U.S. patent application number 11/250780 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-23 for networked peripheral for visitor greeting, identification, biographical lookup and tracking.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd.. Invention is credited to Marko Balabanovic, Michael Baxter, Jamey Graham, Peter E. Hart, Jonathan J. Hull, Dar-Shyang Lee, Derek Poppink, Gregory Wolff.
Application Number | 20060041542 11/250780 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35452697 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060041542 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hull; Jonathan J. ; et
al. |
February 23, 2006 |
Networked peripheral for visitor greeting, identification,
biographical lookup and tracking
Abstract
According to the invention, a visitor kiosk for the capture and
storage of personal information about visitors. The visitor kiosk
is placed at the entry point to a facility being monitored. Each
visitor signs in at the kiosk. Their business card and an image of
their face are scanned. If they do not have a business card, their
name and company are entered manually. They also enter the name of
the person they are visiting and the purpose for their visit. The
person they are visiting is notified of the arrival of the visitor
by email or by voice telephone. The data about the visitor is
stored locally or remotely. Automatic lookups of various
information about the visitor are performed and communicated to the
person being visited. A network interface allows users to enter
information about visitors they are expecting to arrive. A
telephone interface is provided for input of voice greetings as
well as checking on the arrival status of visitors.
Inventors: |
Hull; Jonathan J.; (San
Carlos, CA) ; Poppink; Derek; (Mountain View, CA)
; Balabanovic; Marko; (London, GB) ; Baxter;
Michael; (Sunnyvale, CA) ; Graham; Jamey; (San
Jose, CA) ; Hart; Peter E.; (Menlo Park, CA) ;
Lee; Dar-Shyang; (Union City, CA) ; Wolff;
Gregory; (Redwood City, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
TOWNSEND AND TOWNSEND AND CREW, LLP
TWO EMBARCADERO CENTER
EIGHTH FLOOR
SAN FRANCISCO
CA
94111-3834
US
|
Assignee: |
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Tokyo
JP
107-8544
|
Family ID: |
35452697 |
Appl. No.: |
11/250780 |
Filed: |
October 14, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09714785 |
Nov 15, 2000 |
6976032 |
|
|
11250780 |
Oct 14, 2005 |
|
|
|
60166081 |
Nov 17, 1999 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.003 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 707/99945 20130101;
Y10S 707/99948 20130101; G06Q 10/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/003 |
International
Class: |
G06F 17/30 20060101
G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A system for tracking activity within a facility, said system
comprising: a plurality of locator apparatuses; a network,
interconnecting said plurality of locator apparatuses; and at least
one of a plurality of portable visitor wands; wherein, said at
least one of a plurality of portable visitor wands communicates an
identity to at least one of said plurality of locator apparatuses;
and wherein said at least one of said plurality of locator
apparatuses track position of a visitor based upon said
communicated identities.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication is performed
by at least one selected from an infrared communication link, a
radio communication link, an optical communication link, sensing a
magnetic card, a telephone communication link, a pager
communication link, and a Bluetooth.TM. communication link.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said locator apparatuses are
further operative to provide a history of visitors to at least one
of said locator apparatuses.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said locator apparatuses are
further operative to provide a history of locator apparatuses
visited by a particular visitor.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of and claims
priority from U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
09/714,785 (Attorney Docket No. 015358-006110US), filed Nov. 15,
2000, which claims priority from and is a non-provisional of U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/166,081 (Attorney Docket No.
015358-006100US), filed Nov. 17, 1999, the entire disclosures of
these applications are incorporated herein by reference for all
purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to techniques for
automated information collection, and specifically to systems and
apparatus for gathering information about visitors.
[0003] Everyday, in work places throughout the world, visitors are
received at places of business, government agencies, real estate
offices and so forth. The visitor is often greeted by a
receptionist, who offers the visitor a sign-in sheet to record
information about the visit. The visitor writes her name, place of
business, person to be visited and the like in the sign-in sheet.
In some cases, this information might be entered into a computer
database manually by a receptionist or a security officer. Such
information is typically used for security purposes. Sometimes, the
visitor will be issued a guest pass, or identity badge to announce
her presence. The receptionist often notifies the person to be
visited that the visitor has arrived. These activities occur so
often that they have become part of the culture in the U.S. and
many other countries as well.
[0004] Opportunities for improving techniques for gathering
information about visitors exist. Since the entry point to an
office is one place where people are required to identify
themselves, valuable data about the visitor can be readily gathered
at this point.
[0005] What is needed are improved techniques for automating the
collecting of information about visitors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention provides techniques for collecting
information about visitors. In one embodiment, the present
invention provides a visitor kiosk system for the greeting,
identification, biographical lookup, and tracking of visitors to a
facility. The visitor kiosk is placed at the entry point of the
facility being monitored. Each visitor to the facility "signs-in"
at the kiosk. The visitor's business card is scanned, and an image
of the visitor is obtained. If the visitor does not have a business
card, the visitor's name and company name can be entered manually.
In specific embodiments, the visitor's speech is also recorded. The
visitor also enters a name of a person to be visited and a purpose
for the visit. The person to be visited is notified of the arrival
of the visitor by email or by voice telephone. The data about the
visitor can be stored locally or remotely. Automatic lookups of
various kinds of information about the visitor are performed and
communicated to the person being visited. A network interface
allows users to enter information about visitors they are expecting
to arrive, as well as to make notes about the visit after the
visitor leaves. A telephone interface provides the capability to
input voice messages, as well as check the status of visitors.
[0007] In a representative embodiment according to the present
invention, a visitor information gathering apparatus is provided.
The apparatus can be embodied as a kiosk that comprises a display;
one or more input devices; a storage; a processor; and one or more
sensors. The processor captures information about visitors from
inputs to the input devices made responsive to prompts provided by
the processor through the display, as well as information obtained
from the sensors. Then, the processor stores the information about
the visitors. In specific embodiments, the input devices can be any
of a touch screen, a keyboard, a mouse, trackball, touch pad, a
combination thereof, or other types of input devices. The apparatus
may display a greeting on the display. The greeting can be
customized to the interests of visitors, and can include a slide
show of product images, advertising, stock values, daily cartoons,
and news, for example. The sensors can include any of a business
card scanner, a microphone, a video camera, a speaker, a docking
station for obtaining information from one or more visitor wands, a
handwriting tablet, one or more biological or biometric sensors,
and/or one or more security sensors. The information about the
visitors includes one or more of a name, an organization
represented by the visitor, a purpose of a visit, a date and/or
time of the visit, a person to be visited, and an identity of a
group visiting together. Furthermore, other kinds of information
can be provided by the sensors attached to the apparatus. For
example, the microphone can record a sample of the visitor's
speech, the video camera can record images of the visitor, the
handwriting tablet can record the visitor's signature. Some
information about the visitor is gathered from the sensors without
the visitor being aware of the gathering. This is referred to as
"unconscious capture" herein. Other information is gathered from
the visitor with the visitor's knowledge and awareness. This type
of information gathering is referred to as "conscious capture."
These terms are not intended to be limiting.
