Assigning and managing patron reservations for distributed services using wireless personal communication devices

• US 6,748,364 B1
• Filed: 11/01/1999
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lo-Q PLC
• Original Assignee: PalmTop Productions, Inc.
• Inventors: Waytena, William, Sachs, Robert R., Raubvogel, Amir H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US09/431,331
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/1, 379/67.1, 379/86, 455/412, 455/414, 455/425, 455/426, 455/453, 455/466, 455/31.3
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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: G07C 2011/04 related to queuing systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system and method for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions receive reservation requests at personal communication devices (PCDs). Reservation requests are transmitted to a computer associated with the selected attraction, which determines a proposed reservation time based on information describing the attraction, the patron, previously-made reservations maintained in a virtual queue, and the current state of a physical queue associated with the attraction. Proposed reservation time is transmitted to the PCD for confirmation or rejection by the patron. Confirmed reservations are entered in the virtual queue. Patrons are alerted by the PCD when their reservation time is approaching.

Claims

1. A system for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions, comprising:

at least one data transceiving device for generating at least one reservation request for a patron specifying a selected one of the attractions, for transmitting the reservation request including a location of the patron at the time the request is made, and for receiving a proposed reservation time for the reservation request;

an interface coupled to each data transceiving device, the interface for receiving data representing the location of the patron, and for providing the location of the patron to the data transceiving device; and

at least one computer, each computer associated with at least one of the attractions and having a memory for storing a location of each associated attraction, each computer for receiving a transmitted reservation request specifying the attraction associated with the computer, for determining a proposed reservation time for the received reservation request based at least in part on a distance between the location of the patron at the time the request is made and the location of the attraction, and for transmitting the proposed reservation time to the device which generated the reservation request.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a location sensing system that generates data representing the location of the patron at the time the request is made, and provides the data to the interface for inclusion in the reservation request.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the location sensing system is a Global Positioning System receiver.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface receives the data representing the location of the patron by manual input from the patron.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer denies a reservation request if the patron is more than a predetermined distance from the associated attraction.

4. A system for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions, comprising:

at least one data transceiving device for generating a signal indicative of a reservation request and a signal from which a location of the patron can be determined, and for receiving a proposed reservation time for the reservation request;

an interface coupled to each data transceiving device, the interface for receiving the location of the patron and providing the location of the patron to the data transceiving device; and

a computer associated with an attraction and having a memory for storing a location of the attraction, for receiving the signals from the data transceiving device and determining a proposed reservation time for the reservation request based at least in part on a distance between the location of the patron and the location of the attraction, and for transmitting the proposed reservation time to the transceiving device.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a location sensing system that generates data representing the location of the patron, and provides the data to the interface.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the location sensing system is a radio receiver.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a location determination system, including at least one receiver that receives the signal indicative of the reservation request, a processor that generates data representing the location of the patron, and a transmitter that provides the generated location data to the computer.

8. A system for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions, comprising:

reservation request logic for generating a reservation signal indicative of a reservation request and receiving a proposed reservation time;

a location determination system for generating a location signal from which a location of the patron can be determined at the time of the reservation request; and

a computer associated with an attraction and having a memory for storing a location of the attraction, the computer for receiving the reservation signal and the location signal and determining the proposed reservation time for the reservation request based at least in part on a distance between the location of the patron and the location of the attraction and transmitting the proposed reservation time to the reservation request logic.