PATENTAPPLICATION
ACTIVITYMANAGEMENTSYSTEM
John V.Legge Robert Lasnik GordonE.GrayIII
ACTIVITYMANAGEMENTSYSTEM
Thispatent applicationisa Continuation-in-PartofApplicationNo.
09/756,380,filedJanuary8,2001. Said parent application, U.S. SerialNo.
09/756,380, claimsprioritybasedonprovisionalpatent applicationU.S.Serial
5 No. 60/233,347 filed on September 18, 2000. Both U.S. Serial No.
09/756,380andU.S.SerialNo. 60/233,347arefullyincorporated hereinby reference.
TECHNICALFIELD
Thepresent inventionisanactivitymanagementsystem, in particular 10 foraccess controland monitoringatamusementparks,ski resorts,correctional
facilities,hospitalsandsubwaysystems.
BACKGROUNDART
Amusementparksandskiresorts aresubstantialindustries. These industriesfrequentlyuseticketboothsand/orturnstilestocontroland monitor 15 accesstotheir facilities,ridesandevents. These booths andturnstilescan require substantiallaborandtheaccounting,maintenanceandsecurityoflarge
sumsofcoinsandother currency.Thesesystems also generally require a user toreturntoa central location to acquiretickets,tokens,coins orchangefor
bills.
20 Generally, these systemscanbecumbersome,expensive,andlimitedin
application. Furthermore, ticketingboothsandturnstiles atamusementparks and resorts generally do not gather valuable data about customers'
demographics andother information formarketing,managementandother purposes.
25 Thus,thereisa needforanactivitymanagementsystemthatfacilitates theaccounting,maintenance andsecurityoflargesumsofcoinsorother currencyandthatcanalsofacilitateaccess controland monitoringfunctions.
Thereisalsoaneedforasystemthat gathers informationaboutcustomersat thesefacilities.
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SUMMARYOFTHEINVENTION
Thepresent inventionisanactivitymanagementsystem,inparticular foraccess controland monitoringatamusementparks,ski resorts,correctional facilities,hospitalsandsubwaysystems. Thepreferredembodiment ofthe 5 activitymanagement system comprisesa client transponder card witha memoryunit,an activitystation, amanagementstation, and anattendant transponder with amemoryunit. Thememoryunitoftheclienttransponder card preferablyhaseventcriteriasuchasa debit/credit indicator, a content
ratingand atime stamp.The memoryunitoftheattendant transponder 10 preferably has a passkey and a debit/credit indicator. The preferred
embodimentoftheactivitystationhasaninductive transmission system,a memoryunit with programs forevaluatingthe clienttransponder's event criteriasuchas the debit/credit indicator, content rating and/or timestamp and
programs for interacting with the attendant transponder's passkey and
15 debit/creditindicator. Thepreferredembodimentoftheactivitystationalso has threestatusindicatinglightsand an alphanumericdisplay. Thepreferred embodiment ofthemanagementstationhas acomputer witha databaseanda managementstationinductive transmissionsystemforreadingandwriting datato clienttransponder cards. Themanagementstationpreferablyhas a 20 wirelessnetworkdataconnection withtheactivitystation via transceiversin
eachstation. Themanagementstationperiodicallyqueries theactivitystation fordata.
BRIEFDESCRIPTIONOFTHEDRAWINGS
Theobjectsandfeaturesofthepresent invention,whichare believedtobe 25 novel, areset forth with particularityinthe appendedclaims. The present invention,both astoitsorganizationandmanner ofoperation,together with
furtherobjectsand advantages,maybestbeunderstoodbyreferencetothe followingdescription,takeninconnectionwith theaccompanyingdrawings.
Figure1isadiagram ofa preferredembodiment ofthesystem.
Figure2isa perspectiveview ofa preferredembodiment ofaclientor attendanttranspondercard.
Figure 3isa perspectiveview ofa preferredembodiment of anactivity station.
5 Figure4isafrontview ofa preferredembodiment ofamanagement station.
Figure 5isa blockdiagram ofa preferredembodiment of anactivity
station.
