The present application claims priority and benefit from U.S. provisional application No. 62/988,221, entitled "SPECIAL LIGHT EFFECT SYSTEM" filed 11/3/2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
Detailed Description
One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. One or more specific embodiments among the present embodiments described herein will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.
The presently disclosed embodiments facilitate desirable special light effects that can be used with objects (e.g., props or toys) within an immersive environment. In an embodiment, the special light effect may be a glowing rod end (e.g., a halo effect around the rod end) that appears as an enhanced effect relative to normal emitted light generated by a resident light source. An enhanced special light effect system as provided herein is observed when a user directs an object (e.g., a wand) with an active light source (e.g., a light emitting diode) emitting light towards a retroreflective object. When the light source of the object is oriented toward the retroreflective target to promote reflection of light off of the retroreflective material, an aperture or halo effect created around the light source may be initiated. When the emitted light is reflected back by the retroreflective target, a diaphragm (bloom) effect or a halo effect around the light source of the object is produced from the light reflected by the retroreflective target. In other words, in special light effect systems, the object acts to direct light towards the retro-reflective target, and the reflected light is particularly visible around the light sources of the object in an unintended manner that simulates a super-natural effect. An enhanced light effect (i.e., an aperture or halo effect) is an enhancement to the light from the light source that a user would observe in the absence of retroreflected light. In embodiments, there is an aperture (light bloom) where light reflected from the retroreflective material produces a larger diameter and/or enhanced brightness around the light source relative to the appearance of the active light source in the absence of retroreflected light. In an embodiment, the enhanced light effect is observed as a haze (haze) or halo of light formed around the light source.
It will be appreciated that the light sources of the special effect light system may be unidirectional or omnidirectional. When the light source is unidirectional, the halo effect can be seen by a user holding the object in his line of sight, but others outside his line of sight will not see the halo effect. When the light source is omnidirectional, the halo effect may be seen by other nearby viewers because the reflected light is viewable from angles other than directly in the line of sight of the retroreflective target, since the reflected light is visible around the peripheral portion of the light source. The visibility of the aperture or halo effect may be adjusted by different aspects of the special effect light system (e.g., the distance between the light source and the retroreflective target, the surface of the retroreflective target, etc.). It is realized that one or more controllers may be used to achieve these special light effects.
Moreover, it should be appreciated that while embodiments of the present disclosure are discussed in the context of a wand, toy, or handheld object, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments may be used with other types of objects. Such objects may include wearable objects such as clothing, jewelry, bracelets, headwear, glasses. Additionally, the object may be a prop or a landscape item within the immersive environment. The immersive environment may be the environment of an amusement park, entertainment complex, retail establishment, or the like.
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment for providing an enhanced light effect in an environment 8 according to the present technology. As shown, the enhanced special light effect system 10 is used to produce an enhanced light effect by: the light source 14, which is disposed on an end of an object or toy 16 (e.g., a wand) held by a user 18, is spatially oriented such that the light source 14 is aimed toward the retroreflective target 12. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the retroreflective target 12 is shown in the form of a planar retroreflective surface that forms a portion of the wall 20, but it can be appreciated that the retroreflective target 12 can also encompass the entire wall or area of the attraction and can be planar or non-planar. As can be appreciated, the retroreflective targets 12 can reflect light rays 17 emitted from the light source 14 back toward the wand 16. The reflection of light 17 from retroreflective target 12 to the user's eyes creates a halo or iris effect that appears to emanate directly from light source 14, thereby creating an enhanced viewing experience for user 18. In practice, a halo effect is observed when the wand 16 is positioned by the user 18 to point the light source 14 in the direction of the retroreflective targets 12. It will be appreciated that in this way the light effect is spatially selective. That is, if the light source 14 of the wand 16 is not directed at the retroreflective target 12, then no halo effect will be produced. Also, other light sources present in the immersive environment may be turned off or inactive, along with the halo effect to enhance the visibility of the halo.
