Patent Grant
10640357
This invention relates generally to systems and methods for receiving and managing remotely placed orders, particularly orders for goods that must be prepared within a short time of being received. In the primary example, the present invention relates to a system (and its associated apparatuses and methods of use) that enables remote entry and processing of an order for time-sensitive goods (such as food from a quick service restaurant) at a particular venue (e.g., a restaurant) in a manner such that the order is verified and submitted for processing upon arrival at the venue.
This invention relates generally to restaurant order generating apparatuses. Prior order generating wireless devices systems have been attempted and implemented. One such system is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,220 B1, to Brig Barnum Elliott, issued on Apr. 2, 2002, is directed to a system and method for allowing a customer to order drive-through menu items using a customer vehicle equipped with the radio frequency (RF) tag. Prior to placing an order, the customer opens an account and creates a default menu using a food vendor's web site. To order items from the default menu, the customer approaches a drive-through order station at a fast food vendor location. As the customer vehicle passes the order station a first transponder queries the RF tag and processes a return signal. Identification information is extracted from return signal such that the customer's order, consisting of the default menu items, is prepared. The customer's vehicle then approaches pick-up station and a second transponder queries the RF tag and subsequently bills the customer's account for the ordered items. U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,220 B1 is incorporated herein by reference for at least the purpose of giving context to the present invention.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0291710 A1 to Anthony M. Fadell is directed to a wireless communication system. The wireless communication system includes a wireless communication interface that wirelessly communicates with one or more wireless client devices in the vicinity of an establishment. The wireless communication interface receives a remote order corresponding to an item selected by at least one of the wireless client devices. A local server computer located in proximity to the establishment generates instructions for processing the remote order received from the wireless communication interface. The local server computer then passes the processing instructions to an order processing queue in preparation for processing of the remote order. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0291710 A1 is incorporated herein by reference for at least the purpose of giving context to the present invention.
However, the prior systems and methods are unable to communicate restaurant orders generated on wireless devices to vending establishments which are not capable, either temporarily or permanently, to handle wireless communications with the wireless devices. Despite the advances of the wireless communication technology, the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry is in need of less cost intensive and more efficient wireless order placements.
With the increased availability and functionality of handheld mobile devices in recent years, there has also been much development centered around applications and systems to enable remote ordering of goods and services. For example, several systems have been developed specifically to facilitate the remote entry of food orders from quick service restaurants through use of such handheld devices. Yet all of these inventions fail to account for the flexibility required by larger organizations that operate multiple venues having different available offerings.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,406 to Pentel discloses a remote ordering device, which is essentially a cell phone equipped with a remote ordering capability. The device is used to enter “item codes” along with information to identify the user. This information is sent to a restaurant or venue where it is received by a special decoder and transmitted into an order for entry and preparation. Alternatively, Pentel envisions entry of the order upon arrival at the location by using the device to alert the venue of the user's proximity. However, Pentel makes no allowance for item availability, or whether that availability may have changed from the time of order creation to the time of arrival at the venue. It also is not equipped to handle an order submitted to an organization with multiple locations that may have different menus, or that have menus that change throughout the day. Finally, it requires that each venue purchase and install the special decoder hardware.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,959,283 to White teaches a remote food ordering system where a user enters an order remotely through a personal digital assistant (“PDA”). White's system allows a person to enter a time when the order should be ready. But there is no way of accounting for changes in this schedule. What if the user is delayed and the food becomes cold?What if the items ordered are no longer available when it comes time to begin preparation of the order?
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/760,534 to Carroll, et. al., discloses a more advanced system that is adapted to overcome some of these deficiencies. Unlike Pentel and White, Carroll provides for use with a larger chain of venues where a particular venue is selected. It also provides for an order check-in process once the user has arrived at the location. However, this check-in process requires the installation of system-specific hardware that is expensive, takes up space, and requires maintenance. In addition, there is no specific method for correcting or updating menus as they change from store to store and throughout the day. Carroll shares common ownership with, and is a predecessor of, the present invention, and its contents and teachings are fully incorporated herein by reference.
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a wireless mobile personal computer for enabling a customer to generate a restaurant order on the wireless mobile personal computer, comprising a restaurant order generating application configured to generate restaurant item selecting interface screens for generating the restaurant order comprising at least one restaurant item, to generate a machine-readable or radio transmittable representation of the generated restaurant order, a processor for executing the restaurant order generating application, a memory for storing the restaurant order generating application and selectable restaurant items, and a display for displaying the restaurant item selecting interface screens, the at least one restaurant items. The machine-readable representation of the generated order is an optical machine-readable representation. The machine-readable representation of the generated order is radio transmittable representation.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a computer readable medium encoded with a restaurant order generating computer program application configured to generate a restaurant order on a wireless mobile personal computer, the wireless mobile personal computer having a processor for executing the restaurant order generating application, a memory for storing the restaurant order generating application and selectable restaurant items, and a display. The restaurant order generating computer program application comprises a first code segment for generating restaurant item selecting interface screens, a second code segment for receiving a selection of at least one restaurant item, a third code segment for generating a restaurant order from the selection of the at least one restaurant item, a fourth code segment for generating a machine-readable representation of the generated restaurant order.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system for enabling a customer to generate an order, which comprises a wireless mobile personal computer, a customer kiosk, and a vendor system. The wireless mobile personal computer, which enables the customer to generate a restaurant order on the wireless mobile personal computer, comprises a restaurant order generating application configured to generate restaurant item selecting interface screens for generating the restaurant order comprising at least one restaurant item and to generate a machine-readable representation of the generated restaurant order, a processor for executing the restaurant order generating application, a memory for storing the restaurant order generating application and selectable restaurant items, and a display for displaying the restaurant item selecting interface screens, the at least one restaurant items, and the optical machine-readable representation. The customer kiosk comprises a display, and a scanner and/or an RFID receiver. The scanner comprises a scanning application configured to scan and capture the optical machine-readable representation, a processor for executing the scanning application, and a memory for storing the scanning application. The RFID receiver comprises an RFID detecting application, a processor for executing the detecting application, and a memory for storing the detecting application. The vendor system, which is in communication with the customer kiosk, comprises an account establishing application configured to establish a customer account, a processor for executing the account establishing application, a memory for storing the account establishing application, and a database for storing customer accounts.
Other systems, methods, articles of manufacture, features, and advantages of the present invention will be, or will become, apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, articles of manufacture, features, and advantages included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
The present invention provides valuable improvements over the prior art, which are particularly useful to an organization operating a multi-venue chain of stores that may have revolving or disparate inventory and menu item availability. The invention provides an order management system, or OMS, that features a two phase process through which orders are first generated and submitted, and then subsequently checked in (released) and received. The system accounts for issues such as revolving or changing menus, price disparity between venues, user edits to orders after submission and other complexities common in real-world, large scale operations that were not foreseen or discussed (let alone accounted for) by the prior art.
In a particular embodiment, the present invention provides a system for managing dynamic menus across a multi-venue organization comprising a menu management server for generating a main menu comprising a description of products available across a plurality of venues within the organization. In this embodiment, the system also comprises a plurality of venue servers, each associated with a separate one of the plurality of venues, and each in communication with the menu management server, wherein each venue server generates a venue specific menu comprising a description of products and product pricing specific to the venue where the venue server that generated the venue specific menu is located. It further comprises an order management system server in communication with each of the plurality of venue servers and with at least one mobile device wherein, upon receiving from the at least one mobile device a request to order products from a first venue from among the plurality of venues, the order management system server provides to the at least one mobile device the venue specific menu associated with the first venue. In this embodiment, the order management server receives an order for products from the venue specific menu from the at least one mobile device and, upon subsequently receiving a request to receive the order, contacts the venue server associated with the first venue to verify the continued availability and pricing of the products ordered.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a system for managing dynamic menus across a multi-venue organization comprising a menu management server for generating a main menu comprising a description of products available across a plurality of venues within the organization. It also comprises a plurality of venue servers, each associated with a separate one of the plurality of venues, and each in communication with the menu management server, wherein each venue server generates a venue specific menu comprising a description of products and product pricing specific to the venue where the venue server that generated the venue specific menu is located. It further comprises an order management system server in communication with each of the plurality of venue servers and with at least one mobile device wherein, upon receiving from the at least one mobile device a request to order products from a first venue from among the plurality of venues, the order management system server provides to the at least one mobile device the venue specific menu associated with the first venue. In this embodiment, the order management server receives an order for products from the venue specific menu from the at least one mobile device and, upon subsequently receiving a request to receive the order, contacts the venue server associated with the first venue to verify the continued availability and pricing of the products ordered.
In yet another embodiment, the invention teaches a method for processing a remotely-placed order for time-sensitive goods received from a first location at a first time, the goods to be received at a second location at a second time, the steps of the method comprising receiving to an order management system server order data from a mobile device located at a first location, wherein the order data represents a request that at least one time-sensitive good be produced by a first venue remote from the first location. The method further comprises the steps of associating the order data with a user account at the order management system server and subsequently receiving to the order management system server location verification data from the mobile device, wherein the location verification data corresponds to the first venue and identifies that the mobile device is located at the first venue. The method further comprises the step of, after receiving location verification data corresponding to the first venue, directing staff at the first venue to produce the at least one time-sensitive good.
In still another embodiment, the invention teaches a method for managing remotely placed orders comprising the steps of receiving to an order management server a venue selection from a mobile device at a first location, the venue selection identifying a first venue from among a plurality of venues, the first venue located at a second location. The method further comprises the steps of requesting venue specific menu data from a venue server at the second location, wherein the venue specific menu data identifies a plurality of goods then available for production by the first venue and receiving to the order management server order data from the mobile device, the order data indicative of a current order for one or more goods from the plurality of goods then available from the first venue. The method still further comprises the steps of storing the order data at the order management server and, at a later time, receiving to the order management server location verification data from the mobile device, the location verification data identifying that the mobile device is now at the second location. Finally, the method further comprises the steps of in response to receipt of the location verification data, transmitting the order data from the order management server to the venue server to verify that the one or more goods identified in the order data are still available, and releasing the order data to the first venue for production.
While certain embodiments are mentioned above, numerous other embodiments, systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present invention will be, or will become, apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. All such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages included within this description, are within the scope of the present invention, and may be included in one or more of the accompanying claims. Though a quick service restaurant is used as the primary example throughout much of the figures and written description below, one of skill in the art will recognize that the order management system described herein could be adapted by those of ordinary skill in the art for use with various other types of venues without undue experimentation, and that the invention described herein is not limited in any way to use with one particular venue type. In addition, though the screen samples are arranged and shaped for display on presently-available handheld smart phones such as an Apple iPhone, one of skill in the art will recognize that the user device could also be a tablet or other mobile device capable of generating a screen for viewing and remotely interacting with the order management server, and that the screens could be modified to accommodate such devices by one of ordinary skill without undue experimentation.
The appended claims define this application. The specification summarizes aspects of the embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims. Other implementations are contemplated in accordance with the techniques described herein, as will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description, and these implementations are intended to be within the scope of this application.
For a better understanding of the invention, the detailed description references embodiments shown in the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale and related elements may be omitted to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. In addition, system components can be variously arranged, as known in the art. In the drawings, like referenced numerals may refer to like parts throughout the different drawings unless otherwise specified.
While the systems and methods of the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms, the drawings show and this specification describes some exemplary and non-limiting embodiments. The present disclosure is an exemplification of the systems and methods and does not limit them to the specific illustrated and described embodiments. Not all of the depicted or described components may be required, and some embodiments may include additional, different, or fewer components. The arrangement and type of components may vary without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims set forth herein.
The present invention is defined by the appended claims. This description summarizes some aspects of the present embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims.
In this application, the use of the disjunctive is intended to include the conjunctive. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, a reference to “the” object or “a” and “an” object is intended to denote also one of a possible plurality of such objects.
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The computer networked system 100 includes a plurality of wireless mobile personal computers 102, a vendor server computer 104, a local vending establishment server computer 106, a local database 114, a wired data network 108 and a wireless data network 110. The wired data network 108 can be a global network, a wide area network or a local area network. The wireless data network 110, which can couple to the wired data network 108, can include one of more wireless data networks, such as cellular networks, WiFi networks, Bluetooth networks, etc. . . . . The vendor server computer 104 can couple to the wired data network 108, and the local vending establishment server computer 106 can couple to both the wired data network 108 and the wireless data network 110. The wireless mobile personal computers 102 can couple to the wireless data network 110 over wireless links 116. In this regard, the wireless mobile personal computers 102 can access the vendor server computer 104 and/or the local vending establishment server computer 104 through the wireless data network 110. The wired data network 108 and the wireless data network 110 pertain to some portions of the World Wide Web (WWW, hereafter referred to as Web) and the Internet.
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When the wireless mobile personal computer 102 is in operation, the CPU portion 210 is configured to execute software stored within the memory 212, 312, to communicate data to and from memory 212, 312, and to generally control operations of wireless mobile personal computer 102 pursuant to the software. The customer order generating application 318, and the operating system 322, in whole or in part, but typically the latter, are read by the CPU portion 210, perhaps buffered within the CPU portion 210, and then executed. When the customer order generating application 318 is implemented in software, it can be stored on any computer readable medium for use by or in connection with any computer related system or method. In the context of this document, a computer readable medium is an electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical device or means that can contain or store a computer program for use by or in connection with a computer related system or method. The customer order generating application 318 can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “computer-readable medium” can be any means that can store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer readable medium can be for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection (electronic) having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (electronic), a read-only memory (ROM) (electronic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory) (electronic), an optical fiber (optical), and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM) (optical). Note that the computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via, for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted or otherwise processed in a suitable manner if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. In another embodiment, where the customer order generating application 318 is implemented in hardware, it can be implemented with any, or a combination of, the following technologies, which are each well known in the art: a discrete logic circuit(s) having logic gates for implementing logic functions upon data signals, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having appropriate combinational logic gates, a programmable gate array(s) (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.
