System and method for providing location-based data on a wireless portable device

• US 20100063854A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Kampo, Laura, Rice, Kevin, Purvis, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 10,885,471 B2
• 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: 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: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services

Abstract

There is provided a wireless portable device for providing location-based data to a user in a defined geographical area including a plurality of points of interest, the wireless portable device comprising a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a display. The wireless transmitter can transmit location information to a wireless server over a wireless network. The wireless receiver can receive location-based data relating to a point of interest from the wireless server periodically and automatically, based on the location of the wireless portable device. By optimizing map routes and schedules using the location-based data and user preferences including wish lists, the wireless portable device can provide helpful recommendations via the display, enabling the user to plan an efficient schedule of activities in the defined geographical area optimized by walking distance, queue wait times, booking and arriving at reserved events, and/or by other user preferences.

Claims

1. A wireless portable device for providing location-based data to a user in a defined geographical area including a plurality of points of interest, the wireless portable device comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit location information to a wireless server over a wireless network, wherein the location information is indicative of a location of the wireless portable device within the defined geographical area;

a receiver configured to receive the location-based data from the wireless server over the wireless network periodically and automatically, based on the location of the wireless portable device; and

a display configured to display a schedule of activities in the defined geographical area to the user based on the location-based data, wherein the location-based data are generated using the location of the wireless portable device and queue time for each of the activities.

2. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the wireless portable device receives a preference list of activities from the user, and wherein the location-based data are generated further using the preference list of activities.

3. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein prior to receiving the location-based data, the receiver is further configured to receive locale data for selecting the defined geographical area from a list of supported geographical areas.

4. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to display a map with a pathway line traveling through a route for completing the schedule of activities.

5. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the location-based data are generated further using a filter according to a preference of the user.

6. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises a plurality of access points, and wherein the receiver uses signal strength to the plurality of access points to triangulate the location information.

7. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the wireless portable device is configured to optimize the schedule of activities using the location-based data to reduce a total required travel distance to complete the schedule of activities.

8. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the wireless portable device is configured to optimize the schedule of activities using the location-based data to reduce a total required queue wait time to complete the schedule of activities.

9. The wireless portable device of claim 1, wherein the schedule of activities includes activities having reservation time windows, and wherein the wireless portable device is configured to optimize the schedule of activities such that the activities having reservation time windows can be initiated during their respective reservation time windows.

10. The wireless portable device of claim 9, wherein the schedule of activities further includes booking activities for reserving the activities having reservation time windows.

11. A method for use by a wireless portable device for providing location-based data to a user in a defined geographical area including a plurality of points of interest, the method comprising:

transmitting location information to a wireless server over a wireless network, wherein the location information is indicative of a location of the wireless portable device within the defined geographical area;

receiving the location-based data from the wireless server over the wireless network periodically and automatically, based on the location of the wireless portable device; and

displaying a schedule of activities in the defined geographical area to the user based on the location-based data, wherein the location-based data are generated using the location of the wireless portable device and queue time for each of the activities.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to receiving the location-based data the method further comprises receiving a preference list of activities from the user, wherein the location-based data are generated further using the preference list of activities.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to receiving the location-based data the method further comprises receiving locale data for selecting the defined geographical area from a list of supported geographical areas.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a map with a pathway line traveling through a route for completing the schedule of activities.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the location-based data are generated further using a filter according to a preference of the user.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless network comprises a plurality of access points, and wherein prior to transmitting the location information the method further comprises using a signal strength to the plurality of access points to triangulate the location information.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to the displaying the schedule of activities the method further comprises optimizing the schedule of activities using the location-based data to reduce a total required travel distance to complete the schedule of activities.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to the displaying the schedule of activities the method further comprises optimizing the schedule of activities using the location-based data to reduce a total required queue wait time to complete the schedule of activities.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the schedule of activities includes activities having reservation time windows, and wherein prior to the displaying the schedule of activities the method further comprises optimizing the schedule of activities such that the activities having reservation time windows can be initiated during their respective reservation time windows.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the schedule of activities further includes booking activities for reserving the activities having reservation time windows.