Queue System User Guide

Overview

This user guide will show you how to create a queue to be run through NoviSign solution. Simple queue means a situation where you have an office, a clinic for example, a teller (or multiple tellers) and visitors who enter the venue, take a number from a paper roller or via connected NoviSign kiosk printer and wait for their turn

Components

Queue system

The system consists of the following elements:

The teller interface for managing queue flow (call the next number, ring the bell again, reset/update the queue current number, adding or deleting tellers desks).
The online Studio – with the help of Custom API External Interface it is possible to “inject” queue actual data inside a creative thus making possible to create info screens with queue updated dynamically.
Optionally a ticket kiosk can be connected to the queue system. It is based on NoviSign Queue Manager Android application installed on any android device connected to thermal printer. This will allow customers to receive queue numbers (with text and fonts configurable) and provide tellers with additional info like visitors waiting in queue.

Usage

In order to obtain a new queue ID, please contact NoviSign support team on support@novisign.com

You will receive a queue name/secret pair to enter the managing console and also queue unique API URL to integrate with Studio creatives.

The console is available here:

https://queue.novisign.com/simplequeue/assets/simplequeue/index.html?mode=player&templateId=tellerview.template.json

In order to start working a login with provided name/secret is required

If more than one teller is intended to work “Teller’s name” should be considered

After successful login the teller receives a managing screen to increment/decrement current number and add/update/delete tellers desk (use Expand/Collapse button in the bottom left corner for managing tellers desks)

For integrating with studio creatives a provided queue api url is used consisting of all queue data in JSON format. The full guide for usage can be obtained here.

How to create and configure a simple queue URL for a single-teller setup?

Creating the Queue
1. Open the Queue Creation Page
  Visit the following link to start creating the queue:
  Queue Creation Link
2. Provide Queue Information
  - Enter a Queue Name.
  - Enter a Secret Key (password, avoid using the “#” character).
  - Click the “Create” button.
3. Access the Queue Management Page
  Once the queue is created, access the management page via this link:
  Queue Management Page
  - Hebrew version: Queue Management (Hebrew)
Configuring the Queue Settings
1. Enter Teller Information
  In the Queue Management page, enter the Teller Name in the textbox.
2. Build the Queue URL
  Click the “Build URL” button and configure the following settings:
  - Font Size: Select the desired font size for the queue number.
  - Show Teller’s Name: Set to true to display the teller’s name or false to hide it.
  - Show Current Number: Keep this set to true to display the queue number.
  - Voice Language: Set to “en” for English or “he” for Hebrew.
  - Ring a Bell: Set to true to ring the bell when the queue number is called.
  - Bell Volume: Set this to 1.
  - Voice Rate: Set this to 1.3.
  - Min Number: Set the starting queue number (e.g., 0).
  - Max Number: Set the maximum queue number (e.g., 1000).
3. Generate the Queue URL
  After configuration, a generated URL will appear. Copy this URL for the next steps.
Creating the Queue URL for the API integration
To integrate your queue with NoviSign’s Custom API feature, you need a direct link that returns the current queue data in JSON format. This link is used to dynamically pull queue data into your creative in Studio.
Steps to Generate the JSON Link:
1. Ensure the queue is already created via the Simple Queue creation page:
  Create New Queue
2. Note the Queue Key and Secret you defined during queue creation.
3. Construct the JSON payload URL in the following format: https://queue.novisign.com/simplequeue/queue/{queueKey}/{secret}. Replace {queueKey} and {secret} with the actual values you used.
4. This URL can be used in the Studio configuration to pull real-time queue data for display https://queue.novisign.com/simplequeue/queue/a155757b-dd2b-40de-97f5-d588e48e1183/secret
  Example URL:
  https://queue.novisign.com/simplequeue/queue/a155757b-dd2b-40de-97f5-d588e48e1183/secret
Configuring the Queue in NoviSign Studio
1. Create a New Creative
  Log into your NoviSign Studio account and create a new creative or edit an existing one.
2. Add a Text/Label Widget
  Under the Canvas settings, click:
  - Load Preview Parameters
  - API Integration.
  - Enter the URL and add the relevant parameters (“Name” can be anything, “Property key” should be a unique name to be used later for accessing this data).
  - Enter the URL and add the relevant parameters
  - Press “Test” to see that you can get data in JSON format and then press “Save” and “Ok”.
${@customapi.PROPERTY_KEY.JSON_KEY1.JSON_KEY1_1….}
1. ${@customapi} – This part tells the system that you’re using dynamic data from an external source (API). Always start your expression with this.
2. PROPERTY_KEY – This is the name you gave your API setup. It tells the system which data source to use.
3. JSON_KEY1.JSON_KEY1_1 – These are the exact paths inside the data to find the value you want to show (like the number, order ID, etc.).
Applying the API Configuration to Screen Content
To fetch queue data and allow the player to use it in creatives, you must associate the relevant custom API configuration with specific Screen.