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The processor 402 is a hardware device for executing software, particularly software stored in memory 404. The processor 402 can be any custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the customer kiosk computer system 400, a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), a macroprocessor, or generally any device for executing software instructions. Examples of suitable commercially available microprocessors are as follows: a PA-RISC series microprocessor from Hewlett-Packard Company, an 80x86 or Pentium series microprocessor from Intel Corporation, a PowerPC microprocessor from IBM, a Sparc microprocessor from Sun Microsystems, Inc., or a 68xxx series microprocessor from Motorola Corporation. The processor 402 may also represent a distributed processing architecture such as, but not limited to, SQL, Smalltalk, APL, KLisp, Snobol, Developer 200, MUMPS/Magic.
The memory 404 can include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.). Moreover, memory 404 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. Memory 404 can have a distributed architecture where various components are situated remote from one another, but are still accessed by the processor 402.
The software in memory 404 may include one or more separate programs. The separate programs comprise ordered listings of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. In the example of
Each of the scanning and capturing application 412, the detecting and capturing application 413, and the order processing application 414 may be a source program, executable program (object code), script, or any other entity comprising a set of instructions to be performed. When a source program, the program needs to be translated via a compiler, assembler, interpreter, or the like, which may or may not be included within the memory 404, so as to operate properly in connection with the O/S 416. Furthermore, each of the scanning and capturing application 412, the detecting and capturing application 413, and the order processing application 414 can be written as (a) an object oriented programming language, which has classes of data and methods, or (b) a procedural programming language, which has routines, subroutines, and/or functions, for example but not limited to, C, C++, Pascal, Basic, Fortran, Cobol, Perl, Java, and Ada. In one embodiment, when installed within the memory 404 of the customer kiosk computer system 400, each of the scanning and capturing applications 412, the detecting and capturing application 413, and the order processing application 414 is written in C/C+/C++ format, and no browser-based software is used. In other embodiments, browser software may be used.
Each of the scanning and capturing applications 412, the detecting and capturing application 413, and the order processing application 414 can be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof. In one mode, each of the scanning and capturing application 412, the detecting and capturing application 413, and the order processing application 414 is implemented in software, as an executable program, and is executed by one or more special or general purpose digital computer(s), such as a personal computer (PC; IBM-compatible, Apple-compatible, or otherwise), personal digital assistant, workstation, minicomputer, or mainframe computer. Therefore, the customer kiosk computer system 400 may be representative of any computer in which the scanning and capturing applications 412, the detecting and capturing application 413, and the order processing application 414 reside or partially reside. The customer kiosk computer system 400 can have one or more physical customer kiosks, which can take several different forms. In one form, the customer kiosk can be a free standing or stand-alone apparatus. In another form, the customer kiosk can be mounted to a counter-top instead of being a stand-alone apparatus. In either form, the customer kiosk can further include additional not-shown elements, such as a touch screen display, a credit card reader, and a receipt dispenser. The customer kiosk computer system 400 can be connected to a corresponding local vending establishment server computer 106 and to other local customer kiosk computer systems via a local area Ethernet communications network, as well as including a CD-ROM drive for uploading software applications and other information.
The I/O devices 406 may include input devices, for example but not limited to, credit card readers, input modules for PLCs, a keyboard, mouse, microphone, touch screens, interfaces for various devices, barcode readers, stylus, laser readers, radio-frequency readers, etc. Furthermore, the I/O devices 406 may also include output devices, including, but not limited to, receipt dispensers, output modules for PLCs, a printer, barcode printers, displays such as touch screen displays, etc. Finally, the I/O devices 406 may further include devices that communicate both inputs and outputs, for instance but not limited to, a modulator/demodulator (modem; for accessing another device, system, or network), a radio frequency (RF) or other transceiver, a telephonic interface, a bridge, and a router.
The barcode scanner 410 can be any one of known conventional barcode readers or scanners, which include sequential barcode scanners and charge-coupled device (“CCD”) barcode scanners. A sequential barcode scanner, for example, uses a scanning beam, typically narrow band light in the visible spectrum such as red laser, but potentially any bandwidth of light in the visible or infrared spectra, to pass over barcodes or optical machine-readable representations. The barcodes can be one-dimensional (1D) or two-dimensional (2D) barcodes. The 1D barcodes are typically represented by a sequence of dark bars or lines and spaces, and the 2D barcodes, also termed 2D matrix codes, are typically represented by patterns of squares, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns. Another type of sequential scanner is a wand scanner, which is swept across the barcode by a user to create the scanning beam. As the scanning beam of light scans across the barcode, the beam is at least partially reflected back to the scanner by the spaces and is at least partially absorbed by the dark bars. A receiver, such as a photocell detector, in the scanner receives the reflected beam and converts the beam into an electrical signal. As the beam scans across the barcode, the scanner 410 typically creates a low electrical signal for the spaces, i.e., reflected beam, and a high electrical signal for the bars, i.e., where the beam is absorbed. The scanner may, however, create a low electrical signal for the bars and a high electrical signal for the spaces. The width of the bars and spaces determines the duration of the electrical signal. This signal is decoded by the scanner or by an external processor into characters that the barcode represents. In a CCD scanner, however, the scanner takes a digital image of the barcode and decodes the barcode using software that is well known in the art to convert the elements into the identification code. In either a sequential barcode scanner or a CCD scanner, the contrast between the bars and spaces is used to distinguish the elements and decode the barcode. A barcode displayed on an LCD screen such as on a PDA or cell phone, for example, has a contrast between the gray “off” state designating a space of the barcode and the black “on” state designating a bar than is available for a barcode printed on a black and white label. Recently, the airline transportation industry, namely the International Air Transport Association (AITA), in its aim to shift entirely to barcode boarding passes by 2010, has opted to standardize a mobile phone barcode system for customer check-ins at airports. The scanner 410 is configured to utilize this standard.
Alternatively, an RFID signal reader and an RFID transmitter can be utilized. Specifically, once generated by the signal generating application 321, the RFID signal can be transmitted for detection by the RFID signal reader 411 when the customer arrives at one of the vendor's establishments. The transmission of the generated RFID signal can be transmitted by an RFID transmitter or card, which can be built-in to the wireless mobile personal computer 102 or can be removably attached to it. The RFID signal is preferably a near field communication (NFC) signal. As known in the art, NFC is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology which enables the exchange of data between devices over about a 10 centimeters (around 4 inches) distance. The technology is an extension of the ISO/IEC 14443 proximity-card standard (contactless card, RFID) that combines the interface of a smartcard and a reader into a single device. An NFC device can communicate with both existing ISO/IEC 14443 smartcards and readers, as well as with other NFC devices, and is thereby compatible with existing contactless infrastructure already in use for public transportation and payment. NFC is primarily aimed at usage in mobile phones. An example of an NFC RFID mobile add-on card is the iCarte, which as a reader and writer can provide NFC two way communications. For contactless payment capabilities, the iCarte has an embedded smart-chip, which can be configured as debit, credit, pre-paid and loyalty cards, thereby turning the IPHONE into an electronic wallet. The iCarte works with IPHONE 3G and 3GS with IPHONE OS 3.0 or above.
As discussed above, each one of the wireless mobile personal computers 102 includes a touch screen browser software application. In one embodiment, the touch screen browser application is provided for displaying a plurality of customer ordering interface screens of the present invention and receiving customer selections in response thereto, as will be described in greater detail below. In the embodiment shown in
The customer can view the customer order generating interface screens as displayed on the touch screen display 204 by launching the customer order generating application 318, and the customer can utilize these customer order generating interface screens to select restaurant items, select a payment option, and generate a barcode or other code representative of the selected restaurant items and payment option. In one embodiment, the wireless mobile personal presentation on the touch screen display 204 is created and controlled by software, such as the customer order generating application 318 and information received from the CPU portion 210. When new software is to be installed on the wireless mobile personal computer 102, the software can be downloaded or retrieved from the database 112.
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The customer account is opened or set up as follows. The customer accesses a food vendor's website using the Internet and a computer running a web browser program, at step 502. The computer may be the wireless mobile personal computer 102 or any other computer with access to the Internet. After connecting to the food vendor's website, the customer begins the account set-up by following procedures provided on related web pages of the web site, at step 504. Typically, in setting up an account the customer is requested to choose a user name and password and then enter personally identifying information such as a name, a mailing address, an e-mail address, and/or a phone number, as generally shown in step 506. After choosing a user name, a password, and entering personally identifying information, the customer is further requested to enter payment options information, which can include cash and electronic payments (epayment). The epayment option can be at least one of a credit card number representing a chargeable credit card account associated with the customer, a debit card number representing a debitable bank account associated with the customer, a chargeable vendor's card account associated with the customer, such as the McDonald's Arch Card, or a payment service account number such as a “PayPal” account number representing a chargeable PayPal account associated with the customer. The vendor's card is typically only valid and accepted for use at the vendor's participating restaurants. Once the account is validated, the customer is provided for downloading or retrieving from the database 112 the restaurant order generating application 318, the barcode generating application 320, the RFID signal generating application 321, and selectable menu item preferences, such as menu favorites. As generally shown in step 508, based on the provided customer information, customer identification is generated by a corresponding customer application running on the vendor server computer 104 for storage in the vendor database 112 and in the wireless database 314. If the customer account is created using a computer other than the wireless mobile personal computer 102, the customer identification, the menu items including favorites and/or preferences, the restaurant order generating application 318, the barcode generating application 320, and the RFID signal generating application 321 can be first downloaded to and stored in this other computer and then to the wireless mobile personal computer 102. After the download, the customer can log off of the food vendor's website, and is ready to begin using the invention to generate restaurant orders on the wireless mobile personal computer 102 and purchase them at the vendor's participating establishments.
In a further embodiment, the customer does not need to establish a customer account in order to be able to download menu items, the restaurant order generating application 318, the barcode generating application 320, and the RFID signal generating application 321 to the wireless mobile personal computer 102. The customer can access the food vendor's website and select the information and the applications 318, 320 and 321 for download to the wireless mobile personal computer 102. Alternately, the customer can download any of these applications or “App” directly from a third party, such as Apple iTunes or Google App Store, or such as from an App developer site. A link could be provided form the food vendor's website in order to have the customer redirected to where the App is located for downloading.
The computer networked system 100 allows customers to create a food order before arriving at a quick service restaurant, such as a McDonald's restaurant. This is achieved by accessing or launching the restaurant order generating application 318 on the client mobile personal computer 102. The customer then selects items to generate an order through interface screens generated by the order generating application 318 through the client mobile personal computer 102. A barcode or other code is then generated by the barcode generating application 320 and presented on the screen to use to place the order when the customer arrives at one of the vendor's local restaurants or establishments. As such, upon arrival at the restaurant, the customer places the order by scanning the order barcode at the customer kiosk scanner 410 that submits the order and payment information to the restaurant. If the customer has an account with the vendor r has otherwise directly provided payment information to the applications 318, 320 and 321, the barcode generated will include a payment method chosen by the customer, via i.e., epayment or cash. Otherwise, the generated barcode will not include any payment information, and the customer will pay for his order as he/she chooses after scanning the generated barcode. The customer can check in at the drive-thru, inside, or at a designated curbside parking space depending on where the barcode scanner 410 is located. The food is then prepared and presented in a typical fashion, or walked to the customer's car at curbside.
Alternately, once the order is created an RFID signal is then generated by the RFID signal generating application 321 and transmitted to place the order when the customer arrives at one of the vendor's local restaurants or establishments. As such, upon arrival at the restaurant, the customer places the order by transmitting the order RFID signal for detection by the RFID signal reader 411, which submits the order and payment information to the restaurant. If the customer has an account with the vendor or has otherwise directly provided information to the applications 318, 320, and 321, the generated RFID signal will include a payment method chosen by the customer, via i.e., epayment or cash. If the customer does not have an account with the vendor, the generated RFID signal will not include any payment information, and the customer will pay for his order as he/she chooses after transmitting the generated RFID signal. The customer can check in at the drive-thru, inside, or at a designated curbside parking space depending on where the RFID reader 411 is located. The food is then prepared and presented in a typical fashion, or walked to the customer's car at curbside. In one embodiment, both the barcode and the RFID signal can be compressed by the barcode generating application 320 and the RFID signal generating application 321. Once captured by the scanning and capturing application 412 or the detecting and capturing application 413, the compressed barcode or RFID signal is then decompressed by the order processing application 414 before being processed.
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Similarly to
As suggested above, as additional alternatives, both single and group orders could also be placed for pickup at a curbside kiosk which is equipped with scanner 410 which scans the barcode and include information about the selected payment method, such as epayment or pay onsite. A food runner would then provide the order to the customer at curbside when the order is ready. The Drive-Thru Check-In is configured to fit into existing drive-thru flows without interrupting the existing customer experience or store operations. Check-In can occur at existing order “speaker posts.” A second, dedicated Scanning Station kiosk can also be provided, when needed for any particular restaurant. All payment types (cash, cards, and epayments) could be accepted at each location. As mentioned above, “EPayment” is defined as either a credit card, debit card, or Arch Card number stored using the pre-established the user's McDonald's account. EPayment through the wireless mobile personal computer 102 allows the customer to skip the pay window/station.
