Philip M Elrod

US Patent:

46547932, Mar 31, 1987

Filed:

Oct 15, 1984

Appl. No.:

6/661095

Inventors:

Philip C. Elrod - Richardson TX

Assignee:

Showdata, Inc. - Richardson TX

International Classification:

G06F 1530

US Classification:

364401

Abstract:

A system and method for registering and keeping track of the activities of attendees at a trade show, convention or the like. Each registrant is assigned a unique registration number, which is printed in bar-coded form on an identification badge, which also includes the name and professional affiliation of the attendee. Registration information, including the name, address, business affiliation and registration number of the attendee, is permanently stored in a central data base. Each booth or exhibit at the trade show or convention is equipped with an information storage device for recording the visits of individual attendees. The information storage device includes a bar-code decoder for reading the bar-coded registration number from the attendee's identification badge and from a bar-coded menu of information requests and for storing the information along with a record of the time of day and the date of the visit. At the end of the day or at the end of the trade show or convention, the stored information may be transferred by cable or telecommunications link to a main data base, where the information is processed along with the registration information to provide selected compilations of data relating to the attendees and their activities at the trade show or convention.