Abstract:
An interactive transporting system for moving people around in an environment, comprising:  
     at least one transporting device ( 10 );  
     interface means ( 16 ) provided on the transporting device ( 10 ) and arranged for allowing a user to communicate to the system his personal needs regarding his interaction with the environment; and  
     means designed to drive the transporting device ( 10 ) along an optimal path defined according to the needs of the user.

Description:
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to an interactive transporting system for moving people around in an environment.  
           [0002]    The present invention may find application in all environments in which people move about through different areas of the environment to satisfy specific personal requirements. For instance, the present invention may find application in areas such as commercial centers, exhibitions, trade fairs, museums, archives, railway stations, airports, car dealer showrooms, etc. In general, when a user visits one of these environments he must move around along a path that takes him into one or more different places of the same environment. The places that the user intends to visit depend upon the specific needs of the user himself, and the path of each user in the environment will generally be different from that of other users. The optimal path that can take the user through all the places of interest inside one and the same environment with the minimum expenditure in terms of time and energy is generally unknown beforehand to the user, except for the few cases in which the user has a deep knowledge of the environment.  
           [0003]    The present invention has been developed with the aim of providing an interactive transporting system that enables the problems linked to the need for moving people around in an environment to be solved in the most convenient way possible.  
           [0004]    According to the present invention, the above purpose is achieved by a transporting system having the characteristics forming the subject of the claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, which are provided purely by way of non[-]limiting examples and in which:  
         [0006]    [0006]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate two embodiments exemplifying a transporting device designed to be used in a transporting system in accordance with the present invention; and  
         [0007]    [0007]FIGS. 3, 4 and  5  are schematic plan views illustrating the operation of the transporting system according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]    With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the number  10  designates an individual transporting device equipped with a seat  12  on which a user can sit down. The transporting device  10  is provided with a system for electrical operation which includes an accumulator battery, an electric motor and at least one driving wheel. In addition, the transporting device  10  comprises an electrically controlled driving system. Preferably the transporting device  10  is provided with a driving wheel and a steering wheel. The steering of said wheel may, for example, be controlled by a driving system which includes a telecamera that is designed to recognize a driving track  14  and to control steering of the driving wheel so that the transporting device  10  will follow a track  14  selected according to the path that the transporting device  10  is to travel along.  
         [0009]    Each transporting device  10  comprises a computer terminal  16  constituting an interface between the transporting device  10  and the user. The terminal  16  enables a user to request information on products and/or services available in the environment in which the transporting device  10  is able to move around. The computer terminal  16  is designed for meeting the specific needs of the activity performed in the environment which, according the particular cases, may be a retailing activity, an exhibition activity of a commercial or cultural type (trade fairs, museums, archives, etc.) or a transportation service by land, air or sea. From the seat  12  provided the user interacts with the system which, according to the information requested, defines a transporting path within the environment, optimized so as to satisfy the user&#39;s requests.  
         [0010]    After receiving the information from the user and after an optimal transporting path has accordingly been defined, the transporting device  10 , with the user on board, starts on its path, which will take the user to the parts of the environment that represent points of interest for him. While he is being transported, the user can carry out other activities of interaction with the computer terminal  16  or else can simply let himself be carried along the pre-established path by the transporting device.  
         [0011]    Described in what follows by way of example are certain specific applications of the interactive transporting system according to the present invention.  
         [0012]    With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, the transporting device  10  can be configured to move around inside a commercial center designated as a whole by  20  in FIG. 5, in which various exhibition areas  22  for exhibiting products are provided. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the transporting device  10  may assume the form of a motorized trolley, equipped with a basket  24  designed to receive the products that the user intends to purchase.  
         [0013]    With reference to FIG. 5, the user enters the commercial center by the entrance designated by  26  and occupies the seat  12  of a transporting device  10  located, together with a series of other identical devices, in the vicinity of the entrance. By means of the terminal  16 , the user selects the list of products which he wishes to buy. The terminal  16  may be equipped with audio/video interfaces by means of which it can interact with the user to propose other products or to provide useful information on products and/or services. Once this operation is concluded, the transporting device and the driving system in association with the computer warehousing system of the commercial center, recognize the optimal path, and the transporting device  10  starts to move along the established path. During the journey the user can employ his time sitting comfortably on the seat, and once the operation is concluded, can head towards the exit, with the shopping already deposited in bags ready to be transported outside, thus leaving the mobile device  10  available for other users. During the journey around the sales area of the commercial center, the transporting device  10  stops sequentially in the areas in which the products previously requested are exhibited. The user simply has to pick up the product and deposit it in the basket  24  set on board the transporting device  10 . Possibly, the transporting device  10  may be equipped with magnetic sensors or bar code readers that make it possible to recognize the type of product and the corresponding price. The transporting device  10  may therefore perform the function of a mobile cash register, which may possibly be arranged for enabling payment with credit cards or the like so as to avoid passing through a traditional cash desk.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 illustrates a transporting device  10  of the type that may be used in exhibition areas, trade fairs, museums, archives, etc. The transporting device  10  may be used by operators forming part of the organization of the exhibition, trade fair, etc., or else by visitors. As illustrated schematically in FIG. 3, the user takes his place on the seat  12  of an available transporting device and interacts with the terminal of the transporting device to obtain and supply information on products/services of interest to him. After receiving the information from the user, the system defines the optimal path to enable the user to visit the areas that regard the products/services of interest to him. The transporting device moves along the path and stops at pre[-]determined points to allow the user to get off and visit a certain area or else to render a service of information to the user/visitor by means of the terminal, at an area of interest.  
         [0015]    The transporting device  10  may also be used by specialized staff, such as hostesses, scientific popularizers, personnel responsible for providing information on services, etc., who can move around the exhibition area to provide an information service to the users. Specialized operators will be able to use the terminal  10  to program the transporting path and to obtain the information necessary for carrying out their information service for the users.  
         [0016]    A further sector of application of the system according to the present invention is that of ticket offices, airport check-in desks, self-banking, etc. In these examples of application it is possible to provide a service without an operator in which the transporting device  10  is equipped with terminals and accessories, such as automatic payment systems using credit cards and systems for issuing tickets on board. A user who gets onto the transporting device  10  sets the destination or the service that he wishes to receive, and the transporting device takes the user, for example, to the embarkation point. Along the way the user may purchase a ticket and make the payment for it. For instance, in the case of a railway station ticket office, the user gets onto the transporting device, types in his destination, date and time of the departure of the train and other information, and the transporting device takes him to the embarkation point. The user may buy a ticket from an automatic system for issuing tickets set on the transporting device  10  or located at the end of the path.  
         [0017]    A further example of application of the system according to the present invention is that of a dealer&#39;s showroom, such as a car showroom. As illustrated schematically in FIG. 4, the customer/user enters the showroom and gets onto a transporting device  10  equipped with video terminal. The firm provides the terminal with information on the products exhibited, possibly with the aid of films that enable the customer to acquire information on the quality of the goods. Using the terminal  10 , the customer can choose the product that he wishes to examine, and the transporting device  10  takes the user into the area in which the product (for example, a car) selected by him is exhibited. Whilst the transporting device  10  is turning round the exhibited product, the terminal  16  can explain to the user aspects of the product that are not readily identifiable visually, for example through a vocal system, possibly equipped with earphones. As the customer chooses, the transporting device may conclude—its journey around or within the product, while the customer can get off the device and physically touch the product or else decide to proceed on his journey by re-enabling the system. The transporting device  10  will thus take the customer to an area where an operator will be present with whom he can define the contractual and economic aspects of the transaction that is to be made or from whom he can ask for further clarifications or explanations regarding the product.