Integrated access control system

Abstract

To provide an amusement park access control system.SOLUTION: An amusement park access control system includes an amusement park area having an entrance, wherein an integrated access control device is positioned at the entrance and configured to control visitor access to the amusement park area. The integrated access control device includes a sensor module and an access control module physically connected to each other to form an integrated structure. The sensor module scans the entrance to determine visitor identification data. An access control computer system includes a database communicatively coupled to the integrated access control device and storing visitor registration data and eligibility data associated with the visitor registration data. The integrated access control device identifies credentials associated with the visitor identification data based on a comparison between the visitor identification data, the visitor registration data, and the credential data, and controls access of visitors through the entrance based on the identified credentials.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to the field of amusement parks, and more specifically to a system for managing access to various sections of an amusement park. [Background technology]

[0002] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and / or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. As such, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Since their creation in the early 20th century, amusement parks have grown exponentially in popularity. To accommodate this growing demand, amusement parks have expanded by adding attractions and space. Adding attractions (e.g., rides, restaurants, shops, and shows) generally provides the amusement park with additional capacity to handle more visitors. However, adding attractions can also provide incentives to potential visitors to visit the amusement park. Thus, while a particular amusement park may add capacity, the additional capacity does not necessarily increase the ability of visitors to participate in the amusement park's entertainment (e.g., shopping, watching shows, riding rides) or reduce wait times for attractions. This is often due to a corresponding increase in attendance. Furthermore, in order to operate more efficiently, it is often desirable to limit the utilization of attractions during low attendance situations.

[0004] Admission to amusement park attractions and the amusement park itself is often controlled at one or more locations where guests queue to wait their turn. Indeed, amusement park queues may relate to permits to attractions, purchasing entitlements to enter the amusement park and certain parts thereof, verifying guest entitlements, purchasing food and merchandise, and many others. To provide an overall positive experience for amusement park guests, certain issues related to queues need to be addressed. Indeed, it has been recognized that guests may be deterred from returning to a particular amusement park due to negative experiences associated with queue wait times and multiple queue locations. Thus, improvements to amusement park queuing systems and methods may result in a more enjoyable and positive experience for amusement park customers.

[0005] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent like parts throughout, and in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating generally one embodiment of an amusement park having an access control system with an integrated access control device that controls admission to various eligibility areas, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an entrance system having multiple unified access control devices according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary situation in which a guest who is entitled to enter an amusement park proceeds through the entrance system of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another example situation in which a guest proceeds through the entrance system of FIG. 2 and is identified by the integrated access control device as not being entitled to enter the amusement park, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of a unified access control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method for controlling guest access through an entrance by performing target scans, according to one aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] One or more specific embodiments of the present technology are described below. In order to describe these embodiments concisely, not all features of an actual implementation are described herein. It should be understood that, as in any engineering or design project, the development of such an actual implementation requires many implementation-specific decisions to be made to achieve developer-specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints that may vary from implementation to implementation. It should be further understood that such a development effort may be complex and time-consuming, but is nevertheless a routine exercise in design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0008] To access various areas of the theme park, guests may be required to pass through multiple devices and locations, which may include turnstiles, metal detectors, biometric scanners, ticketing, etc. Each device may slow the guest's entry into the theme park and / or sections thereof and increase the guest's frustration levels at various stages of their theme park experience.

[0009] To address these and other shortcomings of conventional approaches, the present embodiments provide an invisible turnstile experience by, among other things, combining and integrating several guest access control devices (e.g., biometrics (face, finger and iris), ticketing, and metal detection devices) into a single physical device and integrated process. A system of guest access control devices may be referred to as an integrated access control device. According to such embodiments, algorithmic software stored on the device may receive inputs (e.g., data indicative of body shape, face, fingers, and / or iris) from various sensors, personal mobile device signals, access card signals, and the like. By continuously evaluating guest identities and entitlements, the integrated access control device functions as an invisible turnstile, i.e., continuously evaluating for unauthorized access to various amusement park locations while allowing guests to obtain proper entitlements and a free-flowing, hassle-free entry experience.

[0010] According to certain embodiments, guests can register with the system at home, online, or on-site (at the park). Upon registration, the integrated access control device can perform matching and verification of the guest via the guest's face, finger, full body scan, iris, or other characteristics such as personal electronic device. Thus, the integrated access control device can easily verify whether the guest has the proper credentials when the guest passes through the security checkpoint. The system also allows guests to register and add new credentials via their personal mobile device or with assistance from a team member at the entrance point of the park or attraction.