It can be appreciated that in the design of an immersive environment (e.g., theme park attraction or amusement park attraction), the distance 22 between the desired position of the user when viewing the halo effect and the retroreflective target 12 may be considered. For example, certain attractions may include one or more retro-reflective targets 12 to facilitate the generation of special light effects for the user 18 or viewing of special light effects by the user 18 upon entry into a particular amusement park attraction. That is, the user may carry the wand 16 with him or her throughout the amusement park and not experience a particular light effect until the user 18 enters an area of the amusement park designed to produce the particular light effect. In one non-limiting example, an entrance to a particular attraction (e.g., ride) may have one or more retro-reflective targets 12 positioned on (e.g., embedded in) the entrance (e.g., door or gate). Thus, when the user 18 is waiting in line to enter a particular attraction, the user 18 may implement a halo effect when he points his wand 16 at an entrance (e.g., a door or gate) with a retroreflective target 12, where the resulting halo effect indicates to the user that he is in the correct location and/or has completed the last step of entering the particular attraction. In this way, the active halo effect may be used to position the user at a location associated with the distance 22 between the retroreflective target 12 and the user 18. Once at this location, additional effects may be initiated. In another non-limiting example, a special light effect system may be designed to include one or more actuatable objects. In this example, the user 18 may point his wand 16 at an actuatable object that has been designed to include a retroreflective target 12. For example, the retroreflective targets 12 may be exposed when the dragon opens its mouth (e.g., an actuatable object). When the user is able to point the wand 16 to direct a light ray at the retroreflective targets 12 in the mouth of the dragon, the light ray is reflected by the retroreflective targets 12 toward the wand 16. Thus, the user 18 experiences an enhanced light effect (e.g., a halo effect) around the light sources 14 along with the activation of the actuatable effect, which creates the illusion that the halo effect is caused by the actuatable effect.
It will be appreciated that the light sources 14 of the wand 16 may be unidirectional, multidirectional or omnidirectional. In the case where the light source 14 is unidirectional, the halo effect is seen when the wand 16 is directed directly at the retroreflective target 12. In other words, the halo effect is generally only seen by the user 18 whose line of sight is directly in line with the retroreflective target 12 and receives reflected light from the retroreflective target 12. In fact, other observers whose line of sight is outside of the line of sight of the retroreflective target will not see the halo effect. However, in instances where the light source 14 is multi-directional or omnidirectional, the halo effect may be seen regardless of the angle at which the wand 16 is held and/or pointed, as long as the retroreflective material of the retroreflective target 12 is present in the line of sight of the user/viewer. For example, retroreflective targets 12 may be implemented as relatively large surfaces that can be in the line of sight of multiple observers.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram further illustrating an embodiment for providing an enhanced light effect according to the current art. As shown, patrons 18 holding wands 16 see a halo effect in their line of sight 32A because light from light source 14 is reflected from retroreflective targets 12. An observer 30 whose line of sight 32B does not include retroreflective target 12 but extends to the non-retroreflective portion 36 of surface 38 does not see any halo effect. Instead, the viewer 30 only sees the light sources 14 activated, without a halo effect, e.g., a non-enhanced light effect. In the illustrated embodiment, the retroreflective target 12 is positioned on a movable platform 40 (such as a gantry), the movable platform 40 being movable along the surface 38 to reposition the retroreflective target 12. Thus, even in the event of a change in gaze direction, retroreflective target 12 may be repositioned to remain collinear with the line of sight 32A of user 18. The gaze direction of the user 18 and/or observer 30 may be tracked via the camera 42 or other gaze tracker.
The various properties of the special effect light system may be further understood with reference to fig. 3A-8. Fig. 3A-3B illustrate perspective views of a special effect component 50 (e.g., a wand) implemented as a handheld object and illustrated and during operation (e.g., activation) of the light source 14 (e.g., a light emitting diode). As depicted, the special light effect assembly 50 is positioned to face toward the retroreflective target 12 or oriented toward the retroreflective target 12. The special light effect assembly 50 comprises a rod 16 and a light source 14 arranged on the rod 16 or within the rod 16. The light source 14 is generally housed on or within the barrel 52 of the special light effect assembly 50. The barrel 52 is coupled to a cap assembly 54, the cap assembly 54 including a cap 56 and a lens holder 58. As shown in fig. 3A, the lens holder 58 holds a lens 60 through which light rays 62 from the light source 14 pass, and the lens 60 disperses the light rays 62 as the light rays 62 are emitted through the lens 60. The arrangement of the light source 14 relative to the wand 16 or other housing may be selected to emit light rays 60 within a selected range such that the directionality of the light is narrower or wider depending on the desired use in the system 10.
