Abstract:
A system and method of scheduling assisted-service travel terminal representatives which optimizes staffing of assisted-service travel terminals. The system includes a computer for analyzing the first travel information from a plurality of self-service travel terminals and second travel information from a plurality of assisted-service travel terminals to obtain a schedule of operation for the assisted-service travel terminals including optimal numbers of the travel terminal representatives, and for generating a report containing the schedule.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to self-service kiosks and more specifically to a system and method of scheduling assisted-service travel terminal assisted-service travel terminal representatives.  
           [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]    Transportation companies wish to optimize the number and cost of employees. Some employees work at assisted-service ticket counters and check-in counters.  
           [0004]    Transportation companies also wish to reduce passenger-waiting time in ticket lines and check-in lines.  
           [0005]    Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of scheduling assisted-service travel terminal representatives that makes more optimal use of transportation company resources.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method of scheduling assisted-service travel terminal representatives is provided.  
           [0007]    The system includes a computer for analyzing the first travel information from a plurality of self-service travel terminals and second travel information from a plurality of assisted-service travel terminals to obtain a schedule of operation for the assisted-service travel terminals including optimal numbers of the travel terminal representatives, and for generating a report containing the schedule.  
           [0008]    The method includes the steps of storing first travel information from self-service travel terminals and second travel information from assisted-service travel terminals, reading the first and second travel information, comparing the first and second travel information to obtain a schedule of operation for the assisted-service travel terminals including optimal numbers of the travel terminal representatives, and generating a report containing the schedule.  
           [0009]    It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of scheduling assisted-service travel terminal representatives.  
           [0010]    It is another object of the present invention to make more optimal use of transportation company resources.  
           [0011]    It is another object of the present invention to schedule assisted-service travel terminal representatives based upon factors that cause passengers to use either self-service or assisted-service check-in methods. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    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:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a transportation system; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0015]    Turning now to FIG. 1, system  10  includes self-service travel kiosk  12 , assisted-service travel terminals  14 , and server  16 .  
         [0016]    Kiosk  12  is preferably located in a travel building, such as an airport or train station. Kiosk  12  may include an NCR 7401 computer.  
         [0017]    Kiosk  12  primarily includes processor  15 , touch screen  18 , memory  22 , and storage medium  20 . Kiosk  12  may be simple and include only receipt printer  26 , ticket printer  27 , and card reader  24 . Kioak  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 .  
         [0018]    Processor  15  executes self-service travel self-service travel application  38 . Self-service travel self-service travel application  38  processes travel-related requests from passengers. For example, a passenger may use self-service travel 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  52  through server  16 , 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.  
         [0019]    Self-service travel application  38  communicates with server  16  over a network connection, such as one that uses the TCP/IP protocol. Kiosk  12  may be connected to the World Wide Web (web) and may obtain web content from web servers. Server  16  may be a web server.  
         [0020]    Processor  15  may also execute web browser software  36  and web wrapper software  40 .  
         [0021]    Web browser software  36  allows an operator to display information in a format established by the World Wide Web (WWW or “web”). Self-service travel application  38  may be written as a web application which displays travel information in the form of web pages  46 , although self-service travel 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.  
         [0022]    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.  
         [0023]    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 kiosk  12 .  
         [0024]    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 kiosk  12  to reboot.  
         [0025]    Touch screen  18  records passenger selections and displays information to self-service passengers.  
         [0026]    Storage medium  20  stores web pages  46  for use by self-service travel application  38 .  
         [0027]    Memory  22  stores executed program information.  
         [0028]    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.  
         [0029]    Receipt printer  26  prints receipt information.  
         [0030]    Ticket printer  27  prints tickets and boarding passes.  
         [0031]    Cash acceptor  28  includes currency storage canister  29 . Cash acceptor  28  takes in currency, validates the currency, sends tendered amount information to self-service travel application  38 , and sends currency count information to self-service travel application  38 . Cash acceptor  28  may include a cash acceptor manufactured by CashCode or Mars.  
         [0032]    Cash dispenser  30  dispenses any change due.  
         [0033]    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.  
         [0034]    PIN keypad  34  records PIN numbers for debit card transactions.  
         [0035]    Kiosk  12  may additionally include barcode reader  35 , which may be used to scan barcode labels on tickets. The barcode labels contain passenger identification information.  
         [0036]    Assisted-service travel terminals  14  execute assisted-service travel application software  50 , 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  50  may be a web application that displays web pages  46  for processing passenger requests. Assisted-service travel terminals  14  also obtain and store travel information in travel database  52 . For example, assisted-service travel terminals  14  store check-in times in travel database  52  during passenger check-in.  
         [0037]    Other data stored by assisted-service travel terminals  14  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 kiosk  12 .  
         [0038]    Server  16  executes staffing application  54  which reads travel history data such as check-in time data, departure time data, arrival data, destination location data, and anticipated numbers of passengers from travel database  52  to determine optimal staffing levels at assisted-service travel terminals  14  for any given departure or time of day. Staffing application  54  generates staffing reports containing staffing levels and either prints the reports on printer  60  or displays them on display  58 . For example, staffing application  54  may identify passenger loads during any time of day and how many passengers use kiosk  12 . Knowing this information, travel management may more accurately determine staffing needs. They may schedule employee resources to improve customer service and reduce waste.  
         [0039]    Storage medium  56  stores travel database  52 .  
         [0040]    Turning now to FIG. 2, operation of system  10  is illustrated in detail beginning with START  70 .  
         [0041]    In step  72 , self service travel terminals  12  and assisted-service travel terminals  14  store travel information in travel database  58 .  
         [0042]    In step  74 , staffing application  54  reads data from travel database  52 .  
         [0043]    In step  76 , staffing application  54  analyzes the data from travel database  52 . The analysis may involve a comparison of data from self-service travel terminals  12  and assisted-service travel terminals  14 . The analysis results in a schedule of operation for the assisted-service travel terminals including optimal numbers of the travel terminal representatives.  
         [0044]    For example, staffing application  54  may compare anticipated passenger loads with current employee schedules to identify times for which too many or too few employees are scheduled to work at assisted-service travel terminals  14 .  
         [0045]    Staffing application  54  may compare historical usage of self-service travel terminals  12  to historical usage of assisted-service travel terminals  14 . This would help determine the number of travelers that would use self service travel terminals  12  for a given time and then a non-usage figure could be used to determine manpower needed.  
         [0046]    Staffing application  54  may compare travel time and usage of self service travel terminals  12  to travel time and usage assisted-service travel terminals  14  to determine the affect on usage of self service travel terminals  12 .  
         [0047]    Staffing application  54  may track whether the traveler has ever been to a particular travel destination and whether the traveler uses self-service travel terminals  12 . Staffing application  54  may compare the number of travelers who are at an intermediate stop to the number of travelers originating from the stop, and whether this historical data affects usage of self service travel terminals  12 .  
         [0048]    In step  78 , staffing application  54  generates a report containing the schedule and displays or prints the report. Travel management schedules employees to work at assisted-service terminals  14  based upon the results.  
         [0049]    Knowing this information, travel management may more accurately determine staffing needs. They may schedule employee resources to improve customer service and reduce waste. Advantageously, staffing application  54  allows travel employees to speed up passenger check-in and processing of passenger requests.  
         [0050]    Operation ends at step  80 .  
         [0051]    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.