Biometric authentication of hospitality-site customers

• US 6,985,070 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Parker, Benjamin James
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, SCOTT D
• Application Number:
  US10/314,850
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.33, 340/5.7, 340/5.6, 340/825.28, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 340/5.83, 340/5.82, 705/5
• US Class Current: 340/5.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration

Abstract

A method and system for checking a guest into a hospitality site is provided. A biometric sample is captured from a guest using a biometric-sample-capture device to create a portable biometric profile. The biometric sample is compared to a biometric sample previously stored in a memory location. If the guest is authenticated, he/she is approved for check-in. A user profile can be retrieved that has a set of user preferences. These user preferences can then be used to customize the guests stay at the hospitality site. Many hospitality sites can remotely access the biometric profile to effect authentication.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to facilitates in a personal hospitality site, comprising:

accepting a biometric sample from a guest;

comparing the biometric sample against a prestored biometric profile to authenticate the guest;

authorizing access to the facilities in response to authenticating the guest;

providing for the retrieval of a user profile associated with the guest; and

providing for the communication of customized media content to the guest based on the user profile, wherein providing for said communication comprises,

(1) providing for the reception of media content; and

(2) limiting guest access to the media content based on the user profile.

2. The method of claim 1, where the personal hospitality site includes a selection from the following:

a hotel, a hospital, an apartment complex, a time-share facility, a motel, and a cruise ship.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein accepting the biometric sample from a guest includes receiving the sample from a biometric-sample-capture device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the biometric-sample-capture device includes one or more of the following:

a fingerprint-recognition system, a facial-recognition system, an eye-scanning system, a voice-recognition system, a DNA-recognition system, a breath-recognition system, and a hand-geometry-identification system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the prestored biometric profile includes a biometric sample of the guest.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user profile further includes guest-identifying information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the guest-identifying information includes one or more of the following:

an address, a phone-number, a member-identifier string, and a driver'"'"'s-license number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein comparing biometric sample against the prestored biometric profile is accomplished by at least one of the following methods:

accessing the biometric profile from a remote location across a public network;

accessing the biometric profile from a remote location across a private network; and

communicating the biometric profile from a remote memory location to a local memory location, wherein said local memory location is accessible by a local network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein authorizing access to the facilities includes providing the guest with a room-access device, wherein the facilities include one or more or the following:

a fitness facility, a dining area, a pool area, a lounge, a concierge facility, an exclusive area, and a floor level.

10. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing the method of claim 1.

11. A method for checking a guest into a hospitality site, comprising:

capturing a biometric sample from the guest using a biometric-sample-capture device;

retrieving from a memory location coupled to the biometric-capture device a portable biometric profile containing a stored biometric sample of the guest;

referencing the stored biometric sample against the captured biometric sample;

approving check-in of the guest in response to referencing the biometric sample;

providing a user profile associated with the guest in response to referencing the stored biometric sample;

providing for the communication of customized media content to the guest based on the user profile, wherein providing for said communication comprises;

(1) providing for the reception of media content in an Internet-networking protocol; and

(2) limiting guest access to the media content based on the user profile.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the biometric-sample-capture device includes one or more of the following:

a fingerprint-recognition system, a facial-recognition system, an eye-scanning system, a voice-recognition system, a DNA-recognition system, a breath-recognition system, and a hand-geometry-identification system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein referencing the stored biometric sample includes comparing the sample to a biometric sample stored in a database.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein approving check-in of the guest includes one or more of the following:

providing the guest with a room-access device;

processing payment information; and

authenticating the guest.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein approving check-in of the guest further includes providing the guest with billing information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein retrieving the portable biometric profile includes at least one of the following processes:

accessing said database across a public network, wherein said database is a remotely located database;

accessing said database across a private network, wherein said database is a remotely located database; and

communicating said biometric profile from a remote memory location to a local memory location, wherein said local memory location is accessible by a local network.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising customizing the guest'"'"'s stay at the hospitality site based on the user profile.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein customizing the guest'"'"'s stay includes customizing facility-amenity preferences.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein facility-amenity preferences include:

wave-up-time preferences, check-out preferences, incentive-program preferences, health-club-usage preferences, room-location preferences, facility-access preferences, mini-bar preferences, Internet-access preferences, telephony preferences, concierge-desk preferences, business-services preferences, parking preferences, special-assistance services preferences, and laundry preferences.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user preferences further comprise room-environment preferences.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the room-environment preferences include:

