Interface Gateway for Property Management System Communication

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Solution Overview

Problem

The hospitality industry faces significant costs and complexities due to communication incompatibilities between property management systems (PMS) and guest service devices, as different vendors use proprietary message formats, requiring frequent modifications and additional fees for integration.

Innovation Solution

An interface gateway that converts messages between different formats, allowing communication between PMS and guest service devices by receiving messages in one format, parsing them into an internal data structure, and sending them in a format supported by the destination device, thereby eliminating the need for vendors to support specific message formats.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If different vendors use proprietary message formats for PMS and guest service devices, then each vendor can optimize their system for specific functions, but integration costs and complexities increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevendor-specific optimizationVSAvoidintegration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a message format conversion system that acts as an intermediary layer between different vendor systems. The PMS sends messages in its native format to the conversion system, which automatically translates them to the format required by the guest service device. This eliminates the need for direct compatibility between vendors while maintaining seamless communication, thereby reducing integration complexity without sacrificing vendor-specific optimization capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The conversion system provides universal message format translation capabilities that work across multiple vendor combinations. A single system can handle conversions between numerous different message formats, making it adaptable to various PMS and guest service device pairings. This universal approach reduces the need for custom integration work for each vendor combination, lowering overall integration complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If PMS vendors require custom modifications to support different guest service system message formats, then compatibility with specific systems is achieved, but modification costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem compatibilityVSAvoidmodification cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of modifying the PMS or guest service devices to achieve compatibility, the patent inverts the approach by implementing a standalone conversion system that translates between formats. This eliminates the need for costly modifications to either the PMS or guest service systems, as the conversion handles compatibility requirements externally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The conversion system serves as an intermediary that handles format translation, allowing the original PMS and guest service devices to remain unchanged. This preserves system reliability and compatibility while avoiding the costs associated with modifying existing systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If guest service system vendors modify their systems to support specific PMS message formats, then integration with particular PMS is enabled, but recurring modification fees are incurred

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovePMS-specific integrationVSAvoidrecurring cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The conversion system is implemented once and configured to handle multiple message format combinations. This preliminary setup enables the system to automatically handle conversions for various PMS and guest service device pairings without requiring recurring modifications. The initial configuration provides long-term adaptability while eliminating ongoing modification fees.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The conversion system is designed with universal capabilities to handle numerous message format combinations from different vendors. This multi-functional approach allows a single system to serve multiple PMS and guest service device integrations, reducing the need for recurring vendor-specific modifications and associated fees.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10863006B2Interface gateway and method of facilitating communication between a property management system and a guest service device

Publication Date: 2020.12.08 GUEST TEK INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

AI summary

An interface gateway facilitates communication between a first device and a second device serving a hospitality establishment. The first device is one of a property management system (PMS) and a guest service device, and the second device is the other of the property management system (PMS) and the guest service device. One or more communication ports perform data communications with the first device and the second device. One or more processors receive a message from the first device, determine that the message is in a first format, determine that the message is applicable to the second device, determine that the second device supports a second format, convert the message to the second format, store the message in a transmit queue with an indication of whether a confirmation reply is expected from the second device, and send the message in the second format to the second device.