SYNCHRONIZATION DEVICE FOR SYNCHRONIZING HEAD-MOUNTED DISPLAYS WITH A VIRTUAL WORLD IN AN AMUSE-MENT RIDE, AMUSEMENT RIDE HAVING A SYNCHRONIZATION DEVICE OF THIS TYPE, AND METHOD FOR OPERATING AN AMUSEMENT RIDE OF THIS TYPE

Abstract

The invention relates to a synchronization device for synchronizing head-mounted displays (22) in an amusement ride (10), comprising at least one head-mounted display (22) with which a virtual reality generated by a VR device (30) can be displayed, and a display position detection device (28) for detecting the position and orientation of the head-mounted display (22), the synchronization device (12) being set up in such a way that the virtual reality is synchronized with the head-mounted display (22), taking into account the position and orientation of the head-mounted display (22) detected by the display position detection device (28), as soon as a selectable start criterion is met. Furthermore, the invention relates to an amusement ride having a synchronization device of this type. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for operating an amusement ride of this type.

Claims

1. A synchronization device for synchronizing head-mounted displays (22) with a virtual world, in particular in an amusement ride (10), comprising at least one head-mounted display (22) with which a virtual reality generated by a VR device (30) can be displayed, and a display position detection device (28) for detecting the position and orientation of the head-mounted display (22), the synchronization device (12) being set up in such a way that the virtual reality is synchronized with the head-mounted display (22), taking into account the position and orientation of the head-mounted display (22) detected by the display position detection device (28), as soon as a selectable start criterion is met.

2. The synchronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display position detection device (28) is set up in such a way that it defines a synchronization area (44) and the start criterion is met when the head-mounted display (22) is located within the synchronization area (44).

3. The synchronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that the head-mounted display (22) comprises a switching device (23) which generates a signal and sends it to the synchronization device (12) when the passenger puts on the head-mounted display (22), and the start criterion is met when the synchronization device (12) receives this signal.

4. The synchronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that the synchronization device (12) comprises a base station (24) for storing the head-mounted display (22) and the start criterion is met as soon as the display position detection device (28) detects that the head-mounted display (22) is removed from the base station (24).

5. The synchronization device according to claim 4, characterized in that the base station (24) has presence detection means (46), with which it can be detected whether the head-mounted display (22) is stored in the base station (24) and when the head-mounted display (22) is removed from the base station (24).

6. The synchronization device according to claim 4, characterized in that the base station (24) has a charging device (27) for charging the head-mounted display (22).

7. The synchronization device according to claim 1, characterized in that the display position detection device is equipped with assignment means (29) which enable the head-mounted displays to be clearly assigned.

8. The synchronization device according to claim 1, that the assignment means (29) comprise markers (29) arranged on the head-mounted display (22).

9. An amusement ride (10), in particular a roller coaster, comprising a route (14) on which at least one vehicle (16) is movably arranged, the vehicle (16) being designed to accommodate at least one passenger (20), a VR device (30), with which a virtual reality corresponding to a journey of the passenger (20) with the vehicle (16) along the route (14) can be generated and can be represented on a head-mounted display (22) assigned to the passenger (20), a vehicle position detection device (34) (38) for detecting the position of the vehicle (16) on the route (14), and a synchronization device (12) according to claim 1, which is set up in such a way that the virtual reality is synchronized with the head-mounted display (22), taking into account the position and orientation of the head-mounted displays (22) detected by the display position detection device (28) and the position of the vehicle (16) on the route (14), as soon as a selectable start criterion is met.

10. The amusement ride (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the vehicle (16) has at least two passenger receptacles (18) for accommodating one passenger (20) each and that a head-mounted display (22) is assigned to each passenger receptacle (18).

11. The amusement ride (10) according to claim 9, characterized in that the VR device (30) is set up in such a way that a virtual reality corresponding to the position and orientation of the head-mounted display (22) outside the vehicle (16) can be generated and displayed on the head-mounted display (22) assigned to the passenger (20).