Figure6isafrontview ofa preferredembodiment of amonitoringstation.
10 Figure7isafrontview ofa preferredembodiment ofatillstation.
Figure8isaview of analternativeembodiment oftheinventioninstalled at anamusementparkattraction.
Figure9isaview of analternativeembodiment oftheinventioninstalled at askilift/skiresort.
15 Figure10isaviewofanalternativeembodiment ofthe invention asused
todetecta buriedskier.
Figure 11 isaview of analternativeembodiment oftheinvention as installed atahealthcarefacilitycafeteria.
Figure 12isaview of analternativeembodiment oftheinventionas 20 installedata correctionalfacility.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OFTHEPREFERREDEMBODIMENTS
[1] Thefollowing descriptionisprovidedtoenableanypersonskilled
inthe artto make and use the inventionand sets forththe best modes contemplatedbytheinventorofcarryingouthisinvention.Various modifications, 25 however,willremainreadilyapparenttothoseskilledintheart,sincethe general principlesofthe presentinventionhavebeendefined hereinspecificallytoprovide anactivitymanagementsystem.
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[2] ReferringnowtoFigure1,apreferredembodiment of anactivity
managementsystem 10isshowncomprisingaclienttransponder card 20, a management station 30, and an activity station 40 connected to a coin mechanismofa coin-operatedmachine100. Theclienttransponder card20is 5 preferably issuedfromthemanagementstation30. Anattendant transponder
50isalsoshown.
[3] Referringnowto Figure2,thepreferredembodiment ofthe
clienttransponder card 20 has a memoryunit 25 and an antenna 27.
Preferably, theclienttransponder card20isapassive,battery-lesstransponder
10 andthememoryunit25isa 512-bitnon-volatileusermemorywithread/write capability. The memoryunit25isprogrammableand can be lockedtoprotect datafrommodification. Preferably, theclienttransponder card20isthin,
approximately0.085mmto0.355mmthick. Thetransponderisplacedona polymertapesubstrate. Thepreferredembodiment oftheclienttransponder
15 card20isa PhilipsICode1RFIDIC with a13.56Mhzoperating frequency.
Alternatively, a Texas Instruments' Tag-it™ TIRIS transponder or ISO standardtranspondercanbeused.
[4] Theclienttransponder card20isshownuncoveredinFigure2.
Theclienttransponder card20 canfitbetweenlayersoflaminatedpaperor
20 plasticsuchasstickers,labels,ticketsand/or badges. Theclienttransponder card 20 canadditionallyhave magneticstrips,barcodes or other printed informationsuchas optical and/or holographicprinting.
[5] Theclienttransponderisshowninitspreferredembodiment on a card. However,othershapesand placementarepossibledueto therelatively 25 small sizeoftheclienttransponder. For example,theclienttranspondercan beplaced on,interalia,awand,akeyholder, andclothing. The client transpondercouldalsobeplaced subcutaneouslyona customer.
[6] Theclienttransponder20has a preferable operating/detection rangeof1.5meters. However,therangeispreferablytuneddownto 50 millimeterssothatinadvertent detections arenot generatedbyotherclient
transponders withinrangeof anactivitystation40. Asdiscussedbelow,this 5 detectionrangemayalsobeincreasedfor, inter alia,detectionandlocationof
individuals.
[7] Thememoryunit25oftheclienttransponder card20preferably contains data establishingeventcriteriaincluding,interalia, a debit/credit indicator, a content rating, a time stamp, and/or an age and/orheight
10 restriction.
[8] The attendant transponder 50 preferably has the same
componentsastheclienttransponder 20. However,asshownbelow,the attendanttransponder50has different dataloaded into thememoryunit 25.
[9] Referring nowto Figure 3, a preferred embodiment ofthe
15 activitystation40isshown.Theactivitystation40 hasa casing45supporting aninductive transmissionsystem42, a"trafficlightprotocol,"i.e.red,yellow, andgreen,setofstatusindicatinglights47,and an alphanumericdisplay 49.
