US-12623160-B2 - Closed loop feedback atmospheric effects systems

US12623160B2US 12623160 B2US12623160 B2US 12623160B2US-12623160-B2

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses disclosed herein can be implemented as a closed loop feedback system to provide various atmospheric effects. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can regulate these atmospheric effects based on one or more environmental measurements as part of the closed loop feedback system. As part of the closed loop feedback system, these systems, methods, and apparatuses can detect, or measure, one or more physical properties, such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation amount, scent, location, altitude, and/or azimuth to provide some examples. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can compare the one or more physical properties with one or more performance targets of the atmospheric effects and can regulate the atmospheric effects to cause the one or more physical properties to satisfy the one or more performance targets of the atmospheric effects.

Inventors

Jason Goldenberg
Michael RIVES
Stuart Elby
Robert Anderson

Assignees

SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230315

Claims (20)

1 . An atmospheric effects system for presenting an atmospheric effect within a venue, the atmospheric effects system comprising: an atmospheric effects pod system configured to provide the atmospheric effect within the venue without an audience being present in the venue; an atmospheric effects monitoring system configured to measure and record a physical property of the atmospheric effect without the audience being present in the venue; and an atmospheric effects control system configured to: compare the physical property of the atmospheric effect with a corresponding performance target from among a plurality of performance targets; regulate a configuration of the atmospheric effects pod system until the physical property of the atmospheric effect satisfies the corresponding performance target to determine a plurality of configurations of the atmospheric effects pod system that respectively satisfy the plurality of performance targets, store the plurality of configurations of the atmospheric effects pod system that provided the atmospheric effect at the plurality of performance targets to generate a plurality of entries in an atmospheric effects calibration database, each entry from among the plurality of entries being associated with a corresponding configuration from among the plurality of configurations and a corresponding performance target from among the plurality of performance targets, access the atmospheric effects calibration database to retrieve a corresponding entry that achieves a specific performance target in the venue from among the plurality of entries in the atmospheric effects calibration database, and configure the atmospheric effects pod system in accordance with the corresponding entry to provide the atmospheric effect at the specific performance target within the venue during an event being hosted by the venue and with the audience being present in the venue.
2 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 1 , wherein the physical property of the atmospheric effect comprises a temperature, an atmospheric pressure, a humidity, a wind speed, a wind direction, a precipitation amount, or a scent.
3 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric effects monitoring system comprises an atmospheric effects sensor configured to measure the physical property of the atmospheric effect at a location within the venue.
4 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 3 , wherein the atmospheric effects sensor comprises: a stationary device that is incorporated within or coupled to the venue; or a mobile device that moves about the venue.
5 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding performance target is outlined by event information relating to the event.
6 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric effects calibration database outlines the plurality of configurations for the atmospheric effects pod system to provide the atmospheric effect at the plurality of performance targets within the venue.
7 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric effects control system is configured to: vary the configuration of the atmospheric effects pod system when a difference between the corresponding performance target and the physical property of the atmospheric effect is outside of a target window; and maintain and store the configuration of the atmospheric effects pod system when the difference between the corresponding performance target and the physical property of the atmospheric effect is within the target window.
8 . A venue for presenting an atmospheric effect in relation to an event, the venue comprising: an atmospheric effects pod system configured to provide the atmospheric effect within the venue without an audience being present in the venue; an atmospheric effects monitoring system configured to measure and record a plurality of physical properties of the atmospheric effect at a plurality of locations within the venue without the audience being present in the venue; and an atmospheric effects control system configured to: compare the plurality of physical properties of the atmospheric effect with corresponding performance targets from among a plurality of performance targets, regulate a configuration of the atmospheric effect pod system until the plurality of physical properties of the atmospheric effect satisfy the corresponding performance targets to determine a plurality of configurations of the atmospheric effects pod system that respectively satisfy the plurality of performance targets, store the plurality of configurations of the atmospheric effects pod system that provided the atmospheric effect at the plurality of performance targets to generate a plurality of entries in an atmospheric effects calibration database, each entry from among the plurality of entries being associated with a corresponding configuration from among the plurality of configurations and corresponding performance targets from among the plurality of performance targets, access the atmospheric effects calibration database to retrieve a corresponding entry that achieves a plurality of specific performance targets at the plurality of locations from among the plurality of entries in the atmospheric effects calibration database, and configure the atmospheric effects pod system in accordance with the corresponding entry to provide the atmospheric effect at the plurality of specific performance targets at the plurality of locations during an event being hosted by the venue and with the audience being present in the venue.
9 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric effects control system is configured to: regulate an atmospheric effects control signal to cause the atmospheric effects pod system to provide the atmospheric effect at the physical property until satisfying the corresponding performance target to determine a plurality of atmospheric effects control signals for the atmospheric effects pod system that respectively satisfy the plurality of performance targets, and store the plurality of atmospheric effects control signals that provided the atmospheric effect at the plurality of performance targets to generate the plurality of entries in the atmospheric effects calibration database.
10 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric effects control system is further configured to: receive an environmental measurement from the atmospheric effects monitoring system that indicates the physical property of the atmospheric effect, and process the environmental measurement to determine the physical property of the atmospheric effect.
11 . The atmospheric effects system of claim 10 , wherein the atmospheric effects control system is configured to smooth the environmental measurement to determine the physical property of the atmospheric effect.
12 . The venue of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of physical properties of the atmospheric effect comprise one or more temperatures, atmospheric pressures, humidity, wind speeds, wind directions, precipitation amounts, or scents of the atmospheric effect at the plurality of locations.
13 . The venue of claim 8 , wherein the atmospheric effects monitoring system comprises: a plurality of atmospheric effects sensors configured to measure the plurality of physical properties of the atmospheric effect at the plurality of locations.
14 . The venue of claim 13 , wherein at least one atmospheric effect sensor from among the plurality of atmospheric effects sensors comprises: a stationary device that is incorporated within or coupled to the venue; or a mobile device that moves about the venue.
15 . The venue of claim 8 , wherein the corresponding performance targets are outlined by event information relating to the event.
16 . The venue of claim 8 , wherein the atmospheric effects calibration database outlines the plurality of configurations for the atmospheric effects pod system to provide the plurality of atmospheric effects at the plurality of performance targets.
17 . The venue of claim 8 , wherein the atmospheric effects control system is configured to: vary the configuration of the atmospheric effect system when a difference between the corresponding performance targets and the plurality of physical properties of the plurality of atmospheric effects is outside of a target window; and maintain and store the configuration of the atmospheric effect system when the difference between the corresponding performance targets and the plurality of physical properties of the plurality of atmospheric effects is within the target window.
18 . A method for operating an atmospheric effects system for presenting an atmospheric effect within a venue, the method comprising: providing, by the atmospheric effects system, the atmospheric effect within the venue without an audience being present in the venue; measuring and recording, by the atmospheric effects system, a physical property of the atmospheric effect without the audience being present in the venue; comparing, by the atmospheric effects system, the physical property of the atmospheric effect with a corresponding performance target from among a plurality of performance targets; regulating, by the atmospheric effects system, a configuration of the atmospheric effects system until the physical property of the atmospheric effect satisfies the corresponding performance target to determine a plurality of configurations of the atmospheric effects pod system that respectively satisfy the plurality of performance targets; storing, by the atmospheric effects system, the plurality of configurations of the atmospheric effects system that provided the atmospheric effect at the plurality of performance targets to generate a plurality of entries in an atmospheric effects calibration database, each entry from among the plurality of entries being associated with a corresponding configuration from among the plurality of configurations and a corresponding performance target from among the plurality of performance targets; accessing, by the atmospheric effects system, the atmospheric effects calibration database to retrieve a corresponding entry that achieves a specific performance target in the venue from among the plurality of entries in the atmospheric effects calibration database; and configuring, by the atmospheric effects system, the atmospheric effects system in accordance with the corresponding entry to provide the atmospheric effect at the specific performance target within the venue during an event being hosted by the venue and with the audience being present in the venue.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the physical property of the atmospheric effect comprises a temperature, an atmospheric pressure, a humidity, a wind speed, a wind direction, a precipitation amount, or a scent.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the measuring and recording comprises: measuring and recording the physical properties property of the atmospheric effect at a location within the venue.

