System for aiding in use of a facility arranged to equip visitors with portable information storing units, method for aiding in use of a facility, and recording medium for recording the method

• US 6,189,783 B1
• Filed: 11/20/1998
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Hiroki, Motomiya, Yukie, Hatakeyama, Tsutomu, Furuya, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/196,234
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 235/360, 235/381, 235/375, 235/382, 235/382.5, 701/209, 701/202
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system and a method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit is provided for registering several visitors as a group in the portable information storing unit such as an IC card. One visitor holding the portable information storing unit can grasp how another visitor of the group is moving about the facility and exchange a message with another visitor. Further, the facility provides access terminals for the portable information storing unit, on which the visitable unit facilities, the visiting history of each visitor, and a waiting time of each unit facility are displayed.

Claims

1. The method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one of said group holding a portable information storing unit may determine how the other visitors of said group are moving about said facility; and

displaying the action of the other visitors holding a portable information storing unit on a display of an access terminal for said portable information storing units as a visiting status and a visiting time of each visitor in said facility.

2. The method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one of said group holding a portable information storing unit may determine how the other visitors of said group are moving about said facility; and

issuing said portable information storing unit as a qualification ticket for said facility, when said portable information storing units are to be registered as one group.

3. The method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one of said group holding a portable information storing unit may determine how the other visitors of said group are moving about said facility; and

registering said portable information storing units in a group through said access terminal.

4. A method for aiding in the user of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

enabling an access terminal for said portable information storing unit provided in said facility to display visitable unit facilities located in said facility, a visiting history about said unit facilities of the visitor holding said portable information storing unit, and a waiting time of each of said unit facilities.

5. The method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one of said group holding a portable information storing unit may determine how the other visitors of said group are moving about said facility,

wherein said portable information storing unit serves as a ticket for unit facilities located in said facility and electronic money as a substitute for cash.

6. The method for aiding in the use of a recreational facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein said access terminal located in said recreational facility includes a function of printing data on the surface of said portable information storing unit so that the visiting history of a certain visitor may be printed on the surface of said portable information storing unit when said visitor enters into one of the unit facilities provided in the recreational facility.

7. A recording medium for recording a computer program to be executed by a computer for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, said computer program when executed causes the computer to execute:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one of said group holding a portable information storing unit may determine how the other visitors of said group are moving about said facility.

8. A system for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

one or more access terminals for said portable information storing units;

a computer system for managing system information,

wherein said computer system communicates with said access terminals through communications lines so that information may be transferred between said computer system and said access terminals; and

means for holding a group code of a portable information storing unit of each visitor for visiting each of unit facilities included in said facility and a visiting time of each visitor in said each unit facility,

wherein if one of the visitors puts his or her portable information storing unit into an access terminal, then the visiting history in said facility of the portable information storing units of the other visitors with the same group code as that of said portable information storing unit put into said access terminal are displayed on said access terminal.

9. A system for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

one or more access terminals for said portable information storing units;

a computer system for managing system information,

wherein said computer system communicates with said access terminals through communications line so that information may be transferred between said computer system and said access terminals; and

means for holding a group code of a portable information storing unit of each visitor for visiting each of unit facilities included in said facility and a visiting time of each visitor in said each unit facility,

wherein messages being held in said access terminals in the form of an animation, a still picture or voice are communicated among the visitors holding said portable information storing units belonging to the same group through said access terminals.

10. A system for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

one or more access terminals for said portable information storing units;

a computer system for managing system information,

wherein said computer system communicates with said access terminals through communications lines so that information may be transferred between said computer system and said access terminals; and

means for determining a trend of visitors of each of unit facilities located in said facility through use of a sensor for sensing portable information storing units of said visitors, and a waiting time of each unit facility and displaying said trend and waiting time on said access terminal.

11. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one member of said group can exchange a message with another of said group through an access terminal for said portable information storing unit provided in said facility executing the exchange of a message with the other visitors holding said portable information storing unit on said display of said access terminal in the form of an animation, a still picture or voice; and

issuing said portable information storing unit as a qualification ticket for said facility, when said portable information storing units are to be registered as one group.

12. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one of said group holding a portable information storing unit may determine how the other visitors of said group are moving about said facility;

displaying the action of the other visitors holding said portable information storing units on a display of an access terminal for said portable information storing units as a visiting status and a visiting time of each visitor in said facility; and

registering said portable information storing units in a group through said access terminal.

13. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

issuing each portable information storing unit as a qualification ticket for said facility, when said portable information storing units are to be registered as one group; and

registering said portable information storing units in a group through an access terminal.

14. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in said portable information storing units so that one member of said group can exchange a message with another of said group through an access terminal for said portable information storing units provided in said facility; and

registering said portable information storing unit in a group through said access terminal.

15. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in said portable information storing units so that one member of said group can exchange a message with another of said group through an access terminal for said portable information storing units provided in said facility,

wherein each portable information storing unit serves as a ticket for unit facilities located in said facility and electronic money as a substitute for cash.

16. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

allowing said visitor to specify a condition of unit facilities located in said facility on an access terminal for said portable information storing units provided in said facility; and

enabling said access terminal to display said unit facilities for meeting said specified condition,

wherein said portable information storing unit serves as a ticket for said unit facilities located in said facility and electronic money as a substitute for cash.

17. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one of said group holding a portable information storing unit may determine how the other visitors of said group are moving about said facility,

wherein said portable information storing unit serves as a ticket for unit facilities located in said facility and electronic money as a substitute for cash,

wherein said access terminal located in said facility includes a function of printing data on a surface of a portable information storing unit so that the visiting history of a certain visitor may be printed on the surface of said portable information storing unit when said visitor enters into one of said unit facilities provided in said facility.

18. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

registering plural visitors as a group in each portable information storing unit so that one member of said group can exchange a message with another of said group through an access terminal for said portable information storing unit provided in said facility,

wherein said access terminal located in said recreational facility includes a function of printing data on the surface of said portable information storing unit so that the visiting history of a certain visitor may be printed on the surface of said portable information storing unit when said visitor enters into one of the unit facilities provided in the facility.

19. A method for aiding in the use of a facility arranged to equip each visitor with a portable information storing unit, comprising:

allowing said visitor to specify a condition of unit facilities located in said facility on an access terminal for said portable information storing units provided in said facility; and

enabling said access terminal to display said unit facilities for meeting said specified condition,

wherein said portable information storing unit serves as a ticket for unit facilities located in said facility and electronic money as a substitute for cash, and

wherein said access terminal located in said recreational facility includes a function of printing data on a surface of a portable information storing unit so that the visiting history of a certain visitor may be printed on the surface of said portable information storing unit when said visitor enters into one of said unit facilities provided in said facility.