Themed interactive environment or area and method of operating the same

Abstract

A hotel or motel room (or other defined area) incorporates special effects in accordance with a particular theme (e.g., haunted room). A control room provides a concealed area for personnel and/or automated systems, including artificial intelligence, to trigger the special effects which may include, but are limited to shaking, rattling, rumbling, pepper ghosts, water fixtures being activated, thunder and lightning, swapping tiles with digital graphics, turning on a TV, clock or light, etc. Heat sensors, weight sensors, biometric sensors, floor mats and/or other sensors determine positions of guests in the hotel and hotel rooms thereby allowing the automatic or manual triggering of the special effects. The system may utilize a guest's mobile phone for unique and exciting in-room or across-property missions and tasks.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An attraction comprising:
 a defined area;   at least one processor in communication with one or more sensors positioned to detect locations of one or more people in said defined area and one or more special effects in said defined area, wherein said one or more special effects in said defined area are configured to be triggered responsive to people being detected by said one or more sensors at one or more pre-established locations within said defined area; and   wherein said one or more special effects are selectively triggered by said at least one processor only if it is determined by said at least one processor and/or one or more sensors that (i) a person has not previously experienced said one or more special effects based on a feature or item unique to a person or (ii) a person has experienced said one or more special effects previously based on a feature or item unique to a person and a pre-established amount of time has passed since a person last experienced said one or more special effects.   
     
     
         2 . The attraction of  claim 1  wherein said sensors include one or more of the following: heat sensors, location sensors, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, force sensors, vibration sensors, piezo sensors, fluid property sensors, humidity sensors, strain sensors, photo optic sensors, weight sensors, ultrasonic sensors, IR sensors, biometric sensors and touch sensors. 
     
     
         3 . The attraction of  claim 1  further comprising sensors integrated into tangible articles utilized by guests within said defined area, said sensors configured to activate special effects. 
     
     
         4 . The attraction of  claim 1  wherein said at least one processor is configured to communicate with mobile phones of guests within or proximate said defined area. 
     
     
         5 . The attraction of  claim 4  wherein said at least one processor is configured to transmit mission clues to mobile phones of guests within said defined area. 
     
     
         6 . The attraction of  claim 1  wherein said at least one processor is configured to run artificial intelligence and/or machine learning instructions for controlling special effects. 
     
     
         7 . The attraction of  claim 1  wherein said at least one processor includes a central processor and one or more remote processors in communication therewith.
 Add one more claim with facial recognition—thoughts? I added to the sensor claims as biometric sensors which covers facial, iris, etc. 
 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 utilizing at least one processor in communication with one or more sensors and special effects;   positioning one or more sensors in a defined area, said one or more sensors configured to determine a location of one or more people in said defined area;   positioning one or more special effects in said defined area;   via said at least one processor receiving outputs of said one or more sensors determining if a person in said defined area has experienced said one or more special effects based on a feature or item unique to a person or a last time a person experienced said one or more special effects; and   responsive to said at last one processor and/or one or more sensors determining (i) a person in said defined area not having experienced the one or more special effects previously or (ii) a person has experienced said one or more special effects previously and a pre-established amount of time has passed since a person last experienced said one or more special effects, triggering at least one of said one or more special effects.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising utilizing one or more of the following: heat sensors, location sensors, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, force sensors, vibration sensors, piezo sensors, fluid property sensors, humidity sensors, strain sensors, photo optic sensors, weight sensors, ultrasonic sensors, IR sensors, biometric sensors and touch sensors. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising integrating sensors into tangible articles including an air conditioning unit, wall control unit, deadbolt, key card, room service menu, dumb waiter, tv controller, door knob, shower, faucet, and/or mat. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising triggering said special effects responsive to use of said tangible articles. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising utilizing at least one processor configured to run artificial intelligence and/or machine learning instructions for controlling special effects. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising utilizing at least one processor as a central processor and one or more remote processors in communication therewith. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor;   a defined attraction area having one or more sensors and one or more special effects, each in communication with said at least one processor, said one or more sensors positioned and configured to detect the identity of persons entering said defined attraction area and determine the location of identified persons entering said defined attraction area; and   wherein upon confirming an identify of a person entering said defined attraction area and determining, via said at least one processor and/or one or more sensors, that said identified person (i) has not previously experienced said one or more special effects or (ii) a person has experienced said one or more special effects previously and a pre-established amount of time has passed since a person last experienced said one or more special effects, said at least one processor configured to trigger said one or more of said special effects within said defined attraction area.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said sensors include one or more of the following: heat sensors, location sensors, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, force sensors, vibration sensors, piezo sensors, fluid property sensors, humidity sensors, strain sensors, photo optic sensors, weight sensors, ultrasonic sensors, IR sensors, biometric sensors and touch sensors. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising sensors integrated into tangible articles utilized by guests of said amusement area, said sensors configured to trigger special effects. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said one or more sensors include biometric sensors relying on passive facial recognition detectors and iris scanners. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said at least one processor is configured to communicate with mobile phones of guests within said defined area. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said at least one processor is configured to transmit mission clues to mobile phones of guests within said defined area. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said at least one processor is configured to run artificial intelligence and/or machine learning instructions for controlling special effects. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said at least one processor includes a central processor and one or more remote processors in communication therewith. 
     
