PATRON SERVICE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20120278199A1
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tiare Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Julie Werbitt
• Inventors: WERBITT, Julie
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A method of using a wireless patron unit within a venue, and within a vicinity of the venue, includes providing at least one patron with a wireless patron unit having a touch-screen display, which has stored therein at least one venue specific application program. The method also includes connecting the wireless patron unit to a server, entering patron-related into the wireless patron unit, and displaying patron-related information on the patron unit. The method further includes entering a patron order for at least one item or service provided by the venue, displaying the patron order and a location of the wireless patron unit, and providing a current status of the patron order on the touch-screen display of the wireless patron unit.

Claims

1. A method of using a wireless patron unit within a venue and within a vicinity of the venue, the method comprising:

providing at least one patron with a wireless patron unit by either permitting the at least one patron to temporarily use a venue-owned wireless patron unit that includes at least one venue specific application program, or by providing at least one venue specific application program to the at least one patron for downloading into a patron-owned wireless communication device that can be used during the at least one patron'"'"'s visit to the venue;

connecting the wireless patron unit to a server;

entering a patron order for at least one item or service provided by the venue into the wireless patron unit;

determining a current location of the wireless patron unit; and

displaying the patron order on a display of the wireless patron unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

entering patron identification information into the wireless patron unit; and

displaying patron-related information on the wireless patron unit, when available, that has been retrieved from a storage based on the patron identification information.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a current status of the patron order on the display of the wireless patron unit.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein connecting the wireless patron unit includes wirelessly connecting the wireless patron unit to the server using a venue local area network.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein connecting the wireless one patron unit includes connecting the wireless patron unit to the server using the Internet.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the current location of the wireless patron unit is automatically updated when the wireless patron unit is transported within the venue and within the vicinity of the venue.

7. The method according to claim 2,

wherein patron-related information includes information relating to the at least one patron'"'"'s previous orders for items and services at the venue.

8. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the patron-related information includes patron preference information relating to an item or service.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using the at least one wireless patron unit to access at least one of a social media website and an email website via the Internet.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

facilitating electronic payment for the at least one item or service provided by the venue based on patron payment information entered into the wireless patron unit.

11. The method according to claim 2,

wherein patron payment information, previously entered into the wireless patron unit and stored in the storage, is selectably retrievable by the at least one patron using the wireless patron unit.

12. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one patron engages in two-way communication with at least one representative of the venue using the wireless patron unit.

13. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one patron accesses the Internet using the wireless patron unit.

14. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the two-way communication includes audio communication between the at least one patron and the at least one representative of the venue.

15. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless patron unit is a portable handheld device, which is transportable by the at least one patron to different locations within the venue and within the vicinity of the venue.

16. The method according to claim 15,

wherein the venue electronically monitors a current location of the wireless patron unit, including when the wireless patron unit is transported by the at least one patron within the venue and within the vicinity of the venue.

17. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless patron unit includes a touch-screen display that permits the at least one patron to enter and select information by touching the touch-screen display.

18. The method according to claim 17,

wherein the at least one patron takes at least one photograph using a camera located within the wireless patron unit.

19. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the venue-owned wireless patron unit is configured in a venue table that includes the display.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that includes a venue specific application program for use by at least one patron using a wireless patron unit within a venue and within a vicinity of the venue, comprising:

a connecting segment that connects the wireless patron unit to a server;

an entering segment that enters patron identification information into the wireless patron unit;

a display segment that displays patron-related information on a display of the wireless patron unit, when available, that has been retrieved from a storage based on the patron identification information;

a patron order segment that enters a patron order for at least one item or service provided by the venue;

a patron order display segment that displays on the display of the wireless patron unit display the patron order; and

a providing segment that provides a current status of the patron order on the patron unit display.