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Wireless communication system for monitoring and managing client interface for area-specific process

Wireless communication system for monitoring and managing client interface for area-specific process description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to device and methods for wireless communication. More particularly, this invention is related to a wireless communication system having a wireless communication server to monitor and manage interface with a process client operating a wireless communication device to carry out an area-specific process to enhance the process flow with more effective and timely exchanges of data and information related to the area-specific process.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Even with significant advancements made in technologies and practical applications of wireless telecommunications, it is still a common scene to see customers wait in line. Especially, during a busy shopping season such as within few weeks before annual holidays, the customers are required to wait in line for a prolong length of time before reaching a counter or a checkout station. Such long lines are seen either in the shopping mails or airport terminals.

FIG. 1 shows the typical processes for a passenger to check in an airline when taking an international flight. A passenger starts the processes (step 10) by purchasing a ticket with a reservation for taking an international flight (step 15). The passenger then goes to the international airport terminal on the scheduled date and time to check in with an airline having multiple checking in counters setup in the airport terminal building (step 20). Once entering into the airport terminal building, the passenger goes to a section assigned to the airline with many check in stations (step 25). The passenger then waits in a line until the time when all the passengers before him or her are processed (step 30). Then the passenger walks up to the check in station to present the ticket, the passport and other required documents for the airline worker(s) to complete the check in process including checking in the luggage (step 35). A seat in the airplane is assigned and boarding pass is issued. The passenger has completed the checking in processes and ready to go to a gate for boarding the airplane according to an airplane-boarding schedule (step 40).

Therefore a need still exists to implement a signal transmission and processing configuration to enable message exchanges between a customer and a store or between a passenger and an airline to resolve this difficulty. It is desirable that technologies of wireless communication and location detection by the use of either a global position system (GPS) or other techniques can be effectively applied. It is further desirable that a wireless device user is provided with an option to use the device a user has already own to realize such purposes.

It is therefore an aspect of the present invention to provide a novel signal transmission and processing configuration for enabling message and information exchanges between a customer or passenger and a store or an airline to arrange time and location to reduce the wait-in-line time.

Specifically, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a wireless communication system for monitoring and managing an area-specific process by a process client in an area. The wireless communication system includes a wireless communication server and a wireless communication device employed by a process client. By timely sending and receiving information and messages between the server and the wireless device, a process client now has information to better arrange time and location to carry out the process. The time required to wait in line can be significantly reduced.

Briefly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention discloses a wireless communication system for monitoring and managing wireless communications for carrying out an area-specific process in an area. The wireless communication system further includes a wireless communication server for receiving a message from a process client for registering a wireless communication device used by the process client for sending message to and receiving message from the wireless communication server related to ongoing situations and the area-specific process to be carried out in the area. In a preferred embodiment, the communication system further includes a plurality of process stations for carrying out the area-specific processes for the process client wherein the wireless communication server further monitoring a processing state of the process stations for sending message to the wireless communication device to notify the process client of a process station and an approximate time for the process client to carry out the area-specific process. In a preferred embodiment, the wireless communication server further monitoring a location of the process client in the area for sending messages to the wireless communication device to notify the process client of an ongoing situation in the area near the location of the process client. In another preferred embodiment, the communication system further includes a wireless communication server is provided with a function to automatically detect a presence of the process client through detecting an initial presence of the wireless communication device in the area. In another preferred embodiment, the wireless communication server is provided with a function to automatically detect a presence of the process client through detecting an initial presence of the wireless communication device in the area and to automatically register the process client in the wireless communication server for sending message to and receiving message from the wireless communication device related to the ongoing situations and processes to be carried out in the area. In another preferred embodiment, the wireless communication system further includes at least an area-specific dedicated wireless communication device available to the process client to register with the wireless communication server and to use the area-specific dedicated wireless communication device for sending message to and receiving message from the wireless communication server related to ongoing situations and processes to be carried out in the area. In another preferred embodiment, the wireless communication server further store at least a data of a process client as member for using a membership wireless communication device in the area. In another preferred embodiment, the wireless communication system further includes at least a client-owned wireless communication device for registering with the wireless communication server for sending message to and receiving message from the wireless communication server related to ongoing situations and the process to be carried out in the area. In another preferred embodiment, the wireless communication server further receiving and processing a customer estimated process time for monitoring the ongoing situation in the area for sending a message to the wireless communication device to notify the process client of a designated location and time for the customer to carry out the process. In another preferred embodiment, the wireless communication device further including a scanner for scanning a process-related information. The wireless communication server further receives and processes the process-related information from the wireless communication device for preparing to carry out the area-specific process for the process client.

In summary this invention discloses a method for enabling a communication between a process client and a wireless process server. The method includes a step of transmitting a message from the wireless process server to a wireless communication device operated by the process client. The message includes information related to the area-specific process for enabling the process-client to better arrange time before the area-specific process is scheduled to carry out in the area. In a specific embodiment, the wireless communication server sends a message to notify the process client about a location and an estimate time for the process client to carry out the area-specific process. In another preferred embodiment, the communication system enables the process client to employ a wireless communication device owned by the process client.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the various drawing figures.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart for showing the conventional processes for an international passenger to check in with an airline before boarding the airplane.

FIG. 2 is functional block diagram for showing an in store wireless communication system of this invention to enable a customer to schedule and reduce the wait time before checking out from the store.

FIG. 3 is flowchart for illustrating the processing steps carried out by the wireless communication server and the customer for completing the shopping and checking out processes.

FIG. 4 is flowchart for illustrating the processing steps carried out by an airline wireless communication server and the passenger using a wireless communication device for completing a checking in process with the airline before boarding an airplane.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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