GB2411329A - An in-room hotel entertainment application to enable guests to control their services via wi-fi and pdas - Google Patents

Abstract

A software and hardware solution for hotels to provide guests with a system to control their in-room experience on a single handheld computer. The application uses wireless technology (Wi-FI) to communicate between guest and hotel staff on a series of interface menus and options. These include ordering room service, selecting TV channels, ordering Premium Pay TV channels, playing games, viewing guest information, viewing advertisements, email and internet. All of these services are linked and integrated with existing hotel systems. Each application is designed as a bespoke solution for hotels to continue their branding and ownership.

Description

241 1 329 Magenta

Introduction

The Magenta solution is a software and hardware package that can be installed in any hotel in the world to pick up a range of existing Premium Pay TV (PPTV) channels. The process requires establishing conditional access agreements with broadcasters of adult entertainment and action movie channels, picking up the channel's signal, and feeding it into hotels using locally available technology, e.g. cable, ISDN, Broadband, CATS, le.. Hotel managers will have the capability to adapt the offering to their customers' needs in terms of time and content A range of payment methods will be offered, based on actual or foreseen consumption.

In-Room Entertainment In-Room Entertainment became a problem in the 1990s with the multiplication of sets, boxes and remote controls which tended to drive customers away. IT provided a needed solution by blending all systems into oneachine. Such solutions added to other IT products (eg. bookings management, frequent guest tracking, checkouts, etc.), and led to a sharp increase in IT expenses for the hotel Industry. They now represent 2% of sales in general, and 3% in large hotels. This is still low compared to other Industries but a survey from Hospitality Technology among 200 respondents showed that IT investment is expected to increase to 5% by 2005 (August 2002, www.htmeaazine.com).

The constant rise in IT and many other costs has lead to increased concentration at the higher end: of hotels into large chains, for example, the Best Western Great Britain, which claims to be the world's largest hotel chain with 4000 hotels in 80 countries of chains into major holdings, for example, Choice Hotels, which owns Comfort Inn and Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Mainstay Suites, EconoLodge and Rodeway Inn.

This results in two different trends: At the lower end, small independent hotels think of driving customers out of their rooms into common rooms where they can consume regular products At the higher end, larger hotels are fuming rooms' TVs into a hybrid between the small office, the amusement centre and the hotel desk, with services like Internet connectivity, video and music on demand, television stations, in-room billing, etc (EMMA, That' Entertainment, www. ehma.com).

The main problem is that in-room entertainment is normally very expensive. Consequently, the Magenta solution, of live Premium Pay TV, not only fits well in the in-room entertainment of current providers but also, it makes some intermediaries obsolete In the provision of action movies and adult entertainment, thus reducing the overall cost of in-room systems.

Concept Pay TV and especially its digital version helps hotels deliver a large selection of in-room television programmed, segmented according to taste and the duration or time of use. PPTV the top end of Pay TV, consists of action movies and adult entertainment.

However, the in-room PPTV currently available is limited because it is provided through hotels' videotape libraries or contained systems, no technology or broadcasting agreement having yet been developed to provide such services in a live fashion.

The first consequence is a low demand for PPTV from hotels' customers, many of them having already viewed the selection on offer in the hotel room. In fact, a movie's videotape release normally occurs about a year after the movie was shown in cinemas, thus giving plenty of time for hotel customers to view the movie. In companson, a movie's release through Pay TV occurs only after a few months.

Consequently, offering PPTV access to hotels will correspond to offering customers a novel viewing selection, and result in increased consumption of hotels' PPTV. In such a way, the Magenta solution will generate a substantial increase in hotels' revenues, far above the costs associated to the system.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES; The Magenta solution delivers live Premium Pay TV channels to hotels' customers in a manner that can be customised by each hotel based on the specific demand of their respective customers.

The system will include mechanisms through which customers will be billed when checking out.

The system will allow enough flexibility to suit the following two forms of billing: a) Based on customers' reel consumption - Some clients may wish to view a selection of quality TV programmes at any time in the evening while others may only want to view one action movie in the whole day. If hotels want to arrange payment around consumption, the Magenta solution can be customised to monitor use according to

access, for example:

- Full access to all channels, from 7PM to 2AM - Access only to movie channels, for 90 minutes, at any time in the day.

b) Based on a pre-established consumption level - Other hotels might wish to include the cost of PP1V in the room's price, In the same way as they do for breakfast, TV, and other in-room services. in such cases the hotel can be charged a periodic flat fee based on the type of access it wishes to offer, plus an hour-based rate for any consumption exceeding the agreed level.

