Patent Application
20080278750
1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to intelligent label printer control. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for intelligently printing labels based on data extracted from a sales transaction.
2. The Relevant Technology
In a sales transaction a customer might place an order at one location and pick up the order at a different location. Such arrangements are found, for example, in a drive-through lane of a restaurant. However, cashiers and customers at each location can frequently confuse orders or misidentify items. For example, a first order may take a longer time to prepare than a second later-placed order. Thus, the second order could accidentally be picked up by the customer who placed the first order, especially if each ordered item's packaging is similar.
Moreover, standard packaging and/or generic labels often prevent a customer from easily verifying delivery of the correct item. For example, a label such as “hamburger” does not confirm whether the cook followed custom instructions to include or exclude certain toppings. These problems are compounded when a customer represents a group of people and must deliver each item to the correct person in the group.
Methods and systems for intelligently and conveniently labeling orders are, therefore, desirable.
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to methods and systems for intelligently labeling an order. Preferably, the methods and systems provide an intelligent data link between “receipt” printers and “label” printers. The intelligent data link insures that information printed on an order's label matches receipt data, thereby minimizing any human error being introduced into the process. By way of example, systems may include multiple printers and multiple data links to accommodate multiple POS terminals found at typical retail establishments. For example, many quick serve restaurants have a drive-through POS terminal and multiple walk-in POS terminals, each having a receipt printer. A label printer may also be provided at each one of various kitchen stations frequently found at such restaurants.
One example embodiment is directed to a method for intelligently printing labels based on order data. The method may include receiving order data at a receipt printer, which may be communicatively connected to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. The order data may then be processed, with reference to a plurality of pre-defined templates, to generate label data. The label data or a portion thereof may be printed at a label printer having a communicative link to the receipt printer. The order data may be processed at the receipt printer, the label printer, or a separate computing device communicatively connected to the receipt printer and the label printer.
Another example embodiment is directed to a printer adapted to implement at least a portion of the label printing method. For example, a printer is configured to include a receive port adapted to receive order data from a first external device and a send port adapted to send or forward the order data to a second external device. The send port may also be adapted to send label data, which may be generated based on the order data. The printer may also include a printing mechanism adapted to print at least a portion of the order data and/or at least a portion of the label data.
The invention may also be embodied as an order processing system, which may include, for example, a receipt printer and a label printer communicatively linked through a data network to transfer order data and/or label data from the receipt printer to the label printer. A POS terminal may be communicatively connected to the receipt printer to send order data entered by an operator of the POS terminal. The system may also include a processor adapted to generate the label data based on the order data. The processor may be embodied as part of the receipt printer, the label printer, or a separate computing device communicatively connected to the receipt printer and the label printer.
Such systems and methods for intelligently automating the order process provide a number of advantages over prior art solutions. For example, the order process is simplified, and the process results in accurate order data for a given customer. Moreover, the opportunity for human error is reduced. Customer satisfaction, speed, and reduced costs are all realized.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential characteristics of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Additional features will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the teachings herein. Features of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
To further clarify the features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
In the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The following description provides example embodiments of methods and systems for intelligently labeling an order. The methods and systems provide an intelligent data link between receipt printers and label printers. Consequently, information printed on an order's label matches receipt data and human error is reduced. Systems may include multiple printers and multiple data links to accommodate multiple POS terminals found at typical retail establishments. For example, many quick serve restaurants have a drive-through POS terminal and multiple walk-in POS terminals, each having a receipt printer. A label printer may also be provided at each one of various kitchen stations frequently found at such restaurants.
