or more signals to the central controller 120 via the operator interface 140 to operate the loading system 12 as discussed herein.

In general, embodiments disclosed herein are configured to provide systems and methods for variable loading time for passenger loading into a ride vehicle. For example, the disclosed embodiments include attractions having a loading area with a ride vehicle configured to rotate with the turntable as passengers unload and load the ride vehicle. Typically, passengers have a set amount of time to load into the ride vehicle as it travels through the loading zone. However, passengers may prefer more than a set amount of time, or may prefer to load into the ride vehicle from a stationary surface. Thus, the turntable may comprise a stationary part and a rotating part. Typically, passengers may be loaded into the ride vehicle in the swivel portion and may be guided to start a ride cycle from the swivel portion. However, the turntable also includes a stationary portion configured to accommodate the ride vehicle stationary for a period of time as other vehicles continue to move through the loading zone via the rotating portion. Thus, some passengers requiring additional time to load into a ride vehicle may do so without interfering with the throughput of other ride vehicles. The uninterrupted process of taking the carrier through the scenic spot enables the scenic spot to circulate a large number of tourists through the scenic spot, thereby improving the efficiency of the scenic spot.

While only certain features of the present embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure. Further, it should be understood that certain elements of the disclosed embodiments may be combined with or exchanged for each other.

The technology presented and claimed herein is cited and applied to real objects and concrete examples of practical nature which significantly improve the technical field and are therefore not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Furthermore, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [ performing ]. [ function" or "step for [ performing ]. [ function"), it is intended that such elements be construed in accordance with 35 u.s.c.112 (f). However, for any claim that contains elements specified in any other way, it is intended that these elements not be construed in accordance with 35 u.s.c.112 (f).