Virtual queue system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10152840-B2
Application number	US-201715460010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2016
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

A system in accordance with present embodiments includes a plurality of wearable devices and a virtual queue control system configured to maintain respective virtual queues for respective attractions and in communication with the plurality of virtual queuing attraction stations. The virtual queue control system is configured to receive communications from the plurality of virtual queuing stations and add guests to the respective virtual queues based on the communications.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A virtual queue system comprising:
at least one wearable device comprising:
a near field communicator;
a medium range communicator;
a long range communicator; and
a display;

a control system storing instructions that, when executed, cause the control system to:
assign a user identification associated with the at least one wearable device to a position within a virtual queue for an attraction based on communication with the near field communicator; and
communicate to one or both of the medium range communicator and the long range communicator the position assigned to the user identification within the virtual queue to cause the at least one wearable device to display a countdown on the display indicative of an estimated time remaining before valid entry to the attraction; and

an attraction station located proximate the attraction and comprising a station near field communicator configured to validate access to the attraction based on confirmation of the user identification, received from the at least one wearable device via the near field communicator, being associated with the position in the virtual queue corresponding to an entry position of the virtual queue for the attraction; and
wherein one or both of the at least one wearable device or the attraction station is configured to generate a notification that the at least one wearable device is associated with a valid access to the attraction.

2. The virtual queue system of claim 1 , wherein the attraction station is located at an entrance to the attraction.

3. The virtual queue system of claim 1 , wherein the attraction station grants access to a load platform to users in the virtual queue.

4. The virtual queue system of claim 1 , wherein the position is a numbered position of the virtual queue.

5. The virtual queue system of claim 1 , wherein the entry position is a numbered position of less than 10.

6. The virtual queue system of claim 1 , wherein the user identification is removed from the virtual queue based on a signal received at the attraction station.

7. A virtual queue system comprising:
at least one wearable device comprising:
a near field communicator;
a medium range communicator;
a long range communicator; and
a display;

a control system storing instructions that, when executed, cause the control system to:
assign a user identification associated with the at least one wearable device to a position within a virtual queue for an attraction based on communication with the near field communicator; and
communicate to one or both of the medium range communicator and the long range communicator, the position assigned to the user identification within the virtual queue to cause the at least one wearable device to display a countdown on the display when the position is within a predetermined time from valid entry to the attraction; and

an attraction station proximate the attraction and comprising:
a station near field communicator configured to validate access to the attraction based on confirmation of the user identification, received from the at least one wearable device via the near field communicator, being associated with the position in the virtual queue corresponding to an entry position of the virtual queue for the attraction.

8. The virtual queue system of claim 7 , wherein the countdown is automatically displayed on the display when the position is within the predetermined time from valid entry to the attraction.

9. The virtual queue system of claim 7 , wherein the countdown comprises one or more of a numeric countdown, a graphical display, a message, or a color display.

10. The virtual queue system of claim 7 , wherein the countdown starts counting down from the predetermined time.

11. The virtual queue system of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined time is an estimated time to the entry position based on the position within the virtual queue.

12. The virtual queue system of claim 11 , wherein the estimated time is based on historical virtual queue data associated with the attraction.

13. The virtual queue system of claim 11 , wherein the estimated time is fixed.

14. The virtual queue system of claim 11 , wherein the estimated time dynamically updates based on new data.

15. A virtual queuing system comprising:
at least one wearable device comprising:
a near field communicator;
a medium range communicator;
a long range communicator; and
a display;

a virtual queue station comprising a station near field communicator that receives a user identification from the near field communicator of the at least one wearable device; and
a virtual queue control system configured to receive the user identification, wherein receiving the user identification causes the virtual queue control system to execute instructions to:
assign the user identification associated with the at least one wearable device to a position within a virtual queue for an attraction based on communication with the station near field communicator; and
communicate to one or both of the medium range communicator and the long range communicator the position within the virtual queue assigned to the user identification and positions of other wearable devices associated with the user identification to cause the at least one wearable device to display the position and the wearable devices associated with the user identification.

16. The virtual queue system of claim 15 , wherein the long range communicator is a passive RFID transceiver.

17. The virtual queue system of claim 15 , wherein the medium field communicator is a transmitter and does not include a receiver.

18. The virtual queue system of claim 15 , wherein the near field communicator is an RFID transceiver.

19. A virtual queue system comprising:
at least one wearable device comprising:
a near field communicator
a medium range communicator;
a long range communicator; and
a display;

a control system storing instructions that, when executed, cause the control system to:
assign a user identification associated with the at least one wearable device to a position within a virtual queue for an attraction based on communication with the near field communicator; and
communicate to one or both of the medium range communicator and the long range communicator the position assigned to the user identification within the virtual queue to the at least one wearable device associated with the user identification;

an attraction station located proximate the attraction and comprising a station near field communicator configured to validate access to the attraction based on confirmation of the user identification, received from the at least one wearable device via the near field communicator, being associated with the position in the virtual queue corresponding to an entry position of the virtual queue for the attraction;
wherein one or both of the at least one wearable device or the attraction station is configured to generate a notification that the at least one wearable device is associated with a valid access to the attraction; and

a special effects station configured to trigger a pre-programmed special effect in response to receiving a signal from the near field communicator, wherein the pre-programmed special effect is a light show or a water effect.

20. The virtual queue system of claim 19 , wherein the special effects station does not store the user identification.

21. The virtual queue system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one wearable devic

Assignees

• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Geraghty Thomas
• Schwartz Justin Michael

Classifications

• G06K7/10366

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• G06F3/147

  using display panels · CPC title

• G07C2011/02

  related to amusement parks · CPC title