Abstract:
A service window may be operated under hands free user remote control. For example, a service window of the type used in fast-food restaurants, may be opened or closed in response to remote control signals.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/144,599, filed May 13, 2002, which was based on provisional Application Ser. No. 60/292,554, filed May 22, 2001. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     This invention pertains to service windows and, more particularly, to service windows for drive-thru and walk-up fast food service installations. These service windows are typically provided in a building, such as a fast-food service establishment, a convenience drive-up food store, a service station attendant&#39;s booth, a free-standing kiosk, or the like.  
         [0003]     Service windows are typically installed on the side of a building adjacent a driveway or sidewalk to facilitate business transactions between an employee and a customer. Such windows conventionally permit an employee to view a customer approaching the window and to personally transact business with the customer. In a typical commercial environment, a drive-up service window permits the employee to transact business with a customer and yet provides the necessary isolation between the outside environment and the inside environment to satisfy health and safety requirements.  
         [0004]     In some cases, the service window may be operated by the employee while the employee is holding products to be passed through the service window. As a result, the employee&#39;s hands may not be free to operate various window mechanisms or operators. Thus, automatic detectors have been provided in association with service windows to automatically open the windows at the appropriate time. For example, detectors such as optical or infrared detectors may detect the presence of the employee proximate to the window and may automatically open the window.  
         [0005]     However, existing automatic windows may be prone to inadvertent operation. For example, anytime the employee stands too close to the window, the window may open. This may be disadvantageous, particularly where climatic conditions are adverse. In addition, excessive window opening in a restaurant environment may raise some health issues.  
         [0006]     Thus, there is a need for better ways to operate service windows. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a service window in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a partial perspective of a part of the window shown in  FIG. 1  according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a schematic depiction of one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a schematic depiction of a service window in use in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart, useful in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart, useful in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart, useful in accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a schematic depiction of another embodiment; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 9  is a front elevational view of one embodiment of a remote window controller worn by a service employee. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     In one embodiment of the present invention, shown in  FIG. 1 , a service window  10  has a frame  14  including a top cross piece  16  and a bottom cross piece  18 . Two side pieces  20 ,  22  connect the top cross piece  16  and the bottom cross piece  18 . A fixed window pane  24  may be provided within the frame  14  in one embodiment. A sliding window pane  26  moves between open and closed positions, thereby opening or closing the window  10 . An electric motor  28  may drive a linkage  30  connected to the sliding pane  26 . The linkage  30  moves the sliding window pane  26  in response to the action of the electric motor  28 .  
         [0017]     Those skilled in the art will recognize that although a sliding window is illustrated, other automatic window configurations may also be used, such as folding, biparting, or swinging windows. Also, while a window  10  with only one moving glass panel is shown in  FIG. 1 , in other embodiments there may be more than one moving glass panel. In addition, while a motorized window is illustrated, in other embodiments audible commands may be used to trigger operation of non-motorized windows, including those with mechanical operators.  
         [0018]     A microphone  32  may detect sound or vocal commands. A sound recognition module  34  identifies an audible command to open or close the window  10 . For example, the module  34  may generate a signal that controls the motor  28 . The module  34  may be located any where on the window  10  or remotely therefrom.  
         [0019]     The module  34  advantageously distinguishes between the voice of the employee using the window  10  and background noise from within the service establishment in one embodiment of the present invention. A particular word or phrase may be selected in some embodiments to activate the window  10 . In other embodiments, a distinct non-vocal sound may be used to trigger the module  34 .  
         [0020]     The microphone  32  may be mounted on the window  10 , for example on a side piece  22 , or at another location, remote from the window  10 . A remote microphone  32  may be coupled by a wired or wireless connection to the module  34 . The microphone  32  may be associated with the employee, for example, via a headset microphone or a lapel microphone, as two examples of remote microphones.  
         [0021]     The module  34  may be used alone or in connection with other apparatus for controlling the service window  10 . For example, proximity sensors  42  may be used to detect the presence of an employee reaching towards the service window  10 . Upwardly, outwardly, or downwardly directed proximity sensors  42  may be used. The control module  34  may receive a signal from a sensor  42  indicating that the employee is adjacent the window  10  in one embodiment. Proximity sensors may be light beams, infrared beams, pattern detecting cameras, or switches, to mention a few examples.  
         [0022]     The proximity sensors  42  may be used for connection with an automatic closure mechanism in one embodiment of the present invention. After opening the window, a timer may start. After a time out, the window  10  may be automatically closed unless proximity is detected by the sensor  42 .  