[0008] In certain specific embodiments, various types of interfaces
can connect the kiosk to users of information. For example, a
telephony interface can provide telephone connections via the
public switched telephone network. One or more network interfaces
can connect the kiosk to one or more networks for communications. A
public server can be communicated with using the connection to the
network and network interface, for example. Further, a local server
can connect one or more kiosks to one or more users of information
using a local area network (LAN), for example. The local server
provides a storage place for holding information about
visitors.
[0009] In a specific embodiment, the business card scanner scans
one or both sides of a business card having printing on one or both
sides. Then, if the computer detects the presence of text on one or
both sides, it processes the text in accordance with the language
of the text. The text is processed using an OCR software in a
particular embodiment.
[0010] In another representative embodiment according to the
present invention, a method for collecting information about
visitors is provided. The method can comprise a variety of
elements, such as for example, gathering information about the
visitors in an interactive session with an automated kiosk. Placing
the information into a format in which the information may be
stored is also part of the method. The method includes storing the
information for retrieval. Storage is done either locally, or
remotely is specific embodiments. Automatically obtaining
information about the visitor from one or more sources and
providing the information about the visitor is also part of the
method. The information gathered at the kiosk can be provided to
persons interested in the information. In specific embodiments, the
obtaining information about the visitor from one or more sources
can be one or more of performing a search on the Internet,
searching a publicly available database, searching a database of
visitor information obtained from the kiosk, searching a local
database, as well as others. Further, in some specific embodiments,
the obtaining information can include sensing information about the
visitor without said visitor's awareness (unconscious capture), as
well as obtaining information about the visitor with prompts and
the like, of which the visitor is aware (conscious capture).
[0011] In a further representative embodiment according to the
present invention, a system for tracking activity within a facility
is provided. The system can comprise a plurality of locator
apparatuses; a network, interconnecting the plurality of locator
apparatuses; and one or more portable visitor wands. The portable
visitor wands communicate an identity of an associated visitor to
one or more locator apparatuses, and the locator apparatuses track
position of a visitor based upon the communicated identities. In
specific embodiments, the visitor wands can be handheld wand like
apparatuses, personal data assistants (PDAs), active badges,
portable telephone like apparatuses, and the like. The
communication link between the locator apparatuses and the visitor
wands can be any of an infrared communication link, a radio
communication link, an optical communication link, sensing a
magnetic card, a telephone communication link, a pager
communication link, or a Bluetooth.TM. communication link.
Bluetooth.TM. is a wireless protocol standard developed by the
Bluetooth.TM. Special Interest Group. (see, e.g.,
www.bluetooth.com).
[0012] In specific embodiments, one or more logs are created that
record the exchange of identifies communicated from the visitor
wands to the locator apparatuses. One type of log, called a
"personal history" provides a record of the locator apparatuses
visited by a particular visitor. Another type of log, called a
"location history" provides a record of the visitors who visited a
particular locator apparatus.
[0013] In a yet further representative embodiment, the present
invention provides an apparatus for automatically populating a
database. The apparatus comprises a display; one or more input
devices; a storage; and a processor. The processor captures
information from the input devices. This information is entered by
the visitor responsive to prompts provided by the processor through
the display. The processor stores the information about visitors
into the storage. The information includes personnel information
that may be used to annotate documents is a specific embodiment.
Further, in certain specific embodiments, the personnel information
is used to replace one or more names by hypertext links to the
personnel information.
[0014] In a still yet further representative embodiment, a method
for providing an image is provded. The method comprises
automatically capturing one or more images of a person. The method
also includes providing to the person the images so captured.
Receiving from the person an indication of a preferred image that
is selected from among the images is also part of the method.
[0015] Numerous benefits are achieved by way of the present
invention over conventional techniques. The present invention can
provide automated techniques for gathering, organizing, retrieving
and archiving information about visitors. Specific embodiments can
capture information about a visitor and the visit either with
(conscious capture) or without (unconscious capture) the visitor's
knowledge.
[0016] These and other benefits are described throughout the
present specification. A further understanding of the nature and
advantages of the invention herein may be realized by reference to
the remaining portions of the specification and the attached
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a representative
visitor greeting and information collecting kiosk in a specific
embodiment according to the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a representative
visitor greeting and information collecting apparatus in a specific
embodiment according to the present invention;
[0019] FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate representative visitor wands in
various specific embodiments according to the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a representative
hardware implementation for a visitor wand in a specific embodiment
according to the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates a representative flowchart of processing
visitor information in a specific embodiment according to the
present invention;
[0022] FIGS. 6A-6M illustrate representative screens displayed
during a representative greeting session with a specific embodiment
according to the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 7 illustrates a representative example of visitor wand
tracking in a specific embodiment according to the present
invention; and
[0024] FIG. 8 illustrates a representative HTML description of a
visitor instance in a specific embodiment according to the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0025] The present invention provides techniques for the capture
and storage of personal information about visitors. In a presently
preferred embodiment, the invention provides an interactive visitor
kiosk that is placed at the entry point of a facility. Each visitor
to the facility is invited to "sign-in" at the kiosk. During the
sign-in process, the kiosk collects certain information about the
visitor and her visit. The visitor's business card is scanned, and
an image of the visitor is obtained. If the visitor does not have a
business card, the visitor's name and company name can be entered
manually. In specific embodments, the visitor's speech is also
recorded. The visitor also enters a name of a person to be visited
and a purpose for the visit. The person to be visited is notified
of the arrival of the visitor by email or by voice telephone. The
data about the visitor can be stored locally and/or remotely. A
variety of information about the visitor is searched for
automatically, and the results communicated to the person being
visited. A network interface allows users at the facility to enter
information about visitors they are expecting. A telephone
interface provides a mechanism to input voice greetings as well as
checking on the arrival status of visitors.
[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates a representative visitor kiosk in a
specific embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 1
shows a visitor welcome area 10 that includes a stationary visitor
kiosk 100, and a plurality of portable greeting devices 300, also
known as "visitor wands." The present invention provides a variety
of embodiments that implement the visitor kiosk 100. Different
specific embodiments can provide a variety of capabilities
depending upon the configuration of components and processes that
comprise the embodiment. The visitor kiosk 100 is preferably
implemented using a computer, such as a personal computer (PC). The
computer can have a touch screen, for example, and/or a keyboard or
keypad to enable visitors to enter information. However, other
input devices, such as touch pads, track devices, joy sticks, mouse
and the like can also be used in various specific embodiments
according to the present invention. The use of buttons on the touch
screen can obviate the need for a keyboard and the like in certain
applications. However, in other applications, the visitor kiosk 100
can also include a keyboard.
[0027] The user interface of the visitor kiosk 100 can use any of a
plurality of different languages to communicate with the visitor.
The visitor can choose a preferred language at the initial login
screen. Prompts in the user interface can be supplemented with
spoken directions. Music can be added to improve the visitor's
experience, especially if the visitor must wait for the person to
be visited. The user interface of the visitor kiosk 100 can capture
the name of the visitor, the organization they represent, the
purpose for their visit, and related events, such as for example,
that the visitor is also in the United States to attend Comdex.TM..
The date and time of the visit and the person to be visited can be
entered manually or chosen from a list. Whether the visitor is
alone, or a member of a group visiting together can also be
collected by the visitor kiosk 100.
