Tuesday 16 November 2010

Describing possible technologies involved in the concept

Possible technologies for the concept; starting at the wristband. A possible technology for the wristband would be a barcode which would be printed on it.











It is another way of encoding numbers and letters by using a combination of bars and spaces of varying widths. It is a reference number, and does not contain descriptive data. Thereby, the computer would use the barcode to gather a related record which holds descriptive data (customers add-ons). As the concept will involve a computer, a technology would have to be put in place for the barcode to be read. A logical technology for this would be a Barcode scanner, which is an electronic device for reading printed barcodes, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor which translates optical impulses into electrical ones. The type of scanner that would be most efficient for the concept would be an omniDirectional barcode scanner. 


















OmniDirectional Barcode scanners mostly all use a laser. Unlike a more simple single-line laser scanners the omniDirectional barcode scanner projects a pattern of beams in different positions. This allows the beams to read barcodes “no matter what the orientation” (Website: Wikipedia, barcodes, 2010).  As a result of this it would read customers barcodes more efficiently.   
For the “Front - end” user interface (point of interaction between two systems or work groups) a bespoke touch screen would be a possible technology.

  











A touch screen is an “electronic visual display” (Website: Wikipedia, Touch screen, 2010) which can detect the presence of say a finger or hand while also being able to locate touch on the display device. This would enable the customers to view all their add-ons from the start of the cruise by navigating through touch. For the custom made touch screen to operate the concept software program (app) would be needed. This is a program that has a chain of commands written to enable the computer to do the specific job, which connects both the barcode scanner and back to the central processor. The computer needs a program to enable it to do that job, the programs commands are executed in a central processing unit (CPU), a computer system that goes about the commands of the software program. The possible technology for the CPU for the concept would be a property management system (PMS). PMS’s are used in many industries from manufacturing to hospitality accommodation management. A PMS is a “computerised system” (Website: Wikipedia, property management system, 2010) which makes it easier to manage properties on the cruise ship such as personal property to equipment. It is done through a single piece of software. PMS’s have taken over from paper-based methods which were inefficient and unmanageable. 

For the connection to the scanner, possible technologies could be bluetooth or Universal serial bus (USB). Bluetooth uses a special radio frequency. It would be a way to interchange the data of the add-ons wirelessly, which is done by using the frequency to transport the data over short distances. It is also used in many technologies such as mobiles, faxes and computers. Blue tooth “is an attempt to do away with your computer’s jungle of wiring” (Website: BBC, bluetooth, 2010). The alternative is Universal serial bus (USB). 

















This would also set up and enable the PMS and scanner to communicate. The USB was “designed for personal computers” (Website: Wikipedia, Universal Serial Bus, 2010). Although originally designed for personal computers, the USB has been successfully placed in other technologies and would be suited to the new wristband concept. 

For the connection back to the PMS possible technologies could be wireless (WiFi) or cable (CAT6 ethernet). Wireless (Wifi) is a brand of the Wi-fi Alliance. WiFi allow the software program (app) to communicate with the scanner and PMS without involvement of an access point. 
Cable (CAT6ethernet) is a cable standard for Gigabit Ethernet and other network protocols.

















Category 6 cable as firm instructions for unwanted transfer of signals between communication channels. Category 6 cable contains four pairs of copper wire and is the sixth generation of twisted pair Ethernet cabling.

Both the possible technologies for connection to the scanner and the PMS would first need to connect to the interface server. This would be on the private network which is “a network that uses private IP address space” (Website: Wikipedia, Private Network, 2010) ,with the PMS. 

The drawing below shows possible technologies and were they are use to enable the concept  to operate:





Bibliography
Website: Wikipedia available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcode_reader)(Accessed: 15 November 2010)
Website: Wikipedia available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen  (Accessed: 15 November 2010 )
Website: Wikipedia available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_management_system - (Accessed: 17 November 2010) 
Website: Wikipedia available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/about-bluetooth (Accessed: 17 November 2010)
Website: Wikipedia available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus (Accessed: 16 November 2010)
Website: Wikipedia available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Private_network  (Accessed: 16 November 2010)







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