FR3096485A1 - Digital ticket for the queue - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to making an appointment using telecommunications equipment, and in particular the following are provided: a transmission, by a reception terminal (B), of a signal comprising at least one piece of data representative of the number d 'order in a queue, - reception of this signal by a terminal (SP) carried by a user (UT) touching the terminal (B), by an intracorporeal communication via the user (UT), the terminal ( SP) thus receiving the aforementioned data representative of the sequence number in the queue, and - the reception terminal (B) being connected to a memory for example of a server (SER), an incrementation in this memory the order number in the queue, for a next user. Abstract figure: Figure 1

Description

Description Title of the invention: Digital ticket for queue Technical field

The present invention falls within the field of telecommunications devices for making automated appointments.

Prior technique

[0002] The crowds in administrations or in specialized shops can constitute a considerable waste of time for users who sometimes have to wait a long time to have an appointment with an adviser.

[0003] The current solution consists in allocating a serial number in a queue upon arrival of users, for example in the form of a numbered paper ticket, and displaying the current number of a user locally on a screen in the appointment area when an advisor is ready to greet them immediately.

[0004] This solution requires users to wait within sight of the screen for their number to appear.

In addition, this solution requires a supply of tickets, involving maintenance and paper waste.

Abstract 100051 The invention improves the situation.

100061 To this end, it proposes a method for making an appointment, the method comprising: - transmission, by a reception terminal, of a signal comprising at least one item of data representative of a serial number in a queue of waiting, - reception of said signal by a terminal carried by a user touching (or touching) the terminal, by intracorporeal communication via the user, the terminal thus receiving the data representative of the order number in the queue , and - the reception terminal being connected to a memory, an incrementation in the memory of the order number in the queue, for a next user.

100071 A method then allows the transmission to the user's terminal of data representative of a position in a queue, and therefore the equivalent of a queue ticket, by simply touching a thick headed.

Consequently, this current user is part of the queue, and therefore the order number in the queue can then be incremented for a following user.

100081 To this end, the user simply needs to touch the terminal and carry a terminal (a smartphone for example) with him, and thus receive a virtual order ticket in the queue, by intracorporeal communication.

According to one embodiment, the terminal, upon receipt of the aforementioned signal, displays on 2 a screen of the terminal for the user, data representative of the order number in the queue.

[0010] This representative datum may be a serial number in a queue.

In such an embodiment, the user can then simply present his terminal as a ticket in the manner of a digital ticket.

The aforementioned representative datum may, in a more sophisticated embodiment presented below, correspond to an appointment timestamp.

In general, this is data making it possible to identify the order of a user's appointment from a list of appointments made up.

[0011] In one embodiment, the terminal can animate a man-machine interface on the terminal to ask the user to validate the appointment setting.

[0012] The user can indeed view on the screen of his terminal the data representative of his order number in the queue and possibly accept it, and therefore validate the appointment proposal.

[0013] Therefore, the validation of the appointment by the user causes r incrementation in the aforementioned memory of the order number in the queue.

[0014] In one embodiment, the aforementioned memory stores a list containing a succession of order numbers of upcoming appointments, and adding a new appointment at the bottom of the list is accompanied by said incrementing of the number of order.

[0015] By this embodiment, a new order number can be available for a possible new user after the addition of an appointment in the queue.

[0016] In such an embodiment in particular, as a function of at least one current timestamp and estimated durations of successive appointments in the list, it is then possible to estimate an appointment timestamp for each user of the list down to a last user at the bottom of the list.

[0017] Thus, for example, it is possible to obtain an estimate of the timestamp of the start of each upcoming appointment by typically summing the estimated durations of the upcoming appointments, which precede the serial number of the appointment whose timestamp is to be estimated.

[0018] In such an embodiment, the appointment at the top of the list is deleted from the list upon receipt of a signal characterizing an end of this appointment at the top of the list.

The timestamps of the appointments of the users in the list are also updated each time the appointment at the top of the list is deleted.

