COUNTER MANAGEMENT APPARATUS

• US 20090106069A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Laurel Bank Machines Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Laurel Bank Machines Company Limited
• Inventors: Kimura, Takashi, Asakura, Mitsutaka, Kaneko, Yoshiyuki
• Application Number:
  US12/251,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106069A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere

Abstract

A counter management apparatus of the present invention issues a numbered ticket based on an input operation made by a customer and calls a customer to a counter, and includes: an input unit that receives an input of authentication information on a counter clerk who performs a predetermined transaction at the counter and an input of counter information associated with the counter; a specification unit that, based on the authentication information received by the input unit, specifies a transaction that can be handled by the counter clerk from a database in which the authentication information of the counter clerk and the transaction that can be handled by the counter clerk are associated and registered; and a counter information registration unit in which the transaction specified by the specification unit the counter information are associated and registered.

Claims

1. A counter management apparatus that issues a numbered ticket based on an input operation made by a customer and calls a customer to a counter, comprising:

an input unit that receives an input of authentication information on a counter clerk who performs a predetermined transaction at the counter and an input of counter information associated with the counter;

a specification unit that, based on the authentication information received by the input unit, specifies a transaction that can be handled by the counter clerk from a database in which the authentication information of the counter clerk and the transaction that can be handled by the counter clerk are associated and registered; and

a counter information registration unit in which the transaction specified by the specification unit the counter information are associated and registered.

2. The counter management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a retrieval unit that retrieves from the database authentication information that matches the authentication information received by the input unit,

wherein the specification unit specifies a transaction that is associated with the authentication information retrieved by the retrieval unit.

3. The counter management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transaction specification unit that receives a specification of a transaction;

a slip number registration unit in which a slip number and the transaction specified by the transaction specification unit are associated and registered; and

an announcement control unit that announces the slip number registered in the slip number registration unit and counter information associated with the counter upon receiving a request signal requesting that a customer be called.

4. The counter management apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a transaction specification unit that receives a specification of a transaction;

a slip number registration unit in which a slip number and the transaction specified by the transaction specification unit are associated and registered; and

an announcement control unit that announces the slip number registered in the slip number registration unit and counter information associated with the counter upon receiving a request signal requesting that a customer be called.

7. The counter management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transaction registered in the database which can be handled by the counter clerk can be updated.

5. A counter management apparatus comprising:

an operation unit that receives an input operation made by a customer;

a ticket issuing unit that issues a numbered ticket on which a slip number is printed;

a call unit that announces a slip number and guides a customer to a specific counter from among a plurality of counters;

a control unit that controls issuing of a numbered ticket by the ticket issuing unit based on the input operation received by the operation unit, and controls an announcement of a slip number by the call unit; and

an input unit that receives an input of authentication information on a counter clerk,

the control unit specifying counter information associated with a counter where the input unit receives the input of the authentication information, and retrieving authentication information that matches the authentication information received by the input unit from a database in which a transaction that can be handled by the counter clerk and the authentication information of the counter clerk are associated and registered, specifying a transaction that is associated with the retrieved authentication information, and associating the specified transaction with the counter information and then registering the specified transaction and the counter information in a counter information registration unit.

6. The counter management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the operation unit receives a specification of a transaction,

the input unit receives a call for a customer, and

the control unit associates a transaction specified by the operation unit with a slip number and then registers the transaction and the slip number in a slip number registration unit, and when the input unit receives a call for a customer, the control unit causes the slip number registered in the slip number registration unit and the counter information associate with the counter to be announced by the call unit.

8. The counter management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transaction registered in the database which can be handled by the counter clerk can be updated.