12. A method for operating, in particular, an amusement ride (10) such as a roller coaster, according to claim 8, with a synchronization device (12) comprising the following steps: generating a virtual reality corresponding to a journey of a passenger (18) with the vehicle (16) along the route (14) by means of a VR device (30), detecting the position of the vehicle (16) on the route (14) by means of a vehicle position detection device (34), detecting the position and orientation of the head-mounted display (22) by means of a display position detection device (28), displaying the virtual reality on a head-mounted display (22) assigned to the passenger (20), synchronizing the virtual reality with the position and the orientation of the head-mounted display (22) as soon as a selectable start criterion is met, the virtual reality, taking into account the position of the vehicle (16) on the route (14) and the position and the orientation of the head-mounted display (22), being displayed on the head-mounted display (22).

13. The method according to claim 12, comprising the following steps: defining a synchronization area (44) by means of the display position detection device (28), and synchronizing the virtual reality with the position and orientation of the head-mounted display (22) when the head-mounted display (22) is within the synchronization area (44), as a result of which the start criterion is met.

14. The method according to claim 12, comprising the following steps: generating a signal by means of a switching device (23) arranged on the head-mounted display (22) when the passenger puts on the head-mounted display (22), and sending this signal to the synchronization device (12), the start criterion being met when the synchronization device (12) receives this signal.

15. The method according to claim 12, comprising the following step: displaying the virtual reality on the head-mounted display (22) as soon as the vehicle position detection device (34) detects that the vehicle (16) is moving along the route (16), as a result of which the start criterion is met.

16. The method according to claim 15, comprising the following steps: placing the head-mounted display (22) on a base station (24), and synchronizing the virtual reality with the position and the orientation of the head-mounted display (22) as soon as the display position detection device (28) detects that the head-mounted display (22) is removed from the base station (24), as a result of which the start criterion is met.

Description

[0047] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows an amusement ride with a first embodiment of a synchronization device according to the invention on the basis of a basic plan view;

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a passenger wearing a head-mounted display, also based on a basic plan view; and

[0050] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for operating an amusement ride.

[0051] FIG. 1 shows an amusement ride 10 with a synchronization device 12 according to the invention on the basis of a basic illustration. The amusement ride 10 comprises a route 14, along which a vehicle 16 can be moved by means of drive means, not illustrated. Of course, the amusement ride 10 can have more than one vehicle 16. In the illustrated embodiment example, the amusement ride 10 is a roller coaster. The vehicle 16 has a first passenger receptacle 18.sub.1 and a second passenger receptacle 18.sub.2, in which a first passenger 20.sub.1 and a second passenger 20.sub.2 can be accommodated, respectively.

[0052] The amusement ride 10 has a station 38 which is traversed by the route 14 and in which the vehicle 16 is stopped and started again. Passengers 20 can get into and out of the vehicle 16 at station 38.

[0053] The synchronization device 12 comprises at least one head-mounted display 22 with which a virtual reality can be displayed. Furthermore, the synchronization device 12 has a base station 24 for storing the head-mounted display 22. A base station 24 is provided for each head-mounted display 22 and is arranged in a waiting area 26 outside the station 38. The base stations 24 have a charging device 27, with which the head-mounted displays 22 can be charged as soon as they are stored in the base station 24.

[0054] In addition, the synchronization device 12 comprises a display position detection device 28, with which the position and the orientation of the head-mounted display 22 can be detected. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 2, the head-mounted display 22 has an assignment means 29 designed as a marker 29, which can be designed, for example, as an LED, a QR code or the like. As a result, each of the head-mounted displays 22 used in the amusement ride can be clearly identified and the position of the head-mounted displays 22 can be detected. In the exemplary embodiment shown, so-called “outside-in-tracking” is used, in which a number of position sensors 31 are separate and arranged outside of the head-mounted displays 22 (see FIG. 1). The position sensors 31 can track the movement of the markers 29, as a result of which the position of the head-mounted display 22 can be calculated.

[0055] Components such as gyro, acceleration and/or magnetic sensors installed in the head-mounted display 22, with which the orientation of the head-mounted display 22 can be determined, are not shown.

[0056] Furthermore, the head-mounted display 22 has a switching device 23, with which it can be detected whether the passenger 12 has put on the head-mounted display 22 or not.

[0057] The amusement ride 10 also includes a VR device 30, with which a virtual reality can be generated. For this purpose, the VR device 30 has a computing unit 32. The VR device 30 communicates wirelessly with the synchronization device 12 and the head-mounted display 22, which the passenger 20 wears much like glasses.

