Method and apparatus for reserving a place in line

• US 20020007292A1
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark S. Paxton, Michael F. Hughes
• Original Assignee: Mark S. Paxton, Michael F. Hughes
• Inventors: Hughes, Michael F., Paxton, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US09/821,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20020007292A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/04 related to queuing systems

Abstract

A system to substantially reduce the lines for an attraction where the system comprises a central processor and a transmitter that emits signals to be received by a plurality of receivers. The receivers passively receive the signals from the transmitter and upload information to the central processor using common magnetic field interrogation propagation.

Claims

1. A system to substantially remove lines for an attraction where a number of patrons desire to attend the attraction and the system comprises:

a transmitter system having a transmitter device adapted to transmit signals,

a central processor comprising a queue and a processing system, where the processing system transmits signals to transmitter system for sending information therefrom, and the queue is adapted to hold place-holdings which contain the unique identification tags,

a plurality of receivers each having unique identification tags and the receivers adapted to receive the said information from the transmitter system transmitted from the central processor,

a queue setting operation comprising a first interrogator adapted to receive signals from the receivers where the first reader uploads the unique identification tags of the receivers and the first reader is in communication with the central processor to transmit information thereto,

a queue decrementing operation comprising a second interrogator that is adapted to receive signals from the said receivers where the second reader uploads the unique identification tags of the receivers, the second interrogator is in communication with the central processor and signals from the queue decrementing operation are adapted to remove place holdings from the queue where the place holdings comprise the unique identification tags from the respective receivers,

an entrance regulation system adapted to permit or deny entrance to the attraction for the patrons where the entrance regulation system is controlled by the queue decrementing operation where when a place holding is removed from the queue, the entrance regulation system is adapted to allow access for the patron possessing the receiver having the unique identification of the place holding that was removed from the queue,

whereas, a patron indicates to the first interrogator of the queue setting operation a request to have a place-holding in the queue, the central processor receives the request and creates a place-holding on the queue where the place-holding comprises the identification tag, as higher priority place-holdings are removed from the queue, the lower-priority place holdings advance in the queue, the receiver transmits its unique identification tag to the queue decrementing operation where the second interrogator reads the unique identification tag and the unique identification tag is transmitted to the central processor to query the for a place-holding having the same identification tag and if the returned place-holding is within a specified high priority range, the entrance regulation system allows the user to enter to the event.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

where the first interrogator is an magnetic field of reader adapted to transmit a magnetic signal.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

where the second interrogator is an magnetic field producing reader adapted to transmit a magnetic signal.

4. The system as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

where the second interrogator is an magnetic field producing reader adapted to transmit a magnetic field.

5. The system as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

where the receivers passively receive signals from the antenna transmitter system and comprise circuitry to upload information to the queue setting operation as the receivers pass through the magnetic field.

6. The system as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

where the receivers passively receive signals from the transmitter system and comprise circuitry to upload information to the queue setting operation as the receivers pass through the magnetic field.

7. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

where the user inputs place holdings the central processor through a user interface.

8. The system as recited in claim 7 where the user interface is a display at a kiosk.

9. The system as recited in claim 7 where the user interface is a display on the computer and a communication transmission system provides communication to the queue by request through the Internet.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

where the system is adapted to be placed in an amusement park.

11. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising where the first and second interrogators operate on the same hardware.

12. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

where the queue setting and decrementing operations are connected to a second processor and a transmitter system sends signals to the central processor to update the queue.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 where the transmitter system comprises spread spectrum transmitters and receivers to sending information to the central processor.

14. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

where a plurality of second processors are employed and used at a plurality attractions where the transmitter system of each second processor updates the central processor in real time to update the queue.