Method and apparatus for providing visitors with a personalized itinerary and managed access to attractions

• US 7,212,983 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agile Journeys LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael Anthony Eaton, William Gibbens Redmann
• Inventors: Redmann, William Gibbens, Eaton, Michael Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon; Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US09/858,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,177 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/0962 having an indicator mounted inside the vehicle, e.g. giving voice messages

Abstract

A method is disclosed for creating itineraries for a party of visitors to a facility, the facility having multiple attractions. Visitors give answers to questions about their preferences, which is combined with authoritative information about their admission privileges, and information stored about the attractions and facility, to generate an itinerary. The method can be executed by a portable, handheld computer which asks the questions, accepts the answers, and processes them into an itinerary which is both portable and dynamic, adjusting in real time to schedule changes and unscheduled attraction closures. In an alternative embodiment, the itinerary can be generated as the result of an Internet transaction, or through an interaction with a facility employee. The itinerary may be presented to the party in printed form, such as a schedule or ticket book. If a facility has an access control system that uses a central database, the itinerary can generated as records in the database, thereby allowing parallel use of prior art access methods.

Claims

1. A system for providing an itinerary to a party, said itinerary comprising a second set of attractions selected from a first set of attractions, said system comprising:

data regarding said first set of attractions;

information about said party, at least a portion of said information distinguishing among said first set of attractions with respect to said data;

a computer having access to said data and said information, said computer having software that selects said second set of attractions from said first set of attractions, said second set of attractions consisting of at least some of said first set of attractions for which said data substantially matches with said information;

a presentation means in communication with said computer, said presentation means able to receive said itinerary from said computer and present said itinerary to said party,

whereby said itinerary is customized for said party.

2. A method of providing an itinerary to a party, said itinerary comprising a second set of attractions selected from a first set of attractions, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing data regarding said first set of attractions;

b) gathering information about said party, at least a portion of said information distinguishing among said first set of attractions with respect to said data;

c) providing a computer having access to said data and said information, said computer having software operable to select said second set of attractions from said first set of attractions;

d) selecting said second set of attractions with said software such that said second set of attractions comprises at least one of said first set of attractions for which said data substantially matches with said information;

e) providing a presentation means able to receive said itinerary from said computer; and

,

f) presenting said itinerary to said party using said presentation means;

wherein said information comprises an aversion attribute of said party and a corresponding nullifying preference of said party, wherein said data distinguishes a portion of said first set of attractions as being less desirable with respect to said aversion attribute unless said corresponding nullifying preference is present, and wherein in step d) at least one attraction from said portion of said first set of attractions is selected for said second set of attractions;

whereby said itinerary is customized for said party.

3. A method of providing an itinerary to a party, said itinerary comprising a second set of attractions selected from a first set of attractions, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing data regarding said first set of attractions;

b) gathering information about said party, at least a portion of said information distinguishing among said first set of attractions with respect to said data;

c) providing a computer having access to said data and said information, said computer having software that selects said second set of attractions from said first set of attractions;

d) selecting said second set of attractions with said software such that said second set of attractions comprises at least one of said first set of attractions for which said data substantially matches with said information;

e) providing a presentation means able to receive said itinerary from said computer; and

,

f) presenting said itinerary to said party using said presentation means;

whereby said itinerary is customized for said party.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said information comprises a preference of said party;

wherein said data distinguishes a portion of said first set of attractions as being more desirable with respect to said preference, and wherein in step d) at least one attraction from said portion of said first set of attractions is selected for said second set of attractions.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said information comprises an attribute of said party, wherein said data distinguishes a portion of said first set of attractions as being more desirable with respect to said attribute, and wherein in step d) at least one attraction from said portion of said first set of attractions is selected for said second set of attractions.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said information comprises an aversion attribute of said party, wherein said data distinguishes a portion of said first set of attractions as being less desirable with respect to said aversion attribute, and wherein in step d) said portion of said first set of attractions is excluded from selection for said second set of attractions.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein said information comprises a privilege of said party, wherein said data distinguishes a portion of said first set of attractions as being more desirable with respect to said privilege, and wherein in step d) at least one attraction from said portion of said first set of attractions is selected for said second set of attractions.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein said data further comprises a scheduled time corresponding to a first attraction of said second set of attractions, wherein in step d) said software adds said scheduled time in association with said first attraction to said itinerary, and wherein step f) further includes presenting said scheduled time in association with said first attraction.