[0019] Such an updating of timestamps is thus carried out at the effective end of an appointment.

Similarly, in the event of a cancellation of an appointment, the timestamps are updated to advance the scheduled timestamps of future appointments.

For example, the aforementioned signal can typically be obtained via a computer device (laptop PC, tablet, smartphone or other) available to an adviser who informs of the end of the appointment that he supervises. 3

[0020] In one embodiment, the signal emitted by the home also includes an identifier of a server in a first network to which the terminal is connected (for example a radiofrequency local area network), and the terminal, upon receipt of this signal, transmits to the server contact details of the terminal in a second network (for example the cellular network, internet or other).

[0021] Indeed, the first network can be a local wireless network to establish a first connection between the server and the terminal, while the second network can be more extensive to make it possible to contact the terminal without depending on the area covered by the first local network.

The user of the terminal can then leave this zone and have a notification on his terminal (via the second network) that an appointment timestamp has been granted to him.

For example, he can be notified that his appointment is scheduled in an hour.

Alternatively, in one embodiment, the first and the second network can be the same, and typically the user can wait in the same area until receiving a delay notification close to his appointment.

In one embodiment, the memory (which may for example be a memory of the aforementioned server) stores a list containing a succession of order numbers of upcoming appointments, in correspondence of contact details of respective terminals .

[0023] Such an embodiment makes it possible, for example, to use the contact details of each terminal to notify it of any information about its future appointment (advisor's name, service confirmation, etc.).

[0024] In one embodiment, the use of the contact details of the user terminals of the list makes it possible to transmit to each terminal the estimated appointment timestamp for the user of this terminal.

[0025] Such an embodiment makes it possible in particular to transmit a new updated timestamp according to the effective durations of the end of appointments or cancellations, to each user of the list.

It is for example possible to contact a user from the list by SMS type message or other to inform him of a possible withdrawal of a previous user in the list, or to alert the user when the queue has progressed within five people, for example, of the current user's serial number.

[0026] In one embodiment, a particular touch gesture by the user on the terminal generates an associated form of the signal that the terminal receives, and characterizes a choice by the user of a type of appointment from among a predetermined set of appointment types, and the terminal associates with the form of the signal received an identifier corresponding to the type of appointment chosen by the user.

[0027] A touch gesture on the terminal can therefore be associated with a type of appointment.

The user can therefore choose a type of appointment according to his movement of the hand on the terminal (a circle, a square, etc.), or even according to the duration of the touch on the terminal, or again according to a number of successive taps of the terminal in a given time interval, etc.

[0028] Each type of appointment having a predetermined average duration, a timestamp of upcoming appointments is calculated according to the type of appointment chosen and for each associated order number of the list.

In an exemplary embodiment, each type of appointment is displayed on a screen connected to the terminal, in a menu which can be scrolled down after a predetermined time delay during which the hand touches the terminal, and a touch duration of the terminal by the user characterizes the user's choice of an appointment type among the predetermined set of appointment types that scroll on the screen.

[0030] The present invention also relates to a system for making appointments, comprising a reception terminal, a terminal able to communicate with this terminal by intracorporeal communication, and a device comprising a processing unit for the implementation at least of the incrementation in the memory of the sequence number in the queue.

[0031]According to another aspect, a computer program is proposed comprising instructions for the implementation of all or part of a method as defined above when this program is executed by a processor (at least r aforementioned incrementation of the sequence number in the queue after each new allocation of a sequence number to a user).

In another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

Thus, by this invention the fluidity of making appointments can be increased.

It suffices for this purpose to transmit through the body of a user a signal containing a queue order number interpretable by a mobile terminal carried by the user.

This signal is transmitted by intra-body communication or “IBC” (for “Intra-Body-Communication”).

In addition, by interpreting a particular physical interaction of the user with the terminal, it is possible for the latter to choose a relevant type of appointment according to his needs.

In addition, it is possible to no longer wait at the meeting place because the information relating to the evolution of the schedule of an appointment can be transmitted remotely to the user's mobile terminal.