[0028] The user interface can display a greeting for visitors to
view. Greetings can include a variety of types of information, such
as a slide show of images or products, advertisements, updated
stock values, and daily cartoons, for example. Information can be
selected according to local preferences and varied depending upon
the nature of the facility and the anticipated preferences of the
audience. In specific embodiments, the date of a visitor's most
recent previous visit is incorporated into the greeting for that
visitor. The data about the visitor's prior visits can be saved
locally by the visitor kiosk computer 100 in order to prepare this
type of greeting for visitors. Also, this data can be used to
output a log of all visits during a given time period. Such
requests can be searched by a range of dates, times, company names,
persons to be visited, and the like, for example.
[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a representative
visitor greeting and information collecting apparatus in a specific
embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates
various components and interfaces of the visitor kiosk 100 of FIG.
1. FIG. 2 illustrates representative visitor kiosk 100 integrated
into a visitor information system. The visitor kiosk 100 is
enclosed by a dashed line in FIG. 2. Visitor kiosk 100 includes a
computer 202 connected with a variety of sensors, input/output
devices, and interfaces. For example, computer 202 exchanges
information with a microphone 204, a video camera 206, a speaker
208, a docking station for visitor wands 210, a handwriting tablet
212, one or more biological or biometric sensors 214, and a
business card scanner 216. Some specific embodiments include a
subset of these components, while other specific embodiments can
include elements other than those depicted in FIG. 2. Also, kiosk
100 can include various devices that are not shown by FIG. 2, such
as, for example a computer touch screen, an optional keyboard, a
mouse, trackball, touch pad, a combination thereof, or other types
of input devices can be incorporated into kiosk 100.
[0030] The microphone 204 captures samples of the visitor's speech.
This can be done without the visitor's knowledge, which is known as
"unconscious capture." Alternatively, the visitor's speech is
sampled after obtaining prior permission, in which case the audio
capture capability of microphone 204 is activated after asking for,
and receiving, the visitor's permission. Microphone 204 can capture
anything the visitor might say while standing near the kiosk. In
specific embodiments using conscious capture, the visitor is asked
to "Please say your name," for example. The recorded audio can be
forwarded to the person being visited, in order to help identify
the visitor. The audio data can also be saved and used as training
data for other algorithms that can identify speakers in unlabeled
audio tracks or to recognize the words that the visitor spoke. For
further description of techniques for identifying individuals based
upon audio data, reference may be had to a U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,654,
issued to M. J. Newman, L. S. Gillick, and Y. Ito, entitled,
"Speaker identification using unsupervised speech models," which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
[0031] Video camera 206 provides interactive information gathering
with the visitor. For example, the visitor can be asked whether she
would like her picture taken. If the visitor responds in the
affirmative, she poses in front of the camera and presses a "Take"
button when she is ready for the system to capture her picture. In
some embodiments, the camera captures a short video clip. The clip
can be captured in a time window around the time when the "Take"
button is pushed, for example. A "best," i.e., most web-framed
single frame from the clip, can be chosen to represent the visitor.
In alternative embodiments, the video capture is performed without
the visitor's awareness. This is known as "unconscious capture."
Embodiments employing unconscious capture obviate the need for a
"Take" button. Further, such embodiments capture an image of each
visitor that signs-in at the kiosk. A video clip can be captured
starting when the visitor first started logging in until shortly
after they were finished, for example. Both the clip and the best
single frame from the clip can be saved.
[0032] In specific embodiments, more than one camera is used in
order to capture images of the visitor from different perspectives.
For example, one of the cameras can be aimed to grab a frontal view
full-face image. Other cameras can be deployed in the area nearby
the kiosk and can be aimed to gather clips of the visitor viewed
from different angles. A wide angle view taken from a location that
is a known distance from the visitor enables the system to
determine the visitor's height. The video clips can be used later
to help identify the visitor in other environments. If the clips
show the visitor walking across the room, the visitor can be
identified using known techniques that demonstrate how people are
often identifiable from a combination of their height, body shape,
posture, and gait. For further description of techniques for
identifying individuals based upon these features, reference may be
had to a publication by D. Cunado, J. M. Nash, M. S. Nixon, and J.
N. Carter, entitled, "Gait extraction and description by evidence
gathering," Proceedings of the Second International Conference on
Audio and Video-based Person Identification, Washington, D.C., Mar.
22-23, 1999, 43-48, which is incorporated herein by reference in
its entirety for all purposes.
[0033] In a specific embodiment, a plurality of close-up images of
a visitor are combined to generate a three-dimensional
representation for the visitor. One specific embodiment employs a
software product of Avatarme, Ltd. (www.avatar.com) to generate a
three-dimensional representation of the visitor that can be used to
identify the visitor later in other environments.
[0034] The information captured by the visitor kiosk can be used to
identify the visitor at other office appliances. This provides
automatic identification for visitors at devices using unconscious
capture. In specific embodiments, once the visitor kiosk supplies
information about a visitor to other devices in the facility, these
devices can draw upon this information later to identify the
visitor. Thus, according to an embodiment of the present invention,
a copy machine in the facility can recognize that a specific
visitor is requesting copy services based upon the identification
information gathered about the visitor at the visitor kiosk. The
visitor kiosk can combine information about a particular visitor's
authorization to use certain devices to the networked machines in
the facility. These machines, upon recognizing the visitor, will
determine whether the visitor is permitted to access that
particular machine.
[0035] The speaker 208 can enable the kiosk to play pre-recorded
greetings. These can be generic greetings like, "Welcome to the
Ricoh California Research Center," or they can be tailored to
individual visitors. For example, after scanning a business card
for Mr. X, the kiosk can greet the recognized visitor with,
"Welcome to Our Company, Mr. X." In specific embodiments,
instructions for a visitor are read aloud. A computer synthesized
voice, which can be provided by "DECtalk," a product of Digital
Equipment Corporation, for example, or by pre-recorded audio clips,
can be used to provide the speech. The kiosk 100 can also play
music before or after a visitor signs in or at different points
during the sign-in process.
[0036] The docking station for visitor wands 210 provides a
connection to visitor wands 300. Visitor wands can be used as
identity badges, for example. Each visitor can be provided with a
visitor wand and invited to carry it while visiting the facility.
In specific embodiments, the visitor wand can record the visitor's
location, who the visitor meets with, and what is said during those
meetings. This information can be compiled into a "visitor's
diary," a record of the visitor's experience at the facility. The
docking station for visitor wands 210 provides information about
the times when wands are removed and replaced. In conjunction with
the user interface software of the visitor kiosk, the identity of
the visitor possessing each particular visitor wand is tracked. The
docking station also provides a mechanism for downloading data to
and uploading data from a visitor wand. Visitor wands will be
described in further detail herein below with reference to FIGS.
3A-3C.
