U.S. patent application number 16/802418 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-18 for kiosk device management in quick service restaurant environments.
The applicant listed for this patent is Tillster, Inc.. Invention is credited to Suzanne Grace Arena, Anthony J.K. Kua, John Edward Silva.
Application Number | 20200195466 16/802418 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42631881 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-18 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200195466 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Silva; John Edward ; et
al. |
June 18, 2020 |
KIOSK DEVICE MANAGEMENT IN QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT
ENVIRONMENTS
Abstract
A kiosk system which is capable of maintaining kiosk devices
online without physical manipulation is disclosed. The kiosk system
is capable of forcing a programmatic re-initialization of kiosk
devices when necessary. Individual devices in the kiosk system can
be initialized and re-initialized in parallel with normal operation
of the kiosk system.
Inventors: |
Silva; John Edward; (San
Diego, CA) ; Arena; Suzanne Grace; (San Diego,
CA) ; Kua; Anthony J.K.; (San Diego, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Tillster, Inc. |
San Diego |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
42631881 |
Appl. No.: |
16/802418 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16354000 |
Mar 14, 2019 |
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16802418 |
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12391140 |
Feb 23, 2009 |
10355877 |
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16354000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 9/4413 20130101;
H04L 12/403 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04L 12/403 20060101
H04L012/403; G06F 9/4401 20060101 G06F009/4401 |
Claims
1. A method of providing device management services in a kiosk
system, the kiosk system having a kiosk application that provides a
customer-operated quick service restaurant ordering interface, the
method comprising: receiving a first device status code in a model
registry of the kiosk system via an event bus, the device status
code comprising data indicative of a kiosk device failure
condition; storing the first status code as current status data for
a device model corresponding to the kiosk device in the failure
condition; issuing a command for the kiosk application to enter a
lower function mode based at least in part on the first status
code; generating a re-initialization command for the failing kiosk
device; and transmitting the re-initialization command to the
failing kiosk device.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: re-initializing the
failing kiosk device; obtaining a second status code from the
re-initialized kiosk device, the status code indicative of normal
device operation; and storing the second status code as current
status data for the device model corresponding to the
re-initialized kiosk device.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising issuing a command for
the kiosk application to enter another function mode based at least
in part on the second status code.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device status code
received in the model registry of the kiosk system is sent to the
model registry from a device management module via the event
bus.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the re-initialization command is
generated by a device management module in the kiosk system.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device status code is
received in the model registry asynchronously.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device status code
comprises a low paper status code and the kiosk device comprises a
printing device.
8. A kiosk device management system, comprising: a device
management module configured to generate a first device status
code, the device status code comprising data indicative of a kiosk
device failure condition; an event bus configured to receive the
first device status code from the device management module; and a
model registry configured to receive the first device status code
from the event bus and store the first status code as current
status data for the device model corresponding to the kiosk device
in the failure condition, wherein the model registry is further
configured to: issue a command for the kiosk application to enter a
lower function mode based at least in part on the first status
code; receive a re-initialization command for the failing kiosk
device; and transmit the re-initialization command to the failing
kiosk device.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the model registry is further
configured to: issue a command to re-initialize the failing kiosk
device; obtain a second status code from the re-initialized kiosk
device, the status code indicative of normal device operation; and
store the second status code as current status data for the device
model corresponding to the re-initialized kiosk device.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the model registry is further
configured to issue a command for the kiosk application to enter
another function mode based at least in part on the second status
code.
11. The system of claim 8, wherein the device management module is
further configured to generate the re-initialization command.
12. The system of claim 8, wherein the model registry is further
configured to receive the first device status code
asynchronously.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first device status code
comprises a low paper status code and the kiosk device comprises a
printing device.
14. A method of managing a kiosk system, the method comprising:
identifying a first device that has limited functionality;
attempting, via a device discover module, to discover a second
device that provides at least a portion of the functionality
typically provided by the first device; switching services to the
discovered second device if the attempt is successful; and causing
the kiosk to provide a message of notifying a customer of the
limited functionality.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: receiving, via an
event bus, a notification related to the discovered second device
from the device discovery module; receiving, at a module registry,
the information indicative of the discovered second device from the
event bus; and generating, at the module registry, a device model
based on the received information.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving, at a
device management module, status codes from the discovered second
device, and sending a command to the discovered second device from
the device management module, based on the received status
code.
17. A kiosk device management system, comprising: a model registry
configured to identifying a first device that has limited
functionality; a device discovery module configured to discover a
second device that provides at least a portion of the functionality
typically provided by the first device; and an event bus configured
to receive a notification related to the discovered second device
from the device discovery module, wherein the model registry is
further configured to: switch services to the discovered second
device if the attempt is successful; and cause the kiosk to provide
a message of notifying a customer of the limited functionality.
18. The system of claim 17, further comprising: a module registry
configured to receiving the information indicative of the
discovered second device from the event bus, and generate a device
model based on the received information.
19. The system of claim 18, further comprising: a device management
module configured to receive status codes from the discovered
second device, and send a command to the discovered second device
based on the received status code.
