Self service terminal for lodging industry including room key dispenser

Claim 3

A method of registering a guest in a lodging facility including the steps described in claim 1, wherein said method further includes the steps of: generating a printed verification of the registration for said guest; and providing the printed verification to said guest.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 for checking a guest out of a lodging facility further comprising the steps of: presenting on a display a listing of said guest's charges from memory for said guest's approval; printing a copy of said guest's charges; collecting the key from said guest at a key receptable location; and updating memory to record that said guest has checked out from the lodging facility after the key has been collected from said guest.

Claim 5

A self service terminal for use by a guest in checking into a lodging facility, the terminal having an identification card reader for determining the identity of a guest, a display, a keyboard for communicating with a guest, a printer, and a computer coupled to said card reader, display, keyboard and printer, said computer including means for assigning a room to a guest upon check-in, the improvement comprising: means for ascertaining a guest's choice of room features and for assigning a room associated with that choice; a plurality of key storage sections, each key storage section including a plurality of keys each key in a given storage section being to a different feature of the rooms; means for automatically dispensing to a said guest, a key associated uniquely with the room assigned to said guest by the computer in reponse to communication with said computer.

Claim 6

A self service terminal for use by a guest in checking into a lodging facility, the terminal having an identification card reader for determining the identity of a guest, a display, a keyboard for communicating with a guest, a printer, and a computer coupled to said card reader, display, keyboard and printer, said computer including means for assigning a room to a guest upon check-in, the improvement comprising: means for ascertaining a guest's choice of room features and for assigning a room associated with that choice; a plurality of key storage sections, each key storage section including a plurality of keys each key in a given storage section being to a different feature of the rooms; means for automatically dispensing to a said guest, a key associated uniquely with the room assigned to said guest by the computer in reponse to communication with said computer.

Claim 7

A self service terminal of the type described in claim 4, wherein one section of the key storage includes keys for rooms having double beds.

Claim 8

A self service terminal of the type described in claim 4, wherein said terminal further includes key receiving means for recovering keys of guests as they check out of the lodging facility using the self service terminal.

Claim 9

A self service terminal for registering a guest checking into a lodging facility, said terminal being controlled by a computer and a memory associated therewith, said terminal comprising: means for storing a plurality of keys, each key being associated uniquely with a room in said lodging facility; means connected to said computer for reading an identification card submitted by said guest; means connected to said computer by which said guest requests the type of lodging desired by said guest; a program in said computer for determining whether a room of the type requested by said guest is available for assignment and, if so, assigning a room by number to said guest and recording in said memory a record of said room number associated with said guest's identity; and means connected to said computer and to said means for storing to dispense to said guest a key for said room assigned to said guest.

Claim 10

A self service terminal for registering a guest checking into a lodging facility, said terminal being controlled by a computer and a memory associated therewith, said terminal comprising: means for storing a plurality of keys, each key being associated uniquely with a room in said lodging facility; means connected to said computer for reading an identification card submitted by said guest; means connected to said computer by which said guest requests the type of lodging desired by said guest; a program in said computer for determining whether a room of the type requested by said guest is available for assignment and, if so, assigning a room by number to said guest and recording in said memory a record of said room number associated with said guest's identity; and means connected to said computer and to said means for storing to dispense to said guest a key for said room assigned to said guest.

Claim 11

The self service terminal of claim 7 further comprising: means for displaying to said guest, verification of the registration for said guest; and means for printing and providing said verification to said guest.

Claim 12

The self service terminal of claim 8 comprising: means for presenting on the display a listing of said guest's charges from memory for said guest's approval; means for printing a copy of the guest's charges; means connected to said computer for collecting said key from said guest before updating said memory to record that said guest has checked out from the lodging facility.

Claim 13

A self service terminal for issuing a key to a person who desires to use a locked facility, said terminal being controlled by a computer and a memory associated therewith, said terminal comprising: means for storing a plurality of said keys in a predetermined arrangement, each key being associated uniquely with a facility, a record of said arrangement being stored in said memory; means connected to said computer for reading an identification card submitted by said person; means connected to said computer by which said person requests a type of facility desired; a program in said computer for determining whether a facility of the type requested by said person is available for assignment and, if so, assigning a facility to said person and recording in said memory a record of said facility associated with said person's identity; and means connected to said computer and to said means for storing to dispense to said person a key for said facility assigned to said person.

Claim 14

A self service terminal for issuing a key to a person who desires to use a locked facility, said terminal being controlled by a computer and a memory associated therewith, said terminal comprising: means for storing a plurality of said keys in a predetermined arrangement, each key being associated uniquely with a facility, a record of said arrangement being stored in said memory; means connected to said computer for reading an identification card submitted by said person; means connected to said computer by which said person requests a type of facility desired; a program in said computer for determining whether a facility of the type requested by said person is available for assignment and, if so, assigning a facility to said person and recording in said memory a record of said facility associated with said person's identity; and means connected to said computer and to said means for storing to dispense to said person a key for said facility assigned to said person.

Claim 15

The self service terminal of claim 10 further comprising: means for displaying to said person, verification of the registration for said person; and means for printing and providing to said person, a document representing said assignment.