Restaurant management system

• US 20030088469A1
• Filed: 07/16/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Richard Leifer
• Original Assignee: Richard Leifer
• Inventors: Leifer, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/195,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088469A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1696 the I/O peripheral being a printing or scanning device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A restaurant management system that enables the customer to be in direct contact with the server or a fulfillment source at all times, in addition to allowing the restaurant management to monitor service and maintenance throughout the establishment. Keypads are disposed at customer locations and/or service/maintenance locations within the restaurant. The customer keypads are adapted to receive item requests from the customer, while the service/maintenance keypads are adapted to receive information from the service/maintenance personnel to indicate the status of the service or maintenance. The keypads are in wireless communication with a central station and thereby allow a centralized system to monitor and evaluate service efficiency, in addition to controlling service within the establishment. Timers are associated with respective tasks and the fulfillment of the incoming requests from the customers (i.e., directly via keypad or indirectly via service personnel). The timers are checked and determinations as to the efficiency and service of the establishment can be easily made and revised as needed by management.

Claims

1. A restaurant service system comprising:

a server personal digital assistant (PDA) programmed to include each menu item offered to a customer and having an input pen for inputting information into the server PDA, said PDA containing additional information relating to the menu items.

2. The restaurant service system according to claim 1, wherein said additional information comprises at least one of nutritional, ingredient, preparation, portion size and photographic information relating to each menu item.

3. The restaurant service system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a customer keypad and display device disposed at customer locations within the restaurant; and

processing means in communication with the customer keypad and said server PDA, wherein said display on said customer keypad provides a display of the customer'"'"'s ordered items as they are entered by the server into the server PDA.

4. The restaurant service system according to claim 3, wherein said server PDA is in wireless communication with the customer keypad.

5. The restaurant service system according to claim 3, wherein said customer keypad and display provides the customer with a display of the ordered items as the server enters the items into the service PDA.

6. The restaurant service system according to claim 3, wherein said customer keypad includes additional information relating to the menu items.

7. The restaurant service system according to claim 6, wherein said additional information comprises at least one of nutritional, ingredient, preparation, portion size and photographic information relating to each menu item.

8. The restaurant service system according to claim 3, wherein said customer keypad further comprises handwriting recognition capabilities, wherein the customer may handwrite their order on said customer keypad display.

13. The restaurant management system according to claim 8, wherein the display on said service/maintenance panel displays instructions to service/maintenance personnel for what service/maintenance needs to be performed in the location of said keypad.

14. The restaurant management system according to claim 13, wherein said central station selectively transmits said instructions to said service/maintenance panels based on a predetermined service/maintenance criteria.

9. A restaurant management system comprising:

a service/maintenance personnel panel disposed at locations within a restaurant that require service and/or maintenance; and

a central station in communication with each service/maintenance panel, said service/maintenance panels providing said central station with information relating to the service/maintenance performed at the location of each respective panel.

10. The restaurant management system according to claim 9, wherein each of said service/maintenance personnel panels include a display and at least one button for inputting commands.

11. The restaurant management system according to claim 9, wherein said central station further comprises a service/maintenance database for indicating a status of the service and maintenance performed in the locations containing said service/maintenance panel.

12. The restaurant management system according to claim 9, wherein the information relating to the service/maintenance performed includes the time and date on which the service/maintenance was performed.

15. A Method for managing a restaurant comprising the steps of:

receiving an incoming request for fulfillment;

assigning a time period for response corresponding to the received request;

forwarding the received request to a fulfillment source and starting a timer corresponding to the assigned time period for the received request;

determining whether the assigned time period has expired; and

determining whether the fulfillment source has confirmed fulfillment of the received request when the time period has expired.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether ultimate fulfillment of the received request requires service personnel intervention;

notifying the service personnel that the received request has been fulfilled by the fulfillment source and requires intervention for ultimate fulfillment when it has been determined that service personnel intervention is required;

starting a timer upon notifying the service personnel of their required intervention for ultimate fulfillment; and

determining whether the service personnel has confirmed ultimate fulfillment by delivering the requested item to the requesting customer.