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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. A system for registering attendees at a trade show, convention or the
like, comprising:
input means for entering selected information relating to the attendees,
said selected information including the name of each attendee and a
predetermined code indicating whether or not a registration badge is to be
printed for the corresponding attendee;
first storage means for storing the information entered by said input
means;
second storage means for storing a predetermined number of sequential
registration numbers to be assigned to the respective attendees;
processing means electrically coupled to said input means and to said first
and second storage means for processing said selected information in
accordance with a predetermined set of instructions stored therein, said
processing means including,
means for retrieving said registration numbers from said second storage
means and for assigning individual ones of said registration numbers in
sequence to the respective attendees, and
means for determining the acceptability of each character entered by said
input means and for generating an error signal if a particular character
is not an acceptable character for the corresponding position in a
predetermined data entry format; and
means for selectively printing a registration badge for each attendee for
which the predetermined code corresponding to that attendee indicates that
a badge is to be printed.
2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said registration badge includes
the name and professional affiliation of the corresponding attendee in
human-readable form and the registration number of the corresponding
attendee in bar-coded form.
3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said registration badge further
includes bar-coded information indicating the activities to which the
corresponding attendee is entitled admission at the trade show, convention
or the like.
4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said system further includes
display means for displaying selected information entered into the system.
5. The system according to claim 1 further including third storage means
for storing said registration numbers assigned to the respective attendees
in sequential numerical order, each registration number being assigned a
discrete sector pointer code in said third storage means, and fourth
storage means for storing registration information for each attendee
entered by said input means at a predetermined location in said fourth
storage means corresponding to the particular sector pointer code assigned
to the particular registration number corresponding to a particular
attendee, registration information for each attendee being selectively
retrievable from said fourth storage means by entering from said input
means the corresponding registration number for that particular attendee.
6. In an electronic information processing system having memory means for
storing information and processing means for processing said information,
a method for registering attendees at a trade show, convention or the
like, said method comprising the steps of:
entering selected information relating to each attendee, said selected
information including the name of each attendee and a predetermined code
indicating whether or not a registration badge is to be printed for that
particular attendee;
storing the selected information entered by said input means in said memory
means;
storing a predetermined number of sequential registration numbers to be
assigned to the respective attendees in said memory means;
retrieving said registration numbers in sequence from said memory means and
assigning individual ones of said registration numbers in sequence to the
respective attendees;
determining the acceptability of each character of information entered and
generating an error signal if a particular character is not an acceptable
character for the corresponding position in a predetermined data entry
format; and
selectively printing a registration badge for each attendee for which the
predetermined code corresponding to that particular attendee indicates
that a registration badge is to be printed.
7. An electronic system for keeping track of selected activities of
attendees at a trade show, convention or the like, comprising:
means for providing a first set of information codes identifying the
respective attendees;
means for providing a second set of information codes representing selected
inquiries and requests for information made by the attendees at the trade
show, convention or the like;
means for reading said first set of information codes and for generating a
respective first set of electrical signals indicative thereof;
means for reading selected ones of said second set of information codes
corresponding to the inquiries and requests for information made by a
particular attendee and generating a respective second set of electrical
signals indicative thereof;
timekeeping means for keeping track of time of day and date;
processing means electrically coupled to said reading means and said
timekeeping means for processing said first and second sets of electrical
signals in accordance with a predetermined set of instructions; and
memory means electrically coupled to said processing means for storing
processed information, said processing means being responsive to
timekeeping signals from said timekeeping means for storing in said memory
means the time of day and date on which selected processed information is
stored in said memory means.
8. The system according to claim 7 wherein said first and second sets of
information codes are comprised of respective bar-coded information codes,
said first set of bar-coded information codes including a predetermined
registration number assigned to each attendee and said second set of
bar-coded information codes including bar-codes representing a selected
list of standard inquiries and requests for information from said
attendees.
