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

• US 8,396,727 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lo-Q PLC
• Original Assignee: Lo-Q PLC
• Inventors: Waytena, William, Raubvogel, Amir H., Sachs, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, SHANNON S
• Application Number:
  US13/011,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/5
• 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 an attraction, the attraction allowing admittance through a physical queue and through patron reservations, the system comprising:

a plurality of wireless personal communication devices, each wireless personal communication device being associated with at least one patron;

a computer associated with the attraction, configured to receive a reservation request from one of said wireless personal communication devices and determining a reservation time for the reservation request, the reservation time being transmitted wirelessly to the wireless personal communication device;

wherein each personal communication device comprises;

a communications module configured to wirelessly receiving its reservation time from the computer; and

a user interface configured to displaying the reservation time to the at least one patron; and

wherein the reservation time is determined by calculating a function of the ratio between a number of patrons having made a previous reservation and a predicted throughput for the attraction and on the basis of an interleave ratio, the interleave ratio identifying a ratio of patrons to be admitted to the attraction from patron reservations and patrons to be admitted to the attraction from the physical queue.

2. In a system for assigning and managing patron reservations to an attraction, the attraction allowing admittance through a physical queue and through patron reservations, a wireless personal communication device associated with at least one patron, comprising:

a communications module configured to wirelessly receive a reservation time for the attraction from a computer associated with the attraction, the reservation time being determined by calculating a function of the ratio between a number of patrons having made a previous reservation and a predicted throughput for the attraction and on the basis of an interleave ratio, the interleave ratio identifying a ratio of patrons to be admitted to the attraction from patron reservations and patrons to be admitted to the attraction from the physical queue; and

a user interface configured to display the reservation time to the at least one patron.

3. In a system for assigning and managing patron reservations to an attraction, the attraction allowing admittance through a physical queue and through patron reservations, an attraction computer associated with the attraction, comprising:

a request processor configured to receive a reservation request from a patron having a wireless personal communication device and for determining a reservation time for the reservation request by calculating a function of the ratio between a number of patrons having made a previous reservation and a predicted throughput for the attraction and on the basis of an interleave ratio, the interleave ratio identifying a ratio of patrons to be admitted to the attraction from patron reservations and patrons to be admitted to the attraction from the physical queue; and

a communications module configured to wirelessly transmit the reservation time for the attraction to the wireless personal communication device of the patron.