When a customer does Inside Check-In, there are two options available. The first inside Check-In option is going to a Scanning Station kiosk, which includes a scanner 410, next to a register (not shown). As discussed above, after the barcode is scanned, the order proceeds as a regular order does, with the crewmember (cashier/runner/presenter) confirming the order, processing payment, and directing the customer to pick up their order at the presentment counter. Cash, cards and ePayment can all be accepted. Alternatively, the wireless mobile personal computer 102 can display this information and act as a pager to notify the customer when their order is ready. The customer then proceeds to pick up his or her order from the presentment counter. The second Inside Check-In opinion is a Scanning Station kiosk, which also includes a scanner 410, located on the customer's path from the entrance to the presentment counter (i.e., near the entrance or at the presentment counter) (i.e., near the entrance or at the present counter). ePayment is required to use this station. When the customer scans the generated barcode at this station, audible or visual confirmation is given that Check-In was received. The Station prints a receipt that includes the customer's order, payment confirmation, and order number. Again, as an alternative, the wireless mobile personal computer 102 can display this information and act as a pager to notify the customer when the order is ready. The customer then proceeds to pick-up the order from the presentment counter.
It should be noted that one form that one form of the barcode scanner 410 and/or barcode generating application 320 can be “2D code generators for i-mode” provided by NTT DOCOMO, Inc., a subsidiary of NTT Japan. In an RFID embodiment, it should be understood that scanning may take place as soon as the RFID tag is within a predetermined distance from the RFID scanner. When a scan occurs, the scanning station can be configured to automatically place an order or place the order after payment information is received and/or the customer confirms the order.
Any process descriptions or blocks in figures, such as
Referring to
Also illustrated in
The connectors of
For transmitting information and data, the OMS 900 utilizes both a wired data network 108 and a wireless data network 106. The wired data network 108 can be part of a global network, a wide area network or a local area network. The wireless data network 106, which can couple to the wired data network 108, can include one of more wireless data networks, such as cellular networks, WiFi networks, Bluetooth networks, etc. The OMS server 110, the venue servers 920, and the menu management server 930 are coupled to the wired data network 108. At least the OMS server 910 can also couple to the wireless data network 106. The mobile user devices 940 can couple to the wireless data network 106 through which they can access the OMS server 910. The wired data network 108 and the wireless data network 106 pertain to some portions of the World Wide Web (WWW, hereafter referred to as Web) and the Internet. Though not always specified in such terms herein, it will be understood that when one system element is said to “communicate,” “transfer,” “send” (or the like) something to another system element, it is, in fact, data indicative of that thing that is being transferred, such as, for example, menu data (indicative of elements of a menu) or order data (indicative of elements of an order).
Now referring to
The CPU portion 1010 can be any computer-processing unit from a singular microchip to extensive microchip configurations. The memory portion 1012 can include, without limitation, any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.). Moreover, the memory portion 1012 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media, and can have a distributed architecture where various components are situated remote from one another, but are still accessed by CPU portion 1010. The interactive hardware portion 1004 is coupled to the I/O portion 1008 such that a command entered by a user or customer through the interactive hardware portion 1004 will be forwarded to the I/O portion 1008, to the processor portion 1010 and then to memory portion 1012.
As illustrated in
The executable programs 1118 can be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof. An example of a suitable commercially available operating system 1122 is an appliance-based operating system, such as that implemented in handheld computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs) (e.g., PalmOS available from Palm Computing, Inc., iPhone/iPod OS available from Apple, and Windows CE available from Microsoft Corporation). The operating system 1122 essentially controls the execution of other computer programs, such as the OMS application component 1118, and provides scheduling, input-output control, file and data management, memory management, and communication control and related services.
When the mobile user device 940 is in operation, the CPU portion 1010 is configured to execute software stored within the memory 1012 to communicate data to and from memory 1012 and to generally control operations of mobile user device 940 pursuant to the software. The OMS application component 1118 and the operating system 1122, in whole or in part but typically the latter, are read by the CPU portion 1010, perhaps buffered within the CPU portion 1010, and then executed. When the OMS application component 1118 is implemented in software, it can be stored on any computer readable medium for use by or in connection with any computer related system or method. The OMS application component 1118 can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions.
In the context of this document, a “computer-readable medium” can be any means that can store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer readable medium can be for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection (electronic) having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette (magnetic), a random access memory (RAM) (electronic), a read-only memory (ROM) (electronic), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM, EEPROM, or Flash memory) (electronic), an optical fiber (optical), and a portable compact disc read-only memory (CDROM) (optical). In another embodiment, where the OMS application component 1118 is implemented in hardware, it can be implemented with any, or a combination of, the following technologies, which are each well known in the art: a discrete logic circuit(s) having logic gates for implementing logic functions upon data signals, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) having appropriate combinational logic gates, a programmable gate array(s) (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.
While the memory and CPU descriptions above were described in reference to the mobile user device 940, it will be understood that the other hardware elements depicted in
More specifically, each hardware element of
The processor 1202 is a hardware device for executing software, particularly software stored in memory 1204. The processor 1202 can be any custom made or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the general purpose computer 1200, a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), a macroprocessor, or generally any device for executing software instructions. Examples of suitable commercially available microprocessors are as follows: a PA-RISC series microprocessor from Hewlett-Packard Company, an 80x86 or Pentium series microprocessor from Intel Corporation, a PowerPC microprocessor from IBM, a Sparc microprocessor from Sun Microsystems, Inc., or a 68xxx series microprocessor from Motorola Corporation. The processor 1202 may also represent a distributed processing architecture such as, but not limited to, SQL, Smalltalk, APL, KLisp, Snobol, Developer 200, MUMPS/Magic.
The memory 1204 can include any one or a combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., random access memory (RAM, such as DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., ROM, hard drive, tape, CDROM, etc.). Moreover, memory 1204 may incorporate electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. Memory 1204 can have a distributed architecture where various components are situated remote from one another, but are still accessed by the processor 1202.
The software in memory 1204 may include one or more separate programs. The separate programs comprise ordered listings of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. In the example of
Applications stored in memory 1204 may be a source program, executable program (object code), script, or any other entity comprising a set of instructions to be performed. When a source program, the program needs to be translated via a compiler, assembler, interpreter, or the like, which may or may not be included within the memory 1204, so as to operate properly in connection with the O/S 1216. Furthermore, each application can be written as (a) an object oriented programming language, which has classes of data and methods, or (b) a procedural programming language, which has routines, subroutines, and/or functions, for example but not limited to, C, C++, Pascal, Basic, Fortran, Cobol, Perl, Java, and Ada.
The I/O devices 1206 may include input devices, for example but not limited to, credit card readers, input modules for PLCs, a keyboard, mouse, microphone, touch screens, interfaces for various devices, barcode readers, stylus, laser readers, radio-frequency readers, etc. Furthermore, the I/O devices 1206 may also include output devices, including, but not limited to, receipt dispensers, output modules for PLCs, a printer, barcode printers, displays such as touch screen displays, etc. Finally, the I/O devices 1206 may further include devices that communicate both inputs and outputs, for instance but not limited to, a modulator/demodulator (modem; for accessing another device, system, or network), a radio frequency (RF) or other transceiver, a telephonic interface, a bridge, and a router.
As discussed above, each mobile user device 940 may include a touch screen interface application 1126. In one embodiment, the touch screen interface application 1126 is provided for displaying a plurality of customer ordering interface screens of the present invention and receiving customer selections in response thereto, as will be described in greater detail below. In the embodiment shown in
The customer can view the customer order generating interface screens as displayed on the touch screen display 1004 by launching the OMS application component 1118, and the customer can utilize these customer order generating interface screens to select menu items, select a payment option, select a venue location, and other various actions in association with utilization of the OMS 900. In one embodiment, the presentation on the touch screen display 1004 is created and controlled by software, such as the OMS application component 1118 and information received from the CPU portion 1010.
Now referring to
The customer account is opened or set up as follows. To initiate the process, at step 1302, a user connects their mobile user device 940 to an application repository such as the app store 914 of
A system setup screen 1401 is illustrated, for example, in
Once a username and password are entered, the user proceeds to select “create account” 1404 on the screen of
This process may include asking a variety of user questions to populate the database. For example, as shown in step 1310 of
As shown in
Once the user is registered and all of the information needed for account setup has been entered, the OMS Server 910 transmits any updates to the OMS application component 1118 that is to reside on the mobile user device 940. Though shown as step 1312, and following the other account setup steps, this step may take place at any point after connection to the OMS server 910 are established. This step is helpful to ensure that the mobile user device 940 has the latest version of the OMS application component 1118, including any patches or additional data that may not be in the version stored in the app store 914. As will be seen, the OMS server 910 is updated with new OMS data all the time, while the version on the app store may be more static and updated less frequently. OMS data may include application data used to modify or enhance the operability and functionality of the OMS application component 1118 on the mobile user device 940, menu data used to generate menus within the application, order data used to convey information about orders, promotional data relating to use of the OMS 900, system availability data, such as information conveying the available venue locations and the facilities offered at those venues, or other any data for use by the OMS application 1118.
Menu data, as referred to herein, may be any data used by the OMS application 1118 to generate one or more menu screens on a mobile user device 940, or to communicate and define menu options or selections to the various other OMS 900 elements shown in
For explanation purposes, menu data may be classified herein as main menu data and venue specific menu data. In a multiple venue system where a user may place an order for goods or services from a variety of like venues, such as restaurants within the same restaurant chain, the menus or availability from one venue to the next may vary. Thus, each venue may have a unique venue specific menu, with a unique set of venue specific menu data. Pricing for like items may also vary among venues, based on, for example, the cost of living in the area where the venue is located, the supply and demand factors for particular items in that area, etc. However, there is in the illustrated embodiment at least some commonality across the item offerings at all of the venues within the chain such that there is also a main (or base) menu of these common offerings that is comprised of main menu data. The more common the menus are between the various venues in the system, the more detail and information may be consolidated within the main menu data and the less detailed the information needs to be in the venue specific menu data. Preferably, the menus within the OMS 900 will have a common structure, background colors, command structure, etc., such that the “shell” of the menu is contained within the main menu data, as well as the various stable and common menu offerings. Only those items that are unique to a venue, such as unavailability of basic menu items or availability of unique items, item pricing, etc., will typically be contained within the venue specific menu data.
Returning again to
As mentioned previously, and unlike in the case of Pentel, White and the other prior art references, the present invention is well equipped to manage dynamic, ever-changing menus.
As shown in
As explained above in association with
Finally, changes to the main menu data are transmitted to the venue server 920 from the menu management server 930 at step 1625, where the venue server 920 incorporates them into the venue specific menu that resides locally at the venue. This may be set up as a “pull” or “upon request” data feed such that the venue server 920 must ask for the update, but, as disclosed, it is a “push” data feed where the update is broadcast automatically to all venue servers 920. This latter method helps to keep the menus at the various venue servers 920 similar in appearance and content. For example, though two restaurants might offer Item A at different prices, by “pushing” the main menu change to all venue servers 920 simultaneously, the image icon associated with Item A broadcast as part of the main menu will be common in the venue specific menus for those restaurants.
Step 1625 is an iterative process occurring on the venue server 920 at a given restaurant (venue) in which the venue specific menu for that restaurant (venue) is revised. As indicated in
Similarly, at the restaurant (venue) level, the restaurant manager may desire to alter the menu based on inventory or other factors. In many cases, pricing for individual items will be controlled at the individual restaurant (venue) level, so this would be a venue specific menu data input as well. Manager inputs would be entered into a user interface on the venue administrator computer 924 at step 1612 of
Finally, there are time-based, or revolving changes to the venue specific menu. An example of this would be a breakfast menu, a lunch menu, a dinner menu, and a late night menu for a quick service restaurant. While these four menus may have common items at common prices, other items may be unique to one menu or another such that some items may only be offered at certain times of the day. In the case of a restaurant with revolving menus based on the periods of the day, it is desirable for any mobile ordering option to reflect the menu items currently being offered. The present invention not only provides for this, but, as will be seen, it also accounts for scenarios where the menu changes from the time an order is remotely submitted to the time the user (customer) arrives at the restaurant. Thus, at step 1613, a menu change is triggered by the mere passage of time. Time-based menu changes could be controlled at the venue server 920 level, the regional level or the main menu management level, but, in any of these events, the update will be made automatically on the venue server 920 to change the venue specific menu for the restaurant at step 1625. In another alternative, a user may enter a time at which they expect to receive the order and, based on the system 900 will use menu data associated with the venue specific menu expected to be available at that time. If the user shows up at a different time, the system 900 can make changes upon check in as described below.
Returning to
While the venue specific menus for each of the various restaurants (venues) in the system are updated frequently, they are not broadcast out to mobile user devices 940 or even to the OMS server 910 in the illustrated embodiment. While it may be feasible (and even preferable) to house a current copy of each venue specific menu on the OMS server 910 in smaller organizations where there are only a handful of different venues, this is less feasible or preferable when there are a great number of venues. For example, in a nationwide restaurant chain with thousands of venues, each having unique venue specific menu data being updated at different times, it would be very inefficient to constantly be sending updates to the OMS server 910, which does not necessarily need to maintain all of that data. Rather, when the OMS server 910 has a need for venue specific menu data from a particular venue, it sends a query to request that data at step 1630, and passes it along to a mobile user device 940 as necessary. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the OMS server 910 serves as a gateway and conduit, but not a repository for venue specific menu data.
