Order delivery system and method

• US 10,026,055 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2013
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 8242186 CANADA INC.
• Original Assignee: 8242186 CANADA INC.
• Inventors: Riel-Dalpe, Mathieu, Rolph, Randall, Deguire, Annie, Boisvert, Raymond, Depault, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwarere, Oluseye
• Application Number:
  US14/423,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20150262121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 705 15, 705 28, 705 715
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A method and system for tracking of a delivery of a menu item. The method includes receiving an order for the menu item from a customer interface, the order identifying a selected menu item and an address for the delivery; sending a request for preparation of the menu item; identifying an available delivery vehicle among a plurality of delivery vehicles; receiving a preparation completion notification indicating that preparation of the menu item has ended; dispatching the order for delivery, including an identification of the available delivery vehicle and the address; receiving a displacement notification indicating that the menu item is being displaced by the available delivery vehicle; retrieving geopositional data representing a geographical position of the available delivery vehicle; sending a displacement notification to the customer interface including an indication of the geographical position of the available delivery vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a first computer, for tracking of a delivery of a menu item, the method including:

at the first computer, receiving, over the Internet, an order for said menu item from a customer interface on a second computer, said order identifying a selected menu item and an address for said delivery;

at the first computer, sending, over the Internet to a third computer, a request for preparation of said menu item;

at the first computer, identifying an available delivery vehicle among a plurality of delivery vehicles;

at the first computer, over the Internet, receiving a preparation completion notification indicating that preparation of said menu item has ended;

at the first computer, dispatching, over the Internet, said order for delivery, including an identification of said available delivery vehicle and said address;

at the first computer, receiving, over the Internet, a displacement notification indicating that said menu item is being displaced by said available delivery vehicle; and

at the first computer, retrieving geopositional data representing a geographical position of said available delivery vehicle; and

at the first computer, sending, over the Internet, a displacement notification to said customer interface on the second computer, the displacement notification including an indication of said geographical position of said available delivery vehicle.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sending a menu item preparation completion notification to said customer interface including said indication that preparation of said menu items has ended.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving a preparation beginning notification indicating that preparation of said menu item has begun and sending a menu item preparation beginning notification to said customer interface including said indication that preparation of said menu item has begun.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sending said request for preparation of said menu item further comprises triggering a video capture of said preparation of said menu item and transmitting said video capture to said customer interface.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving an identification of food components used in said preparation of said menu item and storing said identification of food components for traceability purposes.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining a preparation estimated delay, said preparation estimated delay representing a time delay estimated for the preparation of said menu item.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising receiving an estimate update notification representing an updated preparation estimated delay for the preparation of said menu item.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sending a request for preparation of said menu item includes indicating said preparation estimated delay and the method further comprising triggering a food preparation interface to display a countdown using said preparation estimated delay.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said order further identifies a time for said delivery, wherein said sending a request for preparation further includes said time for said delivery.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said order further identifies a time for said delivery, the method further comprising determining a recommended order preparation beginning time using said time for said delivery and said preparation estimated delay and wherein said sending a request for preparation one of includes said order preparation beginning time and is timed with said recommended order preparation beginning time.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising determining a pick-up estimated delay, said pick-up estimated delay representing a time delay estimated for the arrival of said available delivery vehicle for pick-up of said menu item after preparation, the method further comprising determining a recommended order preparation beginning time using said pick-up estimated delay and said preparation estimated delay and wherein said sending a request for preparation is one of timed with said recommended order preparation beginning time and includes said order preparation beginning time.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retrieving said geopositional data representing said geographical position of said available delivery vehicle begins one of before said identifying said available delivery vehicle, after said identifying said available delivery vehicle, after said receiving said preparation completion notification, after said dispatching said order for delivery and after said receiving said displacement notification indication.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising obtaining a trajectory for said available delivery vehicle between said geographical position and said address, determining a delivery delay determined using said trajectory, said delivery delay including at least one of a distance to said address, an estimated displacement time and an estimated time of arrival and sending said delivery delay to said customer interface.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising triggering said customer interface to at least one of display a delivery delay countdown using said delivery delay, emit a sound when said available delivery vehicle is within a predetermined range of said address, emit a sound when said displacement notification is sent.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said order further identifies a provider for said menu item, wherein said sending a request for preparation of said menu item further includes sending said request to said provider identified in said order and wherein said dispatching said order for delivery further includes an identification of said provider.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dispatching said order for delivery further comprises triggering a video capture of a displacement of said available delivery vehicle and transmitting said video capture to said customer interface.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving an order further comprises receiving a request to chat during displacement of the available delivery vehicle and a chat identification number, wherein said dispatching said order further includes said chat identification number, wherein said available delivery vehicle is adapted to be able to chat about said order using said chat identification number.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising obtaining a temperature of said menu item in said available delivery vehicle and wherein said sending said displacement notification further includes said temperature of said menu item.

19. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiving said order further comprising receiving an electronic payment for said order.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said receiving said order further includes an identification of at least two customers for said order, said electronic payment combining individual electronic payment from each of said at least two customers.

21. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving a payment notification indicating that said order was paid for.

22. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving a delivery completion notification indicating that said order was delivered to said address.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, further comprising updating a status of said available delivery vehicle to be awaiting assignment.

24. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dispatching said order further comprises triggering a display provided on an exterior of said available delivery vehicle to display an advertisement, said advertisement being selected using said order.

25. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein retrieving said geopositional data representing said geographical position of said available delivery vehicle begins before said identifying said available delivery vehicle, wherein said identifying said available delivery vehicle includes using said geopositional data to determine a closest delivery vehicle to a pick-up location for said prepared menu item.

26. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said identifying said available delivery vehicle further includes using said address of a current delivery made by said available delivery vehicle to determine a closest delivery vehicle to a pick-up location for said prepared menu item.

27. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining an estimated time of delivery completion, wherein said identifying said available delivery vehicle further includes using said address of a current delivery made by said available delivery vehicle and said estimated time of delivery completion to determine said available delivery vehicle to be dispatched to a pick-up location for said prepared menu item.

28. A first computer for tracking of a delivery of a menu item, the first computer including:

a customer order receiver for receiving, at the first computer, over the Internet, an order for said menu item from a customer interface on a second computer, said order identifying a selected menu item and an address for said delivery;

a restaurant order dispatcher for sending, over the Internet to a third computer, a request for preparation of said menu item and receiving a preparation completion notification indicating that preparation of said menu item has ended;

a driver assignment dispatcher for identifying an available delivery vehicle among a plurality of delivery vehicles, dispatching said order for delivery, including an identification of said available delivery vehicle and said address and receiving a displacement notification indicating that said menu item is being displaced by said available delivery vehicle; and

a driver geoposition reporter for retrieving geopositional data representing a geographical position of said available delivery vehicle; and

a customer feedback provider for sending, over the Internet, a displacement notification to said customer interface on the second computer, the displacement notification including an indication of said geographical position of said available delivery vehicle.