US 5,978,770 A · Assigning and managing patron reservations for distributed services using wireless personal communication devices

Abstract

A system and method for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions receive reservation requests at personal communication devices (PCDs). Reservation requests are transmitted to a computer associated with the selected attraction, which determines a proposed reservation time based on information describing the attraction, the patron, previously-made reservations maintained in a virtual queue, and the current state of a physical queue associated with the attraction. Proposed reservation time is transmitted to the PCD for confirmation or rejection by the patron. Confirmed reservations are entered in the virtual queue. Patrons are alerted by the PCD when their reservation time is approaching.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A system for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions, comprising:

at least one personal communication device (PCD), each PCD associated with at least one patron, each PCD for generating at least one reservation request specifying a selected one of the attractions, for transmitting the reservation request, and for receiving a proposed reservation time for the reservation request;
and
at least one computer, each computer associated with at least one of the attractions, each computer for receiving a transmitted reservation request specifying the attraction associated with the computer, for determining a proposed reservation time for the received reservation request, and for transmitting the proposed reservation time to the PCD which generated the reservation request.
wherein each PCD comprises:
a user interface for receiving the reservation request from the patron and for providing output to the patron;
a request generation module, coupled to the user interface, for processing the received reservation request;
a communications module, coupled to the request generation module, for transmitting the processed reservation request to the computer associated with an attraction specified in the request;
and
patron information storage coupled to the user interface and to the request generation module, for storing information describing the patron;
and wherein:
the user interface receives patron information for storage in patron information storage;
and
the request generation module retrieves selected information from patron information storage and selectively determines the validity of the reservation request based on the patron information.

10 more elements

A system for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions, comprising:

at least one personal communication device (PCD), each PCD associated with at least one patron, each PCD for generating at least one reservation request specifying a selected one of the attractions, for transmitting the reservation request, and for receiving a proposed reservation time for the reservation request;
and
at least one computer, each computer associated with at least one of the attractions, each computer for receiving a transmitted reservation request specifying the attraction associated with the computer, for determining a proposed reservation time for the received reservation request, and for transmitting the proposed reservation time to the PCD which generated the reservation request;
wherein each computer comprises:
a communications module for receiving transmitted reservation requests from any of the PCDs;
a virtual queue for storing reservation information for a plurality of reservations for the attraction associated with the computer;
an information storage device for storing information describing the associated attraction;
and
a request processor coupled to the communications module, the virtual queue, and the information storage device, for determining a proposed reservation time for a received reservation request responsive to information describing the associated attraction and to reservation information for previously-made reservations.

6 more elements

A system for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions, comprising:

a wireless communications network for facilitating communication among personal communication devices and computers;
at least one wireless personal communication device (PCD), each PCD associated with at least one patron, each PCD comprising:
a user interface for receiving input including patron information, at least one reservation request for a selected one of the attractions, and confirmation or rejection of a proposed reservation time, and for providing output including a reservation alert;
patron information storage, coupled to the user interface;
attraction description storage;
local reservation storage;
a request generation module, coupled to the user interface, patron information storage, attraction description storage, and local reservation storage, for determining the validity of the reservation request;
a wireless communications module, coupled to the request generation module, for, responsive to the request generation module indicating that the reservation request is valid, transmitting over the wireless communications network the reservation request to a selected computer associated with the selected attraction, for receiving a proposed reservation for the reservation request, and for transmitting confirmation or rejection of the proposed reservation to the selected computer;
a reservation confirmation module, coupled to the user interface and to the communications module, for processing patron user input specifying acceptance or rejection of the proposed reservation;
and
a reservation alert module coupled to the user interface for sending a signal to the user interface to output a reservation alert, responsive to a reservation time being within a predetermined length of time from current time;
at least one queue monitor for monitoring the state of a physical queue associated with one of the attractions;
at least one computer, each computer associated with at least one of the attractions and coupled to one of the queue monitors, each computer comprising:
a wireless communications module for receiving the transmitted reservation request and confirmation or rejection of the proposed reservation time, and for transmitting the proposed reservation time;
a virtual queue for storing reservation information for the associated attraction;
an information storage device for storing information describing the associated attraction;
a request processor coupled to the communications module, the virtual queue, and the information storage device, for determining a proposed reservation time for a received reservation request;
and
a queue updater coupled to the virtual queue, for updating the virtual queue;
and
a central attraction control interface coupled to each of the computers, for monitoring and selectively updating each virtual queue and information describing each attraction.

18 more elements

In a system for assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions, a personal communication device associated with at least one patron, comprising:

a user interface for receiving from the patron a reservation request for a selected attraction;
a request generation module, coupled to the user interface, for processing the received reservation request by selectively determining the validity of the received reservation request;
a communications module, coupled to the request generation module, for, responsive to the request generation module determining that the received reservation request is valid, transmitting the processed reservation request to a computer associated with the selected attraction, and for receiving a response from the computer;
patron information storage coupled to the user interface for storing information describing the patron;
and
attraction description storage for storing attraction descriptions;
and wherein the request generation module processes the received reservation by retrieving selected patron information and attraction description and selectively determines the validity of the received reservation request based on retrieved patron information and attraction description.

4 more elements

A method of assigning and managing patron reservations to one or more of a plurality of attractions, comprising:

a) storing patron information and attraction description information in a personal communication device (PCD);
b) receiving on the PCD a reservation request from a patron for a selected one of the attractions;
c) retrieving stored patron information and attraction description information and selectively determining the validity of the reservation request;
and
d) responsive to c) indicating that the reservation request is valid:
d.1) transmitting the reservation request by a wireless communications network to a computer associated with the selected attraction;
d.2) receiving a proposed reservation time from the associated computer;
d.3) receiving a response from the patron comprising a confirmation or rejection for the proposed reservation time;
d.4) transmitting the response by the wireless communications network to the computer;
and
d.5) alerting the patron when the proposed reservation time is within a predetermined time interval from a current time.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Assigning and managing patron reservations for distributed services using wireless personal communication devices

Life of this patent

Assigning and managing patron reservations for distributed services using wireless personal communication devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30