[0037] Handwritting tablet 212 captures the signature of the
visitor at the kiosk, acting as a replacement for the sign-in sheet
of conventional receptionists. The visitor is prompted by the user
interface to write her signature on the tablet. Preferably, a
pressure-sensitive tablet is used. However, other types of writing
tablets are used in various specific embodiments. The handwriting
tablet captures the sample of the visitor's signature to enable
accurate verification of the visitor's signature subsequent to the
visit. For a detailed description of techniques for identifying
individuals based upon handwriting, reference may be had to a
publication by R. Plamondon and G. Lorette, entitled, "Automatic
signature verification: The state of the art," Pattern Recognition,
22, no. 2, 107-131, 1989, which is incorporated herein by reference
in its entirety for all purposes.
[0038] Biological and biometric sensors 214 interfaced to the kiosk
computer 202 provide data that can be used for subsequent biometric
identification of the visitor. Biological and biometric sensors 214
collect information associated with a person's body functions, such
as a persons weight, a body temperature, a heart rate, a
respiratory rate, one or more fingerprints, and an odor. In a
specific embodiment, weight is measured using a pad in front of the
kiosk. Fingerprints are read through a special mouse, space bar on
the keyboard, or touch screen. For a detailed description of
techniques for measuring weight, reference may be had to a
publication by M. D. Addlesee, A. H. Jones, F. Livesey, and E. S.
Samaria, entitled, "The ORL Active Floor," IEEE Personal
Communications, Vol. 4, No. 5, October 1997, pp. 35-41
(ftp://ftp.uk.research.att.com:/pub/docs/att'tr.97.11.pdf), which
is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all
purposes.
[0039] In specific embodiments, biometric identification and/or
visitor wand identification is used to identify the visitor's
presence at a networked office machine, such as a copier, printer,
facsimile machine, or the like. Visitors with permission to use the
machine are recognized by comparing the visitor's biometric
information with a known biometric "signature" for the visitor and
authorization information gathered by the visitor kiosk 100.
Unconsciously captured images of the documents the visitor
processes with the office machine can be sent to the visitor at the
end of the visit.
[0040] The emotional state of the visitor can be recognized from a
combination of biological measurements. Techniques for inferring an
emotional state from biological measurements are known in the art.
The visitor's emotional state can be determined, and the results
communicated to the persons being visited. This information can
assist persons being visited in responding to unspoken needs of the
visitor. For example, someone who is nervous because she is worried
about something at home might enjoy an opportunity to make a
telephone call. Accordingly, knowing the visitor's emotional state
enables persons at the facility to take action to reassure the
visitor.
[0041] The business card scanner 216 interfaces to the kiosk
computer 202 and resides proximately with the visitor kiosk 100.
Event-based software within the user interface of kiosk computer
202 controls the operation of the business card scanner 216. At an
appropriate time while interacting with a visitor, the visitor
inserts her business card into the scanner. This is detected and
the scanner's operation is started. An image of the business card
is obtained and saved. An optical character recognition (OCR)
program is applied to the image either locally by the kiosk
computer or remotely at the server 22. The result of the OCR is
displayed to the visitor by the interface software of kiosk
computer 202. Fields such as the visitor's name are detected by the
OCR and used by the user interface to address the visitor. Visitors
can be asked to confirm the OCR results with a prompt on the
display screen, or through a voice message, or the like. In
specific embodiments, a two-sided business card scanner is used.
These embodiments provide the capability to input information from
foreign language business cards, such as for example, those used in
Japan, in which English and Japanese text appear on opposite sides
of the business card. The OCR software can detect which language is
present and automatically apply the appropriate algorithms.
[0042] A variety of interfaces can connect the kiosk 100 to
computer systems, networks, and the like, in order to provide
information to persons in the facility. A local network interface
220 enables communication between the kiosk 100 and client
computers and other devices on the local network 20, which can be a
local area network (LAN), for example. The local network interface
220 connects kiosk 100 to a private server 22 via the local network
20, for example. The private server 22 can be a company internal
use only computer accessible only to employees within the facility,
for example. Private server 22 provides a convenient place to store
information about visitors, which has been gathered from one or
more kiosks deployed in one or more facilities. A browser (not
shown) can access the visitor information on the server 22. A
variety of devices (not shown) can communicate with kiosk 100 via
network 20, such as a networked copier, such as the eCabinet
product by Ricoh, facsimile machines, computers, and the like, for
example.
[0043] A network interface 222 connects the kiosk 100 to a
publically accessible network 30 for communications with the
public. The network interface 222 provides communications between
the kiosk 100 and publically accessible resources, such as sites on
the world wide web. A public server 32 is connected to kiosk
computer 202 via the network 30, network interface 222, and a
firewall software application (not shown) to provide the public
access to specific information about the visitors and/or the
facility, for example. A web browser (not shown) can provide the
interface to this information.
[0044] A telephony interface 224 provides a telephone connection
via the public switched telephone network (PSTN or POTS). The
telephony interface 224 provides the capability to persons within
the facility to provide information to, and receive information
from, the kiosk 100 by telephone.
[0045] Network accessibility provides a variety of advantages in
specific embodiments. For example, in one specific embodiment, a
feed from the video camera at the kiosk is displayed on a computer
monitor (not shown) of someone who expects a visitor. The computer
monitor is interfaced to the kiosk computer 202 via the network 20,
for example. Persons expecting a visitor can view the area around
the kiosk for the arrival of the visitor. This enables persons at
the facility to greet the visitor as soon as the visitor approaches
the kiosk, thereby providing a personalized greeting, if so
desired. A client monitor (not shown) can provide a real time
indication of activity taking place at the keyboard and/or touch
screen of the kiosk computer 202. The client monitor can include a
live audio feed from the microphone 204 at the kiosk 100. In
specific embodiments, the microphone 204 provides the audio feed
without the visitor being aware of its operation (unconscious
capture).
[0046] Many kinds of system maintenance and updating functions are
enabled by the network interface. In a specific embodiment, once a
visitor signs-in at the kiosk, a communication is entered into
between kiosk computer 202 and server 22. In this specific
embodiment, the communication is implemented using a Unix socket
that is opened to a process on the server 22. Then, the kiosk
computer 202 sends a message that indicates to the server 22 that a
new visitor has arrived. Responsive to this message, a process on
the server 22 opens an ftp connection, for example, to the kiosk
computer 202 and obtains copies of the files associated with the
newly arrived visitor. These files can include for example a
business card image, a result of processing the business card imae
using an OCR, text data, a sound file, a video clip, and the like.
The kiosk computer 202 can also respond to status requests made by
server 22 over network 20, for example. The kiosk computer 202
tracks its performance using a variety of statistical measures,
such as a date program started, a number of visitors, a date of
last visitor logged in, and the like. In specific embodiments,
statistical moments such as mean, mode, average, standard
deviation, kurtosis, and the like, known in the art track numbers
of visitors, their arrival times, and the like. Then, upon request
by server 22, which may be made using a socket call, for example,
the kiosk computer 202 sends a list of logged events and/or
statistics to the requester. The server 22 can verify that the
kiosk 100 has been operating normally by analyzing the statistics
sent to it by kiosk computer 202.
[0047] In a specific embodiment, the kiosk computer 202 sends email
messages over the network 20. These email messages can notify
persons connected to the network 20 that a visitor has arrived.
These persons can identify the visitor by the email messages.