9. The system according to claim 8 wherein each of said attendees is
furnished with a registration badge bearing his assigned bar-coded
registration number and selected locations at said trade show, convention
or the like are provided with a hard copy of said second set of bar-coded
information codes.
10. The system according to claim 9 wherein said selected locations
correspond to individual booths and exhibits at said trade show,
convention or the like.
11. The system according to claim 7 further including means for
communicating with an external data processing system, including means for
transmitting information stored in said memory means to said external data
processing system.
12. The system according to claim 7 wherein said processed information is
stored in said memory means in chronological sequence, said processed
information including the registration number of the particular attendee,
the time and date on which the attendee made a particular request or
inquiry, and the nature of such request and inquiry.
13. The system according to claim 12 wherein said system includes a
plurality of information storage units positioned at selected locations at
said trade show, convention or the like for gathering and storing
information relating to the activities of the attendees, each of said
information storage units being assigned a unique identification number.
14. The system according to claim 13 further including central processing
means external to said information storage units for providing relatively
permanent storage of the information stored in each of said information
storage units, said information being stored in said central processing
means in chronological sequence in accordance with the chronological
sequence in which such information is stored in each of said information
storage units, the information which is stored in said central processing
means including the registration number of each attendee, the time and
date of a request or inquiry made by that attendee at the selected
location at which the corresponding information storage unit is
positioned, the nature of such requests or inquiries and the
identification number of the corresponding information storage unit.
15. The system according to claim 14 wherein said central processing means
includes means for providing selected compilations based on the
information stored therein.
16. The system according to claim 15 wherein said selected compilations
include a listing of all visitors to a particular location at the trade
show, convention or the like in chronological sequence.
17. The system according to claim 15 wherein said selected compilations
include a listing of all visitors to a particular location at the trade
show, convention or the like from a particular company or geographical
area.
18. The system according to claim 15 wherein said selected compilations
include a listing of all visitors to a particular location at the trade
show, convention or the like who have made a particular inquiry or request
for information at that location.
19. The system according to claim 13 wherein each of said information
storage units includes:
a bar-code reader for reading bar-coded information representing the
respective registration numbers of the attendees and the respective
inquiries and requests for information made by said attendees at the
corresponding location of said information storage unit;
a bar-code decoder for decoding said bar-coded information read by said
reader and for generating electrical information signals indicative
thereof;
timekeeping means for keeping track of time of day and calendar date;
processing means for processing said electrical information signals in
accordance with a predetermined instruction set;
storage means for storing said processed information in chronological
sequence; and
communication means for communicating with an external data processing
system, including means for transmitting stored information to said
external data processing system.
20. In an electronic data processing system, a method for keeping track of
selected activities of attendees at a trade show, convention or the like,
comprising the steps of:
assigning a unique registration number to each attendee;
providing a first set of information codes corresponding to the respective
registration numbers assigned to the individual attendees;
providing a second set of information codes representing selected ones of a
plurality of inquiries and requests for information made by said
attendees;
reading said first set of information codes and generating a respective
first set of electrical signals indicative thereof;
reading selected ones of said second set of information codes representing
the specific inquiries and requests for information made by individual
attendees and generating a respective second set of electrical information
signals indicative thereof;
keeping track of time of day and date;
processing said first and second sets of electrical signals in accordance
with a predetermined set of instructions stored therein; and
storing said processed information in chronological sequence in accordance
with the respective times of day and dates on which said inquiries and
requests for information are made by said attendees, said stored
information including time of day and date on which each inquiry and
request for information is made.
