Abstract:
A publication is distributed by an automated publication delivery system. Activity around a physical location of the automated publication delivery system is monitored. In response to detection of an increased activity level around the physical location of the automated publication delivery system, additional copies of the publication are printed for distribution. For example, the automated publication delivery system is a kiosk and the publication is a newspaper. Monitoring is performed, for example, using a microphone to monitor noise level, an optical sensor to detect movement near the automated publication delivery system, and/or a motion detector to detect movement near the automated publication delivery system.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
         [0001]    The present invention pertains to delivery of information in printed form and pertains particularly to intelligent printing by a kiosk.  
           [0002]    Travelers and others want to stay informed about what is happening in the world. Often airport newsstands only have the early morning edition of the local and national newspapers, nothing more current. When traveling, and passing through an airport, there is usually no time to wait for a paper or document to be printed out. As stated by certain marketing researchers: “People won&#39;t wait for money to be printed”.  
           [0003]    It is desirable therefore to arrange for ways to make available to travelers fast delivery of current news in printed form.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    A publication is distributed by a publication delivery system. Activity around a physical location of the automated publication delivery system is monitored. The timing and number of the publication printed is based upon response to detection of an activity level around the physical location of the publication delivery system. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]    [0005]FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram that shows a kiosk with intelligent printing features located in a public place in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 2 is a simplified functional block diagram of the kiosk in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  2   
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 3 illustrates a time stamp being placed on a first sheet of a printed newspaper in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 4 illustrates a reader used to read a time stamp on a top sheet of a storage bin of kiosk in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 5 is a simplified flowchart that illustrates use of a time stamp to assure that a purchaser gets a newspaper that is up-to-the minute current in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 shows a kiosk  11  with intelligent printing features located in a public place. For example, kiosk  11  is a vending machine that prints newspapers for individuals. Kiosk  11  includes user controls  12  and a newspaper delivery area  13  through which is delivered a newspaper.  
         [0011]    Kiosk  11  has the ability to print newspapers while a customer waits. However, many customers may not want to wait for a newspaper. Therefore, kiosk  11  includes one or more response mechanisms that monitor activity around or near kiosk  11 . For example, a microphone  14  sits on top of kiosk  11  to monitor noise level. In addition, or alternatively, an optical sensor  15  is placed on or around kiosk  11 . Microphone  14  and/or optical sensor  15  detect when potential customers are in the vicinity of kiosk  11  and prints in advance one or more copies of the newspaper so that a current copy will be available to any customer.  
         [0012]    Kiosk  11  also includes, for example, a receiver  16  that receives information from remote detectors. For example, an optical sensor  19 , a microphone  18  and/or a motion detector  17  are placed near an entry way  20  in order to detect new potential customers entering an area in which kiosk  11  resides. Additionally, a human monitor can be used to signal kiosk  11  to print new papers.  
         [0013]    Thus kiosk  11  receives external inputs from sensory devices that inform kiosk  11  when there is sufficient activity to warrant printing additional newspapers. For example, within an airport, the external inputs indicate a level of activity consistent with a flight arrival, or the gathering of passengers waiting to embark on a flight.  
         [0014]    In addition, kiosk  11  can also print copies based on other indicators. For example, an airline flight schedule can be used to project expected activity around a kiosk in an airport. For example, departing flights with “Delayed” might indicate to kiosk  11  that more people may need a paper, resulting in kiosk  11  printing additional papers.  
