System and Methods for Accelerated Recognition and Processing of Personal Privilege Operative for Controlling Large Closed Group Environments

• US 20080191009A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fortress GB Limited
• Original Assignee: Fortress GB Limited
• Inventors: Vago, Gabriel, Gressel, Carmi David, Rosenthal, James Philip, Hadad, Mordechay, Granot, Ran
• Granted Patent: US 8,056,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• 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 9/22 in combination with an identity check of the pass holder
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0813 Specific details related to card security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

Methods (3500-3695) and apparatus (10, 20) for controlling physical (30, 40) and virtual (12) access for accelerated recognition and processing of privileges, benefits, value transfers, crowd control, community membership and status, in particular for institutions, arenas and other large venues.

Claims

1-47. -47. (canceled)

48. An off-line/on-line security system for an enclosed area housing a mass attended event, the system comprising:

a plurality of gate controllers;

a central controller for securely providing said gate controllers with status lists enabling said gate controllers to provide accelerated off-line monitored entrance of crowds into the enclosed area; and

an on-line statistics provider operative to provide the central controller with on-line crowd statistics to assure safe punctual inauguration of the mass attended event.

49. A system according to claim 48 and also comprising tokens, held by persons attending the event and each comprising a token ID, wherein each said gate controller comprises a token reader operative to read the token IDs.

50. A system according to claim 49 wherein at least one token bears a time-stamp comprising a provably-authentic digital declaration of the instant that the token holder negotiated his attendance to the mass-attended event.

51. A system according to claim 49 wherein at least one status list comprises an attribute of whether a token holder is “

expected”

or “

not or no longer expected”

to attend the mass-attended event.

52. A system according to claim 51 and wherein said central controller comprises a buy-back functionality in which an “

expected”

token holder in the status list reverts to being “

not or no longer expected”

.

53. A system according to claim 48 wherein at least one of said gate controllers comprises a cryptographically operated reader of an attendee'"'"'s status.

54. A system according to claim 48 wherein said plurality of gate controllers normally function off-line and are operative to revert to on-line mode, vis a vis said central controller, in some instances.

55. A system according to claim 48, further comprising a steward PDA including a module to read tokens borne by attendees, operative to download at least one list from said central controller and accordingly, and to assist an attendee to find his seating arrangement.

56. A system according to claim 48 wherein said central controller is in intermittent on-line communication with the plurality of gate controllers via a network

57. A system according to claim 56 and wherein, when the network is operative, the central controller is operative to assemble estimations of percentages of attendees who are already seated.

58. A system according to claim 48 wherein said plurality of gate controllers are disposed at entrance points to an enclosed area selected from the group consisting of:

a stadium, an arena, a theater, an amphitheater, a performance hall, a transportation terminal, a financial institution, a service, a clinic, a country club, a night club, a private club, a station, a port, a convention center, a forum, a government installation, a payment scheme, a betting installation, a secured computation complex, a sports facility, a recreational complex, an educational institution, a membership club, a theme park, a hotel, a medical center, a medical installation, a residential complex, a parking facility, a casino, a workplace, a military installation, and a transporter.

59. A system according to claim 48, wherein at least one of said plurality of gate controllers has a changeable mode selected from the group consisting of:

off-line and on-line;

wherein said at least one gate controller is further operative to provide access control functions in said off-line mode; and

wherein said at least one gate controller is further operative to download and upload data in said on-line mode.

60. A system according to claim 49 wherein each said gate controller also comprises:

an operator-issued authenticator communicative with said token reader, said authenticator operative to output an authorization, said authenticator comprising;

(i) apparatus operative to establish authenticity of the token ID; and

(ii) a list file of acceptable token ID'"'"'s, said list file having a cut-off time and comprising a stored version of said status lists; and

a passage controller operative to allow the person holding the token access to a predetermined area of the venue upon receipt of said authorization,

wherein said authenticator outputs said authorization upon detecting entitlement of the token ID in said list of acceptable token ID'"'"'s.

61. An off-line/on-line method for controlling access to an enclosed area housing a mass attended event, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of gate controllers;

centrally and securely providing said gate controllers with status lists enabling said gate controllers to provide accelerated off-line monitored entrance of crowds into the enclosed area; and

providing on-line crowd statistics to assure safe punctual inauguration of the mass attended event.

62. A computerized networked control system serving visitors to an enclosed area housing mass attended events, wherein the visitors possess wireless handheld ID communicators, the system comprising:

(a) a poster; and

(b) a wireless device associated with the poster and operative to communicate with the wireless handheld communicators, including transmitting data thereto and receiving data therefrom,

wherein the poster includes visual indicia guiding a visitor to perform a procedure for establishing data transfer between said poster-associated wireless device and his wireless handheld communicator, and wherein said data comprises a program for managing and directing the visitors'"'"' activities at the venue.

63. A system as in claim 62 wherein said program assures that the visitor'"'"'s handheld communicator does not emit sound during those intervals wherein silence is mandated at the venue.

64. A system as in claim 62, wherein said program provides a broadcasted display of a review of the event on the visitor'"'"'s handheld communicator.

65. A system as in claim 62, wherein the program provides a display of words enunciated in the course of a performance taking place at the venue, in a vernacular understandable to the visitor and on his handheld communicator.

66. A system as in claim 62, wherein the program enables the visitor to be positively identified, to place bets and to learn the results of sport events.

67. A system as in claim 62, wherein the program reminds the visitor to arrive promptly at at least one scheduled event.

68. A computerized networked control method serving visitors to an enclosed area housing mass attended events, wherein the visitors possess wireless handheld ID communicators, the method comprising:

(a) displaying a poster in association with the venue;

(b) associating a wireless device with the poster, said device being operative to communicate with the wireless handheld communicators, including transmitting data thereto and receiving data therefrom; and

(c) interfacing with the visitor in accordance with a predetermined procedure for establishing transfer of data between said poster-associated wireless device and at least one visitor'"'"'s wireless handheld communicator, and wherein said data comprises a program for managing and directing the visitors'"'"' activities at the venue,

wherein the poster includes visual indicia guiding a visitor to perform the predetermined procedure.

69. In a venue attended by a user holding a wireless handheld communicator, a data system for communicating information and data capabilities to the person, the system comprising:

(a) a poster having an attached wireless token operative to communicate with the wireless handheld communicator, including transmitting data thereto and receiving data therefrom; and

(b) visual indicia printed on said poster, said visual indicia operative to guide the user to perform a procedure for establishing data transfer between said attached wireless token and the wireless handheld communicator.