Apparatus, systems, and methods to support service calls

• US 8,390,436 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Xiao Ping, Hou, Chih-Lung, Sheng, Xiao Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US13/180,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20120007726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.02, 340/825.36, 340/815.4, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 709223-227, 709/244, 709/219, 705/15, 705/27, 345/1.3, 707/512
• US Class Current: 340/286.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

In an embodiment, an apparatus, method, and/or system support a service request made by a computer user in an Internet café or similar electronic service environment. A user may operate a café-provided user terminal in a multi-terminal network controlled by a café service console. The user may operate a switch on the terminal to transmit a service request to the service console. A visible and/or audible indication may be provided to the user, via a suitable indicator on the terminal, regarding the status of the user'"'"'s service request. The user'"'"'s service request may cause service-related information to be displayed on a second display of the user terminal for selection by the user. The user may speak with a service administrator using a voice over Internet protocol module built into the terminal. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a terminal to couple to a network having a service console, wherein the terminal includes

a main display and a second display, wherein the second display is physically separate from the main display;

a dedicated switch for use only to transmit a service request to the service console;

a visible indicator to receive a service status signal from the service console, wherein the visible indicator is physically separate from the main display and the second display;

at least one processor; and

an operating system to be executed by the at least one processor;

wherein a status of the operating system may be either active or inactive;

wherein the visible indicator is to be activated by the service console in response to an activation of the dedicated switch; and

wherein the service console'"'"'s activation of the visible indicator is to occur even if the at least one processor is fully powered down and the operating system status is inactive.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main display is to display information unrelated to the service console, and wherein the second display is to display a plurality of menu options, a selection of one or more of which is to be transmitted to the service console.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of menu options includes at least one of information technology service, food-ordering service, and drink-ordering service.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service status signal comprises an acknowledgement of receipt of the service request by the service console.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service status signal comprises a notification of the service request being completed.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises a housing, and wherein the dedicated switch is built into the housing.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the visible indicator comprises a light.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the visible indicator comprises a light-emitting diode.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dedicated switch comprises a button-type device.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the service console'"'"'s activation of the visible indicator is to occur independently of other operations of the terminal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (“

VOIP”

) module, wherein the terminal is to communicate with the service console via the VOIP module; and

wherein the VOIP module is activated in response to activation of the switch if the operating system status is active.

12. A system comprising:

a network;

an Internet café

service console coupled to the network;

a plurality of café

-provided terminals coupled to the network, wherein at least one of the terminals comprises a main display and a second display, wherein the second display is physically separate from the main display, a dedicated switch operable to transmit a user service request to the console, at least one processor, and an operating system to be executed by the at least one processor, wherein a status of the operating system may be either active or inactive,

wherein the at least one terminal further comprises a visible or audible indicator, wherein the visible or audible indicator is physically separate from the main display and the second display, wherein the console is to activate the indicator upon receipt of the user service request, and

wherein the service console'"'"'s activation of the indicator is to occur even if the at least one processor is fully powered down and the operating system status is inactive.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the main display and the second display comprises a touch-screen display, wherein the main display is to display information unrelated to the service console, and wherein the second display is to display a plurality of menu options, a selection of one or more of which is to be transmitted to the service console.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the at least one terminal comprises a housing, and wherein the dedicated switch is built into the housing.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the visible or audible indicator comprises a light.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one terminal further includes a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (“

VOIP”

) module, wherein the at least one terminal is to communicate with the service console via the VOIP module, and wherein the VOIP module is activated in response to activation of the switch if the operating system status is active.

17. A method of operating an Internet café

system comprising a café

-provided terminal and an Internet café

service administration console, wherein the terminal includes a main display to display computer-based activities of primary interest to a user;

a second display to display customer service menu items, the second display being physically separate from the main display and comprising touch-screen locations;

at least one processor; and

an operating system to be executed by the at least one processor, wherein a status of the operating system may be either active or inactive, the method comprising;

detecting, by the service console, activation of a dedicated switch on the terminal by an Internet café

user; and

activating, by the service console, a first visible or audible signal on the terminal to indicate receipt of a service request made by the user, wherein the service console'"'"'s activation of the indicator is to occur even if the at least one processor is fully powered down and the operating system status is inactive.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

the console activating a second visible or audible signal on the terminal to indicate status information regarding the service request.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein, in detecting, the second signal is activated by a visible light on the terminal, wherein an intermittently flashing light indicates that the service request is to be satisfied soon, and wherein a non-flashing light indicates that the service request has been satisfied.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

in response to detecting the activation of the dedicated switch, displaying the customer service menu items on the second display of the terminal.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the terminal further comprises a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (“

VOIP”

) module, and wherein the terminal is to communicate with the service console via the VOIP module.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein, in displaying, the customer service menu items comprise choices corresponding to categories of food, beverages, information technology services, and Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol.

23. An article comprising a machine-accessible medium having associated instructions, wherein the instructions, when accessed, result in a processor performing:

detecting, by an Internet café

service administration console, activation of a dedicated switch on an Internet café

-provided terminal by an Internet café

user, the terminal comprising at least one processor, and an operating system to be executed by the at least one processor, wherein a status of the operating system may be either active or inactive; and

activating, by the service console, a first visible or audible signal on the terminal to indicate receipt of a service request made by the user, wherein the service console'"'"'s activation of the indicator is to occur even if the at least one processor is fully powered down and the operating system status is inactive.

24. The article of claim 23 wherein, in response to detecting the activation of the dedicated switch, enabling a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (“

VOIP”

) connection between the console and a location of the user.

25. The article of claim 24 wherein, in enabling, the VOIP connection is enabled to the café

-provided terminal.

26. The article of claim 23 wherein detecting comprises receiving information from the group consisting of power state, physical location within the Internet café

, basic-input-output-system status, and operating system status of a computer being operated by the user.