Electronic queuing systems and methods

• US 8,831,963 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: QLess Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AB Inventio LLC
• Inventors: Backer, Alejandro, McCune, Timothy Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Vetter, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/157,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 705 5- 6, 705/14.49
• US Class Current: 705/5
• 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;

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;

updating the virtual queues according to information received from the individual and information from the entity, wherein the individual requests a first available position in multiple virtual queues within the plurality of virtual queues using the bi-directional communication means;

summoning the individual to a 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.

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 2, wherein the internet-based communication system is an information exchange through an app, smartphone, or computer application.

4. The method of claim 2, 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, or until a period of time passes since a first notification expires, if the notification requires a reply.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

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

9. 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.

10. The method of claim 9, 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.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the amount of time is determined based on a distance of the individual determined by a global positioning system (GPS).

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the individual is able to select between voice messages or text messages.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to alternate sending a voice message and a text message when the individual is unresponsive.

16. 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 by more than a given amount.

17. 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.

18. The method according to claim 17, 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.

19. The method of claim 17, 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.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the entity computer displays the individual'"'"'s partial phone numbers to entity users.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to adjust the virtual queue and the forecast when the individual leaves the queue.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the forecast is manually updated for a plurality of individuals and the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to notify the individuals simultaneously.

27. 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.

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

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the electronic queue-managing system adjusts the travel time according to historical travel times of the individual.

30. 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.

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

32. 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.

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

34. 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.

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

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

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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, and wherein the individual who has entered the virtual queue can hang up a telephone and still maintain a position in the virtual queue.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein after the individual joins the telephonic queue, the individual is able to check status of the telephonic queue at a later time.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the individual in the telephonic queue is able to delay the individual'"'"'s position in the telephonic queue.

42. The method of claim 39, further comprising responding to a call-back by the individual in the telephonic queue before being connected with an attendant.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein if the individual in the telephonic queue is unavailable to answer a call-back, the electronic-queue managing system is adapted to call-back the individual later.

44. The method of claim 1, 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.

45. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking an amount of time an individual has become a customer using the electronic queue-managing system, and providing the individual with an incentive to return.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the incentive is a reward.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the electronic queue-managing system is adapted to provide reminders to the individual as the individual'"'"'s next reward level approaches.

48. The method of claim 1, wherein a position in the virtual queue is assigned based on level of priority status of the individual.

49. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating the virtual queues comprises the individual using an electronic button connected to a communications network to alert the electronic queue management system with when and who needs service.

50. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating the virtual queues by the individual comprises sending a code to the electronic queue-management system.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating the virtual queues by the individual is performed with speech recognition by the electronic queue-management system.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the individual requests a specific need, the individual is summoned by the electronic queue-management system upon availability of a staff that is capable of handling the specific need.

53. The method of claim 1, wherein if the individual leaves the virtual queue, the electronic queue-management system is adapted to notify the individual to rejoin the virtual queue if the wait time forecast decreases by more than an expected amount.

54. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic queue-management system is adapted to automatically compute all individual'"'"'s forecast wait times when one individual'"'"'s forecast wait time changes.

55. The method of claim 1, further comprising sharing a URL provided by the electronic queue-management system such that friends of the individual are able to join the individual in the virtual queue by visiting the URL.

56. The method of 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 queues.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the advertisement message is of a first type if the estimated wait time is less than a specified value, and of at least a second type if the estimated wait time is more than the specified value.