20. A method of providing device management services in a kiosk
system, the kiosk system having a kiosk application that provides a
customer-operated quick service restaurant ordering interface, the
method comprising: receiving a first device status code in a model
registry of the kiosk system, the device status code comprising
data indicative of a kiosk device failure condition; storing the
first status code as current status data for a device model
corresponding to the kiosk device in the failure condition; issuing
a command for the kiosk application to enter a lower function mode
based at least in part on the first status code; generating a
re-initialization command for the failing kiosk device; and
transmitting the re-initialization command to the failing kiosk
device.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent application is a continuation of application
Ser. No. 16/354,000 filed Mar. 14, 2019, which is a continuation of
application Ser. No. 12/391,140 filed Feb. 23, 2009, each of which
is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
Technological Field
[0002] This application relates to customer-operated kiosks in
quick service restaurant environments. In particular, this
application relates to systems and methods for providing kiosk
device management for kiosk devices connected to such kiosks.
Description of Related Technology
[0003] Existing customer-operated kiosk systems typically integrate
various peripheral devices in order to provide customer ordering
services in a quick service restaurant environment. In many cases,
these devices may be encapsulated within the interior of the kiosk
device and hidden from external view resulting in difficulty in
detecting and correcting problems. Because failure of certain
internal device components may cause the kiosk system to fail or
otherwise adversely impact customer experience, improved kiosk
systems are needed.
SUMMARY OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE ASPECTS
[0004] The system, method, and devices of the invention each have
several aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for
its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this
invention, several of its features will now be discussed
briefly.
[0005] In one aspect, there is a kiosk device management system.
The kiosk device management system includes a device discovery
module configured to discover a kiosk device connected to a kiosk
computer and report the discovered kiosk device. The system also
include an event bus configured to receive a notification related
to the discovered kiosk device from the device discovery module. A
model registry is configured to receive information indicative of
the discovered device from the event bus and generate a device
model based on the received information. The system also includes a
device management module configured to receive status codes from
the discovered device and send a command to the discovered device
based on the received status code.
[0006] In another aspect, there is a method of managing kiosk
devices in a kiosk system. The method includes discovering a
plurality of kiosk devices connected to a kiosk computer and
reporting information related to each of the plurality discovered
devices to an event bus. The event bus then transmits the
information related to each of the plurality of discovered devices
to a model registry. A plurality of device models is generated
which corresponds to each of the plurality of discovered devices
based at least in part on the information related to each of the
plurality of discovered devices.
[0007] In yet another aspect, there is a method of providing device
management services in a kiosk system. The kiosk system has a kiosk
application that provides a customer-operated quick service
restaurant ordering interface. The method includes receiving a
first device status code in a model registry of the kiosk system,
the device status code comprising data indicative of a kiosk device
failure condition. The method further includes storing the first
status code as current status data for a device model corresponding
to the kiosk device in the failure condition and issuing a command
for the kiosk application to enter a lower function mode based at
least in part on the first status code. Lastly, the method includes
generating a re-initialization command for the failing kiosk
device; and transmitting the re-initialization command to the
failing kiosk device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] In this description, reference is made to the drawings
wherein like parts are designated with like numerals
throughout.
[0009] FIG. 1 is an example of a customer-operated kiosk device
suitable for implementation of one or more embodiments disclosed
herein.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a
kiosk device management system implemented within the kiosk shown
in FIG. 1.
[0011] FIG. 3 is a more detailed view of the device discovery and
management module shown in FIG. 2.
[0012] FIG. 4 is a more detailed view of the event bus shown in
FIG. 2.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a more detailed view of the model registry shown
in FIG. 2.
[0014] FIG. 6 is a more detailed view of a device model shown in
FIG. 2.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which
devices are discovered and registered in the kiosk in accordance
with one or more embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which the
kiosk application may modify its operations based on messages
received from the model registry.
[0017] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process by which the kiosk device
management system may infer the meaning of unknown status codes
from a peripheral device in the kiosk.
[0018] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a process by which a kiosk may
enter a lower function mode of operation based on information
generated by the model registry.
[0019] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a re-initialization process in
accordance with one or more embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and
methods for providing autonomic device management for
customer-operated ordering kiosks which are operated in quick
service restaurant environments.
[0021] Issues of reliability and performance have prevented
wide-scale adoption of customer-operated ordering kiosks in quick
service restaurant (QSR) environments. The QSR environment is
fast-paced, and the large majority of customers and therefore
revenues are serviced during a few peak mealtime hours each day.
The customer-operating ordering kiosks installed in QSR
environments typically include internal software running on a
computer. The computer, in turn, may be connected to other kiosk
devices such as computer peripheral devices, for example which
provide services to the kiosk application. For example, the kiosk
computer may be connected to a printer which is used to print
customer receipts from the ordering kiosk.
[0022] Although peripheral devices in the kiosk are often important
to the optimal operation of the kiosk, they are not in some cases
absolutely necessary for the kiosk to operate. Nevertheless,
failure of a kiosk device during a peak mealtime such as during the
lunch hour, can have a significant effect on the profitability for
a particular day. Existing kiosk devices have been problematic
because they have commonly encountered problems which require
system maintenance during the times that they are most heavily
used. These problems have included untimely failure of kiosk
devices such as receipt printers, credit card processing, cash
handling, and the like. Additionally, because kiosk devices are
typically located in a secured interior portion of the kiosk, and
are often placed in environments which allow limited hours of
serviceability, when a kiosk device fails it is difficult to remedy
the failure for several hours due to these issues of security,
location, error detection, or interruption of customer
experience.
