WO1993012495A1 - Computer system for automatically making rooms available - Google Patents

Abstract

The system comprises a computer (1) adapted to receive and store booking data at the time when a room is booked, such as type of room and time period for availability of a certain room or rooms. A card reader is arranged for each room or room group and an electrically controlled lock for the door to the respective room for movement between locked and open positions by means of coded cards containing data for adaptation of the chosen room only during a chosen time period. The system comprises a number of checking-in units (3) comprising an account card reader (7) positioned in or proximate the building in which said room is located. The identification data for the guest's account card is read on the guest's arrival, and upon occurrence of said booking-in identification data in the computer, allows passage to the common area. The card readers and locks for the rooms are included in a room system which includes an electronic room module adapted to receive and store information about said identification data and booking data. Upon reading of the information from the account card in said card reader for the room, after acceptance of the card, the appropriate door lock is activated in the same way as a key. A checking-out unit (3) comprises an account card reader (7) which, upon checking-out using the account card in the reader, adds together and calculates the entire costs for charging to the corresponding account and ceases the card's function as a key for access to the common areas as well as to the particular room.

Description

_. Computer System for Automatically Making Rooms Available.

* The present invention relates to a computer system according to the preamble of appended claim 1.

Hotels have computer systems for the collection and storage of data which is obtained upon booking and during the hotel 5 stay so as to produce a bill which can be paid in cash, or for example by charging the guest's credit card account with the costs. It is also known to use key cards which are provided with a code containing data on the choice of room and the agreed period of stay. With these systems, each 10 door to the respective room is provided with a card reader, by means of which the door lock is moved between locked and open positions.

However, with the use of conventional technology, personnel are still reguired for serving the guests during checking-

15 in and checking-out which normally requires round-the-clock manning and results in annoying delays for the guest. This can be particularly disturbing for a guest upon arrival after a journey or upon departure when departure times have to be kept. Additionally it does occur that guests escape

20 without paying for their stay.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above mentioned problems and to limit the requirement for personnel to be for other services in order to better accommodate the guest's requirements of comfort and 25 assistance as well as ensuring payment for the stay.

This object is achieved by means of a computer system according to the present invention which has the features defined in the appended claims. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which fig. 1 shows the central part of the computer system according to the invention and fig. 2 schematically shows a part of the computer system arranged for each room according to the invention.

The core of the invention lies in that an arriving guest should be able him/herself to automatically obtain access to a room by using a credit card or the like as the door key, by means of which credit card the guest's account can be charged with the costs that the guest incurs during his stay. The card can be one of many different types of account card, e.g. charge card, credit card, so-called smart-cards or the like. Many cards contain fixed information which give the identification data for the actual business and which are coupled to the account holder's account. The so-called "smart-cards" can also contain modifiable information which can be entered and stored on the card, such as booking data. Common to all cards is that they are coupled to an account in a bank or other financial institution which can be charged with the costs that arise.

The computer system consists of two main parts, namely the central system and the room system set up for each room or room unit. The central system is built up around a central computer or computers in a network provided with specially adapted software so that the system works in the manner described below. The central system comprises, as shown in fig.1, one or more booking and administration terminals 1, which are connected via modem to the public telephone network 2 to allow remote booking from any telephone. The booking and administration terminal can be situated in the actual building which can be a hotel or a conventional guest house or a combination of both these available types. The booking and administration central unit can even be positioned at a distance from the hotel in question and be included in a central booking and administration unit for one and the same hotel chain or for several hotel chains. At the actual hotel there are arranged checking-in/out terminals 3, for instance at the entrance, outside this or in a public room accessible from the outside which can form the hotel foyer. Each checking-in/out terminal 3 consists of a computer provided with a modem and screen 4, keyboard 5, printer 6 and card reader 7. In the shown example the cheσking-in/out terminal is provided with a telephone connection 8 to the hotel's telephone system.

As shown in fig.2 each hotel room presents a hotel room system 9 with a hotel room module 10, an account card reader 11 coupled to this and a door lock 12 electrically controlled by the module. In the shown example the room system 9 is coupled to the hotel's telephone system 13 and via this to the central system. Furthermore telefax 14, personal computers, minibar and the like can also be incorporated.

The computer system according to the invention is used in the following manner. Booking can thus take place remotely from any place whatsoever via telephone or other telecommunications system by giving requests such as the time period which is desired, the number of rooms, the type of room as well as the requests for additional services, garage, hire cars or the like. Booking can also be effected by entries from a keyboard of the "teleguide" type, videotext or similar, whereby booking data and account card number are entered by typing or indexing instead of by giving information orally. Booking can also be effected directly at the checking-in/out terminal 3, whereby the account card is put into the card reader 7, name and desired date along with the time for checking-in and out as well as other requests are typed in on the keyboard 5. The checking-in terminal checks that the room is available for the stated period and also rings up the account card company and checks the card's validity, after which a confirmation is printed containing the room number and telephone number of the room.

When the guest arrives on the booked arrival day, checking- in occurs at the checking-in/out terminal 3 by putting the account card into the card reader 7. The guest is welcomed via the screen 4 by stating the guest's name and verifying the booking time, after which the terminal rings up the actual hotel room's module with an address code particular to each module, whereby the module is activated for the guest's account card as well as for all doors for common use. Thereafter a receipt is printed via the printer 6 with instructions on how the guest can find the way to his/her room, the room number and telephone number etc.