Theactivity station40also,preferably,hasatransceiver 41,amemoryunit 43, a micro-controller 44, a time-keeping chip46 andapowersupply 48. Ablock 20 diagramof, inter alia,thesecomponentsfortheactivity station40isshownin
Figure5.
[10] Thepreferredembodiment oftheinductive transmissionsystem 42 is anOBID i-scan® ID ISCM01-A/B inductive transmissionsystem manufacturedbyFEIGElectronicGmbH. Theinductivetransmissionsystem 25 42enables contact-less identificationofobjectsincludingbut not limitedto
theclienttransponder card 20.Thecomponents ofthesystem42enable users towriteontheclienttransponder card20 andtoreadit.Thesystem42 can readandwriteondifferenttransponder typessuchasaclienttransponder card 20 and anattendant transponder 50. Preferably,dataisencoded and decoded
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inblocksattheactivitystation40(orthemanagementstation 30) inrealtime, preferablyattheinductive transmissionsystem42. Preferably, thesystem 42
encryptssomedata (such as auniqueserialnumberforeachclienttransponder 20) orallofthedata writtentotheclienttransponder20using theDES
5 encryption system. Thedataispreferablyencryptedwitha16-bitkey. This increases the security of transactions/transmissions between a client
transponder20 and anactivitystation40ormanagementstation30. For example, data encryption can impede or prevent the copying ofclient transponder cards bearingcashandtherebyreducefraud.
10 [11] Thepreferredembodimentofthememoryunit43isa4Megabit
CMOS5.0Volt-onlyBootSectorFlashMemoryand 4 Mega-bits ofstatic
RAM. AnAMD® Am29F400B ispreferredfor the flash memory. The memoryunitpreferably contains various softwareprograms. Theprograms control the inductive transmissionsystem42, evaluate eventcriteriareadfrom 15 theclienttransponder card 20, authenticateclienttransponder cards20 and
attendanttransponders 50,performdiagnosticandstatuschecksoftheactivity
station40 andtheactivitymanagementsystem10,manipulatethe debit/credit indicatorontheclienttransponder card 20,andsecure stored datawitha
passkeyprogram. Theprogramfunctions are identified in the24 flowcharts 20 inU.S.Ser.No.60/233,347.
[12] Thepreferred embodimentofthetime-keepingchip 46is a Dallas Semiconductor DS1302 Trickle Charge Timekeeping Chip. The preferredtime-keepingchip46 hasarealtimeclock/calendarand31 bytesof
static RAM. The time-keeping chip 46 communicates with the 25 microcontroller44 witha simpleserialinterface. Preferably, thetime-keeping
chip 46 provides seconds, minutes, hours, day, date, month and year information. Theend ofthemonthdateisautomatically adjusted formonths withlessthan 31days,including corrections for leap year. Thetime-keeping chip operatesin either the 24-houror 12 -hour format with an AM/PM
indicator. Thetime-keepingchip46isalso preferablyconnectedtoabattery.
Thebatteryisuseful in maintaining thetime-keepingfunctionifandwhenthe activitystation40losespower.
[13] Thepreferredembodimentofthealphanumericdisplay49isa 5 5X7DotCharacterVacuumFluorescentDisplay("VFD") manufactured by NoritakeCo.,Inc. Thepreferred display49 has two rows of twentycharacters each(2x20),9mmhigh,and canshowa varietyofletters,numbers,characters andsymbols.
[14] Thepreferred embodiment ofthe microcontroller 44 is an 10 AMD®Am186™ES. Themicrocontroller44isconnectedtoandcontrols the"trafficlightprotocol"setofstatusindicatinglights47, thealphanumeric display 49,andtheinductive transmission system42 based ondata and
instructionsfromthetime-keepingchip46 andthememoryunit43.
[15] Thepreferredembodimentofthe transceiver41 isaZEUS™
15 ModelZLRT2100 stand-alone transceiver. The preferred transceiveruses Frequency HoppingSpread Spectrum (FHSS) technologyfor securityand reliability oflonger range transmissions. The transceiver 41 preferably
operates in the2.4Ghz frequencyband. Thetransceiver41createsa wireless networkdataconnection witha transceiver 31inthemanagementstation30.
