Method of rapidly informing a passerby about a food-and-beverage establishment

• US 20060218041A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mathieu W. Lanfant
• Original Assignee: Mathieu W. Lanfant
• Inventors: Mamedrzaev, Serguei N.
• Application Number:
  US11/104,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218041A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Method of rapidly informing a passerby outside a food-and-beverage establishment about the establishment, so as to entice the passerby to use the services of the establishment, comprises placing an interactive electronic menu board in a location accessible by a passerby from outside the establishment. The interactive menu board broadcasts, by graphical/textual/audio content, aspects of the establishment, and has user-activated links enabling the passerby to expand on a desired category of information, and thereby rapidly informs the passerby. The menu board screen provides a passerby with an information-gathering but non-purchasing relationship with the establishment so the passerby can become informed about the establishment in a non-committal manner. The primary purpose of the menu board is to promote the services of a single establishment. A preferred form of the method'"'"'s default mode comprises attracting the attention of the passerby by dynamically broadcasting text, graphics or audio sounds.

Claims

1. A method of rapidly informing a passerby outside a food-and-beverage establishment about the establishment, so as to entice the passerby to use the services of the food-and-beverage establishment, comprising:

a) placing an interactive electronic menu board in a location accessible by a passerby from outside the food-and-beverage establishment, the interactive menu board showing, by graphical and textual content, different aspects of the food-and-beverage establishment, and having user-activated links that enable the passerby to expand on a desired category of information about the aspects, and thereby rapidly informing the passerby about the food-and-beverage establishment;

b) the menu board screen providing a passerby with an information-gathering but non-purchasing relationship with the food-and-beverage establishment so that the passerby can become informed about the food-and-beverage establishment in a non-committal manner; and

c) the primary purpose of the menu board being to promote the services of a single establishment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising attracting the attention of a passerby in a default mode of operation of the menu board by dynamically broadcasting text or graphics on the menu board or audio sounds in the vicinity of the menu board.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive menu board is a touch-screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive menu board is mounted on a pedestal or on a wall.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive menu board is located in the immediate outside vicinity of a food-and-beverage establishment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive menu board is framed by structure having the appearance of a menu board for hardcopy menus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive menu board includes at least one shortcut icon allowing quick access to categorized information of the food-and-beverage establishment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one shortcut icon is always present on the menu board.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein attracting the attention of a passerby in a default mode of operation comprises providing a default, dynamic display of images on the interactive menu board showing some aspects of the food-and-beverage establishment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the majority of the default, dynamic display of images concerns a single establishment.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing multi-lingual text accompanying and describing individual images.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing default audio sounds, to capture the attention of a passerby.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the audio sounds include a language other than a default language of the menu board.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive menu board provides information about food/beverage and non-food/beverage categories of aspects of the food-and-beverage establishment, so as to reduce the need for the food-and-beverage establishment to additionally display information in hardcopy form of such non-food/beverage categories.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu board provides enhanced, interactively obtained information of at least a menu of the establishment.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the menu board includes a plurality of icons for selecting different languages for the text displayed on the menu board.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the informational content of the menu board is easy to update by the establishment.

18. A method of rapidly informing a passerby outside a food-and-beverage establishment about the establishment, so as to entice the passerby to use the services of the food-and-beverage establishment, comprising:

a) placing an interactive electronic menu board in a location accessible by a passerby from outside the food-and-beverage establishment, the interactive menu board showing, by graphical and textual content, different aspects of the food-and-beverage establishment, and having user-activated links that enable the passerby to expand on a desired category of information about the aspects, and thereby rapidly informing the passerby about the food-and-beverage establishment;

b) the menu board screen providing a passerby with an information-gathering but non-purchasing relationship with the food-and-beverage establishment so that the passerby can become informed about the food-and-beverage establishment in a non-committal manner;

c) the primary purpose of the menu board being to promote the services of a single establishment; and

d) the interactive menu board having a view simultaneously showing multiple items in a category of the services of the establishment.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the items in the category of the establishment comprise foods items served during a particular time period of the day.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the interactive menu board simultaneously shows most of the food items served during a particular time period of the day.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each food item comprises a hyperlink, the selection of which gives a potential customer expanded information about the food or beverage item.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the interactive menu board simultaneously shows all of the food items served during a particular time period of the day.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each food item comprises a hyperlink, the selection of which gives a potential customer expanded information about the food or beverage item.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the expanded information includes one or more of the group consisting of an expanded image of the food or beverage item, detailed text description, nutritional information and a preparation video.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising attracting the attention of a passerby in a default mode of operation of the menu board by dynamically broadcasting text or graphics on the menu board or audio sounds in the vicinity of the menu board.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the menu board includes at least one shortcut icon allowing quick access to categorized information of the food-and-beverage establishment.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the at least one shortcut icon is always present on the menu board.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein attracting the attention of a passerby in a default mode of operation comprises providing a default, dynamic display of images on the interactive menu board showing some aspects of the food-and-beverage establishment.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising providing multi-lingual text accompanying and describing individual images.

30. A method of rapidly informing a passerby outside a food-and-beverage establishment about the establishment, so as to entice the passerby to use the services of the food-and-beverage establishment, comprising:

a) placing an interactive electronic menu board in a location accessible by a passerby from outside the food-and-beverage establishment, the interactive menu board showing, by graphical and textual content, different aspects of the food-and-beverage establishment, and having user-activated links that enable the passerby to expand on a desired category of information about the aspects, and thereby rapidly informing the passerby about the food-and-beverage establishment;

b) the menu board screen providing a passerby with an information-gathering but non-purchasing relationship with the food-and-beverage establishment so that the passerby can become informed about the food-and-beverage establishment in a non-committal manner;

c) the primary purpose of the menu board being to promote the services of a single establishment; and

d) dynamically broadcasting in a default mode, text or graphics on the menu board or sounds near the menu board, informing passersby of the capability of the menu board using a language that differs from a default language.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein dynamically broadcasting comprises a pop-up indication of capability of using a language that differs from a default language.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the menu board includes a plurality of icons for selecting different languages for the text displayed on the menu board.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the menu board includes at least one shortcut icon allowing quick access to categorized information of the food-and-beverage establishment.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least one shortcut icon is always present on the menu board.