초록 ▼

A system for automated, attendant-free customer interface for services such as laundry and dry cleaning processing or rental of items such as videotapes enables customers to order services and pick up processed orders using a general purpose, undedicated credit card. A retrieval device upon appropri

A system for automated, attendant-free customer interface for services such as laundry and dry cleaning processing or rental of items such as videotapes enables customers to order services and pick up processed orders using a general purpose, undedicated credit card. A retrieval device upon appropriate command retrieves a customer\s processed order and brings it to a customer interface panel door, which opens to enable the customer to pick up his processed order. Included in the customer interface panel are a card reader for reading the customer\s credit card, a display for presenting information and instructions to the customer, a menu of services for selection by the customer and a keyboard or other input device to select desired services. A printer is included for printing a receipt and/or a transaction record. The system includes a computer at each remote machine facility outlet for handling functions associated with the credit card reader, instructing the retrieval device to retrieve orders, for operating a display, for handling the customer input device, and for creating a transaction record. The general purpose computer can also provide for networking between the central plant and a larger number of remote automated customer interface facilities, and a telephone, modem and auto dialer preferably are included at each automated facility for computer communication with the central plant.

대표청구항 ▼

A system for automated drop-off and pickup of laundry and dry cleaning orders, remote from a central dry cleaning/laundry plant, for unattended use by customers, comprising: a storage facility for garment bags, soiled garments of unprocessed orders and processed laundry/dry cleaning orders, includin

A system for automated drop-off and pickup of laundry and dry cleaning orders, remote from a central dry cleaning/laundry plant, for unattended use by customers, comprising: a storage facility for garment bags, soiled garments of unprocessed orders and processed laundry/dry cleaning orders, including means for storing garment bags and processed orders in positions for retrieval, a customer interface panel at the front of the storage facility, retrieval means in the storage facility for retrieving a garment bag or a processed order upon receipt of an appropriate command, the customer interface panel including card reader means for reading encoded information on a customer\s non-dedicated general purpose credit card, display means for presenting information and instructions to the customer, menu means for displaying to the customer a menu of services for selection for the customer\s order, customer input means for enabling the customer to select desired services from the menu of services in accordance with the items the customer is dropping off, and printer means for printing and outputting to the customer a receipt reflecting the services selected by the customer on the customer input means, a door adjacent to the interface panel between the customer\s position and the storage facility, including door opening and closing means, computer means including memory means, for issuing appropriate instructions to the customer on the display means after receiving information from the customer\s credit card; for receiving the customer\s input on the input means; for issuing a command to the retrieval means if the customer\s order has been processed and placed in the storage means, to go to a particular storage position in the storage facility to retrieve the processed order and bring it to the door and open the door to enable the customer to remove the processed order; for creating and storing a transaction record of each transaction; and for driving the printer means and other functions.