# US 10,121,170 B2 · System and method for minimizing a physical queue > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,170 B2 - Document ID: US10121170B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/575,936 - Filed: 2014-12-18 - Published: 2016-06-23 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-18 - Assignees: NBCUniversal Media, LLC - Applicants: NBCUniversal Media, LLC - Inventors: Matt DuLeone; Azfar Inayatullah - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121170B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0281: {Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method for minimizing a physical queue for a first guest attraction, the method including storing a guest identifier corresponding to a guest in a first virtual queue, wherein a position of the guest within the first virtual queue is associated with an estimated wait time for the first guest attraction, updating the first virtual queue when the position of the guest within the first virtual queue is changed, providing a notification to the guest to enter the physical queue when the position of the guest in the first virtual queue is less than or equal to a threshold position of the first virtual queue, removing the guest identifier from the first virtual queue in response to an indication to dequeue the guest from the first virtual queue, storing the guest identifier in a second virtual queue corresponding to the physical queue, and removing the guest identifier from the second virtual queue in response to an indication that the guest is exiting the physical queue. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for minimizing a physical queue for a first guest attraction, the method comprising: storing a guest identifier corresponding to a guest in a first virtual queue, wherein a position of the guest within the first virtual queue is associated with a first estimated wait time for the first guest attraction; updating the position of the guest when the first virtual queue is changed; providing a notification to a terminal associated with the guest for the guest to enter the physical queue when the position of the guest in the first virtual queue is less than or equal to a threshold position of the first virtual queue, wherein when a notification lock indicator is set for the guest identifier, the notification is delayed until the notification lock indicator expires; removing the guest identifier from the first virtual queue and storing the guest identifier in a second virtual queue in response to an indication that the guest is physically present at the first guest attraction, wherein a specific position of the stored guest identifier in the second virtual queue corresponds to a specific position of the guest in the physical queue and the specific position of the stored guest identifier in the second virtual queue is associated with a second estimated wait time for the first guest attraction; and removing the guest identifier from the second virtual queue in response to an indication that the guest is exiting the physical queue, wherein the notification lock indicator is set when a guest completes a guest attraction and expires after a preset minimum delay time between attractions. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold position is determined based on a threshold estimated wait time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold position is updated at preset intervals of time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining physical location information of the guest; determining a travel time of the guest to the physical queue based on the obtained physical location information; and adjusting the threshold position based on the determined travel time. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the physical information of the guest is obtained from at least one sensor configured to detect a presence of the terminal associated with the guest. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the first virtual queue comprises a plurality of identifiers each corresponding to one of a plurality of guests; and the first virtual queue is updated when a guest of the plurality of guests is dequeued from the first virtual queue or in response to a request to remove a guest of the plurality of guests from the first virtual queue. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing a placeholder identifier not associated with any guest in the first virtual queue inserted in a position ahead of the position of the guest to increase the first estimated wait time to reflect a delay at the first guest attraction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining second guest attraction information comprising a position of the guest within a queue for a second guest attraction; and adjusting the threshold position based on the obtained second guest attraction information. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining second guest attraction information comprising a position of the guest within a queue for a second guest attraction; and delaying the notification to the guest based on the obtained second guest attraction information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information in a database associated with the first guest attraction, wherein the stored information is related to time the guest was in the first and second virtual queues. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising storing guest information in a database, wherein the guest information is related to attraction activities of the guest. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the notification to a terminal associated with the guest via a wireless communication interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the notification lock indicator corresponds to an elapsed time since the guest exited another guest attraction and expires when the elapsed time reaches the preset minimum delay time. ### Claim 14 A system for minimizing a physical queue for a first guest attraction, the system comprising: a memory configured to store information; a communication interface configured to transmit and receive information; and a controller configured to: cause the memory to store a guest identifier corresponding to a guest in a first virtual queue, wherein a position of the guest within the first virtual queue is associated with a first estimated wait time for the first guest attraction; update the position of the guest when the first virtual queue is changed; cause the communication interface to transmit a notification to a terminal associated with the guest for the guest to enter the physical queue when the position of the guest in the first virtual queue is less than or equal to a threshold position of the first virtual queue, wherein when a notification lock indicator is set for the guest identifier, the notification is delayed until the notification lock indicator expires; cause the memory to remove the guest identifier from the first virtual queue and store the guest identifier in a second virtual queue in response to an indication that the guest is physically present at the first guest attraction, wherein a specific position of the stored guest identifier in the second virtual queue corresponds to a specific position of the guest in the physical queue and the specific position of the stored guest identifier in the second virtual queue is associated with a second estimated wait time for the first guest attraction; and cause the memory to remove the guest identifier from the second virtual queue in response to an indication that the guest is exiting the physical queue, wherein the notification lock indicator is set when a guest completes a guest attraction and expires after a preset minimum delay time between attractions. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the threshold position is determined based on a threshold estimated wait time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the threshold position is updated at preset intervals of time. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the threshold position is updated in response to a change of the position of the guest. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to: obtain physical location information of the guest; determine a travel time of the guest to the physical queue based on the obtained physical location information; and adjust the threshold position based on the determined travel time. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the physical information of the guest is obtained from at least one sensor configured to detect a presence of the terminal associated with the guest. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein: the first virtual queue comprises a plurality of identifiers each corresponding to one of a plurality of guests; and the controller is further configured to update the first virtual queue when a guest of the plurality of guests is dequeued from the first virtual queue or in response to a request to remove a guest of the plurality of guests from the first virtual queue. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to: cause the memory to store a placeholder identifier not associated with any guest in the first virtual queue inserted in a position ahead of the position of the guest to increase the first estimated wait time to reflect a delay at the first guest attraction. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to: obtain second guest attraction information comprising a position of the guest within a queue for a second guest attraction; and adjust the threshold position based on the obtained second guest attraction information. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to: obtain second guest attraction information comprising a position of the guest within a queue for a second guest attraction; and delay the notification to the guest to enter the physical queue based on the obtained second guest attraction information. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to: cause the memory to store information in a database associated with the first guest attraction, wherein the stored information comprises a length of time the guest was in the first virtual queue or a length of time the guest was in the second virtual queue. ### Claim 25 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the memory to store guest information comprising information related to actions of the guest with respect to the first guest attraction. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the notification lock indicator corresponds to an elapsed time since the guest exited another guest attraction and expires when the elapsed time reaches the preset minimum delay time. ### Claim 27 A machine-readable non-transitory medium having stored thereon machine-executable instructions for: storing a guest identifier corresponding to a guest in a first virtual queue, wherein a position of the guest within the first virtual queue is associated with a first estimated wait time for the first guest attraction; updating the position of the guest when the first virtual queue is changed; providing a notification to a terminal associated with the guest for the guest to enter the physical queue when the position of the guest in the first virtual queue is less than or equal to a threshold position of the first virtual queue, wherein when a notification lock indicator is set for the guest identifier, the notification is delayed until the notification lock indicator expires; removing the guest identifier from the first virtual queue and storing the guesting identifier in a second virtual queue in response to an indication that the guest is physically present at the first guest attraction, wherein a specific position of the stored guest identifier in the second virtual queue corresponds to a specific position of the guest in the physical queue and the specific position of the stored guest identifier in the second virtual queue is associated with a second estimated wait time for the first guest attraction; and removing the guest identifier from the second virtual queue in response to an indication that the guest is exiting in the physical queue, wherein the notification lock indicator is set when a guest completes a guest attraction and expires after a preset minimum delay time between attractions. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The machine-readable non-transitory medium of claim 27, wherein the threshold position corresponds to a threshold estimated wait time. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The machine-readable non-transitory medium of claim 28 further having stored thereon machine-executable instructions for: obtaining physical location information of the guest; determining a travel time of the guest to the physical queue based on the obtained physical location information; and adjusting the threshold position based on the determined travel time. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The machine-readable non-transitory medium of claim 27 further having stored thereon machine-executable instructions for: obtaining second guest attraction information comprising a position of the guest within a queue for a second guest attraction; and adjusting the threshold position based on the obtained second guest attraction information. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) The machine-readable non-transitory medium of claim 27, wherein the notification lock indicator corresponds to an elapsed time since the guest exited another guest attraction and expires when the elapsed time reaches the preset minimum delay time.