Transaction systems and methods wherein a portable customer device is associated with a customer

• US 20020133418A1
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Real-Time Services Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Real-Time Services Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Griffin, Walter T., Hammond, Keith J., Taylor, Sonja Vanessa Wallace
• Application Number:
  US09/809,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133418A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

Transaction systems and methods are provided wherein a portable customer device is associated with a customer. For example, a portable digital assistant may be provided to, and associated with, the customer when he or she enters a restaurant. According to one embodiment, order information is received from the customer via the portable customer device. For example, the customer may select one or more food items from a menu displayed on the portable customer device before he or she is seated at a table. An item may then be provided to the customer in response to the order information.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating transactions, comprising:

associating a portable customer device with a customer;

receiving order information from the customer via the portable customer device; and

providing an item to the customer in response to the order information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the portable customer device to the customer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a payment identifier from the customer to secure the portable customer device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a customer identifier in association with a portable customer device identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said associating is performed before the customer is associated with a location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the location comprises at least one of:

(i) a table location and (ii) a restaurant area location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the order information comprises receiving a one or more item selections.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the order information comprises at least one of:

(i) text information, (ii) audio information, and (iii) image information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the order information comprises at least one of:

(i) a food order, (ii) a service order, (iii) an order update, (iv) an order cancellation, (v) customer preference information, (vi) timing information associated with an order, (vii) customer satisfaction information, (viii) a search term, and (ix) an item information request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving is performed before the customer is associated with a location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing is performed before the customer is associated with a location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the item comprises at least one of:

(i) a food product, and (ii) a service.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging for at least one of the portable customer device or the customer to be associated with a location,

wherein the item is provided to the customer at the location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the location is based on at least one of:

(i) information received from the customer, (ii) information received from an employee, (iii) information received from the portable customer device, and (iv) information received from a table device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting item information to the customer via the portable customer device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the item information comprises a dynamically generated menu.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the item information comprises at least one of:

(i) text information, (ii) audio information, and (iii) image information.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the item information comprises at least one of:

(i) an item description, (ii) an item price, (iii) an item suggestion, and (iv) an item discount.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating inventory information based on at least one of;

(i) the order information, and (ii) said providing the item to the customer.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting order information to an employee.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the employee comprises at least one of:

(i) a host, (ii) a waitperson, (iii) a kitchen employee, and (iv) a manager.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging for the customer to provide payment in exchange for the item.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said arranging for the customer to provide payment comprises at least one of:

(i) transmitting check information to the portable customer device, (ii) printing a check, (iii) transmitting receipt information to the portable customer device, (iv) printing receipt information, (v) processing a payment identifier associated with the customer, and (vi) receiving tip information from the portable customer device.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message from the customer via the portable customer device.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a message to the customer via the portable customer device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the message comprises at least one of:

(i) an audible signal, and (ii) location information.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a supplemental service to the customer via the portable customer device.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

arranging for information to be exchanged between the portable customer device and another portable customer device.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a plurality of portable customer devices with a location.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a plurality of customers with the portable customer device.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable customer device comprises at least one of:

(i) a portable computing device, (ii) a personal digital assistant, (iii) a telephone, (iv) a wireless telephone, and (v) a two-way pager.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving is performed via at least one of:

(i) an Ethernet, (ii) a wireless network, (iii) a local area network, (iv) the Internet, (v) a intranet, (vi) a public network, and (vii) a proprietary network.

33. A computer-implemented method of facilitating restaurant transactions, comprising:

providing a personal digital assistant to a customer;

associating the personal digital assistant with the customer;

transmitting a dynamically generated menu to the personal digital assistant;

receiving a customer order from the personal digital assistant, the customer order comprising a list of food items selected from the dynamically generated menu;

transmitting order information to at least one restaurant employee;

associating the customer with a table location;

providing the selected food items to the customer at the table location in response to the order information;

calculating a total payment amount based on the selected food items; and

arranging for the customer to provide payment of the total payment amount.

36. The controller of claim 35, wherein said storage device further stores at least one of:

(i) a device database, (ii) a customer database, (iii) a location database, (iv) an inventory database, (v) an item database, (vi) a transaction database, (vii) a preference database, (viii) a staff database, and (ix) a message database.

37. The controller of claim 35, further comprising:

a communication device coupled to said processor and adapted to communicate with at least one of;

(i) the portable customer device, (ii) a manager device, (iii) a host device, (iv) a waitperson device, (v) a kitchen device, (vi) a payment device, and (vii) a printer.

40. The portable customer device of claim 39, wherein said storage device further stores at least one of:

(i) a menu database, (ii) a preference database, and (iii) a transaction database.

41. The portable customer device of claim 39, further comprising:

a communication device coupled to said processor and adapted to communicate with at least one of;

(i) a controller, (ii) another portable customer device, (iii) a manager device, (iv) a host device, (v) a waitperson device, (vi) a kitchen device, (vii) a payment device, and (viii) a printer.

42. The portable customer device of claim 39, further comprising:

an input device coupled to said processor and adapted to receive information from the customer,

wherein the input device comprises at least one of;

(i) a keyboard, (ii) a touch screen, (iii) a microphone, and (iv) a payment device.

43. The portable customer device of claim 39, further comprising:

an output device coupled to said processor and adapted to provide information to the customer,

wherein the output device comprises at least one of;

(i) a display screen, (ii) a speaker, and (iii) a printer.

44. The portable customer device of claim 39, further comprising:

a location determining device coupled to said processor and adapted to determine a location associated with the customer.

34. A transaction system, comprising:

a plurality of portable customer devices; and

a controller in communication with the plurality of portable customer devices, said controller comprising;

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

associate a first of the portable customer devices with a customer;

receive order information from the first portable customer device; and

arrange for an item to be provided to the customer in response to the order information.

35. A controller, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

associate a portable customer device with a customer;

receive order information from the portable customer device; and

arrange for an item to be provided to the customer in response to the order information.

38. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method of facilitating transactions, said method comprising:

associating a portable customer device with a customer;

receiving order information from the customer via the portable customer device; and

providing an item to the customer in response to the order information.

39. A portable customer order device, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

associate the portable customer device with a customer;

receive order information from the customer; and

transmit order information to a restaurant controller.

45. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to facilitate restaurant transactions, said method comprising:

arranging for a portable customer device to be associated with a customer;

receiving order information from the customer; and

transmitting order information to a restaurant controller.

46. A method of placing an order in a restaurant, comprising:

receiving a portable customer device from the restaurant;

arranging to be associated with the portable customer device;

providing order information via the portable customer device; and

receiving an item in response to the order information.