Attachments such as the sound, video, and/or still images of the
visitor can be appended to the emails to assist in recognizing the
visitor. The kiosk computer 202 also receives email messages, which
it processes as commands. For example, an email message sent to a
visitor kiosk 100 at the address "kiosk@crc.ricoh.com" having "SHOW
VISITORS" in the subject line will cause the kiosk to return a list
of visitors and the dates that the visitors signed in at the kiosk
100. The kiosk 100 can also receive notifications of visitors to
expect in this way. For example, an email message with, "VISITOR
Aug. 22, 1999 Masamitsu Sakurai," informs the kiosk computer 202
that this person is expected on August 22. In a specific
embodiment, this information is used by the kiosk to post-process
the results of applying OCR software to an image obtained by
scanning the visitor's business card. Further, in specific
embodiments, the information from the notification is used to
populate the user interface. A pull-down menu, for example, is
populated with the names of visitors that the kiosk has been
notified to expect. When one of the visitors arrives, she can
select her name from the pull-down menu. Information about expected
visitors can also be used to notify persons expecting a visitor
that a particular visitor did not arrive. The user interface can
also be modified based on expected visitors. For example, if a
visitor from a prominent company, X, is expected, photographs can
be displayed on the screen that highlight the facility's
relationship with company X.
[0048] In a specific embodiment, the kiosk computer 202 comprises a
web server program, providing a stand-alone visitor information
collection system on the network 20. In this configuration, kiosk
computer 202 maintains a home page that shows the visitors
processed by the kiosk 100, as well as the person(s) visited. Users
can query this information based upon parameters such as a visitor
name, a host name, a date or a date range, a purpose, and an
associated event. For example "show me all the visitors in July who
were here for the review meeting," may be submitted as a query of
the information stored by the visitor kiosk 100. In one embodiment,
a CGI script can be executed by the kiosk computer 202 in order to
retrieve the appropriate data and display it as a web page.
Expected visitors can be entered with a CGI script at the web
server 22. A forms interface can allow visitors to enter the date,
name, organization, phone numbers, email address, purpose for
visit, expected time of arrival, and agenda. This can include the
names of people in the facility and times when the visitor will
meet with each one.
[0049] The network interface 222 provides connection to the world
wide web via external network 30. In specific embodiments, personal
information about the visitor can be gathered automatically from
the world wide web. For example, a person to be visited may desire
to research conversation topics of interest to the visitor. The
weather during the previous few days or weeks in the town that the
visitor came from, standings and recent results for the home sports
teams, and the like, can be retrieved to form a "biographical
profile" that can serve as a basis for conversation with the
visitor. Recent cultural events, such as theatre, and the like, in
the visitor's home towns can also be retrieved. Popular Internet
sites, such as YAHOO.TM., for example, provide sources from which
this data might be extracted. The weather during the visitor's
previous visit, as well as a list of significant news stories at
that time might be provided if the visitor is making a return visit
to the facility. This information can be transmitted to the person
to be visited via an email message before the visitor is scheduled
to arrive.
[0050] The compilation of biographical information can also include
security related information, which may be useful in cases where
the visitor has not previously visited the facility. For example,
searching online newspapers for the visitor's name can answer a
plurality of security related questions. Did the visitor recently
write a letter to the Editor? Was the visitor arrested recently? Is
the visitor on the FBI's ten most-wanted list? Should Security be
alerted? Newspapers in the town where the visitor is from can be
searched for recent locally significant news stories. Further, one
or more databases can be searched for the visitor's name. These
databases include readily available archives of genealogy
information, ham radio licensees, aircraft pilots, department of
motor vehicles (DMV) data, such as driver's licenses and
registrations, voter registration, property ownership and tax roles
and various criminal registries.
[0051] Visitor information obtained from the world wide web and
other external sources can be augmented with information stored in
a database residing on server 22, or directly on the kiosk computer
202, about the visitor's personal interests. This information can
also be entered with an "expected visitor" web form. For example,
information about the kind of car a visitor drives, the visitors
hobbies (e.g., golf), what the visitor likes to eat, and where the
visitor was taken to lunch or dinner during the previous visit can
be incorporated into the biographical profile of the visitor. This
can be compared with an online restaurant guide to determine
suggested resturants to take the visitor during her stay. A history
of the visitor's hotel stays can be used to suggest where the
visitor should be housed.
[0052] The public server 32 that is connected to publically
accessible communciation network 30 enables the world wide web to
be used as a focal point for follow-up communication with visitors.
As described herein above, a visitor is assigned a web page upon
visiting the facility. Each time the visitor comes to the facility,
the web page is updated with a record of the most recent visit.
Information such as whom the visitor met with, (with or without
images), meeting notes, and the like, is posted on the visitor's
web page. Other information could also be included, such as for
example, what the weather was like the day of the visitor's last
visit, what the headlines were, and the like. In addition, any
technical reports or literature that the visitor received during
the visit can be posted to the web page. In embodiments employing
an extranet, a person inside the company can securely share
selected information with a customer by posting the information to
that customer's web page. This can be useful beyond mere
face-to-face visits, and can be extended to cover any ongoing
relationship, even if initiated via email or telephone. Specific
embodiments can provide the persons being visited with a mechanism
to control distribution of information by tracking whom they met
with and what was discussed. Further, specific embodiments can
assist the forgetful visitor with remembering what was discussed in
meetings held during the visit.
[0053] The telephony interface 224 provides the capability to
contact visitors and persons to be visited by telephone. When a
visitor registers at the kiosk and indicates who they are visiting,
the person to be visited can be contacted by telephone. The kiosk
notifies them that a visitor has arrived. If the person to be
visited does not answer, a designated alternate is telephoned. The
kiosk plays a pre-recorded message to the person to be visited or
the alternate. If the name of the visitor is available (from the
business card OCR results or if it was manually entered), it can be
incorporated into the message by a speech synthesizer. The
telephony interface also enables the kiosk to act as a
speakerphone. If the person to be visited answers the telephone
call from the kiosk, a connection is opened with the visitor. This
allows the host to greet the visitor and let the visitor know that
the host will arrive at the kiosk shortly to escort the visitor in
the facility. A video link can also be added to the interface to
make this communication a video conference.
[0054] In some embodiments, the kiosk 100 also receives telephone
calls via telephony interface 224. In these embodiments, the kiosk
100 is equipped with a touch tone interface that enables the caller
to execute various options. One option is to check the status of
expected visitors. Another option is to leave a voice message for
an expected visitor, which can be played when the visitor arrives.
The host for a visitor can be changed and an expected visitor can
be added or deleted using a touch tone interface.
[0055] In specific embodiments, security devices (not shown), such
as a metal detector or an explosives detector can be incorporated
to the kiosk. These embodiments can provide greater security to
persons working in secure areas. In a specific embodiment, a
detector for RF transmission or reception can detect the presence
of listening devices on the visitor. A detailed description of
various examples of commercially available sensors useful in
creating certain specific embodiments may be had by referring to,
"The Spy Store" (http://www.thespystore.com).
