SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT IN A QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANT ENVIRONMENT

• US 20100042506A1
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tillster, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EMN8 Incorporated
• Inventors: Silva, John, Ravenel, J. Patrick, Chong, Trevor
• Granted Patent: US 9,444,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods for managing digital media content within a quick service restaurant environment to provide a consistent visual experience and accurate, timely data across various digital media displays to QSR customers. In some embodiments, a digital media management appliance (“DMMA”) is used to manage the distribution of digital media data which is used to drive various display devices present in the QSR environment. The DMMA may be configured to extract data from a point of sale (“POS”) system and/or other data sources within the QSR environment in order to generate display data for the digital media devices in the store.

Claims

1. A system for managing digital display content in a quick service restaurant environment, comprising:

a digital media delivery module configured to generate digital media data for a plurality of digital media devices in the quick service restaurant environment;

a memory configured to store the digital media data;

a point of sale interface configured to communicate with a point of sale system in the quick service restaurant environment; and

a translation module configured to receive the generated digital media data from the memory and translate the received data into a format readable by the point of sale system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a digital media management appliance.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital media delivery module comprises at least one or more of a kiosk engine, a digital marketing display engine, an order confirmation display engine, and a digital menu display engine.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the kiosk engine is configured to transmit menu data to a kiosk device for display on the kiosk device.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the digital marketing display engine comprises software configured to play multimedia files on a digital marketing display device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the digital marketing display device comprises a LCD television device in communication with the digital marketing display engine via a DVI interface.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the digital media delivery module further comprises a web ordering engine configured to generate web pages for ordering products in the QSR environment.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a menu building module configured to generate digital menu data and transmit the digital menu data for storage in the memory.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the menu building module comprises:

a database comprising menu data, store data, and promotional data;

a hosted menu building application configured to generate digital display menus; and

a network interface configured to transmit the generated digital display menus over a computer network.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a synchronization module configured to maintain consistency between digital media data and point of sale data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the digital media delivery module is further configured to modify the digital media data based on inventory data stored in a the point of sale system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the digital media data comprises digital menu data.

13. A method of managing digital display content in a quick service restaurant environment, the method comprising:

generating digital media data for a plurality of digital media devices in the quick service restaurant environment;

storing the digital media data;

communicating with a point of sale system in the quick service restaurant environment; and

translating the stored digital media data into a format readable by the point of sale system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the digital media data is generated by at least one or more of a kiosk engine, a digital marketing display engine, an order confirmation display engine, and a digital menu display engine.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting at least a portion of of the digital media data to a kiosk device, wherein the portion of the digital media data comprises menu data.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising playing at least a portion of the digital media data on a digital marketing display device, wherein the portion of the digital media data comprises multimedia files.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the digital marketing display device is a LCD television device in communication with a digital marketing display engine via a DVI interface.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating web pages for ordering products in the QSR environment based on the stored digital media data.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing the digital media data to generate digital menu data; and

transmit the digital menu data to a digital menu display.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the digital menu data comprises menu data, store data, and promotional data.

21. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing synchronization functions to maintain consistency between digital media data and point of sale data.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising modifying the digital media data based on inventory data stored in the point of sale system.