On-premises restaurant communication system and method

• US 20120206237A1
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Long Range Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Long Range Systems LLC
• Inventors: Lovegreen, Kenneth J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,942,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An on-premises restaurant communication system for communicating a particular customer'"'"'s table number to a food server at a central service station. Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) tags are mounted on the underside of the restaurant'"'"'s tables. The customer is provided with a pager having a pager ID associated with the customer'"'"'s food order. The pager is modified to include an RFID reader and an RF transmitter. When the customer places the pager on a selected table, the RFID reader reads an RFID number from the table'"'"'s RFID tag. The RF transmitter transmits the pager ID and RFID number to the central station, which uses this information to associate the food order with the table number. The table number is provided to the food server for delivery of the food order to the proper table.

Claims

1. An on-premises communication system for use in a restaurant having a plurality of tables and a central service station, the system comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency identifier (RFID) tags, each RFID tag having an RFID number and being attached to one of the plurality of tables in the restaurant, wherein each table is identified by a different RFID number;

a mobile device provided to a customer, the mobile device having a device identifier number associated with a food order for the customer, the mobile device comprising;

an RFID reader for reading the RFID number from a given RFID tag when the customer places the mobile device on a given table to which the given RFID tag is attached; and

a transmitter for transmitting a signal to the central service station, the signal including the device identifier number and the RFID number read from the given RFID tag;

wherein the central service station includes;

a receiver for receiving the signal from the mobile device;

processor-controlled means for associating the received device identifier number with the food order for the customer;

processor-controlled means for associating the received RFID number with the given table;

processor-controlled means for associating the food order for the customer with the given table; and

means for presenting to a restaurant staff member, an association between the food order for the customer and the given table for facilitating delivery of the food order to the given table.

2. The on-premises communication system according to claim 1, wherein the central service station also includes a paging transmitter, and the mobile device also includes a paging receiver and means for alerting the customer when a paging message is received from the paging transmitter;

wherein when the food order for the customer is ready and no association between the food order and one of the tables is presented to the restaurant staff member, the paging transmitter sends the paging message to the mobile device.

3. The on-premises communication system according to claim 2, wherein the mobile device includes processor-controlled circuitry powered by an internal rechargeable battery, and the system further comprises:

a plurality of mobile devices for providing to a plurality of customers; and

a battery charger for simultaneously recharging the batteries of the plurality of mobile devices.

4. The on-premises communication system according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device also includes:

a button for the customer to input a request for service; and

means for generating a request message in response to detecting that the customer pressed the button, the request message including the RFID number read from the table'"'"'s RFID tag;

wherein the transmitter transmits the request message to the central service station.

5. An on-premises pager for use in a restaurant having a plurality of tables and a central service station, the pager having a pager identifier associated with a food order for a customer, the pager comprising:

a radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader for reading an RFID number from an RFID tag attached to one of the plurality of tables in the restaurant when the customer places the pager on the table to which the RFID tag is attached;

a transmitter for transmitting a signal to the central service station, the signal including the pager identifier and the RFID number read from the RFID tag;

a paging receiver for receiving a paging message from the central service station when the RFID reader does not read any RFID number; and

an alerting mechanism for alerting the customer that the paging message has been received.

6. The on-premises pager according to claim 5, further comprising:

processor-controlled circuitry powered by an internal rechargeable battery; and

means for connecting the pager to a battery charger for recharging the battery.

7. The on-premises pager according to claim 5, further comprising:

a button for the customer to input a request for service; and

means for generating a request message in response to detecting that the customer pressed the button, the request message including the RFID number read from the table'"'"'s RFID tag;

wherein the transmitter transmits the request message to the central service station.

8. A method of communicating a customer'"'"'s table number to a food server in a restaurant having a plurality of tables and a central service station, the method comprising the steps of:

attaching a plurality of radio frequency identifier (RFID) tags to the plurality of tables in the restaurant, each RFID tag having an RFID number, and each table being identified by a different RFID number;

associating a device identifier number of a mobile device with a food order for the customer;

providing the mobile device to the customer, the mobile device including an RFID reader and a transmitter;

reading the RFID number from a given RFID tag with the RFID reader when the customer places the mobile device on a given table to which the given RFID tag is attached;

transmitting a signal by the transmitter to the central service station, the signal including the device identifier number and the RFID number read from the given RFID tag;

utilizing the device identifier number and the RFID number by the central service station to associate the food order with the given table number; and

presenting the association of the food order with the given table number to a food server when the food order is ready.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of utilizing the device identifier number and the RFID number by the central service station to associate the food order with the given table number includes the steps of:

associating the received device identifier number with a food order number for the customer utilizing a first lookup table;

associating the received RFID number with a table number for the given table utilizing a second lookup table;

providing the food order number and the table number to an associating unit that associates the food order for the customer with the given table.