ZA200803734B - Paging system - Google Patents
Paging system Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- ZA200803734B ZA200803734B ZA200803734A ZA200803734A ZA200803734B ZA 200803734 B ZA200803734 B ZA 200803734B ZA 200803734 A ZA200803734 A ZA 200803734A ZA 200803734 A ZA200803734 A ZA 200803734A ZA 200803734 B ZA200803734 B ZA 200803734B
- Authority
- ZA
- South Africa
- Prior art keywords
- communication system
- wireless signal
- wireless communication
- wireless
- receivers
- Prior art date
Links
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 claims description 40
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 claims description 7
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 210000000707 wrist Anatomy 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000007726 management method Methods 0.000 description 14
- 238000004458 analytical method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000004973 liquid crystal related substance Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000012552 review Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000003213 activating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013480 data collection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000013523 data management Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000881 depressing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000994 depressogenic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008054 signal transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Description
This invention relates to a wireless communication system with an integrated service management system.
The invention finds particularly application as a paging system and will be described with reference to such a system. It will be appreciated however, that the invention may find wider application than simply as a paging system and the description with reference to a paging system is purely exemplary and not intended thereby to limit the invention.
Known paging systems typically involve the long range broadcast transmission of a wireless signal (normally a long range radio frequency (RF) wireless signal) from a signal server to a population of wireless signal receivers or transceivers. The signal, although broadcast, is coded to one or more specific receivers by way of an addressing system controlled by the server. To have a message broadcast on the system, the person wishing to send the message must first go through an administrative (human interfaced) procedure which normally involves having the message logged, entered into the system for broadcasting and then broadcast to the pager (receiver) of the intended message recipient.
This invention relies on the realisation that relatively simple messages do not require long range signal transmissions or the administrative infrastructure implied by conventional paging systems.
According to the invention a wireless communication system is provided comprising: at least one wireless signal server adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals; a plurality of portable wireless signal receivers, each adapted to receive wireless signals from the wireless signal server specifically addressed to that wireless signal receiver; : a plurality of fixed location wireless signal transmitters, each adapted to transmit a wireless signal to the wireless signal servers including information pertaining to the either or both the identity and location of the transmitting transmitter; and the wireless signal server including programmable logic programmed to associate one or more wireless signal transmitters with one or more wireless signal receivers; and to transmit, on receipt of a signal transmitted from a wireless signal transmitter, a corresponding wireless signal only to the wireless signal receiver or receivers associated with the transmitting wireless signal transmitter.
The wireless signal server may be programmed to send a limited number of relatively short, predetermined messages to the wireless signal receiver or receivers.
The portable wireless signal receivers may be transceivers.
In the preferred form of the invention the wireless signal receivers or transceivers are wearable. An example of such a wearable receiver is, for instance a strap-on pager that : : is secured to the wearer's wrist, much like a wrist watch and may include a waiter pager in a restaurant, an attendant pager in a retail shop or a nurse’s pager in a healthcare facility,
. 0 2008/93, ,, to name but a few.
The portable wireless signal receivers are preferably provided with a viewable screen, preferably a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, thereby to allow the wearer of the receiver to move around freely and to receive, view and respond to the signal on receipt.
For convenience and to increase the efficacy of the system in noisy environments, the portable wireless signal receivers may be fitted with buzzers or other alarm means to alert the wearer to an incoming signal.
The fixed location wireless signal transmitters need not be adapted for permanent installation, but they are nevertheless adapted for installation or removable attachment to a single location. An example of such a fixed location is a table in a restaurant, a display shelf in a retail shop or a patient’s bed in a healthcare facility, to name but a few.
The signal output by each fixed location wireless signal transmitter must include information sufficient to determine the location or identity of the transmitting transmitter, thereby to permit a wearer of the wireless signal receiver associated with that wireless signal transmitter to respond to the signal and attending at the location of the wireless signal transmitter, either in person or otherwise.
The system is preferably based on and makes use of short range wireless communication and the communication protocols that have been developed around such short range communication systems. :
Examples of such communication systems are wireless personal area network (WPAN) technologies that make use of short range radio frequency (RF), including WiFi™,
Bluetooth™ and other wireless personal area network technologies. The system is not oo limited to RF transmission systems and can be implemented using short range data exchange by way of free-space optical communication, such as irDA (an example of short-range free-space optical communication. The Infrared Data Association (irDA) defines physical specifications and communications protocols for the short range exchange of data over infrared light for uses such as personal area networks (PANS).
The invention includes specific systems incorporating the invention, such as restaurant, retail and healthcare paging systems to name but a few.
To this end, the invention includes at least a restaurant paging system or a retail environment paging system or a healthcare facility paging system incorporating the wireless communication system described above.
The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a simple diagrammatic illustration of a restaurant paging system.
The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing is a restaurant-based paging system.