The invention also reduces maintenance costs compared to a solution using physical tickets (paper or plastic).

Such an embodiment provides a digital queue manager with an interface that can be simple and ergonomic.

Brief description of the drawings

[0034] Other characteristics, details and advantages will appear on reading the detailed description below, and on analyzing the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1

[0035] [fig.1] shows a presentation of at least one terminal B according to one embodiment in a commonly used environment associated with elements allowing the implementation of the method above in an embodiment presented here as an example.

Fig. 2

[0036] [fig.2] shows different steps of a method according to one embodiment for assigning an appointment to a user UT interacting with a terminal B.

Fig. 3a

[0037] [fig.34 shows according to one embodiment a diagram representing an amplitude of an intracorporeal communication signal between a terminal B and a terminal SP during a time interval, to define a type of appointment requested by the user.

Fig. 3b

[0038] [fig.313] shows an intracorporeal near-field communication signal which, according to one embodiment, presents a variation over time of its amplitude which can be induced by a variation of the physical contact between the terminal B and by example the hand of the user UT, according to a particular gesture of the user defining a type of appointment requested by the user, according to an alternative to the embodiment of FIG. 3a.

Fig. 3rd

[0039] [fig.3c] shows different steps in an alternative embodiment of the embodiments of FIGS. 3a and 3b, where the duration of the intracorporeal communication between the terminal B and the terminal SP determines the type of appointment requested by the UT user.

Fig. 4

[0040] [fig.4] shows a list LIST comprising, according to one embodiment, information relating to appointments requested by users UT.

Fig. 5

[0041] [fig.5] shows a possible form of content of a message that the terminal SP transmits to the server SER after the user wearing this terminal has touched terminal B.

Fig. 6

[0042] Ifig.6] schematically shows a CT processing unit structure for the implementation of part of the steps of the method according to FIG. 2 in particular for delivering the list of FIG. 4 (this CT processing unit being provided for example 6 in the SFR server or in the terminal B in the embodiments presented below where it itself plays the role of server).

Description of embodiments

[0043] The drawings and the description below contain, for the most part, elements of certain character.

They may therefore not only serve to better understand this disclosure, but also contribute to its definition, where applicable.

[0044] Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which presents a system SYST according to the invention, comprising a communication network LAN connecting at least one terminal B, a server SER, and computer devices PC1 to PCN (for example computers, tablets, or other, available to people likely to advise the UT user during the appointment).

Furthermore, the user UT carries on him a terminal SP (of the smartphone, tablet or other type) able to receive the NEC waves and the terminal B can enter into intracorporeal communication (carried by the user UT) with the user's SP terminal.

To this end, the terminal B comprises a touch screen on which the user UT can place his hand or perform a manual gesture on the screen.

In one embodiment here, the fact that the user UT touches the screen can cause: - the emission of a near field signal or NEC (for “Near Field Communication”) from the terminal B towards the hand of the user UT, - the circulation of this near-field signal by intracorporeal communication from the user UT to the terminal SP, - the reception of this signal NEC by the terminal SP for its reading and the interpretation of its content ( for example a succession of redundant frames as will be seen below with reference to FIG. 3a).

An NEC intracorporeal communication emitted by the terminal B is carried out thanks to the IBC technology, for “Intra-Body-Communication”.

In a general sense, this IBC technology allows the transmission of an electrical signal, radio frequency (for example here of the NEC type), but also possibly ultrasonic, through an in-vivo biological substrate, a human body for example, without a primarily damage it.

As indicated above, the terminal SP can be a multifunction mobile (commonly a "smartphone"), or even a tablet, or any type of connected device likely to be worn by the user UT, of the connected watch type. , connected glasses or other.

Thus, the terminal SP can communicate by intracorporeal communication with the terminal (for example by radio frequency signal of the NEC type).

The terminal SP has for this purpose an NFC signal reception module, making it possible at least to receive an intracorporeal NEC signal coming from the terminal B.

