Personalized services, including a personal presence, for customers based upon collected personal preferences

• US 5,990,885 A
• Filed: 07/29/1997
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Network Machines, Inc.
• Inventors: Gopinath, Bhaskarpillai
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/902,003
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 455/2, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/5.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/6.1, 348/1, 348/10, 348/11, 348/12, 348/13, 348/7, 348/6, 348/8, 709/219, 345/327
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An arrangement to provide personalized services to customers, such as hotel guests or hospital patients, wherein the personalized services are based upon a personal preference profile collected for each individual. The services are displayed to the guest or patient via an in-room monitor. Moreover, the personal preferences are modified during the guest'"'"'s or patient'"'"'s present stay, and saved after the stay for later visits. In addition, a personal presence of host personnel, such as personnel at a front desk or an admission desk, may be integrated into the display on the in-room monitor.

Claims

1. A method for providing guests of a facility a personalized service using a room-based device responsive to inputs from and providing outputs to each particular guest, each device serving a corresponding one of the guests being connected to a central controller, the method comprising the steps of

adapting personal preference information stored in the controller based upon the inputs initiated by a particular guest including inputs transmitted from the corresponding device to the controller, wherein the personal preference information may be obtained from the particular guest and stored prior to the arrival of the particular guest as well as being generated and stored during the present stay by the particular guest, the personal preference information being indicative of demographic information, dietary information, and entertainment information including the preference of the particular guest for TV programming and musical selections,

generating a personalized response in the controller based upon to the personal preference information, and

communicating the personalized response from the controller to the corresponding device of the particular guest to provide the particular guest with a personalized output from the corresponding device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further including a signal server located remotely from the guest rooms to provide server information, the server being connected to the controller, and wherein the step of generating includes the step of producing the personalized response based upon both the personalized preference information and the server information.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the room-based device includes a TV, wherein the signal server is a digital video server, the server information is a TV signal derived from the digital video server, and the step of communicating the personalized response includes the step of transmitting the TV signal for detection by the TV.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the room-based device includes a TV, wherein the signal server is an analog video server, the server information is a TV signal derived from the analog video server, and the step of communicating the personalized response includes the step of transmitting the TV signal for detection by the TV.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further including a service manager device located remotely from facility to collect personal preference information, the service manager device being connected to the controller via a communication link, and the method further including, prior to the step of adapting, the step of downloading the personal preference information from the service manager device to the controller over the communication link.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further including a service manager device located remotely from facility to store programs executable by the controller, the service manager device being connected to the controller via a communication link, and the method further including, prior to the step of adapting, the step of downloading programs from the service manager device to the controller over the communication link.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further including a single medium linking each room-based device to the controller, and further including the step of transmitting inputs from each guest over the single medium.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the medium is partitioned into channels and the step of communicating includes the step of transmitting the personalized responses for each guest over a selected one of the channels.

9. A method for providing guests of a facility a personalized service using a room-based device responsive to inputs from and providing outputs to each particular guest, each device serving a corresponding one of the guests being connected to a central controller, and further including a service device located remotely from the guest rooms to collect service information from a service person located at the point-of-presence of the service device, the service device being connected to the controller, the method comprising the steps of

adapting personal preference information stored in the controller based upon the inputs initiated by a particular guest and transmitted from the corresponding device to the controller,

generating a personalized response in the controller based upon to the personal preference information, and

communicating the personalized response from the controller to the corresponding device of the particular guest to provide the particular guest with a personalized output from the corresponding device,

wherein the step of generating includes the step of producing the personalized response based upon both the personalized preference information and the service information.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein the in-room device includes a TV, wherein the service device is a TV camera with video and audio pick-up, and the service information is a TV signal derived from visual and audio pick-up of the service person, and the step of communicating the personalized response includes the step of transmitting the TV signal for detection by the TV.

11. A method for providing guests of a facility a personalized service using a room-based device responsive to inputs from and providing outputs to each particular guest, each device serving a corresponding one of the guests being connected to a central controller, and further including:

a service device located remotely from the guest rooms to collect service information from a service person located at the point-of-presence of the service device, the service device being connected to the controller; and

a signal server located remotely from the guest rooms to provide server information, the server being connected to the controller, the method comprising the steps of

adapting personal preference information stored in the controller based upon the inputs initiated by a particular guest and transmitted from the corresponding device to the controller,

generating a personalized response in the controller based upon to the personal preference information, and

communicating the personalized response from the controller to the corresponding device of the particular guest to provide the particular guest with a personalized output from the corresponding device,

wherein the step of generating includes the step of producing the personalized response based upon the personalized preference information, the service information, and the server information.