[0023] The inventors have also recognized that existing QSR kiosk
solutions have also suffered from offering inflexible software
support for the variety of kiosk devices that may be installed or
operated within the kiosks. Kiosk devices used within the kiosks
are often specialized in nature, and therefore, may be manufactured
in relatively small batches. When kiosk devices fail, they may need
to be replaced by new kiosk devices. Manufacturing kiosk devices in
small batches can lead to small variances in physical hardware
attributes as well as subtle differences in device firmware which
may manifest during certain error scenarios. As a result, the
behavior of a replacement device and its device specific error
codes may not always be fully known before the replacement device
is sent into the field.
[0024] Kiosk systems in the field, particularly when unmanned, may
be subjected to abusive behavior such as jarring, blocking of
printer output areas, and accidental static discharge which can
temporality render the printer and other kiosk devices unavailable
for a small number of transactions. These situations may resolve
themselves naturally within minutes (or even seconds), but in
ordinary circumstances, the kiosk application running on the kiosk
computer may not be aware that the situation has been resolved and
thus may not resume its normal interface and communication with the
kiosk device. Thus, a re-initialization of the kiosk system may be
required to restore full functionality. Because initialization of
the kiosk system may involve starting and initialization many kiosk
devices, a re-initialization can take several minutes to
complete.
[0025] In order to address the operating challenges described
above, the inventors have developed a kiosk system which is capable
of maintaining kiosk devices online without physical manipulation,
and is further capable of forcing a programmatic re-initialization
of kiosk devices when necessary. Moreover, because complete
initialization of a kiosk system is such a time consuming event,
the inventors have developed a kiosk system in which individual
devices can be initialized and re-initialized in parallel with
normal operation of the kiosk system.
[0026] Turning now to FIG. 1, an example of a kiosk 100 is
provided. The example provided in FIG. 1 is a plan view of the
exterior of the kiosk 100. The kiosk 100 includes a kiosk door 102.
The kiosk door 102 may be attached to a kiosk body 104 by hinges or
some other connecting mechanism. The kiosk door 102 may be opened
to expose the interior cabinet of the kiosk 100. The kiosk door 102
may be secured by a locking mechanism to prevent access to the
interior cabinet of the kiosk 100 by unauthorized individuals. The
kiosk body 104 together with the kiosk door 102 may cooperatively
form a hollow enclosure which is typically referred to as the kiosk
cabinet or kiosk housing. Many of the kiosk devices which provide
services to the kiosk application are located within the kiosk
cabinet or housing.
[0027] The kiosk door 102 may have cutout areas forming apertures
through which limited access may be provided to internal kiosk
device components. For example, one aperture in the kiosk door may
provide access to a kiosk display 106. The kiosk display 106 may be
a touch screen display that may be used by the customer to operate
a kiosk software application. The kiosk software application may be
stored in a memory on a kiosk computer (not shown) which is
positioned in the kiosk cabinet and generally not accessible
without first opening the kiosk door 102. Another aperture in the
kiosk door 102 may provide access to a bill accepting device 108.
The bill accepting device 108 may be used to receive payments in
the form of cash or some other paper currency or note for services
rendered. The bill accepting device 108 may form a part of a larger
cash handling subsystem which also includes a cash dispenser 110
and a coin dispenser 112. As shown in FIG. 1, certain portions of
the cash dispenser 110 and the coin dispenser 112 are made
accessible to the customer via additional apertures formed in the
kiosk door.
[0028] Because the kiosk 100 is configured to conduct business
transactions, the kiosk 100 may be configured with a printing
device 114. The printing device 114 may be a specialized receipt
printer which is connected to the kiosk computer and which prints
receipts to customers in accordance with kiosk application
requirements. The receipt printing device may be positioned
predominantly within the kiosk cabinet as shown, with only the
paper output area protruding through an aperture formed in the
exterior of the kiosk 100. Also part of the payment subsystem in
the kiosk may be a credit card processing device 116. In the
example shown in Figure, a portion of the credit card processing
device 116 extends through an aperture to receive a credit card (or
other type of card) swipe from the customer.
[0029] All of the devices described above merely illustrate some of
the kiosk devices which may be located within the interior portion
of the kiosk 100. As a skilled artisan will readily appreciate, the
kiosk 100 may include many other different kiosk devices and may be
configured in various other ways. For example, the kiosk door may
be located on the back side of the kiosk 100 instead of the front
side, and the apertures may be formed within the kiosk body 104
instead of within the kiosk door 102. Further, the relative
locations of the various kiosk devices need not necessarily be
provide as shown in FIG. 1, and the example provided there is
merely illustrative of one possible kiosk suitable for
implementation of the device management techniques disclosed
herein.
