Patent ID: 12205425

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In order to make purposes, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention to be dearer, the following content provides some preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention.

With reference toFIG.1toFIG.3, a system of issuing a wireless key for reservation is provided. After a user A books a room on the internet, the system relates to check-in and exchange an electronic key231through a wireless sensing or transmission technology in a hotel20, The system comprises a reservation website10set though a server. The reservation website10is connected with a hotel server21of the hotel20through the internet and exchange an information to each other.

The user A can use a mobile device B to connect or login the reservation website10. The form of the mobile device B is not limited, the mobile device B can be a mobile phone or a mobile computer. The connection way of mobile device B and the reservation website10is also not limited, it may be using the mobile computer to browse the web-form-like reservation website10or using the mobile phone which downloaded a reservation app C that connects to the reservation website10.

Further, since the information exchange between the reservation website10and the reservation app C. When the user A executes the reservation app C to connect the reservation website10, the reservation website10shows one of rooms22in the hotel20, and the room22can accept a reservation. Therefore, the user A can book one of the rooms22of the hotel20on the reservation website10.

After the user A finishes the reservation of the room22on the reservation website10, a reservation voucher11, comprising a booking information of the user A, is formed by the server of the reservation website10. The reservation voucher11is then sent to the mobile device B and is preserved in the reservation app C. Wherein the booking information can be a coding that the user A can be verified by the coding of the reservation voucher11when check-in. Moreover, the reservation voucher11may be a list comprising a user name, a period of the reservation, a number/code of the room22, a notice, and a customer service contact method that the user A can learn the information related to the hotel20on the reservation voucher11directly.

On the other hand, an order X is formed by the server of the reservation website10and is sent to the hotel server21of the hotel20. Wherein the order X comprises a check-in information required for the hotel20when check-in. The check-in information may comprise a user name, a user gender, a user birthday, a user address, a user contact method, a user ID number/passport number, a user payment information, the period of the reservation, or the number/code of the room22and other any detailed messages. Further, the order X may also comprise the booking information of the reservation voucher11that the booking information may help the hotel server21to verify the reservation voucher11.

A lobby or other public spaces of the hotel20has an access point211connected to the hotel server21through wired/wireless signal connection. Each room22of the hotel20has an electronic lock23which corresponds to the room22. Preferably, the access point211is a Bluetooth-router, and the access point211can detect the mobile device B which is downloaded/executed the reservation app C in a sensing range. The access point211can exchange the information with the mobile device B in the sensing range.

The present invention further provides an overall operation process of the system of issuing an electronic key for reservation on booking, verifying the reservation voucher11, and exchanging the electronic key231, comprising steps of:

(S01) Booking the room22on the reservation website10.

The user A uses the mobile device B to execute the reservation app C, and then the mobile device B is connected to the reservation website10. After the user A finish the reservation of the room22, the reservation website10transmits the reservation voucher11and the order X to the reservation app C and the hotel server21simultaneously.

The hotel server21receives the order X which corresponds to the user A. The hotel server21verifies the room22and the period of the reservation by the check-in information of the order X, and confirms the identity of the user A and executes a check-in procedure through the check-in information such as the user's name, the user's gender, the user's birthday, the user's address, the user's contact method, the user's ID number/passport number, the user's payment information, and other details recorded on the order X.

Worthily to notice is that the system in accordance with the present invention completes the check-in procedure at the same time when the user A finishes the reservation of the room22. Further, the room22displayed on the reservation website10can be performed by a room type that the hotel server21may not limit a specific one of the rooms22with the order X when doing the check-in procedure. Thus, the hotel server21can arrange the suitable room22according to the currently situation when the user A arrives the hotel20.

(S02) Verifying the reservation voucher11and exchanging the electronic key231.

The user A arrives the hotel20with carrying the mobile device B, and enters the lobby or other public spaces of the hotel20where the access point211is installed. When the user A enters the sensing range and operates the reservation app C, the mobile device B can be connected with the access point211wirelessly by executing the reservation app C to access the hotel server21.