12. A method for providing guests of a facility a personalized service using a room-based device responsive to inputs from and providing outputs to each particular guest, each device serving a corresponding one of the guests being connected to a central controller, the method comprising the steps of

collecting personal preference information for each particular guest, wherein the personal preference information may be obtained from the particular guest and stored prior to the arrival of the particular guest as well as being generated and stored during the present stay by the particular guest, the personal preference information being indicative of demographic information, dietary information, and entertainment information including the preference of the particular guest for TV programming and musical selections,

adapting personal preference information stored in the controller based upon the inputs initiated by a particular guest including inputs transmitted from the corresponding device to the controller,

generating a personalized response in the controller based upon to the personal preference information, and

communicating the personalized response from the controller to the corresponding device of the particular guest to provide the particular guest with a personalized output from the corresponding device.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 further including a signal server located remotely from the guest rooms to provide server information, the server being connected to the controller, and wherein the step of generating includes the step of producing the personalized response based upon both the personalized preference information and the server information.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 further including:

a service device located remotely from the guest rooms to collect service information from a service person located at the point-of-presence of the service device, the service device being connected to the controller; and

a signal server located remotely from the guest rooms to provide server information, the server being connected to the controller, and wherein the step of generating includes the step of producing the personalized response based upon the personalized preference information, the service information, and the server information.

15. The method as recited in claim 12 further including a service manager device located remotely from facility to store programs executable by the controller, the service manager device being connected to the controller via a communication link, and the method further including, prior to the step of adapting, the step of downloading programs from the service manager device to the controller over the communication link.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 further including a single medium linking each room-based device to the controller, and further including the step of transmitting inputs from each guest over the single medium.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the medium is partitioned into channels and the step of communicating includes the step of transmitting the personalized responses for each guest over a selected one of the channels.

18. A method for providing guests of a facility a personalized service using a room-based device responsive to inputs from and providing outputs to each particular guest, each device serving a corresponding one of the guests being connected to a central controller, further including a service device located remotely from the guest rooms to collect service information from a service person located at the point-of-presence of the service device, the service device being connected to the controller, the method comprising the steps of

collecting personal preference information for each particular guest,

adapting personal preference information stored in the controller based upon the inputs initiated by a particular guest and transmitted from the corresponding device to the controller,

generating a personalized response in the controller based upon to the personal preference information, and

communicating the personalized response from the controller to the corresponding device of the particular guest to provide the particular guest with a personalized output from the corresponding device,

wherein the step of generating includes the step of producing the personalized response based upon both the personalized preference information and the service information.

19. A method for providing guests a personalized service using a room-based device responsive to inputs from and providing outputs to each particular guest, each device being connected to a central controller, the method comprising the steps of

collecting personal preference information for each particular guest, wherein the personal preference information may be obtained from the particular guest and stored prior to the arrival of the particular guest as well as being generated and stored during the present stay by the particular guest, the personal preference information being indicative of demographic information, dietary information, and entertainment information including the preference of the particular guest for TV programming and musical selections,

storing the personal preference information in the controller,

sending a service request message initiated by the particular guest from the device to the controller,

adapting the personal preference information based upon the service request message,

generating in the controller a personalized response message corresponding to the service request message with reference to the personal preference information,

communicating the personalized response message from the controller to the device of the particular guest, and

storing the personal preference information in the controller after the departure of the particular guest.

20. A system for providing guests of a facility a personalized service using a room-based device responsive to inputs from and providing outputs to each particular guest, each device serving a corresponding one of the guests being connected to a central controller, the system comprising

adaptation means for adapting personal preference information stored in the controller based upon the inputs initiated by a particular guest and transmitted from the corresponding device to the controller, wherein the personal preference information may be obtained from the particular guest and stored prior to the arrival of the particular guest as well as being generated and stored during the present stay by the particular guest, the personal preference information being indicative of demographic information, dietary information, and entertainment information including the preference of the particular guest for TV programming and musical selections,

generator means for generating a personalized response in the controller based upon to the personal preference information, and

communication means for communicating the personalized response from the controller to the corresponding device of the particular guest to provide the particular guest with a personalized output from the corresponding device.