METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REMOTE ORDERS

• US 20100268378A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perk Dynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Perk Dynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Sharpley, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,773,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/233
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/52 Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus ; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/521 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a computer or a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A system for and method of processing customer orders are disclosed. The system contains an order entry device, software having a database and at least an interface function, an algorithm adapted for selecting the order processing location and adapted for transmitting customer orders to the order processing device. The method of processing customer orders includes collecting the orders at an order entry device such as a point of sale, prioritizing and queuing the orders, identifying the best point of delivery for each order, transmitting the order to the point of delivery and processing the order at the point of delivery. This saves time for the customer and improves the accuracy of filling the orders.

Claims

1. A network of devices comprising:

a. an order entry device for entering an order;

b. a data device for processing the order received from the order entry device; and

c. a dispensing device for dispensing an item based on the order processed by the data device.

2. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the order entry device is selected from the group consisting of a grocery/check out machine, a checkout kiosk, a point of sale device, a mobile device, a personal computer, a laptop, a netbook and a kiosk.

3. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device further comprises a brewing device.

4. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device contains one or more recipes for preparing the item to be dispensed.

5. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device is selected from the group consisting of a manual device, a semi-automatic device and a fully automatic device.

6. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device is selected from the group consisting of an espresso brewing machine, a coffee brewing machine, a tea brewing machine, a soup brewing machine, an ice cream machine, a smoothie machine and an iced coffee/tea machine.

7. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device further comprises an application for selecting an order processing location and transmitting the order to the dispensing device at the order processing location.

8. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device is for storing statistical data and performance data.

9. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device is for storing error data.

10. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device is for storing alerts.

11. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein data stored in the data device is stored in a database and is reported to a reporting system.

12. The network of devices of claim 11 wherein the reporting system dispatches the data to a messaging system.

13. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device receives the order in a first format and translates the order into a second format that the dispensing device understands.

14. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device determines a delivery location based upon at least one of order parameters, a GPS location and a selected delivery location.

15. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device records data of all items dispensed.

16. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device maintains an order queue to prioritize orders.

17. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device implements load balancing wherein orders are sent to various dispensing devices to maintain a balanced load on the dispensing devices.

18. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device includes an order queue display to enable a user to view an order queue.

19. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device enables future orders to be placed.

20. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device changes at least one of settings and recipes on the dispenser device.

21. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device sends a base setting to dispenser devices and delta settings based on a location of each of the dispenser devices.

22. A system for processing customer orders programmed in a memory on a device comprising:

a. an order acceptance module for accepting orders;

b. an order flow module for controlling a flow of the orders received from the order acceptance module; and

c. a dispenser interface module for providing dispensing control of the orders received from the order flow module.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the orders are selected from the group consisting of point of sale orders, kiosk orders, web orders, mobile orders, point of service orders and remote orders.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein controlling the flow of the orders includes controlling a queue of the orders, implementing flags to re-order an order and controlling staged orders.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein providing dispensing control includes providing load leveling across multiple machines, sequence integrity of the orders, re-order data capture and machine control.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the dispensing interface module is further for translating commands from a first format to a second format.

27. A method of processing customer orders comprising:

a. collecting the orders at an order entry device;

b. transmitting the orders to a point of delivery device; and

c. processing the orders at the point of delivery device.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising prioritizing and queuing the orders.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising identifying the point of delivery device for each of the orders.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein transmitting the orders to the point of delivery device includes translating the orders from a first format to a second format.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising updating machine settings at the point of delivery device.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein collecting the orders includes a customer ordering without verbal communication.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the point of delivery device comprises a brewing and dispensing device.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the point of delivery device comprises one or more recipes which are utilized to process the orders.

35. The method of claim 27 further comprising determining a location of the point of delivery device based upon at least one of order parameters, a GPS location and a selected delivery location.

36. The method of claim 27 further comprising maintaining an order queue to prioritize the orders.

37. The method of claim 27 further comprising implementing load balancing wherein the orders are sent to various point of delivery devices to maintain a balanced load on the point of delivery devices.

38. A device comprising:

a. a memory for storing an application, the application for;

i. communicating with an order entry device; and

ii. communicating with a point of delivery device; and

b. a processing component coupled to the memory, the processing component for processing the application.

39. The device of claim 38 wherein the application is further for prioritizing and queuing orders.

40. The device of claim 38 wherein the application is further for identifying the point of delivery device for orders.

41. The device of claim 38 wherein the application is further for transmitting orders to the point of delivery device including translating the orders from a first format to a second format.

42. The device of claim 38 wherein the application is further for updating machine settings at the point of delivery device.

43. The device of claim 38 wherein the point of delivery device comprises a brewing and dispensing device.

44. The device of claim 38 wherein the point of delivery device comprises one or more recipes which are utilized to process orders.

45. The device of claim 38 wherein the application is further for determining a location of the point of delivery device based upon at least one of order parameters, a GPS location and a selected delivery location.

46. The device of claim 38 wherein the application is further for implementing load balancing wherein orders are sent to various point of delivery devices to maintain a balanced load on the point of delivery devices.

47. A system for collecting and storing data comprising:

a. a beverage making and dispensing device; and

b. a data device containing an application having a database and an interface that collects the data from the beverage making and dispensing device and stores the data in the database.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the beverage making and dispensing device and the data device communicate using at least one of a serial protocol and a network protocol.

49. The system of claim 47 wherein the data comprises statistical data and performance data.

50. The system of claim 47 wherein the data comprises error data.

51. The system of claim 47 wherein the data comprises alerts.

52. The system of claim 47 wherein the data is stored in a database and is reported to a reporting system.

53. The system of claim 52 wherein the reporting system dispatches the data to a messaging system.

54. A delivery device comprising:

a. a receiving component for receiving an order from a data device;

b. a processing component for processing the order received from the data device; and

c. a dispensing component for dispensing an item based on the order.

55. The delivery device of claim 54 wherein the receiving component receives the order utilizing at least one of a serial protocol and a network protocol.

56. The delivery device of claim 54 wherein the processing component processes the order using a recipe contained within the dispensing device.

57. The delivery device of claim 54 wherein the processing comprises brewing a beverage.

58. The delivery device of claim 54 wherein the processing component is further for updating settings of the delivery device.