QUEUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130332509A1
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Justin Michael, Osterman, Ross Alan, Polk, Jeffrey Lamar
• Granted Patent: US 10,304,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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

Abstract

A queue management system in accordance with present embodiments may include a data server system including a processor and memory. The queue management system may include an interface system of the data server system configured to receive a reservation request including an indication of a general time period of arrival of a guest to an area. Additionally, the queue management system may include a reservation right allotment system of the data server system configured to correlate a reservation slot for accessing an attraction to identification information for the guest. Further, the queue management system may include a detection system of the data server system configured to determine when a portable identification feature associated with the identification information has arrived to the area, and a reservation assignment system of the data server system configured to establish a reservation to access the attraction at a specific time window.

Claims

1. A queue management system, comprising:

a data server system including at least one processor and memory;

an interface system of the data server system configured to receive a reservation request including an indication of a general time period of arrival of a guest to an area;

a reservation right allotment system of the data server system configured to correlate a reservation slot for accessing an attraction to identification information for the guest;

a detection system of the data server system configured to determine when a portable identification feature associated with the identification information has arrived to the area; and

a reservation assignment system of the data server system configured to establish a reservation to access the attraction at a specific time window.

2. The queue management system of claim 1, wherein the reservation allotment system is configured to correlated the reservation slot to the identification information based on the indication of the general time period of arrival of the guest to the area.

3. The queue management system of claim 1, wherein the specific time window is narrower than the general time period

4. The queue management system of claim 1, wherein the interface system is configured to receive the reservation request via a phone system, an Internet system, a text messaging system, or a point of sale device system.

5. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising a portable identification feature assignment system configured to associate the identification information with the portable identification feature.

6. The queue management system of claim 1, wherein the portable identification feature is a cellular telephone, a pager, a portable computer, a card or wearable feature including integral circuitry.

7. The queue management system of claim 6, wherein the portable identification feature comprises a bracelet including the integral circuitry storing the identification information and enabling positional detection of the portable identification feature.

8. The queue management system of claim 1, wherein the portable identification feature is biometric data of a guest that is registered with the detection system.

9. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising a guest entry system configured to detect the portable identification feature during entry through a portal and communicate the detected entry to the detection system, or a positional monitor configured to detect a location of the portable identification feature within a range of space and communicate the location to the detection system.

10. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising at least one data reader configured to interface with the portable identification feature and communicate with the data server system to determine rights associated with the portable identification feature.

11. The queue management system of claim 10, wherein the at least one data reader is configured to read a memory of the portable identification feature.

12. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising the portable identification feature, wherein the portable identification feature is configured to interface with the reservation assignment system to change the reservation.

13. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising at least one access confirmation feature configured to detect the portable identification feature upon entry to the attraction and/or entry into a queue for the attraction.

14. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising an access confirmation feature configured to detect the portable identification feature upon exiting the attraction.

15. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising an access management feature configured to determine a number of times the portable identification feature has been used to access an attraction and limit or allow subsequent access to the attraction using the portable identification feature based on the number and a threshold for repeated access.

16. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising an access management feature configured to adjust a ratio of guests allowed to enter through a standby queue relative to a reservation queue based on monitoring the portable identification feature.

17. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising a reservation trading system configured to facilitate electronic trading of the reservation for another reservation assigned to a different portable identification feature.

18. The queue management system of claim 17, wherein the reservation trading system is configured to be engaged externally by a guest or internally by an administrator

19. The queue management system of claim 17, wherein the portable identification feature interfaces with the reservation trading system.

20. The queue management system of claim 1, comprising an attraction system configured to monitor a status of the attraction and/or characteristics of a queue associated with the attraction and communicate corresponding data to the data server system.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving identification information for a guest at a data server system;

storing the identification information in a memory of the data server system;

receiving, at the data server system, a reservation request for the guest including a general time period for arrival of the guest to an area;

assigning the identification information for the guest to a portable identification feature;

allotting a slot for a reservation based on the general time period;

monitoring the area to determine whether the portable identification feature has entered the area and determining an associated time of entry; and

assigning the reservation to the identification information and assigning a specific time for the reservation when the portable identification feature is detected in the area.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising receiving a plurality of reservation requests and generating an itinerary based on the plurality of reservations, location information, and attraction availability.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising sending a message from the data server system to a holder of the portable identification feature after assigning the specific time, wherein the message includes confirmation of the specific time.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the message is transmitted via a telephone system, a text messaging system, an Internet system, or a point of sale device system.

25. The method of claim 21, comprising receiving data into the data server system via a data reader from the portable identification feature and changing the reservation based on the data.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising establishing the data with a tracking system, wherein the data includes a location of the portable identification feature.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising transmitting information to the guest or other guests based on the location of the portable identification feature.

28. The method of claim 21, comprising receiving a text message into the data server system and changing the reservation based on the text message, wherein the text message is from the portable identification feature or a communication device associated with the guest.

29. The method of claim 25, comprising changing the reservation by trading the reservation for a different reservation associated with a different portable identification feature upon notification or approval from a different guest associated with the different portable identification device.

30. A system, comprising:

a data server system comprising processor circuitry configured to;

receive data from a data reader based on detection of a portable identification feature wherein the data received from the data reader includes or is utilized by the processor circuitry to determine a location of the portable identification feature,

identify a correlation between the portable identification feature and identification information of a guest,

identify reservation information associated with the identification information, and

modify the reservation information based on the data received from the data reader by at least providing a specific time slot for a reservation within a pre-defined general time period of predicted arrival to an area.

31. The system of claim 30, comprising the data reader, wherein the data reader is configured to perform facial recognition to detect the portable identification feature.

32. A method comprising:

receiving attraction preference data into a reservation system, wherein the attraction preference data includes a plurality of attractions of interest to at least one user;

analyzing the attraction preference data using an algorithm performed by a processor of the reservation system, wherein the algorithm is configured to perform the analyzing based on attraction availability data, location data associated with the attraction preference data, and park utilization data; and

producing a proposed itinerary based on the analyzing.

33. A method comprising:

receiving a request to unite a member to a party or generate schedule overlap between guests into a reservation system;

identifying, with a processor of the reservation system, a meeting location based on detecting a location of the party via accessing a portable identification feature associated with the party or based on determining a next attraction scheduled on an itinerary of the party and directing the member or the party to the location when joining a member to a party;

or

identifying, with the processor of the reservation system, existing itineraries or reservations of the guests, receiving preferences, and generating overlapping itineraries based on common interests identified by the existing itineraries and/or preferences when generating schedule overlap between guests.