Systems and methods for queue management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9582773-B2
Application number	US-201514680571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2015
Priority date	Apr 7, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A queue management scheme whereby a system-wide status is considered together with a status of each and every specific or particular queue and associated device within the system, in order to efficiently and effectively balance the needs and desires of customers with the needs and desires of an entity that provides services to the customers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
monitoring, by a computing system, at least one customer queue for at least two in-service transit ticketing devices at a transit system;
determining, by the computing system based on the monitoring, that a parameter associated with customer wait time to individually interact with one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices is less than or equal to a particular threshold value; and
in response to the computing system determining that the parameter is less than or equal to the particular threshold value, identifying a particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices with a highest in-service time for the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices;
in response to the computer system determining, the computer system generating and communicating an automated command to the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices, the automated command causing the particular one of the at least two in-service ticketing devices to deactivate to an at least partially powered down and out of service state to reduce the number of in-service transit ticketing devices at the transit system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
monitoring the at least one customer queue comprises acquiring at least one image of the at least one customer queue of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices;
the parameter comprises an average customer wait time;
the particular threshold value comprises a time threshold value; and
determining that the parameter associated with the customer wait time to individually interact with one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices is greater than or equal to the particular threshold value is, based upon an analysis of the at least one image of the at least one customer queue.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
monitoring the at least one customer queue comprises acquiring at least one image of the at least one customer queue of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices;
the parameter comprises total number of customers in the at least one customer queue;
the particular threshold value comprises an integer threshold value; and
determining that the parameter associated with the customer wait time to individually interact with one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices is greater than or equal to the particular threshold value is based upon an analysis of the at least one image of the at least one customer queue, that a total number of customers in the at least one customer queue is less than or equal to an integer threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least partially powered down and out of service state comprises at least one component of the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices being powered down to reduce the number of in-service transit ticketing devices at the transit system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices to deactivate based, in part, upon a location of the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices at the transit system, to guide or influence traffic at the transit system.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices to deactivate based, in part, upon content of a historical decommissioning log of each of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices, to maximize service lifetime of transit ticketing devices of the transit system.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices to deactivate based, in part, upon a historical servicing log of the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices, to temporarily decommission an in-service transit ticketing device due for maintenance.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a command to recommission the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices to increase the number of in-service transit ticketing devices at the transit system.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
transmitting the command to the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices to recommission the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices.

10. A server system, comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one network interface; and
at least one non-transitory memory element communicatively with and readable by the at least one processor, and having stored therein processor-readable instructions that when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
determine that a parameter associated with customer wait time to individually interact with each one of at least two in-service transit ticketing devices is less than or equal to a particular threshold value;
in response to the determination that the parameter is less than or equal to the particular threshold value, identifying a particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices with a highest in-service time for the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices;
in response to the determination that the parameter is less than or equal to the particular threshold value, generating and communicating an automated command via the at least one network interface to the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices, the automated command causing the particular one of the at least two in-service ticketing devices to deactivate to an at least partially powered down and out of service state to reduce the number of in-service transit ticketing devices at the transit system.

11. The server system of claim 10 , wherein:
the parameter comprises an average customer wait time;
the particular threshold value comprises a time threshold value; and
determining that the parameter associated with the customer wait time to individually interact with one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices is greater than or equal to the particular threshold value is, based upon an analysis of at least one image of a at least one customer queue for the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices.

12. The server system of claim 10 , wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
the parameter comprises a total number of customers in the at least one customer queue;
the particular threshold value comprises an integer threshold value; and
determining that the parameter associated with the customer wait time to individually interact with one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices is greater than or equal to the particular threshold value is based upon an analysis of at least one image of a customer queue for each of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices.

13. The server system of claim 10 , wherein the processor-readable instructions when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
select the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices to deactivate based, in part, upon a location of the particular one of the at least two in-service transit ticketing devices at the transit system, to guide or influence traffic at the transit system.

14. The server system of claim 10 , wherein the processor-read

Assignees

• Cubic Corp

Inventors

• Monk Paul

Classifications

• G06Q10/20

  Administration of product repair or maintenance · CPC title

• G06Q10/02 Primary

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• G07F9/00

  Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus (coin inlet arrangements G07F1/00; coin-actuated mechanisms, interlocks G07F5/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G07C2011/04

  related to queuing systems · CPC title