Patents by Inventor Anthony Melo

Anthony Melo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12254651
    Abstract: A ride system includes one or more sensors and a controller. The controller receives, from the one or more sensors, position data indicative of the position of a body and/or face of guest on the ride. Using the position data, the one or more controllers, determine a face direction, face rotation, or both of the guest, independent of sensor observations of the face direction and rotation. One or more features of the ride are controlled based upon the determined face direction and/or face rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Yu-Jen Lin, Anthony Melo
  • Patent number: 12254717
    Abstract: An interactive portrait system includes a camera configured to capture imagery of an environment and a controller. The controller is configured to analyze the imagery to identify a guest in the environment, instruct an output device to provide an initial output to attempt to interact with the guest, and analyze the imagery to identify a behavior of the guest during the initial output, after the initial output, or both. The controller is also configured to evaluate the behavior of the guest using one or more artificial intelligence algorithms to determine whether the guest responded to the initial output. The controller is further configured to, in response to determining that the guest responded to the initial output, instruct the output device to provide an additional output to continue to attempt to interact with the guest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Robert Michael Jordan, Anthony Melo, Angelo Pagliuca, Brandon David Burnette, John Adams, Jacob David Allinson, Eric To Chan, Mark James Traynor
  • Publication number: 20250010219
    Abstract: A show effect system for an amusement park may include a display system coupled with a ride vehicle and configured to transition between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration, a screen coupled to the display system, a controller in communication with an actuator, where the actuator may adjust an angle between the screen and the display system. The screen may move with the display system between the extended configuration and the retracted configuration and reflect imagery from the display system in the extended configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2024
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Inventors: Anthony Melo, Josiah Logan Bender, Angelo Pagliuca
  • Patent number: 12182949
    Abstract: An amusement ride system includes a ride vehicle configured to carry a passenger, one or more sensors configured to detect a face and a body of the passenger while the passenger is in the ride vehicle, and a display assembly configured to be viewable by the passenger while the passenger is in the ride vehicle. The amusement ride system also includes a controller configured to generate an animation based on signals received from the one or more sensors and to instruct display of the animation on the display assembly. The signals are indicative of movement of the face and the body of the passenger, and the animation mimics the movement of the face and the body of the passenger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Anthony Melo, Akiva Meir Krauthamer
  • Publication number: 20240408509
    Abstract: A customizable avatar system for an amusement park attraction includes one or more processors configured to identify a non-fungible token (NFT) associated with a user within the amusement park attraction. Additionally, the one or more processors are configured to adapt a virtual feature based on the NFT for integration with a displayed avatar. The system also includes a display configured to display the avatar integrated with the virtual feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2024
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Angelo Pagliuca, Josiah Logan Bender, Anthony Melo, Robert Anthony Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 12064707
    Abstract: A three-dimensional display system includes a first display and a second display spaced apart from the first display having one or more light sources configured to emit light and to illuminate the first display, where the first display is at least partially transparent such that the second display is visible through the first display. The three-dimensional display system includes a special effect system disposed at least in part between the first display and the second display and is configured to be activated to cause a special effect to be visible through the first display. The three-dimensional display system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first display, the second display, and the special effect system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Kaitlyn Marie Duffy, Mark James Traynor, Anthony Melo, Howard Bruce Mall, Yu Jen Lin, Nicholas Anthony Puglisi, Carin Harkins, Caitlin Berner, Samuel J. Knox, Shawn Wright, Suzanne Harris
  • Publication number: 20240264795
    Abstract: An attraction system includes a display that operates to present augmented reality and/or virtual reality (AR/VR) imagery to a guest in an interactive space. The system includes an audio controller that operates an array of speakers that are distributed throughout the interactive space and a controller having one or more processors. The one or more processors are operable to receive data indicative of a state of the guest (e.g., an action, movement, or gesture of the guest, an input received from an input device). The one or more processors are also operable to adjust the AR/VR imagery in response to the state of the guest, and instruct the audio controller to operate the array of the speakers to provide interactive audio based on the state of the guest and such that the interactive audio presents to the guest as though originating from a dynamic portion of the AR/VR imagery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2023