Furthermore, each terminal SP is deemed to be associated with a given user UT.

A 7th order number in a queue granted to a terminal SP corresponds to a “digital ticket” granted to the user carrying this terminal SP, as will be seen later with reference to FIG. 2.

In addition, the SP terminal can be associated with one or more #SP connection identifiers.

The identifier #SP of a terminal allows a third-party communication device to communicate information to the user UT via his terminal SP, for example to communicate to the user information relating to the appointment.

This #SP identifier can be an MSISDN type telephone number in the cellular network, or even an address in a local network communication (via Wifi or Bluetooth or other), the identifier of an APP application of the terminal, or the identifier of an account of the user UT associated with the terminal SP (email address type, or customer account number), or other.

Thus, as will also be seen later with reference to Figure 2, the server SER can use this identifier #SP to communicate with the terminal SP (via the LAN network or even via another network, possibly extended) .

[0051] In addition, the home B can communicate with the server SER via the LAN network, in particular to receive updates of a list LIST containing information relating to appointments previously made by users preceding a current user. UT, carrier of the current terminal SP.

For example, this updated list makes it possible to determine a following sequence number ORDn in a queue, if the last sequence number in the list is ORDn-1, as will be seen later with reference to the figure 2.

The local area network LAN allows the connection of the elements of the system SYST (terminal B, server SER, etc.).

El can be a wired local network (for example Ethernet, USB, or other) to connect in particular the terminal B and the server SER, and/or even wireless (for example Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other) in particular for a communication of the terminal SP with the server SER or other.

[0053] Alternatively, it may be an extended network (for example a computer cloud - known by the English term "Cloud" -, a GSM or GPRS mobile telephone network, or a 3G mobile internet network, 4G).

The LAN network can also comprise a combination of local networks.

It is possible, for example, to provide several local area networks LAN (each connected to a terminal B and possibly one or more computer devices PCI, PC2, PCN), and one local area network LAN per meeting area, as well as an extended network interconnecting these different LAN networks with a single SER server connected to the wide area network to manage the different appointment schedules of all the respective appointment areas.

The server SER is in fact arranged to store and process the information from the system SYST relating at least to making appointments.

The server SER comprises at least one memory, one processor and one clock (FIG. 6 commented on below).

The server SER stores among other things in its memory the list LIST (and in particular the instruction data of a computer program making it possible to execute the steps of the method within the meaning of the invention when these instructions are executed by a processor of the server) .

The clock CLK of the server SER makes it possible to associate appointment times HRDVn with queue order numbers ORDn.

The server SER can also communicate via the LAN network with devices connected to the LAN network to possibly give these devices access to the aforementioned list LIST (to read and/or write data).

It should also be noted that the server SER and the home B can be integrated into the same device forming a gateway to a local area network LAN for other equipment (in particular PCi, PCN devices).

[0056] The computer devices PC1, PCi, PCN make it possible to collect information on the progress of at least one appointment.

According to one embodiment, the computing devices can be connected terminals used by advisers.

The advisors taking charge of the UT users, inform on a PCi computer device in particular the end time of the appointment noted following each appointment.

A computing device PCi can transmit, via the LAN network, information on the end time of the appointment to be processed by the server SER.

Thus, a computer device PCi makes it possible to collect, for example, the actual end time of a current appointment.

This then allows the server SER to update the list LIST with a new estimated time, more precise, for the appointment of a current user UT, and generally for all the users.

For example, a PCi computer device can be a fixed computer with dedicated software, a multifunction mobile terminal having a dedicated application, a dedicated touch system, an electromechanical push button, or other.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2 to explain how to assign an appointment to a user UT and send him a digital ticket on his associated terminal SP.

The method below refers to the equipment illustrated in Figure 1 by way of example.

Nevertheless, it is understood that this method can alternatively be implemented by equipment other than that illustrated in FIG.

For example, a plurality of reception terminals B can be provided for a plurality of respective users UT, these terminals operating in parallel while being connected to the same server SER.