[0030] As discussed above, the kiosk 100 may be use a computing
device or computer which is connected to various other kiosk
devices to perform the ordering functions assigned to the kiosk
100. The computing device may be a specialized computer which is
designed specifically for kiosk operations, or in some embodiments,
the computer may be a standard personal computer device such as an
Intel processor-based PC running an off the shelf operating system
such as Windows, Linux, MacOS, or the like. As used herein, the
term "computing device" or "kiosk computer" generally refers to one
or more computers which are connected to kiosk devices to control
the operation of kiosk. The term "kiosk system" refers to both the
computing device and the kiosk devices that are connected to
it.
[0031] The kiosk devices may be computer peripheral devices such as
the kiosk printer 114, the kiosk display 106, the kiosk bill
collector 108, the bill dispenser 110, the coin dispenser 112, or
other types kiosk devices. A "kiosk application" refers to one or
more software applications executing on the kiosk computer which
provide the user interface for the kiosk and its other
operations.
[0032] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating one example of the
logical components of a kiosk device management system 200 that may
be implemented within the kiosk system discussed above. The kiosk
device management system 200 generally includes hardware and
software which enables the kiosk system to address device failures
in such a way as to minimize the impact on the customer's
experience. As shown in the figure, there are various kiosk devices
202A, 202B, and 202C which may be managed by the device management
system 200 and are accessed by the kiosk device management system
200 via one or more device drivers 203A, 203B, and 203C which may
be installed in the operating system of the kiosk computer. In one
embodiment, the kiosk device 202A may be a receipt printer, device
202B may be a credit card processor, and 202C may be a cash
handling device. In addition, a kiosk application 220 also may be
present and communicating with the kiosk device management system
200. The kiosk application 220 may communicate with the kiosk
device management system 200 by sending and receiving messages from
an event bus 204. Although the kiosk application is shown as
existing outside of the kiosk device management system 200, a
skilled artisan should appreciate that the kiosk application 220
may run on the same kiosk computer as the kiosk device management
system 200. Moreover, is some embodiments, the kiosk device
management system may actually be a subcomponent of the kiosk
application 220.
[0033] As noted above, the kiosk device management system 200 may
include an event bus 204. The event bus 204, which may take the
form of a software module or service, typically receives and
delivers messages to other components in the kiosk device
management system 200. As part of the kiosk device management
system 200, the event bus is typically used to reliably transmit
information about the existence or health of kiosk devices 202 to
other subsystems in the kiosk device management system 200 or to
the kiosk application 220. In one embodiment, the event bus
operates according to a publish and subscribe model which provides
asynchronous messaging services. Additional details about the event
bus 204 are discussed below in connection with FIG. 4.
[0034] The kiosk device management system 200 may also include a
device discovery and management module 206. The device discovery
and management module 206 typically takes the form of a software
service and performs two general functions: device discovery and
device management. Although the embodiment described in FIG. 2
shows both of these functions as being integrated into a single
module, a skilled artisan will appreciate that the two functions
may also be provided by two separate modules, one directed to
device discovery and the other directed to device management.
Discovered devices may be managed by the device management module.
The device management module may receive remote procedure calls
from the event bus 204 (which may be originated in the kiosk
application 220) and routes them to the attached devices.
[0035] With respect to device discovery, the software service may
be configured to discover kiosk devices which are attached to the
kiosk computer, or are otherwise part of the kiosk system.
Typically, these kiosk devices are attached via a direct hardware
interface such as a printer port on the kiosk computer, a USB port,
an RS232 interface, and IP network interface (wired or wireless),
or some other type of connection. In some embodiments, the
discovery of the kiosk devices may be achieved using various device
discovery techniques. For example, the device discovery module may
be configured to read a configuration file stored in a memory of
the kiosk computer which contains information about connected
devices, including information related to prioritization of
resources. The device discovery module may also be configured to
scan known device locations in the operating system of the kiosk
computer to determine which kiosk devices are connected to the
kiosk computer and working properly. These known device locations
may include certain ports (both physical and virtual), or these
location may also include registry information which is indicative
of the status of the ports. For kiosk devices which are available
to the kiosk computer via a network connection, the discovery
module may be configured to access simple network management
protocol (SNMP) information to discover network-connected kiosk
devices. In addition, the discovery module may access Universal
Plug and Play (UPnP) information from the kiosk computer which
provides additional details about connected devices. Other methods
of kiosk device discovery may be used such as java messaging
services (JMS) for example.
[0036] Once the discovery module 206 discovers kiosk devices, it is
typically configured to report the discovered device to the event
bus 204. The event bus 204, in turn, may pass the device discovery
message to the model registry 208. The model registry 208 is a
software component or module which is configured to create and
manage device models 210. Device models 210 are abstractions of the
physical devices 202 which are discovered by the discovery and
management module 206 and will be discussed in greater detail
below. The model registry 208 receives information from the event
bus 204 and generates a "best-fit" device model 210 for the
physical device 202 using existing property comparison algorithms.
The property comparison algorithms typically allow the kiosk system
to select non-optimal kiosk devices to carry out certain requests.