    Publication date: August 8, 2024
    Inventors: Jacob David Allinson, Robert Michael Jordan, Patrick John Goergen, Thomas Owen Williams, Mark James Traynor, Anthony Melo
  • Publication number: 20240232697
    Abstract: A system for facilitating user interaction with interactive areas includes a memory encoding processor-executable routines. The system also includes a processor configured to access the memory and to execute the processor-executable routines. The processor may identify data a user of an interactive area based on identifying data obtained at the interactive area. The processor may also utilize a trained machine learning model personalized for the user, wherein the trained machine learning model personalized for the user is configured to recognize idiosyncrasies of the user. The processor may also utilize the trained machine learning model personalized for the user in detecting an idiosyncratic task performed by the user interacting with the interactive area to activate a special effect associated with the interactive area based on interactive data obtained at the interactive area. The processor may further instruct the initiation of the special effect in response to detecting the idiosyncratic task.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Josiah Logan Bender, Angelo Pagliuca, Anthony Melo
  • Publication number: 20240165529
    Abstract: An entertainment system includes a drone configured to be maneuvered across a plurality of zones, an interactive toy device configured to be actuated to cause a plurality of toy reactions, one or more processors, and one or more non-transitory, computer readable media having instructions stored thereon. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine a correlation between the drone and the interactive toy device, where the correlation is based on a proximity between the drone and the interactive toy device and at least one of: a location of the drone within a zone of the plurality of zones, an additional location of the interactive toy device within the zone or an additional zone of the plurality of zones, a non-position based physical attribute of the drone, or an additional non-position based physical attribute of the interactive toy device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2024
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventors: Melinda Ng, Anthony Melo
  • Patent number: 11883761
    Abstract: An entertainment system includes a drone configured to be maneuvered across a plurality of zones, an interactive toy device configured to be actuated to cause a plurality of toy reactions, one or more processors, and one or more non-transitory, computer readable media having instructions stored thereon. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine a correlation between the drone and the interactive toy device, where the correlation is based on a proximity between the drone and the interactive toy device and at least one of: a location of the drone within a zone of the plurality of zones, an additional location of the interactive toy device within the zone or an additional zone of the plurality of zones, a non-position based physical attribute of the drone, or an additional non-position based physical attribute of the interactive toy device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Melinda Ng, Anthony Melo
  • Publication number: 20240013599
    Abstract: An autonomous vehicle locker comprises a controller including a memory storing instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions. The instructions are configured to cause the controller to associate an autonomous vehicle locker with a guest at a first location, receive an indication that guest items are within a storage compartment, secure the storage compartment based on the indication, instruct the autonomous vehicle locker to travel to a second location, identify the guest from a plurality of guests at the second location, and instruct the autonomous vehicle locker to unlock the storage compartment in response to identifying the guest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Eric To Chan, Robert Michael Jordan, Howard Bruce Mall, JR., Mark James Traynor, Anthony Melo
  • Publication number: 20230419726
    Abstract: An interactive portrait system includes a camera configured to capture imagery of an environment and a controller. The controller is configured to analyze the imagery to identify a guest in the environment, instruct an output device to provide an initial output to attempt to interact with the guest, and analyze the imagery to identify a behavior of the guest during the initial output, after the initial output, or both. The controller is also configured to evaluate the behavior of the guest using one or more artificial intelligence algorithms to determine whether the guest responded to the initial output. The controller is further configured to, in response to determining that the guest responded to the initial output, instruct the output device to provide an additional output to continue to attempt to interact with the guest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Robert Michael Jordan, Anthony Melo, Angelo Pagliuca, Brandon David Burmette, John Adams, Jacob David Allinson, Eric To Chan, Mark James Traynor
  • Publication number: 20230410358
    Abstract: A ride system includes one or more sensors and a controller. The controller receives, from the one or more sensors, position data indicative of the position of a body and/or face of guest on the ride. Using the position data, the one or more controllers, determine a face direction, face rotation, or both of the guest, independent of sensor observations of the face direction and rotation. One or more features of the ride are controlled based upon the determined face direction and/or face rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Yu-Jen Lin, Anthony Melo
  • Publication number: 20230401881