Description

BACKGROUND The United States Media and Entertainment Industry is the largest in the world. The United States Media and Entertainment Industry represents a third of the global media and entertainment industry which delivers events, such as musical events, theatrical events, sporting events, and/or motion picture events, to an audience for their viewing pleasure. Presently, venues, such as music venues and/or sporting venues to provide an example, deliver these events to the audience using audio-visual systems having various display screens surrounded by auditory speakers. Operators of these venues have made many attempts to further enhance the immersion of the audience as they are viewing these events. For example, these operators have used large flames to deliver conventional heating effects to the audience, but these large flames cannot be used within indoor venues and impose fire concerns. Other conventional heating systems, such as large radiant space heaters, have also been used to deliver the conventional heat effects, but these conventional heating systems are extremely inefficient, require an almost limitless amount of power, and also imposed fire concerns. Operators of these venues have used large air blowers, such as large industrial fans to provide an example, to deliver conventional cooling effects to the audience, but these large air blowers have difficulty in providing a large enough air volume to deliver these conventional cooling effects to the entire audience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles thereof and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the same. In the drawings: FIG. 1 graphically illustrates an exemplary closed loop feedback atmospheric effects system in accordance with some exemplary embodiments; FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of the exemplary closed loop feedback atmospheric effects system in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 graphically illustrates an exemplary calibrated closed loop feedback atmospheric effects system in accordance with some exemplary embodiments; FIG. 4 graphically illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary atmospheric effects sensor in accordance with some exemplary embodiments; FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B illustrate pictorial representations of exemplary venues in accordance with some exemplary embodiments; and FIG. 6 graphically illustrates a simplified block diagram of a computing device that can be utilized to implement electronic devices within the exemplary venue according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the accompanying drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Additionally, the left most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are described below to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying figures. The present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. It is noted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion. Overview Systems, methods, and apparatuses disclosed herein can be implemented as a closed loop feedback system to provide various atmospheric effects. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can regulate these atmospheric effects based on one or more environmental measurements as part of the closed loop feedback system. As part of the closed loop feedback system, these systems, methods, and apparatuses can detect, or measure, one or more physical properties, such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, precipitation amount, scent, location, altitude, and/or azimuth to provide some examples. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can compare the one or more physical properties with one or more performance targets of the atmospheric effects and can regulate the atmospheric effects to cause the one or more physical properties to satisfy the one or more performance targets of the atmospheric effects. Exemplary Closed Loop Feedback Atmospheric Effects System FIG. 1 graphically illustrates an exemplary closed loop feedback at