For example, a kiosk application may request a printer which is
capable of printing in color, and landscape layout. The model
registry would then iterate through its discovered devices and find
if any are capable of performing such print jobs. If none exists,
it may loosen its requirements and query for a less capable, but
still acceptable device. Other property comparison algorithms may
be used in a situation whether the kiosk requests a printer capable
of printing receipts (in the standard format). If one is
unavailable, the algorithms may allow the kiosk to settle for a
standard laser printer which is also attached to the kiosk. As
shown in FIG. 2, the model registry 208 may generate a device model
(210A, 210B, 210C) which corresponds to each physical device (202A,
202B, 202C) discovered by the device discovery and management
module 204.
[0037] As noted briefly above, the device models 210 are software
modules or components which abstract certain details about the
physical device 202 to which they correspond. These abstracted
details may include the serial number of the device 202, the device
manufacturer, the device model, capabilities of the device, or some
other information. The abstracted information is made available to
the kiosk application 220 so that the device may be accessed by the
kiosk application 220 in a generic manner without needing low level
device programming incorporated into the kiosk application
logic.
[0038] The kiosk device management system 200 shown in FIG. 2
generally operates continuously while the kiosk system is active.
As will be described in more detail below in connection with FIGS.
7-12, the device discovery and management module 204 may be
configured to regularly check the kiosk system for new devices and
may be further configured to monitor the discovered devices for the
status codes and messages via the device driver 203 associated with
each respective physical device 202. The status codes are reported
across the event bus 204, where they are picked up by the model
registry and incorporated into the appropriate model. If inactivity
in a device 202 is detected by the management module 206, or if a
known error code is encountered, the management module may be
configured to send a re-initialization command to the device
202.
[0039] FIG. 3 is a more detailed view of the device discovery and
management module 206 shown in FIG. 2. As shown, the discovery and
management module 206 may include various sub-modules and/or
subcomponents. The discovery and management module 206 may contain
a discovery sub-module 302. The discovery sub-module 302 typically
comprises one or more functions, methods, or even classes which may
be used to identify the physical devices 202 which are connected to
the kiosk computer and therefore part of the kiosk system. As noted
above, the kiosk device management system 200 may be configured to
continuously monitor the kiosk system for new kiosk devices.
[0040] Also included in the device discovery and management module
206 is an initialization sub-module 304. The initialization
sub-module 304 incorporated into the discovery and management
module 206 typically includes initialization commands for the
devices that have been discovered by the discovery sub-module 302.
The initialization sub-module 306 is typically used in two
circumstances. First, the initialization logic is called for the
purpose of sending initialization commands to kiosk devices during
the startup process of the kiosk system. Second, the initialization
logic may also be used to attempt to re-initialization devices
which have become inactive or have reported error conditions which
require a restart of the device.
[0041] The device discovery and management module 206 also includes
a management sub-module 308. The management sub-module 308 includes
functions and methods which may query discovered devices 202 via
their associated device driver 203 for the current status of the
device 202. The management logic may also receive messages/command
from the event bus 204 which are intended for a device and send
those messages/commands to the device via the device driver. For
example, in one embodiment, if the kiosk application makes a print
request to a printer device model such as device model 210A, the
model registry 208 passes that print request to the event bus 204
which in turn delivers to message to the device management module
206. Alternatively, the kiosks requests may be issued directly to
the device model 210 and then sent directly to the device
management module 206, or even the device subsystem the model
represents. The device management module 206 then converts the
command into the machine-understandable print code and sends the
code to the appropriate driver 203A. The device driver 203A may
then pass the code to the printing device 202A which then executes
the print command in the printing hardware.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a more detailed view of the event bus 204 shown in
FIG. 2. As noted previously, the event bus 204 may take the form of
a publish and subscribe model event bus. In the embodiments shown
in FIG. 4, the event bus 204 includes one or more event sources 402
and event subscribers 404. The event sources 402 may take the form
of a table of subsystems in the kiosk device management system 200
known to pass messages to the event bus. The event sources may
serve as publishers in publish and subscribe models. The event
subscribers 404 include devices, components, processes, and models
which have subscribed for event notifications from the event bus.
The event bus may also include various message receipt and delivery
functions 406 which handle the actual message passing by the event
bus.
[0043] Turning now to FIG. 5, a more detailed view of the model
registry is provided. As shown, the model registry may include a
model generator 502. The model generator 502 receives information
from the event bus 204 and generates device models 210 based on the
received information. The model registry 208 may also include one
or more property comparison algorithms which may be used by the
model generator 502 to generate a device model 210 which accurately
reflects (and abstracts) the capabilities of the device 202 being
modeled. As noted previously, property comparison algorithms
property comparisons may compare the kiosk requested
properties/capabilities of the kiosk device with the actual
properties/capabilities of the device to find a best match. The
model registry 208 may further include status code data 506. The
status code data 506 may take the form of a table of known status
codes for devices that have been discovered in the kiosk system.
The status code data may be used by the model registry to interpret
codes enclosed in messages received from the event bus 204. In some
instances, unknown codes may be received by the model registry.
These codes may also be stored in the status code data 506 and
later interpreted based on testing and other information provided
by the device model 210 associated with the unknown codes.
[0044] In certain embodiments, the model registry 208 may be
configured to store a list of discovered models and organize them
into general device types (such as bill acceptor, printer, for
example). The device models 210 may also model external systems,
such as point of sale systems, or external credit card processors,
for example.
