System Description
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ComCierge System Structure
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The ComCierge system is made
up of databases, numerous programs, libraries, and web based applications all
running on a central property server. The clients throughout the hotel property access the programs on this
server.
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The core of the ComCierge
system is its SQL 7.0 databases. The
main database, ComCierge, contains the main menu structure, configuration,
guest history, languages, advertisement info, movie
info, and communications tables.The
ComCierge DB is linked with the Location DB, containing the postal codes, which
can be accessed if a user is sending a post card or if a new guest is being
entered into the system. The Music DB is used all music functions and features
of the system. This DB is composed of
genre, album/CD, individual track/song, artist, and label information tables so
that the user can access music in a number of ways. The RoomServ DB contains all the tables needed for a guest to
browse the room service menu, create an order, send special instructions to the
kitchen, have that order stored for future retrieval, and bill the users
account when the order has been received.
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All applications were
developed in Visual Basic 6.0. The main
application delivers the content to the user in the form of a drill down menu
structure and rotating advertisements. The user selects different buttons from the menu list on the left side
of the screen and depending on the rules stored in the database for that button
the user will be taken to a submenu, another ComCierge module (Music, Room
Service), or a web page (either an internally developed and housed page or
anything on the Internet). Clicking on
an ad page will take the user to the sponsor's web page. Any module can call
another module, for example when a user requests a movie to watch, before the
movie starts they are asked if they would like anything from the kitchen. If they say yes, the Room Service module is
called up so that they can order something. Once they are done they are returned to the movie module for movie
viewing. For the most part, however, most
modules are called by the main application via the menu buttons.
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Web based applications were
developed using Visual InterDev 6.0 in HTML or Active Server Pages (ASP) using
VBScript and Active Data Objects (ADO) as the database interface. All web-based applications are displayed through
the Browser module. This is the browser used by the Main
Application and all applications that need to display a web application/page.
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ComCierge High-Level System Diagram
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ComCierge Design Considerations
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Web based applications were
developed using Visual InterDev 6.0 in HTML or Active Server Pages (ASP) using
VBScript and Active Data Objects (ADO) as the database interface. All web-based applications are displayed through
the Browser module. This is the browser used by the Main
Application and all applications that need to display a web application/page.
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Design considerations of the
ComCierge system were it had to be simple for the user to use. In essence it had to be made so somebody who
never used a computer could use it, but also keep it interesting enough so a
power user would use, but not be able to tamper with it (i.e. sabotage or hack
the system). It also had to be designed
so that it was flexible enough so that hotel personnel can make modifications
to system files whenever necessary.
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The simplicity is shown in
the design of the user interface where anybody can start navigating from screen
to screen just by touching a button, no knowledge of Windows is required. If the person thinks they are lost in a menu
structure, all they need to do is touch ‘Beginning’ button and they will go
back to the main menu. As far as the
power user is concerned, they can surf the net, retrieve their email, and
create Word documents, Power Point presentations, and Excel spreadsheets.
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Replacing the Windows
Explorer shell with our own shell application helps keep the power user from
hacking the system. This hinders users
from accessing the system hard drives (local and network) and deleting crucial
system files. The user is also locked
out from all keyboard system functions such as pulling up the task bar/Start
Button (Ctrl+Esc), rotating through running applications (Alt+Tab) and the task
list/rebooting (Ctrl+Alt+Del) making the power switch and a command from the
ComCierge Server Controller as the only ways to reboot the client.
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The Client Shell
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The main
application provides
a hierarchical menu system, which allows a guest to find features of the system
in a logical manner. The hotel property
can organize the menu system in any way it chooses. The navigation component contains space for advertising and a
logo. The look and feel of the
navigation component can be customized for each hotel property. Advertisements
in the form of Macromedia â Flashä
4 generated Shockwaveä formatted movies can be
delivered to all main menu screens based on hotel property. Touching or clicking on an advertisement
will result in the navigation to an Internet site. While playing, the advertisement can interact with an Internet
site. The main menu can contain links to Internet sites that a hotel property
chooses to recommend. The links and
main menu layout can be maintained by the hotel property. The links can include news, local
attractions, weather, etc. as well as Intranet based information about the
hotel property’s features and services. Each information screen can accommodate a speed dial button, which
allows for speed dial speakerphone access to the hotel property’s various
departments. Links can be provided for interactive games. Links can be provided
for office tools that the hotel property chooses to supply its guests. The ComCierge application also supports
languages by clicking on the little scrolling flags a user can change the
application to the language of their choosing.
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The Email module allows guests to compose and
send an email from the module. Anyone
can request delivery of POP3 email from any mailbox that allow outside Internet
access. The service transmits a user
code and password to the mailbox for access. A database of POP3 addresses is maintained by the module to relieve
guests from having to enter POP3 addresses once they are known by the system.
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The Movie module allows a guest to search a movie database by
title or subject. The guest can adjust
the volume, fast forward, fast reverse, pause, restart, and stop the
movie. The movie can be watched on the
in-room computer or on the television with the addition of an NTSC converter.
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The Activity Logger module maintains a historical
record of all guest activity within the suite of client applications. The records can be accessed by hotel chain,
hotel property, room ID, guest ID, date, time, duration, and activity.
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The Phone module allows a guest
to dial a phone number from a dial pad and then talk via a speakerphone or
telephone handset. A guest can also
dial from a speed dial list, which can be maintained by the hotel property. Any Intranet site can interface to the
speakerphone component to enable telephone-based interaction with the sponsors
of the Intranet site. This service
requires that the in-room computer be connected by modem to the room’s analog
telephone line.