Although the light source 14 illustrated herein is understood to be a light emitting diode, it is understood that the light source 14 may be any suitable light source for producing an illumination effect, such as a fiber optic cable or a pyrotechnic device or chemical device. Moreover, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the user 18 need not utilize any other power source with the light source 14 (e.g., light emitting diode) in the wand 16 to experience the halo effect. The light source 14 may be powered via a battery, wireless power transmission (e.g., UHF), or the like.
The intensity of the halo effect within the line of sight of the user 18 depends on the size and placement of the retroreflective targets 12, the size and intensity of the light source 14, the distance between the light source 14 and the retroreflective targets 12, and the surface (e.g., surface texture, etc.) of the retroreflective targets 12, among other factors. In one non-limiting example, the reflection of the light source 14 can be manipulated by changing the surface texture of the retroreflective target 12. As can be appreciated, the retroreflective sheeting or target 12 may utilize reflective targets (such as retroreflective glass beads, microprisms, or encapsulated lenses sealed to a fabric substrate or plastic substrate) in order to achieve its reflective properties. As such, the reflected light may be further diffused by: additional reflective targets are provided to increase the reflective surface between the retroreflective glass beads, microprisms or packaged lenses by scattering or reflecting light in multiple directions.
In another non-limiting example, as shown in fig. 3B, the intensity of the halo effect may be adjusted based on the distance 70 between the special effect component 50 and the retroreflective target 12. In fact, fig. 3B illustrates that the smaller the distance 70 between the light source 14 and the retroreflective target 12, the brighter the halo effect. As the distance 70 between the light source 14 and the retroreflective target 12 increases, the halo effect will be less and less intense because the reflected light will have a greater diffusion distance.
Turning now to fig. 4A-4B, an alternative embodiment of a special effects assembly 50 is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the light source 14 is located outside the wand 16. When the light source 14 is positioned separate from the cartridge 52 and outside of the cartridge 52, the special effect assembly 50 utilizes the reflector 80 or an emitting film or coating to achieve the desired halo effect. In another embodiment, a phosphorescent coating or a phosphor coating may be used to achieve the desired halo effect. In the illustrated embodiment, special effect assembly 50 includes a cap 56 coupled to a reflector seat 78. The reflector 80 may be disposed on the reflector seating 78. The reflector mounts 78 may be in the form of mirror balls, faceted mirror balls, or any other suitable reflector. However, it should be understood that other arrangements are contemplated.
As shown in fig. 4A, the light source 14 is positioned to emit light onto the reflector 80, as illustrated by arrow 82. The light is then reflected by the reflector 80 toward the retroreflective target 12, as illustrated by arrow 84. It will be appreciated that light source 14 may be positioned such that light is aimed at reflector 80, but not directly into the eye of user 18, where reflector 80 is located at wand end 86 (or other surface or end of wand 16 that includes reflector 80 oriented toward retroreflective target 12). Fig. 4B depicts light reflecting back toward the reflector 80, as illustrated by arrow 88. When the light is reflected towards the reflector 80, the halo effect is again observed by the user 18. The light source 14 may be a laser light source, such as a laser projector, that tracks the position of one or more wand ends 86 within the environment. This tracking may be accomplished by a camera (e.g., camera 42, FIG. 2) capturing the environment 8 and any wand tips 86 located within the environment. This causes external light from the light source 14 to be directed to the target's one or more wand ends 86 to allow only one wand 16 or only a subset of the wands 16 to be present to illuminate and exhibit the halo effect. Also, the external light source 14 may project different colors of light onto the individual wand tips 86 to achieve different color halo effects. In one example, the illumination may be based on other customer tracking information captured by sensors of the environment (such as voice recognition or a voice location to indicate that a particular customer 18 has spoken the correct password), or based on customer location or customer interaction with the environment. In another example, the illumination may be based on customer or wand identification (e.g., camera-based identification features matching a wand and/or customer profile).