Each user device 940 that has installed the OMS application component 1118 and registered with the OMS server 910 will have received and stored main menu data. This is sufficient to enable certain aspects of the system, but, as will be seen, a user must identify a specific venue (restaurant) in order to submit an order. When this is done, venue specific menu data is required. If the user has not placed an order with the selected venue recently (or in some embodiments, regardless of this), a request for the venue specific menu data will need to be routed through the OMS server 910 to the appropriate venue server 920. The venue specific menu data is then routed back through the OMS server 910 (step 1630) to the requesting mobile user device 940 (step 1640).
While it is not preferable to store venue specific menu data for all venues (restaurants) at the OMS server 910 when the OMS 900 is utilized by larger organizations for the reasons explained above, it may be desirable to store a limited amount of venue specific menu data at the mobile user device level. This is because, while the OMS server 910 must route OMS traffic among all of the various venues, it is unlikely that a user will frequent more than a few of them. Thus, depending on the specific embodiment and system setup, the OMS application component 1118 on a mobile user device 940 may be set up to store the latest venue specific menu data that it has received for one or more venues (restaurants). Having this more detailed information available locally will allow a more accurate order setup to be prepared prior to any connection with the OMS server 910. This, in turn, improves system speed, efficiency, and overall user experience with the OMS 900. In one embodiment, the OMS application component 1118 may be programmed to retain the latest received version of the venue specific menu data for the most recent five venues ordered from, in a last in, first out data management scheme. Thus, when a user orders from a sixth venue, the venue specific menu data for the sixth venue will replace that of the first, and so forth. Alternatively, a user could instruct the application component 1118 to always retain the most recent venue specific menu data received for one or more particular “favorite” venues. Note that, in some embodiments, though a venue specific menu may be stored on a mobile user device 940 for a particular venue, the OMS server 910 still may check for updated venue specific menu data from that venue when the next order is placed by that device 140 from that venue.
Use of the OMS 900 by a user is best explained in terms of two separate, but related sub-processes. The first sub-process, which involves order setup and submission, typically occurs from a first location at a first time. The second, related sub-process, which involves order check-in and receipt, typically occurs from a second location at a second time. The first location may be literally anywhere, but is typically at a location remote from the restaurant (venue) where the order is to be prepared. The second location is at the restaurant (venue). The first time can be any time prior to the second time, where the second time is the time at which the order is checked-in at the restaurant (venue) and received. Because it is not desirable for orders to be submitted to the OMS Server 910 but never checked in, or not checked in within a reasonable time, an administrator may set limits such that the first location must be within a certain distance of the second location and/or orders submitted at a first time will expire within a certain period of time if they have not been checked in.
While these two separate sub-processes occur at different times and locations, it will be understood that they can also be considered components of a larger, single process, namely, use of the OMS to generate, submit, check-in and receive an order. Moreover, it will be understood that the order setup and submission sub-process could be performed at the venue just prior to checking in the order. In such a case, there would only be one location and essentially one time. However, for purposes of explanation below, we assume order setup and submission occur at a location different from the venue, and at least several minutes prior to check in.
Turning to
As shown in the display on a mobile user device in
The term “quick order” is used herein to describe a pre-created order, ideally that has been submitted to the OMS server 910 by the user in the past and is stored in the user's account on the OMS server 910 (or associated database). Alternatively, a Quick Order could be set up on the user's mobile device 940 and retained there. A Quick Order may have all aspects necessary to submit an order, or may simply be a partial order such that other information is required before submission. For example, a user might always prefer to submit orders to a specific venue using a certain payment method, with receipt at the drive-thru window. However, the items the user selects to order may always vary. Thus, three of the four primary components could be set up as a partial Quick Order so that those components will not need to be re-entered each time. Any number of Quick Orders could be set up and retained by a user. Obviously if no Quick Orders are resident on the OMS server 910 for a given user, none will be sent to the user. From the welcome screen 1421 shown in
If a Quick Order icon 1422 is selected, a screen illustrating that Quick Order is generated by the OMS application component 1118 and displayed on the touch screen of the mobile user device 940. The purpose of displaying this information is for the user to confirm that they want to order the Quick Order (step 1755 on
From the Quick Order screen 1431 shown in
If a user launches OMS application component 1118 and the OMS server 910 identifies a Current Order for the user upon sign-in, the system 900 will assume that the user is ready to check in the order. However, the user could also update and re-submit the Current Order in the same manner as described in accordance with updating or modifying a Quick Order. Note that, in some embodiments, even where a Quick Order is selected and no changes are requested, a call to the venue server 920 for the venue identified in the Quick Order may be made by the OMS server 910 (see step 1725 of
If a user selects one or more edit icons 1437 on a Quick Order screen 1431, a new OMS application screen is generated by the OMS application component 1118 to enter those edits at step 1760 of
When new order icon 1423 of welcome screen 1421 on
The user may also have stored favorite venues in the user profile on the OMS server 910. In this case, selection of the My Locations icon 1445 will cause the OMS application component 1118 to load a new screen listing those locations to select from. If a user is unsatisfied with any of these options, they may elect to enter a new location by selection of the new location icon 1446. Here, the OMS application component 1118 will load a screen enabling the user to type in a specific address or zip code (not shown). The address or zip code may correspond to a particular venue. If it does not, the OMS application will provide the available venues closest to the identified location.
To the right of each identified location on venue selection screen 1441 is a “more info” button 1447. Selection of this button causes the OMS application component 1118 to display a “venue details” screen 1451, such as that shown in
Returning to the order setup flowchart of
If the user selects a category icon 1462 from the regular menu screen 1461, the OMS application component will generate a category specific menu screen 1471, such as that shown in
In some embodiments, though all of these menu items may be listed on the venue specific menu, the ones not presently being offered may be grayed out or ineligible for selection. However, it is more important that the items be available at the time of receipt, which is typically later than the time of order. Thus, if it is 4 PM and someone wants to order the Budget Fish Dinner, it is preferable to allow them to do so because they may intend to receive the order after 5 PM when that item becomes available. Note that in some embodiments, a user can specify the time at which they intend to receive the order. In that case, the OMS system 900 will cause to be displayed the menu that the selected venue will be offering at that time.
From this screen, a user may return to the value meal by selecting return icon 1454, view a list of the items already selected for purchase by pressing basket icon 1474, or add the product shown on the screen 1481 to their basket by selecting the “add to basket” icon 1484. In some embodiments, there may be an option to see additional details, such as nutritional or preparation details about the product, by selecting an “additional details” icon that would load an incremental screen (not shown). In addition, a screen could be added that would allow a user to specify particular modifications or preparation instructions, such as, for example, particular condiments to be used on a sandwich, and how long it should be cooked or at what temperature, etc.
From nearly any screen displayed by the OMS application 1118 on the mobile user device 940, a user can proceed to their order basket screen 1491, such as that shown in
Upon selecting checkout icon 1495, the user proceeds to a receipt and payment method setup screen 1501, such as that shown in
While other payment methods might be available in other embodiments, here the options are to pay on site or to elect a mobile pay option using dropdown box 1507. In some embodiments, selecting a mobile pay option is required to use the OMS 900. The options in the dropdown box 1507 will depend on the payment methods the user has setup in the OMS 100 (see, e.g.,
The summary screen 1511 is typically the final screen prior to submission of the order to the OMS server 910. An example summary screen 1511 is shown in
Upon reviewing the order components of the summary screen 1511, a user may return to the order basket by selecting the return icon 1454, save the order as a new Quick Order by selecting icon 1512, or submit the order to the OMS 900 by selecting submit icon 1513. Returning to the flowchart of
Though not listed as a step in
For explanation purposes,
For example, the location verification marker 1036 could simply be a poster hanging on the wall. In fact, because the location verification marker need only be a passive, lasting image, a venue might have several identical or nearly identical markers, such as, for example, one in a dive thru lane, one in the store, and even several at curbside locations in the parking lot. Thus, in such an embodiment, there is no requirement to place any unique hardware at the venue location. This provides advantages over prior systems that required things such as the device reader of Pentel, or the bar code scanner of the previously discussed Carroll application. Notably, the location verification marker 1036 is not limited to displaying a QR code, but rather could display any location-identifying indicia.
At step 1810 of
Upon launching the OMS application component 1118, the user will be prompted to sign in with the OMS server 910, as previously discussed. Though, in some embodiments, certain functions such as menu review and setup can be performed after declining to sign in, sign is required to check-in a Current Order. Once signed in, the user will arrive at the welcome screen 1421, where they can select the check in order icon 1424 (see
Essentially, by taking this action, the mobile user device 940 is capturing location verification data from the location verification marker 1036 that can be used to identify to the OMS server 910 that the user is, in fact, at the venue and ready to receive the Current Order. While there are other ways to do this based on the particular capabilities of the mobile user device 940, it is becoming a common feature for personally owned mobile devices to come equipped with a camera or lens feature. Given that the device 940 will be capable of downloading and installing the OMS application component 1118, it should similarly be capable of downloading and installing a commonly available QR Code reader application, such as, for example, QR Droid from DroidLA. Thus, it is not significant whether the verification data reader application 1120 is a sub-component of the OMS application 1118, or if it is a stand-alone application that can be called and used in association with the OMS 900. What is important is that the mobile device 940 be capable of capturing location verification data and submitting it to the OMS server 910, as proscribed in step 1815 of
At step 1820, the OMS server 910 reviews the location verification data received from the mobile user device 940. Because the user has already signed in, the OMS server 910 can check for and access the user's Current Order from the user's account. If there is no Current Order stored in the user's account, the check-in process fails. A user must have created and submitted an order for that order to be checked in. Thus, decision step 1821 of
Provided that there is a Current Order for the user in the user's account on the OMS server 910 (or its associated database), the OMS server 910 reviews the Current Order to determine if the venue selected in that order matches the venue identified by the verification location data received from the mobile user device 940. If the venue is correct, the process proceeds to step 1830. What happens if the locations do not match depends largely on the settings of the OMS 900. In some cases, the process will proceed anyway, albeit with a higher likelihood that the order will need to be edited. In other cases, the user may be instructed of the error and asked for some type of security verification information to ensure they are authorized and wish to proceed. In the case of
At step 1830, the OMS server 910 submits an order query to the venue server 920. This is the first time in the OMS process that the venue server 920 (or any venue-specific component) has seen the items being requested by the user. The venue server 920 reviews the order and verifies whether it can be fulfilled at the quoted price at the present time. If no changes are required, and the order is acceptable as submitted (including total price), the venue server 920 transmits an order acceptance communication to the OMS server 930 at step 1835. However, the venue server 920 does nothing further with the order at this point. The order has not been released for fulfillment. If the venue server 920 determines that changes are required to the order, it responds to the OMS server 930 in the illustrated embodiment by transmitting the latest venue specific menu data at step 1840. This response requires minimal computation and takes processing load off of the venue server 920, which may not be equipped to handle large external processing loads and likely has primary responsibilities for managing and controlling other computer-based systems within the venue. Instead, at step 1845, the OMS server 910 performs the heavier processing to determine what elements of the Current Order need to change to conform with the current venue specific menu data, and transmits this information to the mobile user device 940. The OMS application component 1118 then presents these required changes to the user and asks if the user would like to proceed.
Though
If the user decides to edit the current order, the user will be presented with the present venue specific menu from which to select replacement items. Though not shown, this process would involve the user working through the same series of screens as those used to initially set up the order, such as, for example, the screens shown in
In cases where only the price has changed and the user is comfortable with the new price, the process may go to the order verification screen 1551, or may bypass it. For example, the OMS application component 1118 may present the user with the items being ordered when it presents the updated prices to query the user if the prices are acceptable at decision point 1847. This is essentially what the verification screen 1551 does, and there is no point in showing the user this data again if they just approved it. Accordingly, as shown in
Reverting back to decision point 1831, if the venue server 920 approved the pricing and availability of the Current Order, this is communicated from the venue server 920 to the OMS server 910 at step 1835 and then, at step 1855, the OMS application component 1118 on the mobile user device 940 presents an order verification screen 1551 to the user. As discussed above, this screen may also be reached via a forced edit of the Current Order. The order verification screen 1551, as exemplified in
From the order verification screen, the user may either select edit icon 1437, or “prepare my order” icon 1552. This decision corresponds to decision box 1857 on
If authorization is given to proceed, the OMS server 910 attempts to collect payment. Though payment could be collected after the order is released to the venue, it is preferred that payment be received and verified first. From here, if the Current Order specifies a payment method that is electronic (such as use of a pre-authorized debit card, etc.), the OMS server 910 may submit for payment against the payment method automatically. However, it is preferred that, as shown with decision step 1859 in
Once the OMS server 910 collects the proper authorization at step 1865, it then submits the authorization for payment. Preferably, the OMS 900 will connect to an outside, pre-existing system to actually effect the financial transaction. If payment is approved and the transaction goes through at decision point 1867, the process continues. If the transaction request is refused, the OMS server 910 may try again, or prompt the user for a different form of electronic payment through the mobile user device 940. However, ultimately failures to collect in this manner will result in the “proceed to counter” screen (step 1825). Where the authorization is successful, but for less than the total amount due, the user will be prompted for an alternative method to pay for the balance. For example, if a selected stored value card only has five dollars remaining, that value is reduced to zero and the remaining order balance must be satisfied through other means.