         [0023]     Activation of a manual control switch  48 , shown in  FIG. 2 , may override signals from other sensors, including the module  34 . In this way, the window  10  may still be operated open or closed even if conditions, such as background noise, interfere with other control apparatus.  
         [0024]     One embodiment of a processor-based module  34  for implementing the capabilities described herein, shown in  FIG. 3 , may include a processor  52  that communicates across a host bus  54  to a bridge  56  and system memory  58 . The bridge  56  may communicate with a bus  60  which could, for example, be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus in accordance with Revision 2.1 of the PCI Electrical Specification available from the PCI Special Interest Group, Portland, Oreg. 97214.  
         [0025]     A microphone  32  input signal may be provided to the audio codec (AC&#39;97) 68 where it may be digitized and sent to memory through an audio accelerator  66 . The AC&#39;97 specification is available from Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif. Sound data generated by the processor  52  may be sent to the audio accelerator  66  and the AC&#39;97 codec  68  and on to the speaker  70 .  
         [0026]     In some embodiments of the present invention, a microphone  82  may be provided in a remote control unit  81  which is used to operate the module  34 . The remote control unit  81  may be attached to the employee via a lapel microphone or headset, as two examples. For example, the microphone input may be transmitted through a wireless interface  79  to the module  34  and its wireless interface  78  in one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0027]     The bus  72  may be coupled to a bus bridge  62  that may couple to a hard disk drive  64 . The bridge  62  may in turn be coupled to an additional bus  72 , which may couple to a serial interface  76  which drives a wireless interface  78 . The interface  78  may communicate with the remote control unit  81 . A basic input/output system (BIOS) memory  90  may also be coupled to the bus  72 . The interface  78  may communicate with the remote control unit  81 .  
         [0028]     The serial interface  76  may also receive a signal from a sensor interface  86  that is coupled to proximity sensors  42 . In addition, the serial interface  76  may provide an output signal to the window interface  84  which provides window control signals to the motor  28  to operate the window  10 . A hard disk drive  64  or other storage device may store a plurality of software programs  72 ,  74 , and  76 . In some embodiments, the processor  52  may provide a timer function so that, after a window  10  is opened, a timer begins. After a set time out, the window may be automatically closed. However, if the sensors  42  provide a signal to the sensor interface  86 , the window may be maintained open because the employee may be using the opened window.  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the employee E may, in one embodiment of the present invention, wear a headset  100 . The headset  100  may include a microphone  104 , which in one mode may be used to communicate with the customer outside of the retail facility. The headset  100  may include earphones  102  to listen to feedback from the customer. A lapel microphone  104   a  may be provided in some embodiments. The headset  100  and/or the lapel microphone  104   a  may communicate with a battery powered wireless interface  81 .  
         [0030]     The interface  81  may communicate with the module  34  using a wireless link  79 . The wireless link  79  may be infrared based, in one embodiment, or based on radio frequency, as another example. Thus, the employee may interact with a customer outside of the window  10  when the pane  24  is in the open position. In some embodiments, the module  34  may be wirelessly coupled to the window  10 .  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the window  10  may be controlled in response to spoken commands from the employee. Thus, a check at diamond  110  determines whether or not a speech input has been received. If so, the spoken word is compared to a vocabulary, as indicated in block  112 . In some embodiments the vocabulary may be relatively limited. For example, very simple commands may be recognized, such as “open” or “close.” In other embodiments more extensive vocabularies may be available. For example, a conversational speech system may be implemented which understands a large variety of terms and devines the meaning of the spoken phases in order to control the window  10 .  
         [0032]     A check at diamond  114  determines whether there is a match between the received input and the vocabulary. If so, the window may be operated, as indicated in block  116 , consistent with the received command.  
         [0033]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the speech/voice control software  74  detects a speech input as indicated at diamond  110 . If no speech input has been received, a check at diamond  120  determines whether a time out has occurred. If so, a check at diamond  122  determines whether the window  10  is open. If it is, a check at diamond  124  determines whether the employee is proximate. This may be done based on inputs from the sensors  42 . If the employee is not proximate, the window  10  may be closed as indicated in block  126 . As a result, once the window  10  has been opened in response to a spoken command, it may be automatically closed after the expiration of a time out period unless, in some embodiments, the employee is proximate to the window.  
         [0034]     If a speech input has been received at diamond  110  and the vocabulary is checked at block  112 . The presence of a match is determined at diamond  114  and the window is operated at  116 , if appropriate.  