[0060] At step If the server SER transmits to terminal B, via the LAN network, a list LIST of the various appointments already made and pending.

This transmission comprises according to one embodiment at least one order number of the next appointment to be assigned ORDn.

It is thus assumed that the last appointment made in the list has an order ORDn-1 in the queue (in any case for the same type of appointment requested from an advisor as described later).

[0061] In step S2, a user interacts with the reception terminal B, generally by coming into physical contact with the terminal B, for example by placing his hand on the screen of the terminal B for a few seconds then removing it.

Optionally, according to one embodiment, the user can choose a SIGN NFC physical interaction with the terminal (for example tapping it K times with K between 1 and M, to recognize a type of appointment associated with the integer K among M types of possible appointments).

Terminal B continuously generates a near-field radiofrequency signal (NFC), this signal comprising frames which may be identical and which follow one another.

Each frame includes at least: - a current sequence number ORDn in the queue (which the server SER communicates to it or which the terminal B deduces from the list which the server SER sends it), - possibly an identifier of the application APP so that the application APP launches automatically upon receipt of this radiofrequency signal, and optionally a MAC address @SER of the server SER (for example a MAC address of the server SER in the local area network LAN).

When the user UT contacts the home B, the signal comprising these frames is transmitted to the terminal SP by intracorporeal communication.

The terminal SP receives these frames and interprets them.

Already, in a first embodiment, upon receipt of these frames, in step S3, an application APP preinstalled in the terminal SP can launch to display on a screen of the terminal the current order number ORDn that the terminal communicated.

The user UT can view this order number on his terminal SP and wait at the meeting place until he is received by an adviser.

In this first embodiment at least, a display screen can be provided on the appointment zone to display the order number ORDj which is the subject of a last appointment in progress with an adviser, the current user UT then waits until the screen displays the order number ORDn.

Alternatively, in this embodiment, the application APP can display on the screen of the terminal SP both the number ORDn assigned to the current user UT and the last number ORDj currently processed by an adviser, to allow the UT user to measure the time remaining before his appointment.

This number ORDj can be transmitted in the frames of the NFC signal.

This embodiment makes it possible to dispense with a display screen in the meeting area.

In a more sophisticated embodiment, at step S4, the application APP can offer the user to validate this current order number ORDn (OK arrow at the output of the test S4) or to reject it ( KO arrow at the end of the S4 test).

If the user validates it, in step S6, the terminal SP can transmit to the address @SFR (to the server SER) its MSISDN number, for example #SP, with the order number ORDn.

Thus, at step S7, the server SER can begin an update of the list of pending appointments by incrementing the order ORDn (to ORDn+1) since the order ORDn has been accepted by the user UT.

Of course, if in step S4, the user rejects the appointment proposal with order ORDn, this update is not performed and in step S5, the same current order number ORDn can be assigned to the next terminal user.

In an optional but advantageous embodiment, at step S8, the server SER can more precisely calculate an update of the list LIST by estimating the time taken by the pending appointments of the list, and give an estimate of the appointment time to be expected for the order ORDn of the list.

To this end, in one embodiment, the way that the user UT has of interacting with the terminal (step S20 of FIG. 2) can provide information on the type of appointment requested by the user. user UT and, from there, determine a possible duration of this appointment.

Indeed, with reference to FIG. 3a, if in step S20, the terminal SP receives a given number K of bursts of successive TR frames (K=3 in the example illustrated in FIG. 3a), because the user has tapped the terminal B a number K of times for a duration less than a predetermined duration At, the application APP recognizes this number K as corresponding to a desired type of appointment among M possible types of appointments.

The application APP can then send in step S6 to the server SER an identifier of the type of appointment requested by the user UT so that the server calculates a corresponding average appointment duration and this being done for all the appointments from the list LIST Thus, the server SER is able to determine appointment times HRDVn for each appointment in the list.

In particular when a PCi device available to an adviser sends an end of appointment message to the server SER, the latter is also able to update the list LIST with an adjustment of the scheduled appointment times.

