IT202100019295A1 - MODULAR DEVICE, SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHOD, TO ALLOW THE MONITORING OF FILES IN PUBLIC PLACES OR PLACES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - Google Patents

Description

Description of the invention entitled:

?MODULAR DEVICE, SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED METHOD, TO ALLOW THE MONITORING OF FILES IN PUBLIC PLACES OR OPEN TO THE PUBLIC?

Description

field of technique

The present invention operates in the field of monitoring technologies and security services. Pi? in detail the object of this patent application? a modular device, system and method associated with it designed to allow booking by avoiding queues in public places or places open to the public, guaranteeing social distancing and allowing the monitoring of entrances, permanence, use and exits, safely and remotely.

Known art

Traditionally, within monitoring technologies and security services, there have been a great variety of services. of systems applied to safety in the workplace or installed in amusement parks and high-use tourist areas. Until now the need? of use of these technologies was limited to activities? marginal but to date, due to the worldwide spread of the Covid-19 virus, and the imminent possibility of any further health emergencies? it is now essential to employ drastic safety measures to allow for social distancing and to guarantee the functioning of services in safety.

Finally, all epidemiological studies provide strong evidence that reducing contact between infected and non-infected people significantly reduces the severity of the disease. of an epidemic. However, the limitation of social contacts, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, can increase the risk of physical and emotional harm and ? necessary to prevent social distancing, even temporary, from becoming or being perceived as an act of ?compression? social.

Currently there are electronic access control systems applied to a plurality of? of high-use structures which alternatively include access readers, turnstiles and individual access systems, electronic systems for the control and management of incoming and outgoing flows, radio-frequency identification systems that allow rapid access through the automatic identification of information inherent users and touch-free tickets previously booked. A smart example? the skip-the-line service called ?Qoda? which allows you to wait for your turn in a row remotely. Such a service for sellers ? specific for the management of files outside the business premises.

This invention facilitates the management more? sure of social distancing by avoiding gatherings outside the shops. The skip-the-line service is proposed as a digital waiting ticket that will warn when will it be necessary to approach the commercial operation.

Speaking of privative an example? the GB2577433 patent, relating to a parking system implemented by a computer for controlling the access of vehicles to a parking area and the related payments for the parking space remotely. It comprises a driver?s mobile electronic device configured to transmit a parking area entry signal and a parking area exit signal.

Another example? represented by patent WO2021065545A1 which discloses a seat reservation system for a moving vehicle which includes a terminal and a server connected by a network.

The moving vehicle moves along a plurality? of sections between a starting point and an arrival point to transport users and ? endowed with a plurality of places that are booked from time to time. A unit of calculation ? designed to generate a section of free places to book.

Those mentioned above are some of the access and monitoring systems which, however, being associated with the use of cars, cannot be associated with natural persons without vehicles. Furthermore, until now there does not seem to exist a device capable of making files by replacing the users booked for a specific service.

There does not seem to exist any patent that effectively solves the above problems, therefore, the purpose of this patent for industrial invention, ? to describe a ?skip-the-line? that introduces a new organizational and relational model applied to offices and/or public and/or private structures with devices and layouts that guarantee social distancing.

Description of the invention

In order to effectively solve the above problems, according to the present invention, a modular device is made for booking appointments in designated structures with a system and method associated with it which allow the booking and execution of files by designated drivers, maintaining, at the same time, a social distancing in public places and open to the public. The invention in question? designed to facilitate everyday life? of people who do not have the time or way to queue and avoid situations in which ? it is necessary to wait for a row to scroll (for an unspecified time interval) to achieve an objective in a certain place. There? occurs frequently in places such as public and/or private healthcare facilities, social and labor assistance offices, banking institutions, post offices, museums, cinemas or live performance halls or any other structure usable by the general public. within which files can be generated.

Furthermore, to date, due to the incumbent health emergencies and consequent restrictions in place to prevent the spread of any viruses, there are more and more accidents. often quota entrances or with a greatly reduced number of people who? resulted, more and more? in the phenomenon of the increase of the lines.

For this purpose, the modular device in question ? what? composed: a central body of the device includes at least one display showing queue duration times, remaining waiting time, number of people in line and data of a user who has made a reservation in a structure (who has joined the initiative). The aforementioned display also shows timers, a map with directions to the facility and kilometers traveled up to arrival at the aforementioned facility. Together with the aforementioned display, a luminous mini-LED, a vibration sensor and a loudspeaker are placed on the central body which allow the signaling of the arrival of notifications regarding the arrival of a reservation, the scrolling of the queue, the arrival of the shift of a user, communications regarding waiting times, driving directions and any other useful information.

