Queue management system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10304276-B2
Application number	US-201213491289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2012
Priority date	Jun 7, 2012
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

A queue management system in accordance with present embodiments may include a data server system including a processor and memory. The queue management system may include an interface system of the data server system configured to receive a reservation request including an indication of a general time period of arrival of a guest to an area. Additionally, the queue management system may include a reservation right allotment system of the data server system configured to correlate a reservation slot for accessing an attraction to identification information for the guest. Further, the queue management system may include a detection system of the data server system configured to determine when a portable identification feature associated with the identification information has arrived to the area, and a reservation assignment system of the data server system configured to establish a reservation to access the attraction at a specific time window.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving attraction preference data into a reservation system before a guest enters a park, wherein the attraction preference data includes an attraction list comprising a plurality of attractions of the park selected by the guest and a guest-designated level of interest in each attraction of the plurality of attractions selected by the guest, wherein the plurality of attractions of the park selected by the guest are attractions of the park that the guest is interested in experiencing;
analyzing the attraction preference data to produce analysis results using an algorithm performed by a processor of the reservation system, wherein the algorithm is configured to perform the analysis using attraction availability data generated from electronic monitoring of the plurality of attractions associated with the attraction list, location data associated with the attraction list, park utilization data, and the guest-designated level of interest in the respective attractions;
electronically detecting a portable identification feature associated with the guest at an entrance into the park using a guest entry system of the reservation system, wherein electronically detecting the portable identification feature comprises polling the guest entry system of the reservation system at predetermined intervals to retrieve information indicative of detection of the portable identification feature to automatically identify that the guest has arrived at the park, and displaying a proposed itinerary on the portable identification feature for the guest to confirm, modify, or cancel in response to determining that the guest has entered the park, wherein the proposed itinerary is based on the analysis results, wherein the proposed itinerary comprises reservations for the guest, and wherein one or more of the reservations has a specific time window for the guest to access a respective attraction from the attraction list; and
presenting the proposed itinerary according to the analysis results, wherein the reservations are presented in series such that the guest is guided to a series of attractions in a manner that limits backtracking.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising initiating a reminder of the reservations at a prompting time prior to a respective specific time window of one of the reservations, wherein the prompting time is based on a location of the guest relative to a location of the respective attraction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the algorithm is configured to perform the analyzing using rankings of levels of interest between each attraction of the plurality of attractions of interest by the at least one user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the algorithm is configured to perform the analyzing using historic park data associated with the plurality of attractions of interest.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising assigning the reservations having the specific time windows for accessing the one or more attractions to the portable identification feature associated with the guest and to another portable identification feature associated with another guest.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the proposed itinerary comprises presenting the reservations for attractions in the attraction list designated by the guest as high interest to be interspersed throughout the proposed itinerary such that interest of the guest is maintained throughout the duration of the proposed itinerary.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the reservations according to the attraction preference data and the user-designated level of interest comprises presenting the reservations designated as high interest early in the proposed itinerary.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising adjusting the proposed itinerary to exclude certain high intensity attractions for a period of time following a reservation at a restaurant of the park.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable identification feature comprises a cellular telephone.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable identification feature comprises a wearable feature.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the wearable feature comprises a bracelet having integral circuitry.

12. A method comprising:
receiving a request to generate an overlapping itinerary for a park between a first group of guests and a second group of guests via a reservation system;
identifying, via the processor of the reservation system, one or more existing itineraries for the park or preferences relating to the park of the first group of guests and the second group of guests, wherein the one or more existing itineraries for the park or preferences relating to the park comprise a first plurality of attractions selected by the first group of guests and a second plurality of attractions selected by the second group of guests, and wherein the first plurality of attractions selected by the first group of guests are attractions the first group of guests are interested in experiencing and the second plurality of attractions selected by the group of guests are attractions the second group of guests are interested in experiencing;
generating one or more overlapping itineraries for the first group of guests and the second group of guests based on common attractions between the first plurality of attractions selected by the first group of guests and the second plurality of attractions selected by the second group of guests identified via the one or more existing itineraries or preferences, wherein the overlapping itineraries comprise reservations, each reservation having a specific time window for the first group of guests and the second group of guests to access an attraction of the park, wherein the reservations are presented according to attraction preference data and a designated level of interest in one or more attractions, wherein the designated level of interest in the one or more attractions is provided by the first group of guests, the second group of guests, or both, and wherein the reservations are presented in series such that the first group of guests and the second group of guests are guided to a series of attractions in a manner that limits backtracking;
detecting a first portable identification feature associated with the first group of guests and a second portable identification feature associated with the second group of guests at an entrance to the park using a guest entry system of the reservation system;
wherein detecting the first portable identification feature and the second portable identification feature comprises polling the guest entry system of the reservation system at predetermined intervals to receive data indicative of detection of the first portable identification feature and detection of the second portable identification to automatically identify that the first group of guests and the second group of guests have arrived at the park; and
displaying the overlapping itineraries to the first group of guests on the first portable identification feature associated with the first group of guests when the first group of guests arrive at the park and to the second group of guests on the second portable identification feature associated with the second group of guests when the second group of guests arrive at the park.

13. A queue management system, comprising:
a reservation system including at least one processor and memory, the memory storing instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the reservation system to:
receive attraction preference data before a guest enters a park, wherein the attraction preference data includes an attraction list comprising a plurality

Assignees

• Schwartz Justin Michael
• Osterman Ross Alan
• Polk Jeffrey Lamar
• Universal City Studios Llc

Inventors

• Schwartz Justin Michael
• Osterman Ross Alan
• Polk Jeffrey Lamar

Classifications

• G07C2011/04

  related to queuing systems · CPC title

• G07C11/00 Primary

  Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere · CPC title

• G07C2011/02

  related to amusement parks · CPC title

• G07C9/00896

  specially adapted for particular uses · CPC title

• G07C9/00571

  operated by interacting with a central unit · CPC title