Computer kiosk and related systems and methods

• US 8,930,774 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2012
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Monster Patents LLC (Monster Media LLC)
• Original Assignee: Monster Patents LLC (Monster Media LLC)
• Inventors: Payne, John, Beauchamp, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Leibovich, Yair
• Application Number:
  US13/603,583
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 714/47.1
• US Class Current: 714/47.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

Computer kiosks include input/output devices interactive user applications for local users. The operation of the interactive user applications, input/output devices and other kiosk hardware are monitored by software modules resident thereon, with status reporting to a remote computer system. The remote computer system allows users to monitor the operation of multiple, geographically disparate computer kiosks, and to remotely input commands thereto. Analytics relating to kiosk and application usage can also be captured and reported.

Claims

1. A computer kiosk comprising:

a kiosk enclosure;

an input device and an output device for local user interaction;

a processor and machine-readable memory stored within the enclosure; and

a communications device for communication with a remote computer system;

wherein program instructions are stored on the machine-readable memory for the processor to execute;

an interactive local user application utilizing the input device and the output device;

an applications monitor module for launching and monitoring the interactive local user application;

a hardware monitor module for monitoring and controlling power to the input device and the output device; and

a communications module for receiving outputs from the applications monitor module, and the hardware monitor module, communicating the outputs to the remote computer, receiving commands from the remote computer system and routing the commands to the applications monitor module and the hardware monitor module;

wherein the communications module receives commands relating to the operation of the input device and the output device from the remote computer system, the hardware monitor module receiving the commands from the communications module and executing the commands; and

wherein the commands include commands to power off the input device or the output device on a predetermined schedule.

2. The computer kiosk of claim 1, further comprising a charging port for a personal electronic device.

3. The computer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the input and output devices each comprise a plurality of devices.

4. The computer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the output device includes a display screen and the input device includes a touch sensitive component of the display screen.

5. The computer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a camera.

6. The computer kiosk of claim 1, wherein the interactive local user application includes a recurring status signal received by the applications monitor module, the applications monitor module automatically stopping and re-launching the interactive local user application based on a failure of the recurring status signal.

7. The computer kiosk of claim 6, wherein the applications monitor module communicates the failure of the recurring status signal to the communications module, the communications module communicating the failure of the recurring status signal to the remote computer system.

8. The computer kiosk of claim 1, wherein program instructions are stored on the machine-readable memory for the processor to further execute an analytics module for tracking usage statistics of the interactive local user application, the communications module communicating the usage statistics to the remote computer system.

9. The computer kiosk of claim 8, wherein the analytics module includes a trigger in the interactive local user application to log a predetermined user interaction.

10. The computer kiosk of claim 9, wherein the communications module communicates a failure to log the predetermined user interaction within a predetermined period of time to the remote computer system.

11. A computer kiosk comprising:

a kiosk enclosure;

an input device and an output device for local user interaction;

a processor and machine-readable memory stored within the enclosure; and

a communications device for communication with a remote computer system; and

a charging port for a personal electronic device;

wherein program instructions are stored on the machine-readable memory for the processor to execute;

an interactive local user application utilizing the input device and the output device;

an applications monitor module for launching and monitoring the interactive local user application;

a hardware monitor module for monitoring and controlling power to the input device and the output device; and

a communications module for receiving outputs from the applications monitor module, and the hardware monitor module, communicating the outputs to the remote computer, receiving commands from the remote computer system and routing the commands to the applications monitor module and the hardware monitor module;

wherein the hardware monitor module also monitors and controls power to the charging port.

12. A computer kiosk comprising:

a kiosk enclosure;

an input device and an output device for local user interaction;

a processor and machine-readable memory stored within the enclosure; and

a communications device for communication with a remote computer system;

wherein program instructions are stored on the machine-readable memory for the processor to execute;

an interactive local user application utilizing the input device and the Output device;

an applications monitor module for launching and monitoring the interactive local user application;

a hardware monitor module for monitoring and controlling power to the input device and the output device; and

a communications module for receiving outputs from the applications monitor module, and the hardware monitor module, communicating the outputs to the remote computer, receiving commands from the remote computer system and routing the commands to the applications monitor module and the hardware monitor module;

wherein at least one of the input and output devices includes the communications device, the communications device establishing a communications link with a personal electronic device in the vicinity of the kiosk enclosure used by the interactive local user application.

13. The computer kiosk of claim 12, wherein the communications link is routed to the personal electronic device through a cellular network.

14. The computer kiosk of claim 13, wherein a graphical user interface for the interactive local user application is transmitted to the personal electronic device via the communications link.

15. A networked computer kiosk system comprising:

a plurality of computer kiosks in different physical locations, each of the plurality of computer kiosks including;

a kiosk enclosure;

a kiosk input device and a kiosk output device for local user interaction;

a kiosk processor and machine-readable memory stored within the enclosure; and

a kiosk communications device for communication with a remote computer system;

wherein program instructions are stored on the machine-readable memory for the kiosk processor to execute;

an interactive local user application utilizing the kiosk input device and the kiosk output device;

an applications monitor module for launching and monitoring the interactive local user application;

a hardware monitor module for monitoring and controlling power to the kiosk input device and the kiosk output device; and

a kiosk communications module for receiving outputs from the applications monitor module, and the hardware monitor module, communicating the outputs to the remote computer, receiving commands from the remote computer system and routing the commands to the applications monitor module and the hardware monitor module; and

the remote computer system at a different physical location than the plurality of computer kiosks, the remote computer system including;

a remote computer system input device and a remote computer system output device;

a remote computer system processor and machine-readable memory; and

a remote computer system communications device for communicating with the plurality of computer kiosks;

wherein program instructions are stored on the machine-readable memory for the remote computer system processor to execute;

a central communications module for receiving the outputs communicated by the kiosk communications modules, displaying the outputs to a remote computer system user, receiving commands from the remote computer system user, and routing the commands to the kiosk communications modules;

wherein, in each computer kiosk, program instructions are stored on the machine-readable memory for the kiosk processor to further execute a kiosk analytics module for tracking usage statistics of the interactive local user application, the communications module communicating the usage statistics to the remote computer system; and

wherein program instructions are stored on the machine-readable memory for the remote computer system processor to further execute a central analytics module, the analytics module compiling the usage statistics from the plurality of computer kiosks, and generating reports on the compiled usage statistics.

16. The networked computer kiosk system of claim 15, wherein the central analytics module reports displays the reports via graphical web interface.

17. The networked computer kiosk system of claim 15, wherein the reports include comparisons of usage statistics for different interactive local user applications and for different computer kiosks.