Method For Issuing a Ticket to a Customer to a Queue, a Mobile Device and a Queue Ticket Terminal

• US 20140180960A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: SAGFORS, Mats, ARKKO, Jari, GARNEIJ, Fredrik, MELEN, Jan
• Application Number:
  US13/724,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/346
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/04 related to queuing systems

Abstract

In one aspect, there is provided a method for issuing a ticket to a customer to a queue of a service function. In some embodiment the method includes: providing a queue ticket terminal in a predetermined space associated with said service function; and enabling a customer to be allocated a queue ticket from said terminal. The method further comprising: detecting, in a mobile device associated with said customer, whether said queue ticket terminal is in the vicinity of said mobile device; transmitting a queue ticket request from said mobile device to said queue ticket terminal; and, receiving, in said mobile device and in response to said queue ticket request, a queue position message comprising information relating to the customer'"'"'s position in said queue.

Claims

1. A method for issuing a ticket, to a customer having a mobile device, to a queue of a service function, comprising:

the mobile device detecting whether a queue ticket terminal is in the vicinity of said mobile device;

the mobile device transmitting a queue ticket request to said queue ticket terminal; and

the mobile device receiving in response to said queue ticket request a queue position message comprising information relating to the customer'"'"'s position in said queue.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in said mobile device, a waiting time message indicating an expected time period for the customer to reach the front of the queue.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, upon request from said mobile device, transmitting a rejection message to said queue ticket terminal, corresponding to the customer deleting the corresponding queue ticket.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

upon request from said mobile device, transmitting a queue decline message from said mobile device corresponding to the customer moving further back a selected number of places in said queue.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that said mobile device is in the vicinity of said queue ticket terminal by means of at least one of a near-field communication process, a cellular mobile telephone network process, a wifi network process or a pilot tone detection process.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

running an authorization process in which it is checked whether the identity of said mobile device is authorized to access said queue.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from said mobile device, queue ticket requests to at least two queues to corresponding service functions, in which the customer is enabled to be allocated queue tickets; and

receiving, in said mobile device and in response to said queue ticket requests, a queue position message comprising information related to the customer'"'"'s queue positions in each of said queues having been selected.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising issuing queue tickets in the form of slips of paper or similar material by means of said terminal upon request from said customer.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

coordinating said queue positions based at least on a combined waiting time to said service functions being minimized; and

preparing said queue position message based on said coordinating step.

8. A mobile device being associated with a customer of a queue to a service function in a predetermined space, comprising:

a detector configured to detect the presence of a queue ticket terminal in the vicinity of the mobile device and in said space; and

a wireless communication unit configured to send a queue ticket request from said mobile device and receive, in response to said queue ticket request, a queue position message comprising information related to the customer'"'"'s position in said queue.

9. A queue ticket terminal for positioning in a predetermined space having a service function, said terminal being configured for allocating a ticket for a queue to a customer, comprising:

a detector for determining whether the queue ticket terminal is in the vicinity of a mobile device being associated with a customer in, or in the vicinity of said space; and

a transmitter for transmitting a queue position message to said mobile device comprising information related to the customer'"'"'s position in said queue.