Abstract:
Methods for controlling admission to amusement park rides include electronically measuring each child&#39;s height (and optionally weight) and comparing the measured data to a database which specifies minimum requirements for each ride in the amusement park. Upon completing the comparison, several optional steps are provided including encoding a data carrier with the child&#39;s measured data and/or a list of rides which are appropriate for the child. The data carrier may be a “swipe card” or other machine readable device which must be presented at the entrance to each ride. The entrance to each ride is provided with an electronic entry control gate which is operated by the data carrier. Optionally, a list of appropriate rides is printed for the child and/or the child&#39;s parents. Apparatus for performing the methods are also disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates broadly to methods and apparatus for controlling admission to rides at an amusement park. More particularly, this invention relates to methods and apparatus for controlling admission based on the height and/or weight (and optionally age) of a prospective rider.  
         [0003]     2. State of the Art  
         [0004]     Every year many children are injured (some killed) because they were riding on an amusement park ride which was inappropriate for their stature. While it is common practice to measure a child&#39;s height prior to admitting the child to a particular ride, the measurement is informal and depends on the judgment of a human attendant. The typical measurement apparatus is simply a mark on a wall against which a child stands and is observed by the ride operator. Often there will be many children crowding around and this will interfere with the ride operator&#39;s correct assessment of the child&#39;s height. The child may take the opportunity of crowded conditions to stand on his or her toes, unnoticed, so that s/he appears taller than s/he actually is.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for controlling admission to individual rides at an amusement park.  
         [0006]     It is another object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus which do not rely on human judgment for controlling admission to individual rides.  
         [0007]     It is a further object of the invention to provide automated methods and apparatus for controlling admission to individual rides.  
         [0008]     It is also an object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for controlling admission to individual rides which determines at once which rides are appropriate and which are inappropriate for a particular child.  
         [0009]     It is an additional object of the invention to provide methods and apparatus for controlling admission to individual rides whereby a child is prevented from riding inappropriate rides.  
         [0010]     In accord with these objects, which will be discussed in detail below, the methods of the invention include measuring a child&#39;s height and/or weight, and optionally obtaining age information, and encoding a data carrier with information relating to the height and/or weight (and optionally age) of the child, and reading the data carrier at ride entry points to determine whether the child will be admitted to the ride. The data carrier may be a “swipe card” or other machine readable device which must be presented at the entrance to each ride. The entrance to each ride is provided with an electronic entry control gate which is operated by the data carrier. According to other aspects of the invention, after information about the child is obtained, the child&#39;s height and/or weight (and optionally age) is compared to a database and a printout listing rides to which the child will and/or will not be admitted is generated for the child and/or the child&#39;s parents.  
         [0011]     The apparatus of the invention include an electronic measuring apparatus, a database, a plurality of data carriers, a data carrier encoder, a printer, and admission control equipment at each ride. The admission control equipment includes an electronic turnstile, a data carrier reader, and means for unlocking the turnstile based on the data read from the data carrier. The measuring apparatus includes sensors to determine whether the child is standing on his/her toes. According to one embodiment, the data carrier is a bar coded bracelet which cannot be removed from the child&#39;s wrist without destroying it. However, the data carrier can be a magnetic stripe card, a bar coded card, an RFID device, etc.  
         [0012]     Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a measurement and data carrier encoding apparatus according to the invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the measurement apparatus;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a data reader and electronic gate controller according to the invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a simplified flow chart illustrating a measurement and data carrier encoding method according to the invention; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a simplified flow chart illustrating an admission control method according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary apparatus  10  according to the invention includes an LED emitter  12 , a photo detector  14 , a weighing platform  16 , a processor with a database  18 , a keypad  19 , a data carrier encoder  20 , a printer  22 , and a plurality of data carriers  24 . The LED emitter  12  includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in a vertical column spaced apart from each other, e.g. one inch apart. The photo detector  14  includes a plurality of photo detectors arranged in a vertical column corresponding to the LEDs. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a child C standing between the emitter  12  and detector  14  will block some beams of light B up to his or her height, above which beams of light L will pass and be detected by the detector  14 . By determining which detectors detect light and which do not, the child&#39;s height can be determined.  
         [0019]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the weighing platform  16  includes four pressure sensors  16   a - 16   d . In order to operate the device, the child must place the left foot heel on sensor  16   a , the left foot toes on sensor  16   b , the right foot heel on sensor  16   c , and the right foot toes on sensor  16   d . Only when all four sensors detect pressure will the child&#39;s height be measured. This prevents the child from standing on toes to appear taller.  