9. The method of claim 3 in which said party and a second party are a group,

said second party having a second itinerary comprising a first attraction of said first set of attractions, said first attraction further in association with a second scheduled time,

said information further representing a desire to regroup said group,

wherein in step d) said software selects said first attraction and a scheduled time, said scheduled time being substantially equal to said second scheduled time, in response to said desire in said information,

whereby said desire to regroup is accommodated.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein in step d) said software further adds to said itinerary a first scheduled time corresponding to a first attraction of said second set of attractions, and adds a second scheduled time corresponding to a second attraction of said second set of attractions, said first scheduled time and said second scheduled time being selected so that said second scheduled time is at least equal to said first scheduled time plus a time required between attractions,

whereby said second attraction is scheduled to follow said first attraction.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein said information comprises a third set of attractions previously selected for said party, said third set consisting of an already visited portion and a remaining portion,

wherein said party forgoes said remaining portion due to an interruption,

wherein in step d) said software selects said second set of attractions as a replacement for said remaining portion, and wherein said second set of attractions substantially excludes said already visited portion,

whereby said interruption is overcome.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein said first set of attractions comprises a plurality of attractions selected from the group consisting of ride, show, movie, theater, restaurant, exhibit, display, presentation, store, tour, parade, museum, room, area, fountain, restroom, hiking trail, picnic site, autograph session, historic recreation, beach, viewpoint, photo opportunity, lookout, fireworks display, attraction within a district, attraction within a city, attraction within a region, attraction within a state, and attraction within a country.

13. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

g) providing an access control system to a first attraction of said second set of attractions; and

,

h) admitting said party to said first attraction with said access control system, said access control system operating in response to at least a portion of said itinerary corresponding to said first attraction.

14. The method of claim 3 wherein said computer comprises at least a first member selected from the group consisting of a portable computer, a handheld computer, a kiosk computer, a general purpose computer, and a desktop computer.

15. The method of claim 3 wherein said presentation means comprises a printer and in step f) at least a portion of said itinerary is presented in a printed form.

16. The method of claim 3 wherein said presentation means comprises a display selected from the group consisting of a screen, a touchscreen, and a scrolling display.

17. The method of claim 3 wherein in step f) at least a portion of said itinerary is announced audibly by said presentation means.

18. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of:

g) providing a reservation computer in communication with said computer, said reservation computer providing an indication whether said a first attraction is available;

wherein in step d) said software excludes said first attraction from said second set of attractions when said reservation computer indicates said first attraction is unavailable.

19. The method of claim 3 wherein said data indicates a first attraction of said first set of attractions, said first attraction having excessive demand, and wherein said software is less likely to select said first attraction in step d), whereby demand for said first attraction is moderated.

20. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

g) providing a storage accessible to said computer; and

,

h) recording at least a portion of said itinerary corresponding to a first attraction of said first set of attractions in said storage, thereby accumulating in said storage a directed demand corresponding to at least said first attraction.

21. The method of claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

g) providing a reservation computer in communication with said software; and

,

h) making a reservation with said reservation computer for said party for a first attraction of said second set of attractions;

whereby said reservation for said party is accessible to users of said reservation computer.

22. The method of claim 3 wherein in step d) said software applies a perturbation to a desirability of a first attraction of said first set of attractions, said perturbation producing a different result for said second set, thereby redistributing a directed demand corresponding to said first attraction to mitigate at least one selected from the group consisting of underutilization of said first attraction, excessive demand for said first attraction.

23. The method of claim 3, wherein said data further comprises a first set of messages, each of said first set of messages selected from the group consisting of a marketing message, a discount offer, and a recommendation, each of said first set of messages having corresponding conditions, each of said first set of messages being associated with a corresponding first attraction of said first set of attractions,

said software being further able to determine whether said conditions are met,

said itinerary further comprising a second set of messages,

said method further comprising the step of:

g) selecting said second set of messages with said software such that said second set of messages consists of at least one of said first set of messages for which the corresponding conditions are met;

wherein in step f) each of said second set of messages is provided to said party in conjunction with said itinerary;

whereby each of said second set of messages message is available at an appropriate time.

24. The method of claim 3, wherein said software comprises a decision making routine responsive to at least a portion of said data corresponding to a first attraction of said first set of attractions and at least a portion of said information, said decision making routine performing at least a portion of step d) with respect to said first attraction.

25. The method of claim 3, wherein a portion of said data corresponding to a first attraction of said first set of attractions is representative of at least one member of the group consisting of expected queue length, actual queue length, expected attendance, location of an entrance, location of an exit, showtime, mode of operation, routes to other attractions of said first set of attractions, routes from said other attractions, travel time to said other attractions, capacity, theoretical hourly ride capacity, holding capacity, duration, continuous running, availability, a scheduling factor, an acceptance factor, an admission requirement, an admission class, an admission grade, operating hours, inoperation, and wheelchair accessibility.