     
         22 . An attraction comprising:
 a defined area;   at least one processor in communication with one or more sensors positioned to detect locations of one or more people in said defined area and one or more special effects in said defined area, wherein said one or more special effects in said defined area are configured to be triggered responsive to people being detected by said one or more sensors at one or more pre-established locations within said defined area;   wherein said one or more special effects are selectively triggered by said at least one processor only if it is determined by said at least one processor and/or one or more sensors that (i) a person has not previously experienced said one or more special effects based on a feature or item unique to a person or (ii) a person has experienced said one or more special effects previously based on a feature or item unique to a person and a pre-established amount of time has passed since a person last experienced said one or more special effects; and   wherein said at least one processor utilizes artificial intelligence and/or machine learning programming to monitor and control said one or more special effects.   
     
     
         23 . The attraction of  claim 22  wherein said sensors include one or more of the following: heat sensors, location sensors, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, force sensors, vibration sensors, piezo sensors, fluid property sensors, humidity sensors, strain sensors, photo optic sensors, weight sensors, ultrasonic sensors, IR sensors, biometric sensors and touch sensors. 
     
     
         24 . The attraction of  claim 22  further comprising sensors integrated into tangible articles utilized by guests within said defined area, said sensors configured to activate special effects. 
     
     
         25 . The attraction of  claim 22  wherein said at least one processor is configured to communicate with mobile phones of guests within or proximate to said defined area. 
     
     
         26 . The attraction of  claim 25  wherein said at least one processor is configured to transmit mission clues to mobile phones of guests within said defined area. 
     
     
         27 . The attraction of  claim 22  wherein said at least one processor includes a central processor and one or more remote processors in communication therewith. 
     
     
         28 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors including a central processor and one or more remote processors in communication therewith;   a defined attraction area having one or more sensors and one or more special effects, each in communication with said at least one or more processors, said one or more sensors positioned and configured to detect persons entering said defined attraction area and determine the location of persons entering said defined attraction area; and   wherein upon confirming a person entering said defined attraction area and determining, via said at least one processor and/or one or more sensors, that said person (i) has not previously experienced said one or more special effects or (ii) a person has experienced said one or more special effects previously and a pre-established amount of time has passed since a person last experienced said one or more special effects, said at least one or more processors configured to trigger said one or more of said special effects within said defined attraction area.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28  wherein said sensors include one or more of the following: heat sensors, location sensors, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, force sensors, vibration sensors, piezo sensors, fluid property sensors, humidity sensors, strain sensors, photo optic sensors, weight sensors, ultrasonic sensors, IR sensors, biometric sensors and touch sensors. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 28  further comprising sensors integrated into tangible articles utilized by guests within said defined area, said sensors configured to activate special effects. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 28  wherein said at least one or more processors is configured to communicate with mobile phones of guests within or proximate to said defined area. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 28  wherein said at least one or more processors is configured to transmit mission clues to mobile phones of guests within said defined area. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 28  wherein said at least one processor is configured to run artificial intelligence and/or machine learning instructions for controlling special effects. 
     
     
         34 . An attraction comprising:
 a defined area;   at least one processor in communication with one or more sensors positioned to detect locations of one or more people in said defined area and one or more special effects in said defined area, wherein said one or more special effects in said defined area are configured to be triggered responsive to people being detected by said one or more sensors at one or more pre-established locations within said defined area; and   wherein said at least one processor is configured to communicate with mobile phones of people within or proximate to said defined area and transmit mission clues to said mobile phones of people within or proximate to said defined area.   
     
     
         35 . The attraction of  claim 34  wherein said one or more special effects are selectively triggered by said at least one processor only if it is determined by said at least one processor and/or one or more sensors that (i) a person has not previously experienced said one or more special effects based on a feature or item unique to a person or (ii) a person has experienced said one or more special effects previously based on a feature or item unique to a person and a pre-established amount of time has passed since a person last experienced said one or more special effects. 
     
     
         36 . The attraction of  claim 34  wherein said sensors include one or more of the following: heat sensors, location sensors, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, force sensors, vibration sensors, piezo sensors, fluid property sensors, humidity sensors, strain sensors, photo optic sensors, weight sensors, ultrasonic sensors, IR sensors, biometric sensors and touch sensors. 
     
     
         37 . The attraction of  claim 34  further comprising sensors integrated into tangible articles utilized by guests within said defined area, said sensors configured to activate special effects. 
     
     
         38 . The attraction of  claim 34  wherein said at least one processor is configured to communicate with mobile phones of guests within or proximate said defined area. 
     
     
         39 . The attraction of  claim 38  wherein said at least one processor is configured to transmit mission clues to mobile phones of guests within said defined area. 
     
     
         40 . The attraction of  claim 34  wherein said at least one processor is configured to run artificial intelligence and/or machine learning instructions for controlling special effects. 
     
     
         41 . The attraction of  claim 34  wherein said at least one processor includes a central processor and one or more remote processors in communication therewith.