The device in question? supplied to each driver who, following a reservation by a user at a structure that has adhered to the initiative, will carry out the queue instead of the booked user. Each driver proceeds to accept the order via a quick button located on the central body of the device after checking the tariff, reliability? of the user and proximity to the structure of the request.

The aforementioned device? assembled, by means of magnets distributed on the central body, to a plurality? of further identical devices, equipped with an elastic bag which acts as a container once assembled. This feature allows each driver to accept more? jobs at the same time, each of which depends on a different device associated with a user.

The devices receive orders and notifications from a dedicated server to which they are connected via a wireless antenna. The aforesaid devices also include a blue-tooth connection for communication with a personal electronic device of the latest generation, through which a user has made a reservation.

In a further advantageous version, the device comprises an external LED coating, programmed to change color and includes a color detection sensor which sends automatic color modification inputs to the entire device once the colors of the other devices have been detected with the which is assembled, allowing a user's device to be distinguished from that of another request.

The device ? associated with a system which includes a said dedicated server which receives and sends the requests, received by each user, in the form of a notification to the aforesaid devices. Upon receiving acceptance of said assignment from a driver, the device sends directions through said loudspeaker and shows a map on said display guiding the driver to the structure of the request.

Through the aforementioned associated device, the server proceeds with the geo-location and verification of the user?s distance from the structure of interest, allowing the sending of a shift approaching notification to the user who is thus advised in time for the arrival at the appointment.

Advantageously and optionally, the device comprises monitoring sensors which detect anomalies in the entrances or registrations of each user and/or each driver, attempts to jump over the queue, cases of gathering in a parking area and send an automatic alarm to the aforementioned server dedicated.

The aforementioned dedicated server also collects the data of the totality? of the devices, of a plurality? of monitoring sensors and compares them with pre-set maximum permissible crowding data for each row, allowing access to new users if the maximum crowding has not been reached and denying access if the maximum threshold is reached.

In further advantageous versions, the system in question includes:

? a control station enabled to access the dedicated server and to receive information and signals processed by carrying out assistance interventions in the event of malfunctions or breakdowns of the devices signaled and/or located thanks to a geo-location device installed inside each of said devices;

? a memory connected to the dedicated server that records and saves the information received from the monitoring devices and sensors, ensuring safety and monitoring the regularity of the activities?;

? an application that can be installed on latest-generation electronic devices programmed for remote user registration; it ? configured as a platform for registration, queue booking request, monitoring and management of any activity? aimed at interacting with the aforementioned dedicated server via a mobile device.

To the above devices and system ? associated, also?, a method comprising the phases:

A. user registration request;

A.1 sending of the access request, to the dedicated server, and request for an appointment in the designated structure;

A.2 check availability booking;

A.3 appointment assignment; denial of request in case of reaching the booking limit in the requested structure;

A.4 association of the user to a device required;

B. arrival of the driver at the structure of interest;

C. access and check data and read the barcode recorded on the associated device and wait for the shift;

C.1 sending notice of approaching shift to the user;

D. user arrival, barcode scanning from the device supplied to the driver for a relay passage from the driver to the user;

E. driver exit and device disassociation;

E.1 registration, by said monitoring sensors, of the output of a driver and sending of the data to the dedicated server;

F. Final data backup.

The advantages offered by the present invention are evident in the light of the description set forth up to now and will be even more clear thanks to the annexed figures and the relative detailed description.

Description of the figures

The invention will come described hereinafter in at least one preferred embodiment by way of explanation and not of limitation with the aid of the accompanying figures, in which:

- FIGURE 1 shows some of the components of the modular device 50 in question: it comprises a central body 50.8 equipped with a display 50.3, a mini-LED 50.2, monitoring sensors 50.4 and vibration sensors 50.5 and a loudspeaker; note how a plurality? of magnets 50.1, positioned on the entire perimeter, make it assemblable to a plurality? of further devices 50. An elastic bag 50.6, with large meshes, allows containment and agile use by the drivers 200.

- FIGURE 2 shows a block diagram of the interrelationships between the components of the system of the present invention. It ? composed of a dedicated server 100, equipped with a memory 130 and connected to a plurality? of 50 devices supplied to each 200 driver. The aforementioned server 100 ? associated with a control station 250. Each user via a personal electronic device sends to said dedicated server 100 at least one booking request at a structure 300 and the aforementioned server 100 through a plurality of said devices 50 sends the requests to the drivers 200.