The hotel room's module contains a clock and calender which are updated from the central system and is provided with a memory into which information can be entered concerning which account number shall be allowed access, a memory for registration of which account cards have been used and when this occurred, at least for a limited time period, as well as a memory for registering of services coupled with the room which have been used such as telephone, telefax, personal computer, minibar etc. When the guest is thus checked in at the central system, communication is established with the hotel room's module, whereby the checking-in/out terminal emits an access code for instance the preceding account card number, the present guest's account card number along with the present time and the actual time period booked. The hotel room's module 10 registers all the data required for entry in accordance with the above, i.e. at least the credit card number or a code corresponding to this, the checking-in and checking- out time as well as the date for this, so that when the guest wishes to enter his room, the account card serves as the key. The card reader 11 for the room is positioned in the guests' common area outside the hotel room's door 15, for example on the wall next to the door jamb.

When the account card is put into the card reader 11, the card's identification data is read and compared with the stored information in the hotel room's module 10. When the necessary information corresponds, the door lock 12, which is made as an electrically controlled lock for example with a so-called motor-plate, is activated from the hotel room's module 10, whereby the door can be opened and the room made accessible. At the same time, the telephone is opened for use by the guest as are also the telefax and computer etc. When the guest uses the telephone, a record of the number of units is kept as well as the numbers rung. Preferably this recording is continued even after room vacation which can happen through registering door opening which occurs without card activation, whereby for example service equipment in the room is shut down or coupled to a general account for use by hotel personnel. In this way non- authorized use of the equipment can be minimised. In a similar way, personnel can gain access, for example by the use of special service cards or private account cards, whereby each person who gains entry to the room is registered along with the time of entry and exit of the room.

On checking-out, the guest places his card in the chec^"-ing- in/out terminal's card reader 7, whereby communicatica is established with the hotel room's module 10 in question and calls up the registrations of everything which was used from the room's service facilities such as telephone call records etc. The hotel room's module sends information about the receiver's telephone number and the number of units, the telephone is then disconnected for the guest for this period and the account card's function as a key ceases when the customer indicates that checking out is taking place, even if this occurs earlier than the booked time period. The terminal transforms the information about used time to the hotel room's cost, adds this to the other service costs and prints out a verification of what has been charged to the guest's account to which the card is coupled. This debiting occurs preferably directly via modem with the account card company. In doing this, the account card is also blocked for entry to all doors, even to common areas as well as that the actual database for the room notes that the room is ready for cleaning. When cleaning has been completed, the cleaning staff register this, after which time the room is again available for new guests.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawing, but can be varied within the scope of the following claims. As mentioned above, the system can be adapted for traditional account cards and/or so-called smart-cards. For the case that smart-cards are used exclusively, no cable connection between the central system and the room system is necessary since all necessary information is stored on the card and is read by the card reader 11 at the door. In the same way, the card reader can be used for all service equipment in the room whereby the use is registered on the card and read by the checking- in/out terminal upon checking-out.

Claims

1. Computer system for automatic supply of rooms for use by a paying guest during a chosen time period, comprising at least one computer (1) adapted to receive and store booking data at the time when a room is booked, such as type of room, time period for availability of a certain room or rooms, and a card reader (11) arranged for each room or room group and an electrically controlled lock (12) for the door (15) to the respective room for movement between locked and open positions by means of coded cards containing data for adaptation of the chosen room only during a chosen time period, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the computer (1) is adapted also to receive and store, during booking, identification data about an account card which the guest uses, in that the system comprises at least one checking-in unit (3) comprising an account card reader (7) situated in or in proximity to the building in which said room is located and adapted to read said identification data for the guest's account card upon the guest's arrival, and upon occurrence of said booking-in identification data in the computer, to allow passage to the common area, in that the card readers (11) and locks (12) for the rooms are included in a room system which includes an electronic room module (10) adapted to receive and store information about said identification data and booking data and to activate the appropriate door lock like a key upon reading of the information from the account card in said card reader (11) for the room after acceptance of the card, and a checking-out unit (3) comprising an account card reader (7) adapted, upon checking-out using the account card in the reader, to add together and calculate the entire costs for charging to the corresponding account δ as well as to cease the card's function as a key for access to the common areas as well as to the particular room.

2. Computer system according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the checking-in unit and checking-out unit are arranged as a common unit (3) with common card reader (7) .

3. Computer system according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the common checking- in/out unit (3) is provided with an entry function for manual entering of data and for commands.

4. Computer system according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d inthatthechecking-in/outunit (3) possesses a screen for presenting information.

5. Computer system according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that thechecking-in/out unit

(3) is adapted to communicate with a booking unit (1) for receiving of booking data.

6. Computer system according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d inthatthe checking-in/outunit (3) is in communication with the room modules (10) for supplying booking-in data after checking-in.

7. Computer system according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said communication is maintained via the existing telephone network in the building.

8. Computer system according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the room modules (10) are adapted to register service equipment in the room which has been used, such as telephone, telefax, minibar etc.