SYSTEM FOR QUEUE AND SERVICE MANAGEMENT
A system for service queue management is disclosed including a terminal controlled by the system having a processing platform to generate service queue information for a user, and a mechanism for the user to request or receive the service queue information. The processing platform preferably transmits promotions related to goods and services associated with the service queue information to a user. The mechanism for the user to request or receive service queue information may preferably include a user's mobile communications device or a manually-activated device located on the terminal. Service queue information may include a queue number, next queue number to be issued, estimated wait time for service, a predicted time of service, time of issuance of ticket, predicted queue-waiting time, marketing messages, instructions for use of said ticket dispenser, and average queue-waiting time.
1 . A system for service queue management, said system comprising:
a terminal controlled by said system having a processing platform to generate service queue information for a user; and
a mechanism for said user to request or receive said service queue information.
2 . The system for service queue management of claim 1 , wherein said mechanism is selected from the list of:
a mobile communications device, an optical card reader, a magnetic card reader, a biometric sensing device, a keypad, a touch screen, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) interface.
3 . The system for service queue management of claim 1 , wherein said processing platform of said terminal transmits promotions related to goods and services associated with said service queue information to said user.
4 . The system for service queue management of claim 1 , wherein said terminal is a ticket dispenser.
5 . The system of claim 1 , said service queue information comprising:
a queue number, next queue number to be issued, estimated wait time for service, a predicted time of service, time of issuance of ticket, predicted queue-waiting time, marketing messages, instructions for use of said ticket dispenser, and average queue-waiting time.
6 . A system for delivering media based on user identification, said system comprising:
a ticket dispenser controlled by said system for delivering media to a user, said ticket dispenser including at least one display, a control computer, and a mechanism for receiving identification information from a user,
wherein upon receipt of said identification information, said control computer authenticates said user and transmits media tailored to said user for viewing by said user.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein said mechanism for receiving identification information is arranged in connection with said ticket dispenser and selected from the list of:
an optical card reader, a magnetic card reader, a biometric sensing device, a keypad, a touch screen, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) interface.
8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein said mechanism for receiving identification information is an interface that communicates with a mobile device of said user.
9 . The system of claim 6 , wherein said identification information is selected from the list of:
a telephone number, an email address, a text message address, a personal identification number (PIN), a bar code, and a loyalty/reward card number.
10 . The system of claim 8 wherein said user views said media tailored to said user on said mobile device.
11 . The system of claim 6 wherein said user views said media tailored to said user on said at least one display of said ticket dispenser.
12 . A ticket dispenser comprising:
a housing;
at least one manually-activated device arranged on said housing; and
a communications interface arranged in said housing for interfacing with a control computer controlling operation of said ticket dispenser,
wherein said control computer generates queue and service related information for said ticket dispenser.
13 . The ticket dispenser of claim 12 , wherein said control computer is arranged in said housing in commication with said at least one manually-activated device, wherein a signal is sent from said at least one manually-activated device to said control microcomputer to request generation of queue and service related information.
14 . The ticket dispenser of claim 13 , wherein said control computer is remote from said ticket dispenser.
15 . The ticket dispenser of claim 13 wherein said interfacing with said control computer is via a wireless connection.
16 . The ticket dispenser of claim 12 wherein a user is identified to said ticket dispenser through a mechanism selected from the list of:
RFID sensor, telephone, pager, PDA, and said manually-activated device selected from the list comprising, a keypad, an optical card scanner, a magnetic card scanner, a touch screen, at least one button, and at least one knob.
17 . The ticket dispenser of claim 12 , said ticket dispenser further comprising:
a printer arranged in said housing and controlled by said control microcomputer for printing said queue and service related information.
18 . The ticket dispenser of claim 12 , said ticket dispenser further comprising:
at least one display screen arranged in connection with said housing for displaying said queue and service related information received from said control microcomputer.
19 . The ticket dispenser of claim 12 , said queue and service related information comprising:
a queue number, next queue number to be issued, estimated wait time for service, a predicted time of service, time of issuance of ticket, predicted queue-waiting time, marketing messages, instructions for use of said ticket dispenser, and average queue-waiting time.
20 . The ticket dispenser of claim 12 , wherein alerts related to said service and queue related information are transmitted to a mobile device of said user.
21 . A ticket dispenser for managing more than one service queue, said ticket dispenser comprising:
a housing;
a plurality of manually-activated devices, wherein each of said plurality of manually-activated devices is associated with a separate service queue; and
a communications interface arranged in said housing for interfacing with a control computer controlling operation of said ticket dispenser,
wherein upon selection of one of said plurality of manually-activated devices a signal is sent from said ticket dispenser to said control computer to return service queue information associated with said selected manually-activated device.
22 . The ticket dispenser of claim 21 , wherein each of said plurality of manually-activated devices is associated with a separate display screen arranged in connection with said housing.
23 . A system for alerting a user to service queue related information, said system comprising:
a terminal controlled by said system for transmitting said service queue related information upon said user establishing position in a service queue through said terminal; and
a mechanism controlled by said user for receiving said service queue related information.
24 . The system of claim 23 wherein said terminal controlled by said system is a ticket dispenser.
25 . The system of claim 23 , wherein said mechanism is a mobile communications device.