20 Thetransceiver41can usea varietyof networkprotocols tocommunicate with other transceivers includingbut not limitedtoaserialasynchronousprotocol
usingbothTTLandRS232levels. Other networkprotocolsusedinboth wireless and wired networks are usable such asTCP/IP and IPX. The transceiver41 also preferablyhaserrordetectionandcorrection algorithms.
25 Thepreferredrangeofthe transceiver41 is1500feet. However, asetof repeaterscan extendthe signalrangeuptofourtimes to6,000feet.
[16] Awirelessnetworkdataconnectionispreferredbut not required.
Awirednetworkdataconnectionmaybedesirablefor,interalia, security reasons ortoconnecttoother pre-existingdatanetworks.
[17] Theactivitystation40can be connectedtoa coinmechanismof 5 a coin-operatedmachine 100 suchasavideoarcadegameorslotmachine.
Themostcommonpriorartcoinmechanismgenerates acoin pulseofa pre- determinedpulse width, usually10-30milliseconds, to activate themachine
100. Theactivitystation40 can beadjusted to operate, activate oremulate coinmechanismsthat generatea varietyofpulse widths.
10 [18] Theactivitystation40 canalsobe connectedtoan automated ticket dispenser. Automated ticket dispensers are often found in video
arcades. Theticketdispenserdispensesticketsforredemption. Thetickets canusually beredeemedforvariousprizes. Theactivity station40 can control,dispenseand accountforticketsfromtheticketdispenser.
15 [19] Referringnowto Figure4,thepreferredembodiment ofthe managementstation30 has a computer 35 withamemoryandstorage unit 37, such asapersonalcomputer. Thecomputer 35 preferablyhas automatic redemption systemsoftwareloadedsuchasARS 2000™byAmusementSoft LLC,a database foraccountingandmanagementofa pluralityof machines 20 100and/oractivitystations40. The managementstation30 has aninductive transmissionsystem32forreadingandwritingonclienttransponder cards20
andattendanttransponders 50. Themanagementstation30also has the transceiver31asdescribedaboveforits wirelessnetworkdataconnection
with atleast one activity station 40. The managementstation 30 can 25 preferably controlupto238activitystations40 from acentral location.
[20] Themanagementstation30 can beseparated intotwoseparate stations,amonitoringstation60 andatillstation 70. SeeFigures6and7.
Themonitoringstation60preferablyhas acomputer62, preferably a personal computer,anda transceiver64tomaintaina wirelessnetworkdataconnection
withupto238activity stations40 from acentral location. Themonitoring station60 monitors each ofthe activity stations40for,interalia,securityand
maintenancepurposes. Themonitoringstation 60alsocommunicatesby wired,or wirelessconnectionvia the transceiver 64,withthetillstation70.
5 [21] Thetillstation70preferablycomprisesacomputer 72 with a memoryandstorage unit 74,suchasapersonal computer; and aninductive transmissionsystem76forreadingandwritingclienttranspondercards20 and
attendant transponders 50. Thetillstation70also preferablyhasanetwork dataconnection withthemonitoringstation60, eitherwiredor wireless viaa
10 transceiver 78. The computer 72 preferably maintains the automatic redemption systemsoftware foraccountingandmanagementofthe pluralityof machines 100and/or activity stations 40.Thetillstation 70is preferably maintained where currencyiscollectedfromcustomers, client transponders20 are issued, and accounting of currency andtransponders20 can beinput
15 directlyintothetillstation 70. Thetillstation70ispreferablyconnectedtoa cashregister120orsomeother typeof currencytill. Theseseparate stations 60 and 70maybedesirablewhenextra securityisdesired for thetillstation70 andthecurrencycollectedbyit.
[22] Theactivitymanagementsystem 10 isusedas an automated 20 redemption systemas follows:Acustomerobtainsa clienttranspondercard
20, preferablyfromthemanagementstation 30. Eventcriteriaareplacedon the client transponder card 20 by the management station's inductive transmissionsystem32. For example,thecustomer can purchasecreditsfor gaming.
