JP2010524131A - Interactive distribution unit for POS and sales messages in the seat - Google Patents

Abstract

  The method and apparatus provide communication between a user and a venue service provider. The interactive terminal includes a display for information from the venue service provider and information from the user to the venue service provider, an interface that allows the user to communicate with the venue service provider via the display, a magnetic stripe, A barcode or wireless ID reader and an attachment mechanism are provided.

Description

  The present invention relates to an interactive terminal that can be attached to a seat such as an amusement hall and allows a user to enjoy shopping, advertisement, and replay video from the amusement hall without having to leave the user's seat.

  While stadium and arena operations staff continue to work, for example, to increase ticket prices and sales for sports events, market economies and customers can better value per event with advanced services Tend to want a solution to do. To accomplish this task, professional sports teams currently use a “serving staff” similar to restaurants and pubs in customer service zones with “high touch” display screens that focus on individual demand satisfaction. Organized their own facilities. For example, Seattle Mariners' “AVAYA Terrace Club”, like other franchise “Club” services, offers an optional seating and dining service, special dining options and a full-fledged bar. Features a serviced temperature and humidity controlled lounge. This type of specialized “club” seating is common across various sports leagues. However, in many cases, the effect of such a service is to set a price with a low sales profit and a high additional fee so as to make up for the convenience of the customer.

  The system is designed to reduce per-seat per-seat by attempting to reduce customer absence and increase access to goods and services at sporting events, concerts, family shows, X-games, or the like. There is a need to increase revenue opportunities.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system that significantly eliminates one or more problems arising from the limitations and disadvantages of the prior art. The present invention provides two major pro-event requirements: convenience and cost control. That is, the customer purchases by reducing the amount of time spent in vain and giving the customer what the customer has to spend (the time to watch the game directly, not the monitor in the concourse). Allows the total amount of food, beverages and goods to be increased.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method that allows users to purchase snacks, merchandise, and tickets without leaving their seats in the entertainment venue.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for increasing revenue opportunities per seat in a stadium by reducing customer away times and increasing access to goods and services.

  Yet another object of the present invention is to enable the team and owner to implement through a new channel that may utilize a platform that generates additional revenue in the stadium through the introduction of advertisements and sales delivered directly to the venue seats. Is to provide a profitable opportunity.

  Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, but may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the method particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

  To obtain these and other advantages, and by the purpose of the present invention, the present invention allows a display to display information from the venue service provider and allows the user to communicate with the venue service provider via the display. Provided is an interactive terminal connected to a venue service provider, comprising an interface, a magnetic stripe, barcode or wireless ID reader and an attachment mechanism.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a method for a user to communicate with a venue service provider from an interactive terminal attached to a seat in the venue, wherein the user displays a menu on the interactive terminal; Using the navigation interface on the interactive terminal for the user to select at least one of goods and services from the menu; sending the user's selection to the venue service provider over the network; and And a delivering step.

It is a front perspective view of the interactive terminal of the present invention. It is a back perspective view of the interactive terminal of the present invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the method of this invention. It is the network schematic for demonstrating the order process in the method of this invention. It is a front perspective view of the interactive terminal which is 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and provide the further description of the invention as claimed. It is.

  The accompanying drawings provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention that fulfills

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention and the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings will be described in detail below. The invention described below extends the functionality of a system and method for the sale and delivery of communications at a seat.

  FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an interactive terminal according to the present invention. The user interface of the terminal has a touch screen interface 11 that is used to navigate menus and prompts that appear visually on the display 12 through the touch screen. Display 12 may be a flat panel LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED (Organic EL Display), plasma, or other type of display known to those skilled in the art for inclusion in the present invention. The bottom of the terminal is equipped with a magnetic stripe, barcode or wireless ID reader 14. The casing of the entire terminal is indicated by 13. In other embodiments, the terminal may have an earphone connection (not shown) that outputs audio to the user (which may be wireless access).

  FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the terminal, and shows an attachment mechanism 15 capable of attaching the terminal to the attachment column. Inside the attachment mechanism 15 is shown a connector 16 that connects the power source to the terminal when installed on the attachment column. In other embodiments, the connector 16 provides a wired network connection in addition to a power connection.

  FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of an interactive terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the user interface of the terminal includes a right arrow navigation button 511, an up arrow navigation button 512, a left arrow navigation button 513, and a down arrow navigation button 514. Further, the user interface includes a “Yes” / “Approve” button 515 and a “No” / “Cancel” button 516. In other embodiments of the present invention, the user interface may be a keyboard (not shown). Other types of user interfaces are known to those skilled in the art and are encompassed by the present invention.

  In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the navigation buttons (511-516) skillfully guide the user to navigate the menus and prompts that appear on the display 517. The right side of the terminal has a magnetic stripe, barcode or wireless ID reader 522, an ambient light sensor 521, and a solar panel 520 that can be used to supply power to the terminal in conjunction with the built-in battery. Consists of. A mounting column 518 capable of mounting the terminal to a seat in the hall is arranged at the bottom of the terminal. The casing of the entire terminal is shown at 519. In other embodiments, the terminal may have an earphone connection (not shown) that outputs audio to the user (which may be wireless access).

  In other embodiments, the terminal may be wireless (not shown) used to play video games on the terminal and navigate menus and prompts that appear on the display 12 (FIG. 1). You may have a good game keypad. Other types of user interfaces are known to those skilled in the art and are encompassed by the present invention.

  In operation, the terminal may be used to facilitate consumption of goods and services provided by the stadium or venue. The terminal display 12 (FIG. 1) displays items that can be purchased through the terminal, such as food and drink, merchandise, and event tickets. The user uses the touch screen 11 (FIG. 1) to make a desired selection. Users may issue orders for snacks, merchandise, and tickets directly from their seats within the venue, and their credit and debit cards can be placed on a magnetic stripe, barcode, or wireless ID reader 14. It may be completed by presenting. Of course, other payment methods are within the scope of the present invention, such as the ability to manually enter credit card information, gift cards or paper tickets or other magnetic stripes, the ability to read barcodes, or wireless ID format Payment. The messaging appears on the display 12 to approve the user's order and transaction information. A supplemental message is also shown on display 12 informing the user of the expected waiting time for the order to be delivered.

  The present invention also allows users to access advertisements, movies, games, and the Internet. Integrating advertising images and full motion media presents a rich media experience during the normal interruption of scheduled event activity (eg, timeouts, television delays, break times, etc.). Further, the user may use the terminal to input personal information via the touch screen 11 (FIG. 1) or navigation buttons in response to advertisements, votes and quizzes displayed on the display 12 (FIG. 1). Good. Therefore, teams and owners may utilize platforms that generate additional revenue for the stadium through the introduction of advertisements and sales delivered directly to the user's seat. The importance of this feature is this ability to acquire unique empirical customer data via communication advertisements. For example, obtaining customer information such as zip / postal codes and / or email addresses is a very valuable resource for companies establishing brand awareness, product support, and sales activities.

  FIG. 4 is a network schematic diagram for explaining order processing in the method of the present invention. The order is issued by the user using the terminal 401. The user transaction details are transmitted by the database server 404 and the processing server 403 through the secure wireless network 402 to the order management system described herein. Alternatively, the network may be wired. The processing server 403 confirms the order details and product inventory via the database server 404. The processing server 403 presents the payment statement to the appropriate payment processing company via the secure network connection 405. Once the payment is confirmed, the processing server 403 relays the order information to an appropriate fulfillment center such as, for example, a merchandise store 406, a commercial kitchen 407, or a ticket box office 408. Fulfillment center selection is based on product type, inventory list, user proximity, and fulfillment latency. Firewalls 409 and 410 protect network security. Other methods of implementing the order management system are known to those skilled in the art and are encompassed by the present invention.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the method of the present invention. In step 301, the terminal display 12 displays items that can be purchased through the terminal, such as food and beverage, merchandise, and event tickets. In step 302, the user utilizes the touch screen 11 (FIG. 1) or navigation buttons (FIG. 5) to make a desired selection of goodwill, merchandise, and / or tickets for upcoming events. In step 303, the terminal display 12 (FIG. 1) displays the confirmation of the order and request from the user shown in step 304. If the user selects “OK”, in step 305, the user completes the transaction by presenting his credit or debit card on a magnetic stripe, barcode, or wireless ID reader. To do. Alternatively, the user may make a payment by presenting a ticket or card with a barcode representing the stored price. Other methods of making payments are known to those skilled in the art and are encompassed by the present invention. In step 306, the user's transaction statement is transmitted over a secure network (which may be wireless) and relayed to an appropriate distribution center. In step 307, display 12 (FIG. 1) displays confirmation of the user's order details and transaction details and in step 308 physically delivers the user's purchase. Delivery may be made by a business licensee who carries food or other goods to the user's seat. The product and ticket may be delivered to the user's residence through a collection / delivery store of “a product paid and paid in advance”, or by other general delivery methods.