Other applications (not necessarily restaurant-based) of the invention will be described with reference to the drawing as well.
The wireless communication system of the invention is implemented, in the drawing, as a restaurant paging system 10.
In its simplest form, the system 10 makes use of: a central wireless signal server 12, which may be constituted by a personal computer adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals and to manage communications within the system 10; a number of fixed location wireless signal transmitters 14 that are adapted for location on the tables 16 of the restaurant (illustrated by a dotted outline 18) in - which the system is implemented; and a number of portable wireless signal receivers 20, each adapted to be worn by the waiters 22 or service personnel who serve the tables 16.
The wireless signal transmitters 14 located on the tables 16 may be referred to as table pagers 14 in this specific example, but it will be appreciated that they are essentially calling clients 14 in the client/server communication system illustrated.
The wireless signal receivers 20 worn by the waiters 22 may be referred to as waiter pagers 20 in this specific example, but they are essentially waiter pagers or receiving clients 20 in the client/server communication system illustrated.
The central server includes a software based management system that is programmed to display information pertaining to the system 10 and the tables 16 and waiters 22 (or waiter pagers 20) managed by means of the system on an on-screen management console (not shown).
Each waiter pager or receiving client 20 is associated with its corresponding table pager or calling client 14. This is done when the waiter 22 receives his or her table allocations at the beginning of a work shift and logs his waiter pager 20 to those allocations with the use of the management console.
Alternatively, each waiter pager 20 could be permanently associated with a specific table or tables 16 and simply issued to the waiter 22 at the commencement of the shift.
As a further alternative, a waiter can log his waiter pager 20 onto any table 16 at any given time, simply by logging onto that table 16 by means of the management console, for instance by clicking on an appropriate block or link on the on-screen management console that links the water's name or pager 20 to the particular table number or by entering a predetermined employee code.
In the preferred form of this embodiment of the invention, signals sent from a particular table pager 14 will initially be sent only to the waiter pager 20 associated with that table ~ 16.
The waiter pagers or receiving clients 20 are made in the form of wearable, strap-on } pagers that are secured to the wrist of the waiter 22, much like a wrist watch. Each of the waiter pagers or receiving clients 20 is provided with a viewable screen, preferably a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, thereby to allow the waiter 22 to move around freely and to receive, view and respond to the signals received on the waiter pager or receiving client 20. For convenience and to increase the efficacy of the system in noisy environments, the receivers 20 are fitted with buzzers or other alarm means to alert the
- @ waiter 22 to an incoming signal.
In use, all the tables 16 in the restaurant 18 will be supplied with table pagers 14, so that a patron sitting at the table 16 need simply activate the table pager 14 of that table, which will be supplied with a switch (typically a push button) for this purpose, in order to attract the attention of the waiter 22 assigned to that table 16.
The signal output by each of the table pagers or calling clients 14 includes information sufficient to determine the location or identity of the transmitting transmitter 14 with the aid of the server logic and database.
On receipt of a signal from a table pager 14, the server 12 immediately transmits a signal, but then only to the waiter pager or receiving client 20 associated with that table pager or calling client 14. In most cases the wireless signal server 12 is pre-programmed with a limited number of relatively short, predetermined messages to the wireless signal receiver or receivers 20. For instance, the waiter 22 will simply see the table number of the table pager or calling client 14 on the display of the waiter pager 20 and know that the patrons at that table need her or him to attend to their requirements. Once he has so attended, the waiter 22 will confirm such attendance on the system 10. This is preferably done at the table 16 that sent the paging signal, the table pager 14 being adapted to be actuated in a specific manner (by depressing a table pager activation button in a particular manner for instance). Alternatively, the waiter 22 can be required to confirm such attendance on the management console or by the waiter 22 activating a transmission on the waiter pager 20, but both of these alternatives have carry the danger that they can be manipulated by staff. It is preferable to leave the control of the paging call as close to the patron as possible, thereby to ensure attendance at the tables by waiting personnel.
If the waiter fails to attend at the table 16 that sent the paging signal within a predetermined time, the system 10 is programmed to copy or divert the paging signal previously sent to the waiter pager 20 associated with that table 16 to any one or more of another pager 20, a supervisor pager (not shown) or the management console.
In addition to the above, the system 10 may include a kitchen pager 24 which, in this example, may be constituted by a specialised calling client. The kitchen pager 24 will, instead of simply having a single actuation button, have a large number of actuation
. @ buttons corresponding at least to the number of tables 16 in the restaurant. This will enable kitchen personnel to summon a waiter 22 when the food for a particular table 16 is ready. To do this the kitchen staff will simply actuate the button corresponding to the table 16 concerned thereby transmitting a signal, via the server 12, to the waiter pager 20 of the waiter 22 associated with that table 16. The kitchen transmission may have data associated with it to display a different message on the waiter's pager 20, thereby to indicate that it is a kitchen call and not a table call.