Although the discussion of this point in the present disclosure has focused on the light sources 14 being reflected in a rod-shaped device, it can be appreciated that the light sources 14 can be disposed in any other suitable object or arrangement, as further discussed with reference to fig. 5A-7B.
Fig. 5A-5B illustrate perspective views of alternative embodiments of special effect assemblies during operation of a light source (e.g., a light emitting diode) with the light source 14 placed in a recess or hidden in an object (e.g., a prop). In the illustrated embodiment, the object hiding the light source represents a stage prop 90. The stage prop can be any type of prop in which a lighting effect would be desired (e.g., a diamond, a rainbow, a gold kettle, a door, a gate to a auditorium, etc.). To promote the desired halo effect, the stage prop may be equipped with a cutout or receptacle 92 for receiving the lens 60. The containers may vary in size depending on how large the desired halo effect should be. By utilizing a larger container, one or more lenses 60 may be used to achieve a larger halo effect for large objects (such as stage props). The example in fig. 5A illustrates a prop having a lens 60 and a corresponding container 92 covering a middle portion 94 of the prop 90. When the light source 14 is reflected, the halo effect generated by the reflection of light from the retroreflective target 12 produces a halo effect around the middle portion 94 (from which the lens 60 directs light), as shown by arrow 96 in fig. 5A. In contrast, the example in fig. 5B illustrates a prop having a lens 60 and a corresponding container 92 covering a majority 98 of the prop 90. Here, when light source 14 is reflected, a halo effect generated by the reflection of light from retroreflective target 12 is produced around the majority 98, as shown by arrow 100 in fig. 5B.
It may be appreciated that in some embodiments, a retroreflective target (e.g., retroreflective target 12 as provided herein) may include a diffraction grating. The diffraction grating may help shape the halo effect by: when light rays reflect from retroreflective target 12 to create a halo effect, the pattern in which the light is reflected is controlled by splitting and dispersing the light rays into additional beams. The diffraction grating may comprise a repeating pattern embedded within the grating itself. The grating may be manufactured by: one or more coatings (e.g., metallic coatings) are deposited on the retroreflective target to create ridges in the retroreflective target 12. Thus, when light is reflected from the grooves, the light is reflected at different angles to produce different shapes.
Fig. 6A-6B illustrate perspective views of alternative embodiments of special effect assemblies during operation of a light source (e.g., a light emitting diode). In the illustrated embodiment, stage prop 90 includes at least one light source 14. Between light source 14 and lens 60, one or more translucent sheets 89 of a suitable material (e.g., tape, paper, plastic film, etc.) of different colors are disposed along a portion 91 of prop 90. When light is emitted through the lens 60, the light passes through one or more translucent sheets 89 of material of different colors. When the light source 14 reflects from the retroreflective target 12, the reflected light creates a halo effect around the lens 60. Depending on where along the lens 60 the light is reflected, different colour halo effects can be produced. In fact, as shown in fig. 6B, the halo effect exhibited near the first translucent sheet 89A (e.g., blue) may be different than the halo effect exhibited near the second translucent sheet 89B (e.g., red). Depending on the angle of the customer's line of sight, different colors of halo effects may be observed.
Fig. 7A-7B illustrate perspective views of a special effect assembly during operation of a light source 14 (e.g., a light emitting diode) that is camouflaged in a set object (e.g., a cape 200) according to the current art. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the light source 14 may be built into the actor's cape 200 using a light source sewn into a textile, an electroluminescent fabric, or any other suitable light source. In some instances, the light source 14 may not be visible to the audience when the actor's back is away from the audience. When light source 14 reflects off of retroreflective target 12 behind the actor, the audience may observe an aperture or halo effect while looking at the actor, although light source 14 may not be visible to the audience.
