Reservation media issuing system using fuzzy logic

• US 5,987,420 A
• Filed: 02/11/1998
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Tetsuo, Maeda, Tadasu, Tasaka, Yoshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/021,948
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/6, 706/926
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/926 Time management

Abstract

The present system comprises a device which issues tickets, a central processing device and an entrance gate device which controls entry to the site. The central processing device establishes appropriate data representing the maximum carrying capacity of each attraction (i.e., the maximum number of reservations which can be given out). It does so by performing a fuzzy inference based on fuzzy rules using as fuzzy variables various uncertainty factors which influence cancellations and other events that transpire after a reservation is made, such as type of attraction, weather, time of day, day of the week and season.

Claims

1. A reservation media issuing system, comprising:

a reservation media issuing device to issue reservation media containing reservation data which represents a specific reserved time and date;

a central processing device having an inference processing unit which performs an inference to determine a maximum number of said reservation media which can be issued by said reservation media issuing device; and

an entrance gate device to read said reservation data on said reservation media and to execute processing to admit a holder of said reservation media.

2. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 1, wherein said reservation media is a reserved admission ticket.

3. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 2, wherein said reserved admission ticket has a magnetic stripe.

4. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 2, wherein said reserved admission ticket is an ID card.

5. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 2, wherein said reserved admission ticket is an optical card.

6. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 1, wherein said inference is performed by fuzzy logic inference.

7. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 6, wherein said fuzzy logic inference is performed based on fuzzy rules using, as fuzzy variables, type of attraction, weather, time of day, day of the week and season of the year in order to determine a number of cancellations anticipated and thereby a maximum number of said reservation media which may be issued.

8. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 1, wherein said central processing device further comprises a cancellation processing unit which cancels said reservation media.

9. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 8, wherein said cancellation processing unit further determines said maximum number of said reservation media based on a waiting list.

10. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 1, wherein said central processing device further comprises a course check unit to check a feasibility of a course defined in said reservation data.

11. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 1, wherein said central processing device further comprises a course setting unit to determine an efficient route.

12. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 11, wherein said efficient route is determined based on input request time.

13. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 1, wherein said central processing device further comprises an amusement point unit to accumulate an amusement point for each attraction.

14. A reservation media issuing system according to claim 1, wherein said central processing device further comprises an overbooking detection unit to prevent a single individual from acquiring an unfair amount of said reservation media.

15. A method for controlling admission to a certain location through a reservation system, comprising the steps of:

performing an inference to determine the maximum number of reservation media which can be issued for a certain location;

issuing reservation media containing reservation data which represents a specified reserved date and time;

reading said reservation data contained on said reservation media at a later time;

allowing admission to said certain location if the current date and time is approximately equal to the specified date and time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of issuing reservation media further comprises issuing a magnetic stripe card.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of reading is performed using a magnetic card reader.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of performing an inference further comprises performing a fuzzy logic inference.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of performing a fuzzy logic inference is performed using type of attraction, weather, time of day, day of the week, and season of the year as fuzzy variables, and wherein said fuzzy logic inference determines an anticipated number of cancellations.