[0056] In specific embodiments, a printer (not shown) interfaces
with visitor kiosk 100. In certain specific embodiments, the
visitor receives a printed "receipt" from the printer after signing
in with the kiosk. The receipt can include a URL assigned uniquely
to the visitor. The URL points to the web page created for the the
visitor, which can be located on the public server 32. The web page
provides a place to access information collected about the visitor
and the visit. Other potentially useful information can be printed
on the "receipt," such as what has changed since the visitor's last
trip to the facility.
[0057] The operation of these and other components of specific
embodiments according to the present invention will be discussed in
greater detail below. In various specific embodiments, not all of
these components will be present. Yet further, in many embodiments,
other components can be included. These modifications will be
readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0058] FIG. 3A illustrates a visitor wand in a specific embodiment
according to the present invention. Visitor wand 300 illustrated in
FIG. 3A is embodied as a hand held device having a display area 302
for providing messages to the visitor and displaying to the visitor
entries made using a keypad 304. In the embodiment illustrated in
FIG. 3A, the keypad 304 comprises a "qwerty" style key arrangement.
However, other arrangements, including subsets and supersets of the
"qwerty" key layout, are used in other specific embodiments. A hand
grip 306 provides comfortable contour to the visitor's hand. A
video camera 310 is incorporated into the wand in certain
embodiments. A plurality of biometric sensors 312a and 312b can
detect biological information about the visitor, such as heart rate
and the like. Visitor wand 300 can guide the visitor in the
facility. An itinerary for the visitor can be stored on visitor
wand 300 prior to the visitor's arrival. The visitor wand 300 then
displays the itinerary together with directions for the visitor at
specific intervals during the day. For example, at 10:00 AM,
visitor wand 300 might display the message, "take the elevator to
the fourth floor, turn right, walk 50 feet to room 561." An
alternative is to display directions graphically using a map.
[0059] The visitor wand 300 further comprises an audio recorder. A
microphone 308 and audio recording circuitry (not shown) provide
the capability to save a copy of notes from meetings that the
visitor attends as she travels through the facility. Recorded
information can be stored in the wand 300. The recordings can be
parameterized by the identity of the persons to be visited,
computed as described above. This allows easy retrieval later,
either by the visitor or the person to be visited. For example, the
visitor may wish to make queries like "please retrieve the
conversation I had with Ms. X on August 9."
[0060] The video camera 310 is incorporated into the wand 300 in
order to record the visitor's activities and experiences while at
the facility. Its record can be supplemented with still images or
video clips captured from other cameras in the facility. For
example, an image from the camera in a particular room can be
captured and saved on the wand, or alternatively on a server, when
the visitor is in that room. For a detailed description of a
technique for capturing video recordings, reference may be had to a
publication by M. Eldridge, M. Lamming, and M. Flynn, entitled,
"Does a Video Diary Help Recall?" Technical Report EPC-1991-124,
published in People and Computers VII, A. Monk et. al. (ed.),
Cambridge University Press, 1992, pp. 257-269.
[0061] Biological sensors 312a and 312b detect heart rate, heat,
odor, and the like. These sensors can help identify the wand user
and help detect if a wand is passed from one person to another.
Sensors 312a and 312b can also detect biometric data from which the
emotional state of the visitor can be determined. This information
can assist persons at the facility in improving the experience of
the visitor. For example, a visitor who is determined to be
excessively nervous can be offered a cup of herbal tea.
[0062] In specific embodiments, an inertial sensor (not shown) can
be incorporated into the wand. For a detailed description of
techniques for sensing inertia, reference may be had to a
publication by Marc A. Viredaz, entitled "The Itsy Pocket Computer
Version 1.5: User's Manual," Technical Note TN-54, Compaq Western
Research Laboratory, July 1998, which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety for all purposes. It can indicate when
the wand was stationary for long periods of time. This might
indicate the visitor removed it from his person.
[0063] In specific embodiments, visitor wand 300 maintains a
wireless communication with one or more transceivers located in the
facility using an antenna 316 coupled to internal communications
circuitry (not shown). Visitor wand 300 can comprise circuitry (not
shown) that enables it to determine a distance to other
transceivers in the facility. The facility is equipped with a
multiplicity of fixed transceivers, from which the wand 300
determines its position by triangulation. This positional
information is also transmitted by the fixed transceivers to a
common point, such as kiosk 100, which serves as a "base"
station.
[0064] The microphone 308, speaker 314, antenna 316, and associated
circuitry (not shown) provide telephone functionality to the wand.
A visitor can contact a person to be visited using the telephone by
scrolling a cursor to the person's name in the display 302 and
pressing a button in keypad 304. The visitor wand establishes a
telephone connection with the selected person. Similarly, a person
to be visited can contact a visitor by calling the phone number of
the wand that the visitor was issued. This number is recorded by
the kiosk computer 202 and communicated to the person to be visited
listed in the visitor's itinerary. The number can be posted on a
web page accessible using the network 20, as well.
[0065] FIG. 3B illustrates a representative visitor wand in an
alternative embodiment according to the present invention. Visitor
wand 320 illustrated in FIG. 3B is embodied as a hand held
appliance having cellular telephone communications capability. Wand
320 has a display area 322 for providing messages to the visitor
and displaying to the visitor entries made on a keypad 324. In the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3B, the keypad 324 comprises an
alphameric style key arrangement. However, other arrangements
including subsets and supersets of a standard "qwerty" key layout
are used in other specific embodiments. A microphone 328, a speaker
334, and audio recording circuitry (not shown) provide audio input
and output capability. The microphone 328, speaker 334 and an
antenna 336 also provide telephone access via the wand. A video
camera 330 can be incorporated into this embodiment, as well. A
plurality of biometric sensors 332a and 332b can detect biological
information about the visitor, such as heart rate and the like.
[0066] FIG. 3C illustrates a representative visitor wand in a
further alternative embodiment according to the present invention.
The visitor wand 340 of FIG. 3C is embodied as a personal data
assistant (PDA) style device. The wand 340 comprises a digital
writing pad 344 with which visitors can input data, such as notes,
for example. The notes can be stored in memory of the wand 340 for
later retrieval. Wand 340 has a display area 342 for providing
messages to the visitor and displaying to the visitor the entries
made on the writing pad 344. A microphone 348, a speaker 354, and
audio recording circuitry (not shown) provide audio input and
output capability. The microphone 348, speaker 354 and an antenna
336 provide telephone access via the wand. A video camera 350 can
be incorporated into this embodiment, as well. A plurality of
biometric sensors 352a and 352b can detect biological information
about the visitor, such as heart rate and the like.
[0067] A record of whom a visitor meets with can be compiled using
a triangulation technique in conjunction with a fixed physical
position of persons visited. The physical position of a person can
be determined from an accurate mapping between an assumed and an
actual physical position of persons to be visited. This mapping can
be determined from an office layout, or the like. For example, a
person "A" holding a particular visitor wand, who is in the
facility to visit person "B," will be located by the signal from a
visitor wand in close proximity to the office of person "B."
Another option is to require persons to be visited to carry a
transceiver similar to a visitor wand. In this case, the person to
be visited can be assumed to be the person with the wand that is
physically closest to the visitor.
