SYSTEM AND METHOD TO ENABLE A CUSTOMER TO SELECT A WINE BASED UPON AVAILABLE INVENTORY

• US 20120284129A1
• Filed: 07/12/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Incentient, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Incentient, Inc.
• Inventors: MARTUCCI, JENNIFER, MARTUCCI, PATRICK
• Granted Patent: US 9,659,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A method is disclosed for providing services to a patron of an establishment by providing to the patron a handheld device upon entering the establishment. The patron is identified such that the patron is associated with the handheld device provided thereto and the operation thereof. The patron is presented with available services of the establishment and, in association with the available services, parameterized information from a database is presented to the patron relating to prior actual experiences with at least one of the services as rated by the patron, which rating defines how the patron viewed the services at the time of such providing. The patron selects from the provided information one or more of the available services. As part of the parameterized information, prior selected and not yet rated services are also presented. The patron rates the prior selected and not yet rated services and the database is updated.

Claims

1. A method for providing services to a given patron of an establishment, comprising the steps of:

providing to the given patron a handheld device upon entering the establishment;

identifying the given patron such that the given patron is associated with the handheld device provided thereto and with the operation thereof;

presenting to the given patron available services of the establishment;

in association with the available services, presenting also to the given patron parameterized information from a database relating to prior actual experiences with at least one of the services of the establishment as rated by the given patron, which rating defines how the given patron viewed the services provide by the establishment at the time of such providing;

selecting by the given patron from the provided information one or more of the available services;

presenting, as part of the parameterized information, prior selection of services not yet rated;

rating the prior selected and not yet rated services by the given patron; and

updating the database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld device comprises a wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the available services include serving wine and the rating of the services is isolated relative to wine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying comprises a person to identify the given patron and configure the handheld device accordingly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the given patron comprises recognizing a unique identifier associated with the given patron and provided thereby.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of presenting the parameterized information comprises the steps of:

accessing the database and selecting prior rated services by the given patron that relates to available services that are presented to the given patron; and

displaying to the given patron the selected prior rated services in association with the presented available services.

7. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the steps of:

accessing prior rated services at a establishment related to the current establishment and which related establishment and current establishment are related by common management;

presenting to the given patron the option of extending the step of presenting the parameterized information to prior rated services from a related establishment; and

upon exercising the option by the given patron, then presenting the parameterized information including that associated with the related establishment.

8. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the steps of:

accessing prior rated services on a global basis for all establishments; and

presenting to the given patron the option of extending the step of presenting the parameterized information to prior rated services from all establishments; and

upon exercising the option by the given patron, then presenting the parameterized information including that associated with the global establishments.

9. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the steps of:

accessing prior rated services at a establishment related to the current establishment and which related establishment and current establishment are related by common management; and

presenting to the given patron the option of extending the step of presenting the parameterized information to prior rated services from a related establishment; and

upon exercising the option by the given patron, then presenting the parameterized information including that associated with the related establishment.)

10. The method of claim 6, and further comprising the steps of:

accessing prior rated services on a global basis for all establishments; and

presenting to the given patron the option of extending the step of presenting the parameterized information to prior rated services from all establishments; and

upon exercising the option by the given patron, then presenting the parameterized information including that associated with the global establishments.

11. A method for providing wine selections to a patron of a food services establishment from a wine store of the food services establishment, comprising the steps of:

providing a handheld device to a given patron upon the patron entering the establishment for the purpose of accessing food services thereof and connecting the handheld device to a central server;

personalizing the handheld device to the given patron at the central server such that the central server recognizes activity of the given patron on the handheld device;

providing to the user available food services and available wine selections from the wine store;

accessing at the central server personal experiences of the given patron representing their prior actual experiences with available wine selections at that food services establishment, the prior actual experiences evidenced by a rating provided by that given patron based on their actual prior selection of an associated wine at that food establishment;

augmenting the available wine selections with wine associated with the accessed prior actual experiences to provide to the given patron guidance as to their selection;

selecting by the patron one or more available wines with or without other available services from the food establishment;

providing to the given patron the ability to rate a previously selected and unrated wine selection at that food establishment; and

storing then current wine selections at the central server as a history of the current wine selection whether associated with a prior actual experience or not.

12. The method of claim 11, and further comprising augmenting the available wine selections with alternate wine suggestions corresponding to previously rated wine selections when certain ones of the previously rated wine selections are not available at that food services establishment in their wine store.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the alternate wine selections are based on available wines in the wine store that have a similar flavor profile to the currently unavailable prior rated wine selection.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of accessing accesses personal experiences of the given patron representing their prior actual experiences with available wine selections at food services establishment related to the current food establishment.