PLATFORM FOR TOURIST SERVICES AND FOR GLOBAL ENTITIES CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from US provisional patent application 62/626,717, filed February 6, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to tourist services generally and to a platform providing such tourist services in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] All over the world, consumers use their mobile phones and smartphones. Consumers download applications or“apps” which run on their smartphones and provide the consumers with information, entertainment, such as games, and access to businesses and other entities.

[0004] Some of these mobile apps are for local companies while others are for international companies. The apps of international companies are useful when a consumer visits a foreign country.

[0005] In addition, when touring a foreign country, the tourist typically downloads apps local to the foreign country (such as for museums, local restaurants, local taxis, etc.) and these new apps fill up the memory on his or her smartphone.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0006] There is provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a single platform, accessible from a mobile device of a tourist to a foreign country, to access entities providing the services needed in the foreign country. The platform includes a database storing IVR templates associated with the entities, the templates having buttons with associated actions, the actions utilizing capabilities of the mobile device in service of the tourist’s communication with the entity; a button word translation database storing translations of descriptive words for the buttons from one human language to another; and a browser-based visual IVR coordinator to receive a selection of the entity from the tourist and to display an IVR template associated with the entity according to the selection of the entity, according to roaming information from the mobile device and according to a predefined display language defined by the tourist.

[0007] Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the capabilities include at least one of: a dialer, a browser, a roamer, a camera and a GPS.

[0008] Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the actions activate applications associated with the mobile phone.

[0009] Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the applications include at least one of a navigation app, a chat app and a video app.

[0010] Additionally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the local language is not the display language.

[0011] Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the entities include at least one of: a government ministry, a private business and a public entity. [0012] Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the government ministry includes at least one of: a tourist ministry and an emergency services ministry.

[0013] Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the public entity includes at least one of: a museum and a hospital.

[0014] Additionally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coordinator includes a roaming information receiver to receive a current country location of the tourist from at least the mobile device.

[0015] Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coordinator includes an communicator to provide data between the mobile device and the entity.

[0016] Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the data includes at least one of: video data, voice data, location data and navigation data.

[0017] Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coordinator includes an IVR creator to create a visual IVR from a template and from the button word translation database.

[0018] There is provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method. The method includes a tourist selecting a visual IVR for a local entity in a foreign country from a visual IVR platform associated with at least one global entity; the platform presenting the selected visual IVR on a mobile device in a language predefined by the tourist; and the tourist communicating with the local entity via the selected visual IVR, the visual IVR activating capabilities on the mobile device to enable the communication.

[0019] Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the capabilities include at least one of: a dialer, a browser, a roamer, a camera and a GPS. [0020] Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the communication is via at least one of: a navigation app, a chat app and a video app.

[0021] Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the local entity is at least one of: a government ministry, a private business and a public entity.

[0022] Additionally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the government ministry includes at least one of: a tourist ministry and an emergency services ministry.

[0023] Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the public entity includes at least one of: a museum and a hospital.

[0024] Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the presenting includes receiving a current country location of the tourist from the mobile device via roaming.

[0025] Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the communicating includes providing data between the mobile device and the entity.

[0026] Additionally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the data includes at least one of: video data, voice data, location data and navigation data.

[0027] Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method includes creating a visual IVR from a template.

[0028] Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method also includes looking up button names from a translation database. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0030] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a smartphone-based tourist services platform, constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention;

[0031] Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of an example of the smartphone-based tourist services platform of Fig. 1, constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention;

[0032] Figs. 3A and 3B are schematic illustrations of an exemplary template for creating a visual IVR, constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention;

[0033] Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary form for setting up the template of Fig. 3 A and 3B, constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention;

[0034] Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of the elements of the coordinator of Fig. 1; constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention;

[0035] Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are schematic illustrations of a tourist using the platform of Fig. 1, constructed and operative in accordance with the present invention.

[0036] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0037] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

[0038] Applicant has realized that most international companies do not know how to handle people who move between countries, whether as tourists or as business visitors, and often get aspects of the app wrong, such that the app works incorrectly either in the local or foreign country. For example, the language of operation is usually based on where the tourist downloads the app, rather than where the tourist is from or what his/her preference is.