It is appreciated that the light source 14 may be disposed on other portions of the actor's clothing (e.g., shoes, hats, a light ring 202, etc.). For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the actor's halo 202 may include a separate light source 14 such that an aperture or glow (glow) effect may be observed around the actor's halo 202. It will be appreciated that a cluster of light 14 may be accumulated in a particular area of the actor's clothing (e.g., a halo, cape, etc.) to increase the glowing effect around the particular area. For example, the lighting effect around the halo may be activated by: the light sources 14 of the halo 202 are turned on when the actor enters the hallway's gate, thereby illuminating the halo when the actor is admitted to the hallway. In some embodiments, the light sources 14 disposed in different regions may be controlled independently of one another. For example, the light sources 14 on the actor's cape 200 may have a different power source than the power source of the light sources 14 on the halo 202. The scenery designer may then configure the light sources 14 of the light ring to turn on at different times or to flash at different intervals (flash on and off) than the light sources 14 of the cape. The control of the light gathering effect may be further understood with reference to fig. 8.
Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment for controlling an enhanced light effect according to the current art. It will be appreciated that various aspects of the special light effect system 10 may be controlled via one or more controllers 302. The one or more controllers 302 may include a display 304, a storage device 306, the storage device 306 for storing instructions executable by a processor 308 to perform the methods and control actions described herein. The processor 308 may include one or more processing devices and the memory may include one or more tangible, non-transitory machine-readable media. By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a processor.
It can be appreciated that the controller(s) 302 can be used to control various properties of the special light effect system 10, including but not limited to: actuating object(s) containing retroreflective target(s) 12, speed or movement of retroreflective target 12, creating surface textures on retroreflective target 12, droplet atomization to increase diffusion of reflected light, or various colored light sources, among other aspects. Additionally, the system may receive input from one or more sensors 310 (such as a customer location sensor, an audio sensor, a camera or optical communicator or a radio frequency communicator), which sensors 310 are in turn used to activate the light source 14 and/or reposition the retroreflective targets 12 via movement of the movable platform 40. For example, the controller 302 may wirelessly communicate with an object (e.g., wand 16) to cause the light source 14 to activate based on a particular user 18 achieving a goal or being positioned in a particular location in the environment. The controller 302 may be in electronic communication (e.g., wired or wireless communication 314) with the target 12, the subject 16, the platform 40, the camera 42, or any other sensor containing components of the special effect light system 10 via one or more communication channels (e.g., wireless communication channel 314). The controller 302 can then adjust or control the target 12, the object 16, the platform 40, the camera 42, or any other sensor containing components of the special effect light system 10, as explained in more detail below.
As can be appreciated, the target 12, object or wand 16, platform 40, and camera 42 may each contain one or more sensors 310 for detecting one or more operating conditions of the environment. The sensors 310 may each be coupled to a transmitter 312. The transmitter 312 may convert sensor data (e.g., operating condition data) detected by the one or more sensors 310 into a signal and transmit the signal to the controller 302.
Each of the target 12, object or wand 16, platform 40 and camera 42 may each include a power source 303. By way of example, the operating conditions detected by the wand sensor 310 are interpreted using various electrical components (e.g., circuitry) disposed in the wand 16. In one embodiment, the light source 14 may be controlled using electrical circuitry. For example, when the switch 305 is toggled (toggle) to the "on" position, power from the power source 303 is allowed to flow through the circuit and forward to the light source 14 to turn on the light source 14. It will be appreciated that other objects 16 (such as props) may be activated within system 10 in a similar manner (e.g., via switch 305 and power source 303 for the props).
In another example, various electrical components (e.g., circuitry) disposed in the platform 40 are utilized to interpret the operating conditions detected by the platform sensor 310. In response to the sensor output, the power supply 303 (e.g., a battery) of the platform 40 may be activated to operate the driver 315 of the platform 40. The drive 315 may activate the motor 318 to actuate the platform 40. In a similar manner, the retroreflective targets 12 may be driven along the platform 40 itself. In fact, retroreflective target 12 may utilize its own circuitry to interpret the operating conditions output by retroreflective target sensor 310. In this manner, the power source 303 of the retro-reflective target 12 may be used to operate the drive 315 of the target 12, and the drive 315 may then activate the motor 318 to actuate the target 12 along the platform 40. It will be appreciated that the camera 42 may be moved within the system 10 in a similar manner (via its own power supply 303 and driver 315).
