Multifunction interactive automatic bowling alley system utilizing a touch screen console

An interactive bowling alley system for a bowling alley having a plurality of lanes with a patron area for each lane comprising:

• a computer adapted to store information concerning selected bowling alley functions, said functions including a problem correction function and at least one of a refreshment ordering function, a scoring function, an entertainment function, and an announcement function;
• a touch-screen device located at the patron area for at least selected ones of said lanes, the touch screen device including a video monitor;
• means responsive to said computer for causing a menu of said selected functions to appear on each video monitor, a key area being provided on the monitor for each displayed menu item;
• means responsive to the user touching the key areas corresponding to one of the menu items shown on a video monitor for causing the computer to provide to the monitor and to display thereon selected information concerning the function corresponding to the touched key area, said selected information including a menu of available options for the selected function, there being a key area provided on the monitor for each available option and there being key areas provided on the monitor for operation by a user in performing a selected function, the information provided to the user when the problem correction function is selected being a menu of potential bowling alley problems;
• means responsive to a user touching a key area for an available option for providing additional available options on the function and for causing the selected available option to be performed if additional available options are not stored, action being initiated to correct a selected problem in response to the user touching the key area for the problem on the problem correction menu;
• and
• means responsive to the user touching key areas in response to displayed instructions for causing the instruction to be performed;
• whereby a user may easily perform the selected bowling alley functions without having prior computer knowledge or experience.