[0011] The unified access control device may have a modular design that allows for rapid transportation and deployment in a variety of environments. The modularity of the design also allows for the addition or removal of all or part of the access control device as required. For example, the addition or removal of access control devices may be based on real-time park attendance, scheduled events (e.g., special events), and the like. Thus, the unified access control device may significantly improve guest throughput, reduce guest wait times, and enhance the overall park attendance experience based on the flexibility of installing and removing the unified access control device.

[0012] The unified access control devices and systems of the present disclosure may be used in a variety of different settings and locations in and around an amusement park. To aid in illustration, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an amusement park 10 utilizing one embodiment of an unified access control system 12. As shown, the amusement park 10 includes an access control computer system 14 that coordinates the operation of various unified access control devices 16 (e.g., 16A and 16B) that control guest access to the amusement park 10 and / or locations within the amusement park 10. More specifically, the access control computer system 14 may include one or more computing devices having processing and memory circuitry for performing various control operations related to access control and for storing various data used during the implementation of the techniques described herein.

[0013] The access control computer system 14 may be implemented as one or more specially configured server computers operating in conjunction with integrated access control devices 16 that may be located at various entrance locations 18 (e.g., 18A and 18B) associated with various sections of the amusement park. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, these different sections of the amusement park 10 are represented as entitlement areas 20 (e.g., 20A and 20B). The illustrated entitlement areas 20 include respective areas of interest, such as attractions (e.g., rides, show areas, game areas) 22 (e.g., 22A, 22B), restaurants 24 (e.g., 24A, 24B), shops, etc. The integrated access control devices 20 located at the respective entrances 18 of the entitlement areas 20 generally control access of guests through the entrances 18 of each area 20.

[0014] Coordination between the integrated access control device 16 and the access control computer system 14 may occur via a network 26. The network 26 may be a wired network including multiple Ethernet connections, or may be a wireless network operating according to any suitable wireless communication protocol. For example, the network 26 may be a WLAN, a wireless wide area network (WWAN), or a near field communication (NFC) network. The network 26 allows for communication and coordination between the various components of the integrated access control device 16 and the access control computer system 14. As shown, the components of the access control computer system 14 may include a guest information or guest registration database 28, an entitlement database 30, and an access control database 32. Other components not specifically shown may be included as part of the access control computer system 14, such as workstations local to the access control computer system 14, as well as other databases or computing devices that may facilitate operation of the access control techniques described herein.

[0015] Guest registration database 28 may include guest registration data, such as various identifying information associated with a guest. The identifying information may include, by way of example, one or more photographs of the guest, guest associations with other registered and / or unregistered guests (e.g., family members), biometric data, data associated with the guest's personal electronic device, guest identification number, family identification number, personal electronic device identification number, etc. Guest registration data may, in certain embodiments, be stored in a manner that facilitates association with other types of data described herein.

[0016] One set of such data may be stored by the entitlement database 30, which may include entitlement data associating various guests with various entitlements, tickets, wristbands having entitlement data stored thereon, and the like. Storage of entitlement data may be implemented in a number of different ways. For example, the entitlement data may be associated with guest registration data and / or the guest's name or other information associated with the guest (e.g., a number or code associated with a particular guest). Often, a particular guest may be associated with a particular entitlement, such as an entitlement associated with admission to a first entitlement area, but not associated with a second entitlement area. Additionally, the entitlement database 30 may associate guest information with non-entitlement areas, as described below. The access control database 32 may include various access control algorithms, dates associated with historical access of entitlement areas, and the like. In certain embodiments, the access control computer system 14 may associate each identifier associated with a guest (e.g., each photograph, each instance of guest registration data, such as a fingerprint, retina or iris scan, or other biometric data) with the guest registration data for that particular guest. This allows any one or combination of the sensors described below to obtain identifying guest information that can then be used to allow (or deny) guests access to particular entitlement areas in an efficient manner. In other words, by directly linking guest registration data to guest entitlement (purchase) data, certain embodiments may reduce the number of processes that a computing device associated with the access control computer system 14 and / or integrated access control device 16 may execute, reducing the amount of memory, storage space, and / or network resources dedicated to granting or denying guest access to entitlement areas.

[0017] The access control database 32 may store algorithms for executing the various access control processes described herein, identification information associated with each integrated access control device 16 (e.g., an Internet Protocol (IP) address and / or location within the amusement park 10), sensor information associated with each integrated access control device 16, identification information for the sensors (e.g., in situations where each sensor is individually addressable), historical data associated with the sensors, maintenance information associated with the sensors, etc.

[0018] 1, the integrated access control device 16 can include several different components, such as an access control device 34 and a modular sensor device 36. In certain embodiments, the access control device 34 and the modular sensor device 36 can be modularly combined or oriented together to form a unified structure. The unified structure can take a variety of forms, such as a pole, an archway, a doorway, etc. The modular sensor device can be configured to detect or collect information indicative of a guest proximate to the location (e.g., at the entrance 18).