21. An electronic system for gathering and processing information relating
to the identification and activities of attendees at a trade show,
convention or the like, comprising:
input means for entering selected information relating to the attendees,
said information including the respective names of the attendees and a
predetermined code indicating whether or not a registration badge is to be
printed for a particular attendee;
first storage means for storing said selected information;
second storage means for storing a predetermined number of sequential
registration numbers to be assigned to the respective attendees;
means for retrieving said registration numbers from said second storage
means and for assigning said registration numbers in sequence to the
respective attendees;
means for determining the acceptability of each character entered and for
generating an error signal if a particular character is not an acceptable
character for the corresponding position in a predetermined data entry
format;
means for selectively printing a registration badge for an attendee when
said predetermined code for that particular attendee indicates that a
badge is to be printed, said registration badge including the
corresponding registration number for that attendee in coded form;
means for providing a set of information codes representing selected
inquiries and requests for information made by said attendees at said
trade show, convention or the like; and
a plurality of information storage units positioned at selected locations
at the trade show, convention or the like for gathering and storing
information relating to the activities of the attendees, each of said
information storage units having:
means for reading said coded registration number on the registration badge
of each attendee and for reading selected ones of said information codes
corresponding to the particular inquiries and requests for information
made by a particular attendee,
timekeeping means for keeping track of time of day and date, and
third storage means for storing information representing the respective
registration numbers and respective inquiries and requests for information
made by the attendees in the chronological sequence in which such
inquiries and requests for information were made, said stored information
including the time of day and date on which each inquiry and request for
information is made. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems and methods for collecting information
and in particular to a system and method for registering and keeping track
of the activities of attendees at a trade show, convention, or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A great deal of planning and organization is necessary to put on a trade
show, convention, or other public or quasi-public event involving a large
number of participants. Prospective attendees must be notified regarding
the time and place of the event, as well as the activities which will take
place at the event, and registrations must be handed expeditiously,
particularly when large numbers of attendees are expected.
Registration procedures typically involve the attendee's completing a
registration form, either in advance if he or she decides to register
early, or "at the door" prior to being admitted to the event. An
identification badge is then prepared by writing or typing pertinent
information, such as the name, address and/or business affiliation of the
attendee, on the badge. A registration number may also be assigned to each
attendee and reproduced on his badge. Furthermore, if the event includes
special activities, such as, for example, seminars, workshops and
banquets, to which entry will be limited to selected attendees, special
tickets or other passes must be issued for each of these special
activities, which further complicates the registration process.
At a crowded trade show or convention, it is often difficult for individual
operators of a booth or exhibit to keep track of the flow of visitors to
their respective booths or exhibits and to record all of the many requests
for information and inquiries made by the visitors. It is customary for
visitors to leave business or other "calling" cards at the booths,
together with handwritten inquiries and requests for additional
information concerning the products or services displayed at that booth.
In addition, the operator of the booth may want to keep track of the
visitors to his booth. Unfortunately, the prior art provides no efficient
way to keep track of the identities, business affiliations and specific
inquiries and requests of these visitors, particularly when several of
them converge on a booth at the same time.
At some trade shows and conventions, plastic credit card-like
identification badges are issued to the attendees and each both operator
is equipped with a device similar to a credit card machine for generating
credit card-like receipts containing the information on the badge.
Although basic information about the visitor such as his name, address and
business affiliation may be recorded, any specific inquiries or areas of
interest expressed by the visitor must be manually recorded by the booth
operator.
Another problem often encountered by the booth operator is the problem of
visitor flow. It is often difficult to determine when or if additional
personnel are needed to staff a particular booth or exhibit at certain
times of the day when visitor flow is particularly heavy. Because each
show is unique in its schedule and offerings, it is difficult to predict
the times at which the visitor flow will be particularly heavy or light,
so that staffing requirements can be met.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the principal object of the invention to provide an
improved system and method for registering and keeping track of the
activities of the attendees at a trade show, convention or the like.
