Activity management system

• US 20020090992A1
• Filed: 01/08/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amusement Soft LLC
• Original Assignee: Amusement Soft LLC
• Inventors: Lasnik, Robert, Legge, John V.
• Granted Patent: US 6,629,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

The present invention is an activity management system, in particular for coin-operated systems including but not limited to video arcade games and slot machines. The preferred embodiment of the activity management system is an automated redemption system comprising a client transponder card with a memory unit, an activity station, a management station, and an attendant transponder with a memory unit. The memory unit of the client transponder card preferably has event criteria such as a debit/credit indicator, a content rating and a time stamp. The memory unit of the attendant transponder preferably has a passkey and a debit/credit indicator. The preferred embodiment of the activity station has an inductive transmission system, a memory unit with programs for evaluating the client transponder'"'"'s event criteria such as the debit/credit indicator, content rating and/or time stamp and programs for interacting with the attendant transponder'"'"'s passkey and debit/credit indicator. The preferred embodiment of the activity station also has three status indicating lights and an alphanumeric display. The preferred embodiment of the management station has a computer with a database and a management station inductive transmission system for reading and writing data to client transponder cards. The management station preferably has a wireless network data connection with the activity station via transceivers in each station. The management station periodically queries the activity station for data.

Claims

1. An automated redemption system comprising

a client transponder;

an activity station comprising an inductive transmission system;

and, a management station having a network data connection with the activity station.

2. The automated redemption system of claim 1 where the activity station further comprises at least one status indicating light.

3. The automated redemption system of claim 1 where the inductive transmission system comprises a printed circuit board antenna for reading and writing data to and from the client transponder.

4. The automated redemption system of claim 1 where the network data connection between the activity station and the management station is wireless.

5. The automated redemption system of claim 1 where the activity station further comprises an alphanumeric display.

6. The automated redemption system of claim 1 where the client transponder is contained in a card.

7. The automated redemption system of claim 1 where the management station comprises a computer and a management station inductive transmission system.

8. The automated redemption system of claim 7 where the management station inductive transmission system has a printed circuit board antenna for reading and writing data to and from the client transponder.

9. The automated redemption system of claim 7 where the management station further comprises a database.

10. The automated redemption system of claim 1 where the client transponder further comprises a memory unit.

11. The automated redemption system of claim 1 further comprising an attendant transponder having a memory unit.

13. The automated redemption system of claim 12 where the memory unit of the client transponder card has a debit and credit indicator.

15. The activity management system of claim 14 where the activity station has at least one status indicating light.

16. The activity management system of claim 14 where the activity station has an alphanumeric display.

17. The activity management system of claim 14 where the memory unit of the client transponder contains at least one event criterion and the memory unit of the activity station has an event criterion evaluating program.

18. The activity management system of claim 17 where at least one event criterion is a content rating.

19. The activity management system of claim 17 where at least one event criterion is a user age.

20. The activity management system of claim 17 where at least one event criterion is a debit/credit indicator.

21. The activity management system of claim 17 where at least one event criterion is a time stamp.

22. The activity management system of claim 14 where the memory unit of the attendant transponder has a passkey and the memory unit of the activity station has a passkey program.

23. The activity management system of claim 14 further comprising a management station comprising a computer with a database, a transceiver and a management station inductive transmission system;

where the management station has a wireless network data connection with the activity station via the transceiver.

25. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station is connected to a coin mechanism of a video arcade machine.

26. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station is connected to a coin mechanism of a slot machine.

27. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station is connected to a coin mechanism of a vending machine.

28. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station is connected to a ticketing booth.

29. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station is connected to a coin mechanism of a coin-operated machine.

30. The activity management system of claim 24 where the client transponder is contained in a card.

31. The activity management system of claim 24 where the computer of the management station has a program for querying the activity station for data stored in the memory unit of the activity station.

32. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station has a call button.

33. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station notifies the management station via the wireless network data connection when at least one event criterion on the client transponder reaches a pre-determined level.

34. The activity management system of claim 24 where at least one event criterion is a customer identification.

35. The activity management system of claim 24 where at least one event criterion is a password criterion.

36. The activity management system of claim 24 where at least one event criterion is a club membership criterion.

37. The activity management system of claim 25 where the video arcade machine has a game score indicator and the activity station issues debits and credits to the client transponder based on the game score indicator.

38. The activity management system of claim 29 where the activity station further comprises a signal light for indication of a bonus state for the coin-operated machine.

39. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station is connected to a ticket dispenser.

40. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station is mounted on a casino table.

41. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station further comprises a keypad.

42. The activity management system of claim 24 where the activity station further comprises a biometric key entry system.

12. An automated redemption system comprising:

a client transponder card with a memory unit;

an activity station comprising an inductive transmission system, a memory unit, at least one status indicating light and an alpha-numeric display;

a management station comprising a computer with a database and an inductive transmission system;

where the management station has a wireless network data connection with the activity station; and

,

an attendant transponder having a memory unit.

14. An activity management system comprising:

a client transponder with a memory unit;

an activity station comprising an inductive transmission system and a memory unit; and

,

an attendant transponder with a memory unit.

24. An activity management system comprising:

a client transponder with a memory unit, the memory unit having at least one event criterion and a debit and credit indicator;

an activity station comprising an inductive transmission system and a memory unit, the memory unit having an event criteria evaluating program, a passkey program and a debit and credit program;

an attendant transponder with a memory unit having a passkey; and

,

a management station comprising a computer with a database, a transceiver and a management station inductive transmission system;

where the management station has a wireless network data connection with the activity station via the transceiver.