[0058] Furthermore, the amusement ride 10 is equipped with a vehicle position detection device 34, which is used to detect the position of the vehicle 16 on the route 14. The vehicle position detection device 34 has distance sensors 36, with which the position of the vehicle 16 on the route 14 is detected and transmitted to the computing unit 32, which takes the position of the vehicle 16 on the route 14 into account when generating the virtual reality.

[0059] The position and the orientation of the head-mounted display 22 can be described with a first coordinate system 40, while the movement and the orientation of the vehicle 16 can be described with a second coordinate system 42.

[0060] The amusement ride is operated in the following way: It can be seen in FIG. 1 that the head-mounted displays 22 are each stored in a base station 24. A passenger 20 in a first position P1 can take one of the head-mounted displays 22 from the base station 24 and then walk in the direction of the station 38. In doing so, he does not have to put on the head-mounted display 22, as is the case with the passenger 20 who is in a second position P2. In a third position P3, the passenger 20 has put on the head-mounted display 22. The third position P3 is located within a synchronization area 44. As soon as the display position detection device 28 detects that the head-mounted display 22 is located within the synchronization area 44, the head-mounted display 22 is synchronized with the virtual reality generated by the VR device 30. At this time, the position and orientation of the head-mounted display 22 are set in relation to the position and orientation of the vehicle. In other words, the first coordinate system 40 and the second coordinate system 42 are set in a reference relationship to one another. Changes in the orientation and position of the vehicle 26 and the head-mounted display 22 are related to this reference ratio.

[0061] Alternatively, the base station can have a presence detection means 46, which detects whether the head-mounted display 22 is stored in the base station 24 or not. When it is removed from base station 24, this event can be used to start synchronization.

[0062] Depending on the design of the amusement ride 10, the virtual reality can be restricted to the route 14, so that this is only displayed when the passenger 20 has got into the vehicle 16 and a start signal for the vehicle 16 has been emitted. In this case, the passenger 20 is shown the real world in the head-mounted display 22 as long as he is outside the vehicle 16.

[0063] However, it is also possible that the virtual reality also includes the synchronization area 44, so that the passenger 20 is already being shown a virtual reality when he enters the synchronization area 44. In the case of virtual reality that goes beyond the vehicle, obstacles of the real world are represented in the virtual reality in such a way that they do not pose any danger to the passenger 20 who has put on the head-mounted display 22.

[0064] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the method according to the invention for operating an amusement ride 10 using a flow chart. In this exemplary embodiment, the display position detection device 28 is activated when it is started up. In a first step S1, the display position detection device 28 detects the orientation and the position of the head-mounted display 22 in relation to the orientation and position of the vehicle when the head-mounted display 22 is located in the base station 24. In other words, the first coordinate system 40 and the second coordinate system 42 are defined at the time of the synchronization and set in a reference relationship to one another, which will not change until the next start-up. The passenger 20 then removes the head-mounted display 22 from the base station 24 in a second step S2. In a third step S3, the display position detection device 28 quasi-continuously detects the position and the orientation of the head-mounted display 22, so that the movement of the head-mounted display 22 can be recorded. In a fourth step S4, the passenger 20 puts on the head-mounted display 22, which is registered by the switching device 23. At this point in time, the orientation and position of the head-mounted display 22 are determined again in a fifth step S5, and after a sixth step S6 the virtual reality is displayed on the head-mounted display 22, taking into account the position of the vehicle on the route and the position and orientation of the head-mounted display 22.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0065] 10 amusement ride [0066] 12 synchronization device [0067] 14 route [0068] 16 vehicle [0069] 18 passenger receptacle [0070] 18.sub.1 first passenger receptacle [0071] 182 second passenger receptacle [0072] 20 passenger [0073] 20.sub.1 first passenger [0074] 202 second passenger [0075] 22 head-mounted display [0076] 23 switching device [0077] 24 base station [0078] 26 waiting area [0079] 27 charging device [0080] 28 display position detection device [0081] 29 assignment means, markers [0082] 30 VR device [0083] 31 position sensor [0084] 32 computing unit [0085] 34 vehicle position detection device [0086] 36 distance sensor [0087] 38 station [0088] 40 first coordinate system [0089] 42 second coordinate system [0090] 44 synchronization area [0091] 46 presence detection means [0092] P position [0093] S steps