Examples of features of the system 10 would be to have the table pager 14 having an
On/Off switch to be used when a signal is to be sent to the server 12 and waiter pager 20 to indicate that the table 16 has been joined to another table16. Preferably the server 12 : will display wording such as DISABLED on the server display. Alternatively the table pager actuation button can be adapted to be depressed for an extended period to achieve the same effect. Another feature would be to include a light in the table pager that will be adapted to flash once when the actuation button is pressed to indicate to the user or patron that the call has been made to the waiter 22.
The management console forming part of the system 10 displays information pertaining to the waiters 22 (or waiter pagers 20) and the kitchen pager 24 managed by the system 10, but it will preferably also display management information useful in the management of a restaurant generally, such as occupied and unoccupied tables and service turnaround times of waiters 22 and the kitchen.
By the addition of a calling client (similar to the table pager 14) that is not dedicated to a table 16, a complaints feature can be introduced.
The non-dedicated calling client can then be used as a complaint logger that can be activated to call the receiving client 20 of a dedicated person (usually a management-level employee or supervisor) logged to that calling client by means of the server 12. A person (a disgruntled patron for instance) who wishes to lodge a complaint, will press the button on the non-dedicated complaints logger, thereby sending a call to the supervisor logged on the system to take complaints.
The system may conveniently include a complaints register in software on the server that is activated automatically once the complaints logger is activated. Besides recording the supervisor's response time, the complaints register software can also be configured to record (through the supervisor entering the appropriate data) the complaint itself and the manner in which the complaint is resolved. The complaint register remains activated until the complaint is recorded on the software by the employee.
This feature allows management to be informed of the number and nature of complaints, either for follow up at a higher level or simply to record the data for review and analysis.
The system 10 of the invention introduces the ability to monitor and measure service levels in service environments that, to date, have not been had too many data collection and management tools available. The system 10 of this invention provides such a tool.
All information regarding the system such as employee response times, average response rates, the number of calls, the number of missed calls, and date and time data can be captured and recorded for review and analysis by management at any time.
Using this information, service efficiency and response rates can be calculated in a number of ways.
The invention is adaptable to other applications.
So for instance, the system can be implemented in a retail environment with no modifications, the table pager 14 being replaced by a similar calling client located on a shelf in the store by means of which a customer needing assistance can call an assistant logged to that shelf location.
In this example the assistant would wear the equivalent of a waiter pager (a receiving client 20) that will be associated with one or more shelf caller locations by being logged on to a server for that purpose. Besides the server, a specialised calling client similar to the kitchen pager 24 is then used to monitor staff to ensure that they attend to any calls emanating from the shelf caller locations or to call the staff associated with a particular shelf caller location to an information desk or the like.
In another variation, the system of the invention can be implemented with minor modifications in a clinic or healthcare facility, the table pager 14 being replaced by a patient calling client carried or worn by the patient or located closely adjacent the patient's bedside. The patient can use the patient calling client to call a healthcare assistant such as a nurse who is assigned to that patient's care and logged to that location in the server.
In this example the nurse will wear a receiving client equivalent to the waiter pager 20, the receiving client being associated with that location by being logged on to the server 12 for ’ that purpose.
These are but two examples of a variation of the system 10 and many more can be found.
It will be appreciated that, other than the variations described, all features of the example first described will remain the same for the other examples.
Claims (25)
1. A wireless communication system comprising: at least one wireless signal server adapted to transmit and receive wireless signals; a plurality of portable wireless signal receivers, each adapted to receive wireless signals from the wireless signal server specifically addressed to that wireless signal receiver; a plurality of fixed location wireless signal transmitters, each adapted to transmit a wireless signal to the wireless signal servers including information pertaining to the either or both the identity and location of the transmitting transmitter; and the wireless signal server including programmable logic programmed to associate one or more wireless signal transmitters with one or more wireless signal receivers; and to transmit, on receipt of a signal transmitted from a wireless signal transmitter, a corresponding wireless signal only to the wireless signal receiver or receivers associated with the transmitting wireless signal - transmitter.
2. A wireless communication system according to claim 1 in which the wireless signal server is programmed to send a limited number of relatively short, predetermined messages to the wireless signal receiver or receivers.
3. A wireless communication system according to either of the preceding claims in which the portable wireless signal receivers are transceivers.
4, A wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims in which the wireless signal receivers or transceivers are wearable.
5. A wireless communication system according to claim 4 in which the wearable receivers or transceivers are each constituted by a strap-on pager that is adapted : for securement to a wearer's wrist.
6. A wireless communication system according to claim 5 in which the wearable receivers or transceivers are constituted by a waiter pager in a restaurant.
7. A wireless communication system according to claim 5 in which the wearable receivers or transceivers are constituted by an attendant pager in a retail shop.