home-page preferences, room-lighting preferences, decor preferences, room-temperature preferences, eating preferences, room-service preferences, convenience preferences, room-location preferences, sleeping-arrangement preferences, aroma preferences, restroom-amenity preferences, and smoking preferences.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein customizing the plurality of hospitality services further includes customizing media preferences.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the media preferences include:

volume preferences, television-channel preferences, language preferences, genre preferences, service-duration preferences, viewing preferences, topic preferences, ratings preferences, actor preferences, style preferences, era preferences, artist preferences, protocol preferences, and format preferences.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising providing customized media content to the guest based on the user profile.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the customized media content includes stored media content and real-time-delivered content.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein providing for the communication of the customized media content further includes:

providing the media content to at least one receiving device.

27. A system for providing personal hospitality services to a guest, comprising:

a memory component that stores a biometric sample of the guest;

a bio metric-sample-capture component logical coupled to the memory component,

a personal hospitality management system (PHMS) operationally coupled to the biometric-sample-capture component for personalizing the services available to the guest, said PHMS comprising,

(1) a user profile associated with the guest;

(2) a communications component for communicating customized media content to the guest based on the user profile,

(3) at least one media-receiving component for receiving media content in an Internet-networking protocol; and

(4) a restriction component that limits guest access to the media content based on the user profile.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the memory component includes one of more of the following:

a database, a magnetic-storage component, and an optical storage component.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the biometric-sample-capture component includes one or more of the following:

a fingerprint-recognition system, a facial-recognition system, an eye-scanning system, a voice-recognition system, a DNA-recognition system, a breath-recognition system, and a hard-geometry-identification system.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the PHMS further includes:

a user-profile database for storing the user profile and logically coupled to the biometric-sample-capture component;

a data-entry component coupled to the database for populating the user profile;

a control module couple to the database for personalizing the plurality of hospitality services; and

a guest-interface component coupled to the control module for interacting with the system.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein a user profile in the user-profile database comprises facility-amenity preferences.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the facility-amenity preferences include:

wake-up-time preferences, check-out preferences, incentive-program preferences, health-club-usage preferences, room-location preferences, facility-access preferences, mini-bar preferences, Internet-access preferences, telephony preferences, concierge-desk preferences, business-services preferences, parking preferences, special-assistance services preferences, and laundry preferences.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein a user profile in the user-profile database further comprises room-environment preferences.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein room-environment preferences include:

home-page preferences, room-lighting preferences, decor preferences, room-temperature eating preferences, eating preferences, room-service preferences, convenience preferences, room-location preferences, sleeping-arrangement preferences, aroma preferences, and smoking preferences.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein a user profile in the user-profile database further comprises media preferences.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the media preferences include:

television-channel preferences, volume preferences, language preferences, genre preferences, service-duration preferences, viewing preferences, topic preferences, ratings preferences, actor preferences, style preferences, era preferences, artist preferences, protocol preferences, and format preferences.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the data-entry component includes one of the following:

a computer, a terminal, a kiosk, a telephony device, a television, a personal data assistant, a consumer-electronics device, a speaker, a guest-monitoring application, and a default-settings programming device.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the control module comprises computer-readable code that monitors and controls of the PHMS system.

39. A computer-readable medium having a computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for causing a computer to perform a method for processing a reservation of a hospitality-site patron, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a biometric sample from the patron using a biometric-sample-capture device;

authenticating the sample by comparing the sample against a stored biometric profile corresponding to the patron;

providing access to hospitality-site facilities in response to authenticating the sample;

providing a user profile associated with the patron;

providing for the communication of customized media content to the patron based on the user profile, wherein providing for said communication comprises;

(1) providing for the reception of media content; and

(2) limiting guest access to the media content based on the user profile.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the hospitality-site patron includes a patron of one or more of the following:

a hotel, a hospital, an apartment complex, a time-share facility, a motel, and a cruise ship.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein providing access to hospitality-site facilities includes providing access to one or more or the following:

a fitness facility, a dining area, a pool area, a lounge, concierge facility, an exclusive area, and a floor level.

42. An apparatus for checking a guest into a hospitality site, comprising:

means for receiving a biometric sample from a guest;

means for comparing the received sample against a prestored biometric sample to authenticate the guest, wherein said prestored biometric sample is accessible by a plurality of hospitality sites;

means for approving check-in of the guest in response to comparing the biometric sample; and

means for providing a user profile and for access media content provided to the guest based on the use profile.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein checking in a guest comprises one or more of the following:

providing the guest with a room-access device;

processing payment information; and

providing billing information.