Pen-based visitor registration system (PENGUIN)

We describe a new electronic pen-based visitors registration system (PENGUIN) whose goal is to expand and modernize the visitor sign-in procedure at Bell Laboratories. The system uses a pen-interface (i.e. tablet-display) in what is essentially a form filling application. Our pen-interface is coupled with a powerful and accurate on-line handwriting recognition module. A database of AT&T employees (the visitors´ hosts) and country names is used to check the recognition module outputs, in order to find the best match. The system provides assistance to the guard at one of the guard stations in routing visitors to their hosts. All the entered data are stored electronically. Initial testing shows that PENGUIN system performs reliably and with high accuracy. It retrieves the correct host name with 97% accuracy and the correct visitors citizenship with 99% accuracy. The system is robust and easy to use for both visitors and guards.