Laser Tag Entitlement Validation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laser tag game systems have separate processes for customer payment and equipment activation, leading to potential fraud and increased costs due to post-play reconciliation to prevent unauthorized use.
Innovation Solution
An entitlement validation system that includes a ticketing module for issuing machine-readable tickets upon payment, a ticket reader for verifying entitlement codes, and a game controller to activate equipment only if the code matches a paid game, integrating with a database to track consumption and provide real-time activation or rejection signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate processes are used for customer payment and equipment activation, then operational simplicity is maintained, but fraud prevention capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the payment process and equipment activation process into a single integrated system. The ticketing module issues a ticket with identification code upon payment, and the game controller validates this code against the database before activating equipment. This merging ensures that equipment can only be activated after successful payment, preventing fraud while maintaining operational simplicity through automated validation.
2Reliability
If post-play reconciliation is used to prevent unauthorized use, then fraud detection is possible, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary validation by checking the identification code against the database before equipment activation occurs. The game controller verifies that the code corresponds to a paid game that has not been consumed yet. This preliminary check prevents unauthorized use before it happens, eliminating the need for costly post-play reconciliation processes and reducing operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time feedback by validating the identification code against the database and immediately determining whether activation should be granted. The game controller receives the code, checks it against paid games in the database, and provides instant validation feedback. This real-time feedback mechanism ensures fraud prevention without requiring additional personnel for post-game reconciliation.
3Reliability
If real-time validation is implemented, then fraud prevention is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a database as an intermediary component that stores the mapping between identification codes and paid games. The game controller communicates with this database to validate codes in real-time. This intermediary database simplifies the validation logic by centralizing the authorization data, making the system more manageable despite the added real-time validation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An entitlement validation system for laser tag games having a laser tag vest arranged to be activatable for enabling game play has a ticketing module arranged to issue a ticket with a machine readable identification code upon payment made for a selected game, and to update a game entitlement database having identification codes matched with corresponding selected games, a ticket reader arranged to read the identification code of a ticket presented for game activation, a game controller arranged to receive the identification code transferred from the ticket reader and to activate the game equipment upon verifying of entitlement by matching the received identification code with the corresponding selected game in the database. The system may have a base station arranged as a communications link between the ticket reader and the game controller. The ticket reader may be integrated into the game equipment or installed in a validation activation station.