Once the proper amount is collected, the process continues to step 1870, where the OMS server 910 releases the order to the venue server 920 to fulfill the order. The order is now released into the processing queue along with all traditionally received orders, and an order number 1034 is generated. At step 1875, the restaurant server 920 sends the order number 1034 to the OMS server 910, which, in turn, forwards it to the mobile user device 940 where the OMS application component 1118 causes it to be displayed, along with receipt instructions on an order number screen 1561. An example of an order number screen 1561 is provided in
At step 1880, for orders to be received inside the venue, the order number 1034 associated with that order is displayed on the order ready board 1032 once the order is prepared by the venue personnel. Though labeled with “easy through” in
Reverting back, there are several ways that the user can wind up paying via traditional methods. If the Current Order called for mobile payment, but the user has now changed their mind and declines the query at step 1859, or if payment at counter was selected as the payment method for the Current Order in the first place, OMS application component 1118 will instruct the user to proceed to the counter at step 1825. This may also happen even if an electronic payment method was approved where the total dollar amount is above some amount at which a hand signature is required. However, this does not mean the process converts to a completely manual order entry. Though the user must pay the cashier by traditional means (or otherwise require venue personnel involvement to receive a signature, etc.), the order, which is fully setup in the mobile user device 940 and has already been verified as correct by the venue server 920, may then be received to the cash register/POS machine 1020 and immediately released for fulfillment.
This option, available in certain embodiments, requires coupling the mobile user device 940 to the POS machine 1020. Preferably, this is done wirelessly, such as by a local data transfer protocol (infrared, Bluetooth, etc.), so as to limit the need for physical hardware at the venues to accommodate the OMS 900. However, a hard-wired scanning device, reader, or docking station could also be used. This order transfer after manual payment is shown as step 1860 on
In an alternative embodiment where it is desired to prevent direct communication between mobile user devices and venue specific hardware, the POS 1020 could be enabled such that the cashier could initiate a signal from the POS that would travel through the venue server 920 to the OMS server 910 identifying that the user has paid, the order has been released for fulfillment, and that further communication between OMS server 910 and the mobile user device 940 may proceed (such as from step 1875 as discussed above). In this case, an order number 1034 would also be transmitted along with the communication from POS 1020 through the OMS server 910 to the mobile user device 940.
In the example discussed above in the process flow associated with
Checking in an OMS order in the drive-thru lane proceeds in basically the same way as shown in the process flow of
The curb-side locations 1595 of
In some cases, some venues within an organization will not offer OMS use via drive-thru or curbside, while other venues within the organization will. This problem can be dealt with during order setup. For example, this information could be conveyed to a user during venue selection (step 1715 of
The situation gets slightly more difficult when a venue only offers OMS via curbside or drive thru at certain times. For example, a venue might offer OMS curbside during peak hours (so as to handle more customers simultaneously and cut down on line length), and might not allow OMS via drive thru during those hours (because the drive thru traffic is likely to be heavy already). While this information may be conveyed to a user on a venue details screen such as that of
In the off-venue delivery scenario, use of a location verification marker 1036 is less important. This is because delivery will be to a pre-defined location. This may be one of several locations designated by the venue (which would be provided to the user for selection from a list during the order setup process), or could be to a location specified by the user. Just as with Quick Orders, the user could have pre-defined locations (favorite locations) stored in their user account on the OMS server 910 to chose from. In some cases, where available, the OMS 900 could select the venue that will produce the goods to be delivered based on the user specified delivery location. For example, the OMS server 910 could select the venue server 920 to communicate with based on its physical proximity to the user-designated location. This selection would need to take into account that some venues might not offer delivery, and others may not be staffed to make deliveries at a particular time. Thus, there may be a call from the OMS server 910 to the venue server 920 for the venue selected to check to see if (1) deliveries are presently being made and (2) if delivery to the user-designated location is acceptable. For example, the administrator for the venue may have set the venue server 920 to deny all requests for delivery to locations outside of a 10 mile radius. If the OMS server 910 cannot find a venue willing to make the delivery to the user-defined location, it will signal the OMS application component 1118 on the user's remote device 940 to instruct the user that delivery is unavailable.
Another difference with off-venue delivery is that the user should specify up front when they want to take delivery. In cases where the user is coming to the venue, it is not so important to know when that will be because the order can be prepared upon the user's arrival. In the case of delivery, it would not be ideal for the user to “check-in” and request delivery (especially to a user-defined location) at some random later time, because the venue may not be staffed to make the delivery at that time and the “proceed to counter” default option would not be feasible. Thus, where delivery is selected during the order setup phase, not only must the user select a delivery location, they will ideally be requested to specify a delivery time. The OMS server 910 can then verify that delivery will be available from the selected venue at that time.
Finally, unlike with at-venue receipt, it is preferable with delivery to require payment at the time of order entry and submission. This prevents the risk that a delivery order is placed, prepared, and delivered, but no one is there to receive it or pay for it. Though payment could be accepted via traditional means upon delivery to a user able to show an order number screen 1561 to a delivery person, ideally the user would be required to submit electronic payment prior to order submission. Because there will already be a designated delivery time and venue selected, the OMS server 910 will be able to coordinate with the venue server 910 to determine the final price and availability of items at the initial submission stage. Thus, the steps of
Another option unique to delivery available in some embodiments is a tracking feature that allows a user to determine the status of their order through the OMS application component 1118 on their mobile user device 940 once the order has been placed. For example, at any time after the user has submitted the order, the user can log in to the OMS server 910 and view an order status screen (not shown) that shows the phase of the order preparation (e.g., awaiting preparation, being prepared, en route, etc.). This screen can also provide an estimated time of order arrival to help keep the user informed in the event of a delay. This capability could be enabled by communicating with the venue server 920, which, in turn, could be fed information from the fulfillment section of the venue as to when delivery orders are initiated, completed, and sent out for delivery. The delivery staff member could then carry a GPS-enabled device that is monitored by the OMS server 910, such that an accurate prediction of the delivery time may be updated based on the location of the delivery personnel. In some cases, this system may provide for 2-way communications between the OMS server 910 and the delivery person's device such that the delivery person can receive directions or other instructions from the OMS server 910.
While that completes the description of the principle components of the OMS 900, there are other features, options and differences that may be available in certain alternative embodiments. For example, in some embodiments a user may be able to specify a window during which they intend to check in the order at the order set up stage, such that the OMS server 910 can request a version of the venue specific menu that is expected to be offered at that time. Thus, if the user wants to set up a breakfast order from a quick service restaurant for pickup on his way to work the next morning, he can do so even though it is 10 PM and breakfast items are not a component of the current venue specific menu. Here, there would be an additional option to specify an anticipated check in time, such as between steps 1715 and 1720 on
In other embodiments, the OMS system 900 may be used to keep track of additional information for users beyond Quick Orders of favorite venues/delivery locations. For example, it could also keep track of order histories, such as what was purchased, on what date, and for what price. It could track when the order was picked up, and where. In the quick service restaurant example, it could also track nutritional information, such as calories in the orders, etc. It could also use the past order history to make product recommendations to the user during the order set up process for new or limited time goods that fit the user's buying habits and profile.
In still other embodiments, particularly for use by organizations that offer stored value cards, the OMS system 900 could be used as a stored-value system in association with, or separate from, that program. For example, a user could purchase “OMS bucks” by authorizing the OMS server 910 to charge some electronic payment card set up by the user and authenticated by the OMS. The amount charged would then be “credited” to the user's account on the OMS server 910. This amount could be displayed to the user through the OMS application component 1118 upon request, and could be used to pay for orders made through the OMS 900. In some cases, third parties could credit the OMS user's account without actually placing any of their own card payment information on the account. In this manner, the OMS 900 could be used as an equivalent to a gift card system that uses traditional plastic stored value cards. Instead of buying a card and having value put on it, the third party would just log in to a gift interface of the OMS 900, select the user they wish to provide the gift, submit payment, and the purchased amount of “OMS bucks” would be credited to the user's account.
It has thus been described how the OMS 900 can be implemented to facilitate the placement and processing of remote orders, even in situations with dynamic menus and conditions, and in a multiple venue environment. Any process descriptions or blocks in figures, such as
Pre-Check-in
As an overview, the method 5000 takes a customer's remotely generated order, associates the order with a particular venue, and then further associates the order with a particular service offered at the venue. It should be appreciated that consistent disclosure related to the above embodiments also applies to the systems and methods discussed below. Some repetitive or cumulative disclosure may be omitted for the reader's convenience. In other words, detailed description of any methods or systems related to
With reference to
At 5001, a customer creates a customized order at a remote location. The customer may create the order with any suitable method disclosed herein, such as some or all of the steps of
At 5002, the customer checks-out by finalizing the customized order. In some embodiments, the check-out process confirms that the customer has a valid method of electronic payment on file (i.e., associated with the customer's app account), but does not charge the electronic payment method. As explained in detail above, if the customer lacks a valid method of payment, the method prompts the customer to enter a suitable method. The check-out process may offer the customer an option to pay in-store (i.e., in venue). The check-out process may include the user selecting an in-venue service preference.
As explained in detail above with reference to
In contrast to the method of
At 5003, the method generates an order number (which can be alphanumeric) for the finalized order (5003a), transmits the order from the customer's mobile device 940 to the OMS server 910 (labeled eCP in
With reference to 5003c, the OMS server 910 may receive the customer's location via a locator app running in the background on the customer's mobile device 940. The ordering app 1118 extracts the location data from the locator app and then transmits the location data from the mobile device 940 to the OMS server 910. The OMS server 910 stores the virtual data representing the geofences. The OMS server 910 compares the location of the customer to the virtual geofences. This approach enables the servers to obscure the exact boundaries of the geofences by performing the comparisons at the remote servers.
Alternatively, with reference to 5003c, the data representing the virtual geofences may be stored and/or generated on the OMS server 910, and then selectively transmitted to the customer's mobile device 940. The ordering app 1118 running on the customer's mobile device 940 compares the customer's current location to the virtual boundaries of the geofences. When the customer crosses a geofence, the ordering app 1118 transmits a crossing notification to the OMS server 910. This approach enables the customer to hide or obscure the customer's current location from the remote servers.
Returning to
As explained with reference to
It should be appreciated that the method may execute steps 5004 and 5005 for multiple venues.
In the example of
At 5006, the OMS server 910 detects that the customer (or more specifically, the customer's mobile device 940) has crossed a fine geofence. In response, the method proceeds to 5007 by prioritizing the customer's order in the venue server 920 and transmitting a wireless message or notification to the customer's mobile device 940. If the method previously failed to detect the customer crossing the coarse geofence at 5004, then the OMS server 910 retrieves and transmits the customer's order to the venue sever 920 at 5007a before prioritizing the order at 5007b and sending the customer the notification at 5007c.
In some embodiments, order prioritization includes displaying the order on or more computer displays within the venue. One or more of the displays may be customer-facing to give the customer confidence that the wireless ordering system is successfully processing the order. One or more of the displays may be employee or crew facing to alert crew about upcoming (albeit unconfirmed and/or unprocessed) orders. In some embodiments, order prioritization enables an order-associated interface on the crew-facing display. The interface includes details of the order, including the selected menu items, name of the customer, time the order was submitted, and time the customer crossed any of the geofences. In some embodiments, the crew-facing display includes non-prioritized orders (e.g., orders associated with customers who have crossed the coarse geofence), but the order-associated interface is disabled or absent for the non-prioritized orders. In various embodiments, order prioritization includes updating point of sale systems as discussed below with reference to the method 8000 and
The method alternatively proceeds to 5007 when the venue server 920 affirmatively detects the customer's (or more specifically the customer's mobile device 940) Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signal at 5008a or WiFi signal at 5008b. One or more beacons or transmitters stationed in or around the venue may detect the BLE and WiFi signals. These beacons or transmitters typically have a low range, thereby reducing the chances of affirmatively detecting a customer passing by, but not intending to enter, the venue associated with the beacons or transmitters. In various embodiments, BLE communication occurs at least partially (or in some cases, exclusively) in 2.4 GHz radio frequency bands. In various embodiments, WiFi communication occurs at least partially (or in some cases, exclusively) in one or more of the 2.4 GHz radio frequency bands and the 5 GHz radio frequency bands. The operation of the beacons or transmitters is described in detail below.
If the method fails to detect the customer crossing the fine geofence and one of BLE at 5008a, WiFi at 5008b, or QR at 5008c, then the method proceeds when the customer enters a code at 5009a, 5009b, or 5009c. More specifically, the customer enters a code at a kiosk (described in detail below). The code may be a voice code. The code may be a keyed in code. The code may be the order number. The venue server 920 is then searched or parsed for a corresponding order within the order staging module. When the correct order is located, the plug-in (described below) may advance the order from the order staging module to the production module.
After prioritizing the order at 5007, the venue server 920 detects the customer's service preference via one of 5010a, 5010b, and 5010c. As discussed above, the service can be any one of lobby service, table service, curbside service, or drive-thru service. With reference to
At 5010a, the customer scans a QR code with the mobile device 940 associated with one of the service preferences. At 5010b, the method detects a WiFi signal originating from the customer's mobile device 940. At 5010c, the method detects a BLE signal originating from the customer's mobile device 940. WiFi and BLE detection are explained in greater detail below.