[0045] When the model registry receives a status message, it
compares the message source to its existing device models 210, and
if there is a new device reporting, the model generator 502 may
generate a new model for device sending the message, based on the
information the device has given. In some embodiments, the
capabilities of a device may be listed in a separate repository
instead of being directly reported by the device to the event bus
204. For example, a device may simply report that it is a SWECOIN
2030 device. From that reporting message, another repository of
information may be accessed to determine that device is a printer
with 300 dpi, black and white toner and a 3 cm paper roll.
[0046] FIG. 6 is a more detailed view of the device model 210 shown
in FIG. 2. As discussed above, a device model 210 is an abstraction
of a physical device 202 generated by the model registry 208 which
has been previously discovered by the device discovery and
management module 206. The kiosk application 220 communicates with
peripheral devices as that abstracted level which allows the kiosk
application to be shielded from needing to know or understand low
level details about the device hardware. Each device model 210 may
include specific information about the underlying hardware device
202. In one embodiment, the device model 210 includes device
identifying information 602. The device identifying information 602
may include information such as the device model, the device
manufacturer, the device firmware version (if known), the device
driver version, and other information which may be used to identify
the specific device.
[0047] The device model 210 may also include device status data
604. The device status data 604 may take the form of a status code
which has been received from the event bus 204 via the device
discovery and management module 206. Typically, the device status
data include the code most recently received from the event bus
204. In some implementations, historical device code data may be
stored with the device model 210. The device model 210 may further
include device command data 606. The device command data 606 may
include command codes which may be sent to the underlying physical
device 202 associated with the device model 210 via the event bus
204, directly, or via the device management module 206 in order to
allow the kiosk application 220 to control the physical hardware
device.
[0048] FIGS. 7-11 below are flowcharts which describe the various
processes performed by the components in kiosk device management
system 200. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a general process by
which devices are initially discovered and registered in the kiosk
in accordance with one or more embodiments.
[0049] The process begins at block 702, where the kiosk application
220 begins the boot up process. As noted above, the kiosk
application is typically stored in a memory of the kiosk computer
and is executed by a processor located in the kiosk computer. The
kiosk application boot up process typically occurs when the kiosk
is "turned on" so that it can be used in the field by customers. As
part of the boot up process, the operating system on the kiosk
computer loads into memory, and the kiosk application 220 begins
execution.
[0050] Next, at block 704, the kiosk application 220 has been
loaded into memory and the discovery sub-module 302 of the device
discovery and management module 206 is called. At block 706, the
discovery sub-module discovers (possibly using the loaded device
drivers 203) the physical kiosk devices 202 which are operating
within the kiosk system. As noted above, the device discovery
sub-module may be configured to scan known device locations such as
physical and virtual ports in the operating system of the kiosk
computer to determine which kiosk devices are connected to the
kiosk computer and working properly. The device discovery
sub-module may also use a management protocol such as SNMP and
UPnP, or some proprietary device discovery method to discover
attached kiosk devices. The process then optionally moves to block
708 where the initialization sub-module 304 of the device discovery
and management module 206 sends device initialization commands to
the devices that it has discovered. This block is denoted as
optional because, in some instances, the operating system of the
computer may have also already initialized the devices making
initialization commands unnecessary.
[0051] The process next moves to block 710 where the discovered
device information is transmitted by the device discovery and
management module 206 to the event bus 204 for processing. The
event bus 204 receives the device information and then transmits it
to the model registry 208 at block 712. The process then moves to
block 714, where the model registry 208 creates a device model 210
based on the device information received from the event bus 204. As
discussed above, the device model 210 generated by the model
registry 208 is an abstracted representation of the physical device
202.
[0052] When the device models have been generated using the process
of FIG. 7, the kiosk application 220 may then access the model
registry 208 in order to access kiosk device services. As noted
previously, the abstraction of the physical devices 202 into device
models 210 allows for considerable flexibility in terms of how the
kiosk application 220 interacts with the kiosk devices connected to
the kiosk computer. The model registry 208 allows the kiosk
application 220 to specify services that it needs, and the model
registry 208 attempts to match the device model 210 which is
capable of providing the requested service. If the optimal or
"best" device for carrying out the request is not available, the
model registry 208 may consider other device models 210 which may
be able to carry out the kiosk application request. For example, if
the primary receipt printer 114 in the kiosk has an error code
status associated with it in the model registry, a secondary
printing device, such as a printer available over the network, may
be selected by the device registry 208.
[0053] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process by which the
model registry 208 is able to allocate a kiosk application 220
request to a secondary kiosk device. The process begins at block
802 where the kiosk application 220 executes a process which needs
a particular service such as printing a receipt, for example. The
process then moves to block 804, where the kiosk application
generates a request for device services. This request for device
services typically includes the type of service and any data that
is associated with that service. For example in the case of
printing a receipt, the kiosk application may send a "print"
request to the event bus 204 along with the name of a file to be
printed.
[0054] The process then moves to block 806, where the generated
request is passed to the model registry 208. The model registry 208
receives the message from the event bus 204 and searches for a
device model which has the requested properties at block 808. For
example, if the kiosk application has requested the printing
service, the model registry searches each device model in the
registry to identify those devices capable of carrying out the
request.