[0039] Applicant has realized that programs on a smartphone, whether as apps or as browser-based programs, need to respond to the needs of the user, irrespective of where the tourist is or where s/he is from. Thus, attributes of the app should not change when the tourist is roaming and phone numbers for services should be set appropriately rather than set to the local numbers of the country where it was downloaded.

[0040] Applicant has also realized that tourists don’t usually know how to access all kinds of services, such as entertainment and food but more importantly, emergency services and/or health services. In the latter, if a tourist is in an emergency situation, s/he may have trouble speaking the local language when talking to emergency services (such as police, hospital, etc.) [0041] Applicant has realized that smartphones are uniquely capable of enabling tourists to function well in all countries that they visit, via a platform to provide tourists with access to the services they need, in all countries, via a single source for the entities providing the services they need. The entities may be businesses (such as restaurants, entertainment sites, stores, etc.), government ministries (such as police, immigration, and tourist information centers), or public entities (such as hospitals and museums).

[0042] Reference is now made to Fig. 1, which illustrates a smartphone-based tourist services platform 100 comprising a visual IVR (interactive voice response system) coordinator 102, a directory 104 of IVR of entities providing services via platform 100, and a translation database 106. Platform 100 may interact with multiple smartphones 108 (108A and 108B), each of which may access a visual IVR belonging to a different entity. Fig. 1 shows platform 100 as being implemented on a server connected to a data communication network 109, such as the Internet or any other network through which smartphones may communicate.

[0043] Fig. 2, to which reference is now briefly made, illustrates an exemplary visual IVR 110 for Broadway Pizza. The IVR may comprise a logo 112 for the entity and multiple buttons 114 leading to different kinds of information about the entity. For example, button 114A may lead to a menu of food offered by Broadway Pizza, button 114B may lead to a list of locations, and button 114C may call Broadway Pizza with the smartphone.

[0044] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, translation database 106 may comprise a database of button words in a large selection of languages. Database 106 may be generated by multiple entities from a plurality of countries since, as Applicant has realized, many entities provide similar kinds of buttons to their customers. For example, most visual IVRs may have a‘Call Us’ or‘Contact Us’ button and therefore, it may be relatively simple to receive a translation of the standard term in each country.

[0045] It will be appreciated that since many companies, government offices etc. utilize the same kind of buttons, the local language for the buttons exists. Thus even if the buttons in the IVR are in the local language, the translation more than likely exists for the same functionality in other languages. Thus the local entity setting up the IVR may not have to do elaborate translations itself enabling global companies to set of IVRs easily without needing translators for everything.

[0046] Thus, while Broadway Pizza may be located only in New York City and may have created its visual IVR 110 with its buttons in English, a Chinese tourist having set Chinese as his language may still be able to browse Broadway Pizza’s visual IVR 110, but in Chinese, using the translation information in translation database 106 gleaned from the pizza shops in China.

[0047] Referring back to Fig. 1, a smartphone such as smartphone 108A may have a multiplicity of elements thereon which may be utilized by the various visual IVRs 110 to service the tourist or visitor. In Fig. 1, smartphone 108A is shown with a display 120 and an associated speaker, a phone dialer 122, a roamer 124, a GPS (global positioning system) unit 126 operating with a navigation application 127, such as Waze, Baidu, Google Map, Yandex Map, iPhone Map commercially available from Google, iPhone, Yandex and Baidu, a camera 128 and a chat program 132, such as WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, FB Massager, Fine and Zalo. Typically, the operating system of smartphone 108A may provide display 120, phone dialer 122, roamer 124, GPS unit 126 and camera l28while other elements, such as navigation application 127 and chat program 132 may be downloaded by the user (who is the tourist or visitor).

