Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63D—BOWLING GAMES, e.g. SKITTLES, BOCCE OR BOWLS; INSTALLATIONS THEREFOR; BAGATELLE OR SIMILAR GAMES; BILLIARDS
  • A63D1/00—Installations for bowling games, e.g. bowling-alleys or bocce courts

Definitions

• the invention is in the area of bowling center management. Specifically, the
• present invention relates to the automated monitoring and management of all activities
• the master database is maintained not only on a host processor but is also
• the present invention can be configured as a client-server system with
• the present invention also optionally uses kiosks to not only retrieve
• the present invention is therefore reliable, flexible, and scaleable. This
• BOSS is a bowling center management support system that is reliable, simple-
• BOSS handles check-in and check-out for league play as well as open play bowling. BOSS also manages simple cash control with a plurality
• the system provides for the bowling center proprietor to customize their
• Each module is independent of the others and can therefore be installed without a
• Additional application modules include including but not limited to
• the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally, the master database can be used for check-in and check-out. Additionally
• Figure 1 depicts the system configuration.
• Figure 2 is a sample main screen which shows the lane status and has icons
• Figure 3 contains the description of the lane icons.
• Figure 4 is a sample point of sale screen.
• Figure 5 is a sample cash screen.
• Figure 6 is a sample detailed lane control actions screen.
• Figure 7 is a sample detailed lane control features screen.
• Figure 8 is a sample score control screen.
• Figure 9 is a sample open check-in screen.
• Figure 10 is a sample league check-in screen.
• Figure 11 is a sample check-out screen.
• Figure 12 is a sample default back office screen.
• Figure 13 is a sample basic center setup screen.
• Figure 14 is a sample employee setup screen.
• Figure 15 is a sample miscellaneous center settings screen.
• Figure 16 is a sample revenue key definitions screen.
• Figure 17 is a sample reports and backups screen.
• Figure 18 is a sample end of Shift Report with Detailed Information.
• Figure 19 is a continuation of Figure 18.
• Figure 20 is a sample end of shift report with summary information.
• Figure 21 is a sample score grid printout.
• Figure 22 is a sample exception report.
• Figure 23 is a sample activity report.
• Figure 24 is a continuation of Figure 23.
• Figure 25 is a sample payment report.
• Figure 26 is a sample revenue report. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• Fig. 1 depicts how the BOSS system would be configured. The system
• a bowling center or establishment which consists of a
• Each lane has a
• printers 15 and 20 are used for the front desk functions including maintaining and
• the workstations can run in a standalone mode with an operating system
• the workstations will be connected to a host
• one of the workstations would be designated as a
• the host processor would perform back office
• All data entered is stored in a master database on the host computer and
• Different sets of rules comprise the group consisting of accounting rules,
• modular application programs can be changed according to the rules selected for the
• bowling establisliment as defaults.
• the rules are controlled and selected based on user
• Some rules can be changed for a lane or range of lanes. Examples
• Lane alternation can be by frame or by game or not at all.
• Scoring can be regular 10 pin, 3-6-9, 8 pin no-tap etc. described later.
• the host processor 25 can be any type of host processor 25.
• denominated a server 25 and the workstations 10 can be denominated clients 10
• connections 30 between the clients 10 and the server 25 would be via a local area network 30. Further, the connection between the clients 10 and the server 25
• pinspotter the entertainment, cash control, etc. would also be via a local area network
• self-serve kiosks is to allow a player (customer) to retrieve information and to check-
• a player could also update limited information such as his
• the kiosks e.g. address, phone number, handicap, etc.
• the kiosk may
• fig. 2 is a sample main screen.
• banner 115 indicates the name of the bowling center. Contained within the banner is a date box 120 and a time box 125. Immediately beneath the banner 115 is the title bar
• title bar 130 for the main screen is a lane selection option 110 which is used to view
• numbered smaller boxes 105 on the Main Screen indicates a lane and its status.
• the coin icon 140 at the bottom of the screen is for access to the point of
• the point of sale icon provides the ability to ring up non-bowling activity
• icon 145 is for access to the lane control screen.