Both of 5010a and 5010c enable the method to identify the customer's service preference as any one of lobby, table, curbside, and drive-thru at 5012. The process of locating a customer with 5010c is explained below with reference to beacons and transmitters. With reference to 5010a, the venue may include multiple different printed QR codes, each associated with one of lobby, table, curbside, and drive-thru. The printed QR codes cause the customer's mobile device 940 to send a message to the OMS server 910, which forwards the message to the venue server 920. The QR code process is explained in detail above with reference, for example, to
It should be appreciated that some detection methods, such as WiFi detection at 5010b may have insufficient resolution to pinpoint (or sufficiently approximate) the customer's venue location (i.e., location within the venue). In these cases, the method may proceed, to a predetermined default service preference at 5013, such as lobby service. The method may alert the customer accordingly, via a message delivered from the venue server 920, to the OMS server 910, and ultimately to the mobile device 940.
It should be appreciated that in various embodiments, geolocation of the customer's mobile device 940 may be used to identify the customer's location at 5012. More specifically, geolocation may be an alternative to 5010a, 5010b, and 5010c.
Lobby Service Check-In
The method proceeds to lobby service at 5021 of
After 5021, the method proceeds to enable check-in at 5022. As explained below, check-in may cause the plug-in to advance the order from the order staging module to the production module. What else does check-in do?
Upon checking in, the method assesses the customer's order to determine whether the order is valid at 5023. In some embodiments, the method compares the order to properties hosted on one or more of the venue server and the remote server. One of these servers, for example, may include a dynamically updated list of supplies available at the venue. The order may be compared against this list of supplies to determine whether the specific venue has the proper supplies to prepare the customer's order. As another example, the order may compare a quoted or estimated order price displayed at step 5002 to an actual price, calculated at 5023. If the quoted price exceeds the actual price by a predetermined value or percentage (which may be zero, i.e., the actual price must not exceed the quoted price), then the order may be rendered invalid. In some embodiments, the method enables a venue to automatically honor a quoted or estimated price that falls within a predetermined percentage or absolute value of the actual price. In some embodiments, the method enables a venue to automatically honor a quoted or estimated price that was valid at the time of check-out in step 5002, but has expired in the interim (e.g., a promotion for two dollar coffee ended at 10 am; the customer checked out at 9:50 am, but checked-in at 10:05 am). One or more of the above described servers may be configured to accept administrator preferences, and then execute these automatic processes based on the administrator preferences.
If the order is invalid at 5023, then the ordering app 1118 alerts the customer of the error and optionally offers the customer a set of instructions to redeem the order at 5023a. The set of instructions may include the customer agreeing to enhance the price from the quoted or estimated price to the actual price. In some embodiments, the set of instructions includes the reason for the order being declared invalid (e.g., venue A exhausted its supply of lettuce at 8:05 am). In some embodiments, the set of instructions includes a coupon code for the customer to redeem at a participating venue. In some embodiments, the set of instructions includes a list of alternate venues, ranked according to distance from the customer, which can serve the customer's full order.
When the order is valid, the ordering app 1118 offers the customer payment options at 5024. The options may include cash or an in-app-purchase (IAP), executed with the financial information associated with the customer's profile on the ordering app 1118. In some embodiments, the cash option also includes other forms of physical payment accepted at the venue's counter such as payment via a plastic credit card.
Advantageously, when the customer selects IAP, at 5024, the method, via a screen on the ordering app 1118, offers the customer a choice between dining in-venue or taking-out the order (in one example embodiment the order is food) at 5025. If table service is available for the present venue (as determined at 5026 by accessing one or more of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920), then the ordering app 1118 also enables the customer to choose between table service and pick-up at 5026a. When the customer chooses table service, then the method proceeds to 5046d in
After order submission at 5027, the method (and specifically, the OMS server 910) determines whether payment was successful at 5028. If payment was unsuccessful, then the OMS server 910 issues the customer a corresponding alert at 5028a. In some embodiments, the alert includes a link enabling the customer to automatically return to 5024 via the ordering app 1118. If payment was successful, then the OMS server 910 issues an order confirmation to the customer at 5029a and an order confirmation to the venue server 920 at 5029b. In some embodiments, the OMS server 910 sends the order confirmation to the venue server 920 by instructing the plug-in to advance the order from the production module to a cooking module. Staff and/or automatic appliances prepare (e.g., cook or assemble) orders included in the cooking module. In some embodiments (discussed below with reference to the method 8000), one of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920 advance the order from the staging module to the production module at this point. In these embodiments, an order is only sent to the production module after the financial transaction is complete.
Returning to
After the venue (and in some embodiments, the kitchen of the venue) prepares the order, the venue marks the order number as ready on a customer-facing display at 5029c, generates a receipt at 5029d, and serves or presents the order to the customer at 5029e. It should be appreciated that the customer facing display of 5029c may be a dedicated display that only includes ready or prepared orders.
Table Service Check-In
Returning to
Upon detecting table service at 5041, the method enables check-in at 5042, determines whether the order is valid at 5043, alerts the customer if the order is invalid at 5043a, offers the customer a choice between IAP or cash at 5044, and further offers the customer a choice between dining in and taking out at 5045. It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, the above description of 5022 to 5025 applies to 5042 to 5045, excluding 5044a. More specifically, in some embodiments, table service may be configured to only accept payment via IAP, as opposed to lobby service, which may be configured to accept payment via both IAP and cash. Thus, when a customer selects cash at 5044 via the ordering app 1118, the ordering app 1118 informs the customer that cash payment is unavailable for lobby service at 5044a, and automatically returns (or presents a link that automatically returns) the customer to an ordering app 1118 display corresponding to 5044. Alternatively, 5044a may offer the customer an option to select between returning to 5044 and switching to lobby service. If the customer chooses lobby service, the method may skip to 5024a of
After receiving the customer's dining preference at 5045, the venue server 920 attempts to locate the customer (or more specifically, the customer's mobile device 940) at 5046a. If the customer is successfully located, then the venue server 920 identifies a table number associated with the customer's location at 5046c.
Returning to 5046a, if the method fails to detect BLE, then the ordering app 1118 prompts the user to select between table service and pick-up at 5046b. If the customer chooses pick-up, then the method jumps to 5027 of
At 5047a, the method may display the identified table and queries the customer, via options displayed in the ordering app, whether the identified table is correct. If the identified table is correct, the method proceeds to 5047e. If the identified table is incorrect, then the method, via the ordering app 1118, proceeds to 5047b, which mirrors 5025 and 5045. After 5047b, the method proceeds to 5047c, which mirrors 5046b and 5026a. If, at 5047c, the customer re-selects table service, then the ordering app 1118 prompts the customer to manually enter a table at 5047d, wherein the method proceeds to 5047e. At 5047e, similar to 5027, the ordering app 1118 finalizes the order for payment. It should be appreciated that the above disclosure related to 5028, 5028a, 5029a, 5029b, 5029d, and 5029e respectively applies to 5048, 5048a, 5049a, 5049b, 5049d, and 5049e.
Curb-Side Service Check-In
The method proceeds to curbside service at 5061 of
Upon detecting curbside service at 5061, the method proceeds to 5062, 5063, 5063a, 5064, and 5064a. The above disclosure related to 5042, 5043, 5043a, 5044, and 5044a applies to 5062, 5063, 5063a, 5064, and 5064a.
At 5065a, as in 5046a, the method attempts to link with the customer's mobile device 940 via BLE. If the link is unsuccessful, then ordering app 1118 prompts the customer to enter a bay number at 5065b. Each curb-side parking space may be marked with a distinct bay number. If the link is successful, then the venue server 920 approximates the customer's location at 5065c. Thereafter, the ordering app 1118 displays the customer's approximated location and prompts the customer for confirmation. If the customer confirms that the approximated location is accurate, then the method proceeds to 5067. If the customer conveys that the approximated location is inaccurate, then the method proceeds to 5067b where the ordering app 1118 prompts the user to select between drive-thru service, curbside service, and in-venue service. If the customer selects drive-thru service, then the method jumps to 5082a. If the customer selects in-venue service, then the method jumps to 5025. If the customer selects curb-side service, then the method proceeds to 5066c, which mirrors 5065b. After 5066c, the method proceeds to 5067, 5068, 5068a, 5069a, 5069b, 5069d, and 5069e, which respectively mirror 5047e, 5048, 5048, 5048a, 5049a, 5049b, 5049d, and 5049e.
Drive-Thru Service Check-In
The method proceeds to drive-thru service at 5081 of
At 5082a, the customer provides an order number to crew. At 5082b, the crew highlight the order number on a point of sale system. At 5082c, the crew recalls the full order on the point of sale system by pressing an updated icon on the point of sale system (discussed in detail below). In various embodiments, 5082c causes one or more of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920 to advance the order from the production module to the cooking module. The plug-in may perform this step. If the order contains invalid items (as in some embodiments, detected via the plug-in), then selection of this icon may cause the POS system to display new icons such as a recall available items icon and a cancel order icon. The recall available items icon causes only valid items to advance from the order staging module to the production module. The cancel order icon cancels the order. Point of sale systems are discussed in detail below.
One or more of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920 determine whether the order is valid at 5083. If the order is invalid, drive-thru crew resolve the order at 5083a. The ordering app 1118 prompts the user to choose between cash and IAP at 5084. If the customer chooses IAP, then the method proceeds directly to 5085, wherein the OMS server 910 determines whether the customer's payment was successfully processed. If the customer chooses cash, then one or more of the ordering app 1118 and the drive-thru crew instruct the customer to pay at a drive-thru window at 5084a and 5084b.
If the ordering app 1118 or OMS server 910 unsuccessfully processes payment at 5085, then one or more of the ordering app 1118 and the crew instructs the customer to proceed to the pay window to close the order with cash. If payment is successful, then the crew instructs the customer to proceed to the pay window for a copy of a receipt at 5086a, the order is sent to the cooking module at 5086b, the crew supply the receipt at 5086c, and the crew serves the customer at 5086d. As explained below, these steps can be alternatively be performed via a kiosk.
Geofences
It should be appreciated that in various embodiments, each geofence is administrator adjustable, but not user adjustable. As generally shown in
The administrator may adjust each geofence to extend in a particular shape. The administrator may adjust each geofence to extend a particular radius around the location. In some embodiments, each geofence has an individualized radius. The administrator may set these radiuses to specific value, or the radiuses may be configured to depend on one or more conditions. These conditions may include order-conditions (e.g., price of order, size of order (e.g., total number of items), kind of order, whether the order has been prepaid), customer-conditions (e.g., historical probability of the customer picking up a finalized order, whether the customer is detected, based on location data, to be walking, biking, or driving), venue-specific-conditions (e.g., venue efficiency in preparing orders, average traffic through venue), and external conditions (e.g., weather, traffic in-between the customer and the venue). The OMS server 910 may collect information associated with these conditions.
It should be appreciated that the coarse geofence and the fine geofence may observe certain predetermined relationships. For example, a radius defining the fine geofence may be some fixed percentage of a radius defining the coarse geofence. In some embodiments, the fine geofence is a function of the conditions described above and the coarse geofence is simply a function of the radius of the fine geofence. In other embodiments, the reverse is the true (i.e., the coarse geofence is a function of the conditions and the fine geofence is a function of the radius of the coarse geofence). In some embodiments, both the coarse geofence and the fine geofence are a function of the above conditions (possibly different conditions), but the fine geofence is defined to always exist within the coarse geofence as generally shown in
Inter or Intra Server Order Movement Via the Plug-in
The above method includes transferring orders from the OMS server 910 to the venue server 920. To accomplish this task, the OMS server 940 generates an internal request to inject the mobile order to an order-staging module of the venue server 920 via a plug-in. In various embodiments, the request includes a token, an ID, and a payload. The token is a string of numbers that uniquely identifies the request. The ID is a key number that encodes the payload and the response. The Payload is an XML message representing the customer's order. Before commanding the plug-in to perform the injection, the OMS server 940 may compare the payload to lists stored in one or more of the venue server 920 and the OMS server 940. If the payload includes items absent from the lists (or, if the lists represent excluded or unavailable items, then on the list), then one or more of the venue server 920 and the OMS server generates an error code. If the OMS server 910 validates the payload, then the OMS server instructs the plugin to inject the order into the venue server 920 The plugin returns a code to the OMS server identifying whether the injection was successful.
In some embodiments, validation includes the plug-in comparing the order to properties hosted on one or more of the venue server and the remote server. One of these servers, for example, may include a dynamically updated list of supplies available at the venue. The order may be compared against this list of supplies to determine whether the specific venue has the proper supplies to prepare the customer's order. As another example, the order may compare a quoted or estimated order price displayed to an actual price, calculated.
If the quoted price exceeds the actual price by a predetermined value or percentage (which may be zero, i.e., the actual price must not exceed the quoted price), then the order may be rendered invalid. In some embodiments, the method enables a venue to automatically honor a quoted or estimated price that falls within a predetermined percentage or absolute value of the actual price. In some embodiments, the method enables a venue to automatically honor a quoted or estimated price that was valid at the time of check-out in step 5002, but has expired in the interim (e.g., a promotion for two dollar coffee ended at 10 am; the customer checked out at 9:50 am, but checked-in at 10:05 am). One or more of the above described servers may be configured to accept administrator preferences, and then execute these automatic processes based on the administrator preferences.
