Method and system for managing queues

• US 9,747,566 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2016
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solv Concepts Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Solv Concepts Technology Limited
• Inventors: Ng, Chung Man, Cheung, Wai Hung Edmond
• Primary Examiner(s): CHONG CRUZ, NADJA N
• Application Number:
  US15/289,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20170161670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063114 Status monitoring or status determination for a person or group
• 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

Disclosed is a system and method for managing a queue of one or more service requests. In accordance with the system and the method, a queue of one or more service requests pertaining to one or more services delivered through a service location is created. Further, a queue registration request is received from a user device in order to register a service request associated with a user in the queue. Further, the queue registration request is processed to register the service request in the queue thereby recording a position of the service request in the queue. Further, the status of the queue is monitored in order to track change in the position of the service request of the user in the queue. Furthermore, the status of the queue is updated to the user on the user device thereby indicating the change in position of the service request to the user.

Claims

1. A system for managing a queue of one or more service requests, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory for

creating a queue of one or more service requests pertaining to one or more services delivered through a service location;

receiving a queue registration request from a user device in order to register a service request associated with a user in the said queue, wherein the queue registration request comprises a QR-code generated in real time, via a kiosk device installed at the service location, based upon an input received from the user on the kiosk device, and wherein the input at least comprises number of service seekers for the one or more services;

processing the queue registration request to register the service request in the said queue thereby recording a position of the service request in the said queue;

monitoring status of the queue in order to track change in the position of the service request of the user in the said queue;

updating the status of the queue to the user on the user device thereby indicating the chance in position of the service request to the user;

wherein the QR-code further comprises a string including a service location identifier for identifying the service location, a branch identifier for identifying a branch of the service location, a queue identifier for identifying the queue created by the processor, a date for identifying a date of creation of the queue, a service provider name for identifying the service provider, a last-issued-queue-number for identifying a lastly issued queue number and a last-called-queue-number for identifying a lastly called queue number;

wherein updating the status of the queue further comprises updating the last-issued-queue-number and the last-called-queue-number within the string, and wherein the string updated with the last-issued-queue-number and the last-called-queue-number is communicated to the user device via the notification message, and

further comprising enabling the user to subscribe multiple queue channels corresponding to multiple queues and thereby determine at least one queue of the multiple queues capable of serving at least one service request of the user at a predetermined time ahead of other queues by continuously monitoring and updating status of each of the multiple queues.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the queue is created for a session time set by a session server communicatively coupled with said processor, wherein the queue is created if a current time slot is within the session time, and wherein the queue is deleted after the expiry of the session time, and wherein the queue created is configured to accommodate at least one service request until expiry of the session time.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the status of the queue is continuously monitored and recorded for one or more instances belonging to the session time, and wherein the status the queue is monitored and recorded for each instance in order to track the change in status of the queue from a previous instance.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the status of the queue and thereby the change in the position of the service request in the queue at each instance is provided to the user in form of a notification message on the user device.

3. The system of cam 1, wherein the QR-code is scanned by the user device and transmitted within the said queue registration request.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user device is subscribed to a queue channel corresponding to the queue based upon the receipt the queue registration request comprising the said QR-code.

7. A method for managing a queue of one or more service requests, the method comprising:

creating, via a processor, a queue of one or more service requests pertaining to one or more services delivered through a service location;

receiving, via the processor, a queue registration request from a user device in order to register a service request associated with a user in the said queue, wherein the queue registration request comprises a QR-code generated in real time, via a kiosk device installed at the service location, based upon an input received from the user on the kiosk device, and wherein the input at least comprises number of service seekers for the one or more services;

processing, via the processor, the queue registration request to register the service request in the said queue thereby recording a position of the service request in the said queue;

monitoring, via the processor, status of the queue in order to track change in the position of the service request of the user in the said queue;

updating, via the processor, the status of the queue to the user on the user device thereby indicating the change in position of the service request to the user;

wherein the QR-code further comprises a string including a service location identifier for identifying the service location, a branch identifier for identifying a branch of the service location, a queue number for identifying the queue number created by the processor, a date for identifying a date of creation of the queue, a service provider name for identifying the service provider, a last-issued-queue-number for identifying a lastly issued queue number and a last-called-queue-number for identifying a lastly called queue number;

wherein updating the status of the queue further comprises updating the last-issued-queue-number and the last-called-queue-number within the string, and wherein the string updated with the last-issued-queue-number and the last-called-queue-number is communicated to the user device via the notification message, and

further comprising enabling the user to subscribe multiple queue channels corresponding to multiple queues and thereby determine at least one queue of the multiple queues capable of serving at least one service request of the user at a predetermined time ahead of other queues by continuously monitoring and updating status of each of the multiple queues.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the queue is created for a session time set by a session server communicatively coupled with said processor, wherein the queue is created if a current time slot is within the session time, and wherein the queue is deleted after the expiry of the session time, and wherein the queue created is configured to accommodate at least one service request until expiry of the session time.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising scanning, via the user device, the QR-code to be transmitted within the said queue registration request.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising subscribing, via the processor, the user device to a queue channel corresponding to the queue based upon the receipt the queue registration request comprising the said QR-code.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the status of the queue is continuously monitored and recorded for one or more instances belonging to the session time, and wherein the status the queue is monitored and recorded for each instance in order to track the change in status of the queue from a previous instance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the status of the queue and thereby the change in the position of the service request in the queue at each instance is provided to the user in form of a notification message on the user device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program for managing a queue of one or more service requests, the program comprising:

a program code for creating a queue of one or more service requests pertaining to one or more services delivered through a service location;

a program code for receiving a queue registration request from a user device in order to register a service request associated with a user in the said queue;

a program code for processing the queue registration request to register the service request in the said queue thereby recording a position of the service request in the said queue wherein the queue registration request comprises a QR-code generated in real time, via a kiosk device installed at the service location, based upon an input received from the user on the kiosk device, and wherein the input at least comprises number of service seekers for the one or more services;

a program code for monitoring status of the queue in order to track change in the position of the service request of the user in the said queue;

a program code for updating the status of the queue to the user on the user device thereby indicating the change in position of the service request to the user;

wherein the QR-code further comprises a string including a service location identifier for identifying the service location, a branch identifier for identifying a branch of the service location, a queue identifier for identifying the queue created by the processor, a date for identifying a date of creation of the queue, a service provider name for identifying the service provider, a last-issued-queue-number for identifying a lastly issued queue number and a last-called-queue-number for identifying a lastly called queue number,

wherein updating the status of the queue further comprises updating the last-issued-queue-number and the last-called-queue-number within the string, and wherein the string updated with the last-issued-queue-number and the last-called-queue-number is communicated to the user device via the notification message, and

further comprising enabling the user to subscribe multiple queue channels corresponding to multiple queues and thereby determine at least one queue of the multiple queues capable of serving at least one service request of the user at a predetermined time ahead of other queues by continuously monitoring and updating status of each of the multiple queues.