Method and apparatus for selling an aging food product

• US 20010056376A1
• Filed: 05/16/2001
• Published: 12/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Otto, Jonathan, Van Luchene, Andrew S., Tedesco, Daniel E., Walker, Jay S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,184,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 : electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 : Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

An automated kitchen apparatus determines a time until expiration of a food product. In one embodiment, the kitchen apparatus determines the time until expiration by receiving a start signal indicating that a food product is available to sell. Such a start signal may be generated by a timer on a warming bin that is initiated when a food product is placed in the warming bin. By measuring the elapsed time since the start signal was received, the time until expiration is determined. Based on the time until expiration, the automated kitchen apparatus sets the minimum price of that food product. Customers at a POS terminal may then purchase the aged food product for the minimum price. In one embodiment, an offer describing the food product and its minimum price is displayed on the POS terminal. In another embodiment, the customer is offered the food product for his change due, if that change due is not less than the minimum price.

Claims

1. A machine-readable medium that stores a pricing database accessible by a computer, the pricing database organized according to a data structure which defines:

a plurality of representations of food products; and

a plurality of price ranges, each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of food products and each defining a maximum price and a minimum price for which the corresponding food product may be sold in exchange for a round-up amount associated with a purchase.

2. A machine-readable medium that stores a pricing database accessible by computer, the pricing database organized according to a data structure which defines:

a plurality of age categories corresponding to a food product; and

a plurality of price ranges, each corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of age categories and defining a maximum price and a minimum price for which the corresponding food product may be sold in exchange for a round-up amount associated with a purchase when an age of the food product corresponds to the one of the plurality of age categories.

3. A method, comprising:

determining a time until expiration of a food product;

setting a price range of the food product based on the time until expiration; and

storing an indication that the food product may be offered in exchange for a round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range.

4. The method of

claim 3

, wherein the price range defines a minimum price and a maximum price.

5. A method, comprising:

generating a purchase price of a purchase;

generating a rounded price;

calculating a round-up amount, the round amount being a difference between the purchase price and the rounded price;

identifying a food product and a corresponding price range of the food product, wherein the round-up amount is within the price range; and

offering the food product in exchange for the round-up amount.

6. The method of

claim 5

, wherein the step of identifying a food product comprises:

determining a first product, the first product corresponding to a first price range wherein the round-up amount is within the first price range;

determining a second product, the second product corresponding to a second price range wherein the round-up amount is within the second price range; and

selecting one of the first and the second product to offer in exchange for the round-up amount.

7. The method of

claim 6

, wherein the step of selecting comprises:

selecting one of the first and the second product to offer in exchange for the round-up amount in a random fashion.

8. The method of

claim 6

, wherein the step of selecting comprises:

receiving at least one characteristic of the purchase; and

selecting one of the first and second product to offer in exchange for the round-up amount based on the at least one characteristic.

9. The method of clam 8, wherein the step of receiving at least one characteristic of the purchase comprises:

receiving an indication of at least one of (i) a number of customers associated with the purchase, (ii) at least one product included in the purchase, (iii) an age of a customer associated with the purchase, (iv) a weight of a customer associated with the purchase, and (v) a gender of a customer associated with the purchase.

10. A method, comprising:

determining a status of at least one characteristic of a food product, the at least one characteristic being indicative of the age of the food product;

setting a price range of the food product based on the status, wherein the price range defines a minimum price and a maximum price;

generating a purchase price of a purchase;

generating a rounded price;

calculating a round-up amount, the round amount being a difference between the purchase price and the rounded price; and

causing the food product to be offered in exchange for the round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range.

11. The method of

claim 10

, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of (i) a temperature of the food product, (ii) a staleness of the food product, and (iii) a sogginess of the food product.

12. A method, comprising:

determining a time until expiration of a food component;

causing the food component to be made into a food product if the time until expiration is less than a predetermined threshold;

setting a minimum price for the food product based on the time until expiration of the food component; and

causing the food product to be offered in exchange for a round-up amount, wherein the round-up amount is a difference between a purchase price and a rounded price of a purchase.