At some, but not necessary all validation steps, the plug-in causes the ordering app 1118 to alert the customer of an order error and optionally offers the customer a set of instructions to redeem the order. The set of instructions may include the customer agreeing to enhance the price from the quoted or estimated price to the actual price. In some embodiments, the set of instructions includes the reason for the order being declared invalid (e.g., venue A exhausted its supply of lettuce at 8:05 am). In some embodiments, the set of instructions includes a coupon code for the customer to redeem at a participating venue. In some embodiments, the set of instructions includes a list of alternate venues, ranked according to distance from the customer, which can serve the customer's full order.
The above method also includes advancing orders from one module or portion of the venue server 910 to another module or portion of the venue server 910. In some embodiments, order advancement instructions originate at the OMS server 910 in response to information collected from the venue server 920. In some embodiments, the OMS server 910 re-validates the order before advancing it using the validation process described above. The OMS server 910 may advance the order by issuing a corresponding instruction to the plug-in.
In various embodiments, the plug-in is configured to perform the following functions: (1) Advance orders from one module in the venue server 920 to another module in the venue server 920. This includes transferring orders from a staging module to a production module when the checks-in. (2) Return a list of all orders in a specific module. (3) Search the staging module or the production module by order number. (4) Return orders from one module in the venue server 920 to another module in the venue server 920. (5) Automatically notify the OMS server 910 of an advancement or return of any order within the venue server 920. (6) Inject orders from the OMS server 910 into a predetermined module within the venue server 920.
The OMS server 910 may be configured to periodically clean up one or more of the modules. More specifically, the OMS server 910 may be configured to check the orders in each module at a predetermined interval. Upon checking, the OMS server determines the resident time of each order in its respective module. If the resident time exceeds a predetermined resident time, then the OMS server instructs the module to clear the order. If the resident time does not exceed the predetermined resident time, then the OMS server takes no action.
Kiosks
The above method includes two different counter-pay scenarios. The first counter-pay scenario includes steps 5024a and 5030a to 5030d. The second counter-pay scenario includes steps 5084a and 5084b. It should be appreciated that both of the first and second scenario may be executed at an automated kiosk. In some embodiments, the kiosk is in operative communication with both the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920. In other embodiments, the kiosk is only in operative communication with the OMS server 910.
The kiosk typically has a housing that supports a display, a processor, memory, various user-input devices, a credit card reader, and a bill acceptor. The bill acceptor includes at least one motor configured to draw a bill, such as paper money into the kiosk. The bill acceptor also includes a scanner configured to sense whether the paper money is true currency. The motor may be in operative communication with the scanner such that the motor only fully draws the paper money into the kiosk when the scanner determines that the paper money is true currency. Both of the credit card reader and the bill acceptor may include a slot protruding from the housing configured to respectively accept a credit card and a bill. In various embodiments, the slots are made from a hard plastic. The kiosk may be mounted to the floor or to a supporting structure (i.e., a counter-top). The bill acceptor, the credit card reader, and the display may be located on the kiosk such that they exist two to six feet above the floor. If the kiosk extends all the way to the floor, this means that the bill acceptor, the credit card reader, and the display are located between two to six feet from the lower-most surface of the kiosk. The housing of the kiosk may define a printing slot, configured to receive a printed receipt from an internal kiosk printer. The printing slot may be thin (e.g., less than two inches) in the vertical dimension, to preclude user access to the printer components. The housing of the kiosk may be generally rectangular and define a generally rectangular central cutout for the display.
It should be appreciated that the method 5000 may be performed on the kiosk via a kiosk app. The kiosk app executes 5001, 5002, 5003a, 5003b, then jumps to 5022. The method continues as discussed below with reference to pucks and tents.
Pucks and Tents
At 5024a the method instructs the customer to proceed to the counter. As described above, this could mean that the customer proceeds to a kiosk. The customer would then complete steps 5030a to 5030d at the kiosk. At 5026a, the ordering app 1118 enables the customer to choose between pick-up in the lobby at table service. If the customer chooses table service, then the customer manually enters the table number at 5046d.
It should be appreciated that both 5030 and 5046d may include the customer electronically associating a puck or tent with their order. More specifically, the customer may link the puck or tent at the kiosk at 5030 or may link the puck or tent with the mobile device 940. The customer may associate the puck or tent with their order by entering a number printed on the puck or tent. Alternatively, the customer may associate the puck or tent with their order by holding the puck or tent near the kiosk or mobile device 940. A program (in some cases, the ordering app 1118) electronically communicates with the puck or tent via near field communication technology (NFC) or radio frequency identification device technology (RFID). The communication includes the mobile device 940 or the kiosk receiving a unique identifier of the puck or tent. In response, the mobile device 940 or the kiosk pairs the customer's order with the puck or tent and sends an update to one or both of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920.
The customer then takes the puck or tent and places it on a table inside the venue. If a number is printed on the puck or tent, then crew may look for the number when serving the order. Alternatively or in addition, the puck or tent may be automatically located via one or more of BLE, RFID, and NFC. BLE location is explained in detail below and includes one or more beacons or transmitters pairing with the puck or tent. RFID and NFC pairing include the puck or tent associating with a NFC or RFID tag applied (and in some cases, adhered) to an in-venue location. In one example, NFC or RFID tags are placed under each table. When the puck or tent sits on the table, it pairs with the NFC or RFID tag.
In some cases, this causes the puck or tent, upon pairing with or recognizing the NFC or RFID tag, to send a signal to the mobile device 940 including a unique number associated with the NFC or RFID tag. The mobile device 940 forwards this unique number to one or both of the venue server 920 and the OMS server 910, which correspondingly update the customer's order to include the unique identifier of the NFC or RFID tag. In some cases, the venue includes RFID receivers located around the store. The puck may be configured to broadcast a time-stamped RFID signal that the RFID receivers intake. The RFID receivers then communicate with one or more of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920. The communication includes the identity of the puck, the time that the RFID receivers picked up the puck's time stamped signal, and the identity of the transmitting receiver. The OMS server 910 or the venue server 920 now triangulate the original puck broadcast and append the approximated location of the puck to the customer's order associated with the puck.
In other cases, this causes the puck or tent to send a signal to a beacon or transmitter (such as a WiFi router or a BLE beacon) located within the venue. The beacon or transmitter then forwards the unique number to one or both of the venue server 920 and the OMS server 910, which correspondingly update the customer's order to include the unique identifier of the NFC or RFID tag.
In some instances, the customer's mobile device 940 may be configured for NFC or RFID communication without proxying through a puck or tent. For example, many Android mobile devices 940 are equipped for NFC communication. In these instances, the customer may skip the puck or tent, and proceed directly to the table. The mobile device 940 communicates with the NFC or RFID tag adhered to the table, and sends a corresponding update to one or both of the venue server 920 and the OMS server 910. In some cases, the ordering app 1118 may recognize whether the mobile device 940 is NFC or RFID enabled. If the mobile device 940 is enabled, it may direct the customer to skip the kiosk and proceed directly to a table when the customer selects table service at 5024a or 5026a. If the mobile device 940 is not NFC or RFID enabled, then the ordering app 1118 may direct the customer to a kiosk.
In some cases, the puck includes a thin housing with a top surface, a bottom surface, and sides or edges connecting the top surface to the bottom surface. The puck includes a battery, memory, and one or more processors linked to suitable antennas. The puck may be sized to be held with a single hand and/or weigh less than one and a half pounds. The bottom surface of the puck may include one or more feet, such as rubber feet extending vertically from the bottom surface of the puck. Preferred embodiments include at least three feet of a substantially equal vertical height. If the bottom surface of the puck is curved with respect to the vertical dimension, then the feet may be of different height such that a bottom surface of each foot occupies the same horizontal reference plane. The term rubber is exemplary and any suitable polymer or polymer substitute is acceptable. These feet enable the puck, and specifically the electronic components within the puck, to rest above a top surface of the table, thus protecting the internals of the puck from spills. Puck housings are disclosed, for example, in the Pager Genius USA Digital Restaurant Coaster listing, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The tent may include two sides. Each side may two ends. A first end includes a flat bottom surface. A second end includes a connecting portion. The connecting portions of the two sides link to each other. The connecting portions may link via a rotatable joint, such that the tent may fold into a flat, storable configuration. The connecting portions may be integrally attached with one another, such that the entire tent is made from a single sheet of bended polymer. At least one side of the tent may include an engraving in the shape of a tent number. Tent structure is disclosed, for example, in the Cal-Mil 271-1 Red Replacement Engraved Number Tent Sign listing, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
In some cases, the NFC or RFID tag includes an adhesive, such as glue, mucilage, or paste for affixing the tag to the table (or other suitable substrate). The adhesive may be a drying adhesive such as a solvent-based adhesive or a polymer dispersion adhesive. The adhesive may be a pressure sensitive adhesive. In some embodiments, the adhesive forms a permanent chemical bond with the substrate.
The tag further includes an NFC or RFID chip configured to append the tag's unique identifier to a signal generated by the NFC or RFID chip. In some cases, the tag lacks a battery.
Beacons or Transmitters
The above disclosure references BLE transmissions to and from various devices. It should be appreciated that the above disclosure related to “to” and “from” was purely exemplary, and in some cases, may be reversed. It should be appreciated that any time the above disclosure refers to a BLE transmission, the below disclosure applies, and in some embodiments, supersedes any inconsistent above disclosure.
BLE transmissions generally involve a beacon or transmitter (now referred to as beacons) and a movable device, such as a puck, a tent, or a mobile device 940. The purpose of the BLE transmissions is to locate (or at least approximate) the location of the movable device within the venue. This can work via triangulation or correlation.
For triangulation, one or more first objects pick up a signal generated by one or more second objects. The first objects then approximate the location of the second object by comparing the time that the various first objects picked up the signal. In some cases, the first objects are the BLE beacons. In some cases, the second objects are the movable devices. As previously described, triangulation requires time stamps of the signals. The time stamp may be the signal's generation time and/or the signal's reception time. The time stamp may be paired with a unique identifier of the signal originator and/or the signal receiver. The beacons may be linked to a centralized server that performs the triangulation process. The centralized server can be one or more of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920. Alternatively, the beacons may forward the time stamps to the movable device, which then either performs the triangulation via a suitable program, or forwards the time stamps to one or more of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920.
Alternatively, in some cases, the first objects are the movable device and the second objects are the BLE beacons. In this example, the BLE beacons transmit a signal, which the movable device picks up. The signal may include a time or signal origination along with a unique identifier of the beacon. In some cases, the unique identifier includes a known position of the beacon. The movable device may now perform the triangulation itself, based on the known locations of the signal generators and the time stamps. In other cases, the movable device forwards the information to a separate server, such as the OMS server 910 or the venue server 920, which performs the triangulation.
It should therefore be appreciated that the triangulation process may include signals generated by a passive device, which can either be the movable device or the beacons. In other words, the passive device may only send, and not receive a BLE signal. The passive BLE signal, as described above, may include a time stamp and a unique identifier of the device broadcasting the passive signal. The active device, which receives the passive signal, then forwards a triangulation result, or simply the information included in the BLE signal to another server.
Correlation, as opposed to triangulation, results in a location radius. Because triangulation includes at least three devices (the device to be located and at least two devices sending or receiving time-stamped signals), triangulation may pinpoint the device to be located within at least two-dimensions. In contrast, correlation involves communication (for the purposes of location) between two devices. One device broadcasts a signal. The other device receives the signal. The broadcast may be passive. The broadcast range is generally known. Based on the known range of the signal, one may infer that the two devices must be located within the signal range. In some embodiments, the mobile device 940 or the puck broadcasts the signal and the beacon receives the signal. In preferred embodiments, the beacon broadcasts the signal and the mobile device 940 or the puck receives the signal. The signal includes a unique identifier of the broadcasting device. The receiving device forwards the unique identifier to an external server, such as the OMS server 910 or the venue server 920, which correlates the broadcasting device with the receiving device. The external server knows the location of at least one of the broadcasting device and the receiving device. Based on this information, the external server causes at least one of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920 to update the order to associate the order with the approximated location.
In some cases, the update of the order includes associating a table number with the order. If a plurality of tables fit within a predetermined proximity of the customer's location (i.e., the method has a low or moderate confidence in the customer's exact table), then the method may mark the table as approximate and/or include a set of possible tables.
In some cases, the update of the order includes associating an approximate drive-thru line position with the order. For example, the drive-thru line may include a plurality of beacons. A first beacon corresponds to the beginning of the drive-thru line, a second beacon corresponds to the middle of the drive-thru line, and a third beacon corresponds to the end of the drive-thru line. As the customer advances through the drive-thru line, the customer's mobile device transfers from one beacon to the next. The ordering app on the mobile device transmits an update to the OMS server 910 when the mobile device picks up a signal of a new beacon. The OMS server, in turn, builds a list identifying a sequence of customers in the drive-thru line. The sequence may be based on the relative timing of the mobile devices picking up the various beacon signals (e.g., a new order is appended to the end of the list when a customer's mobile device picks up the first beacon). The OMS server provides this list to the venue server 920 for display on a crew-facing screen.
The above disclosure refers to time-stamps. In some embodiments, signal strength indicators are substituted for the time-stamps. The triangulation and/or correlation is performed with reference to the measured signal strengths.
Kitchen Appliances
The kitchen may include kitchen appliances such as one or more stoves, one or more ovens, one or more refrigerators, and one or more automatic ingredient dispensers, such as a robotic ingredient dispenser. In some embodiments, the forwarding of the order to the production module and/or the cooking module enables crew to automatically cause the ingredient dispensers to dispense one or more constituent ingredients from trays in a food assembly station or from trays stored in a refrigerator.