It is another object of the invention to provide a computer-implemented
system and method for registering and keeping track of the activities of
the attendees at a trade show, convention or the like.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a
computer-implemented system and method for collecting, storing and
processing information relating to the identity and business affiliation
of each of the attendees at a trade show, convention or the like.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved system and
method for keeping track of the flow of visitors to a particular booth or
exhibit at a trade show, convention or the like and for recording the
nature of the inquiries and requests for informatin made by such visitors.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a
computer-implemented system and method for compiling selected marketing
and promotional data, based on information collected at a trade show,
convention or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the present
invention by providing an electronic system for registering attendees at
an event, which is comprised of input means for entering selected
information relating to the attendees into the system; processing means
for processing the selected information entered into the system in
accordance with a predetermined set of instructions; means for storing the
processed information; and output means for producing a hard copy of
selected information identifying each attendee.
In one embodiment, the system further includes means for coding an assigned
registration number for each attendee into bar-coded form and the output
means includes means for printing an identification badge for each
attendee having the name and professional affiliation of the attendee in
human-readable form and his registration number in bar-coded form. In
another embodiment, the identification badge includes bar-coded
information indicating the activities to which the attendee is entitled
admission at the event.
In a preferred embodiment the registration system of the present invention
includes keyboard means having a plurality of user activatable keys for
entering information into the system; computing means for processing the
information entered therein in accordance with a permanent instruction set
stored in a read-only-memory (ROM); at least one portable magnetic
diskette for storing selected information processed by the computing
means; and a printer for producing an identification badge for each
attendee and other selected registration information. Registration
information stored on the magnetic diskette may then be transferred to a
main data base.
In another aspect of the invention an electronic information system is
provided for keeping track of selected activities of attendees at the
event, such as, for example, a particular booth or exhibit at a trade show
or convention. The electronic information system is comprised of means for
providing a first set of information codes identifying the respective
attendees; means for providing a second set of information codes
representing selected activities at the event; means for reading said
first set of information codes and generating a respective first set of
electrical signals indicative thereof and for reading selected ones of
said second set of information codes representing the respective
activities of individual attendees at the event and generating a
respective second set of electrical signals indicative thereof; processing
means for processing first and second sets of electrical signals in
accordance with a predetermined set of instructions; and memory means for
storing the processed information.
In one embodiment the electronic information system includes timekeeping
means for keeping track of time of day and date. The processing means is
responsive to an output signal from the timekeeping means indicative of
the time and day and data for writing into the memory means the time of
day and date on which information is stored in the memory means, so that a
record is maintained of the visits of all attendees to a particular
location by time of day and date. In another embodiment the information
management system includes means for communicating with an external data
processing system, so that the information collected can be transmitted to
a main data base. The information is transferred to the main data base
preferably either by telecommunications link or by electrical cable
connection. In yet another embodiment the information is also transferred
to one or more portable magnetic diskettes so that the information can be
retrieved without the necessity of accessing the central data base.
In a preferred embodiment the reading means is comprised of a bar-code
reader and decoder for reading bar-coded information from an attendee's
identification badge and generating an electrical information signal
indicative thereof. Each location at the event is equipped with a menu of
anticipated inquiries and requests for information, which are recorded in
bar-coded form. Thus, when an attendee visits a particular location, such
as an individual booth or exhibit, at the event, his visit may be recorded
by reading the bar-coded identification information on his identification
badge and reading the bar-coded information corresponding to the
particular inquiries and information requests made by that attendee during
his visit and storing this information in the system memory along with the
time of day and date on which his visit occurred. At the end of each day
or at the end of the event, information may be transferred to the main
data base, whereupon the information is processed and sorted to provide
selected compilations of information of interest to the promoter of the
event and/or to the individual booth operator.
The main data base preferably includes a computer having a hard disk
storage capability and a printer for generating hard copy printouts of the
selected compilations of information for the benefit of the user. For
example, the information may be sorted and a list compiled showing the
identities of all visitors to a particular booth or exhibit at a trade
show or convention in chronological order; a listing of all such visitors
from a particular company, city or state; and a listing of all visitors
who have made a particular request or inquiry. This type of information is
valuable to a booth operator because it allows him not only to answer the
specific inquiry or request for information made by the visitors to his
booth, but also provides him with valuable marketing information from
which he can generate promotional mailing lists and mailing labels.
