Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/01—Protocols
  • H04L67/02—Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
  • H04L67/01—Protocols
  • H04L67/10—Protocols in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a system for providing information and office automation services. It also targets a process for its implementation, as well as devices installed in local sites and included in this system. We are currently witnessing a considerable development in the use of the Internet in many sectors of activity as well as among individuals. Thanks to the proliferation of merchant sites and databases on the Web, professional and private users have access to remote resources which until now were difficult to access and electronic commerce is becoming a major issue.
• the first type of equipment by far the most widespread consists of millions of computers and personal or professional workstations connected to the Web
• the second type of equipment still not widespread but growing, consists of interactive Internet terminals located on public roads or in places with high traffic such as shopping centers, airports, stations, large hotels or halls of exhibition or congress centers.
• the interactive terminals currently on the market are designed with a major objective of equipment security in the face of risks of vandalism and degradation, and are therefore placed in "hardened” boxes offering the minimum of sensitive openings and fragile peripherals. , which constitutes an important obstacle for the development of the office automation function.
• the object of the invention is to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a system for providing information and office automation services which can target very varied installation configurations and use profiles, without the constraints inherent in the equipment intended to be installed on the public highway.
• This objective is achieved with a system for providing communication and office automation services including:
• devices for accessing information sources via one or more communication networks comprising means for issuing requests for access to these sources of information, and means for processing information received,
• each device installed in a local site further comprises means for carrying out a preliminary processing of a request for access to a source of information on the Web, made by a user of said device, these processing means prior cooperating with the request transmission means for directly transmitting the effective web address of the information source sought.
• the management server of this system is advantageously arranged to selectively transmit to local devices, via the communication network or networks, tools for pre-processing requests for access to information sources. It can also be designed to perform remote maintenance operations on local devices, to perform secure e-commerce operations on behalf of merchant sites or to manage online advertising operations for selected fleets of devices.
• a method is proposed for providing information and office automation services, implemented in the system according to the invention, comprising:
• management of access to sources of information from devices installed in local sites characterized in that it also includes prior processing of requests for access to a source of information on the Web, formulated by a user of said device, this prior processing leading to a direct transmission of the effective Web address of the information source sought.
• a communication and office automation apparatus implemented in a system for providing information and office automation services according to the invention, comprising means for transmitting requests for '' access to remote information sources, means for processing documents in electronic or paper form, and means for processing information received from said remote sources, characterized in that it further comprises means for pre-processing a request for access to a source of information on the Web, these pre-processing means cooperating with the request-issuing means for directly transmitting the effective web address of the source of information sought.
• This communication and office automation device can further comprise means for managing selective access to the communication and office automation means. It is advantageously possible to provide that the means of communication comprise means of radiocommunication or mobile communication.
• the information exchanged with the information sources can then be transmitted according to a wireless access protocol such as the WAP protocol or any other communication protocol available in the context of the Internet, in particular for UMTS type communication networks.
• a first family of communication and office automation devices according to the invention relates to devices installed in secure public or private enclosures, such as airports, administration halls or meeting rooms. congress or exhibition. These devices are not installed on public roads, they can include equipment such as color printers, and not thermal printers such as can be found on devices installed on public roads. They can be provided with a less solid and less reinforced box than for devices on the public highway because less exposed to acts of vandalism. We can also consider custom skins depending on the nature of the places in which they are installed.
• a second family of communication and office automation devices relates to devices intended to be installed in closed spaces such as bedrooms, living rooms, in hotels, communities, homes and residences. These devices may include television equipment which can be used as monitors for Internet communication and office functions. They can also receive a personalized covering, for example in the colors of the hotels which are equipped with it or in a style and decoration compatible with the room in which they are installed.
• a third family of communication and office automation devices according to the invention designated under the term of HOMEDESK TM, relates to devices of the same structure as devices of the ROOMDESK TM type, but intended to be installed in individuals, craftsmen, liberal professionals or small and medium-sized enterprises, for private or professional use.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of configuration of a system for providing communication and office automation services according to the invention
• FIG. 2 illustrates a first example schematic of internal structure of a communication and office automation device according to the invention, intended for secure public or semi-public places (INDESK TM)
• FIG. 3 illustrates a second schematic example of the internal structure of a communication and office automation device according to the invention, intended for enclosed spaces (ROOMDESK TM or HOMEDESK TM).
• FIG. 1 An exemplary embodiment of a system for providing communication and office automation services, at the same time as its operation and that of the communication and office automation devices equipping this system.