[0048] In operation, the tourist or visitor may access platform 100 directly and may choose the service or entity s/he desires. Alternatively, the tourist or visitor may dial (using dialer 122) the phone number of the relevant service or entity, where the phone number is typically a short number, such as * 1234, or a full-length number. Dialer 122 may provide the dialed number to visual IVR coordinator 102 and may activate roamer 124 to provide information regarding whether or not the tourist is roaming or at home via a local communication network. In addition, dialer 122 may activate GPS unit 126 to provide current location information, if necessary. [0049] Visual IVR coordinator 102 may provide the entity information to directory 104 which, in turn, may select the visual IVR associated with selected entity, at the provided location. Thus, for example, if Broadway Pizza had multiple locations, the provided visual IVR would be the one closest to the tourist’s current location.

[0050] Visual IVR coordinator 102 may display the selected visual IVR in a preferred language as predefined by the tourist, usually defined as part of the installation of the browser portion of visual IVR coordinator 102. Coordinator 102 may determine the relevant words for the various buttons of the selected visual IVR by accessing translation database 106 as necessary. Moreover, each button, such as buttons 114 in Fig. 2, have actions associated therewith which activate various of the elements of smartphone 108. Thus, depending on the button, visual IVR coordinator 102 may activate the relevant one of elements 120 - 132 and may receive the relevant information from them. In addition, visual IVR coordinator 102 may activate various ones of elements 120 - 132 if so requested by the entity which the tourist contacted, as described in more detail hereinbelow.

[0051] As mentioned hereinabove, visual IVR coordinator 102 may operate as a browser, labeled 140, on smartphones 108. Such a browser may be a mobile-implemented browser, similar in operation to the Internet phone browsers. Browser 140 may connect between visual IVR coordinator 102 ‘in the cloud’ (i.e. connected to the Internet) and each individual smartphone 108.

[0052] It will be appreciated that once browser 140 is installed on smartphone 108, when the user/tourist dials an active entity number, browser 140 may display a visual IVR for that entity in display 120, as discussed hereinabove. Moreover, the language of the displayed visual IVR may be the one defined for the phone or defined by the user, irrespective of whether or not the user/tourist is currently roaming. [0053] It will be appreciated that platform 100 may have a very small memory print in smartphone 108, due to the fact that visual IVR coordinator 102 operates with browser 140 and all data for the entities are stored in directory 104 rather than on smartphone 108.

[0054] It will further be appreciated that platform 100 may provide a single source for visual IVRs irrespective of country. It thus may provide service for numbers in a user’s country of origin and in the country roamed to, without the user having to indicate to it that s/he has roamed.

[0055] It will also be appreciated that platform 100 may utilize many or all of the capabilities of smartphone 108 in service of the user/tourist’s communication with different types of entities. Moreover, as Applicant has realized, the smartphone’s many capabilities improve tourists’ abilities to function in a foreign country and/or with foreign businesses, government or public entities. This may significantly improve emergency services, especially when a tourist is roaming and doesn’t know the emergency phone numbers, etc.

[0056] For example, platform 100 may provide connection to emergency services using dialer 122 and camera 128, as described in more detail hereinbelow. Moreover, immigration departments may utilize platform 100 to provide immigration forms to tourists, possibly while they are still on the airplane or ship.

[0057] Tourist attractions may also set up their visual IVRs to include real-time camera videos of their attractions, such as animals at the zoo or the waves to be surfed. Similarly, a public highway entity might set up their visual IVRs to include real-time camera videos of public highway traffic or neighborhood videos. As a result, a tourist has access to all of the services he needs, in his language but for the foreign country, including other, more local, services, like emergency services, which s/he wouldn’t necessarily know to access. He may search for different types of businesses, museums, local government, police, hospitals, etc. through directory 104.

[0058] Moreover, the tourist may access visual IVRs of the global companies he already knows also in a foreign country, but with his preferences.

[0059] Platform 100 may provide businesses with a simple platform for building their own visual IVR, since, as discussed hereinbelow, platform 100 has a simple template from which the visual IVRs may be built. Each company or entity may design its visual IVR to match their telephone IVR and/or to match the organization and services of their company. Since many companies, government offices, etc. utilize the same kinds of buttons (such as ‘Call Us’ or ‘Branches’), the local terminology may already be stored in translation database, or may be generated by a different business. Thus, even if the buttons of the visual IVR are in the local language, the translation exists for other languages, without the local business or other entity having to do the translation. This may enable global companies to set up visual IVRs easily, without the need to find translators.

