Gesture and Show Control System For Puppeted Walk-Around Character Performers

Abstract

A gesture and show control system for a puppeted walk-around character performer used for engaging directly with guests. The system having a power management, a costume and show controller has one or more than one processor that has storage for storing instructions executable on the one or more than one processor for operating and controlling the puppet, an audio subsystem, one or more than one control sensor, one or more than one visual indicator, and one or more than one glove control operably connected to the costume and show controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gesture and show control system for a puppeted walk-around character performer used for engaging directly with guests, the system comprising:
 a) power management;   b) a costume and show controller operably connected to the power management;   c) an audio subsystem operably connected to the power management and the costume and show controller;   d) one or more than one control sensor operably connected to the costume and show controller;   e) one or more than one visual indicator operably connected to the costume and show controller; and   f) one or more than one on-performer control operably connected to the costume and show controller.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power management comprises components to operate the in-costume and on-performer electronics. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the components are selected from the group consisting of:
 a battery, a power switch, or a converter.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the gesture and show controller comprises one or more than one processor that has storage for storing instructions executable on the one or more than one processor for operating and controlling the puppet, wherein the instructions perform operations including:
 a) retrieving a time from an internal clock;   b) determining a beginning of data processing;   c) reading sensor data from one or more than one sensor input;   d) determining a new scene number if a new state exists;   e) inputting one or more than one scene modifier and one or more than one beat modifier for selecting the next sound bite;   f) inputting one or more than one stored previous cue modifier for selecting the next sound bite;   g) inputting one or more than one nearby character modifier for selecting the next sound bite;   h) inputting one or more than one nearby character identification, if there is one or more than one different character nearby, into the one or more than one nearby character modifier;   i) inputting one or more than one seasonal modifier for selecting the next sound bite;   j) pre-processing gesture sensor data from the one or more than one sensor;   k) selecting a gesture from a gesture storage by:
 1) determining if a gesture is active; 
 2) determining if a performer has met all conditions for the gesture; 
 3) determining if a mouth actuator is engaged; 
 4) progressing to the next gesture in gesture storage if none of the above conditions are met; 
   l) determining from the selected gesture, a playback status, and a lockout status if a next cue is found for selecting the next sound; and   m) playing back the selected sound.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the audio subsystem comprises one or more than one audio amplifier, and optionally one or more than one audio transceiver, so that the puppet can interact with guests at a venue. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more than one control sensor comprises:
 a) one or more than one switch operably connected to the gesture and show controller;   b) one or more than one sensor operably connected to the gesture and show controller; and   c) one or more than one actuator and actuator sensor operably connected to the gesture and show controller to make the puppet appear more lifelike to the guests at a venue.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more than one visual indicator is an RGB LED light that display a state of system to the performer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more than one visual indicator is a unique color to differentiate each scene, each beat, and system status to the performer. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more than one glove control comprises one or more than one finger bend sensor and an inertial measurement unit for determining performer movements, gestures, and poses. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising in-costume hardware, wherein the in-costume hardware comprises:
 a) one or more than one speaker;   b) one or more than one visual indicator;   c) a mouth actuator and actuator sensor;   d) a scene selector; and   e) one or more than one on-performer control.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more than one speaker is used to play the selected audio to the guests. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein one or more than one visual indicator is used to indicate to the performer that a gesture or audio playback has been completed, or that a gesture or audio playback is able to be used. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the mouth actuator is used to open the puppet's mouth, so that the audio playback can match the mouth movement. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the scene selector is used by the performer in show navigation to advance to a next scene or to a previous scene. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more than one on-performer control is used by the performer in combination with the mouth actuator sensor to activate sound playback to guests. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more than one sensor, the one or more than one microcontroller, one or more than one on-board audio amplifier and one or more than one speaker, enable the performer to trigger sound bites using gestures and makes the system entirely self-contained within the costume/puppet. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises an area wide show control the area wide show control comprising a gesture and show controller and a wireless radio. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the wireless radio provides network connectivity to one or more than one wired, wireless or both wired and wireless network and external control systems. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the network connectivity is used to for triggering environmental cues, area wide audio control cues, theatrical lighting control cues, special effects cues, animatronic effects control cues, and show and environmental related cues and sequences. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the network connectivity alerts the gesture and show controller of other characters in close proximity and transmits the other characters identification to the gesture and show controller for processing. 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method for gesture and show control system for a puppeted walk-around character performer used for engaging directly with guests, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) retrieving a time from an internal clock;   b) determining a beginning of data processing;   c) reading sensor data from one or more than one sensor input;   d) determining a new scene number if a new state exists;   e) inputting one or more than one scene modifier and one or more than one beat modifier for selecting the next sound bite;   f) inputting one or more than one stored previous cue modifier for selecting the next sound bite;   g) inputting one or more than one nearby character modifier for selecting the next sound bite;   h) inputting one or more than one nearby character identification, if there is one or more than one different character nearby, into the one or more than one nearby character modifier;   i) inputting one or more than one seasonal modifier for selecting the next sound bite;   j) pre-processing gesture sensor data from the one or more than one sensor;   k) selecting a gesture from a gesture storage by:
 1) determining if a gesture is active; 
 2) determining if a performer has met all conditions for the gesture; 
 3) determining if a mouth actuator is engaged; 
 4) progressing to the next gesture in gesture storage if none of the above conditions are met; 
   l) determining from the selected gesture, a playback status, and a lockout status if a next cue is found for selecting the next sound; and   m) playing back the selected sound.