The controller(s) 302 may be used to control the first set of light sources 14 of the special effect light system 10 to turn on at a different time, to flash at a different interval than the second set of light sources 14, or to flash at a different intensity than the intensity of the second set of light sources 14 of the special effect light system 10. In some embodiments, the controller(s) may be used to activate the light sources 14 in a particular sequence such that the halo effect is experienced in a particular order (e.g., first a glow occurs near the actor's cape, and then another glow occurs near the actor's halo, etc.).
The controller(s) may also be used to control actuation of one or more objects containing retro-reflective targets throughout the amusement park. Various objects throughout the amusement park may accommodate retroreflective targets 12. As discussed above, an entrance to a particular attraction (e.g., ride) may have one or more retro-reflective targets embedded into the entrance (e.g., door or gate). Thus, when the user 18 is waiting in line to enter a particular attraction, the user 18 may implement a halo effect when he points his wand 16 at an entrance (e.g., a door or gate) with a retroreflective target 12, where the resulting halo effect indicates to the user that he is in the correct location and/or has completed the last step of entering the particular attraction. It will be appreciated that the retroreflective targets 12 may be disposed in any number of suitable actuatable objects.
It can be appreciated that one or more controllers 302 can be used to control the movement of retroreflective targets 12. In one embodiment, the retroreflective target 12 may be disposed on the gantry 40, wherein the gantry 40 is controlled by the controller 302 to move the retroreflective target 12. The stage 40 may be moved in one or more directions, in different patterns (to simulate moving objects), at different speeds to correlate the movement with the tempo of the song being played, etc. In this way, user 18 may experience challenges when attempting to point his wand 16 at retroreflective target 12 to achieve a glow or halo effect. In another embodiment, one or more controllers 302 may adjust the position at which retroreflective targets 12 are positioned on the movable platform 40 based on patron tracking information captured by sensors of the environment (such as a sound location indicating that a particular patron 18 is located in a particular area). Additionally, one or more controllers 302 may adjust the position at which retroreflective targets 12 are positioned on the movable platform 40 to remain collinear with the line of sight 32A of the user 18 even if the gaze direction changes. As discussed above, the gaze direction of the user 18 and/or observer 30 may be tracked via one or more cameras 42 or other gaze trackers.
Controller(s) 302 may be used to create a surface texture on retroreflective target 12 to achieve the manner in which light is reflected from target 12. This can be achieved by: a texturing agent is sprayed on the target 12, additional reflective beads or prisms are provided on the retroreflective target 12, or any other suitable means for producing a desired light effect. As discussed above, the reflected light may be further diffused by: additional reflective targets are provided to increase the reflective surface between the retroreflective glass beads, microprisms or packaged lenses by scattering or reflecting light in multiple directions.
In another embodiment, the controller(s) may provide a mist or spray of droplets between the light source and the retroreflective target 12 to adjust the spread of the reflected light. By providing the fog, the reflected light is scattered to reduce the amount of light directly reflected to the light source, thereby reducing the lighting effect. Finally, it will be appreciated that the light source(s) 14 may comprise more than one colored light source. In some embodiments, the controller(s) may be used to change from one color to another, alternate between colors, or illuminate certain colored lights for a particular amount of time, illuminate certain colored lights in a particular sequence or in response to certain conditions being met. In another embodiment, the controller(s) may be combined with a pepper's ghost effect that allows the light source 14 and/or retroreflective target 12 to be located outside the field of view of patron 18, such that the halo effect is visible only via reflection from glass positioned at a suitable angle (e.g., 45 degrees) to achieve the desired pepper's ghost effect.
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the disclosure.
The technology presented and claimed herein is referenced and applied to substantive objects and concrete examples of practical nature, which arguably improve the technical field and are therefore not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Also, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [ performing ] … … [ functions" or "step for [ performing ] … … [ functions"), it is intended that such elements be construed in accordance with 35 U.S.C.112 (f). However, for any claim that contains elements specified in any other way, it is intended that such elements not be construed in accordance with 35 u.s.c.112 (f).