Receipt printers 104 (or POS terminals 106 with integrated receipt printers 104) may forward the order data to label printers 102. Data may be transferred between receipt printers 104 and label printers 102 via communicative links in a network. The links may be wired, wireless, or a combination of wired and wireless connections and may include a connection through a central switch or router 108. The network may be a local area network structured as a bus/tree, ring, and/or star topology implementing a network communications standard such as universal serial bus, Ethernet, token ring, token bus, asynchronous transfer mode, fibre channel, spread spectrum wireless, infrared, etc. Moreover, in one embodiment connections between receipt printers 104 and label printers 102 can be one-way and/or one-to-one connections. For example, each one of receipt printers 104 may connect to a corresponding one of label printers 102 via a separate wired or wireless link, some or all of which may be two-way links, one-way links from receipt printers 104 to label printers 102, or some combination thereof.
Label printers 102 may include hardware and/or software elements adapted to parse the order data received from receipt printers 104. Alternatively, receipt printers 104 or a computing device 110 connected to the network may parse the order data prior to its transmission to label printers 102. The order data may be interpreted or parsed with reference to pre-defined dynamically loaded selection criteria. The selection criteria may include information identifying items available for purchase at the particular retail establishment (e.g., menu items), custom selection information (e.g., no pickles, extra tomatoes, etc.), or other information, such as promotion details. The selection criteria may be programmable so that purchasable items may be added, removed, or altered. Thus, new items may be accommodated in the selection criteria as they become available, older items may be phased out, custom selection information may be added, removed, or changed, and/or customer information may be added, removed, or changed.
A display 112 may be attached to one or more of label printers 102. Displays 112 may be touch screens adapted to display label data for selection by an operator and to communicate operator selections to corresponding label printers 102. In one embodiment displays 112 may be integrated with corresponding label printers 102. Label printers 102 may be controlled via displays 112 to print a subset of label data generated from the order data. In addition, or alternatively, label printers 102 may be controlled via displays 112 to print label data in an order specified by an operator. For example if a first order precedes a second order chronologically but the second order is ready for delivery to a customer first, an operator may, via display 112, select label data corresponding to the second order to be printed sooner than label data corresponding to the first order.
The system of
Processor 306 may process the order data and may manage/control some or all other electronic components of receipt printer 104. Management and control operations may be handled by firmware loaded in processor 306. Processing order data may include reformatting the order data so that it is compatible with another interface such as printing mechanism 310 or send port 304. For example, a receipt may be printed by printing mechanism 310 and processor 306 may format the order data in accordance with a receipt template, e.g., a document comprising a list or table for designating a particular format for printing the order data.
Memory 308 may store receipt templates and label criteria. The receipt template and label criteria may be dynamically selectable and may be loaded via an interface such as receive port 302 or another port adapted to receive data from another device via, for example, a network connection. Dynamically selectable criteria may be stored in a configuration file formatted as, for example, an XML document.
Processor 306 may process the order data to generate label data by parsing and comparing the order data with triggers in the configuration file. Then the label data may be transferred out of receipt printer 104 to label printer 102 via send port 304. In certain embodiments, however, processor 306 may instead forward the order data without generating label data. The order data may be processed for generation of label data by another processor external to receipt printer 104. In one embodiment processor 306 may be a processor on a dual interface connectivity card, which may also include receive port 302 and send port 304.
Processor 406 may process the order data and may manage/control some or all other electronic components of label printer 102. Management and control operations may be handled by firmware loaded in processor 406. As discussed above with reference to
Memory 408 may store the label criteria, among other things. The label criteria may be dynamically selectable and may be loaded via an interface such as receive port 402 or another port adapted to receive data from another device via, for example, a network connection. The dynamically selectable label criteria may be provided in the form of a configuration file, which may be formatted as, for example, an XML document having options, templates, and/or rules. The rules may include triggers and actions. The following is an exemplary format that an option portion of the configuration file may have:
The following is an exemplary format that a template portion of the configuration file may have:
Finally, a rule portion of the configuration file may have the following exemplary format:
Processor 406 may process the order data to generate label data by parsing and comparing the order data with configuration file templates (denoted as “triggers” in the rule portion above). For example, a configuration file may include, in its template portion, text representations of various items that can be purchased and/or custom characteristics of such items. The rule portion may reference (e.g., using match key tags) the template portion of the configuration file to define triggers that will cause an action to take place. As a result, when order data matches text data listed in the template portion of the configuration file, a particular corresponding action, e.g., generation of corresponding label data, may take place. As discussed previously, the template portion may be dynamically selectable so that, for example, new custom characteristics may be added at any time. Access to templates may be restricted by, for example, password protecting the configuration file.
