Patent ID: 6529786
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: G06Q,G07C

Abstract:
A queue management system for managing at least one queue of people, the system comprising:a plurality of portable modules, each portable module being arranged to be carried by a person and including a memory means for containing a unique identification code, indicator means for indicating to said person when it is time to join the queue, a signal receiver means for receiving signals to cause said indicator means to be operative, a transmitter means for transmitting said identification code over a short range to confine the transmitted identification code to a local region around said person, and a docking means for downloading said identification code when said portable module is docked; at least one docking station, each docking station being adapted to co-operate with said docking means of a said portable module for registering said person in a queue sequence for a respective queue by downloading said identification code from said portable module when docked; a queue manager for maintaining the queue sequence for each queue and including a first communication means for receiving the downloaded code; a signal transmitting means associated with said queue manager for transmitting said signals to each portable module to instruct said person carrying said portable module to join the queue; at least one module detector for detecting any portable modules in a vicinity of the module detector by detecting any transmitted identification codes, said module detector being arranged at a location of the queue to detect when the person carrying said portable module joins the queue; and a second communication means arranged between said queue manager and the module detector to communicate any detected identification codes to said queue manager; said queue manager being adapted to update each queue sequence using the detected identification code and the downloaded identification code to remove the detected identification code from a front of the respective queue sequence and to add the downloaded identification code to a back of the respective queue sequence.