GB2191025A

GB2191025A - Computer system

Info

Publication number: GB2191025A
Application number: GB08711895A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Arthur Walsh
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-05-20
Filing date: 1987-05-20
Publication date: 1987-12-02
Also published as: GB8612289D0; GB8711895D0

Abstract

A computer system for providing self-service access to job vacancy information has a central control computer in which such information is stored under job category. The job categories fall under job headings which are indexed at remote terminals (14). The latter have coin- freed mechanism and, upon insertion of money or money's worth, display a selected heading and the job categories thereunder. The user can then select a desired category to obtain a display of the job vacancy information in that category. A print- out of the job vacancy information may be obtained. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Computer system The present invention relates to computer#s and more particularly to a computer system having a control computer and a plurality of remote terminals.

In the field of advertising job vacancies, the storage and retrieval of computerised information relating to job vacancies has been confined to use within employment agencies because the agency has to keep sufficient control over placing of advertisements to enable it to recoup its expenditure and make a profit.

Thus a prospective employee is not given access to the computer himself and only those prospective employess are reached who either visit or enquire from the employment agency or read newspapers, magazines and other periodicals where advertisements have been placed.

Because many prospective employees only read their favourite periodicals and do not visit or write to employment agencies, there is likelihood of information relating to job vacancies not reaching those for whom the job would be suitable. Furthermore, advertising job vacancies in nationally distributed newspapers and other periodicals is not cost effective when the employer wishes to offer the vacancy to a prospective employee who presently resides within commuting distance of the place of future employment.

According to the present invention, a computer system comprises a control computer, a plurality of remote terminals and links between each remote terminal and the control computer, each remote terminal including an input keyboard, an instruction display and a coinfreed mechanism for enabling the terminal to be used in accordance with the displayed instructions.

The term "coin freed mechanism" is to be construed in its broadest sense to include not only a mechanism or device adapted to be freed by coins of the realm but also a mechanism or device adapted to be freed by tokens or monetary notes or by bankers cards or credit cards, the object being to ensure that the user of the terminal pays for such use without involving any third party at the remote terminal.

The instruction display will usually be on a program-controlled screen which also displays information desired to be seen by the user upon the latter operating the terminal in accordance with the displayed instructions.

In one preferred embodiment, the main computer is preferably programmed to make available at each remote terminal information relevant only to that terminal, particularly having regard to its location. Alternatively the main computer may be programmed to make available at a remote terminal information relevant to an area or region stipulated by the user of that terminal. In the case of information pertaining to job vacancies, the user would be required to stipulate the area or region in which he resides or wishes to reside, before the information can be displayed. It would be up to the advertiser to say in respect of which areas or regions he would wish the job vacancy information to be displayed. The advertiser therefore has the possibility, if he so wishes, of preventing job vacancy information from reaching persons who will reside outside predetermined areas or regions.

In one embodiment, a remote terminal comprises several terminal units each having a respective input keyboard and a respective display panel. The program is preferably such that each such terminal unit can only display information of a selected kind. The user therefore chooses the terminal unit adapted to display the information in which he is interested.

This reduces the risk of the user, by mistake, paying for information in which he is not interested. Thus, in the case of job vacancies, the vacancies would be broken down into various categories of job titles and each category would be unique to a respective terminal unit at each remote location.

In another embodiment, at least one of the remote terminals has a single screen and an operator keyboard associated therewith. Such a remote terminal can be provided with a telephone handset and the user can "dial" into the control computer via the appropriate telephone network. There is no need to provide a dial or keyboard dedicated to the telephone as the operator keyboard can be designed for such use.

The remote terminals may be provided with printers to enable the user to obtain a printout of the information in which he is interested. In the case of a remote terminal which comprises several terminal units, a single printer common to all such units may be provided.

The invention is further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, Fig.2 is a perspective view of one remote terminal of the system of Fig.1, and Fig.3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of remote terminal.

Referring to Fig.1, a central control computer 10 is connected by data transmission links 12 to a number of remote terminals 14 only one of which is shown. The transmission links 12 may comprise cables, radio links or a combination of both. They need not be permanent links inasmuch as ordinary telephone links can be established as and when required with the use of commercially available mo dems.

The computer systems shown in the drawings are intended for the dissemination of information relating to job vacancies. The central control computer 10 is installed in the premises of an employment agency or is at least under the control of such agency.

For convenience, job vacancies may be broken down into several categories, each of which is treated entirely separately so far as the potential job applicant is concerned. Such categories may, for example, be: 1) Building, i.e. Joinery, Timber, Brick, Plumbing, Stone.

2) Engineering: Motor Trade, Paint, Machine Tools 3) Food 4) Computers 5) Furnishing 6) Miscellaneous The central control unit is used for input of the program and the base information. Such base information consists of details of the vacancy to be advertised, the job category, the job title within that category and the area or areas for which the vacancy is to be advertised. Additionally, the central control unit can be used for keeping the stored information upto-date and for preparing invoices for dispatch to advertisers. Furthermore, the central control unit can be used for storing such information, such as names and addresses, which the potential job applicant may be required to enter at a remote terminal in order to gain access to the job vacancies stored in the computer.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, each remote terminal 14 comprises a number of separate terminal units 16, of which six are shown by way of example and are numbered 1 to 6. These numbers correspond to the six job categories enumerated above. Each terminal unit 16 has a console 18 comprising a display screen 20 for displaying instructions and information and a keyboard 22 for entering instructions. A fixed panel 24 above the console 18 gives the name of the job category to which the terminal unit belongs and a board 26 below the console lists the job descriptions appertaining to that job category. It is preferable for an index (not shown) of job categories to be displayed separately to enable the potential job applicant to ascertain the correct category more easily.

