Automated Service Measurement, Monitoring And Management

• US 20080107304A1
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Published: 05/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HyperActive Technologies, Inc. (Glory Limited)
• Original Assignee: HyperActive Technologies, Inc. (Glory Limited)
• Inventors: Fitzpatrick, Kerien, Coulter, Robert, Gross, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition

Abstract

In a method and system of service management, a radiative sensor is positioned to observe an area of interest. At least one frame of data of the area of interest is electronically acquired from the radiative sensor. The acquired frame of data is electronically processing to determine the presence or absence of at least one object in the area of interest. Based on the presence or absence of the object in the area of interest, (1) an alert is electronically caused to be generated in response to also electronically detecting another object in another area of interest, and/or (2) a timer is electronically caused to initiate or terminate counting a period of time.

Claims

1. A method of service management comprising:

(a) providing a radiative sensor positioned to observe an area of interest;

(b) electronically acquiring from the radiative sensor at least one frame of data of the area of interest;

(c) electronically processing said acquired frame of data to determine the presence or absence of at least one object in the area of interest;

(d) based on the presence or absence of the object in the area of interest determined in step (c), electronically causing (1) an alert to be generated in response to also electronically detecting a state of the at least one object in the area of interest;

(2) an alert to be generated in response to also electronically detecting a state of another object in another area of interest;

(3) a timer to initiate or terminate counting a period of time in response to also electronically detecting the same state or a different state associated with the at least one object; and

/or (4) data to be stored.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the state of step (d) comprises one or more of the following:

presence of the object at a specific location in the area of interest;

state of a customer order associated with the object;

state of fulfillment of a customer order associated with the object;

state of stopped motion associated with the object; and

location of the object in a sequence or group of objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (b), (c) and (d) are performed substantially in real time.

4. The method of claim 1, further including repeating steps (b), (c) and (d) a plurality of times.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the other object in the other area of interest is electronically detected via the radiative sensor or another radiative sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the area of interest is a counter service location;

the object is a service person;

the other object is a patron; and

the alert is generated when the service person is not present and the patron is present.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the area of interest is a drive-through lane;

the object is a vehicle;

the timer initiates counting the period of time upon movement of the vehicle to a first position in the area of interest; and

the timer terminates counting the period of time upon movement of the vehicle to a second position in the area of interest.

8. The method of claim 1, further including maintaining a real-time count of each vehicle in the drive-through lane.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the area of interest is a parking space;

the object is a vehicle;

the timer initiates counting the period of time when the vehicle enters the parking space; and

the timer terminates counting the period of time when the vehicle enters the parking space.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the alert is generated when the vehicle enters the parking space.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a background subtraction technique is utilized in step (c) to determine the presence of the at least one object in the area of interest from background of the area of interest observed by the radiative sensor in the absence of any object in the area of interest.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each state comprises one or more of the following:

presence of the object at a specific location in the area of interest;

state of a customer order associated with the object;

state of fulfillment of a customer order associated with the object;

state of stopped motion associated with the object; and

location of the object in a sequence or group of objects.

12. A service management system comprising:

a radiative sensor positioned to observe an area of interest;

means for electronically acquiring from the radiative sensor at least one frame of data of the area of interest;

means for electronically processing said acquired frame of data to determine the presence or absence of at least one object in the area of interest; and

means for electronically causing (1) an alert to be generated in response to also electronically detecting a state of the at least one object in the area of interest;

(2) an alert to be generated in response to also electronically detecting a state of another object in another area of interest;

(3) a timer to initiate or terminate counting a period of time in response to also electronically detecting the same state or a different state associated with the at least one object; and

/or (4) data to be stored.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the means for electronically processing utilizes a background subtraction technique to determine the presence or absence of the at least one object in the area of interest.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the area of interest is a counter service location;

the object is a service person;

the other object is a patron; and

the alert is generated when the service person is not present and the patron is present.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the area of interest is a drive-through lane;

the object is a vehicle;

the timer initiates counting the period of time upon movement of the vehicle to a first position in the area of interest; and

the timer terminates counting the period of time upon movement of the vehicle to a second position in the area of interest.

17. The system of claim 12, further including maintaining a real-time count of each vehicle in the drive-through lane.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the area of interest is a parking space;

the object is a vehicle;

the timer initiates counting the period of time when the vehicle enters the parking space; and

the timer terminates counting the period of time when the vehicle enters the parking space.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the alert is generated when the vehicle enters the parking space.