Online networking system for efficient operation of restaurants and method therefor

• US 20040044578A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Soo Do Kim, Hyung Chang Bae
• Original Assignee: David Soo Do Kim, Hyung Chang Bae
• Inventors: Bae, Hyung Chang, Kim, David Soo Do
• Application Number:
  US10/230,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20040044578A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Provided are an online networking system for an efficient operation of restaurants and a method therefore, in which restaurant customers and food material providers input order sheets and estimations of food material prices into a website and restaurants receive the order sheets and the estimations via facsimile so that restaurants serve more customers in circumstances of limited equipment, staffs, place, and time, and purchase food materials from the food material providers presenting a lowest price. The online networking system includes a service provider for operating and managing a web server that provides the website, restaurant customers, food material providers, and the restaurant connected to the web server via Internet terminals and a facsimile. Here, the web server includes a certification server for processing pre-registrations by customers and food material providers themselves, changes, and certifications of members, a restaurant server for managing menu information on restaurants, an order server for processing orders, a food material estimation server for processing the estimation of the food material prices, a mail server, and a facsimile server. Therefore, the restaurant customers or food material providers are directly connected to the menu list screen or the web page of the registered restaurants respectively so that ordering food or submitting the estimation of food material prices is simplified. In addition, the restaurants receive estimations in which the prices of the food materials are compared by the one-to-one price list via the facsimile so that the restaurants can purchase food materials at a lower price.

Claims

1. An online networking system for an efficient operation of restaurants, the online networking system comprising:

a service provider 10 for operating and managing a web server 11 that provides a website for an online networking service;

a plurality of restaurant customers 20 for connecting to the web server 11 via an Internet terminal 21 to order food;

a plurality of food material providers 30 for connecting to the web server 11 via an Internet terminal 31 to present an estimation of food material prices; and

a plurality of restaurants 40 for connecting to the web server 11 via an Internet terminal 41 or a facsimile machine 42 to receive an order sheet and/or an estimation of food material prices via e-mail or facsimile,

wherein, the web server 11 includes;

a certification server 100 for processing registration, change, and certification of members;

a restaurant server 200 for managing menu information of the restaurant 40;

an order server 300 for providing information on the restaurants 40 to the restaurant customer 20 to process orders;

a food material estimation server 400 for receiving estimations of food material prices from the food material providers 30;

a mail server 500 for transferring the order of food and/or the estimation of food material prices via e-mail to the restaurant 40; and

a facsimile server 600 for converting the order of food and/or the estimation of food material prices into a facsimile document format and transferring the format to the facsimile machine 42 of the restaurant 40.

2. The online networking system of claim 1, wherein the restaurant server 200 interacting with a restaurant/menu database 210 storing the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and menus of restaurants includes:

a database module 201 for managing data in the restaurant/menu database 210; and

a service management module 202 for supplying changes of the database.

3. The online networking system of claim 1, wherein the order server 300 interacting with the restaurant/menu database 210 storing the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and menus of restaurants and an order database 310 storing order history includes:

a database module 301 for managing the data of the restaurant/menu database 210 and the order database 310;

a restaurant information/order information search module 302 for searching the data in the restaurant/menu database 210 and the order database 310 according to restaurants, telephone numbers, order histories, and food types;

an order module 303 for receiving orders from the plurality of the restaurant customers 20; and

a service management module 304 for supplying the results of processing orders.

4. The online networking system of claim 1, wherein the food material server 400 interacting with a food material database 410 in which food materials purchased by restaurants are sorted according to restaurants, telephone numbers, contents of estimations, and items includes:

a database module 401 for managing the data of the food material database 410;

a food material estimation information search module 402 for searching the data of the food material database 410 according to restaurants, telephone numbers, contents of estimations, and items of food materials;

an estimation module 403 for receiving estimations of food material prices from the plurality of the food material providers 30 and converting the estimated prices into prices by the one-to-one price list to compare the estimated prices and create a final estimation; and

a service management module 404 for supplying the results of processing estimations.

5. The online networking system of claim 1, wherein the food material server 400 interacting with a food material database 410 in which food materials purchased by restaurants are sorted according to restaurants, telephone numbers, contents of estimations, and items includes:

a database module 401 for managing the data of the food material database 410;

a food material estimation information search module 402 for searching the data of the food material database 410 according to restaurants, telephone numbers, contents of estimations, and items of food materials;

an estimation module 403 for receiving estimations of food material prices according to the one-to-one price list from the food material providers 30 to compare the estimated prices by items and create a final estimation; and

a service management module 404 for supplying the results of processing estimations.

6. The online networking system of claim 3, further comprising a charge server 700 interacting with the order database 310 for calculating rates according to the orders to the restaurants 40 by applying a predetermined rating.

7. The online networking system of claim 1, further comprising an account server 800 for creating financial statements based on the purchases and sales data from the restaurants 40 and storing the purchases and sales data and the financial statements in an account database 810 in order to manage the financial statements and purchases and sales data.

