Business method and system for communicating public-facility status information through a virtual ticket device

• US 20030069763A1
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Haken, Jack E., Gathman, Laurie E.
• Application Number:
  US09/971,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20030069763A1
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A business method and system for providing status information to patrons of a public facility through patron virtual ticket devices. A message database stores standard and customized information messages. The information messages may be sent on request, at predetermined times, or upon the occurrence of a preselected event.

Claims

2. The method of doing business of claim 1, wherein the information provided to the VTD includes a description of the determined location.

13. In a public facility including a transceiver for communicating with virtual ticket devices, said facility having at least one status collector, a method of doing business, comprising:

providing a database in communication with the status collector for storing collected status information;

receiving status information for storage in the database;

receiving a request for status information; and

transmitting the requested status information to at least one VTD.

1. In a public facility in communication with at least one patron through a virtual ticket device (VTD) interface, a method of doing business, comprising:

detecting that a VTD is within communication range of the VTD interface;

determining the identity and location of the detected VTD; and

selectively providing information to the identified VTD on the basis of the determined identity and location.

3. The method of doing business of claim 1, wherein the public facility maintains a database of estimated waiting times at selected facilities, and wherein the information provided to the VTD includes information relating the estimated waiting time for at least one facility.

4. The method of doing business of claim 3, wherein the request transmitted from the VTD includes a maximum-wait time, and further comprising the step of determining whether the estimated waiting time at the at least one facility is less than the maximum-wait time, and wherein the information relating to the estimated waiting time is sent upon determining that the estimated waiting time is less than the maximum-wait time.

5. The method of doing business of claim 3 wherein the facility is a public toilet.

6. The method of doing business of claim 3 wherein the facility is a concession stand.

7. The method of doing business of claim 6 further comprising the step of claim 6 further comprising the steps of allowing discounts when a holder of the VTD makes purchases at the concession stand and communicating information about the allowed discount to the VTD

8. The method of doing business of claim 3 wherein the facility is an aid station.

9. The method of doing business of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing in memory the determined VTD identity and location.

10. The method of doing business of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the VTD has passed an entry point at the public facility;

determining subsequently that the VTD has passed an entry point of the public facility for at least a second time; and

providing automatically to the VTD information including a description of the stored location.

11. The method of doing business of claim 10, wherein a plurality of VTD locations have been stored, and wherein the description automatically provided describes the first stored VTD location.

14. The method of doing business of claim 13, wherein the request for status information is received from a VTD.

15. The method of doing business of claim 13, wherein the request for status information is generated automatically.

16. The method of doing business of claim 15, wherein the automatically-generated request is generated upon determining that an event taking place in the public facility has ended.

17. The method of doing business of claim 13, wherein the status collector measures the rate at which vehicles are leaving a parking area associated with the public facility.

15-1. The method of doing business of claim 14, wherein the automatically-generated request is generated upon determining that the VTD has relocated from a first location to a second location.

18. A public-facility information guide, comprising:

an electronic ticket control system for processing public-facility information in order to formulate information messages;

at least one access point in communication with the electronic ticket control system, the access point being capable of communicating with a public-facility patron virtual ticket device; and

at least one status collector in communication with the electronic ticket control system for collecting and reporting status information.

19. The information guide of claim 18, wherein the status collector collects crowd-density information.

20. The information guide of claim 18, wherein the status collector collects waiting time information.

20-2. An electronic ticket control system, comprising:

a message database for storing information-message data;

a control program for directing a processor of the electronic ticket control system to formulate an information message using the information message data, wherein the information messages are formulated in response to information requests;

an access point coupled to transmit information messages formulated by the processor to a public-facility patron virtual ticket device; and

a status database for storing status information collected by a status collector, wherein the processor uses the stored status information in formulating information messages.