Patent ID: 7747464

Claim:
A system for playing a motion picture to a plurality of patrons in a theater within a complex of theaters comprising: a projector configured to projecting the motion picture in the theater; an input system configured to receive information indicative of an arrival of each of the patrons at the theater; a timing system configured to determine when a predetermined time period has elapsed after the arrival of the first of the patrons at the theater; and a processing system configured to: receive the information indicative of the arrival of each of the patrons at the theater and to cause the projector to begin projecting the motion picture at the earlier of the following times: when the timing system indicates that the pre-determined time period after the first of the plurality of patrons arrives at the theater has elapsed, or when the information from the input system indicates that a pre-determined number of the patrons has arrived at the theater; and adjust the pre-determined time period after the first of the plurality of patrons arrives has elapsed and the pre-determine number of patrons based of time of day, popularity of the motion picture, and number of theaters within the complex.