Of course, the type of physical interaction of the user UT with the terminal B can allow variations.

Alternatively, with taps and numbers of taps on terminal B, the user can for example draw circles with his hand.

Thus, as illustrated in Figure 3b, the resulting signal may consist of a substantially cyclic variation in its amplitude (two cycles consisting of a given type of appointment, three cycles of another type of appointment, etc., or again a quarter circle, a semi-circle, etc. corresponding to respective types of appointments).

Here, an NFC transmitter can be provided at a point of the circular or rectangular route and the removal/approach of the user's hand UT from this transmitter creating a decrease/increase in the signal over a duration At, which can be interpreted the APP application of the SP terminal.

[0070] The aforementioned types of appointments can be, for example, different administrative services, such as: - passport renewal, - identity card renewal, - issuance of a resident card, etc.

According to an embodiment illustrated by FIG. 3c, headings specific to each of the M possible types of appointments can be displayed (for example on a screen connected to home B).

The different types of appointments offered, such as those presented previously, can for example be displayed on the screen in a drop-down menu, in step 531.

This menu can scroll for example in a loop as long as the user UT is in physical contact with terminal B.

Contact with terminal B by the user is here detected in step S32 via a sensor placed on the touch screen of terminal B.

When the user breaks contact with terminal B, the touch screen sensor no longer detects contact and the current item in the drop-down menu freezes on the screen, so that the last NFC frames sent by the terminal relate to this last section (and to the type of associated appointment), as described in detail below.

[0072] In fact, each type of appointment K among M is displayed on the screen for a predetermined duration hereinafter referred to as “timeout”.

The operating principle of this time delay is as follows.

For example, for a first type of appointment, the following steps are carried out in parallel:

- As the contact of the hand of the user UT is detected by the sensor in step S33 of Figure 3c, the timer continues;

As long as the time delay continues, step S35 loops to step S33, and therefore step S34 is continuously active;

- During this step S34, the frames of the NFC signal transmitted by the terminal B include, in addition to the order number ORDn, at least one identifier #R1 associated with the first type of appointment.

For example, the terminal can incorporate a processor comprising a clock or be connected to any clock means.

When the timeout period is reached, if the user is still in contact with terminal B, the drop-down menu displayed on the screen presents the next menu item according to a second type of appointment (then going from step S35 to step S36 of Fig. 3c).

This processing then applies for each type of appointment in the drop-down menu, so that terminal B successively delivers frames with respective identifiers 12 of different types of appointments #R1, #R2, #R3 , etc. as long as the user's hand is placed on the terminal (for example a succession of frames lasting three seconds with the identifier #R1, then three following seconds with the following identifier #R2, etc.

When the user breaks contact with terminal B, the APP application of the terminal SP reads the last identifier #RK received from the terminal by intracorporcllc NFC communication, and can then control, for example, a display of the type of appointment. you selected K on terminal SP for user UT.

Thus, in the message that the terminal transmits to the server SER in step S6 of FIG. 2 (following the acceptance of the appointment by the user OK-54), the terminal can add the last identifier #RK received from terminal B.

This identifier #RK relating to a type of appointment makes it possible to determine an average duration of this type of appointment and from there estimate the different successive durations of appointments to give to a last current user (having the last validated queue order ORDn) a timestamp of its appointment, as presented below in detail with reference to step S8 of FIG. 2.

It will of course be understood that the server SER has for this purpose a memory storing a database matching an average duration by type of appointment (30 minutes for #R1 15 minutes for #R2, etc.).

An alternative embodiment is described below in which the contact sensor on terminal B is not necessary (nor moreover the display screen of the drop-down menu).

Provision is initially made in a memory (lu terminal SP for the storage, with the application APP, of: - durations of the NFC signal received from the terminal or, equivalently, of numbers of frames successively received from the terminal B without interruption, - matching appointment type identifiers #R1, #R2, etc.

[0081] Thus, when the user touches terminal B, he can count a certain number of seconds for an appointment duration corresponding to this duration.