Steps:
1. After creating and testing the Custom API Configuration, go to the Screens tab in the Studio.
2. Click the three-dot menu next to the desired screen content.
3. Select “Set configuration”.
4. Choose the configuration that includes the relevant API property key.
Once applied, the player will automatically pull the data from the assigned configuration when that screen is played.

This setup enables dynamic content to be populated during playback based on live queue data.

Key Takeaways

NoviSign’s Simple Queue system offers two main options for displaying queue information:

Old Interface (Web Widget Link)
URL example:
https://queue.novisign.com/simplequeue/assets/number.html?queueKey=a155757b-dd2b-40de-97f5-d588e48e1183&fontSize=30&showTeller=false&showNumber=true&voiceLanguage=&bell=true&bellVolume=1&voiceRate=1.3&minNum=0&maxNum=1000
You can adjust this link using the old management page:
https://queue.novisign.com/simplequeue/assets/manage.html

* Pros: Easy to configure and supports sound playback via the web widget.
* Cons: Limited in design flexibility and does not support custom API-based data handling.
New Interface (Full Console View)
URL:
https://queue.novisign.com/simplequeue/assets/simplequeue/index.html?mode=player&templateId=teller-view.template.json
This interface supports advanced configuration and data integration using NoviSign’s Custom API system, offering greater control and layout customization.

>> For the best user experience, it’s recommended to combine both approaches—using the new interface for design and API flexibility, while applying the old widget for sound functionality where needed. <<

Kiosk with printer

If you use a touch tablet as a kiosk, connected to a printer in order to allow visitors to take a number (a visitor touches the “take a number” soft button on the touch tablet and his queue number is immediately printed in the connected printer; actually the touch tablet replaces a printer button), you should configure it the following way:

Horizontal:

Vertical:

Installing and configuring the kiosk printer APK

The first step is to install the “Queue Printer” APK of NoviSign on the touch tablet. This APK should be used as a kiosk app (that means the tablet will be acting as a kiosk – dedicated 24/7 to a single app). On the touch tablet, download the latest APK from here.
Next is to configure the queue printer app to your queue and printer. In the “Queue Name” and “Password” fields type the queue name and password as you created it. This can synchronize the tablet (which should be connected to the internet) with the queue. For example “test” and “secret”.
Afterwards, you need to connect the app to the printer (we were using a model called XPrinter). You should do this once you start this app. You have 5 ways to do so under the “Printer Connection” setting, but the best two are by USB cable or by RJ45 Ethernet cable (that means the XPrinter will be connected to the local network and not directly to the tablet; in this case you will have to assign it a static IP address). If you choose the USB option, wait till you see the UNC path of the printer appears right to the “Printer Connection” text. Only when you see it there, it means the tablet can “talk” with the XPrinter and you can press the purple “Connect” button below to establish the connection and move the queue app into action mode (where you’ll see the “Take a number” call to action text). If the tablet cannot identify the XPrinter, you will get an error message that says “Printer Connect Failed”. In some cases, you might need to switch the printer off and then on, in order to be identified by the app.
Other settings which can be configured in the configuration settings screen of the Queue Printer app appears in the right pane and include text that can be planted in the header or footer of the XPrinter or to replace the default text of this app (the “Take a number” text), alter the font size of any of those texts or print everything upside down (depends how your printer is positioned).
If the connection between the tablet and the printer is fine, the app will present the taking number button. Now, when a visitor touches this soft button (with the “Take a number” text), the printer should print a number. Test it and see that it works ok.
PLEASE NOTICE that the best practice for every morning is first to turn on the tablet and only after the Queue Printer app starts, then turn on the XPrinter, choose the USB option and wait till it is identified. Otherwise you might need to switch the XPrinter off and on. Subject to specific device and android version.