13. A method, comprising:

determining a time until expiration of a food component;

determining a food product corresponding to the food component;

setting a price range for the food product, wherein the price range defines a minimum price and a maximum price; and

causing an offer to exchange the food product for a round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range to be output, wherein the round-up amount is a difference between a purchase price and a rounded price of a purchase.

14. The method of

claim 13

, further comprising:

causing the food component to be made into the food product and provided in exchange for the round-up amount if the offer is accepted.

15. A method, comprising:

determining a time until expiration of at least one food component of a food product;

determining a time until expiration of the food product based on the time until expiration of the at least one food component;

setting a price range for the food product, wherein the price range defines a minimum price and a maximum price; and

causing an offer to exchange the food product for a round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range to be output, wherein the round-up amount is a difference between a purchase price and a rounded price of a purchase.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor in communication with the storage device, the storage device

storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

determine a time until expiration of a food product;

set a price range of the food product based on the time until expiration; and

store an indication that the food product may be offered in exchange for a round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor in communication with the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

generate a purchase price of a purchase;

generate a rounded price;

calculate a round-up amount, the round amount being a difference between the purchase price and the rounded price;

identify a food product and a corresponding price range of the food product, wherein the round-up amount is within the price range; and

offer the food product in exchange for the round-up amount.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor in communication with the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

determine a status of at least one characteristic of a food product, the at least one characteristic being indicative of the age of the food product;

set a price range of the food product based on the status, wherein the price range defines a minimum price and a maximum price;

generate a purchase price of a purchase;

generate a rounded price;

calculate a round-up amount, the round amount being a difference between the purchase price and the rounded price; and

cause the food product to be offered in exchange for the round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor in communication with the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

determine a time until expiration of a food component;

cause the food component to be made into a food product if the time until expiration is less than a predetermined threshold;

set a minimum price for the food product based on the time until expiration of the food component; and

cause the food product to be offered in exchange for a round-up amount, wherein the round-up amount is a difference between a purchase price and a rounded price of a purchase.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage device; and

a processor in communication with the storage device,

the storage device storing a program for controlling the processor; and

the processor operative with the program to;

determine a time until expiration of a food component;

determine a food product corresponding to the food component;

set a price range for the food product, wherein the price range defines a minimum price and a maximum price; and

cause an offer to exchange the food product for a round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range to be output, wherein the round-up amount is a difference between a purchase price and a rounded price of a purchase.

21. A medium encoded with a program for implementing a method, said program for directing a device to perform the steps of:

determining a time until expiration of a food product;

setting a price range of the food product based on the time until expiration; and

storing an indication that the food product may be offered in exchange for a round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range.

22. A medium encoded with a program for implementing a method, said program for directing a device to perform the steps of:

generating a purchase price of a purchase;

generating a rounded price;

calculating a round-up amount, the round amount being a difference between the purchase price and the rounded price;

identifying a food product and a corresponding price range of the food product, wherein the round-up amount is within the price range; and

offering the food product in exchange for the round-up amount.

23. A medium encoded with a program for implementing a method, said program for directing a device to perform the steps of:

determining a status of at least one characteristic of a food product, the at least one characteristic being indicative of the age of the food product;

setting a price range of the food product based on the status, wherein the price range defines a minimum price and a maximum price;

generating a purchase price of a purchase;

generating a rounded price;

calculating a round-up amount, the round amount being a difference between the purchase price and the rounded price; and

causing the food product to be offered in exchange for the round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range.

24. A medium encoded with a program for implementing a method, said program for directing a device to perform the steps of:

determining a time until expiration of a food component;

causing the food component to be made into a food product if the time until expiration is less than a predetermined threshold;

setting a minimum price for the food product based on the time until expiration of the food component; and

causing the food product to be offered in exchange for a round-up amount, wherein the round-up amount is a difference between a purchase price and a rounded price of a purchase.

25. A medium encoded with a program for implementing a method, said program for directing a device to perform the steps of:

determining a time until expiration of a food component;

determining a food product corresponding to the food component;

setting a price range for the food product, wherein the price range defines a minimum price and a maximum price; and

causing an offer to exchange the food product for a round-up amount if the round-up amount is within the price range to be output, wherein the round-up amount is a difference between a purchase price and a rounded price of a purchase.