DE29904412U1 - Device for handling requirements relating to exhibition-specific objects - Google Patents

Description

SCHOPPE & ZIMMERMANN l·

PATENT ATTORNEYS

European Patent Attorneys European Trademark Attorneys

Fritz Schoppe, Dipl.-Ing.
Tankred Zimmermann, Dipl.-Ing.

Schoppe & Zimmermann · PO Box 710867 · 8145 Munich

Georg Bernitz Telephone 089/790445-0

Königsweiherstrasse 5 Fax/Facsimile 089/790 22 15

Fax/Facsimile 089/74996977

e-mail 101345.3117@CompuServe.com 90455 Nuremberg

Device for handling requirements regarding

trade fair-specific objects

Postal address: P. O. Box 710867, 81458 Munich

Office address: Irmgardstraße 22, 81479 Munich

Bank details/Bankers: HypoVereinsbank Grünwald, account number 2 960155028 (bank code 70020001)

Postgiroamt Munich, account number 315 720-803 (bank code 700 10080)

VAT ID No./VAT Registration Number DE 130575439

Device for handling requirements regarding trade fair-specific objects

Description

The present invention relates to a device for handling requests for trade fair-specific objects, and in particular to a device for assigning such requests to a trade fair visitor.

It is currently common practice for visitors to trade fairs to leave their business cards at stands exhibiting products of interest to the visitor. The exhibitor in question will then send, to the address indicated on the business card, for example, brochures, samples and the like, which may not be available on the day the visitor visits the trade fair. In addition, the visitor may be required to write the items he or she wants, i.e., for example, the brochures or samples, on the back of the business card or on a separate sheet of paper attached to the business card, in order to enable the exhibitor to send the items he or she wants at a later date.

This procedure is disadvantageous for both the exhibitor and the visitor. On the one hand, the visitor to a trade fair must always have a number of business cards with him in order to make them available to the exhibitors. On the other hand, the visitor would have to provide the name and address to the respective exhibitor in some other way. Furthermore, an exhibitor must carefully store and subsequently process the orders for trade fair-specific objects that he receives in the above manner in order to ensure that the right object is delivered to the right visitor.

WO87/03116 discloses a system for collecting data

regarding trade fair visitors, where each exhibitor has a data recording device that is used to record identification numbers of trade fair visitors. The identification number is provided in the form of a bar code on a breast badge or an identification card of each trade fair visitor. A trade fair stand operator therefore needs a complex reading device that makes it possible to read the bar code and identify it accordingly.

Such a reader can also be designed in the form of a scanner so that it can read the business cards of trade fair visitors. In this case too, however, the trade fair stand operator needs a complex scanner with a computer connected to it. At present, it is common for trade fair organizers to rent out such scanners with computers for a price in the order of around DM 400 or more per trade fair. This method of collecting customer information therefore suffers from the excessive effort involved.

The present invention is based on the object of creating a device which enables a visitor to a trade fair to request or order trade fair-specific objects from an exhibitor in a less complex manner.

This object is achieved by a device according to claim 1.

The present invention provides a device for handling requirements regarding trade fair-specific objects with the following features:

a plastic identification card in the form of a conventional bank card or health insurance card with a memory chip on which identification data relating to a cardholder are stored in the form of conventional bank cards or health insurance cards;

a reader for reading the identification data from the memory chip of the identification card;

a device for entering or retrieving object data describing trade fair-specific objects;

a device for assigning the object data to the identification data; and

a storage device for storing the identification data together with the object data.

The present invention is based on the idea of using plastic cards with integrated memory chips as identification means for trade fair visitors, such as those normally used as bank cards or health insurance cards, on which at least the name and address data of the cardholder are preferably stored. The main advantage of using such plastic cards is the very simple reading devices, since readers for such plastic cards that have integrated memory chips are available on the market at a price in the order of DM 100 and less. Trade fair stand operators can thus purchase readers for the plastic cards used to identify trade fair visitors inexpensively as a permanent purchase and are not dependent on renting the scanners offered at a considerably higher price.

The present invention thus creates a device that enables the automatic allocation of the identification data of a trade fair visitor, for example the name and address data of the same, to data that describe trade fair-specific objects, for example brochures, samples, promotional gifts and the like. The visitor only needs an identification card in the form described above, which is inserted into a reading device, and object data that describes the trade fair objects desired by the visitor

· I

describing specific objects, entered into or retrieved from a device in order to associate them with the identification data read from the identification card and to store them together with the same.

The device according to the invention thus not only simplifies the manual process described above but also significantly reduces costs in the automatic recording of trade fair visitor-specific data, so that the present invention not only saves time but also provides significant financial savings.

The device according to the invention can preferably also have an output device for outputting a printed representation of the stored identification and object data. Such an output device can, for example, comprise a device for outputting an envelope printed with the name and address data of a visitor.

The identification data on the card can be read using a standard reader used to read bank or health insurance cards. The reader can, for example, be combined with or connected to any computer. The device for entering or retrieving the object data describing the trade fair-specific objects, the device for assigning the object data to the identification data and the storage device for storing the identification data together with the object data can be integrated into the above-mentioned computer. However, these devices can also be implemented by a device that serves exclusively the purposes mentioned.

The present invention thus creates a device which greatly facilitates the handling of orders for brochures and the like for both the visitor and the exhibitor, whereby this facilitation co-

can be achieved in a cost-effective manner. For example, the output device can issue a prepared letter containing identification and object data, making it easier to send brochures together with an envelope containing name and address data, also issued by the output device. The exhibitor then only has to assign the desired objects to the letter at a later date. This assignment can also be carried out automatically, for example in a collation line, if an exhibitor has such equipment. The entire process associated with sending trade fair objects can thus be automated.

Claims (5)

1. Device for handling requests for trade fair-specific objects with the following characteristics:
a plastic identification card in the form of a conventional bank card or health insurance card with a memory chip on which identification data relating to a cardholder can be stored in the form of conventional bank cards or health insurance cards;
a reader for reading the identification data from the memory chip of the identification card;
a device for entering or retrieving object data describing trade fair-specific objects;
a device for assigning the object data to the identification data; and
a storage device for storing the identification data together with the object data. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output device for outputting a printed representation of the stored identification and object data. 3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the identification card has a memory chip on which name and address data of the holder of the identification card can be stored. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the output device further comprises a device for outputting an envelope provided with the name and address data. 5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the device for entering or retrieving object data is a device for entering or retrieving object data defining brochures, samples and/or promotional gifts.