Abstract:
A system and method for processing passenger requests which encourage certain passengers to use a self-service travel terminal. The system includes an assisted-service travel terminal for collecting information about passengers and for providing a first passenger from the information who has used the assisted-service travel terminal to process previous travel requests, and a self-service travel terminal for processing future requests of the first passenger.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to self-service kiosks and more specifically to a system and method of processing passenger requests.  
           [0002]    Kiosks provide a publicly accessible computing platform for displaying World Wide Web (web) pages and other web-delivered content from web sites. Kiosks may be located within a retailer&#39;s transaction establishment or elsewhere, such as in shopping malls. Kiosks may be easily networked to web sites using the TCP/IP protocol. Web pages from web sites may be displayed using known and available web software, such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer software.  
           [0003]    Passengers wish to reduce time they spend in lines waiting to get boarding passes, get seat assignments, or process changes in route. Lines get longer as departure times get closer.  
           [0004]    Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of processing passenger requests that reduces the length of full-service check-in lines.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method of processing passenger requests is provided.  
           [0006]    The system includes an assisted-service travel terminal for collecting information about passengers and for providing a first passenger from the information who has used the assisted-service travel terminal to process previous travel requests, and a self-service travel terminal for processing future requests of the first passenger.  
           [0007]    It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of processing passenger requests.  
           [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to reduce the length of lines at ticket and check-in counters.  
           [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to enable processing of passenger requests at a self-service kiosk.  
           [0010]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a self-service kiosk which processes passenger requests. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a transportation system; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]    Turning now to FIG. 1, system  10  includes self-service terminal  12 , assisted-service travel terminals  50 , and server  52 .  
         [0015]    Self-service terminal  12  is preferably a kiosk located in a travel building, such as an airport or train station. Self-service terminal  12  may include an NCR 7401 computer.  
         [0016]    Self-service terminal  12  primarily includes processor  16 , touch screen  18 , memory  22 , and storage medium  20 . Self-service terminal  12  may be simple and include only receipt printer  26 , ticket printer  27 , and card reader  24 . Self-service terminal  12  may include a number of other peripherals, including printer  26 , cash acceptor  28 , cash dispenser  30 , check reader  32 , personal identification number (PIN) keypad  34 , and barcode reader  35 .  
         [0017]    Processor  16  executes self-service travel application  38 , which processes travel-related requests from passengers. For example, a passenger may use self-service travel application  38  to complete the check-in process, issue a boarding pass, change travel routes, or get scheduling information. Self-service travel self-service travel application  38  records passenger identification information, retrieves itinerary information from travel database  58  through server  52 , displays instructions for completing check-in, records any payments due, dispenses any change due, prints boarding passes and tickets, and prints receipts. In addition, self-service travel self-service travel application  38  records and stores check-in time.  
         [0018]    Application  38  communicates with server  52  over a network connection, such as one which uses the TCP/IP protocol. Application  38  obtains and stores travel information in travel database  58 .  
         [0019]    Processor  16  may also execute web browser software  36  and web wrapper software  40 .  
         [0020]    Web browser software  36  allows an operator to display information in a format established by the World Wide Web (WWW or “web”). Application  38  may be written as a web application which displays travel information in the form of web pages  46 , although application  38  may also be a non-web application and operate without web browser software  36  and web wrapper software  40 . Web pages  46  may be written using hypertext markup language (HTML) or other suitable web page language.  
         [0021]    Web browser software  36  may include commercially available web browser software, such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer web browser software. Microsoft® Internet Explorer web browser software is configured into a kiosk operation using a “−k” command line option. This option hides toolbars and menu bars to prevent operator access to those functions.  
         [0022]    Web browser software  36  may also display a start or “home” page within web pages  46  which operates as a default page from which kiosk operation begins and to which operation returns when an operator is finished using self-service terminal  12 .  
         [0023]    Web wrapper software  40  provides security functions. During operation, web wrapper software  40  prevents an operator from accessing kiosk files, or other applications, or the operating system software, or basic input-output system (BIOS) firmware, and prevents the operator from causing self-service terminal  12  to reboot.  
         [0024]    Touch screen  18  records passenger selections and displays information to self-service passengers.  
         [0025]    Storage medium  20  stores web pages  46  for use by application  38 .  
         [0026]    Memory  22  stores executed program information.  
         [0027]    Card reader  24  reads passenger identification, credit, debit, SMART, and/or other types of cards carried by a passenger. Card reader  24  may record payment information from a passenger.  
         [0028]    Printer  26  prints receipt information.  
         [0029]    Printer  27  prints tickets and boarding passes.  
         [0030]    Cash acceptor  28  includes currency storage canister  29 . Cash acceptor  28  takes in currency, validates the currency, sends tendered amount information to application  38 , and sends currency count information to application  38 . Cash acceptor  28  may include a cash acceptor manufactured by CashCode or Mars.  
         [0031]    Cash dispenser  30  dispenses any change due.  
         [0032]    Check reader  32  reads checks and includes a magnetic ink character (MICR) reader. Check reader  32  also includes printer  33  for printing information on checks.  
         [0033]    PIN keypad  34  records PIN numbers for debit card transactions.  
         [0034]    Self-service terminal  12  may additionally include barcode reader  35 , which may be used to scan barcode labels on tickets. The barcode labels contain passenger identification information.  
         [0035]    Assisted-service travel terminals  50  execute assisted-service travel application software  54 , which also processes travel-related requests, except that a travel employee controls assisted-service travel application  50  to process the requests for the passengers. Assisted-service travel application software  54  may be a web application that displays web pages  46  for processing passenger requests. Assisted-service travel terminals  50  also obtain and store travel information in travel database  58 . For example, assisted-service travel terminals  50  store check-in times in travel database  58  during passenger check-in.  
         [0036]    Other data stored by assisted-service travel terminals  50  might include number of bags, emergency contacts, a comparison between check-in time and flight time, whether kiosk check-in occurred before standard check-in time, and whether a traveler was encouraged to use self-service terminal  12 .  
         [0037]    Server  52  stores travel database  58 . Server  52  executes report software  42 , which identifies passengers who could benefit from using self-service terminal  12 , instead of waiting in line at assisted-service travel terminals  50 . For example, report software  42  may identify passengers who arrive just before departure, during a time when lines at assisted-service travel terminals  50  are long. Knowing this information, travel employees may direct these people to use self-service terminal  12 . Travel employees may offer incentives through special promotions to these people. Self-service terminal  12  may deliver these promotions. Travel employees may use mail, electronic mail, announcements, electronic bulletin boards, and other communication techniques to educate travelers and deliver promotions. Assisted-service travel terminals  50  may also execute report software  42 .  
         [0038]    Turning now to FIG. 2, operation of system  10  is illustrated in detail beginning with START  70 .  
         [0039]    In step  72 , assisted-service travel terminals  50  store travel information in travel database  58 .  
         [0040]    In step  74 , report software  42  generates a report from travel database  58 . Travel employees may cause report software  42  to generate this report prior to each departure. Within a predetermined time of departure, the travel employees may direct certain passengers to use self-service terminal  12 .  
         [0041]    For example, report software  42  may generate a report of all passengers scheduled for the upcoming departure who traditionally arrive just before departure. Travel employees may read the names on the report to direct these employees to use self-service terminal  12 .  
         [0042]    In step  76 , application  38  records passenger identification information.  
         [0043]    In step  78 , application  38  records information from self-service passengers and completes the check-in process.  
         [0044]    Operation ends at step  80 .  
         [0045]    Advantageously, system  10  allows travel employees to speed up passenger check-in and processing of passenger requests.  
         [0046]    Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims.