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

Abstract

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.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system of a hospitality establishment, the system comprising:
 a property management system (PMS) managing check-in of guests to vacant rooms at the hospitality establishment;   a guest service system providing one or more services within a plurality of rooms of the hospitality establishment; and   an interface gateway coupled to the property management system (PMS) and the guest service system;   wherein the interface gateway is configured to receive a message from the property management system (PMS);   the interface gateway is configured to determine a room identifier identifying a particular one of the rooms of the hospitality establishment and room information for the particular one of the rooms according to contents of the message;   the interface gateway is configured to cache the room information for the particular one of the rooms within a plurality of state data stored in a storage device of the interface gateway;   the interface gateway is configured to receive a request for the room information from the guest service device at a later time after the room information has been cached in the state data; and   the interface gateway is configured to generate a reply message including the room information according to the state data and send the reply message to the guest service system.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the message received from the property management system is a check-in message indicating that the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier is no longer vacant. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the room information includes a name of a guest checked into the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the room information includes an occupancy state of the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the interface gateway is configured to:
 receive the message from the property management system utilizing a first format; and   send the reply message to guest service system utilizing a second format being different the first format.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the interface gateway stores in the storage device a plurality of format conversion modules utilized by the interface gateway in converting messages between a plurality of external message formats and an internal data structure utilized by the interface gateway. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the guest service system includes a video-on-demand (VOD) controller. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 a display device located within the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier and coupled to the video-on-demand (VOD) controller;   the room information includes an announcement; and   in response to receiving the reply message including the announcement from the interface gateway, the video-on-demand (VOD) controller is configured to cause the display device to display the announcement.   
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 a set-top box (STB) located within the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier and coupled to the video-on-demand (VOD) controller;   wherein, in response to receiving the reply message from the interface gateway, the video-on-demand (VOD) controller is configured to unlock VOD functionality on the set-top box.   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 one or more access points (APs) for providing Internet access for guests of the hospitality establishment;   wherein the guest service system includes a high speed Internet access (HSIA) controller coupled to the one or more access points (APs); and   in response to receiving the reply message from the interface gateway, the high speed Internet access (HSIA) controller is configured to activate Internet access in the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier.   
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 an electronic door lock;   wherein the guest service system includes a room security controller coupled to the electronic door lock; and   in response to receiving the reply message from the interface gateway, the room security controller is configured to change an electronic key code for the electronic door in the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier.   
     
     
         32 . A method of interfacing between a property management system (PMS) and a guest service system of a hospitality establishment, the property management system (PMS) managing check-in of guests to vacant rooms at the hospitality establishment and the guest service system providing one or more services within a plurality of rooms of the hospitality establishment, the method comprising:
 receiving, by an interface gateway, a message from the property management system (PMS);   determining, by the interface gateway, a room identifier identifying a particular one of the rooms of the hospitality establishment and room information for the particular one of the rooms according to contents of the message;   caching, by the interface gateway, the room information for the particular one of the rooms within a plurality of state data stored in a storage device of the interface gateway;   receiving, by the interface gateway, a request for the room information from the guest service device at a later time after the room information has been cached in the state data; and   generating, by the interface gateway, a reply message including the room information according to the state data and send the reply message to the guest service system.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the message received from the property management system is a check-in message indicating that the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier is no longer vacant. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the room information includes a name of a guest checked into the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the room information includes an occupancy state of the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 receiving the message from the property management system utilizing a first format; and   sending the reply message to guest service system utilizing a second format being different the first format.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , furthering comprising storing in the storage device a plurality of format conversion modules for converting messages between a plurality of external message formats and an internal data structure utilized by the interface gateway. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the guest service system includes a video-on-demand (VOD) controller. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein:
 a set-top box (STB) is located within the particular one of the rooms identified by the room identifier and coupled to the video-on-demand (VOD) controller; and   the method further comprises, in response to the video-on-demand (VOD) controller receiving the reply message from the interface gateway, unlocking, by the video-on-demand (VOD) controller, VOD functionality on the set-top box.   
     
     
         40 . An interface gateway for interfacing between a property management system (PMS) and a guest service system of a hospitality establishment, the property management system (PMS) managing check-in of guests to vacant rooms at the hospitality establishment and the guest service system providing one or more services within a plurality of rooms of the hospitality establishment, the interface gateway comprising:
 one or more communication ports for coupling to the property management system (PMS) and the guest service system;   one or more storage devices storing therein a plurality of software instructions; and   one or more processors coupled to the one or more communication ports and the one or more storage devices;   wherein, by the one or more processors executing the software instructions loaded from the one or more storage devices, the one or more processors are configured to:   receive a message from the property management system (PMS);   determine a room identifier identifying a particular one of the rooms of the hospitality establishment and room information for the particular one of the rooms according to contents of the message;   cache the room information for the particular one of the rooms within a plurality of state data stored in a storage device of the interface gateway;   receive a request for the room information from the guest service device at a later time after the room information has been cached in the state data; and   generate a reply message including the room information according to the state data and send the reply message to the guest service system.