[0055] The process then moves to decision block 810, where it is
determined whether an appropriate model 210 has been found in the
model registry 208. If a device model 210 suitable for carrying out
the kiosk application request is identified, then the process moves
to block 814 where the device model 210 is selected and the kiosk
application request is sent to the selected device model 210. If,
at decision block 810, an appropriate model is not found, the
process instead moves to block 812, where the closest matching
device model is selected to carry out the kiosk application
request.
[0056] For example, if the local printer in the kiosk system is
unable to carry out the request, for instance, due to it being out
of paper, the model registry 208 may have a secondary network
printer that may be capable of carrying out the request. However,
the network printer may not have the paper size specified by the
print request. Even though the paper size is not optimal, the print
request may be sent to the secondary printer to determine whether
the print job can be successful or not.
[0057] In some embodiments, it is also possible to find that there
is not a closely matching device model. In this instance, the kiosk
application may be notified that no such device exists, and may
then modify its process to work around the deficiency.
Alternatively, the kiosk application may also simply go offline if
the request cannot be fulfilled by any device model.
[0058] As noted above, one of the challenges facing effective kiosk
implementation in a QSR environment is the fact that kiosk devices
are often manufactured in small batches by various vendors
resulting in slightly different configurations of kiosk devices
over time. These slightly different configurations may include
different firmware versions, for example. The different firmware
versions might have slightly different device codes. Thus, when a
particular model of a kiosk device is replaced with a newer version
of the same model, the codes received by the model registry 208
from the device management sub-module may not be the codes that are
expected for that type of device. In existing systems, these types
of inconsistencies cause the kiosk device to raise an exception,
and may cause the device to be unusable until the codes are
updated. In some embodiments, the kiosk device management system
200 may include a learning component that allows it to handle
situations such as these by inferring meaning of unknown codes
based on defined behavior associated with those codes.
[0059] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process by which the device
management system 200 may infer the meaning of unknown status codes
from a peripheral device in the kiosk 100. The process begins at
block 902, where the device management component 302 of the device
discovery and management module 206 obtains a status code from a
kiosk device 202 and sends the status code to the event bus 204.
Next, at block 904, the event bus 204 passes the status code to the
model registry 208. At decision block 906, the model registry
receives the status code and determines whether the code is a known
code for that device model 210. If the code is known, the system
operates normally and the status code is interpreted according to
the data in the device model 210 and the status of the device model
210 is updated accordingly with the new status code.
[0060] If at decision block 906 the status code is not known or
present in the device model 210, the model registry first updates
the device model 210 with the new status code at block 908. The
process next moves to block 910 where it tests the device. Once the
device has been tested, the status code is then interpreted based
on the result of the test at block 912. By way of example and not
of limitation, if the device model 210 is for a printer, and the
new status code is not recognized by the device registry, a test
print may be sent to the printing device to determine whether it is
operating properly. If the test print is successful, the status
code may be then interpreted or inferred to mean that the printer
device is functioning properly. In some embodiments, if the status
code cannot be interpreted, the device may be set as being in an
"UNKNOWN" status can be considered offline and unavailable to
process requests.
[0061] In some embodiments, the kiosk device management system 200
may also be used to allow the kiosk to enter a lower function mode
if certain kiosk devices are unavailable to prevent a negative
impact on the customer ordering experience. FIG. 10 is a flowchart
of a process by which a kiosk may enter a lower function mode of
operation based on information generated by the model registry.
[0062] The process begins at block 1002 where a kiosk device 202
generates a device status code. The process then moves to block
1004, where the device status code for the kiosk device 202 is
received by the model registry 208. As discussed above, the status
code may be obtained from the kiosk device 202 by regularly polling
the device 202 with the management sub-module 308 of the device
discovery and management model 206. The result received by the
management sub-module is then sent to the event bus 204 which it
turns passes the data to the model registry 208.
[0063] Next, at block 1006, the status code obtained from the
device 202 is stored in the status data 604 of the device model 210
that is associated with the device 202. The process then moves to
decision block 1008, where the model registry 208 determines
whether the device status 604 requires a change in the operating
mode of the kiosk application. If no change in kiosk operating mode
is required at block 1008, then the process moves to block 1014 and
the kiosk remains in its current operating mode. The process then
loops back to block 1002 and repeats.
[0064] If at decision block 1008 a change in the operating mode of
the kiosk is required, the process moves instead to block 1010,
where a new kiosk operating mode is determined based on the status
data. Once the new mode has been determined, the process then moves
to block 1012, where the kiosk enters the selected new operating
mode. Once the new operating mode has been entered by the kiosk,
the process loops back to block 1002 and begins again.
[0065] Thus, the process set forth in FIG. 10 allows the status of
the kiosk devices to be continuously monitored by the kiosk device
management system 200 and modify the kiosk's operating mode in
response to events that occur in the kiosk devices 202. In some
embodiments, the status of each device 202 is reported
asynchronously to the kiosk system via the event bus 204, and the
kiosk application 220 can react accordingly when it is convenient
to do so, for example, at the beginning of a transaction and before
a customer is engaged.