The application APP can be executed on the terminal SP to ask the user to confirm the type of appointment determined by the terminal SP on its side (by counting the number of frames received for example) and thus, the terminal SP is able to send the identifier #RK of the type of appointment chosen to the server SER.

With reference to FIG. 5, the NFC intracorporeal communication frames TR transmitted by the terminal B comprise at least one field with data representative of the order number ORDn which will be assigned to the current user.

Insofar as in step 56 the terminal SP may need to communicate with the server SER, the frame may also contain the address @SER of the server in the network.

According to the embodiment shown in Figure 3c, this frame may be different.

13 It can also contain the #RK identifier of the type of appointment desired.

This #RK identifier is read by the APP application.

Once the identifier #RK and the order number ORDn have been validated by the user UT, they are then sent by the terminal SP to the server SER using the address @SER.

Here, among other things, the server SER can estimate the duration of the appointment in question.

[0084] Referring again to FIG. 2, once the duration of each appointment has been estimated, at step S8 the server SER is able to estimate a possible appointment time HRDVn for the order passage ORDn of the current user UT.

Thus, in step S9, a final check can be made that the user UT indeed accepts the appointment and in particular this timestamp HRDVn.

To this end, the server SER uses the contact details #SP of the terminal to send the terminal SP the thus scheduled time of the appointment HRDVn, in order to request via the APP application whether or not the user UT accepts this timetable HRDVn (test S10).

If this schedule is accepted, at step S11, the server updates the list LIST by adding this new entry relating to the user UT.

[0085] With reference to FIG. 4, this list LIST can then include: the order number in the queue ORDn; - the contact details #SPn of the terminal SP of the user UT having validated this number ORDn; - the HRDVn timestamp scheduled for the appointment of this UT user; - the type of appointment requested which can be illustrated by a number of taps (TAPj) as explained previously with reference to figure 3a, or even a duration of resting the hand on the terminal as explained previously with reference to figure 3c (#RK), or else a recognized path of the hand on the terminal as presented with reference to FIG. 3b.

Referring now to Figure 6, the above process in particular for establishing the list LIST and updating it (at least the updating of the order number ORD in the queue (the waiting) can be implemented by a device (for example a server SER, or even a terminal B) integrating a processing unit CT comprising: - an input interface IN, to receive from the terminal SP, the validation of the current order ORDn (step S6); - a memory unit MEM for temporarily storing at least the list LIST and in particular instructions of a computer program within the meaning of the invention, - a processor PROC for cooperating with the memory MEM, and thus execute the program instructions to implement the method according to at least certain steps illustrated in FIG. 2 and/or FIG. 3c, - a clock CLK for temporally determining the timestamps HRDVn; 14 - an output interface OUT in particular for communicate to the terminal SP a scheduled appointment timestamp.

Of course, part of the instructions of the aforementioned program can also be stored in a memory of the terminal SP (for the execution of the aforementioned application APP by a processor of the terminal SP).

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of examples; it extends to other variants.

Thus, for example, a server SER cooperating with terminal B has been described above.

However, a device within the meaning of the invention may consist more simply of a single terminal B, equipped with: - an input interface IN comprising a touch detector (for example a surface acoustic wave touch screen, which consumes little energy ), - a memory MEM storing a current order ORDn to be incremented each time a user touches the touchpad by the interface IN, this memory MEM also storing instructions of a computer program also at the meaning of the invention, - of a FROC processor capable of executing these instructions to increment the order ORDn on detection of a touch on the touch screen, and send frames successively with this incremented order number, via - an output interface OUT by NFC communication for example.

Thus, it will be understood that the device within the meaning of the invention can be a terminal as described here, in a minimal embodiment, or even the addition of a server SER to a terminal B, in a mode of more sophisticated embodiment described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2 in particular.

Of course, the terminal SP comprising in particular the application APP allowing in particular communication with the terminal and/or the server, as well as the display on the screen of the terminal for the user UT, is also part of the elements covered by the present invention.