[0019] The type of information collected by each modular sensor device 36 may depend on the particular type of sensor device. As described in more detail below, for example, modular sensor devices 36 may include biometric sensors, facial recognition cameras and associated identification circuitry, metal detectors, wired communication devices, barcode scanners, and the like.

[0020] The modular sensor devices 36 and the access control devices 34 can communicate with each other and, in some cases, with the access control computer system 14, allowing the access control device 34 to coordinate the operation of the various modular sensor devices 36 and, in some circumstances, activate access control based on various control algorithms. The various control algorithms can be executed locally at the integrated access control device, or remotely at the access control computer system 14, or a combination of both. For example, the access control device 34 can execute an access control action in several ways in response to receiving a particular type of guest identification information from the modular sensor devices 36. As one example, the access control device 34 can execute an access control action by activating a mechanical feature that physically blocks access between different locations (e.g., attractions 22, restaurants 24, or shops). As another example, the access control device 34 can execute an access control action by relaying a signal to a remote device that notifies park personnel that a particular guest should be directed to an area where the guest can be registered, and that these registrations are associated with one or more particular entitlements.

[0021] With the above in mind, Figure 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an entrance system that may be associated with the entrance 18 to the amusement park 10 of Figure 1, the eligibility area 20 of Figure 1, or the like. The entrance system 50 of Figure 2 includes various features for screening guest belongings, registering guest information in a guest registration database 28, determining and verifying guest identification information, and verifying guest eligibility. The illustrated entrance system 50 also includes locations (e.g., kiosks or instruction desks) where park employees may be positioned to direct guests to various locations of the amusement park based on output generated by a control device of the entrance system 50.

[0022] More specifically, the illustrated components of entrance system 50 include a baggage scanner 52, which may be any suitable type of device or system that scans baggage for items not permitted at amusement park 10. By way of example, such a scanner 52 may utilize penetrating electromagnetic radiation to generate a view of the baggage and what is contained therein. Entrance system 50 also includes a moving or conveyor belt 54 that moves baggage or other personal items through the baggage scanner.

[0023] The first integrated access control device 16A is positioned adjacent to the baggage scanner 52 and is between the loading portion 5 of the conveyor belt 54 and the collecting portion of the conveyor belt. The first integrated access control device 16A is shown as an archway through which guests can pass (which may include or be part of the access control device 34 of FIG. 1 ) and may be referred to as an “enrollment archway” 16A in the situation where the entrance system 50 is at the entrance 18 to the amusement park 10. The enrollment archway 16A may take the form of an archway through which guests can pass and includes multiple integrated components that detect information from or relay information to guests, such as a biometric sensor 60, a metal detector 62, and a biometric enrollment feedback indicator 64. The biometric sensor 60 (including, for example, a facial biometric sensor and / or a full body scanner) and the metal detector 62 may determine or identify information related to the guest, while the biometric enrollment feedback indicator 64 indicates some aspect or detail related to the enrollment of the guest. The registration arch 16A may incorporate a number of sensors, including, but not limited to, a biometric sensor 60 and a metal detector 62. Using these sensors, the registration arch 16A may facilitate the performance of guest registration. For example, the registration arch 16A may utilize the biometric sensor 60 to scan the guest, perform the appropriate registration procedure, and once the guest is registered, the feedback indicator 64 may signal accordingly (e.g., by confirming that the guest is registered). Although the first integrated access control device 16A of FIG. 2 is depicted as a registration arch, the integrated access control device 16A (e.g., as described in FIG. 1) may include any suitable structure, shape, geometric configuration, dimensional aspects, and the like.

[0024] The feedback regarding the guest's registration may indicate, for example, the guest's registration status in the guest registration database 28, verification of guest entitlement in the guest registration database 28, or the like. More specifically, the feedback indicator 64 may provide or output a verification indicator corresponding to the guest providing sufficient identifying information, thereby indicating previous registration in the system and no further registration process is necessary. Alternatively, the feedback indicator 64 may provide or output an indication to the guest to wait while the guest is scanned and registered. Additionally or alternatively, the feedback indicator 64 may provide a visual and / or audible confirmation upon scanning using the biometric sensor 60 or similar feature that the guest is registered and may proceed. Furthermore, the feedback indicator 64 may provide any other suitable indication to the guest, such as that the guest requires further registration in order to participate in amusement park activities.