• the pencil over the score grid is the
• scorer icon 150 is for access to control a scorer unit. This icon will permit front
• pacer status (a pacer is a person who bowls with a league but whose score is not
• change bowling order change blind status (a blind is a person who is absent from a
• the lock and key icon 155 is for access to the front desk workstation
• the bowling pin icon 160 is for turning on the
• pinspotter This will allow emergency shutdown of the pinspotter for a lane or range
• the open check-in icon 165 is used to access the screen for checking in a lane or lanes
• the league check-in icon 170 is used to access the screen for checking in lanes for
• the check-out icon 175 is used to access the screen for
• the "X" icon 180 is for clearing a selection from the screen. This has the effect of
• 185 is for toggling between the quick glance and detailed views of the main screen.
• Figure 3 is an exploded view of the numbered lane information boxes 105 of
• the lane information box is divided up into the eight (8) fields indicated and described in fig. 3.
• the lane number is indicated by 205 in the upper left of the lane
• the pinspotter is the
• the pinspotter status icons indicate that the pinspotter is on .
• the rate paid by the group is indicated by field 230.
• the prepaid game or time limit or flat rate shutoff time is indicated by field 235.
• Bowlers can be charged by the amount of time they bowl, by the number of games
• Practice information includes hold, practice and
• Fig. 4 is a sample point of sale screen.
• the line items grid box 305 contains
• the cash screen (fig. 5) is displayed for actually receiving payment.
• the cash screen contains
• cash screen 420 indicates the form of payment.
• the forms of payment include cash,
• the credit card number, the authorization number and the expiration date may also be used.
• the box 425 beneath the form of payment box 420 indicates the amount
• a customer may pay using a combination of payment
• the features tab 515 is not highlighted.
• the practice modes button which is used to indicate that practice is with or without pins or no
• the alternation button 525 indicates that alternation is open style (non-
• the baker button 530 indicates
• baker is a method of bowling in which all team members bowl
• the scoring methods button 540 indicates the
• options for the game types button 545 are 10 pin, 40 frame game, or strike shot. 10
• pin format is a regular game with regular scoring.
• 40 frame game format consists of a
• tap is when any first ball delivery knocks down eight or more pins, it counts as a
• 9 pin no-tap means any first ball delivery that knocks down nine or more pins
• Mulligan is when the bowler does not like his first ball delivery, he
• Pay day is when a strike is worth extra money or a prize as
• Strike shot is bowling one ball per frame.
• Button 550 is the AccuVision button, which provides the
• the hold button 555 has available options on and off.
• Button 560 is the cycle pinspotter option, which cycles the pinspotter.
• formats button 565 has available options 10 frame, tournament display, or 5 frame
• the 10 frame option displays all 10 frames of the game. In the case of a 40
• tournament display option displays an enlarged view which shows more clearly the
• the 5 frame option displays five frames
• the color setup button 570 allows the front desk staff to
• the scorer language button 575 allows the front desk
• the advertising can be static, animated or video clips.
• setup button 590 allows the control of the auxiliary monitors.
• button 595 provides directions on screen for entering messages. The monitor power
• button 507 is for turning the monitor power on and off.
• 517 allows the front desk staff to select on with pins, on without pins or off for
• the restore game button 527 allows the front desk staff to restore the previous game.
• the reset last selection button 537 allows the front desk
• the reset all selections button 547 allows the front
• the cancel selection button 557 allows
• buttons are for features rather than actions.
• button 610 allows the front desk staff to reset the lane features to the defaults.
• color sequencing enabled button 615 allows the front desk staff to enable or disable
• the bowler keyboard enabled button 620 allows the front desk staff
• the scorer off options button 625 allows a
• the remove score request button 630 allows the front desk staff to
• service button 645 allows the front desk staff to place the scorer in or out of
• the maintenance off button 650 turns the maintenance indication for that
• the pindication button 655 allows the front desk staff to enable or
• Pindication is the display on the scorer monitor that
• sparemaker enabled button 660 allows the front desk staff to enable or disable the
• the sparemaker feature appears with the pindication on the
• Fig. 8 is a sample blank scoring grid on which a bowler would keep their score
• This grid is overlaid on the main screen at the front desk.
• main screen or keyboard is the place to start for both open-play check-in methods.
