The Walt Disney Company

Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Kyle W Poor

John W Sogge

B Thomas Craven

Bernard M Durgin

Eric Charles Haseltine

Paul H Dietz

Robert Alan Swirsky

Bruce S Johnson

William G Adamson

William George Wiedefeld

Ronald W Froelich

Roger S Holzberg

Michael H Peterson

Lawrence P Stein

A location sensitive display device, and method therefor utilized in an entertainment environment. The display device includes a receiver, control circuit, and indication units. Infrared (IR) transmitters are positioned within the entertainment environment and emit a code which is detected and decoded by the receiver or IR photodiode. The receiver generates a control signal in response to the transmitted IR signal, and a control circuit processes the control signal to generate output signals which illuminate Light Emitting Diode (LED) indication units in a sequence determined by the output signals to provide a predetermined visual display. The display can be used in an activity related to the entertainment environment and can be controlled by a user or a central control system. Further, the display device can include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen to provide various types of games including games of skill and trivia games with questions and answers.

Location sensitive display device, system, and method of providing animation sequences

The present invention provides a novel form of entertainment in which participants compete in a &ldquo;tug of war&rdquo; against opponents who are remotely located, stored in electronic form in memory, or are virtual opponents graphically generated in real-time by a computer. One embodiment implements &ldquo;tug of war&rdquo; in a manner compatible with international standards for Tug competitions. The invention consists of a rope attached to a motor to supply a counterforce to the pulling team. A tensiometer is attached to the rope to determine the force being applied to the rope by the pulling team. In one embodiment, there is a corresponding assembly being used by an opposing team and in data communication with the first assembly. The motor applies a counterforce to the rope being pulled by one team based on the force being applied by the other team to their own rope. In this manner, the system works as if the teams were each pulling on the same rope.

Virtual tug of war

A pyrotechnic device includes a launcher for launching and igniting a plurality of pyrotechnic stars for creating an aerial fireworks display. The launcher comprises a launching tube having an igniter that ignites the pyrotechnic stars as they are being expelled from the launching tube under the force of pressurized air. The igniter may comprise a section of the launching tube having a locally reduced diameter so that the pyrotechnic star frictionally engages it during launch, causing a striker composition on the interior of the launching tube to ignite a prime composition on the exterior surface of the pyrotechnic star. Alternatively, the igniter may comprise a flame within the launching tube to ignite the prime composition on the star. Various feeding mechanisms are provided to rapidly feed a large number of pyrotechnic stars for launching from the launching tube. The launcher utilizes pressurized air to launch the pyrotechnic stars and, thus, minimizes adverse environmental impact.

Method and apparatus for creating pyrotechnic effects

A system and method for launching projectiles, such as fireworks projectiles, which explode in the air into a pyrotechnic display. The projectile includes a shell constructed from a binding agent and an explosive additive which explodes the shell into small particles. The explosive additive, which may be nitrocellulose, causes the exploded particles to be rapidly burned and consumed to form lightweight, inert flakes that fall harmlessly to the ground. The projectile is aimed and launched by a launcher to rapidly expel the projectile from a launching tube. Once in the air at a predetermined location in the sky, a fuse inside the projectile operates to detonate the projectile into its intended pyrotechnic display. The fuse is extremely accurate and enables detonation of the projectile at precise altitudes. An electronic control system controls launching and detonation of the projectiles in a precise and repeatable manner. The external geometry of the projectile also is configured so that the projectile tumbles when launched and follows a more predictable, repeatable and accurate path in flight.

Fireworks projectile having distinct shell configuration

Fireworks projectile having combustible shell

A system and method for launching projectiles, such as fireworks projectiles, which explode in the air into a pyrotechnic display. The projectile includes a shell constructed from a binding agent and an explosive additive which explodes the shell into small particles. The explosive additive, which may be nitrocellulose, causes the exploded particles to be rapidly burned and consumed to form lightweight, inert flakes that fall harmlessly to the ground. The projectile is aimed and launched by a launcher using a compressed gas to rapidly expel the projectile from a launching tube. Once in the air at a predetermined location in the sky, an electronic fuse inside the projectile operates to detonate the projectile into its intended pyrotechnic display. The fuse is extremely accurate and enables detonation of the projectile at precise altitudes. An electronic control system controls launching and detonation of the projectiles in a precise and repeatable manner.

Precision fireworks display system having a decreased environmental

Growing community of inventors

Clermont, FL, United States of America

Kyle W Poor