[0025] In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the second unified access control device 16B is positioned beyond the registration arch 16A. In a particular embodiment, the second unified access control device 16B performs the credential verification. The illustrated second unified access control device 16B includes a whole-body biometric sensor 66. The second unified access control device 16B also includes a multi-factor sensor 68, which may include a sensor that can collect information about the guest's hands, eyes, or other physical characteristics, for example. Additionally or alternatively, the multi-factor sensor 68 can identify an electronic device associated with the guest (e.g., a smartphone, a wearable device, or an amusement park admission bracelet embedded with an electronic device or identification tag), a ticket carried by the guest, or the like.

[0026] The second integrated access control device 16B also includes an entitlement verification feedback indicator 70. The entitlement verification feedback indicator 70 can also provide an appropriate indication if the guest is properly registered and / or if the guest's registration information corresponds to or matches an entitlement to enter the amusement park. For example, the second integrated access control device 16B can include internal control circuitry that queries the guest registration database 28 and / or the guest entitlement database 30 of the access control computer system 14 to determine whether the guest's identification information is associated with the appropriate entitlement. The control circuitry can then activate one or more visual and / or audible feedback indicators (e.g., of the entitlement verification feedback indicator 70) as appropriate. Thus, amusement park personnel located at a correction instruction station 51 disposed near the second integrated access control device 16B can instruct the guest to proceed to an attraction 22 or entitlement area 20 of the amusement park 10, or to proceed to another location of the amusement park 10 where the guest can purchase an entitlement to access a section of the amusement park 10.

[0027] 3 and 4 each illustrate an embodiment of how a guest may proceed through the entrance system 50, be registered and credentialed, and proceed through the entrance 18 in a manner dependent on the operation of the various access control devices 16. Specifically, in the embodiment 80 of FIG. 3, in a first step, a guest 84 approaches security at the entrance 18 (e.g., to the amusement park 10) and places belongings on the loading portion 56 of the moving belt 54. While the guest 84 has his belongings scanned by a baggage scanner, in a second step 88, the guest has his face and body scanned as he walks through the registration arch 16A. At this point, the first integrated access control device (registration arch) 16A scans the guest's face and body and registers his biometric profile.

[0028] The guest 84 passes through the first integrated access control device 16A in a third step, which may include scanning of the metal object, and the second integrated access control device 16B performs verification of the guest's entitlement. For example, the whole-body biometric sensor 66 of the second integrated access control device 16B may scan the guest, determine the guest's identification information, and compare the identification information with the stored information registered in the second step as well as the entitlement information stored in the entitlement database 30. The second integrated access control device 16B may also determine that the guest's entitlement has been verified in response to determining that the guest's identification information as scanned matches the enrollment information (e.g., stored in the enrollment database 28) and / or determining that the enrollment information is associated with entitlement to enter the amusement park 10. The second integrated access control device 16B may generate a visual indication that the entitlement is valid. For example, the indication may include outputting a portion of an indicator of the second integrated access control device 16B (e.g., the enrollment feedback verification indicator 70), such as outputting a green light or displaying a check mark.

[0029] In some circumstances, the visual indication may be intended for park employees and not for the perception of surrounding guests. Thus, there may be a first park employee (e.g., 92) who monitors the entitlement verification indicator 70 and determines how the guest should proceed (e.g., enter the park 10 or be directed to the correction station 51). In other embodiments, rather than a human employee, there may be one or more devices that instruct the guest to proceed in a particular way and / or physically block the guest's progress. For example, there may be textual and / or graphical indications that instruct the guest to proceed to a particular location. In a fourth step 94, since the enrollment has been verified and the enrollment feedback verification indicator 70 is illuminated green, the guest 84 collects his / her belongings and proceeds to the entitlement area 20 of the park 10.

[0030] In the embodiment 110 shown in FIG. 4, the first and second steps 82, 88 proceed as described with respect to the embodiment 08 of FIG. 3. However, when the guest 84 passes through the registration arch 16A, the second unified access control device 16B determines that the guest's credentials are missing or invalid in this case. In response to this determination, a part of the second unified access control device 16B (e.g., the registration feedback verification indicator 70) provides an indication different from the indication described in the illustrative embodiment 80 of FIG. 3. For example, the feedback indicator 70 of the second unified access control device 16B may light up red or display an "X", or there may be any other visual or audible indication provided to the theme park employee (e.g., 92) that the guest 84 should proceed to the instruction stand (e.g., 51) as shown in the fourth step 112. At the instruction stand 51, the theme park employee 114 may utilize the repair device 116. The repair device 116 may enable park employee 114 to associate the guest's identity with one or more particular entitlements. In some cases, such as when the guest's identity cannot be associated with one or more particular entitlements, the guest 84 may be directed to a ticket issuing location where additional entitlements may be purchased. Once the guest 84 has performed these actions, as shown in a fifth step 118, the guest 84 may proceed to the various entitlement areas 20 of the amusement park 10.