  In other embodiments of the present invention, the terminal display 12 (FIG. 1) displays electronic items that can be viewed while sitting at the terminal, eg, Internet connections, email access, games, and movies, which can be purchased through the terminal. indicate. The user can use these electronic merchandise in a similar manner, i.e. by using the touch screen 11 (Fig. 1) or navigation buttons (Fig. 5) to make the desired selections, and his / her credit or debit card. You may purchase by showing to the reader 14 of a magnetic stripe, a barcode, or wireless ID. Delivery of these commodities is performed directly on the terminal display.

  The present invention also has access to player statistics, standings, replay videos, and viewing angles opposite the terminal, allowing the user to view the venue events that are actually held.

  The above description described the contents of the sports venue. However, it will be apparent that the present invention may be applied to other venues as well as events including movie theaters, concert venues, waiting rooms, and others.

  The foregoing description is directed to specific embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, that the described embodiments are capable of other variations and modifications and have some or all of the advantages of the described embodiments. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims extends to variations and modifications that fall within the essential spirit and scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Touch screen interface 12 ... Display 13 ... Casing 14 ... Reading apparatus 15 ... Attachment mechanism 16 ... Connector

Claims (25)

A display that displays information from the venue service provider;
An interface that allows the user to communicate with the venue service provider via the display;
A magnetic stripe, barcode or wireless ID reader;
An interactive terminal connected to a venue service provider characterized by comprising an attachment mechanism.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is connected to a venue service provider through a secure network.   The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the network is wireless.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the venue service provider is an entertainment venue.   The terminal of claim 1, wherein the information displayed from the venue service provider comprises a display of snacks, merchandise, tickets, games, movies, internet connection, and current venue events.   The terminal according to claim 5, wherein the information displayed from the venue service provider comprises a menu and a prompt.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the information displayed from the user includes purchase selection and personal data.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the interface includes a touch screen, a navigation button, a keyboard, or a game keyboard.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic stripe, barcode, or wireless ID reader is capable of reading a credit card, a debit card, a gift card, a paper ticket, and a barcode.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism attaches the terminal to a column in a seat in a venue.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism includes a connector for connecting a power source to the terminal.   The terminal according to claim 11, wherein the connector includes a wired network that connects the terminal to a venue.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the venue service provider includes an order management system that processes user communications. A method for a user to communicate with a venue service provider from an interactive terminal attached to a seat in the venue,
Displaying a menu on the interactive terminal to the user;
Using a navigation interface on the interactive terminal for a user to select at least one of goods and services from a menu;
Sending the user's selection over the network to the venue service provider;
Delivering the user's selection to the user.   The method of claim 15, wherein the product menu is displayed on a screen on an interactive terminal.   The method of claim 15, wherein the menu comprises a display of snacks, merchandise, tickets, games, movies, internet connections, and current venue events.   The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting step comprises a user payment.   19. The method of claim 18, wherein the user payment is by bar code on a credit card, debit card, gift card, ticket or other paper or plastic instrument.   16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting step presents the user's payment card to a magnetic stripe, barcode, or wireless ID reader on the interactive terminal.   The method of claim 15, wherein the delivering step comprises the step of physically delivering goods to the user while the user is in the seat.   The method of claim 15, wherein the delivering step comprises delivering electronic data to an interactive terminal.   16. The method of claim 15, wherein the delivering step delivers the product to the user's residence by mail, international courier, or other means.   16. The method of claim 15, wherein the venue service provider relays the user's selection to an appropriate fulfillment center.   25. The method of claim 24, wherein the selection of an appropriate fulfillment center is based on product type, inventory list, user proximity, and fulfillment latency.

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