- FIGURE 3 shows a flow diagram of the various phases of the method object of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

This invention will come now illustrated purely by way of example but not in a limiting or binding way, making use of the figures which illustrate some embodiments with respect to the present inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 2 shows the system in question which allows the booking of appointments and consequently the monitoring of files in a public structure 300 or open to the public, allowing restricted entrances, permanence, use of services and exits, safely and remotely.

This system includes:

- a plurality? of devices 50, modular, provided with each driver 200; - at least one dedicated server 100, connected to a memory 130;

- at least one control station 250.

A user who needs an appointment in the aforementioned structure 300 sends a request to the aforementioned dedicated server 100 via a personal electronic device or via an application which can be installed on latest generation electronic devices. The user 150, after registering with the aforementioned server 100, which acts as a registration platform, makes a row reservation request.

This dedicated server 100, after acceptance of the structures 300 of interest that have adhered to the system in question, sends the booking requests, received from each user 150, by notifying the drivers 200: these are designated to queue at the seat of a user 150 who has made the reservation, subject to acceptance of the order.

Receipt of the notification allows each driver 200 to verify the reliability? of the user 150, of the proximity of the structure 300 of the request and to accept the assignment via a fast button 50.0, installed on the aforementioned devices 50.

Referring to FIG. 1 all the technological components of the modular device 50 are shown, in a preferred embodiment, which acts as a skip-the-line and seat-stop, which comprises at least one fast button 50.0 for accepting the assignment by a driver 200, a mini-led 50.2, at least one display 50.3, at least one vibration sensor 50.5, at least one monitoring sensor 50.4, a loudspeaker 50.7. Furthermore, these devices 50 comprise a geolocation device, a torch, in case of night-time use, and an external LED coating, capable of changing colour.

Once the assignment has been accepted, each driver 200 receives from the device 50 associated with a user 150, indications by means of the aforementioned loudspeaker 50.7 and a map shown on the aforementioned display 50.3 containing the directions towards the structure 300 of interest.

Notifications sent on device 50 are reported via:

- the aforesaid mini-led which, alternatively, lights up, flashes and/or generates a fixed light signaling the arrival of a request, the scrolling of a row and/or the arrival of a user's turn 150;

- at least one vibration sensor 50.5 which, when activated, signals the scrolling of the row and the arrival of the turn of a user 150;

- the aforementioned 50.7 loudspeaker which communicates waiting times, road directions and any other information useful to the activity? requested by each user 150.

Each device 50 then shows a timer on the display 50.3 showing the time elapsed since the acceptance of the assignment and sends notifications of approaching shift to the user 150 following the geo-location and verification of the distance of the user 150 from the structure 300 .

Each 200 driver is supplied with a plurality? of identical devices 50, assembled together by means of magnets 50.1 and contained in an elastic bag 50.6 which acts as a container. Once assembled, they are distinguished from each other thanks to the presence of a color detection sensor programmed to generate a change in the color of the aforementioned external LED coating, allowing the device 50 of a user to be distinguished from that of another user. other request.

The dedicated server 100 ? connected to a memory 130 which records and saves the information received from the devices 50; it also records the data sent by the aforementioned monitoring sensors 50.4 which detect anomalies in the entrances or in the registrations of each user 150 and/or of each driver 200, attempts to bypass the rows and cases of gathering.

Furthermore, the aforementioned dedicated server 100 collects the data of the devices 50, of the monitoring sensors 50.4 and compares them with pre-set data of the maximum allowable crowding of each row, allowing access to new drivers 200 if the limit has not been reached. maximum crowding and denying access in the event of a maximum threshold being reached.

Each device 50 ? connected to the aforementioned dedicated server 100 thanks to a wireless antenna and/or a blue-tooth connection and is recharged by means of a standard type-c, usb-c, power bank and/or any other type of charging output recharge.

Finally, the aforementioned control station 250 ? authorized to access the aforementioned server 100 and to receive the information and signals processed, carry out an assistance intervention in the event of malfunctions and/or failures of the devices 50 signaled or located thanks to a geolocation device installed internally in each of said 50 devices.