25 [23] Furthermore, a content rating can be placed on the client transpondercard20to limita customer'saccesstoviolent, adult orotherwise inappropriategamingsystemsinthesystem10.
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[24] A time stamp can also be usedas an eventcriterion. For example, a specialgameplay ratemightbeineffectfora pre-determined periodoftime.(e.g.Anintroductory1hourperiodof 25centsvs.1dollarper gameplay.) Also, thetime stampand/or thetime-keepingchip46 can be used 5 toenforcea curfewonminorcustomers. Alternatively, thetime stamp could indicateanexpiration date for creditsontheclienttransponder20,e.g."This cardnotusableafterJanuary1,2002." Thetime stamp couldalso indicate thataclienttransponder 20isonlyusable foraspecifiedperiodof time from
activation(e.g.one hour)onanyfuture date. Agerestrictionsandheight 10 restrictionsare also possibleeventcriterion.
[25] Oncethemanagementstation30prepares the clienttransponder card20, thecustomer cantake the card20toanactivitystation40. Asstated above,the activity station40 can be connectedto thecoinmechanismofa coin-operatedmachine suchas avideogameor aslotmachine.
15 [26] Thecustomerwavestheclienttransponder card 20infrontof theinductive transmissionsystem 42 oftheactivitystation40. Ifthe card20
is close enoughto thesystem 42,the system 42will activate theclient transpondercard20 and readit. Thealphanumericdisplay49 andthestatus lights47will indicate to thecustomer whetherthe clienttranspondercard20
20 has beenread. Thealphanumericdisplay49 canindicate, interalia,tothe customerhow manydebits/credits areleftonthecard20,any eventcriteriaon thecard 20, the time,andthe costofgameplay. Thestatuslights47, for example,canflashred for a waitingstate,yellowto indicate detectionof a transponderbytheinductive transmissionsystem 42,and greenfor credits
25 deductedandgameand/ormachine 100activated. Thestatuslights47are useful for indicating the statusoftheactivitystation40tocustomers unableto read thealphanumericdisplay49suchasyounger customersorcustomersthat do not speakthelanguagedisplayed.
[27] Theactivitystation40will evaluate theeventcriteria, ifany,on
thecard20for restrictionsandthenumberofdebits/credits availableonthe card 20. Thecustomerwillthenhavethe opportunitytoremovecreditsfrom his/her clienttranspondercard20to activate themachine 100. Iftheevent criteriapermitandthepropercreditsare available, theactivitystation40will
5 activatethecoinmechanismofthemachine 100forgameplay.
[28] Oncegameplayhas begun,acustomercan, preferably,remainat themachine100. Ifthe clienttranspondercard20 hasinsufficient credits for
continuedgameplay, thecustomer cannotifyanattendant verbally orwitha callbutton. Alternatively,anactivitystation40 can monitorthenumberof 10 debits/creditsonaclienttransponder card 20 andifthe debits/credits indicator isbelowapre-determinedlevel,themanagementstation30 can benotifiedto sendanattendanttothe activity station40toaskthecustomerifhe/shewishes
topurchase more debits/credits. The attendantwill, preferably, have an attendanttransponder50. Theattendantcancollectmoneyfromthecustomer
15 topurchasemorecredits. Theattendantcanalsopay out winnings,ifany. A
customeris,therefore, likelytoremainlongeratthemachine100.
[29] Theattendanttransponder50 can be usedina varietyof ways.
Preferably, an attendanttransponder50 has adebit/creditindicatorin its
memoryunit 52.Thedebit/creditindicatorispresetatthemanagementstation 20 30 with a pre-determinednumberofcreditswhenthe attendanttransponderis issued. Theattendantcan thencollectmoneyinexchangeforissuing credits tocustomers. This allows for a controlled accounting ofcredits and/or currency.
[30] For example, anattendantcan begin with$100increditsonthe 25 attendanttransponder50. Ifthe attendant issues$60 incredits fromthe
attendanttransponder 50,whenthe attendantreturns tothe management station30, the attendant will return$60incurrencyto themanagementstation and anattendanttransponderwith$40incredits.
