DETECTION OF GUEST POSITION

• US 20140122170A1
• Filed: 07/19/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Padgett, John M., Jungen, Michael G., Heard, Lawrence Todd, Criado, Richard James
• Application Number:
  US13/946,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122170A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system configured to manage a dining experience for guests at a food service establishment. In some implementations, the system may comprise one or more guest identification devices, one or more sensors, one or more host systems, and one or more processors. The system may be configured such that real-time detailed information about the food service establishment, guests of the food service establishment, food orders placed by guests of the food service establishment, table states of the tables in the food service establishment, and tasks performed by staff members is provided to the staff members of the food service establishment. The information may facilitate a unique guest experience for guests of the food service establishment wherein the guests may place a food order remotely, arrive at the food service establishment and self-select a table, and receive delivery of their food order at their selected table.

Claims

1. A dining experience management system configured to manage a dining experience for guests at a food service establishment, the system comprising:

guest identification devices associated with guests within the food service establishment who have placed food orders, the identification devices including a first identification device associated with a first guest who has placed a first food order;

one or more sensors configured to generate output signals related to locations of the guest identification devices within the food service establishment; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a confidence module configured to determine confidence levels indicating likelihoods of the guest identification devices being positioned at stations in the food service establishment, the confidence levels determined based on the output signals of the one or more sensors, the confidence module being configured to determine a first confidence level indicating a likelihood that the first identification device is positioned at a first station, and a second confidence level indicating a likelihood the first identification device is positioned at a second station;

an association module configured to associate the guest identification devices with the stations based on comparisons of the confidence levels with confidence level thresholds such that the first identification device is associated with the first station responsive to the first confidence level breaching a first confidence level threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the confidence module is configured such that the confidence levels are determined on an ongoing basis over time.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the confidence module is configured such that the confidence levels are aggregations of the ongoing confidence level determinations.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a timing module configured to determine lengths of time the confidence levels are determined by the confidence module, the lengths of time including a first length of time for the first confidence level and a second length of time for the second confidence level,

wherein the confidence module is configured to determine the confidence level thresholds as a function of the lengths of time such that the first confidence level threshold varies as a function of the first length of time and a second confidence level threshold varies as a function of the second length of time.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the confidence module is configured to reduce the confidence level thresholds during the lengths of time such that the first confidence level threshold is reduced during the first length of time and the second confidence level threshold is reduced during the second length of time.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising a timing module configured to determine over threshold times for the confidence levels, the over threshold times indicating lengths of time the confidence levels are over the confidence level thresholds, the timing module configured such that the over threshold times include a first over threshold time for the first confidence level over the first confidence level threshold and a second over threshold time for the second confidence level over a second confidence level threshold,

the first over threshold time being responsive to the first confidence level breaching the first confidence level threshold, and indicating a first amount of time the first confidence level is maintained above the first confidence level threshold, and

the second over threshold time being responsive to the second confidence level breaching the second confidence level threshold, and indicating a second amount of time the second confidence level is maintained above the second confidence level threshold.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the association module is configured to associate the guest identification devices with the stations in the food service establishment responsive to the over threshold times breaching time thresholds, the time thresholds including a first time threshold for the first identification device at the first station and a second time threshold for the first device at the second station,

the first guest identification device being associated with the first station responsive to the first over threshold time breaching a first time threshold value, the first guest identification device being associated with the second station responsive to the second over threshold time breaching a second time threshold value.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a guest group module configured to group guest identification devices associated with related groups of guests, the grouped guest identification devices including a first group of guest identification devices associated with a first related group of guests, the first group of guest identification devices including the first guest identification device and a second guest identification device, and

wherein the confidence module is configured to increase confidence levels related to the grouped guest identification devices responsive to the guest identification devices being positioned in proximity to each other at one or more of the stations in the food service establishment such that the first confidence level indicating a likelihood that the first guest identification device is positioned at the first station and a third confidence level indicating a likelihood that the second guest identification device is positioned at the first station are increased by the confidence module responsive to the first guest identification device and the second guest identification device being positioned at the first station together.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a first sensor at the first station, a second sensor at the second station, and a third sensor at a third station,

wherein the output signals from the first sensor include information related to a relative physical position of the first station, the output signals from the second sensor include information related to a relative physical position of the second sensor, and the output signals from the third sensor include information related to a relative physical position of the third sensor, and

wherein the confidence module is configured such that the confidence levels are determined based on the relative physical position information.

10. A method to manage a dining experience for guests at a food service establishment, the method comprising:

associating guest identification devices with guests within the food service establishment who have placed food orders, the identification devices including a first identification device associated with a first guest who has placed a first food order;

generating output signals related to locations of the guest identification devices within the food service establishment;

determining confidence levels indicating likelihoods of the guest identification devices being positioned at stations in the food service establishment, the confidence levels determined based on the output signals, a first confidence level indicating a likelihood that the first identification device is positioned at a first station, and a second confidence level indicating a likelihood the first identification device is positioned at a second station; and

associating the guest identification devices with the stations based on comparisons of the confidence levels with confidence level thresholds such that the first identification device is associated with the first station responsive to the first confidence level breaching a first confidence level threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the confidence levels are determined on an ongoing basis over time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the confidence levels are aggregations of the ongoing confidence level determinations.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining lengths of time the confidence levels are determined, the lengths of time including a first length of time for the first confidence level and a second length of time for the second confidence level,

wherein the confidence level thresholds are determined as a function of the lengths of time such that the first confidence level threshold varies as a function of the first length of time and a second confidence level threshold varies as a function of the second length of time.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the confidence level thresholds are reduced during the lengths of time such that the first confidence level threshold is reduced during the first length of time and the second confidence level threshold is reduced during the second length of time.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining over threshold times for the confidence levels, the over threshold times indicating lengths of time the confidence levels are over the confidence level thresholds, the over threshold times including a first over threshold time for the first confidence level over the first confidence level threshold and a second over threshold time for the second confidence level over a second confidence level threshold,

the first over threshold time being responsive to the first confidence level breaching the first confidence level threshold, and indicating a first amount of time the first confidence level is maintained above the first confidence level threshold, and

the second over threshold time being responsive to the second confidence level breaching the second confidence level threshold, and indicating a second amount of time the second confidence level is maintained above the second confidence level threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising associating the guest identification devices with the stations in the food service establishment responsive to the over threshold times breaching time thresholds, the time thresholds including a first time threshold for the first identification device at the first station and a second time threshold for the first device at the second station,

the first guest identification device being associated with the first station responsive to the first over threshold time breaching a first time threshold value, the first guest identification device being associated with the second station responsive to the second over threshold time breaching a second time threshold value.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising grouping guest identification devices associated with related groups of guests, the grouped guest identification devices including a first group of guest identification devices associated with a first related group of guests, the first group of guest identification devices including the first guest identification device and a second guest identification device, and

wherein the confidence levels related to the grouped guest identification devices are increased responsive to the guest identification devices being positioned in proximity to each other at one or more of the stations in the food service establishment such that the first confidence level indicating a likelihood that the first guest identification device is positioned at the first station and a third confidence level indicating a likelihood that the second guest identification device is positioned at the first station are increased by the confidence module responsive to the first guest identification device and the second guest identification device being positioned at the first station together.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating the output signals related to locations of the guest identification devices within the food service establishment with a first sensor at the first station, a second sensor at the second station, and a third sensor at a third station,

wherein the output signals from the first sensor include information related to a relative physical position of the first station, the output signals from the second sensor include information related to a relative physical position of the second sensor, and the output signals from the third sensor include information related to a relative physical position of the third sensor, and

wherein the confidence levels are determined based on the relative physical position information.