Computerized theme park information management system utilizing partitioned smart cards and biometric verification

A computerized theme park information management system for operation with a plurality of theme park entities including product and service providers and guest cards held by persons admitted as theme park guests;

• said system comprising:
• a) means for operating in either or both of a first networked on-line mode and a second stand-alone off-line mode;
• b) means for authenticating any particular one of a plurality of said theme park entities;
• c) means for locating, retrieving, and verifying data from a database distributed among said entities including in said guest card;
• d) means for entering, storing, and updating guest related data and theme park related information into said database;
• e) decision logic means for determining whether a particular guest card should be accepted by a product or service provider for a requested product or service based on information stored in said database;
• f) means for value-added manipulation of theme park data and related information;
• and
• g) security means for protecting guest card data and theme park operation;
• h) said means for protecting guest card data and theme park operation including:
• (i) means for storing security data into said guest card for an authorized guest card user, said means for storing security information including means for capturing biometrics characteristics for a guest card user;
• (ii) means for comparing said stored security data including said biometrics characteristics against security data for any particular guest including actual physical biometrics characteristics of said particular guest and for verifying that said stored security data matches the security data of said particular guest;
• and
• (iii) means for verifying the presence and authenticity of service and product type validity data stored in said guest card when requesting service from a product or service provider at a particular point-of-service station.

A distributed computer information management system for a theme park, said system comprising:

• at least one card purchase interface for presenting guest card characteristic purchase options to a guest prior to purchasing a card and for accepting selection responses from said guest in response to said presented purchase options;
• said purchase options including selection of a total monetary value associated with said card, a payment option from among a plurality of payment options, and at least one category of products and services for which said card is to be valid from among a plurality of product and service categories;
• means for partitioning said total monetary value among said selected categories of product and service, with different amounts of value being allocable to each of said selected categories;
• card issue means for physically issuing said card having said selected total monetary value and product and service categories identified therein to said guest after said guest has provided all of the selection responses required for card issuance;
• a plurality of service provider interfaces for authorizing use of said card by a guest presenting said card for products and services;
• database means for storing information pertaining to operation of said theme park including said total monetary value and said value category partition information associated with each said card;
• and
• means for updating said database to deduct the monetary value of products and services accessed with said card according to the category of said accessed product and service.

In a theme park that provides a variety of products and services to guests in exchange for the payment of fees associated specifically with said products and services, a method for controlling access to said products and services by said guests, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a computer information management system for said theme park including at least one card purchase interface for issuing a card to a guest, a plurality of service provider interfaces for authorizing use of said card by a guest presenting said card for products and services, and database storage means for storing information pertaining to operation of said theme park;
• said card purchase interface presenting purchase options to a guest and recognizing and receiving selection information provided by said guest;
• said purchase options including selection of a total monetary value associated with said card, a payment option from among a plurality of payment options, and at least one category of products and services for which said card is to be valid from among a plurality of product and service categories;
• partitioning said total monetary value among said selected categories of product and service, with different amounts of value being allocable to each of said selected categories in response to said guest selections;
• storing characteristics of said card in said database including said total monetary value and said value category partition information associated with each said card;
• and
• physically issuing said card having said selected total monetary value and product and service categories identified therein to said guest after said guest has provided all of the selection responses required for card issuance.

A smart card comprising:

• a non-volatile memory organized into a data structure defining a plurality of storage locations within said memory;
• said data structure defining:
• a first data field for storing theme park goods and services partitioned into different service categories with different amounts of credit for each service category,
• a second data field for storing the most current balance of monetary value remaining in the card,
• a third data field for storing service codes for admission and purchases;
• and
• a fourth data field for storing authenticity data for determining the card's authenticity.