         [0020]     The PC  18  is coupled to the photo detector array  14  and to the weighing platform  16  including the sensors  16   a - 16   d . Preferably the PC  18  is also coupled to the LED array  12  so that it is only turned on when a child is standing on the weighing platform. The database in the PC  18  includes height and/or weight data (and optionally age data) for every ride in the amusement park. After the PC  18  is provided with the height, weight, and age (via the keypad  19 ) of the child, the attached encoder  20  is used to encode a data carrier  24  with information relating to the height, weight, and age of the child which will be used to control access to individual rides. Optionally, the PC  18  is coupled to a printer  22  which is used to print a list of rides from the database, the list consisting of the rides to which the child will be granted access and/or the rides to which the child will be denied access. The data encoded on the card can be an indication of the child&#39;s height and weight, e.g. inches and pounds, optionally the child&#39;s age, an indication of the rides the child will be admitted to, an indication of the rides the child will not be admitted to, a classification code, or some other data or datum which relates to the child&#39;s height, weight and age and can be used to determine admission to rides.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  illustrates an admission control system  100  for an amusement park ride. The system  100  includes an electronically controlled turnstile  102  coupled to a data reader and controller  104 . The data reader reads the data carrier ( 24  in  FIG. 1 ) and determines from the data encoded therein whether to activate the turnstile and allow the child admission to the ride. It will be appreciated that the exact operation performed by the controller will depend on the data encoded on the carrier  24 . If the data is an indication of the child&#39;s height/weight, the controller will perform a simple comparison of the child&#39;s height/weight to the height/weight requirement for this particular ride which will be stored in the controller. If the data includes an indication of the rides to which the child is permitted admission, the controller will read the list to determine whether this particular ride is contained in the list. A similar function with opposite result will be performed if the data includes an indication of the rides to which the child is denied admission. Still another possibility is to classify the child&#39;s height/weight into one of a plurality of groups and to classify the rides similarly. It will be appreciated that depending on the nature of the data used to determine ride access, the database  18  shown in  FIG. 1  may not be needed to encode the data carrier  24 .  
         [0022]     It will further be appreciated that access to rides may also depend on a child&#39;s age in conjunction with the height and/or weight of the child. In this case, the controller will perform the necessary operation to determine access. Also, access to some rides may depend on whether the child is accompanied by a parent. Thus, according to another aspect of the invention, a data carrier for the child&#39;s parent is issued and linked in some way (e.g. via a database entry) to the data carrier of the child. The controller then will determine whether the parent&#39;s data carrier has been presented before admitting the child.  
         [0023]      FIG. 4  illustrates a method of measuring the child and encoding the data carrier according to the invention. Starting at  200 , the apparatus ( 10  in  FIG. 1 ) waits until presence of a child is detected at  202 . The child&#39;s presence can be detected by sensing weight on the weighing platform ( 16  in  FIG. 1 ) or by detecting a break in one of the light beams (B in  FIG. 1 ) if the apparatus is arranged to leave the LEDs ( 12  in  FIG. 1 ) on rather than turn them on only when weight is sensed. At  204  the four foot sensors ( 16   a - 16   d  in  FIG. 1 ) are examined. If it is determined at  204  that fewer than all four sensors detect pressure, an announcement is made at  206 . The announcement may be audible, visual, or both and presents the child with instructions to stand with heels and toes touching the appropriate spots on the weighing platform. In order to assist the child, concentric outlines of different size feet can be painted onto the weighing platform. For an entertaining aesthetic effect, outlines of feet in flashing LEDs can be provided on the weighing platform.  
         [0024]     Once it is determined at  204  that the child is standing in the correct place, the child&#39;s height, weight and, optionally, age are measured at  208 . According to the illustrated embodiment, a database lookup is performed at  210  to determine which rides are appropriate for a child of this height/weight. At  212 , a list of rides is printed and a data carrier is encoded. The data carrier and printout are then dispensed at  214 . As discussed above, the database lookup and the printout are not essential to the invention. The method of measuring and encoding could directly encode the child&#39;s height/weight onto the data carrier for comparison later at admission control points.  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  illustrates a method of controlling admission to rides using the data carrier which, as discussed above, may be attached to the child&#39;s wrist. Starting at  300 , the device ( 100  in  FIG. 3 ) waits until a data carrier is detected. Detection may be accomplished when the child holds the data carrier next to a scanner. In the case of and RFID data carrier, detection can be accomplished by an RF detector when the child is adjacent the turnstile ( 102  in  FIG. 3 ). After the data carrier is detected at  302 , its contents are read at  304 . According to the illustrated embodiment, a database lookup is then performed. This lookup could be a simple comparison of the height/weight data read at  304  to a minimum height/weight requirement stored in the data reader and controller ( 104  in  FIG. 3 ). However, if the data carrier were encoded with a list of rides, then that list would constitute the database that is looked up at  306  to determine whether or not the present ride is on the list encoded into the data carrier. In either case, after the lookup or comparison, it is determined at  308  whether the child is eligible to be admitted to this ride. If the child is to be denied admission, an announcement is made at  310  and the process returns to  300 . The announcement may be audible, visual, or both and will advise the child that admission to this ride is denied because of height/weight requirements. Optionally, the announcement may include a suggestion of one or more nearby rides for which the child is qualified. This information would be obtained from the database lookup at  306 . If, on the other hand, the child is to be allowed admission, the turnstile is unlocked at  312 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the turnstile  102  is preferably designed to minimize the likelihood that two children could pass through at the same time.  
         [0026]     There have been described and illustrated herein several embodiments of a method and apparatus for controlling the admission to amusement park rides. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto, as it is intended that the invention be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Thus, while the methods and apparatus have been described for restricting admission to amusement park rides based on height/weight, the methods and apparatus can be used in conjunction with other methods and apparatus. For example, the data carrier and admission control points could also be used for billing. The data carrier can be related to a credit or debit account and that account can be credited/debited every time the child gets on a ride. The data carrier can be encoded with demographic data and used to poll the popularity of different rides among different demographic groups. The data carrier can be encoded with information identifying the child and can be used to locate the child. In addition, while particular types of height and weight measuring apparatus have been disclosed, it will be understood that other apparatus can be used. For example, and not by way of limitation, height could be determined by image analysis of a video image of the child or an electromechanical device could be used. Also, while a turnstile has been disclosed, it will be recognized that other admission control devices could be used. It will therefore be appreciated by those skilled in the art that yet other modifications could be made to the provided invention without deviating from its spirit and scope as claimed.