In a preferred embodiment the information management system is comprised of
one or more portable, modular units containing a bar-code reader and
decoder; a timekeeping device for keeping track of time of day and date, a
conventional disk drive unit for storing information on a floppy diskette;
input/output circuitry for communicating with an external data processing
system by telecommunications link or alternatively by direct electrical
cable connection; and a main computer having a hard disk storage
capability for receiving information from the modular units and processing
such information to provide selected compilations of data relating to the
activities of the attendees at the event, such as, for example, a trade
show, convention or the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Still further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from
the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when read in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic system for registering attendees
at an event according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electronic information system for keeping
track of the attendees at an event according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a main data base and central processing system
according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the major components of an information storage
unit according to the present invention;
FIGS. 5A-5E, are flow diagrams depicting the sequence of operation of the
registration system according to the present invention; and
FIGS. 6A-6I are flow diagrams depicting the sequence of operation of the
information system according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the description which follows, like parts are marked throughout the
specification and drawings with the same reference numerals, respectively.
The drawings are not necessarily to scale and in some instances
proportions have been exaggerated in order to more clearly depict certain
features of the invention.
Referring now to FIG. 1, an electronic system for registering attendees at
a trade show, convention or the like, in accordance with the present
invention, is depicted. The registration system includes a keyboard 11 for
entering information into the registration system; a data processor 12 for
processing the information entered into the registration system in
accordance with a predetermined set of instructions stored therein; a
display 13, which is preferably a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, for
displaying selected information entered into the system and processed by
data processor 12; and a printer 14 for printing selected registration
information, including an identification badge 15 for each attendee.
The functions of keyboard 11, processor 12 and display 13 are preferably
provided by a single microcomputer, such as, for example, the IBM Personal
Computer, manufactured and sold by International Business Machines
Corporation, or a personal computer which is compatible with the IBM
Personal Computer. The personal computer used in connection with the
registration system should include a disk drive capability for storing
registration information on a portable magnetic diskette, such as floppy
diskette 17. Registration information stored on diskette 17 is transferred
to a main data base for permanent storage, as will be described in greater
detail hereafter. Printer 14 is preferably a Model 8625 thermal dot matrix
printer, manufactured and sold by Intermec Corporation, which has the
capability of printing bar-coded information and graphics.
Each attendee is assigned his or her own registration number, which is
printed by printer 14 on identification badge 15 in bar-coded form. The
name and professional affiliation (e.g. company name) of the attendee will
also be printed on identification badge 15 in standard lettering to
facilitate interaction with other attendees at the show.
The registration system of the present invention may be used for early
registration of attendees in advance of the show, as well as to expedite
"on site" registration on the day of the show. Selected registration
information is stored on floppy diskette 17, by which registration
information is transferred to the main data base for storage and
processing.
Referring to FIG. 2, an information storage system, in accordance with the
present invention, is depicted. Selected locations at the show, such as,
for example, individual booths or exhibits, are each equipped with an
information storage unit 21 for keeping track of the flow of visitors to
that particular booth or exhibit during the show and for recording the
nature of the inquiries and requests for information made by such
visitors. A bar-code scanner device 22 is coupled to storage unit 21 for
reading bar-coded information on the attendee's identification badge 15.
Bar-code scanner 22 is preferably a contact-type wand scanner,
manufactured and sold by Welch/Allyn.