With reference to Fig. 3 ? shown the method associated with the aforementioned system which includes the following phases:

A. user request phase 150;

A.1 phase of sending the access request to the aforementioned dedicated server 100 and requesting an appointment in a designated structure 300;

A.2 availability check phase? of the structure 300, by the aforementioned dedicated server 100, to which a limited access is requested;

A.3 phase of assigning a place in line to said user 150 who has made a request, in the event of a free place (if the reservation limit is reached in the requested structure 300, the server 100 sends a negative result to the user's request ;

A.4 association phase of at least one device 50, to a user 150, following the acceptance of the request by a driver 200;

B. stage of arrival at the structure 300 of interest;

C. access phase, data verification of the aforementioned driver 200 and waiting for the shift: reading of a bar code registered on the assigned device 50;

C.1 phase of sending notice of approaching shift to the aforementioned user 150;

D. phase of arrival of the user 150 at the structure 300 of interest, scanning of the bar code assigned to the device 50 and conclusion of the queue by the user 150;

E. driver output phase 200;

E.1 recording phase, by said monitoring sensors 50.4, of the output of the driver 200 and sending of the data to said dedicated server 100;

F. data saving phase.

? finally, it is clear that modifications, additions or variations that are obvious to a person skilled in the art can be made to the invention described up to now, without thereby departing from the scope of protection which ? provided by the appended claims.

Claims (9)

