Entertainment systems and related methods

Abstract

Described herein are various mobile entertainment systems. A system can include a housing defining an inner volume and a plurality of externally facing apertures; and a plurality of tracks that each traverse a portion of the inner volume. A track may connect an externally facing aperture to a second externally facing aperture. An externally facing aperture receives as an input or provides as an output an object. The object may travel along a track from an externally facing aperture to a second externally facing aperture. The system can further include electronics for generating one or more visual or auditory effects; one or more sensors coupled to the housing, an object, or a prop; and/or one or more props, each connected to a drive motor. A microcontroller of the system activates the electronics, sensors, and/or drive motors based on a library of motion profiles or effect profiles and/or received sensor data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile entertainment system, comprising:
 a housing defining an inner volume and a plurality of externally facing apertures;   a plurality of tracks that each traverse at least a portion of the inner volume,
 wherein at least a subset of the plurality of tracks connects at least one externally facing aperture to a second externally facing aperture, and 
 wherein each of the plurality of externally facing apertures are configured to receive as an input or provide as an output an object therethrough such that the object is configured to travel along one or more of the plurality of tracks from the at least one externally facing aperture to the second externally facing aperture; 
   electronics for generating one or more visual or auditory effects;   one or more sensors coupled to the housing and configured to detect a presence of one or both of: a user and the object; and   a microcontroller communicatively coupled to the electronics and the one or more sensors and configured to:
 receive one or more signals from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more signals indicate a location of one or both of: the user and the object, 
 access a library of preset effect profiles, 
 select, based on the one or more signals, one or more of the preset effect profiles, 
 transmit, to the electronics, a set of pre-programmed instructions, corresponding to the one or more preset effect profiles, and 
 activate the electronics to generate the one or more visual or auditory effects, according to the set of pre-programmed instructions. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 1 , wherein the electronics comprise one or more of: a speaker, a light, a display, a microphone, a power source, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is wirelessly coupled to one or both of: the one or more sensors and the electronics. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 1 , wherein the library of preset effect profiles are stored locally in a memory of the microcontroller. 
     
     
         5 . A mobile entertainment system, comprising:
 a housing defining an inner volume and a plurality of externally facing apertures;   a plurality of tracks that each traverse at least a portion of the inner volume,
 wherein at least a subset of the plurality of tracks connects at least one externally facing aperture to a second externally facing aperture, and 
 wherein each of the plurality of externally facing apertures are configured to receive as an input or provide as an output an object therethrough such that the object is configured to travel along one or more of the plurality of tracks from the at least one externally facing aperture to the second externally facing aperture; 
   one or more props, each connected to a drive motor;   one or more sensors coupled to at least a subset of the plurality of externally facing apertures or to at least a subset of the plurality of tracks, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect a presence of the object; and   a microcontroller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and at least one drive motor associated with a prop of the one or more props, the microcontroller being configured to:
 receive one or more signals from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more signals indicate a location of the object, 
 access a library of preset motion profiles, 
 select, based on the one or more signals, one or more of the preset motion profiles, 
 transmit a set of pre-programmed instructions, corresponding to the one or more preset motion profiles, to the at least one drive motor associated with the associated prop, and 
 activate the at least one drive motor and the associated prop to alter a movement or a path of the object through the plurality of externally facing apertures or the plurality of tracks. 
   
     
     
         6 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 5 , wherein the altered movement of the object comprises one or more of: diverting, capturing, releasing, blocking, or allowing the object to pass through. 
     
     
         7 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one track of the plurality of tracks terminates in a sequestration area to capture the object. 
     
     
         8 . A mobile entertainment system, comprising:
 a housing defining an inner volume and a plurality of externally facing apertures;   a plurality of tracks that each traverse at least a portion of the inner volume,
 wherein at least a subset of the plurality of tracks connects at least one externally facing aperture to a second externally facing aperture, and 
 wherein one or more externally facing apertures of the plurality of externally facing apertures are configured to receive as an input a first object therethrough such that the first object is configured to travel along one or more of the plurality of tracks; 
   one or more props, each connected to a drive motor;   one or more sensors coupled to at least a subset of the plurality of externally facing apertures or to at least a subset of the plurality of tracks, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to detect a presence of the first object; and   a microcontroller communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors and at least one drive motor associated with a prop of the one or more props, the microcontroller being configured to:
 receive one or more signals from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more signals indicate one or both of: a first location of the first object and a second location of a second object, 
 access a library of preset motion profiles, 
 select, based on the one or more signals, one or more of the preset motion profiles, 
 transmit a set of pre-programmed instructions, corresponding to the one or more preset motion profiles, to the at least one drive motor with the associated prop, and 
 activate the at least one drive motor and the associated prop to alter a movement or a path of the first object through the plurality of tracks such that the first object is sequestered and the second object is delivered as an output from one of the plurality of externally facing apertures. 
   
     
     
         9 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 8 , wherein a route of each of the plurality of tracks through the housing is externally visible. 
     
     
         10 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of ramps connected to each of the plurality of externally facing apertures such the first object is configured to roll on a ramp and into an externally facing aperture. 
     
     
         11 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of ramps is configured to be rolled for transport or storage of the mobile entertainment system. 
     
     
         12 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 8 , further comprising the first object comprising a sensor therein, the sensor being configured to transmit to the microcontroller an indication of one or more of: a feature of the object, a user identification, or a type of tool used to manipulate the object. 
     
     
         13 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 8 , further comprising a base coupled to the housing and configured to rest on a surface. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 13 , further comprising a movement means coupled to the base, configured to transport the mobile entertainment system. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 14 , wherein the movement means comprises one or both of a brake or locking wheels. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 14 , wherein the movement means comprises wheels, tracks, pedrail wheels, maglev, a haul, or pontoons. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 8 , wherein the housing is further configured to be compatible with a virtual or augmented reality device. 
     
     
         18 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 8 , further comprising a mobile computing device communicatively coupled to the microcontroller and configured to receive notifications related to the mobile entertainment system. 
     
     
         19 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 8 , wherein a second subset of the plurality of tracks connects an externally facing aperture to a track that is terminated within the inner volume. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile entertainment system of  claim 19 , wherein the terminated track comprises a cup configured to receive the object therein.