1.1. A System for In-Room Live PPTV Two solutions will enable live channels to be distributed to hotel rooms while customers are billed when checking out: The Budget solution allows hotel guests to view two TV channels on their room's TV and be billed for it when checking out. ; The Executive Suite solution is a premium service that will Include 1V channels and deluxe in-room entertainment service (i.e. the top of the range currently available in hotel rooms). Services are presented in the table below. A PDA will be provided to each hotel guest to control the TV in a very sophisticated way not possible with current remote controls. This solution will require purchasing one PDA per room, along with PCs, a wireless LAN and a server for appropriate programming.

Table - Specifications of the Executive Suite solution Current version Next upgrade a) Premium Pay TV a) Mobile account profile b) Intemet for general browsing and special events (e 9 b) Interface with PMS theatre) c) E-mail facility for communcabons and Interactive JV c) E- commerce i d) Environment control (lighting, heating, electric blinds, d) In-room fax, punter, copier, and business centre etc.) e) Automated room service (e.g interactive menu e) Games selection and Instant customer feedback) fl Interactive booking of hotel products or services (e.g. fl Online check-in/out services health club), all bookings being automatically added to guests' bills 9) Interactive advertising of offers in hotel shops and 9) Online guest Information restaurants h) Paging of other guests, sending messages to guests' h) Online guest account access PDAs

_ hi.

Both solutions can work with any of the connectivity hardware available or Installed, e.g. satellite, cable, ISDN, fibre optic, Broadband, CAT2 or 5, etc.

OPERATIONS

The Company will offer a live in-room entertainment system, as opposed to the many contained systems that exist on the market, like the Granada where individual TVs are connected to a central system that the Granada technician visits once a month to update its content. In the Company's system, there is no need for updates as the feed is live.

The second important advantage of the Magenta solution is that in the Broadband/lSDN or Fibre optics/CAT5e options, the satellite provider is bypassed resulting in a costs advantage to the hotel owner.

To arrange for this live feed, the Company will take the following measures Set CACs with broadcasters of Premium Pay TV - There is a large number of PPTV broadcasters from all over the world (e.g. Explicit XXX for adult channels, or HBO for action movies) and agree on conditional access charges against which hotel customers will be able to view these broadcasters' channels.

Sell distribution rights to exploiters (distributors) - Companies like On Command, Quadriga and Ciscom will be approached and encouraged to include the Company;'s system in their offering to hotels. Other exploiters and hotel chains will also be approached directly.

Exploiters will inform hotels of the Magenta solution and recruit establishments interested in the system. The Company's will then send technicians for an appraisal of each hotel's connectivity situation: If they have a Broadband or ISDN connection in place, the Company will install a solution aimed at picking up the signal, feeding it through the Broadband or ISDN connection, and storing it into the Network Centre. The signal has to be stored because this type of connection Is not fast enough for the image to be viewed at normal speed. In this case, viewing Will be available 12 hours after the download.

If they have fibre optics or CAT5e, the Company will install a solution that will enable live viewing, because this type of cable is fast enough for the image to be viewed at i normal speed.

The system can also be installed using satellite if there is a dish Installed, however a i commission will have to be paid to Sky.

The diagram below presents the process of delivering live PPTV channels from the broadcaster (right) to televisions in hotel rooms (left).

Diagram - The process of delivering live PPTV channels to the hotel's network centreoa _. _ y l 31 _ - c a 1: Ad,

Claims (5)

1. A software and hardware solution for hotels offering a variety of entertainment and services options including room service, TV control, email, internet, games, guest information and advertising opportunities for a handheld computer or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).

2. A software solution which integrates to existing hotel systems for billing and booking of services.

3. A software solution consisting of intuitive interfaces in tune with the individual hotel's branding and target market.

4. A software solution utilising Wi-Fi to communicate directly from guest (PDA) to hotel staff (Server and PC's) and vice-versa.

5. A software solution consisting of multilingual menus to cater for all guests