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The Browser
module allows
the guest to view locally hosted web pages /applications and to gain worldwide
Internet access. Access to designated
Internet sites can be blocked at the discretion of the hotel property with
appropriate third party software.
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The Music module allows a guest to search a database for music
by artist, title, or genre. The service
provides samples of each album and cover art. The guest can listen to the album
in the background while doing other things. The guest can adjust the volume, play, fast forward, fast reverse,
pause, restart, and stop the album or any of its selections. The module also provides a radio mode, which plays random background
music by a specific genre.
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The Room Service module allows the
guest to order items from the hotel property's room service menu. The guest can customize their order. The order can be delivered to the hotel
property via a printer or as an electronic transaction to another computer
system or display.
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The Survey module provides for an interruption in any path of
user interaction in order to obtain user feedback via a short list of
questions, with a provided list of answers, for hopefully a quick and painless
survey. Each survey response is captured in a database.
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The Message
module allows a typed message to be sent to and viewed
any room within a hotel property that contains the module. When the module delivers a message to a
room, the advertisement box displays a special Macromediaâ
Flashä
movie to signal to the guest that messages are waiting. When the movie is touched, the messages are
delivered.
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The Post Card module allows a guest to choose a
greeting card to send via email or parcel post. The module accommodates a typed message and address. An electronic billing transaction is made
available to the hotel property.
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The Hotel Directions
module allows
a guest to select a location within the hotel from a list. Once selected, a map of the entire complex
is displayed with the selected location in the center. Next to the map are directions on how to get
to that location. The user can then
zoom in for more detail or zoom out to see the entire map. The user may move the map position by
dragging it in any direction. A user
may also enter a specific hotel room number. Based on the room number, the program figures out which building or wing
that room is in and displays that building in the center of the map.
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The Bellman
module allows a guest to select the day and time they would like their bags picked up. If they have already requested the service,
the user can cancel or change the time of their request.
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The Books module allows a guest to search for audible books in
our database by author, title, and subject. When the guest finds a book, it plays. The guest can listen to the book in the background while doing other
things. The guest can adjust the
volume, fast forward, fast reverse, pause, restart, and stop the book.
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The Appointment module allows a guest to add,
change or delete items from their personal appointment schedule. Once a personal schedule has been created
the guest may have this schedule printed out for a fee. To view schedule items on-line the user must
touch an item in the list and all information about that appointment is
displayed on the screen. If the user
tries to add to appointments at the same time a conflict occurs and the user is
asked to pick which appointment they want to keep, the newly added appointment
or the existing appointment. This
service requires a custom printing mechanism for each hotel property.
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The Convention
Schedule module presents a guest with a list of current conventions. Once a convention has been selected, the
guest can go through events of the schedule by date and topic, adding or
deleting items to their schedule as they go. Personal appointments may also be added to make sure there are no
conflicts with convention meetings.
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The Alarm
Clock module allows the guest to setup the in room unit to wake them at
specific time of the day or night. Module can also be hooked to the music module so the guest can be awoken
by music.
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The Folio module allows the guest to view their bill in detail
at anytime and/or upon checkout.
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The Housekeeping / Maintenance module allows a
guest to request more towels, toiletries or report problems with the room. The request will
style='font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt'> be delivered to the hotel
property via a printer or as an electronic transaction to another computer
system or display.
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The Welcome module displays a simple screen for
the guest when they first enter the room. This message can be customized for each guest to include special offers
that might appeal to him or her.
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The Seminar
Agenda module presents
a guest with their specific seminar agenda. The guest views the overall agenda on the left side of the page and by
clicking on each item the detailed information for the item is shown on the
right side of the page.
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The Animation Advertisement control displays and scrolls through advertisements on the main application.
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The Button control is used throughout in all modules gets all of its information (caption, graphics, target, etc.) out of the database. The button can be presented in many different formats allowing for a multitude of look and feels.
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The ComCierge Dialog Box control delivers to the user any informational message that the system needs to convey.
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The Item List control displays of item list of objects such as convention schedules.
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The Keyboard control implements a graphical keyboard.
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The Location control allows the user to easily determine a postal code based on country, state, city, etc.
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The Menu List control implements the display and management of a hierarchical collection of button objects.
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The Numeric Keypad control implements a graphical numeric pad.
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The Time Box control displays of item list of time specific objects such as convention schedules times.
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The Time Pad control implements a graphical numeric pad specific for time selection functions.
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The ComCierge Information Server allows all applications, modules and components of the system to access common functions and data.
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The Sound Server allows all components to use/control system sound resources.
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1.
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Reboot the client.
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2.
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Shut down the client machine.
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3.
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Bring down the ComCierge system for maintenance, displaying a message on the guest room machine's screen.
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4.
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Bring the ComCierge system up on a guest room machine.
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5.
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Remotely run a program on a client machine.
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6.
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Set the heartbeat interval used to keep track of the status of guest room machines.
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7.
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Stop or start certain ComCierge applications on any or all machines on the network.
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8.
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Display what applications are running on any or all machines on the network.
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9.
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Change the ports that messages are sent over.
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10.
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Change the Windows shell program on any or all client machines.
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11.
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Change the amount of time a client will wait for an ADO timeout to occur.
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12.
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Reload the ComCierge Main Application menu on the fly for any or all client machines.
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13.
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Poll the entire network showing only the machines that have good connections.
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14.
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Poll the entire network showing only the machines that have bad connections.
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15.
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Poll the entire network showing all machines and their status.
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