As one example of how order data may be processed, the configuration file may include match keys corresponding to “hamburger” and “no pickles” in the template portion and a rule corresponding to each of the match keys in the rule portion. Thus, if an order for a hamburger with no pickles is placed by a customer the rules of the configuration file will operate to compare the order data with one or more of the templates in the configuration file. If “hamburger” and “no pickles” are recognized as matching a template in the configuration file, corresponding label data may be generated.
Label data may include a trade name for an item. For example, if the order data includes “hamburger,” the corresponding label data may be a trade name such as “Joe's Burger.” In addition, label data may be the same as or very similar to its corresponding order data. For example, if the order data includes “no pickles,” the corresponding label data may be the same data, i.e., “no pickles,” or an abbreviation thereof, e.g., “NP.” Moreover, although a single ordered item has been described in this example, label data may include data corresponding to multiple ordered items.
Instead of generating label data, processor 406 may instead receive label data from an external device via receive port 402. Thus, the label data may be generated by another processor, e.g., processor 306 of receipt printer 104, or by computing device 110, which may be positioned in the network so as to receive order data from one or more of receipt printers 104, process the order data to generate label data, and transmit the label data to one or more of label printers 104. Moreover, receive port 402 and bidirectional port 404 of label printer 102 may be combined as a single bidirectional input/output port in certain embodiments. Once label data has been generated or received, it may be printed via printing mechanism 410.
Input and output devices, such as touch screen 412, may be integrated with or communicatively connected with label printer 104. Touch screen 412 or a similar device may permit an operator to select various options, such as which label data to include on a particular label or an order for printing labels. For example, label printer 102 may receive label print jobs in a queue or spool and the order of print jobs may need to be rearranged to allow, for example, for different order preparation speeds. Alternatively, to reduce complexity or a likelihood of user error, touch screen 412 may be omitted and label printer 102 may be adapted to print labels according to an order of receipt, i.e., first come first serve.
Customer information may be stored in memory 308 of receipt printer 104 and/or memory 408 of label printer 102. Customer information stored in memories 308 and/or 408 may reflect customer information stored in customer information database 114, which may be communicatively attached to printers 102 and 104. In this manner, printers 102 and/or 104 may print receipts and/or labels that include updated customer information, such as promotional items for a given customer based on buying habits, etc. For example, a receipt or label may include a coupon for the customer based on buying habits and the like.
In one embodiment, receipt printer 104 may receive customer identifying information from POS terminal 106. The customer identification may be transferred to customer information database 114 to retrieve information associated with the customer identification. Alternatively, POS terminal 106 may interface with customer information database 114, receive customer information, and forward the information to receipt printer 104. In yet another embodiment, customer information may be forwarded by receipt printer 104 to label printer 102 with or separately from the order data or label data, as the case may be, and label printer 102 may be adapted to interface with customer information database 114 to retrieve information based on the customer information. Once the appropriate information has been retrieved or received by receipt printer 104 or label printer 102, the information (such as a promotion, coupon, etc.) may be printed on a receipt or label to be given to the customer.
The method of
As a third exemplary method, shown in
Stages of
In addition, methods in each of
Example embodiments of methods and systems for intelligently labeling an order have been described. Although embodiments have been described for use in a restaurant scenario, the principles may be applied in other similar contexts where multiple printers are communicatively linked.
Exemplary embodiments may comprise a special purpose or general-purpose computer including various computer hardware implementations. Embodiments may also include computer-readable media for carrying or having computer-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. When information is transferred or provided over a network or another communications connection (either hardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired or wireless) to a computer, the computer properly views the connection as a computer-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/917,470, filed on May 11, 2007.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60917470 | May 2007 | US |