8. A wireless communication system according to claim 5 in which the wearable receivers or transceivers are constituted by a nurse’s pager in a healthcare facility.
9. A wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims in which the receivers or transceivers are provided with a viewable screen, thereby to allow the wearer of the receiver or transceiver to move around freely and to receive, view and respond to the signal on receipt.
10. A wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims in which the receivers or transceivers are provided with buzzers or other alarm : means to alert the wearer to an incoming signal.
11. A wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims in which the fixed location wireless signal transmitters are not intended for permanent installation, the transmitters being adapted for installation or removable attachment to a single location.
12. A wireless communication system according to claim11 in which the fixed location wireless signal transmitters are adapted for installation or removable attachment to a single location constituted by a table in a restaurant.
13. A wireless communication system according to claim11 in which the fixed location wireless signal transmitters are adapted for installation or removable attachment to a single location constituted by a display shelf in a retail shop.
14. A wireless communication system according to claim11 in which the fixed location wireless signal transmitters are adapted for installation or removable attachment to a single location constituted by a patient's bed in a healthcare facility.
15. A wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims in which the signal output by each fixed location wireless signal transmitter is adapted to include information sufficient to determine the location or identity of the transmitting transmitter, thereby to permit a wearer of the wireless signal receiver associated with that wireless signal transmitter to respond to the signal and to attend at the location of the wireless signal transmitter, either in person or otherwise.
16. A wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims which is based on and makes use of short range wireless communication and short range wireless communication protocols.
17. A wireless communication system according to claim 16 in which the short range communication system is a wireless personal area network (WPAN) that makes use of short range radio frequency (RF) technology, including WiFi™, Bluetooth™ and other wireless personal area network technologies.
18. A wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims in which the transmission systems is implemented using short range data exchange by way of free-space optical communication, such as irDA.
19. A restaurant paging system including a wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims.
20. A retail environment paging system including a wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims.
21. A healthcare facility paging system including a wireless communication system according to any one of the preceding claims.
22. A wireless communication system substantially as described in this specification with reference to the accompanying drawing.
23. A restaurant paging system substantially as described in this specification with reference to the accompanying drawing.
24. A retail environment paging system substantially as described in this specification with reference to the accompanying drawing.
25. A healthcare facility paging system substantially as described in this specification with reference to the accompanying drawing. Dated 3 April 2008 PFT Burger Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys
. Applicant's PA Attorneys
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZA200701753 | 2007-03-01 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| ZA200803734B true ZA200803734B (en) | 2009-05-27 |
Family
ID=41036886
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZA200803734A ZA200803734B (en) | 2007-03-01 | 2007-03-01 | Paging system |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| ZA (1) | ZA200803734B (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP3579585A4 (en) * | 2017-02-02 | 2020-12-09 | Hello Factory Co., Ltd. | Calling system using short-range wireless communication technology |
-
2007
- 2007-03-01 ZA ZA200803734A patent/ZA200803734B/en unknown
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP3579585A4 (en) * | 2017-02-02 | 2020-12-09 | Hello Factory Co., Ltd. | Calling system using short-range wireless communication technology |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US11257588B2 (en) | Caregiver and staff information system | |
| US8487771B2 (en) | Personal health management device | |
| US6366196B1 (en) | Restaurant waiter paging system | |
| US9990827B2 (en) | Wireless patient care system and method | |
| US8035519B2 (en) | Office communication system | |
| US5877675A (en) | Wireless healthcare communication system | |
| WO2007108919A2 (en) | Method and system for medical alarm monitoring, reporting and normalization | |
| WO2012092567A2 (en) | Patient alert management system | |
| WO2004021228A2 (en) | Computerized system for the management of personnel response time in a restaurant | |
| US20080094185A1 (en) | Patron communication system | |
| ZA200803734B (en) | Paging system | |
| AU2017433256A1 (en) | Hygiene compliance promoting device | |
| US10419896B1 (en) | Walkie-talkie messaging system | |
| JP6774838B2 (en) | Nurse call system | |
| WO1997018539A1 (en) | Communication apparatus | |
| KR102529689B1 (en) | Smart communication call system | |
| US11842619B2 (en) | System and method for insuring hand-hygiene compliance | |
| JP6093583B2 (en) | Medical information management system and medical information management center apparatus | |
| US11380185B2 (en) | Retail internet of things (IoT) platform with in-store contactless call button | |
| US10970659B1 (en) | Tasking system | |
| RU83176U1 (en) | CUSTOMER TERMINAL SERVICE SYSTEM | |
| JP6093584B2 (en) | Medical information management system and medical information management center apparatus | |
| JP6062764B2 (en) | Communication terminal and medical information management system | |
| CA2248440A1 (en) | Service request communication system | |
| HU219089B (en) | Waiter calling system |