System and method for making reservation times for an event at a coverage area

• US 20020077872A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Linda Noble, Richard Noble
• Original Assignee: Linda Noble, Richard Noble
• Inventors: Lancos, Kenneth J., Land, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US09/967,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

A system and method for making reservation times for an event at a coverage area. The system includes a kiosk system having an RFID reader, an input device, a network interface, a display and a processor, and a central server having a network interface, a non-volatile memory, and a processor. A guest has an RFID tag read and selects using the input device an event and a reservation time to enter the event from a list of events and reservations shown on the display. The kiosk processor transmits the guest identifier and the event and reservation time information to the central server. The central server accesses the event data object and adds the tag identifier and reservation time to a data field of the event data object. The central server then sends a reservation confirmation back to the kiosk system.

Claims

1. A method of reserving an entrance time to an event within a coverage area, comprising:

reading an identification tag worn by a guest to obtain a tag identifier;

receiving a selection of said event from said guest;

receiving a reservation request for said entrance time from said guest; and

writing said tag identifier and entrance time in a data field of an event data object pertaining to said event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said identification tag comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a selection of said event comprises:

displaying on a display a plurality of events available for reserving entrance times to said guest; and

receiving said selection of said event by way of an input device used by said guest.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said input device comprises a touch screen input device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said input device comprises a keyboard.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an event identifier pertaining to said selected event from a kiosk system to a central server.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising transmitting information related to available reservation times for said event from said central server to said kiosk system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying on a display said information related to said available reservation times.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving from a guest using said input device a selection of said entrance time from said information related to said available reservation times.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting said tag identifier, said event identifier, and said selected reservation time from said kiosk system to said central server.

11. A system, comprising:

a reader to read a tag identifier from an identification tag worn by a guest at a coverage area;

an input device to receive information related to an event and a reservation time for said event from said guest;

a network interface to communicate with a central server; and

a processor to cause a transmission of said tag identifier and said information related to said event and said reservation time to said central server by way of said network interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said reader comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said input device comprises a keyboard.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said input device comprises a touch screen input device.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a display for displaying information related to said event.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a printer for generating a documents containing information related to said event.

17. A central server, comprising:

a non-volatile memory to store an event data object pertaining to an event of a coverage area;

a network interface to communicate with a remote system; and

a processor to receive a tag identifier and information related to said event and a desired reservation time, to access said event data object based on said information related to said event, and to write said tag identifier and information related to said desired reservation time in a data field of said event data object.

18. An event data object stored in a memory comprising a first data field containing information related to available reservations times for said event, and a second data field containing information related to a reservation time made by a guest.

19. A data structure stored in a memory for defining a first data field containing information related to available reservations times for said event, and a second data field for defining information related to a reservation time made by a guest.