In some embodiments, the forwarding of the order places the order into a cooking queue. One or more appliances, such as the ingredient dispensers, stoves, ovens, and automatic beverage dispensers may be configured to automatically execute operations based on the queue. For example, the queue (and in some cases, the first-in-line or next-in-line in the queue) may cause the ingredient dispensers to dispense ingredients at a predetermined time, as discussed above. Further, the queue information may cause the stoves or ovens to heat to predetermined temperatures in anticipation of receiving the ingredients. The queue information may cause the stoves or ovens to heat the food at the predetermined temperature for a predetermined amount of time (i.e., the stoves or ovens load cooking times with reference to the queue). The same concept applies to automatic beverage dispensers, which may be configured to, based on the queue, automatically load a cup into position, and then pump a pressurized fluid into the cup from a fluid source. In some embodiments, the venue server includes the queue. In other embodiments, various controllers linked to the venue server include the queue. In some embodiments, each appliance includes one or more controllers including a processor and memory electronically linked to one or more of the venue server and the various controllers. In various embodiments, the various controllers are considered to be part of the venue server.
The stoves and ovens include a heating element. The heating element may be a resistive heating element that converts a supply of electricity into heat. The heating element may be a burner that burns a source of fuel, such as natural gas. The stoves and ovens may include various conveyers coupled with motors that move food into or on the stoves and ovens. Example automatic appliances are disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 2003/0196558 and 2005/0115418 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,359, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The refrigerator may include a refrigeration cycle with a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, an evaporator, a condenser, and an expansion device. The expansion device may include a capillary tube or an expansion valve, such as an electronic expansion valve. The compressor may be a fixed or variable capacity compressor, which is in operative electronic communication with a refrigerator controller. The refrigerator controller may be in electronic communication with the venue server.
OMS Server 910 vs. Venue Server 920
The above disclosure refers to the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920. It should be appreciated that any or all of the processes performed by the OMS server 910 may be performed by the venue server 920. It should be appreciated that any or all of the processes performed by the venue server 920 may be performed by the OMS server 910. As described above, the OMS server 910 may be a collection of servers. As described above, the venue server 920 may be a collection of servers. For the purposes of the claims, it should be appreciated that the term “server” such as “venue server” refers to one or more servers.
In various embodiments, both of the ordering app is configured to only communicate with the venue server 920 via the OMS server 910. In other words, the OMS server 910 routes all communication (i.e., serves as an intermediary) between the ordering app and the venue server.
The above disclosure refers to various methods and operations. It should be appreciated that the disclosed devices may be configured to perform the associated methods and operations. More specifically, the disclosed devices may include one or more programs that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the associated methods and operations.
Additional embodiments of the invention are generally shown in
A method 8000 reflecting these additional embodiments begins at 8001. There, the customer picks items from a menu on the ordering app 1118 at 8001a, selects a venue at 8001b, selects a service preference for the venue 8001c and confirms their payment profile at 8001d. Thereafter, the customer checks out on the ordering app 1118 at 8002. In some embodiments, the ordering app 1118 receives updates from the OMS server 910 or the venue server 920 indicating which service preferences are offered at the particular venue. The ordering app 1118 may gray out or hide unavailable service preferences.
Checking out, at 8002, includes the ordering app 1118 transmitting the order to the OMS server 910. As stated above, the order may include the selected menu items, the customer's identity, a unique identifier associated with the customer's mobile device, etc. The OMS server 910 generates an order number for the customer at 8003a. The order number may be alphanumeric. The OMS server 910 updates the order to include this order number at 8003b. The OMS server 910 transmits the order number to the customer's mobile device 940 at 8003c. As discussed above, each venue may be associated with a coarse geofence. The OMS server associates the geofence of the selected venue with the customer's order at 8003d. As discussed below, the OMS server 910 may inject the order into the order staging module of the venue server 920 at 8003e. As previously discussed, injection may include order validation. In some embodiments, the plug-in only validates the order when the order is advanced from the order staging module of the venue server 920 to the production module of the venue server 920.
At 8004a, the customer's mobile device 940 transmits the customer's current location to the OMS server. The ordering app 1118 may interface, via an API, with location services of the customer's mobile device 1118. Alternatively or in addition, at 8004b, the customer's mobile device 940 listens for beacon signals. It should be appreciated that 8004a and 8004b may be continuously enabled, only enabled when the ordering app 1118 is open (i.e., selectively enabled), continuously or selectively enabled after the customer checks out at 8002, or continuously or selectively enabled after the ordering app 1118 on the mobile device 940 receives the order number.
The OMS server 910 detects when the customer crosses the coarse geofence at 8005a. Alternatively or in addition, the OMS server 910 detects, via an update issued by the customer's mobile device 940, when the customer's mobile device 940 is in range of an in-venue beacon or transmitter at 8005b. As discussed above, in various embodiments the customer's mobile device 940 broadcasts a signal, which the in-venue beacon or transmitter receives and forwards to the OMS server 910. As discussed above, it should generally be appreciated that any time two devices link, only one of the devices may generate a transmission confirming the link. Any one of the linked devices may be passive and any one of the linked devices may be active (i.e., generate the transmission).
Either of 8005a and 8005b may cause the OMS server 910 to validate the order at 8006a and inject the order into the venue server at 8006b. The plug-in may perform both of these steps. In some embodiments, the OMS server 910 injects the order into the venue server 920 at 8003. These embodiments may skip 8005a and 8005b. Alternatively, these embodiments may validate the order at 8005a. In any event, the order now resides in an order-staging module of the venue server.
Point of sale systems in operative communication with the venue server 920 update at 8007. More specifically, the point of sale systems update one or more icons when (a) the order resides in the order staging module of the venue server, and (b) the customer is detected via at least one of 8005a and 8005b. More specifically, the point of sale systems may be configured to display, in one selectable screen, all orders present in the ordering staging module of the venue server 920. An icon may exist next to each order on the screen. When the customer is detected at 8005, the icon may change its appearance including its color. When the icon's appearance has changed, it may become selectable. When crew select the icon, one or more of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920 may advance the order from the order staging module to the production module. The plug-in may perform this step. If the order contains invalid items (as in some embodiments, detected via the plug-in via the validation step), then selection of this icon may cause the POS system to display new icons such as a recall available items icon and a cancel order icon. The recall available items icon causes only valid items to advance from the order staging module to the production module. The cancel order icon cancels the order.
Point of sale systems may be registers. The registers may include processor(s), memory, a display in operative communication with the processor(s), a cash drawer, a cash drawer lock, a cash drawer deployer, and a credit card slot for processing credit card transactions. The cash drawer may be made from a polymer, such as a tough plastic. It may include ridges defining a plurality of recesses there-between. Each recess may be sized to receive paper currency, such as dollars. The cash drawer lock fixes the cash drawer within register housing. The lock may include a latch that selectively latches to the cash drawer. The lock may be linked with a lock actuator, such as a spring or motor, which actuates based on commands from the processor. The cash drawer may be slideable along cash drawer rails. The cash drawer deployer may bias the cash drawer into an accessible position that exposes the plurality of recesses to crew. The cash drawer deployer may be one or more biasing springs. The cash drawer deployer may be one or more motors, in operative communication with the processor and configured to push or slide the cash drawer outward. The cash drawer may further include fingers configured to exert a downward force on items present in the recesses. In some embodiments, the cash drawer includes at least three fingers positioned over generally rectangular recesses. In some embodiments, the fingers are rotatable via a pivot point. The pivot point may be a pin fixing the finger to a body of the cash drawer.
The ordering app 1118 returns to the customer's service preference at 8008. In some embodiments, the ordering app 1118 receives updates from the OMS server 910 or the venue server 920 indicating which service preferences are offered at the particular venue. The ordering app 1118 may gray out or hide unavailable service preferences.
If the customer did not pick a service preference at 8001c, then the ordering app 1118 prompts the customer to pick a service preference at 8008. If the customer picked an unavailable service preference, then the ordering app 1118 prompts the customer to pick an available service preference at 8008. If the customer picked an available service preference at 8001c, then the ordering app 1118 prompts the customer to confirm the selected service preference at 8008. If the customer picked an available service preference at 8001c, linked with a beacon at 8005b, and the linked beacon is inconsistent with the selected preference, then the ordering app 1118 may modify the confirmation screen to highlight the discrepancy. This could happen, for example, if the customer selected drive-thru at 8001c, but linked with a lobby beacon at 8005b. Contrarily, if the customer picked an available service preference at 8001c, linked with a beacon at 8005b, and the linked beacon is consistent with the selected preference, then the ordering app 1118 may modify the confirmation screen to highlight the consistency. In some embodiments, the ordering app 1118 automatically confirms the service preference and generates a corresponding display upon detecting consistency. Operation of the beacons or transmitters is discussed in detail above.
In various embodiments, the available service preferences include drive-thru service, in-venue service, and curb-side service. In-venue service includes lobby service and table service. Method 8200 represents drive-thru service, method 8300 represents in-venue service, and method 8400 represents curb-side service. Each of these methods 8200 through 8400 is a part of the overall method 8000.
The customer picks or confirms drive-thru service at 8201. Various technologies may identify the customer's drive-thru presence at 8202. These technologies include beacons or transmitters, kiosks, and point of sale systems. Beacons or transmitters are discussed in detail above. If the customer's presence was established via beacon technology at 8005b, then the method may skip 8202. Kiosks and point of sale systems enable the customer to confirm their presence via a voice code spoken into a microphone, via manual entry via a keyboard, or via a scan of a QR code generated and displayed by the customer's mobile device.
The customer's payment is processed at 8203. Payment processing may include cash payment via the kiosk or point of sale system. Payment processing may include credit card payment via the kiosk or point of sale system. Payment processing may include one or more of the OMS server 910 and the venue server 920 causing the customer's financial information to be processed via a financial server. Payment processing is discussed in detail above.
When payment is successful, the order is advanced from the order-staging module of the venue server 920 to the order production module of the venue server 920 at 8204. As discussed in detail above, the plug-in may perform the advancement. In response to the order advancing to the order production module of the venue server 920, crew and/or automated appliances prepare the order at 8205. Automated food preparation is discussed in detail above. Crew and/or automated appliances serve the customer at 8206.
The customer picks or confirms in-venue service at 8301. Various technologies may identify the customer's in-venue presence at 8302. These technologies include beacons or transmitters, kiosks, and point of sale systems. Beacons or transmitters are discussed in detail above. If the customer's presence was established via beacon technology at 8005b, then the method may skip 8302. Kiosks and point of sale systems enable the customer to confirm their presence via a voice code spoken into a microphone, via manual entry via a keyboard, or via a scan of a QR code generated and displayed by the customer's mobile device.
The customer chooses between dining-in at taking-out at 8303. The customer makes this selection on the ordering app 1118 or on the kiosk. In various embodiments, checking-in at the kiosk causes the ordering app 1118 (via a communication sent via the OMS server 910) to present the customer with the choice via a suitable screen. If the customer selects take-out, then the kiosk or the ordering-app 1118 instructs the user to proceed to the lobby. The method jumps to 8203.
If the customer selects dine-in, then the ordering app 1118 or the kiosk presents the customer with available in-venue service preferences such as lobby service and table service at 8304. If the customer selects lobby service, then the method jumps to 8203. If the customer chooses table service, then the kiosk or the ordering app 1118 prompt the user to identify their table at 8305. The customer may accomplish this in the following ways: (a) by manually entering a table number printed on a desired table, (b) by holding the mobile device 940 near a suitable tag, such as the tag having the NFC chip and the adherent, mounted on the table, (c) by manually entering a tent number printed on the side of a tent, (d) by associating a puck with their order via suitable technology of the kiosk or the mobile device 940. These operations are discussed in detail above. After the user accomplished at least one of (a) to (d), the method jumps to 8203. In some embodiments, 8305 occurs in-between 8203 and 8204.
Crew ultimately serve the order to the customer's table. The customer picks or confirms curb-side service at 8401. The ordering app 1118 now identifies the customer's bay number at 8402. The ordering app 1118 may automatically fill-in the customer's bay number via location services or beacon technology. The ordering app 1118 may prompt the user to manually enter a bay number. If the ordering app 1118 automatically fills-in the bay number, it may prompt the user to confirm the bay number. When the bay number has been confirmed, the method jumps to 8203. In some embodiments, 8402 occurs in-between 8203 and 8204. Crew serve the order to the customer's bay.
The above-described embodiments, and particularly any “preferred” embodiments, are possible examples of implementations and merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the techniques described herein. All modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.
It should also be understood that the present invention can be adapted to use with venues other quick service restaurants, such as, for example, retail stores, convenience stores, or other venues where placement of remote orders for goods or services would be desired. Unless specifically stated otherwise in the language of the particular claim at issue, it is intended that the following claims include such other types of venues.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/937,112, originally filed on Nov. 9, 2015 and published as U.S. 2016/0063585, which claims priority from U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/078,396, originally filed on Nov. 12, 2013 and published as U.S. 2014/0136366, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/725,379, originally filed on Nov. 12, 2012, all of which (including the originally filed applications and the published applications) are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/760,534, which was originally filed on Apr. 14, 2010 and published as U.S. 2011/0258058, all of which (including the originally filed application and the published application) are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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