In the meantime, the hotel server21receives the connection of the user A though the access point211that enables the hotel server21and the reservation app C to exchange information and start the process of verifying reservation voucher11. First, the hotel server21checks if the order X is valid from examining the booking information of the reservation voucher11, that is, to check whether the user A has canceled the reservation on the reservation website10. If the order X is valid, the hotel server21then issues the electronic key231according to the check-in information of the order X (such as the room22and the period of the reservation). The cancellation of the reservation will be described in detail in the following paragraphs.

With the exchange process of the access point211and the reservation app C, the hotel server21also sends a detecting software S to the reservation app C. Preferably, the detecting software S is packaged in the electronic key231, so that the detecting software S can be transmitted to the reservation app C by with the electronic key231. The purpose of the detecting software S is renewing the electronic lock23of the room22, and the method for achieving to renew the electronic lock23will be described in detail in the following paragraphs.

The benefit for the user A with the process of verifying the reservation voucher11is that the hotel server21has already assisted the user A to complete the check-in procedure after the step (S01). The user A only needs to connect to the access point211via the reservation app C, the reservation app C and the access point211can automatically exchange the electronic key231corresponding to one of the rooms22by verifying the reservation voucher11, then the electronic key231can be stored in to the reservation app C. With the step (S2), it can prevent the user A from checking-in, confirming the identity or other procedures at the front desk, completely save the time on check-in procedure, and overcome the problem of not being able to enter the room immediately.

The advantage of verifying the reservation voucher11for the hotel20and the hotel server21is that the hotel20only needs to verify the reservation voucher11but not re-confirm the identity information of the user A. The hotel20can directly transmit the electronic key231corresponding to the electronic lock23of the hotel room22to the user A after verifying the reservation voucher11. Not only can help hotel20to make sure if the user A is arrived, but also can maintain the security with the method of issuing the electronic key231after verifying the reservation voucher11.

(S03) Unlocking the room22and detecting the electronic lock23.

After exchanging the electronic key231, the user A then may move to the room22and open the room22by the reservation app C. The user A executes the reservation app C and uses the electronic key231to sense the electronic lock23, then the room22can be unlocked. Also, the electronic lock23senses the detecting software S when sensing the electronic key231. At the time of the detecting software S being sensed, the detecting software S starts to detect the function of the electronic lock23. The detection of the detecting software S comprises confirming a level of the electronic lock23, examining the function of each element installed in the electronic lock23, or recording the activation efficiency of the electronic lock23.

When the detecting software S finishes the process of detecting the electronic lock23, a detecting result is formed and stored in the reservation app C. With every time the user A, carrying the mobile device B, crosses by the lobby or other public spaces of the hotel20and enters the sensing range of the access point211, the reservation app C may exchange the information with the access point211and send the detecting result to the access point211. Then, the access point211can further upload the detecting result to the hotel server21, so that the hotel server21can evaluate or take some measures according to the detection result, such as notifying a hotel attendant for repairs. In this way, the hotel20can update or detect its peripheral devices while the user A unlocking the electronic lock23, so the hotel20can be enabled to reduce labor costs effectively and achieve irregular monitoring.

The present invention further provides several preferred embodiments of the manner of the detecting software S detects the electronic lock23in the following paragraphs.

In one of embodiments, the detecting software S may be used to confirm the level of the electronic lock23. The detecting software S can use a comparing code which is packaged with the detecting software S to compare a level code which is stored in the electronic lock23, and to confirm whether the electronic lock23is upgraded to the latest level. No following action is required if the electronic lock23is at the latest level. On the contrary, if the electronic lock23is not met the latest level, the detecting software S can transmit an upgrade software through the reservation application C by wireless transmission that the electronic lock23can upgrade after loading.

In some embodiments, the detecting software S may be used to examine the function of each element installed in the electronic lock23. The detecting software S can detect the function of each element through wireless sensing, such as battery power, a circuit transmission performance of a chip in the electronic lock23, an efficiency of motor power in the electronic lock23, or am attrition rate of a mechanical part such as a gear or a bolt in the electronic lock.

Preferably, the detecting software S may be used to record an actuating efficiency of the electronic lock23. The detecting software S can record, through wireless sensing, an operation time from each time the electronic lock23sensing the electronic key231to the room22be unlocked or the number of times the electronic lock23failed to activate after sensing the electronic key231.

