Virtual beverage bar design and analysis system

• US 20060080349A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Inventors: Thompson, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/043 Optimisation of two dimensional placement, e.g. cutting of clothes or wood
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for planning an arrangement of beverage equipment on a virtual surface or counter. The system allows a user to create a virtual surface of chosen dimension (32) and then select one or more beverage machines (36) to place on that surface while verifying that there is sufficient open space for the selected beverage machine (38). Also disclosed is a method of determining projected profit (48) based on the selection of beverage machines, entered values related to costs, and entered values related to serving size and pricing. The system reports on projected profits and/or how long the equipment needs to be operated to pay off the equipment'"'"'s cost.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for planning an arrangement of equipment on a surface, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interface having a graphical representation of the surface;

providing on the interface a graphical representation of at least one piece of equipment; and

iteratively allowing a user to select a piece of beverage equipment and place a graphical representation of the selected equipment onto the graphical representation of the surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

selecting an surface area value, the surface area value being an area having at least one of a width dimension and a length dimension;

setting an open space value to the surface area value;

attributing a space demand value to each piece of selected equipment;

iteratively calculating a used space value by taking a sum of the space demand values for each piece of selected equipment; and

iteratively recalculating the open space value by subtracting the used space value from the surface area value.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating the space demand value by multiplying a length dimension by a width dimension for the selected equipment.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of preventing the user from placing the graphical representation of the equipment if so doing would exceed the available open space on the graphical representation of the surface.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising allowing the user to at least one of delete or move one or more of the graphical representations of the selected pieces of equipment.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising allowing the user to move one or more of the placed graphical representations to alternative locations on the graphical representation of the surface.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least a graphical representation of a piece of beverage equipment as the type of equipment which can be selected.

5. (canceled)

9. A computer-implemented method for planning an arrangement of equipment on a surface having a selected area value and projecting income related to the arrangement, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interface having a graphical representation of the surface;

providing on the interface a graphical representation of at least one piece of equipment; and

iteratively allowing a user to select a piece of equipment and place a graphical representation of the selected equipment onto the graphical representation of the surface to create a particular equipment configuration;

assigning a cost value to the equipment configuration;

calculating a projected income value for the equipment configuration; and

displaying a profitability report based on the cost value and projected income value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of calculating the cost value by referencing a cost per unit value entered by the user.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of calculating the cost value by referencing to a cost per unit value retrieved from a set of default values.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising allowing the user to override one or more of the set of default values.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising having the step of calculating an income be referencing a projected price per serving value and a projected number of daily sold servings value.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising allowing the user to modify the projected price per serving value and the projected number of daily sold servings value.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising calculating and displaying a pay-for-itself time period value for a selected piece of beverage equipment in the beverage bar configuration.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising referencing a projected number of daily refills value and a projected charge per refill value to determine the income value.

21. The method of claim 9, further having the profitability report include a profit value for a selected time period, the profit calculation value being calculated for all selected beverage equipment in the equipment configuration.

22. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing at least a graphical representation of a piece of beverage equipment as the type of equipment which can be selected.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising having the printout include a specification sheet for each piece of selected equipment in the equipment configuration.

20. The method of claim 19, further having the specification sheet include a profit value for a particular period attributed to the piece of selected equipment.

23. A computer-implemented method for planning an arrangement of equipment on a surface having a selected area value and projecting income related to the arrangement, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an interface having a graphical representation of the surface;

providing on the interface a graphical representation of at least one piece of equipment; and

iteratively allowing a user to select a piece of equipment and place a graphical representation of the selected equipment onto the graphical representation of the surface to create a particular equipment configuration;

assigning a cost value to the equipment configuration;

calculating a projected income value for the equipment configuration;

displaying a profitability report based on the cost value and projected income value; and

allowing the user to connect via a communication network to an interface for purchasing at least one of the pieces of equipment in the equipment configuration.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating an email to a selected seller of the equipment in the equipment configuration requesting information about the equipment in the equipment configuration.

24. (canceled)

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising having the interface for purchasing be a web site of a seller of the equipment in the equipment configuration.

26. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. A computer-readable medium or modulated signal being encoded with computer-executable instructions to perform a method of planning an arrangement of beverage equipment on a surface having a selected area value and projecting income related to the arrangement comprising:

providing an interface having a graphical representation of the surface;

iteratively allowing a user to select a piece of beverage equipment and place a graphical representation of the selected beverage equipment onto the graphical representation of the surface to create a beverage bar configuration;

assigning a cost value to the beverage bar configuration;

calculating a projected income value for the beverage bar configuration; and

displaying a profitability report based on the cost value and projected income value.