         [0015]    If in a hotel lobby, kiosk  11  can use an airport shuttle arrival as an indication of increased activity. Also, kiosk  11  can print newspapers in accordance with a schedule of when potential customers are likely to be in the vicinity. For example a 6 AM printing can occur so that individuals going to a dining area to eat a continental buffet style breakfast would have sufficient papers. From any or all of these types of inputs indicating an increase of activity in the vicinity of kiosk  11 , kiosk  11  determines how many publications to print. A single human can be used to monitor an entire “bank” of kiosks, to determine if the criteria used to print newspapers is effective.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a simplified functional block diagram of kiosk  11 . A computing system  11  interacts with user controls  12  via a user interface  31 . Computing system  32  interacts with microphone  14 , optical sensor  15  and receiver  16  via a sensor interface  33 . Computer system  32  also controls a printing system  34  and a finishing/delivery system  35 . Finishing/delivery system  35  is responsible for folding and/or stapling a printed newspaper. Finishing/delivery system  35  also stores printed newspapers until requested by computing system  32  to deliver a finished newspaper to newspaper delivery area  13 .  
         [0017]    Computing system  32  uses a network interface  36  to obtain current newspaper print data from a network  37 . For example, network  37  provides connection to an information service such as http://www.instant-delivery.com/.  
         [0018]    Since kiosk  11  prints some newspapers in advance, it is desirable for kiosk  11  to monitor the newspapers to make sure that a customer is receiving current news. This can be done, for example, by computing system  32  tracking each paper printed and sold.  
         [0019]    In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each printed newspaper is printed with a time stamp. This is illustrated in FIG. 3 where the first page of a printed newspaper  41 , in addition to news  42 , includes a time stamp  43 . For example, time stamp  43  is a barcode that indicates a time of printing.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 shows a storage area  51  within kiosk  11 , used to store printed newspapers. The most recent newspapers are placed front-up on the top of the stack. Thus a newspaper  52  on the top of the stack has the most recent news. A time stamp reader  53  is used to read the date on top of the stack newspaper  52 . For example, time stamp reader  53  is a bar code reader.  
         [0021]    Time stamp reader  53  assures that newspapers sold include “fresh” content. When news is no longer fresh, additional copies can be printed for potential customers. Dispensing of the current news comes from the top most portion of the stack. When the most recent copies have been exhausted, Kiosk  11  displays a message on a display within user controls  12  (shown in FIG. 1) informing a potential customer of how long since the news was printed and gives the customer that the option of receiving a copy immediately or waiting while a newer version is printed.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 5 is a simplified flowchart that illustrates how kiosk  11  uses the time stamp to assure a customer gets a current newspaper. In a step  61 , a user orders a newspaper. In a step  62 , kiosk  11  uses time stamp reader  53  to determine a time the newspaper on the top of the stack was printed. If in a step  63 , the time is not older than a current threshold, in a step  64 , the current newspaper is delivered and in a step  65  the cycle is ended. The current threshold varies depending on the publication and market. For example, for an airport, the threshold might be as long as 5 hours or as short as 10 minutes, depending upon time of day, day of the week and/or other factors.  
         [0023]    If in step  63 , the time stamp indicates a publication time older than the current threshold, kiosk  11  sends a message through network  37  (shown in FIG. 1), to the electronic publisher (source) of the newspaper, for example, http://www.instant-delivery.com/. The publisher, in a step  71  generates a new version of the newspaper. In a step  72 , the publisher compares a checksum of the newly generated newspaper with the checksum of a current cached version of the newspaper on the top of stack newspapers within kiosk  11 . If the checksums are equal, the publisher instructs kiosk  11  to deliver the current version of the newspaper to the customer (as shown in step  64 ). For example, kiosk  11  calculates the checksum of a current cached version of the newspaper. Kiosk  11  sends the checksum to the publisher as part of the message sent through network  37  to the newspaper publisher.  
         [0024]    If in step  72  the checksums are not equal, in a step  73 , the publisher downloads the current version of the newspaper to kiosk  11  and instructs kiosk  11  to print (an) additional newspaper(s). In a step  66 , kiosk  11  prints a current version of the newspaper for the customer. Kiosk  11  also gives the customer the option of waiting while the newer version is printed, or of immediately receiving the “stale” newspaper already printed.  
         [0025]    In a step  67  the selected newspaper is delivered to the customer. In a step  68 , the cycle is completed.  
         [0026]    Thus, the present invention provides for fast automated delivery of current news and information to a hurried customer.