[0031] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of a unified access control device 16B. Specifically, FIG. 5 illustrates various components of the unified access control device 16B and how these components can be physically and communicatively coupled to one another. The illustrated unified access control device 16B includes multiple modular components that are generally combined together to form an integrated structure having a particular geometric configuration. As illustrated, the geometric configuration of the unified access control device 16B of FIG. 5 is a pole or a cylinder (which may include or be part of the access control device 34 of FIG. 1). However, in other embodiments, the geometric configuration may be any other shape that may be integrated into a themed entrance area 1 associated with the amusement park 10. In this regard, one aspect of certain embodiments of the unified access control device 16 is that they may be easily integrated into the theme of a particular amusement park attraction 22, which may generally correspond to the camouflage of the access control device 16. This particular aspect of the unified access control device 16 may be desirable for a more immersive and seamless experience between attractions 22, as opposed to a typical configuration where the access control devices are immediately seen and make areas (e.g., 20) distinct from one another. It should be understood that the structure, geometric configuration, shape, dimensional aspects, etc. of the unified access control device 16 may include or be part of the access control device 34 of FIG. 1. Additionally, although the second unified access control device 16B of FIGS. 2-5 is depicted as a pole or cylinder, the unified access control device 16B (e.g., as depicted in FIG. 1) may include any suitable structure, shape, geometric configuration, dimensional aspects, etc.

[0032] The components of the integrated access control device 16B generally include one or more sensor modules 130 (which may include or be part of the modular sensor device 36 of FIG. 1 ) that determine guest identification information, which may correspond to facial recognition information, body type information, iris information, fingerprint information, or other information related to the guest's anatomy. Additionally or alternatively, the integrated access control device 16B may incorporate sensor modules that scan items that may be associated with guest credentials. Such items may include wristbands with chips that store credentials, tickets with bar codes or quick response (QR) codes that encode credentials, and the like. Additionally, certain sensor modules 130 may incorporate communication devices configured to communicate with personal electronic devices of the guest 84, such as tablets, smartphones, or similar devices.

[0033] The illustrated component includes a base 132 having a mount 134 for mounting to a surface 136, such as a floor, ceiling, wall, or other structure. In other embodiments, the mount 134 may simply rest on the ground. The mount 134 may also include a port for receiving power and / or data transmission lines. The base 132 may also include a base module or access control module 138 coupled to the mount 134. The access control module 138 may incorporate processing and memory components that enable coordination of operation of the other modular components (e.g., the sensor module 130) of the integrated access control device 16B. For example, the access control module 138 may incorporate a local control system having appropriately configured control circuitry (e.g., in the form of one or more processors and one or more memory devices) that controls operation of the integrated access control device 16B (e.g., by causing one or more processors to execute machine-readable instructions stored in one or more memory devices). The local control system may also include communication circuitry for communicating with the access control system 14. Thus, a local control system located in the access control module 138 (or an alternative component of the integrated access control device 16B) may perform write data queries to the guest registration database 28 and / or the entitlement database 30, and / or execute algorithms, update data, or the like in the access control database 32. In alternative or additional embodiments, the access control module 138 may be separate from the base module 11 and thus located as a separate module in any suitable location relative to the modules of the integrated access control device 16B, such as between the sensor modules 130 (e.g., 130A, 130B, and 130C) or near the top of the integrated access control device (e.g., adjacent the cap module 140). Thus, in such embodiments, the base module 138 may not include the processing and memory components or local control system of the access control module.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the base module 138 is positioned at a first end of the unified access control device 16B opposite the cap module 140. The cap module 140 may generally enclose the internal components of the unified access control device 16B. In certain embodiments, the cap module 140 may incorporate various components such as antennas, wireless communication devices, or other similar features.

[0035] The sensor module 130 of the integrated access control device 16B shown in Figure 5 includes a first sensor module 130A, a second sensor module 130B, and a third sensor module 130C disposed between a base module 138 and a cap module 140. These various modules 130 may be combined in a variety of ways. However, in the illustrated embodiment, each modular component (including the sensor module 130) includes a male connector 142 and a female connector 144. The male connector 142 and the female connector 144 may include complementary physical features to enable secure connection between the various modular components (e.g., via an interference fit or snap fit).