    Abstract: A guest measurement system includes a controller configured to receive image data indicative of guest characteristics. The controller includes a processor configured to identify one or more anatomical features of the guest and the reference marker in the image data and scale distances between the identified anatomical features in the image data from a virtual space of the image data to a real-world space using the reference marker in the image data. Based on the scaled distances, the system can generate a guest height calculation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Anthony Melo, Julia Ann Javorsky, Logan Bender, Angelo Pagliuca, Dionté Omar Henderson
  • Publication number: 20230347257
    Abstract: An interactive system for an amusement park attraction includes one or more processors configured to identify a non-fungible token (NFT) possessed by a user within the amusement park attraction. The one or more processors are also configured to transform the NFT into a derivative of the NFT based on context data for the amusement park attraction. The one or more processors are further configured to instruct display of the derivative of the NFT on a display screen within the amusement park attraction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Robert Michael Jordan, Gabriella Farrisi, Gargi Deb, Kristen Elizabeth Tan, Matthew Donald Dailey, Taylor Doris May Harris, Mark James Traynor, Howard Bruce Mall, JR., Victor Alexander Lugo, Anthony Melo
  • Publication number: 20230351459
    Abstract: An interactive system includes one or more processors and memory storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to identify one or more non-fungible tokens (NFTs) possessed by a user and to provide control signals to one or more output devices of a portable object based on the one or more NFTs. The one or more output devices include an actuator configured to drive movement of at least a portion of the portable object, a speaker configured to output sounds, a light emitter configured to emit light, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Robert Michael Jordan, Howard Bruce Mall, Anthony Melo, Victor Alexander Lugo
  • Patent number: 11741628
    Abstract: A face orientation system of a ride that includes one or more sensors and a controller. The controller receives ride cart data from the one or more sensors indicative of a presence and position of the ride cart on the ride. Further, the controller determines the ride cart's orientation based on the ride cart's data and receives position data of a guest from the one or more sensors indicative of a position of a body, a face, or a combination thereof, of the guest. Additionally, the controller determines the face orientation, the face rotation, or a combination thereof, of the guest based on the ride cart's orientation and the position data. Finally, the controller transmits data indicative of the determined face orientation, face rotation, or a combination thereof, to a downstream controller for subsequent control based upon the determined face orientation, face rotation, or the combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Yu-Jen Lin, Anthony Melo
  • Publication number: 20230182035
    Abstract: A three-dimensional display system includes a first display and a second display spaced apart from the first display having one or more light sources configured to emit light and to illuminate the first display, where the first display is at least partially transparent such that the second display is visible through the first display. The three-dimensional display system includes a special effect system disposed at least in part between the first display and the second display and is configured to be activated to cause a special effect to be visible through the first display. The three-dimensional display system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first display, the second display, and the special effect system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Kaitlyn Marie Duffy, Mark James Traynor, Anthony Melo, Howard Bruce Mall, Yu Jen Lin, Nicholas Anthony Puglisi, Carin Harkins, Caitlin Berner, Samuel J. Knox, Shawn Wright, Suzanne Harris
  • Publication number: 20230177783
    Abstract: An amusement ride system includes a ride vehicle configured to carry a passenger, one or more sensors configured to detect a face and a body of the passenger while the passenger is in the ride vehicle, and a display assembly configured to be viewable by the passenger while the passenger is in the ride vehicle. The amusement ride system also includes a controller configured to generate an animation based on signals received from the one or more sensors and to instruct display of the animation on the display assembly. The signals are indicative of movement of the face and the body of the passenger, and the animation mimics the movement of the face and the body of the passenger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Anthony Melo, Akiva Meir Krauthamer
  • Patent number: 11663906
    Abstract: A projected target location of a handheld object is determined based on applying translation factors, scaling factors, and offsets to a location of a reference element of the handheld object detected by a camera on a two-dimensional plane. The translation factors are determined based on a difference between a calibration location on the plane and an initial location of the reference element corresponding to the calibration location, and serve to shift the location of the reference element to generate the projected target location. The scaling factors are determined based on an estimated length of a user's arm holding the handheld object, and serve to scale the location of the reference element to generate the projected target location. The offsets are determined based on polynomial equations, and serve to extend the distance between the projected target location and the calibration location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Yu-Jen Lin, Michael Beavers, Stephen Burkett, Joshua David Danzig, Kyle P. Hanley, Humberto Kam, Anthony Melo