Order processing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising maintaining an electronic association between each order received at a place at which goods or services are offered, the goods or services to be delivered at a point in the place, and enabling the association of the order with the delivery place to be altered between the time when the order is placed and the time when the order is delivered.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one aspect, an electronic association is maintained between each order received at a place at which goods or services are offered, the goods or services to be delivered at a point in the place, and the association of the order with the delivery place is enabled to be altered between the time when the order is placed and the time when the order is delivered.
118 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method comprising
maintaining an electronic association between each order received at a place at which goods or services are offered, the goods or services to be delivered at a point in the place, and enabling the association of the order with the delivery place to be altered between the time when the order is placed and the time when the order is delivered.
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2. A method comprising
maintaining an electronic association between each order point from which an order is received and a point at which the order is to be delivered, and enabling the association of the order point with the delivery point to be altered between the time when the order is placed and the time when the order is delivered.
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3. A method comprising
receiving orders for goods or services to be delivered quickly, automatically determining a mode or point at which each of the orders was originated, and automatically inferring from the mode or point at which the order was originated, a class of service to be associated with the order.
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5. Apparatus comprising
stations in a quick-serve commercial establishment, the stations enabling users to enter orders, check the status of orders, and assemble orders for delivery, a network interconnecting the stations, each of the stations comprising storage for data about the orders, and software to cause copies of the data to be cached at multiple ones of the stations.
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7. A method comprising
receiving data about sources of telephone calls from a data port of a telephone switch, and automatically using the data in connection with entry of orders and fulfillment of orders in a place at which goods or services are delivered.
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8. A method comprising
accumulating data about characteristics of telephone calls in which orders are received or goods or services that are to be delivered quickly after the orders are received, associating the data with information about the orders, and analyzing the data and the information to correlate features of the telephone calls with features of the orders.
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9. A method comprising
receiving orders for goods electronically at an order entry point, the orders to be fulfilled by delivery of the goods at a remote delivery point at which the goods are to be quickly prepared in accordance with the orders for delivery to customers at the delivery point.
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15. Apparatus comprising
call center equipment to enable a call center operator to process incoming orders for goods to be delivered quickly, and communication equipment to enable the incoming orders to be forwarded to at least two different delivery points, remote from the call center equipment, at which the goods are to be delivered.
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16. A method comprising
receiving an electronic image of a customer, and associating the electronic image with an order of a customer for goods or services that are to be prepared and delivered quickly to the customer at a delivery location.
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36. Apparatus comprising
a self-service order kiosk at which a customer places an order for goods or services to be prepared and delivered quickly after the order has been placed, and an image capture device to capture an image of the customer at the kiosk when the order is placed.
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37. A method comprising
receiving orders from customers for goods or services to be prepared and delivered quickly to the customers, receiving information about the context in which the orders have been received, and prioritizing the orders for delivery based on the contexts.
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42. A method comprising
enabling a manager to access a management database of a quick-serve restaurant location remotely through a web interface.
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43. A method comprising
obtaining a dynamically changing IP address of a quick-serve restaurant automatically from a server.
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44. A method comprising
receiving electronically from an order point, an order of a customer for goods or services to be prepared and delivered quickly to the customer in a commercial establishment, informing the customer at the order point of an identifier to be displayed at a delivery point in the commercial establishment, the delivery point being different from the order point, and electronically associating the identifier with the order.
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45. A method comprising
receiving at a call center, a call from a customer of a quick-serve restaurant that is remote from the call center, accepting an order from the customer at the call center, and electronically communicating information about the order to the restaurant to cause the order to be fulfilled at the restaurant.
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46. A method comprising
a customer in a restaurant placing an order by speaking with an order taker by telephone, and the order taker entering the order into a user interface of an order management system.
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47. Apparatus comprising
an image capture device to capture an image of a customer in an automobile at an order point of a drive-through lane of a quick-serve restaurant, and software to associate the image with an order placed by the customer at the order point.
Specification