8. An online networking method for an efficient operation of restaurants, the method comprising:

a first act wherein a website of an online networking service for an efficient operation restaurants is opened in the Internet network, a plurality of restaurants 40 are collected as members, and database about the information on the plurality of the member restaurants 40 is created;

a second act wherein a plurality of restaurant customers 20 connect to the website to register as members and register a plurality of the member restaurants 40 as favorite restaurants;

a third act wherein one of the plurality of the restaurant customers 20 orders food on the menu of the restaurant 40 in the website, and a web server 11 of operating the website transfers an order sheet to a facsimile of one of the restaurants 40; and

a fourth act wherein a facsimile machine 42 of the one of the plurality of the restaurants 40 prints the order sheet,

wherein the plurality of the restaurants 40 check the contents of the order sheet and prepare the ordered food so that the restaurant customers 20 pick up the food.

9. The online networking method of claim 8, wherein the second act comprises:

(a) the restaurant customer 20 registering at the website as a member by inputting an identification (ID) and a password, registering a restaurant 40 by inputting the telephone number of the restaurant 40, and submitting the ID, password, and telephone number to a certification server 100;

(b) the certification server 100 interacting with a member database 110 storing the data about the registered members to supply a window in which detailed information on the restaurant customer can be input, and a restaurant server 200 interacting with a restaurant/menu database 210 storing the name, address, telephone numbers of restaurants to display the information on the restaurant 40 having the same telephone number as that input by the restaurant customer 20 on a separate window in the same screen;

(c) the certification server 100 certifying the restaurant customer 20 as a member and registering the restaurant 40 as a favorite restaurant of the restaurant customer 20 by the restaurant customer 20 inputting the detailed information and confirming the restaurant 40; and

(d) an addition banner for favorite restaurants or a banner including a restaurant list displayed on the screen when the restaurant customer 20 who has registered the favorite restaurants signs in the website so that the restaurant customer 20 additionally registers the favorite restaurants by clicking the addition banner and inputting the telephone number of a restaurant 40 or clicking the banner including the restaurant list.

10. The online networking method of claim 8, wherein the second act comprises:

(a) the restaurant customer 20 registering at the website as a member by inputting an ID and a password, registering a restaurant 40 by inputting the telephone number of the restaurant 40, and submitting the ID, password, and telephone number to a certification server 100;

(b) the certification server 100 interacting with a member database 110 storing the data about the registered members in order to supply a window in which detailed information on the restaurant customer can be input, and a restaurant server 200 displaying the list of a plurality of restaurants 40 having the same local number as that of the telephone number input by the restaurant customer 20 in a separate window when the restaurant server 200 cannot find the restaurant 40 having the same telephone number as that input by the restaurant customer 20 from a restaurant/menu database 210 storing the name, address, telephone number, and menu of restaurants 40;

(c) the certification server 100 certifying the restaurant customer 20 as a member and registering the restaurant 40 as a favorite restaurant of the restaurant customer 20 by the restaurant customer 20 inputting the detailed information and confirming at least one restaurant 40 from the restaurant list; and

(d) an addition banner for favorite restaurants or a banner including a restaurant list displayed on the screen when the restaurant customer 20 who has registered the favorite restaurants signs in the website so that the restaurant customer 20 additionally registers the favorite restaurants by clicking on the addition banner and inputting the telephone number of a restaurant 40 or clicking the banner including the restaurant list.

11. The online networking method of claim 10, wherein (b) further includes the restaurant server 200 displaying the list of the plurality of the restaurants 40 related to the name of a restaurant 40 or the local number of the telephone number of the restaurant customer 20 as a keyword in a separate window when the restaurant server 200 cannot find the restaurant 40 having the same telephone number as that input by the restaurant customer 20 from a restaurant/menu database 210.

12. The online networking method of claim 8, wherein the third act further includes:

(1) the restaurant customer 20 signing in the website;

(2) the restaurant customer 20 directly connected to the menu list screen of a previously registered favorite restaurant 40;

(3) the restaurant customer 20 choosing a dish from the menu of the restaurant 40 so that the order history and options of the restaurant customer 20 are displayed, and creating an order sheet by inputting changes in options when needing changes in the options of the food or confirming the order in the other case;

(4) the web server 11 receiving the order sheet; and

(5) the web server 11 converting the order sheet into a facsimile document format to be transferred to a facsimile machine 42 of the restaurant 40.

13. The online networking method of claim 8, wherein the third act further includes:

(1) the restaurant customer 20 signing in the website;

(2) the menus of at least two of the plurality of favorite restaurants 40 previously registered by the restaurant customer 20 on one screen;

(3) the restaurant customer 20 choosing a dish from the menu of the restaurant 40 so that the order history and options of the restaurant customer 20 are displayed, and creating an order sheet by inputting changes in options when needing changes in the options of the food or confirming the order in the other case;

(4) the web server 11 receiving the order sheet; and

(5) the web server 11 converting the order sheet into a facsimile document format in order to transfer it to a facsimile machine 42 of the restaurant 40.

17. The online networking method of claim 10, wherein (b) further includes the food material server 400 displaying the list of restaurants 40 related to the name of a restaurant 40 or the local number of the telephone number of the food material provider 30 as a keyword in a separate window when the food material server 400 cannot find the restaurant 40 having the same telephone number as that input by the food material provider 30 from a food material database 410.