When an attendee visits a particular booth or exhibit, the booth operator
can record the visit by scanning the bar-coded portion 151 of
identification badge 15 using scanner 22, thereby storing the Attendee's
registration number in information storage unit 21. In addition, if the
attendee makes specific inquiries or requests certain information about
the products or services on display at a particular booth or exhibit, the
booth or exhibit is equipped with a hard copy menu 23, which lists a
number of standard requests for information in both human-readable and
bar-coded form. For example, an attendee may request a product brochure or
other information regarding a specific product or service. Rather than
having to notate this request by hand, the booth operator merely scans
with bar code scanner 22 the requestor's identification badge to record
his registration number and the bar-coded portion of menu 23 which
corresponds to that particular request, to record the request in
information storage unit 21 along with the requestor's registration
number. Multiple requests may be recorded by successively scanning the
respective bar-coded portions of menu 23. Menu 23 may be printed in
advance to include a number of standard requests most commonly made by
visitors to a booth or exhibit at a trade show. A unique bar code is
assigned to each such standard request on the menu. Alternatively, each
individual booth operator may make up his own set of requests and assign a
unique bar code to each of such requests on menu 23, so that menu 23 can
be customized to suit the needs of the individual booth operator.
At the end of a particular day or at the end of the entire show, the
information stored in information storage unit 21 is transferred to a main
data base. Information transfer may be effected by first storing the
information on one or more floppy diskettes (not shown), which are then
loaded into the main data base or, alternatively, by transferring the
information by means of a standard communications protocol, such as, for
example, the RS 232 protocol, via an electrical cable 25 or by telephone
modem 26. Information is stored on a floppy diskette by first transmitting
the information to processor 12 (see FIG. 1), whereupon processor 12 loads
the information onto a floppy diskette.
Referring to FIG. 3, the main data base, which collects data from both the
registration system and the information storage system, is shown. The main
data base is comprised of a main computer 31 which is preferably a Model
4550 personal computer, manufactured and sold by Columbia Data Products.
Main computer 31 preferably includes 128 kilobytes of storage memory and a
12 megabyte hard disk unit for storing data. It further includes at least
one disk drive unit for receiving portable magnetic diskettes, such as
floppy disks 17, two communication ports for simultaneously communicating
with two information storage units 21, and one printer port for
controlling a printer 32, which provides a hard copy of the output from
main computer 31. Data from all of the information storage units 21 at the
trade show or convention is stored in main computer 31 for processing in
accordance with a predetermined set of instructions stored therein, as
will be described in greater detail with respect to FIG. 6. Printer 32 is
preferably a Model T300X printer, manufactured and sold by Printronix,
Inc. Main computer 31 controls printer 32 to provide hard copy printouts
of selected information, including lists of visitors to individual booths
or exhibits and other compilations as desired.
Referring to FIG. 4, the operation of information storage unit 21 is
described in greater detail. Except for bar code scanner 22, the
components of storage unit 21 are contained in a modular housing, which
provides a portability feature for storage unit 21. Bar-coded information
picked up by scanner 22 is decoded by bar code decoder 41 and transmits an
electrical signal indicative thereof to processor 42. Decoder 41 is
preferably an NCR 8301 bar-code decoder, manufactured and sold by the
National Cash Register Company of Dayton, Ohio. The decoded information is
stored in processor 42, which is preferably a micro-processor of the Zylog
Z-80 type, manufactured and sold by Zylog, Inc. Processor 42 includes an
on-board non-volatile random access memory (RAM) and one or more external
non-volative RAM's 47 for storing the decoded information. Battery 43
functions as a back-up power supply in the event of the discontinuance or
interruption of the main AC power supply 44, so that the information
stored in RAM is not lost. The information storage capability of
information storage unit 21 may be enhanced by adding additional RAM chips
to the main circuit board thereof.
Timekeeping information is provided by clock circuit 45, which is
preferably an MM58167A timekeepng chip, manufactured and sold by National
Semiconductor Corporation, for keeping track of time of day on a 24-hour
basis and calendar date. When information relating to the visit of an
attendee to a particular booth or exhibit is transmitted by decoder 41 to
processor 42, processor 42 addresses clock circuit 45 and receives
information therefrom indicative of time of day and calendar date, which
is stored in system memory along with the registration number of the
attendee and the specific requests or inquiries made by that attendee at
the booth or exhibit. Information is processed and stored by processor 42
in accordance with a permanent instruction set stored in a read only
memory (ROM) and/or erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), which
may be on-board processor 42 and/or external thereto as depicted by EPROM
46.
