ELECTRONIC QUEUING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20110307547A1
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QLess Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AB Inventio LLC
• Inventors: BACKER, Alejandro, McCUNE, Timothy Ross
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment

Abstract

The present disclosure describes methods and systems of allowing entities to create virtual queues that correspond to actual queue in an electronic queue-managing system, and allowing individuals to join the virtual queues using electronic devices (e.g., cell phone technology, wireless network communication technology). The queue-managing system updates the virtual queues based on information from an entity. The queue-managing system also sends messages and notifications of updated status of the virtual queues to the user periodically, automatically or in response to the user'"'"'s request.

Claims

1. A method for managing virtual queues adapted to correspond to actual queues, comprising:

establishing a plurality of virtual queues on an electronic queue-managing system, the virtual queues adapted to correspond to actual queues;

establishing a bi-directional communication means with an individual who wants to enter, has entered, or has left the plurality of virtual queues according to status of the virtual queues and a first set of rules;

establishing a bi-directional electronic communication between the electronic queue-managing system and an entity that manages or provides one or more actual queues according to status of the virtual queues and a second set of rules; and

updating the virtual queues according to information received from the individual and information from the entity, and a third set of rules.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bi-directional communication means with the individual is selected from the group consisting of:

a mobile electronic device messaging service system, an internet-based communication system, and an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual uses the bi-directional communication means to join the one or more virtual queues of the plurality of the virtual queues.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bi-directional communication means further comprises preferences and/or special needs of the individual for particular virtual queues of the plurality of the virtual queues.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a position in the virtual queue can be swapped with another position in the virtual queue.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual reserves a specific date and time of service, wherein the specific date and time of the service is integrated in a corresponding position in the virtual queue.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual can purchase a specific position or priority in the virtual queue.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual requests a desired amount of additional time in the virtual queue specified by the individual with the bi-directional communication means.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the queue-managing system automatically moves the individual back a desired amount of time, thereby leaving a next individual or party in a place in the virtual queue formerly occupied by the individual who requested more time.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual is pre-summoned or notified by the electronic queue-managing system an amount of time selected by the individual or entity, earlier than a time they are forecast to reach front of the virtual queue.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the individual requests a first available position in multiple virtual queues within the plurality of virtual queues using the bi-directional communication means, the method further comprising:

summoning the individual to the particular queue once the position of the individual in one of the plurality of the virtual queue reaches the front of the virtual queue; and

automatically removing the individual from the other virtual queues.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is adapted to send messages of an updated status of a particular virtual queue to the individual'"'"'s mobile electronic device automatically, periodically, and/or in response to an individual'"'"'s request, wherein the messages are text messages, voice messages or other electronic communications.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is adapted to automatically send messages of updated status of a particular virtual queue to the individual'"'"'s mobile electronic device when the wait time of the virtual queue changes significantly.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is adapted to periodically resend notification messages to the individual'"'"'s mobile electronic device until the individual is marked as arrived, responds, or until a period of time passes since a first notification expires, if the notification requires a reply.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is adapted to periodically call the individual'"'"'s phone and play voice message of notifications until the individual responds, if the notification requires a reply.

16. The method according to claim 2, wherein the internet-based communication system is an information exchange through an app, smartphone, or computer application.

17. The method according to claim 2, wherein the internet-based communication system is an information exchange through a one or more webpages, the one or more webpages being provided by the electronic queue-managing system and being accessible through a generic web browser.

18. The method according to claim 2, wherein the internet-based communication system is an instant message chat between the electronic queue-managing system and the individual.

19. The method according to claim 2, wherein the queue-managing system is adapted to call the individual'"'"'s phone and play voice messages of summons along with additional information, and the individual sends requests by responding to recorded or synthesized voice messages of the IVR system to join or leave the one or more virtual queues of the plurality of virtual queues.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entity further comprises an entity computer, the entity computer having a touch panel as an input device.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the entity sends and receives information by accessing a plurality of webpages on the entity computer, the webpages being provided by the electronic queue-managing system.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the entity sends and receives information through a third party application using web application programming interfaces (API) to communicate with the electronic queue-managing system.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the computer further comprises sensors, the sensors monitoring status of the actual queue and the electronic queue-managing system advancing the virtual queue when triggered by the sensors.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity can dial an automated line and automatically connect to a fax machine to receive a list of individuals enlisted in the virtual queues.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity uses a private branch exchange (PBX) system, the PBX system being integrated with the entity computer to intercept callers requesting to join the virtual queues.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entity searches individuals enlisted in the virtual queue based on a specified criteria via the entity computer.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entity inputs the virtual queue forecast information to the entity computer and the queue-managing system sends the forecast information to the individuals.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the entity obtains analysis reports of the individual'"'"'s behaviors in one or more virtual queues via a computer.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system considers travel time between one actual queue and another actual queue.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the electronic queue-managing system adjusts the travel time according to historical travel times of the individual.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system changes available queue options dynamically according to the individual'"'"'s party size and special needs.

32. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system automatically calculates and sends notifications of forecasted wait time to the individual.

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system automatically summons the next party in the virtual queue when the individual is a no-show.

34. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system provides a dynamically-adaptive schedule mode.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the dynamically-adaptive schedule mode further comprises:

the individual requesting a position in a virtual queue around a specific time; and

automatically postponing the individual'"'"'s position in the virtual queue and/or calling the next available individual when the individual or the entity is unavailable.

36. The method according to claim 2, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is adapted to provide a SMS marketing service, the method further comprising:

the entity choosing to join or to not join; and

the individual choosing to receive or reject marketing SMS messages.

37. The method according to claim 1, the electronic queue-managing system further comprising a multiple-language interface.

39. The method according claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is further adapted to search an internet for messages comprising complaints regarding waiting in line and responding to the complaint message according to a set of rules.

40. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is further adapted to send advertisement messages to the individual, the advertisement message content depending on an estimated wait time of the individual in the virtual queue.

41. A method of monetizing from selling a position in a virtual queue using the queue management system of claim 5, the virtual queue representing a position in line of an actual queue, the method comprising:

an individual in the virtual queue proposing a price to pay for a position in the virtual queue;

another individual at a front of a line in the virtual queue desiring to sell the front of the line position in the virtual queue and accepting the price;

dividing the price for the position in the virtual queue into portions, the portions being distributed to the another individual that sold the front of the line position, a merchant implementing the queue management system, and a provider of the queue management system.

46. The method of claim 20, wherein the entity computer displays the individual'"'"'s partial phone numbers to entity users.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual is directed to go to specified locations when summoned.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic-queue managing system is configured to be automatically activated and/or deactivated at predetermined times.

49. The method of claim 12, wherein the individual is able to select between voice messages or text messages.

50. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to alternate sending a voice message and a text message when the individual is unresponsive.

51. The method of claim 27, wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to adjust the virtual queue and the forecast when the individual leaves the queue.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to automatically match the individual in the virtual queue according to availability of resources.

53. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to respond to request by the individual for a status update of the individual'"'"'s position in the virtual queue.

54. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic-queue managing system automatically stops accepting individuals from joining the virtual queue as a function of capacity and closing time.

55. The method of claim 27, wherein the forecast is manually updated for a plurality of individuals and the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to notify the individuals simultaneously.

56. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual queue is a telephonic queue comprising an ability to join the virtual queue from a communication medium selected from the group consisting of:

telephone, text message, app, and web browser.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein after the individual joins the telephonic queue, the individual in able to check status of the telephonic queue at a later time.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein the individual in the telephonic queue is able to delay the individual'"'"'s position in the telephonic queue.

59. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to maintain a predetermined fixed number of summoned individuals, whereby the number of summoned individuals are maintained according to the number of individuals that arrive, leave the queue, or become no-shows when the individual'"'"'s turn expires.

38. A method for queuing an event or service, the method comprising:

a user calling, texting or sending a request via an app to a queue system;

the queue system identifying the user calling, texting or sending a request to the queue system;

the queue system sending a message to the user, the message requesting the user to identify the event or service desired;

the queue system identifying the event or service;

the queue system adding the user to a virtual queue; and

the queue system calling, texting or sending a notification via an app to the user and notifying the user when an estimated wait time in the virtual queue reaches a specified amount of time.

42. A method of coordinating a meeting comprising:

providing a first person;

providing a second person, the first person and the second person desiring to meet each other;

the first person sending a message to a queue-managing system to indicate availability or a desire to meet the second person; and

the queue-managing system sending a message to the second person to inform the second person that the first person is available to meet.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

the second person informing the queue-managing system to indicate availability; and

the queue-managing system sending a message to the first person to inform the first person that the second person is available to meet,

wherein the second person informs the queue-managing system using a method selected from the group consisting of;

sending a message using a cell phone, and entering a status indicating desire to see the first person

44. The method of claim 42, wherein first and/or second person uses a location-sensing capable cell phone, further comprising:

the queue-managing system determining a location of the first person according to the location-sensing capable cell phone;

the queue-managing system informing the second person of the location of the first person; and

the second person going to the location of the first person to meet.

45. A method of prioritizing questions at a Q and A session, the method comprising:

providing a Q and A session;

providing at least one speaker at the Q and A session;

providing a plurality of attendees at the Q and A session;

the attendees submitting a question by sending a message to a queue-managing system by using a cell phone;

the queue-managing system assigning a code to each question and displaying the question and the code on display at the Q and A session;

the attendees voting on the questions that the attendees desire to be addressed using cell phones, according to the code pertaining to each question; and

the queue-managing system prioritizing the questions having a greater number of votes to be addressed before the questions having a lesser number of votes.