14. An online networking method for an efficient operation of restaurants, the online networking method comprising:

a first act where a service provider 10 opens a website of an online networking service for an efficient operation of restaurants on the Internet, collecting restaurants 40 as members, and creating database about the information on the member restaurants 40 and the food material items required in the member restaurants 40;

a second act where food material providers 30 connect to the website to register as a member and register member restaurants 40 as food material delivery restaurants;

a third act where the food material providers 30 present estimations of food material prices required in the restaurants 40 so that the web server 11 for operating the website transfers the estimations to the facsimile machine 42 of the restaurants 40; and

a fourth act where the facsimile machine 42 of the restaurants 40 prints the estimations,

wherein the food material providers 30 present the estimations of the food material prices required in the restaurants 40 on the website so that the restaurants 40 check the estimations printed by the facsimile machine 42 and order the delivery of food materials from the food material providers 30.

15. The online networking method of claim 14, wherein the second act further includes:

(a) the food material provider 30 registering to the website as a member by inputting an ID and a password, registering a restaurant 40 by inputting the telephone number of the restaurant 40, and submitting the ID, password, and telephone number to a certification server 100;

(b) the certification server 100 interacting with a member database 110 storing the data about the registered members to supply a window in which detailed information on the food material provider can be input, and a food material server 400 interacting with a food material database 410 storing the food materials sorted by restaurants, telephone numbers, estimation contents, and items to display the information on the restaurant 40 having the same telephone number as that input by the food material provider 30 on a separate window in the same screen;

(c) the certification server 100 certifying the food material provider 30 as a member and registering the restaurant 40 as a food material delivery restaurant of the food material provider 30 by the food material provider 30 inputting the detailed information and confirming the restaurant 40;

(d) displaying estimation input windows for each item of food materials required in the restaurants 40 so that the food material provider 30 inputs the prices of the food material in an estimation input window and submits the prices to the web server 11; and

(e) an addition banner for food material delivery restaurants or a banner including a restaurant list displayed on the screen when the food material provider 30 who has registered the food material delivery restaurants signs in the website so that the food material provider 30 additionally registers the food material delivery restaurants by clicking the addition banner and inputting the telephone number of a restaurant 40 or clicking the banner including the restaurant list.

16. The online networking method of claim 14, wherein the second act further includes:

(a) the food material provider 30 registering to the website as a member by inputting an ID and a password, registering a restaurant 40 by inputting the telephone number of the restaurant 40, and submitting the ID, password, and telephone number to a certification server 100;

(b) the certification server 100 interacting with a member database 110 storing the data about the registered members to supply a window in which detailed information on the food material provider can be input, and a food material server 400 displaying the list of restaurants having the same local number as that of the telephone number input by the food material provider 30 in a separate window when the food material server 400 cannot find the restaurant 40 having the same telephone number as that input by the food material provider 30 from a food material database 410 storing the food materials sorted by restaurants, telephone numbers, estimation contents, and items;

(c) the certification server 100 certifying the food material provider 30 as a member and registering the restaurant 40 as a food material delivery restaurant of the food material provider 30 by the food material provider 30 inputting the detailed information and confirming at least one restaurant 40 from the restaurant list;

(d) displaying estimation input windows for each item of food materials required in the restaurants 40 so that the food material provider 30 inputs the prices of the food material in an estimation input window and submits the prices to the web server 11; and

(e) an addition banner for food material delivery restaurants or a banner including a restaurant list displayed on the screen when the food material provider 30 who has registered the food material delivery restaurants signs in the website so that the food material provider 30 additionally registers the food material delivery restaurants by clicking the addition banner and inputting the telephone number of a restaurant 40 or clicking the banner including the restaurant list.

18. The online networking method of claim 14, wherein the third act further includes:

(1) the food material provider 30 signing in the website;

(2) displaying the list of the food material delivery restaurants 40 previously registered by the food material provider 30 on a web page;

(3) the food material provider 30 selecting the restaurants 40 from the list of the food material delivery restaurants 40 to which the food material provider 30 will present an estimation of food material prices;

(4) the food material provider 30 inputting estimated prices for the food material list required in the restaurants 40;

(5) converting the estimated prices presented by a plurality of food material providers into the one-to-one prices by the one-to-one price list to create a final estimation; and

(6) the web server 11 converting the final estimation into a facsimile document format to transfer to a facsimile machine 42 of the restaurant 40.

19. The online networking method of claim 14, wherein the third act further includes:

(1) the food material provider 30 signing in the website;

(2) displaying the list of the food material delivery restaurants 40 previously registered by the food material provider 30 on a web page;

(3) the food material provider 30 selecting the restaurants 40 from the list of the food material delivery restaurants 40 to which the food material provider 30 will present an estimation of food material prices;

(4) the food material provider 30 inputting estimated prices for the food materials when the one-to-one price list is displayed on the screen;

(5) comparing the estimated prices of the food materials presented by a plurality of food material providers to create a final estimation; and

(6) the web server 11 converting the final estimation into a facsimile document format to be transferred to a facsimile machine 42 of the restaurant 40.