Each terminal unit 16 incorporates a coinfreed mechanism (not shown) and is provided with a coin slot 30. Usually the coin-freed mechanism will be designed to take one or several coins of the realm but it may additionally or alternatively be designed to take tokens or bank notes. In an alternative embodiment, the coin-freed mechanism may be designed to accept a machine-readable bankers card or cash card and to debit the card holder's account accordingly. A coin return button 32 and a coin return tray 34 are also provided.

The remote terminals 14 are intended to be installed at locations which are likely to be frequented by job seekers. Such locations would include motorway service stations, shopping centres, public transport waiting rooms, etc.

In use of the system by the potential job applicant, the latter must first ascertain in which category the job he is seeking would lie. He then chooses the corresponding terminal unit 16. In the stand-by mode, the screen 20 would display a simple instruction, such as "please check that the job in which you are interested is one of those listed directly below and then insert coins to the value of X".

When the coins have been inserted, further instructions appear to enable the user to access the information on the job vacancies in which he might be interested. The user may be able to ascertain how many, if any, vacancies are advertised under a given heading. Up to this point, the user may have the option of obtaining return of his money by pressing the button 32. Thus, should there be too few or no jobs advertised under the chosen heading or headings, the enquiry can be aborted by pressing the button 32 and the potential job applicant has not been put to any expense.

Should the user wish to continue, he operates the keyboard 22 in the manner instructed and the advertised job vacancies under the chosen heading or headings are then displayed on the screen 20. At the same time, the inserted coins are released into a securely lockfast collecting box inside the remote terminal.

Each terminal unit 16 may be provided with a built-in printer having a paper discharge slot 36, whereby the user can obtain a print-out of all or a selected part of the displayed information. Alternatively, a single printer can be provided which is common to all of the terminal units 16.

Fig.3 shows another embodiment of remote terminal 40. It comprises a single terminal unit having a display screen 42 and a keyboard 44. Basic instructions and information, possibly including a basic index, can be written on a panel 46 above the screen 42.

A coin-freed mechanism 48 is mounted on the side of the unit below a rest (not shown) for a handset 50. The mechanism 48 has a coin slot 52, a return button 54 and a returned coin tray 56. As in the previous embodiment, the coin-freed mechanism could be designed to receive alternatively or additionally, tokens, bank notes, bankers cards or credit cards.

The telephone handset 50 is used initially in conjunction with the keyboard 44 to connect the remote terminal 40 to the central control computer like that of Fig. 1. To discourage mis-use, e.g. by children, it can be arranged that some money, or equivalent, must be inserted in the coin slot 50 before the terminal can be activated. Thus, the stand-by instruc tion on the screen 42 would direct the user to insert money to a specified amount and possibly to have further money ready for insertion later. When the appropriate amount or minimum amount has been inserted, the screen would then give instructions as to how to establish the link with the computer, e.g. by inserting a code via the keyboard 44, which then causes the remote terminal to access the central control computer via suitable modems (not shown) and the telephone network. If the computer is "busy" or if there is no line available, a suitable message to this effect would appear on the screen 42, together with an instruction to press the button 52 to obtain return of the money inserted.

Assuming, however, that a link with the central control computer is established, the index would appear on the screen 42 together with instructions as to how to select the desired heading or job category. When the code appropriate to the selected job category is entered on the keyboard 44, the full list of job descriptions appears on the screen. Thereafter, the terminal 40 of Fig.3 can be used in the same way as one of the terminal units 16 of Fig.2.

The terminal 40 includes a printer 58 having a discharge slot 60 to enable the user to obtain a print-out of the job vacancies under the selected job description or descriptions.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising a control computer, a plurality of remote terminals and means for establishing links between each remote terminal and the control computer, each remote terminal including an input keyboard, an instruction display, and a coin-freed mechanism for enabling the terminal to be used in accordance with the displayed instructions.

2. A computer system as claimed in claim 1, in which the instruction display is on a program-controlled screen which also displays information desired to be seen by the user upon the latter operating the terminal in accordance with the displayed instructions.

3. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the main computer is programmed to make available at each remote terminal informaiton relevant only to that terminal, particularly having regard to its location.

4. A computer system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the main computer may be programmed to make available at a remote terminal information relevant to an area or region stipulated by the user of that terminal.

5. A computer system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which at least one of said remote terminals comprises several terminal units each having a respective input keyboard and a respective display panel.

6. A computer system as claimed in claim 5, in which the program is such that each terminal unit can only display information of a selected kind.

7. A computer system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which said remote terminal comprising several units is provided with printers to enable the user to obtain a print-out of the information in which he is interested.

8. A computer system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, in which said remote terminal which comprises several terminal units has a single printer common to all such units.

9. A computer system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8, in which at least one of the remote terminals has a single screen and an operator keyboard associated therewith.

10. A computer system as claimed in claim 9, in which said at least one terminal is provided with a telephone handset.

11. A computer system as claimed in claim 9 or 10, in which said at least one remote terminal incorporates a printer.

12. A computer system as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, 9 and 10, in which at least one of the remote terminals has a printer.

13. A computer system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the means for establishing links include modems to enable the remote terminals to be connected to the control computer over a telephone network.

14. A computer system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the control computer and/or each remote terminal is programmed to require insertion of money or money's worth in the coin-freed mechanism before the terminal can be put to use and to enable a full refund to be made in the event that desired information is not available.

15. A computer system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the control computer is programmed to receive job vacancy information under job descriptions falling under different job categories and the control computer and/or the remote terminals are programmed to enable the user to select job categories for display of the job descriptions at the remote terminal and to select job descriptions for display of the job vacancy information in the selected job description.

16. A computer system as claimed in claim 15, in which the control computer is programmed to release for display at a remote terminal only job vacancy information preselected for that purpose.

17. A computer system constructed and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.