Point-of-sale customer order system utilizing an unobtrusive transmitter/receiver and voice recognition software

• US 20020049598A1
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manuel Negreiro
• Original Assignee: Manuel Negreiro
• Inventors: Negreiro, Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 7,110,963 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A point-of-sale order system utilizes a relatively non-obtrusive transmitter-receiver device which includes a microphone for receiving order information and a speaker for receiving confirmation of the order information. The system utilizes voice recognition software in order to control processing and data flow during order taking operations, and to receive order information from the server in real time during interaction with the customer. A relatively limited database of recognizable words define computing commands and order information. An audible feedback is provided to the server which is relatively unobtrusive, and which provides the server with a positive indication that the order information has been fully and correctly received and processed.

Claims

1. A method of entering restaurant food orders in a non-obtrusive point-of-sale order system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one server with a non-obtrusive transmitter-receiver device which includes at least a microphone device for receiving order information from the server and a speaker device for receiving confirmation of the order information by the server;

providing a voice recognition software module for receiving a data flow from the microphone of the server in real time during interaction with a customer and for processing the data flow to provide order information to an order processing software module; and

wherein the order processing module also includes a feedback function for providing feedback to the server of the order information processed by the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback which is provided to the server by the order processing module is an audible feedback using the speaker device of the server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition software module is linked to a relatively limited database of recognizable words which define computing commands and order information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a point-of-sale device, a food expediter system and a table management system are all linked within a common communication system which utilizes the microphone and speaker of each individual server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition software module is trained to recognize the voice characteristics of a particular server utilizing the point-of-sale order system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the microphone device which is carried by each individual server includes an earpiece which performs the functions of a microphone and a headset, the system further including a receiver/transmitter device carried at a different location on the server which is linked to the microphone device by a wireless communication link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the order processing module confirms the server'"'"'s order data through an echo back transmission to the server that the order has been placed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice recognition software module is actively listening in the background as the server talks to a customer and the customer places an order with the server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the data flow received by the voice recognition software module and processed by the order processing module generates commands which are masked as ordinary dialog commonly utilized by servers in their interaction with customers in a restaurant.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the voice recognition software module is used in a scripted interaction between a customer and an automated telephonic order taking system as opposed to a live interaction between a customer and a server.

11. An improved point-of-sale customer order apparatus, comprising:

(a) a plurality of portable communication devices, each including;

(1) a receiver for receiving information from a data processing implemented order system;

(2) a transmitter for transmitting information to said data processing implemented order system;

(3) a microphone for generating at least one electrical signal corresponding to at least a portion of an order dialog;

(4) a speaker for developing audible information in response to said order dialog;

(b) at least one data processing implemented order system, including;

(1) a receiver for receiving information from said plurality of portable communication devices;

(2) a transmitter for transmitting information to said plurality of portable communication devices;

(3) a voice recognition software module for receiving said at least one electrical signal from said microphone of said plurality of portable communication devices and generating at least one text string corresponding thereto;

(4) a voice module for generating said audible information;

(5) an order processing software module composed of executable instructions for;

(a) receiving as an input said at least one text string;

(b) processing said at least one text string in a manner which fills an order;

(c) supplies a text input to said voice module to develop said audible information; and

(d) utilizes said transmitter to transmit said audible information.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, during an order entry mode of operation, at least one server utilizes said microphone and said transmitter of said plurality of portable communication devices to communicate at least one of (a) order information, and (b) order commands to said at least one data processing implemented order system during an order dialog between said at least one server and at least one customer.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, during an order confirmation mode of operation, said at least one data processing implemented order system utilizes said voice module and said transmitter to communicate audible information which provides confirmation to at least one server of at least one of (a) the entry of order information, and (b) the performance of order commands, which were detected and an order dialog between said at least one server and at least one customer.