Communications I/O circuitry 48 is provided for communicating with an
external data processing system, such as main computer 31 of the main data
base. Communication I/O circuitry 48 may be equipped to handle a plurality
of communications protocols, such as, for example, the standard RS 232
protocol. Information may be transmitted to the main data base by means of
an electrical cable 25 or by telecommunications link 49, which may include
a conventional telephone modem 26 when transmission by cable 25 is not
feasible. As an added precaution, information collected by storage unit 21
is transmitted via Communication I/O circuitry 48 to printer 50, which
prints information relating to the visitors, including visitor name and
time and date of visit, so that a hard copy record of the stored
information is available as a backup. In one embodiment, printer 50 prints
the stored information on an hourly basis from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
during each day of the trade show or convention. Printer 50 is preferably
a Model IMP printer, manufactured and sold by Fidelity Computer Products.
Communication I/O circuitry 48 is also used to transmit stored information
to processor 12 of the registration system described above, whereupon
processor 12 transfers the information to a floppy diskette, as
previously, described with reference to FIG. 2.
The battery back-up feature previously described allows information storage
unit 21 to be fully portable, so that each unit 21 may be collected at the
end of the trade show or convention and transported to the site of main
computer 31 for transferring the information stored therein to main
computer 31. The portability feature also allows units 21 to be
transported to and from different locations at a trade show or convention
and to be used at a multitude of trade shows or conventions.
Referring now to FIGS. 5A-5E, the operation of the registration system is
shown in detail. Processor 12 is programable to automatically perform the
registration functions set forth in FIGS. 5A-5E. The steps of the program
are depicted FIG. 5A. Registration information for each attendee is
entered into processor 12 by means of keyboard 11. Included in the
information entered into processor 12 is a character code indicating
whether or not a name tag is to be printed for a particular registrant.
This character code is essentially a "yes" or "no" code, which is decoded
by processor 12 to determine whether or not a name tag is to be printed
for a particular registrant. The applicable character code is preferably
entered by the user by means of keyboard 11. A "Y" key is entered to
indicate "yes" (i.e., that a name tag is to be printed) and an "N" key is
entered to indicate a "no" code (ie., a name tag is not to be printed).
Registration information pertaining to a particular attendee is then
entered in accordance with the procedure set forth in FIGS. 5B- 5E.
Processor 12 can be programmed to store various types of registration
information pertaining to each attendee, including, but not limited to,
the name, address and professional affiliation of each attendee.
Referring to FIG. 5B, the entry format subroutine includes displaying the
entry format on the CRT display of processor 12 and retrieving an
acceptable character table and a sequential registration number and the
maximum allowable registration number from a diskette (not shown) on which
the program instructions are stored. The registration information for an
attendee can then be entered.
Referring to FIG. 5C, each character entered via keyboard 11 by the user is
examined to determine whether it is an acceptable character for that
particular cursor position on the CRT. If the character is acceptable, the
cursor is advanced to the next field position for receiving the next
character entry. If a character is not acceptable for a particular cursor
position, an audible alarm is sounded to inform the user that the program
will not accept that particular character entry. The acceptability of
non-acceptability of each character involves a determination by processor
12 as to whether the user enters an alpha code at a particular cursor
position at which an alpha entry should be made and correspondingly
whether a numeric character is entered by the user at a particular cursor
position at which only a numeric entry is suitable. For example, a first
predetermined series of hexadecimal codes is typically assigned to alpha
entries and a second predetermined series of hexadecimal codes is assigned
to numeric entries. Depending upon the data entry format, proces | | |