[0060] Reference is now made to Figs. 3A and 3B which each illustrate an exemplary template 200 from which businesses or entities may set up. Fig. 3A shows template 200 at the setup stage and Fig. 3B shows template 200 at the implementation stage. It will be appreciated that template 200 may be created (for example) using a simple Microsoft Excel format or through an Internet builder on the provider’s website. Reference is now made to Fig. 4 which illustrates an exemplary form 150 for setting up required buttons. As is illustrated, the entity may choose a value (i.e. how connections are to be made) as well as choosing icons, names and color schemes.

[0061] It will be appreciated that once the entity (i.e. the business) has built its profile template and it has been checked and activated by the provider, it may be activated using voice recognition and searches using such apps as Siri or others for voice recognition activation and Spotlight for searches for iPhones and VR for Android.

[0062] It will be further appreciated that template 200 may have complete integration with existing social communication apps, such as cellular voice call, WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, Line, Skype, Zalo etc. Template 200 may also be integrated with location recognition systems and therefore, navigation to any branch or office of the entity may be possible using any existing navigation app 127 (such as Waze, Google Maps, Baidu, Yandex, Apple map etc.) as described herein above.

[0063] Reference is now made to Fig. 5, which illustrates the elements of visual IVR coordinator 102. Coordinator 102 may comprise a roaming information receiver 150, a visual IVR retriever 152, a visual IVR presenter 154, an application activator 156, a visual IVR creator 157 and an entity communicator 158.

[0064] Visual IVR creator 157 may enable an entity to create a new visual IVR using template 200 as described herein above with reference back to Figs. 3A, 3B and 4. It will be appreciated that for a global entity, the creation process may entail each branch of the entity setting up the IVR individually in each language required. A non-global entity may set the terms up in a single language and visual IVR creator 157 may then recreate the visual IVR in different languages using translation database 106 by searching for matching term names for the tab name field (as is shown in Fig. 4) and may then save the templates in directory 104. It will be appreciated that every time a new IVR template is created, translation database 106 may be updated accordingly with any new term names.

[0065] Roaming information receiver 150 may receive roaming information from smartphone 108 and may provide this information to visual IVR retriever 152. Retriever 152 may generate a visual IVR request to directory 104 by combining the roaming information, the entity selection, also received from smartphone 108 and the predefined language selection created by the tourist when downloading the browser of coordinator 102 to smartphone 108.

[0066] Retriever 152 may provide the visual IVR produced by directory 104 to visual IVR presenter 154 which may, in turn, present the visual IVR to smartphone 108 in its browser when the tourist pushes one of the buttons of the presented visual IVR, smartphone 108 may provide the button press information to application activator 156 which may indicate to smartphone 108 which application is associated with the pressed button. Smartphone 108 may, in turn, activate the associated application.

[0067] At the same time, some applications, such as chat application 132, require communication with the entity, here labeled 160. Accordingly, application activator 156 may activate entity communicator 158 which may activate the relevant application on the relevant equipment at entity 160. For example, a helpdesk may be associated with chat application 132. Other applications, such as navigation app 127 and camera 128 may also have associated applications at entity 160. Entity communicator 158 may provide data of all kinds (such as video from camera 128, voice and/or text from chat application 132 and location and navigation data from navigation app 127) between smartphone 108 and entity 160 using an appropriate API..