• This system S comprises, at a central site, a management server SG connected to the Web and, in a plurality of local sites, communication and office automation devices also connected to the Web via telecommunication networks and access providers.
• the management server includes, for example, modules for managing the fleet of devices, modules for remote maintenance of the devices, and modules for electronic commerce and selective distribution of electronic advertisements.
• the system according to the invention includes: a first fleet of devices ID1, ..., Idi, ..., Idm installed in secure or monitored public enclosures or sites, therefore excluding the public thoroughfare , a second fleet P2 of RDI devices, ..., Rdi, ..., RDk installed in closed spaces such as hotel rooms or lounges, and - a third fleet P3 of HDl devices, .. ., Hdi, ..., HDj installed with individuals or professionals.
• the devices of the PI park are connected to the Web via a first communication network, for example the switched telephone network, and via a first ISP access provider linked or not to the operator of the management server.
• the devices in the P2 fleet can be connected to the Web by a second FA2 access provider either via a second RN communication network, for example a digital network with integrated services (ISDN or ISDN) or via an RM wireless communication network.
• a second RN communication network for example a digital network with integrated services (ISDN or ISDN) or via an RM wireless communication network.
• ISDN digital network with integrated services
• RM wireless communication network such as a GSM or UMTS network with implementation of a communication protocol adapted to the network used, for example the WAP protocol.
• the communication and office automation devices thus connected can directly include a wireless communication module and the software functions associated with the communication protocol used, or else be connected to a mobile telephone capable of managing this protocol.
• the devices in the park P3 are for example connected to the Web via a third communication network RC and via the second access provider FA2.
• Each device in any of these three fleets or families of devices includes the following common components: a central unit card, one or more data storage units, a communication and Web connection unit, a user interface, for example of the touch screen type, allowing both the entry of commands and data and the visualization of information, printing equipment, document scanning equipment.
• Each device receives a set of software comprising: application software intended on the one hand to manage the functions of information processing and office automation, and on the other hand to manage the functions of communication on the Web and the exchanges with the server of management, one or more navigation software, and conventional or dedicated office software.
• a characteristic of the application software installed in the devices according to the invention lies in the fact that they are designed to carry out a preliminary processing of the requests sent by the users so as to directly send the web address corresponding to the relevant source of information. . It is thus a question of limiting the number of tedious and long “request / reception” round trips between the consultation station and the servers SI, ..., Si, ..., Sn.
• This local pre-processing can take various forms, such as local storage of a database containing a set of relevant links associated with a set of keywords, or use for example a set of drop-down menus following a new process which was the subject of a patent application filed concurrently.
• a first configuration ID corresponds to devices of the INDESK TM type, includes a central unit, a color printer, a scanner, a payment card reader, a communication unit including for example a modem, a screen touchscreen, an integrated keyboard and mouse set, and storage units, such as a hard disk and / or CD-ROM, receiving a navigation application performing the function of prior processing of requests, an application for managing the various components the device and conventional office applications such as a word processor or spreadsheet.
• a central unit In a second RD configuration shown in FIG. 2 and corresponding to a device belonging to the family of ROOMDESK TM or HOMEDESK TM type devices, a central unit, a color printer, a scanner, a web camera, a card reader are included. payment, complete digital television equipment, DVD player, audio unit including speakers, infrared keyboard and mouse, and storage units, such as a hard drive and / or CD-ROM, navigation application, management application and office automation applications.
• This configuration more particularly intended for a clientele of individuals or professionals, allows, in addition to the functions of access to the Internet resources and office automation mentioned above, uses of the WebTV TM and “Home Cinema” type (home theater).
• This device can be connected to a management server via an access provider either through a wired communication network, or through a radiocommunication or mobile communication network via a mobile telephone station connected to the device, for example a GSM type network, with the possibility of using the WAP protocol (Wireless Access Protocol) or even dedicated protocols associated with UMTS type communication networks.
• WAP protocol Wireless Access Protocol
• UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunication Services
• the use of radiocommunication technology with Internet communication protocols can be proposed for all of the communication and office automation devices according to the invention.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
• Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
• Computer And Data Communications (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9554014

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1999
  • 1999-12-30 FR FR9916705A patent/FR2803463A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 2000
  • 2000-12-29 AU AU25289/01A patent/AU2528901A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-12-29 EP EP00988957A patent/EP1247211A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2000-12-29 US US10/169,356 patent/US20030140096A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-12-29 WO PCT/FR2000/003584 patent/WO2001050340A2/fr not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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