[0068] Microphones in the facility, not attached to the wand, can
supplement the visitor wand's recording capability. These extra
microphones can be attached to the fixed transceivers described
above, or through some other connection. In one configuration, the
wand transmits its position and the audio signal it is recording to
a base station. The base station also receives audio input from
other microphones in the facility. The base station determines
which microphones are "active" given the physical position of the
wand. The audio from each such active microphone is captured and
savend. Alternatively, the audio from the microphone with a highest
audio level is saved. Audio signals from multiple microphones can
also be compared to verify the choice of a non-wand microphone,
whenever a reduced amplitude signal from a non-wand microphone is
present in the background of the sound recorded on the wand
microphone. An alternative to choosing one audio track is to save
more than one audio track from the set of active microphones. The N
clearest signals from the active microphones might be chosen.
Alternatively, the signals from all active microphones can be
saved.
[0069] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a representative
hardware implementation for a visitor wand in a specific embodiment
according to the present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates visitor wand
300 that is provided with an antenna 316 coupled to a
high-frequency circuit 420. An audio circuit unit 430 connects the
high-frequency circuit 420 with the speaker 314 and the microphone
308. The audio circuit unit 430 and the high-frequency circuit 420
are connected to a CPU 460 that controls various functions of the
components of visitor wand 300. The CPU 460 controls the
high-frequency circuit unit 420 and the audio circuit unit 430
according to a control program stored in a memory 480 that is
connected to the CPU 460. Memory 480 comprises RAM, flash RAM,
and/or ROM in various specific embodiments. The CPU 460 is also
connected to the keypad 304 and the display 302, which provide
input and output of information to/from the visitor. The CPU 460
displays on the display unit 302 information necessary for
communication, such as a state of a connection, a telephone number
of a person being telephoned, an e-mail addresses, e-mail data to
be received or transmitted, and the like, as well as information
necessary for the user of the visitor wand 300. The CPU 460 is
connected to an I/O port 466, which provides interface to a
plurality of sensors and devices. For example, camera 310,
biometric sensors 312a, and 312b, and so forth, are connected with,
and accessible by, CPU 460 via I/O port 466.
[0070] While the preceeding explanation refers to the visitor wand
300 illustrated by FIG. 3A, this explanation is intended as merely
an example, and is not intended to be limiting. Further, the
visitor wands of embodiments illustrated by FIGS. 3B-3C are
realized using similar components and techniques as discussed above
with reference to FIG. 4. Thus, further discussion of the internal
hardware of these embodiments will be omitted for brevity.
[0071] FIG. 5 illustrates a representative flowchart of processing
visitor information in a specific embodiment according to the
present invention. FIG. 5 illustrates a step 502 of recording
information about a visitor at the visitor kiosk 100. Then, in a
step 504, the information is placed in a format for storage. In a
specific embodiment, the information is placed in HTML format.
However, a variety of other formats are used in specific
embodiments. Next, in a step 508, the information is stored in a
database. The database can be located in a sever 22 connected to
the visitor kiosk 100. In another embodiment, the information can
be stored locally in a database resident at the visitor kiosk 100.
In a step 508, information about the visitor can be obtained from
the database, as well as a variety of other sources, such as for
example, the Internet, world wide web, and the like. Next, in a
step 510, the information about the visitor is provided to users of
the information. The users can query and retrieve the information
about the visitor using their workstations, or receive information
on a telephone, for example. In various specific embodiments, the
order of these steps can be altered. Further, in some embodiments,
not all of these steps will be present. Yet further, in many
embodiments, other steps can be included. These modifications will
be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0072] FIGS. 6A-6M illustrate representative screens displayed
during a representative greeting session with a specific embodiment
according to the present invention. FIG. 6A illustrates a
representative welcoming screen. Welcoming screens can comprise
displays of information as part of a greeting, including a slide
show of images or products, advertisements, updated stock values,
and daily cartoons, for example. Information can be selected
according to local preferences and can vary depending upon target
audience. Here, the welcome screen includes a picture of the
facility being visited 601. The visitor can select a preferred
language using the touch screen, keyboard, or mouse to select from
the language buttons 602.
[0073] FIG. 6B illustrates a screen presenting the visitor with a
plurality of persons from which a person to be visited can be
selected. In this specific embodiment, persons are indicated by
selection buttons 605 having the persons' name. However, in
alternative embodiments, the selection buttons can be images of the
person, for example. Some selection buttons can be used to indicate
a group of persons 606. In the specific embodiment illustrated by
FIG. 6B, an "Unknown" button 607 and a "Restart" button 608 enable
the visitor to indicate she does not know the name of the person to
be visited or that she would like to begin the sign-in process
again, respectively.
[0074] FIG. 6C illustrates a representative screen in which the
visitor can specify a purpose of the visit. The visitor can select
a purpose using a scrolling window 610. Selection can be made by
moving a cursor with a mouse, trackball, or keyboard, or by using a
touch screen. The visitor can indicate to the kiosk that the
selection is complete using a "Done" key 611. In this embodiment,
the visitor can also select a "Back" button 612, or a "Restart"
button 613. In another specific embodiment, the user types the
purpose for the visit manually using a keyboard.
[0075] FIG. 6D illustrates a representative prompt screen to scan a
business card, or manually enter the visitor's pertinent
information using a keyboard. This screen provides a textual
instruction 615, as well as picture examples 616, to assist the
visitor in inputting a business card. In this embodiment, the
visitor can also select a "Back" button 617, or a "Restart" button
618.
[0076] FIG. 6E illustrates an instruction screen for scanning the
visitor's business card. This screen provides a textual instruction
620, as well as picture examples 621, to assist the visitor in
inputting a business card. In this embodiment, the visitor can also
select a "Back" button 622, or a "Restart" button 623.
[0077] FIG. 6F illustrates representative screen for prompting the
visitor to enter a name and an organization name. The screen of
FIG. 6F can be displayed if the visitor has selected manual entry
of this information responsive to the screen of FIG. 6D, or if the
business card scanner was unable to read the visitor's business
card for some reason. FIG. 6F provides a textual instruction 625, a
name field 626 and an organization field 627. The visitor can enter
the appropriate information into name field 626 and organization
field 627 using the keyboard, for example, or other input device.
In this embodiment, the visitor can also select a "Back" button
628a, a "Next" button 628b, or a "Restart" button 629.
[0078] FIG. 6G illustrates a representative screen requesting the
visitor's permission to take a picture. This screen provides a
textual message 630 and an image 631. The visitor can select from
either a "Yes" button 632 or a "No" button 633. In this embodiment,
the visitor can also select a "Restart" button 634.
[0079] FIG. 6H illustrates a representative screen showing the
visitor the image provided by the camera 635. The visitor can take
the picture by selecting the "Take" button 636. In this embodiment,
the visitor can also select a "Back" button 637, or a "Restart"
button 638. A textual message 639 prompts the visitor with
instructions. In a specific embodiment, the camera 635 can capture
a plurality of pictures of the visitor automatically. Then, the
plurality of pictures is presented to the user so that the user can
select one or more of the plurality of pictures using a mouse, or
other pointing device, or the keyboard. In these embodiments, the
visitor does not have to select the "Take" button.
