Interactive animated character head systems and methods

Abstract

An interactive system includes one or more processors that are configured to receive a first signal indicative of an activity of a user within an environment and to receive a second signal indicative of the user approaching an animated character head. The one or more processors are also configured to provide information related to the activity of the user to a base station control system associated with the animated character head in response to receipt of the second signal to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user.

1 . An interactive system, comprising one or more processors configured to:
 receive data related to prior activity of a user within an amusement park;   generate an inventory of phrases based on the prior activity of the user and instruct display of the inventory of phrases at a base station control system associated with an animated character head to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user; and   remove a phrase from the inventory of phrases to generate an updated inventory of phrases in response to the phrase being spoken by the animated character head during the personalized interaction with the user such that the phrase is not available to be spoken by the animated character head during a future personalized interaction with the user.   
     
     
         2 . The interactive system of  claim 1 , wherein the prior activity of the user comprises an attraction visited by the user. 
     
     
         3 . The interactive system of  claim 1 , where the one or more processors are configured to:
 receive a signal indicative of the user approaching the animated character head; and   instruct display of the inventory of phrases at the base station control system in response to receiving the signal.   
     
     
         4 . The interactive system of  claim 1 , wherein the data indicates that the user has exited an attraction of the amusement park, and the one or more processors are configured to:
 receive a signal that indicates that the user is approaching the animated character head after the user has exited the attraction of the amusement park; and   instruct display of the inventory of phrases at the base station control system in response to receiving the signal, wherein at least one phrase in the inventory of phrases relates to the attraction.   
     
     
         5 . The interactive system of  claim 1 , comprising an identification device positioned within an attraction of the amusement park, wherein the identification device is configured to generate the data in response to detection of an identifier supported by a wearable device of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The interactive system of  claim 5 , wherein the identification device comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, and the identifier comprises a RFID tag. 
     
     
         7 . The interactive system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to
 determine a recommended phrase in the inventory of phrases based on the prior activity, and to highlight the recommended phrase in the display of the inventory of phrases at the base station control system for visualization by a handler.   
     
     
         8 . The interactive system of  claim 1 , comprising the base station control system and the animated character head, wherein the base station control system and the animated character head comprise respective audio communication devices that enable a handler operating the base station control system to verbally communicate with a performer wearing the animated character head. 
     
     
         9 . The interactive system of  claim 1 , comprising the base station control system, wherein the base station control system is configured to receive, from a handler, a selection input to select the phrase and the base station control system is configured to communicate the selection input to the animated character head. 
     
     
         10 . The interactive system of  claim 9 , wherein the selection input to select the phrase is configured to cause a speaker of the animated character head to output the phrase as audio. 
     
     
         11 . An interactive system, comprising:
 one or more identification devices configured to detect an identifier supported by a wearable device of a user;   one or more processors configured to:
 monitor activities of the user within an amusement park based on respective signals received from the one or more identification devices; 
 access an inventory of phrases available to an animated character head in response to respective signals from at least one identification device of the one or more identification devices indicating that the user is approaching the animated character head; 
 modify the inventory of phrases to generate a personalized inventory of phrases based on the monitored activities of the user; and 
 instruct display of the personalized inventory of phrases on a display screen to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user. 
   
     
     
         12 . The interactive system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
 identify one or more previously spoken phrases that were previously spoken by the animated character head to the user during one or more previous interactions between the animated character head and the user; and   modify the inventory of phrases to generate the personalized inventory of phrases by excluding the one or more previously spoken phrases.   
     
     
         13 . The interactive system of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
 identify one or more previously spoken phrases that were previously spoken by the animated character head to the user during one or more previous interactions between the animated character head and the user; and   instruct display of the personalized inventory of phrases with the one or more previously spoken phrases highlighted at the display screen.   
     
     
         14 . The interactive system of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more identification devices comprise one or more radio-frequency identification (RFID) readers, and the identifier comprises a RFID tag. 
     
     
         15 . The interactive system of  claim 10 , wherein the monitored activities comprise an achievement within an attraction of the amusement park. 
     
     
         16 . The interactive system of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to instruct display of information that indicates the achievement within the attraction at the display screen. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at one or more processors, a signal indicative of a user approaching an animated character head;   accessing, using the one or more processors, data related to a prior activity of the user;   identifying one or more previously spoken phrases that were previously spoken by the animated character head to the user during one or more previous interactions between the animated character head and the user;   generating a list of phrases based on the data related to the prior activity of the user and that excludes the one or more previously spoken phrases; and   instructing display of the list of phrases via a display screen to facilitate a personalized interaction between the animated character head and the user.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising receiving the signal indicative of the user approaching the animated character head from an identification device that is configured to detect an identifier supported by a wearable device of the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the prior activity of the user comprises a ride attraction visited by the user. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising accessing, using the one or more processors, a preferred language of the user, wherein the list of phrases comprises one or more phrases in the preferred language of the user.