The present invention further provides one of the preferred embodiments of the cancellation of the reservation. After the user A executes the reservation app C to cancel the reservation, the reservation website10informs the hotel server21that the order X has been cancelled, then the hotel server21may invalidate the order X. Thus, if the user A is still trying to exchange the electronic key231by the reservation voucher11after the reservation has been canceled. The hotel server21can use the reservation voucher11to confirm the state of the order X, and refuses to issue the electronic key231to the user A after the order X has been invalid.

Moreover, the mobile device B is not limited to download the reservation app C to achieve the procedures of booking the room22on the reservation website10or verifying the reservation voucher11and exchanging the electronic key231in the present invention. For example, after the user A completes the reservation on the reservation website10, the reservation website10may send the reservation voucher11as a text message or email directly to the mobile device B to store. The mobile device B may use Bluetooth to exchange the electronic key231and detecting software S with the access point211directly when the user A arrives the hotel20. Similarly, the detecting software S can be packaged together with the electronic key231as an encryption key or a barcode and be sensed from the electronic lock23when unlocking.

Further, when the user A bringing the mobile device B enters the sensing range, the hotel server21may transmit an ad-software to the mobile device B, the ad-software may be downloaded to the reservation app C or directly loading an application program related to the hotel20on the mobile device B. The purpose of the ad-software is to provides the user A with a hotel information related to the hotel20.

In one of embodiments, the hotel information can be displayed in a pop-up advertisement in the reservation app C. The hotel information provides the user A with current activities, discounts or other information that should be noted about the hotel20. Thus, the user A can obtain the hotel information when exchanging the electronic key231, and help the hotel20to promote the hotel information.

Preferably, after the reservation app C downloading the ad-software, the hotel information may be formed as a picture, a background or a page and stored in the reservation app C. The reservation app C can be changed or be designed in various forms according to different requirements of the hotel server21and can help the reservation app C to be more customized.

Furthermore, the ad-software may be time-limited or network-domain limited, thus the ad-software can have time or regional restrictions when a related-event the hotel launching. For example, downloading of the ad-software is limited in the domain of the hotel server21, and the reservation app C or the mobile device B cannot show or download the ad-software when the user A is not at a location of the hotel.

Moreover, the hotel server21constantly monitors the electronic key231according to the check-in information of the order X to ensure the period of the reservation of the user A. For example, at each time the user A enters the sensing range, the hotel server21repeatedly confirms whether the order X is exceeds the period of the reservation through the information exchanging from the wireless access point211with the application C. If the order X is already invalided, exceeding the period of the reservation, the hotel server21then cancels the electronic key231issued to the user A and helps the user A to process the check-out procedure. Avoiding that the user A still holds the electronic key231when the period of the reservation is exceeded, and consolidating the security and privacy of the hotel20.

If the user A wants to check-out or change the room22, the user A can go to the counter or execute the reservation application C to make a request directly. The invention further using the user A executes the reservation application C as the example. When the user A wants to check-out, the reservation application C transmits the check-out request the user A requests to the hotel server21, and the hotel server21further cancels the order X and the electronic key231according to the check-out request. Similarly, when the user A wants to change the room22, the reservation application C transmits a room-changing requested by the user A to the hotel server21, and the hotel server21further re-arranges the order X, issues a new electronic key231corresponding to the other room22, and cancels the original electronic key231.

The present invention further provides a novel usage developed by the system of issuing a wireless key for reservation. It should be noted that when the step of verifying the reservation voucher11and exchanging the electronic key231(S02), the hotel server21checks the validity of the order X by using the reservation voucher11, rather than identifying the identity of the user A. Thus, after the user A finishes the step of booking the room22(S01) and get the reservation voucher11, the user A may further pass the room reservation voucher11to the other user A through the room reservation application C or the mobile device B. Then, the other user A can get the electronic key321from the hotel20by the reservation voucher11without identifying the personal information. The novel usage of the present invention can generate a service as a booking agent while maintaining the security for the hotel20.

Further, if the user A passes the room reservation voucher11to the mobile device B of the other user A but the mobile device B does not download the reservation app C. The mobile device B of the other user A may download the reservation app C automatically after the other user A receives or clicks the reservation app C, so that the other user A can connect or login the reservation website10/the reservation app C to use.