[0036] Additionally, the modular components 130 may include various features that enable communication and power transfer. As specifically shown in the first sensor module 130A, the physical structure of the sensor module 130 may include a housing 146, a communication bus 148 extending through the housing 146, and a power bus 150 extending through the housing 146. The communication bus 148 and / or the power bus 150 may be integrated within or exposed to the housing 146 of the various modular components 130. However, according to certain embodiments, the communication bus 148 and the power bus 150 of each modular component 130 may be exposed at least at the respective male connector 142 and female connector 144 to allow for easy connection between the different modular components 130. Embodiments of the present invention provide efficient assembly, disassembly, maintenance, and customization of the integrated access control device 16B. The linear arrangement of modules (e.g., modular components 130), vertical stacking, simple communication interfaces, and the like provide these efficiency advantages over conventional approaches.

[0037] As a non-limiting example, the first sensor module 130A can include a first sensor 152, which can include any one or combination of various communication devices, such as a near field communication device. In an exemplary implementation, the first sensor 152 can communicate with a guest 84's personal electronic device and / or a wearable feature incorporating stored credentials, such as a wristband.

[0038] The second sensor module 130B may include another type of sensor that is different from the one or more sensors 152 of the first sensor module 130A. Indeed, according to this embodiment, the sensor components (e.g., 152) of the unified access control device 16B may be mixed and matched based on a particular set of requirements associated with, for example, the location where the unified access control device 16B is deployed. For example, if the entrance system 50 as shown in FIG. 2 incorporates a particular type of detector, the unified access control device 16B may not necessarily incorporate that type of detector if redundancy is not desired in the controlled access areas within the amusement park 10. If redundancy is desired, multiple sensor modules 130 of the same type may be used in the same unified access control device 16B.

[0039] By way of example, the second sensor module 130B may include voice recognition technology, such as a microphone and associated voice recognition circuitry, that enables matching between received and stored voice data associated with the guest 84. Additionally or alternatively, the second sensor module 130B may incorporate a series of feedback indicators (e.g., 70), such as lights (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs)) that provide visual feedback in response to various verification procedures performed by the integrated access control device 16B.

[0040] The third sensor module 130C may incorporate a third type or set of sensors different from the first and second sensor modules 130A, 130B. By way of example, the third sensor module 130C may include various biometric sensors, such as cameras and associated facial recognition control circuitry. Any type of biometric sensor or facial recognition system may be utilized in accordance with the present disclosure. Thus, as will be appreciated, the integrated access control device 16B incorporates multiple different sensor types in one integrated structure that may be communicatively coupled to the access control module or base module 138 to identify guest information, compare the information to stored guest information to identify entitlements associated with the identified guest 84, and provide feedback indicating whether the guest 84 is clear to enter a particular area (e.g., 20).

[0041] According to this embodiment, guests 84 at any particular entrance area 18 may be scanned by the integrated access control device 16 associated with that area 18. In certain circumstances, this may result in all guests 84 at a particular entrance area 18 being scanned. Following this scan, the guest information may be compared to stored guest registration and entitlement data. It should be noted, however, that in a particular amusement park, the number of people that may be present at a particular entrance area 18 may be relatively large. That is, there may be a significant number of people to scan and verify credentials. These computer-implemented procedures may be extensively processor-intensive, and therefore, it may be desirable to reduce the amount of resources allocated to guest scanning and entitlement verification by controlling how guests 84 are scanned and entitlements verified at various locations throughout the amusement park 10.

[0042] It is recognized that it may be desirable for the unified access control device 16 of the present disclosure to scan guests 84 to verify credentials and provide meaningful feedback to increase the efficiency with which guest flow can be controlled throughout the amusement park 10. Figure 6 is a process flow diagram of a method 160 of controlling admission to an amusement park area (e.g., 20) using the unified access control device 16 of the present disclosure. The method 160 may be performed by a combination of the access control computer system 14 and one or more unified access control devices 16.

[0043] Generally, the method 160 involves comparing the guest identifier of the guest 84 to a set of guest identifiers that are not associated with entitlements for a particular area (e.g., 20) rather than querying all information associated with every guest identifier for every guest 84 to verify the credentials. In a first operation of the method 160, shown as operation 162, a system such as the access control computer system 14 may receive a list of entitlements and guest identifying information (e.g., biometric data, personal electronic device data). Additionally or alternatively, the integrated access control device 16 may receive the list of entitlements and guest identifiers.

[0044] In operation 164, the system 14 may identify or determine guest identifiers (e.g., a set of guest identifiers) that are not associated with each entitlement. That is, for a particular entitlement, a list of guest identifiers that are not associated with each entitlement is generated. Thus, each unified access control device 16 associated with a particular entitlement will only scan for guest identifiers that are not associated with that particular entitlement, rather than verifying the credential by querying all information associated with all guest identifiers for all guests 84, regardless of entitlement status.