[0066] In one specific implementation of the process described in
FIG. 10, the kiosk device management system may change the
operating mode of the kiosk based on a low paper message received
from a printer device 214 in the kiosk system. In some receipt
printers, paper is delivered as a roll of paper. Because the size
of orders differs from customer to customer, the length of a
receipt printed by the kiosk device may be variable based on the
content of the order. Thus, a low paper status code from the
printing device may not mean that there are a specific number of
receipts that may be printed due to the variable size of the
receipts. Even though the paper in the printer may not be
exhausted, it may be desirable to change the kiosk application into
a "no print" mode so that no customer attempts to print a receipt
only to find that there is no paper available.
[0067] Thus, in accordance with the process described in FIG. 10,
the printer 202 may be initially sending a "normal function" code
to the device model 210 representing the printer, and when the
kiosk requests a print, the print job is sent by the printer model
210 to the printer device 202. However, if the printer becomes low
on paper and a low paper message is sent to the model registry 208,
the low paper status may trigger a change in the kiosk application
mode to a "no print" mode prior to the next customer accessing the
kiosk application 220. By changing the kiosk into a "no print"
mode, the risk of an out of paper error occurring during a customer
transaction is eliminated. Similarly, if the printer paper is
replenished, the process described in FIG. 10 will ensure that the
kiosk application 220 returns to its normal operating mode. Such
decisions or business rules may be encapsulated in different models
which can be configured. A single printing device may have more
than one associated model. A "PrinterModel" may be provided which
allows "PessimisticPrinterModel" which turns offline at first sign
of low paper, allowing different customers to configure kiosk
behaviors cleanly and quickly.
[0068] In still another embodiment, the kiosk application may
change its cash handling mode based on status codes received from
the various devices which are used to conduct payment transactions.
For example, if the credit card swipe 116 is in an error condition
detected by the model registry 208, the kiosk application 220 may
be configured to operate in a "cash-only" mode until a device model
210 for the credit card processing device 116 indicates a normal
operating condition.
[0069] In some additional embodiments, when an error condition is
encountered in one or more kiosk devices 202, the kiosk device
management system 200, in addition to modify the operating mode of
the kiosk application 220, may also be configured to attempt to
correct the error condition by re-initializing the device in such a
way as to not adversely impact the customer ordering experience.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a re-initialization process in accordance
with one or more embodiments.
[0070] The process of FIG. 11 begins at block 1102, where a status
code is received from a kiosk device 202 at the model registry 208.
The received status code indicates that the device is in an error
condition. The model registry 208 then stores the status code in
the code data 604 of the appropriate device model 210 at block
1104, and the device status for the device model 210 indicates that
the device is inoperative at block 1106. The process then moves to
block 1108, where based on the status data 604 for the device
model, the kiosk application 220 enters a lower function mode such
as, for example, a "no-print" mode or "cash-only" mode described
above. Next, at block 1110, the kiosk device management system 200
attempts to correct the error condition by generating a
re-initialization command for the problem device 202. In one
embodiment, this command may be generated by the model registry 208
and passed to the device 202 via the event bus 204, device
management module 206, and device driver 203. Alternatively, the
command may be generated by the initialization sub-module 306 of
the device discovery and management module 206. At block 1114, the
affected device is re-initialized and sends a status code
indicating normal operation. Then, at block 1116, the model
registry 208 and device model 210 are updated to indicate that the
device is operating normally. A message indicating normal operation
of the device is then passed via the event bus 204 to the kiosk
application 220. The kiosk application receives the message and
changes its operating mode back to the normal operating mode with
respect to the kiosk device 202.
[0071] In some embodiments, the process shown in FIG. 11 may be
carried out completely hidden from the kiosk customer. For example,
while a customer is placing a food order using the kiosk, a printer
failure message may be received in the device registry. While the
customer continues to place the order, a background process in the
kiosk application may place the application in a "no-print" mode,
while the kiosk device management system 200 carries out the
process of FIG. 11. There is no need to reinitialize the entire
kiosk application 220, but rather only the specific device 202
which was affected is re-initialized by the system.
[0072] Those of skill will recognize that the various illustrative
logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in
connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented
as electronic hardware computer software or combinations of both.
To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and
software, various illustrative components, blocks modules,
circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of
their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as
hardware or software depends upon the particular application and
design constraints imposed on the overall system.
[0073] Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality
in varying ways for each particular application, but such
implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a
departure from the scope of the present invention. The various
illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in
connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented
or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal
processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC),
a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic
device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware
components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the
functions described herein.
[0074] A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in
the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,
controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also
be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a
combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of
microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a
DSP core, or any other such configuration.
[0075] The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection
with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in
hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a
combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory,
flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers,
hard disk, a removable disk, a CDROM, or any other form of storage
medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to
the processor such the processor can read information from and
write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the
storage medium may be integral to the processor.
[0076] The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC.
The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative the
processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components
in a user terminal.
[0077] While the above detailed description has shown, described,
and pointed out novel features of the invention as applied to
various embodiments, it will be understood that various omissions,
substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the device or
process illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit of the invention. As will be recognized,
the presently disclosed embodiment may be embodied within a form
that does not provide all of the features and benefits set forth
herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately from
others. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended
claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes, which
come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are
to be embraced within their scope.
* * * * *