• keyboard should be used. In this case enter the desired number of items on the
• keypad then select the desired item by touching the revenue items grid 815. Select
• option can be selected from the list of option by touching it on the screen.
• Score format consists of 3-6-9, 8 pin no-tap, 9 pin no-tap,
• Optional information can be supplied for the group name field 840, the sheet number field 845 and the bowler count field
• the group name field 840 allows the front desk staff too enter a bowler or
• bowling group name up to 12 characters. This information may be entered manually
• sheet number field 845 will automatically show the correct number of sheets if the
• bowling center uses sheets. This can be modified by the front desk staff by first
• the bowler count field 850 allows the front
• tournament is similar to checking-in a league, except the display format of the scorer
• the hold icon 915 indicates that the lanes are being held and set up for a league that is
• Set up includes enterinplayers' names and handicaps.
• practice icon 920 turns on the lanes and the scorer but the play arrows are not
• the non-alternating icon 935 indicates that the bowlers do not
• the alternating icon 940 indicates that the bowlers alternate each
• the alternating after game icon 945 indicates that the bowlers alternate after
• checking-out league bowlers only involves turning off their
• BOSS provides a "back office" subsystem
• the back office subsystem allows the
• bowling center proprietor to customize their center. Individual modules can be
• Fig. 12 is the default screen 1100.
• the tabs at the top or bottom of the screen allow
• bowling center personnel to quickly navigate to the screen or information that they
• the back office administrator tab 1115 is for the default screen 1100. The title
• the basic center setup tab 1125 allows bowling center personnel to record the bowling center information, labor category
• the employee setup tab 1135 allows bowling
• tab 1110 allows bowling center personnel to record additional basic center settings
• tab 1120 allows bowling center personnel to define revenue buttons, define
• buttons captions and descriptions select item types and define costs and rate types.
• the reports and backups/restores tab 1130 allows bowling center personnel to
• Fig. 13 is the basic center setup screen, which is used to record the center
• the center labor category setup box 1210 is used to record labor categories. To add a
• the center function security setup box 1215 is used
• the sample employee setup screen depicted in fig. 14 is used to create and
• the employee information list 1305 on left side of the screen displays employee information alphabetically.
• the miscellaneous center settings screen, fig. 15, is used to set information on
• checkboxes on this screen toggle between being enabled and being disabled. That is,
• selecting the checkbox enables the option and clearing the checkbox by selecting it
• the display allows bowling center personnel with the appropriate security level to
• the sheets number support toggles to allow the use of numbered scoring sheets at the
• the receipt printer toggles to allow the printing of receipts.
• the payment types supported box 1415 uses toggles to select the forms
• the purge box 1420 indicates the number of hours
• the revenue key definitions screen, fig. 16, is where the department buttons
• a center can have a plurality of
• the center selects the item to be sold, as well as its
• the center may configure as many of the twelve available buttons as it likes.
• the first step in defining revenue buttons is to select one of the twelve buttons
• the select item type box 1515 If bowling is selected
• box 1520 allows for the entry or change of the cost, the tax rate, the rate type, and
• the default revenue item box 1525 can be
• the reports and backups/restores screen is used to generate end of shift reports
• Figs. 18 and 19 are a sample end of shift detailed transaction report, which
• Fig. 20 is a sample end of shift summary information report.
• Fig. 21 is a sample score grid printout.
• Fig. 22 is a sample end of shift exception
• Fig. 25 is a sample payment report.
• Fig. 26 is
• one or more kiosks are provided. In addition to the front desk and back office subsystems, one or more kiosks are provided.
• the master database is redundant and can be stored in a
• the master has workstations connected to the host processor.
• the master has workstations connected to the host processor.
• database can be simultaneously stored on a workstation acting as a backup host in the
• the host and workstations can be connected via a network
• the entire system including the kiosks may also be configured as a client-server system connected by a network including a local area network.
• the entire system including the kiosks may also be configured as a client-server system connected by a network including a local area

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• Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

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• 1998
  • 1998-10-30 WO PCT/US1998/022641 patent/WO1999023574A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1998-10-30 EP EP98956202A patent/EP1040427A4/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-10-30 AU AU12780/99A patent/AU1278099A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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