Claims 1. Modular device (50) for stopping seats and reserving lines, system and method associated therewith, suitable for allowing the reservation and monitoring of lines in a public facility (300) or one open to the public such as post offices, public health facilities and/ or private, social assistance and employment offices, banking institutions, cinema halls or live performances, museum structures or any other structure usable by the general public exposed to gatherings and queues; said device (50) being able to act as a skip-the-line and seat-stop and being assembled by means of magnets (50.1) with a plurality of further identical devices (50); each of said devices (50) being supplied to at least one driver (200), capable of making a queue upon acceptance of a request by at least one user (150) at a structure (300) that has joined the initiative; said device (50) comprising a central body (50.8) and being characterized in that it comprises: - a fast button (50.0) able to allow acceptance of the booking request made by each user (150), by at least one driver (200); - a luminous mini-led (50.2) suitable for turning on, flashing and/or generating a fixed light; said mini-led (50.2) being able to signal the scrolling of a row and/or the arrival of a user's turn (150); - at least one display (50.3) capable of showing queue duration times, remaining waiting time, number of people in queue and data of a user (150) booked in said structure (300); timer, kilometers elapsed until arrival at said facility (300) - at least one vibration sensor (50.5) capable of being activated when the row scrolls and when a user?s turn arrives (150); - a loudspeaker (50.7) capable of communicating waiting times, directions and any other information useful for said activity? requested by each user (150); - a wireless antenna and a blue-tooth connection suitable for communication with a latest generation electronic device; - a geolocation device; - at least one charging outlet suitable for standard type-c, usb-c, power bank charging and/or any other type of outlet; - an elastic bag (50.6) suitable for serving as a container for a plurality of said devices (50) once assembled; each of said devices (50) being associated with a dedicated server (100) able to assign a said device (50) to each user (150). 2. Modular social distancing device (50) suitable for allowing the reservation and monitoring of files, according to the previous claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an external LED coating, suitable for changing colour; each of said devices (50) comprising at least one color detection sensor capable of changing the color of the entire device (50) once it has detected the colors of said further devices (50) with which it is assembled, allowing to distinguish said device (50) of a user from that of another request. 3. Modular device (50) for social distancing suitable for allowing booking and monitoring of files, according to any one of the preceding claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one monitoring sensor (50.4) suitable for detecting: anomalies in the entrances or registrations of each user 150 and/or of each driver 200, attempts to climb over the lines, cases of gathering in a parking area; said monitoring sensors (50.4) being capable of sending a signal to said device (50) which automatically sends an alarm to said dedicated server (100). 4. Modular social distancing device (50) suitable for allowing the reservation and monitoring of files, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least one torch. 5. Queue booking method, suitable for allowing the booking and monitoring of queues in a public or public facility (300), allowing for control of entrances, permanence, use and exits from said facilities (300), safely and at a distance, being characterized by the fact that it makes use of a device as per claim 1 and by the fact that it comprises the following phases: (A) request phase: a user (150) fills in a registration form on said dedicated server (100), via a personal, latest generation electronic device; said request phase (A) comprising the sub-phases of: (A.1) sending, by said user (150), the request for access to said dedicated server (100) and request for an appointment in a designated facility (300); (A.2) verification, by said dedicated server (100) of the availability? booking through connection with one or more? server of said structures (300) to which a limited access is requested; (A.3) assignment of a place in line to said user (150) who has made a request, in case of free place; denial of booking request in case of reaching the booking limit in the requested facility (300); (A.4) association, of at least one of said devices (50) supplied to at least one driver (200), to a user (150) in case of authorization to receive a place in line in said requested structure (300); said device (50) is associated following an acceptance request by at least one driver (200) who, following verification of proximity to said structure (300) at which to make a queue, presses said fast button 50.0 to effect such acceptance; (B) phase of arrival at the structure (300) of interest, by said driver (200) to make a queue; (C) step of accessing and verifying data of said driver (200) by said structure (300): reading bar code recorded on said device (50) assigned to a user (150) and waiting for the shift; when the row scrolls, said device (50) being adapted to light up and indicate on said display (50.3) the number of remaining people; (C.1) phase of sending notice of approaching shift to said user (150): verification by means of geo-location of the distance of the user (150) from the headquarters of said structure (300) and calculation of arrival time; said device (50) being able to send said notification according to the detected time for estimating the arrival of said user (150); (D) arrival of said user (150) at the structure (300) of interest: in this phase said user (150) scans the barcode assigned to said device (50) to which ? been previously associated, in this way a relay passage takes place from said driver (200) to said user (150); (E) exit phase: said driver (200) proceeds to signal the successful conclusion of a row, dissociate said device (50) from said executed order and continue with the requests sent by other users (150) to the further devices (50 ) already? scheduled for other rows; (E.1) recording, by said monitoring sensors (50.4), of the output of said driver and sending the data to said dedicated server (100); (F) data saving step, in which said devices (50) send to said management server (300) a customer card containing information regarding booking times, queue entry, permanence and exit times. 6. Queue booking system, designed to allow the booking and monitoring of queues in a public structure (300) or open to the public, allowing for restricted entrances, permanence, use of services and exits, safely and remotely, associated with a device as per claim 1 and characterized by the fact that it includes a plurality? of said devices (50) supplied to each driver (200) and at least one dedicated server (100); said dedicated server (100) being able to send the requests, received by each user (150), in the form of a notification to each of said drivers (200) to allow them to verify the tariff, reliability? of the user (150), proximity to the structure of the request and accept assignment; said dedicated server (100) being capable of sending a notification of the request made by each user (150) via device (50) by sending at least one acoustic signal via said vibration sensor (50.5), at least one light signal via said LED (50.2) ; once received the acceptance of said task from said driver (200), said device (50) ? suitable for sending indications by means of at least one loudspeaker (50.7) and showing a map on said display (50.3) driving said driver (200) up to the structure (300) of the request, after the structure has joined the system; each of said devices (50) being able to show a timer on said display (50.3) able to mark the elapsed time as soon as it receives an assignment acceptance by a said driver (200) and until the moment of closure and exit of said drivers (200); said device (50) being able to send notifications of approaching shift to said user (150), after geo-location and verification of the distance of the user (150) from said structure (300); said device being capable of calculating the arrival time of the user (150); said dedicated server (100) being able to collect the data of said devices (50), of a plurality? of said monitoring sensors (50.4) and compare them with pre-set maximum permissible crowding data for each row, allowing access to new users if the maximum crowding has not been reached and denying access if the maximum threshold is reached; said server (100) being also? adapted to receive from each device (50) the information registered by each user (150) in a step of registration to said dedicated server (100). 7. Queue booking system, able to allow the booking and monitoring of files, according to the previous claim 6, characterized in that it comprises a control station (250) enabled to access said server (100) able to receive the information and the signals processed and carry out an assistance intervention in the event of malfunctions or breakdowns of said devices (50) signaled and/or localized thanks to a geolocation device installed inside each of said devices (50). 8. Queue booking system, able to allow the booking and monitoring of files, according to any one of the previous claims from 6 onwards, characterized in that said dedicated server (100) ? connected to a memory (130) suitable for recording and saving the information received from said devices (50) and from said monitoring sensors (50.4), to ensure safety and monitor regularity? of the activities. 9. Queue booking system, suitable for allowing the booking and monitoring of files, according to any one of the preceding claims from 6 onwards, characterized in that it comprises an application that can be installed on latest generation electronic devices suitable for registering a user ( 150) remotely and able to act as a platform for registration, queue booking request and for monitoring and managing any other activity? suitable for interacting with said dedicated server (100) by means of a mobile device.