This terminal can in particular be part of a system further comprising at least terminal B, within the meaning of the invention. 15

Claims (1)

CLAIMS [Claim I] Method implemented by telecommunications equipment, for making an appointment, the method comprising: - a transmission, by a reception terminal (B), of a signal comprising at least one datum representative of an order number in a queue (ORDn), - reception of said signal by a terminal (SP) carried by a user (UT) touching the terminal (B), by intracorporeal communication via the user ( UT), the terminal (SP) thus receiving the data representative of the order number in the queue (ORDn), and - the reception terminal (B) being connected to a memory (MEM), an increment in the memory (MEM) of the order number in the queue (ORDn), for a next user. [Claim 2] Method according to claim 1, in which the terminal (SP), on reception of the said signal, displays on a screen of the terminal (SP) for the user (UT), data representative of the serial number in the queue (ORDn). [Claim 3] Method according to one of Claims 1 and 2, in which the terminal (SP) animates a man-machine interface on the terminal (SP) to ask the user (UT) to validate the appointment . [Claim 4] Method according to Claim 3, in which the validation of the appointment setting by the user (UT) causes the said incrementation in the memory (MEM) of the order number (ORDn) in the queue of waiting. [Claim 5] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the memory (MEM) stores a list (LIST) containing a succession of order numbers of upcoming appointments, and an addition of a new appointment. you at the bottom of the list is accompanied by said increment of the order number (ORDn). [Claim 6] Method according to claim 5, in which, according to at least one current timestamp and. of estimated durations of successive appointments in the list, an appointment timestamp (HRDVn) is estimated for each user of the list (UT) up to a last user at the bottom of the list. [Claim 7] Method according to claim 6, in which the appointment at the top of the list (LIST) is deleted from the list (LIST), upon receipt of a signal characterizing an end of this appointment at the top of list, and in which the timestamps of appointments (HRDVn) of the users 16 (UT) of the list (LIST) are updated each time the appointment at the top of the list is deleted. [Claim 8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the signal emitted by the terminal (B) further comprises an identifier (@SER) of a server (SER) in a first network to which the terminal is connected (SP), and the terminal (SP), upon receipt of said signal by intracorporeal communication, transmits to the server (SER) contact details of the terminal in a second network (#SP). [Claim 9] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the memory (MEM) stores a list (LIST) containing a succession of order numbers of upcoming appointments, in correspondence of contact details of respective terminals (#SP). [Claim 10] Method according to Claim 9 taken in combination with one of Claims 6 and 7, further comprising using the contact details (#SP) of the user terminals (UT) of the list to transmit at each terminal (SP) r estimated rendezvous timestamp for the terminal cc user. [Claim 11] Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which a touch gesture by the user (UT) on the terminal (B) generates an associated form of the signal received by the terminal (SP), characterizing a choice of the user (UT) of a type of appointment from among a predetermined set (the types of appointments), and the terminal (SP) associates with the form of the received signal an identifier corresponding to the type of appointment chosen by [Claim 12] Method according to Claim 11 taken in combination with one of Claims 6 and 7, in which, each type of appointment having a predetermined average duration, a timestamp of upcoming appointments ( HRDVn) is calculated as a function of the type of appointment chosen, for each order number (ORDn) associated with the list (LIST) [Claim 13] Method according to one of Claims 11 and 12, in which each type of appointment is displayed on a screen connected to the terminal (B), in a drop-down menu after a predetermined time delay, and a duration of the touch of the terminal (B) by the user (UT) characterizes the user's choice (UT) of an appointment type from among the predetermined set of appointment types. [Claim 14] Computer program comprising instructions for implementing the method according to one of the preceding claims when this program is executed by a processor. System for making appointments, comprising a reception terminal (B), a terminal (SP) able to communicate with the terminal by intracorporeal communication, and a device (SER; B) comprising a processing unit for implementing at least the incrementation in the memory (MEM) of the order number in the queue (ORDn).