[0080] FIG. 6I illustrates a representative results screen showing
the visitor the image acquired, along with the visitor's
information. The visitor may make changes to the text using an
"Edit Text" button 640, or retake the picture by selecting the "New
Picture" button 641. In this embodiment, the visitor can also
select a "Restart" button 642. When the visitor is satisfied with
the image, the visitor can select the "Done" button 643 to
continue. In an alternative embodiment, the steps illustrated by
FIGS. 6H-6I are replaced with a single prompt enabling the user to
select from a plurality of images that are captured by the camera
automatically. The images are captured automatically responsive to
the visitor providing permission to take her picture by selecting
the "Yes" button 632 in FIG. 6G. In this embodiment, the
information gathered about the visitor is displayed 644.
Optionally, the kiosk can retrieve information about the visitor's
previous visit and display it as well 645.
[0081] FIG. 6J illustrates a representative prompt screen for
recording the visitor's speech. The visitor is invited to say her
name with a text message 646. The visitor can select the "Done"
button 647 when complete. FIG. 6K illustrates a representative
screen prompting the visitor if another person is present with the
visitor 650. The visitor can reply by selecting the appropriate
button. If the visitor selects the "Yes" button 651, the next
visitor is provided with the same prompts illustrated by FIGS.
6A-6K. Otherwise, if the visitor selects the "No" button 652, the
welcome screen illustrated in FIG. 6L is displayed. In this
embodiment, the visitor can also select a "Restart" button 653.
[0082] FIG. 6L illustrates a representative final screen displayed
at completion of a session with a visitor. In this embodiment, the
screen includes a textual message 655. The visitor is also provided
with a last opportunity to restart the session by selecting a
"Restart" button 656.
[0083] FIG. 6M illustrates a representative example HTML
representation of a visitor that is created from the information
gathered by the visitor kiosk 100 in a specific embodiment
according to the present invention. Representation 660 comprises a
digitized image 661 of the visitor, and a digitized image 662 of
the visitor's business card. In some embodiments, images of both
sides of a two sided business card will be included. A
representative textual title 663 indicates the name of the visitor,
and the date and time of the visit. A URL 664 provides the address
of the web page for this visitor. A data field 665 provides a link
to results of an OCR program that has been applied to the visitor's
business card. A handling field 666 provides a link to a print
process, which provides a mechanism for printing the visitor's
information. For example, a copy of the visitor's business card
image or a formatted copy of the visitor's web page information can
be printed. A searching field 667 provides a mechanism for entering
a search parameters for information about the visit. For example, a
user can search for information about a visitor's previous visits,
search for documents containing the visitor's name, or find other
visitors who accompanied a particular visitor. A communications
field 668 provides links to send the visitor information by email,
or publish the visitor information on the world wide web. In
various specific embodiments, not all of these fields will be
present. Yet further, in many embodiments, other fields can be
included. These modifications will be readily apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art.
[0084] FIG. 7 illustrates a representative example technique for
tracking visitor wands in a specific embodiment according to the
present invention. FIG. 7 illustrates visitor kiosk 100 connected
by network 20 to a plurality of locators, including locators 700,
702 and 704 that are spread throughout the facility. Locators
700-704 communicate via a wireless communication link to a
representative visitor wand 340. Using a global positioning system
(GPS) (not shown), the locators 700-704 can determine a position of
a visitor within the facility when the visitor wand 340 is in
communication with any of the locators 700-704. In specific
embodiments, visitor position information at various time intervals
is gathered and recorded. From such data, one or more histories can
be prepared. For example, a personal history for the visitor
comprises where the visitor has been within the facility. Another
type of history, called a location history, comprises who has
visited a particular location within communication range of one of
the plurality of locators 700-704. Other types of histories can
also be compiled. For example, histories tracking meeting locations
and/or frequency, visitor wand use, and the like are compiled in
specific embodiments.
[0085] The visitor wand 340 communicates information to the locator
700. This information comprises, for example, an identifier, or
business card information, a visitor name, a URL of a homepage, and
the like. The locator 700 communicates information to the visitor
wand 340, as well. For example, in a representative embodiment, the
locator 700 communicates a locator box descriptive identifier, a
locator box URL, a geographical location, such as
longitude/latitude, for example, a current time of day, and the
like to the visitor wand 340. In a specific embodiment, both the
personal and location histories are updated with a time stamped
event, such as the arrival of a visitor possessing a particular
visitor wand. In the case of the personal history, the event can
include details about the location. In particular, the URL of the
locator box 700 enables the user to subsequently retrieve
information such as attendees of a meeting other than the visitor,
for example. The location history can include details about the
visitor. Various specific embodiments include other types of
capture devices, readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the
art, to augment these histories. For example, in a specific
embodiment, a passive badge or ID card is used to implement the
visitor wand 340. A variety of communications technologies can be
used to provide communication between the visitor wand 340 and the
locators 700-704. For example, Bluetooth.TM., direct connection,
visual (e.g., as used by Timex.TM. Data Link.TM. watch), mobile
phone, a pager or a short messaging service (SMS), magnetic card
reading, infrared link, and the like provide the communications
path in specific embodiments. Further, the locator 700 can connect
to the Internet by a wireless connection.
[0086] FIG. 8 illustrates a representative visitor information look
up procedure in a specific embodiment according to the present
invention. In specific embodiments, information about a visitor can
be used to provide a personal name lookup function. FIG. 8
illustrates a workstation 850 viewing an email document 840. When
reading a document, such as the email 840 depicted on the screen of
workstation 850, the user can invoke the personal name lookup
function by clicking a browser button, or a button on a user's
toolbar, for example. The source for the document 840 is passed to
a process that implements the personal name lookup function. The
personal name lookup process scans the document 840 to locate
personal names. Then, the personal name lookup process requests
information about the persons from the server 22. Personal names in
the document for which there are records on the server 22 can be
replaced by a hypertext link 825 to these records. These hypertext
links can point to the record of visits that a person has made to
the company, for example. The user clicks the hypertext link 825 to
open an associated record 810 of the visitor's information. The
user may view information about the visitor stored in the
associated record 810. For example, the user may indicate that she
wishes to view a picture of the visitor by selecting the hypertext
link 825 with the mouse. The picture of the visitor can serve to
refresh the user's memory about that person. Specific embodiments
incorporating personal name lookup provide a solution to the
problem of name-to-face mapping.
[0087] In an alternative embodiment, the personal name lookup
function is implemented using a proxy. Accordingly, the hypertext
links 825 are automatically inserted. In another specific
embodiment, the world wide web is searched for home pages or email
addresses associated with each person's name using, one of a
variety of popular search engines in web sites such as for example,
http://www.whowhere.lycos.com, and the like.
[0088] In an alternative embodiment, a portable visitor kiosk
comprising a digital camera and an option portable card scanner is
provided. Software running on the camera enables persons being
visited to take pictures of the people they meet. These persons can
speak their names, affiliations, reason for meeting, into a
microphone attached to the camera, or type this information using a
keypad on the camera. This data can be maintained on the camera or
it can be downloaded to a server 22. In a specific embodiment, the
information can be sold as a web service.
[0089] The preceding has been a description of the preferred
embodiment of the invention. It will be appreciated that deviations
and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of
the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *
References