         [0035]     At block  118 , voice synthesis may be provided in some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to automatically synthesize a statement to the customer as soon as the window opens, such as a welcoming statement or other automated statement that otherwise, necessarily, would be spoken by the employee. This enables the employee to continue to do other tasks while introductory phrases (or other phrases) may be automatically generated by the system. For example, the system may welcome the customer and ask for the customer&#39;s order. Only when the order is actually being taken, in some embodiments, need the employee actually begin working with the customer. In some cases the employee may face the customer at all times while still continuing to undertake other duties.  
         [0036]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , training software  76  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention initially prompts the employee for a voice input as indicated at block  130 . The prompt may be on a computer display screen or may be audibly generated as two examples. In response to the prompt, a check at diamond  132  determines whether an input is received from the employee. The input may typically be the command that the employee wishes to speak in order to cause the window  10  to open. Once the input is received, the employee may be asked to repeat the spoken command at block  134  to ensure that a good signal was received. A check at diamond  136  determines whether the first and second spoken commands match sufficiently that a good result may be obtained.  
         [0037]     A check at diamond  138  determines whether or not the employee has previously provided another command. If this is not the first input then the command that was just received is stored as a close window command as indicated in block  132 . Otherwise, the command is stored as an open command and the flow recycles to receive the close command.  
         [0038]     In some embodiments, training the system to recognize the actual employee&#39;s voice may reduce errors. That is because the employee can provide actual samples of his voice, the system need not recognize spoken commands from a wide variety of different people. This may improve the accuracy of the system and make it more user friendly to some users who can provide any word they wish for the open and close commands.  
         [0039]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a wirelessly and remotely controllable base station  152  may receive control signals from a wearable wireless unit  150 . The wearable wireless  150  may be worn by a service employee. The service employee may operate the wearable wireless unit  150  to send wireless signals to the base station  152 . In some embodiments, the wireless signals may be sent by radio frequency or infrared signals. For example, the wearable wireless unit may initiate radio frequency signals in accordance with the Bluetooth standard as one embodiment. In some embodiments, the base station may be intimately associated with the window  10  so as to operate a motor associated therewith. In other words, the base station may be implemented as part of the window interface  84  in one embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0040]     Referring to  FIG. 9 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a service employee may wear a headset  154 . The headset  154  may include an earphone  164  to hear signals provided from a remote drive through station by customers. For example, in connection with a drive-up station, the customer may speak into a microphone and the signal may be transmitted to the headset  154  to be heard through the earphone  164 . To this end, a wireless antenna  168  may be included. The wireless antenna may communicate by a wire  162  with a battery pack and transceiver (not shown) but attached to a belt  158 .  
         [0041]     Also connected to the headset  154  may be a microphone  166 , into which the employee may talk and signals may be generated to be wirelessly transmitted to a customer.  
         [0042]     The employee may wear a harness including shoulder straps  162  and a chest encircling strap  158 . Mounted on the strap  158 , in a position to be actuated by the internal surfaces of the employee&#39;s elbow E, is a push button  156 . Namely, when the employee rotates his elbow inwardly in the direction indicated by the arrows F, the button  156  may be operated to either open or close the window  10 . In one embodiment, if the window is closed, when the button  156  is operated the window opens and, if the window is open, when the button  156  is operated, the window closes.  
         [0043]     In some embodiments, the belt  158  may be worn higher than the normal clothing belt B so that it is in line to be operated by the service employee&#39;s elbow E.  
         [0044]     As a result, the employee may have his hands filled, for example, holding a cup  0  in his hand H, and still may be able to remotely open and close the service window  10 .  
         [0045]     When the push button  156  is operated, a signal is transmitted through conductors (not shown) to the transceiver (not shown) and on to the headset  154 , which sends a signal wirelessly over the antenna  168  to a base station  152  associated with the window  10  in one embodiment. In another embodiment, a transmitter (not shown) may directly transmit the window control signal without involving the headset  154 . The base station  152  may include the interface  84  which generates motor control signals to operate the service window  10 .  
         [0046]     While an embodiment is depicted in which a push button operator  156  is positioned on the employee&#39;s side at a position raised with respect to the belt B, those skilled in the art will appreciate other embodiments. However, it may be particularly advantageous, in some embodiments, to enable hands free operation of the window and to enable remote operation of the window.  
         [0047]     One reason that remote operation may be desirable is that it can save time. Instead of requiring the employee to approach the window and then operate the window, consuming additional time, the service employee may operate the window in route to a position proximate to the service window  10  so that, by the time the employee arrives, the window is already fully open.  
         [0048]     Given the very large number of service operations and the desire to maintain the service window  10  in the closed position when not in use, the time savings may be significant. These time savings may also result in better service to customers.  
         [0049]     While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.