[0045] To this end, the method 10 also includes associating a plurality of unified access control devices 16 with respective entitlements, as shown in operation 166. For example, with reference to the unified access control system 12 shown in FIG. 1, there is a unified access control device 16A associated with entitlement area 20A, and there is a different unified access control device 16B associated with entitlement area 20B. This positioning may correspond to operation 168, which includes deployment of the plurality of unified access control devices 16 in areas (e.g., 20) corresponding to the respective entitlements of the unified access control devices 16. Alternatively, the unified access control devices 16 may be located at specific locations, and the associated entitlements may be updated upon deployment.

[0046] At operation 170, the method 160 includes scanning each area for guest identification data of the guest 84 in that area. By way of example, and returning again to Figure 1, the unified access control device 16A associated with entitlement area 20A will scan the guest 84 at that entrance area 18 and receive the guest identifier. Similarly, the unified access control device 16B associated with entitlement area 20B will scan the guest 84 at that entrance area 18B and receive the guest identifier for the guest.

[0047] At operation 172, the method 160 includes comparing the scanned guest identifier to a list or set of guest identifiers not associated with a respective entitlement. In the example of FIG. 1, the unified access control device 16A associated with entitlement area 20A may compare the scanned guest identifier to a list of guest identifiers (e.g., as generated in operation 164) not associated with that entitlement in entitlement area 20A. Similarly, the unified access control device 16B associated with entitlement area 20B will compare the scanned guest identifier to a list of guest identifiers not associated with entitlements in entitlement area 20B. Advantageously, the unified access control device 16 may avoid having to compare the scanned guest identifier to an entire list of all guest identifiers, which may be much larger and more extensive than the list of guest identifiers not associated with a respective entitlement. It has been recognized that performing this method of target scanning may reduce the processing load associated with controlling access to the various entitlement areas 20 by reducing the amount of information that needs to be processed by the unified access control device 16 and the access control computer system 14.

[0048] The method 160 of FIG. 6 also includes outputting an indication in response to identifying or determining that a guest is not associated with a corresponding entitlement at operation 174. For example, the integrated access control device 16 scans the entrance area 18, identifies a guest 84 that is not entitled to enter the amusement park area (e.g., 20) associated with the entrance area 18, and provides an indication that the guest 84 is not entitled to enter the amusement park area 20 in response to identifying such guest 84, according to operation 174. The indication provided may be a physical blocking of the entrance path of the identified guest 84 (e.g., by automatically locking a gate), or may be a more subtle indication that is not perceptible to the guest 84 or surrounding guests, but is provided to an amusement park employee (e.g., via a handheld electronic device such as a tablet) so that the employee can direct the guest 84 to the appropriate location. Additionally or alternatively, the indication may be a visual and / or audio effect generated at the integrated access control device 16 (e.g., a tone or an illumination light) or may be the activation of a connected show effect. Thus, while a guest 84 at the amusement park 10 may recognize that the tones, lighting, or show effects may be an integral part of the theme of the attraction 22, amusement park employees may recognize the indication as an indication of issuance of a guest credential and take appropriate action accordingly.

[0049] Although only certain features of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, numerous modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that any of the features illustrated or described with respect to the figures discussed above may be combined in any suitable manner.

[0050] The technology presented and claimed herein refers to and applies to specific examples of a tangible and practical nature that clearly improve the technical field of the present invention, and is therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Moreover, when any claim appended hereto includes one or more elements designated as "means for performing a function" or "step for performing a function," such elements are intended to be construed under 35 U.S.C. 112, paragraph 6. However, for any claim that includes an element designated in any other manner, such elements shall not be construed under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

1. 1. An amusement park access control system, comprising: an integrated access control device positioned at an entrance to an amusement park area and configured to control guest access to said amusement park area, the integrated access control device including a sensor module and an access control module physically connected to each other to form an integrated structure, the sensor module configured to scan the entrance to determine guest identification data; an access control computer system communicatively coupled to the unified access control device via the access control module, an access control computer system including one or more databases storing guest registration data and entitlement data associated with the guest registration data; Equipped with the integrated access control device is configured to identify an entitlement associated with the guest identification data based on a comparison between the guest identification data, the guest registration data, and the entitlement data, and to control access of the guest through the entrance based on the identified entitlement. Amusement park access control system.

2. 2. The amusement park access control system of claim 1, wherein said integrated structure includes a vertical assembly of said sensor modules, said communicative couplings being disposed at upper and lower ends of each of said sensor modules.

3. 2. The amusement park access control system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module and the access control module each comprise a housing, a male connector positioned at one end of the housing and a female connector positioned on an opposite side of the housing relative to the male connector.

4. 2. The amusement park access control system of claim 1, wherein the sensor module and the access control module each comprise a housing, a communication bus extending through the housing, and a power bus extending through the housing, the respective communication buses and the respective power buses enabling communication and power transmission between the sensor module and the access control module, respectively.

5. The amusement park access control system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor module includes a biometric sensor.

6. 2. The amusement park access control system of claim 1, wherein the unified access control device comprises an entitlement verification feedback indicator configured to output a visual indication in response to control circuitry of the unified access control device performing an entitlement verification routine based on the guest identification data and the identified entitlements.

7. 2. The amusement park access control system of claim 1, wherein the integrated access control device comprises a base module housing control circuitry configured to coordinate operation with the sensor modules and the access control modules.

8. 8. The amusement park access control system of claim 7, wherein the base module is coupled to a mount configured to secure the unified access control device to a surface, the unified access control device comprising a cap module positioned on an opposite side of the unified access control device relative to the base module, the cap module sealing access to internal features of the unified access control device.

9. The amusement park access control system of claim 1 , comprising an entrance including a registration arch located near the unified access control device.

10. 10. The amusement park access control system of claim 9, wherein the registration arch comprises a plurality of sensors and registration feedback indicators integrated into a second integral structure, the plurality of sensors including biometric sensors.

11. 11. The amusement park access control system of claim 10, wherein the registration arch is communicatively coupled to the access control computer system, the biometric sensor is configured to collect guest biometric data, and the registration arch comprises control circuitry configured to access the one or more databases of the access control computer system and update the one or more databases with the collected guest biometric data.

12. The registration feedback indicator is configured to output a visual or audio indication responsive to completion of guest registration.

12. The amusement park access control system of claim 11.

13. The integrated access control device comprises: determining a set of ineligible guest identifiers associated with the amusement park area; comparing a scanned guest identifier of the guest at the entrance to a set of the ineligible guest identifiers associated with the amusement park area; outputting a perceptible indicator in response to determining that the set of guest identifiers includes the scanned guest identifier; and configured to control guest access through said entrance by 10. The amusement park access control system of claim 1.

14. an additional playground area having an additional entrance; an additional integrated access control device located at the additional entrance; Equipped with The additional integrated access control device comprises: determining an additional set of additional unentitled guest identifiers associated with the additional amusement park area; comparing additional scanned guest identifiers of additional guests at the additional entrances to a set of additional unentitled guest identifiers associated with the additional amusement park area; and in response to determining that the additional set of guest identifiers includes the additional scanned guest identifier, outputting an additional perceptible indicia. It is configured as follows:

14. The amusement park access control system of claim 13.

15. 1. A method of controlling access to an amusement park, comprising: receiving a plurality of entitlements and a plurality of guest identifiers associated with the amusement park; For each respective entitlement of the plurality of entitlements, determining a set of respective guest identifiers of the plurality of guest identifiers that are not associated with the respective entitlement; For each entitlement in the plurality of entitlements, determining a respective unified access control device among a plurality of unified access control devices in the amusement park associated with the respective entitlement; for each respective unified access control device of the plurality of unified access control devices, scanning each respective area of ​​the amusement park for each respective set of guest identifiers that are not associated with each respective entitlement associated with the respective unified access control device; A method comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, comprising: for each respective unified access control device of the plurality of unified access control devices, in response to determining that a guest is associated with a guest identifier in the respective set of guest identifiers that is not associated with the respective entitlement, outputting an indication that the guest does not have the respective entitlement.

17. 1. An integrated access control device, comprising: one or more sensor modules configured to scan guest identification data; an access control module coupled to the one or more sensor modules to form an integrated structure; the access control module is configured to be communicatively coupled to an access control computer system including one or more databases storing guest registration data and entitlement data associated with the guest registration data; The access control computer system comprises: one or more processors; one or more memory devices storing machine-readable instructions; Equipped with The machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, identifying an entitlement associated with the guest identification data based on a comparison between the guest identification data, the guest registration data, and the entitlement data; controlling guest access through the entrance area based on said identified entitlements; causing the processor to 1. An integrated access control device comprising:

18. 20. The integrated access control device of claim 17, wherein the access control module is coupled to a mount configured to secure the integrated access control device to a surface, the integrated access control device comprising a cap module positioned on an opposite side of the integrated access control device relative to the access control module.

19. Each of the one or more sensor modules: Housing and a respective male connector located at one end of the housing; a respective female connector positioned on an opposite side of the housing relative to the male connector; Equipped with 20. The integrated access control device of claim 17.

20. 18. The integrated access control device of claim 17, wherein a first male connector of the access control module is configured to couple to a first respective female connector of a first sensor module of the one or more sensor modules, and a first female connector of the cap module is configured to couple to a first respective female connector of a second sensor module of the one or more sensor modules.

Images