[0068] Reference is now made to Fig. 6 which illustrates a tourist 10 arriving in a foreign language speaking country (for example Hong Kong). In this scenario, coordinator 102 may receive roaming information via roamer 124 from the local communication network, may recognize the country the tourist is in based on the roaming information from roamer 124 and therefore, when the tourist chooses an entity, coordinator 102 may retrieve the visual IVR for the branch of the entity specific to that country. In Fig. 6, tourist 10 has chosen a car rental and the selected visual IVR is for the local Hong Kong branch. [0069] It will be appreciated that as well as entities creating templates and setting up their visual IVRs, general services and providers for a particular country may also be set up and may typically be accessed via dialer 122 or browser 140. Thus, a tourist may have full access to local services, such as the police, health services, foreign embassies, tourist bureaus etc. Reference is now made to Fig. 7 which illustrates a scenario when the tourist needs to contact a local emergency service, such as the local fire station 300 to report a fire 202. It will be appreciated that in this scenario, tourist 10 may dial the number he recognizes for the emergency service in his country using dialer 122 or may type the words“fire station” into browser 140. Coordinator 102 may receive the request and may retrieve from database 106 the visual IVR in the tourist’s mother tongue for local fire station 300. It will be further appreciated that via the visual IVR of the local fire station, tourist 10 may use the chat app platform 132 and camera 128 to explain the situation. Thus, even if there is a language divide between the tourist and the on duty dispatcher at the local fire station 300, the dispatcher would be able to see fire 202 via a video feed 204 from camera 128 and the dispatcher may even be able to locate the location of the tourist, and therefore the location of fire 202, through a location stream 206 to GPS 126.

[0070] In another use of platform 100, similar to the example of the fire as described herein above, a lost tourist may be able to contact the local tourist bureau as is illustrated in Fig. 8 to which reference is now made. Coordinator 102 may retrieve the visual IVR for the local tourist bureau and may present it to tourist 10 in his own language. Tourist 10 may select the chat button 132 or the camera button 128 to make contact and may use them to ask for directions to a particular tourist site. The helpdesk at tourist bureau 210 may send the coordinates of the tourist site in question and coordinator 102 may activate navigation app 127 to guide the tourist to the site using the coordinates. [0071] In yet another example, platform 100 may also aid tourists in filling in their immigration forms and landing cards when travelling to a foreign country. In this scenario, the IVR showing the relevant form may be retrieved by coordinator 102 for the tourist to fill out. It will be appreciated that, due to translation database 106, this form may be in the native language of tourist 10 and thus, tourist 10 may understand the form more readily.

[0072] When the tourist has finished filling in the form on his/her smartphone 108, the tourist may push a submit button forming part of the form which may include instructions to send it straight to immigration (typically upon landing) allowing the tourist to move through immigration more quickly. It will be appreciated that this may also enable the immigration authorities to track/and or find tourists when needed, since the immigration authorities may store both the form and its associated mobile telephone number. It will be appreciated that this information may be provided in a legible format to the immigration authorities without the need for the tourist to find a pen to fill in the form and for the authorities to try and decipher illegible handwriting.

[0073] In alternative embodiments, other capabilities of platform 100 may include the ability to vote (such as for a beauty pageant or song contest). In this scenario, the IVR would present different buttons for different candidates etc.. Other capabilities may also include access to a television or radio station using video and audio buttons, etc.

[0074] Thus, platform 100 may harness the capabilities of smart phones to improve a tourist’s ability to function in a foreign country and may also harness those capabilities for communication with businesses or government entities. Platform 100 may also significantly improve emergency services especially when the user is roaming and doesn’t know any of the local emergency phone numbers. [0075] Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the preceding discussions, it is appreciated that, throughout the specification, discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing," "calculating," "determining," or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of a general purpose computer of any type such as a client/server system, mobile computing devices, smart appliances or similar electronic computing device that manipulates and/or transforms data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within the computing system’s registers and/or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system’s memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

[0076] Embodiments of the present invention may include apparatus for performing the operations herein. This apparatus may be specially constructed for the desired purposes, or it may comprise a general-purpose computer or a client/server configuration selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. The resultant apparatus when instmcted by software may turn the general purpose computer into inventive elements as discussed herein. The instructions may define the inventive device in operation with the computer platform for which it is desired. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium, such as, but not limited to, any type of disk, including optical disks, magnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), volatile and non-volatile memories, random access memories (RAMs), electrically programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, Flash memory, disk-on-key or any other type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions and capable of being coupled to a computer system bus.

[0077] The processes and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purpose systems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may prove convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the desired method. The desired structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description below. In addition, embodiments of the present invention are not described with reference to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the invention as described herein.

[0078] While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.