[31] Alternatively, a three card configuration of the attendant
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transponder50 can beused. Thethreecard configurationcanhavesecurity and accountingbenefits. Inthis embodiment, anattendantcarries three attendanttranspondercards:adenomination card55, acashcontrolcard 56,
and asupervisor datacard57. Thecashcontrolcard56isusedtocarry 5 creditsjust as the attendanttransponder50isdescribedabove. Asabove,the attendantcan begin withapre-determinednumberofcredits onthe cash controlcard56.
[32] When the attendant wishes to issue credits to a client
transponder20, the attendantfirstwavesthedenominationcard55in frontof 10 the inductive transmission system 42 on the activity station 40. The denominationcard55indicateshowmanycreditswillberemovedfromthe cashcontrolcard56 with each wave. For example,thedenomination card 55
canindicate that $1, $5,$10or$100shouldberemovedfromthecashcontrol card 56 each time the cash control card is wavedbefore the inductive 15 transmissionsystem42.
[33] Next,the attendantwavesthecashcontrolcard56in frontofthe inductive transmissionsystem42 ontheactivitystation40toremovecredits fromthecashcontrolcard 56. Finally,theclienttransponder card20iswaved
infrontofthe inductive transmissionsystem 42towrite the creditsfromthe 20 cashcontrolcard56 ontothe clienttransponder20.
[34] Thesupervisor datacard57isusedtoreaddatafromtheactivity station 40. Thesupervisor datacard57 can causethe activity station40to read out dataonthe alphanumericdisplay 49. Alternatively, theactivity station40 canwritedata collected tothe supervisor datacard57via the 25 inductivetransmissionsystem42.
[35] Asanotheralternative,theattendanttransponder50 canoperate asapasskeyto release creditsfrom anactivitystation 40. Toplaceorre-place creditsonthe clienttransponder card20, the attendanttransponder50 hasa passkeyinitsmemoryunit 52. Theactivitystation40recognizes thepasskey
asbelongingtoanattendanttransponder50. Theattendantcancollectmoney fromthecustomerand thenindicatehow manycreditstoplaceonthe client transpondercard20 by wavingtheattendanttransponder50before the activity
station40in rangeoftheinductive transmissionsystem 42. The client 5 transponder card20isthenplacedinrangeoftheinductive transmission system42 ofthe activity station40so that the debit/crediteventcriterioncan bewrittenor re-written. Ofcourse, thecustomercan alwaysreturn tothe
managementstation30topurchasemorecreditsor collectwinnings,ifany, as well. Theactivity station40maintainsan accounting ofthe creditsissued 10 fromitand communicatesthatdata to themanagementstation30in realtime
or periodically via thenetworkdata connection.
[36] Anotheralternativeisatwocard configuration. Acashcontrol and denomination card 56aisusedto setthedenominationand/orincremental
increase for debits/credits. The card 56a is held before the inductive 15 transmissionsystem42ofthe activity station 40. Thestation40 thenindicates thenincrements or denominations of currencytobedistributed. For example, theactivitystationcandisplay"$1" thenata pre-determinedintervalincrease
theamountdisplayed to"$5" thento"$10" and soon. Oncethedesired incrementisreached, the card56aisremovedfromtherangeoftheinductive 20 transmissionsystem42. Thissetstheincrement. Aclienttransponder20is
thenplacedinrangeoftheactivitystation40toacquire the debit/creditsetby thecard56a. Eachpassofthe clienttransponder20 adds(ordeducts) the incrementsetbythecard 56a. For example,a station40setto$10 increments bythe cash controland denomination card 56a willadd $10to a client 25 transponder20foreachpass. Theclienttransponder20 thenwillhave atotal creditof$10 then $20 then $30 andsoonforeachpasswithinrangeofthe inductive transmissionsystem42. Thesupervisor card57is stillusedas described above inthis alternative configuration. Alternatively, a client transponder 20 can use a similar incremental approach to removing
