Restaurant service request communications system

• US 4,777,488 A
• Filed: 05/16/1986
• Issued: 10/11/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CW Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CW Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Carlman, Philip L. Jr., Waite, Robert K. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Safourek, Benedict V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Ralph E.
• Application Number:
  US06/864,291
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.08, 340/825.44, 340/825.07, 340/825.19, 340/311.1, 340/825.17, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 455/73, 455/127, 455/343
• US Class Current: 340/12.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/007 Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/068 calling personnel in a restaurant, e.g. waiter call

Abstract

In the service request communication system disclosed herein, a plurality of battery-powered table units communicate a variety of service requests to a central server or master unit by a bi-directional wireless radio frequency data link. The table units remain in a low-power "sleep" state until any one of a plurality of switches is actuated by a customer to denote a corresponding service request. A transceiver is controlled by a microprocessor to transmit a coded signal identifying the request and then to receive and indicate to the customer an acknowledgment signal transmitted from the server or master station. At a server station a display is operated to identify the table unit/request combination, the display being canceled when a corresponding switch at the server unit is actuated, e.g. by the employee who will provide the service requested.

Claims

1. A service request communications system comprising at least one server unit and a plurality of remote units, each of said remote units comprising:

a wireless signal transceiver;

a microcomputer having an "operate" state and a "quiescent" state;

a plurality of manually actuable switching elements;

display means;

a battery for selectively powering said transceiver, said microcomputer and said display means; and

means responsive to the actuation of any of said switch elements for initiating the application of power from said battery to said transceiver and placing said microcomputer in the "operate" state, said microcomputer having resident software effective upon entering the "operate" state for (1) operating the transceiver to transmit code identifying the particular remote unit and the particular switch element actuated, (2) following such transmission, controlling the transceiver to listen for an acknowledgement code and (3), if a predetermined acknowledgement code is received, energizing said display means to indicate that the request was received by a server unit;

and wherein said server unit comprises;

a wireless signal transceiver;

server display means for identifying remote unit/switch element combinations;

a plurality of manually actuable switch devices, there being at least one switch device for each remote unit for which the server unit is responsible;

a server microcomputer, said server microcomputer having resident software which, (1) controls the server transceiver to listen for code transmitted by said remote units, (2) upon receiving such a code, operates the server display to identify the remote unit/switch element combination and operates the transceiver to transmit a corresponding predetermined acknowledgement code, and (3) upon actuation of a switch device, terminates the respective identifying combination display.

2. A service request communications system comprising a master unit, several server units, and a plurality of remote units, each of said remote units comprising:

a wireless signal transceiver having a transmit data input, a receive data output and a transmit/receive select input;

a microcomputer having an "operate" state and a "quiescent" state;

a plurality of manually actuable switching elements;

display means;

a battery for selectively powering said transceiver, said microcomputer and said display means; and

means responsive to the actuation of any of said switch elements for initiating the application of power from said battery to said transceiver and placing said microcomputer in the "operate" state, said microcomputer having resident software effective upon entering the "operate" state for (1) operating said transceiver to transmit code identifying the particular remote unit and the particular switch element actuated, (2) following such transmission, controlling the transceiver to listen for an acknowledgement code (3), if a predetermined acknowledgement code is received, energizing said display means to indicate that a request was received by a server unit (4) controlling the transceiver to listen for a cancel code and (5), if a predetermined cancel code is received, terminating the request display;

wherein each server unit comprises;

server display means for identifying remote unit/switch element combinations;

a plurality of presettable selector devices which can be set to correspond with respective remote units;

a plurality of manually actuable switch devices, there being at least one switch device for each remote unit for which the server unit is responsible;

a server microcomputer, said server microcomputer having resident software which, (1) monitors data communications from the master unit, (2) upon receiving a code identifying a service request corresponding to a remote unit for which a respective selector has been set, operates the server display to identify the remote unit/switch element combination, and (3) upon actuation of a switch device, terminates the respective identifying combination display;

wherein the master unit comprises;

a wireless signal transceiver;

a master microcomputer, said master microcomputer having resident software which (1) controls the master transceiver to listen for code transmitted by the remote units, (2) upon receiving such a code, issues to said server units a coded communication which identifies the remote unit/switch element combination.

3. A service request communications system comprising a master unit, several server units, and a plurality of remote units, each of said remote units comprising:

a wireless signal transceiver;

a microcomputer having an "operate" state and a "quiescent" state;

a plurality of manually actuable switching elements;

display means;

a battery for selectively powering said transceiver, said microcomputer and said display means; and

means responsive to the actuation of any of said switch elements for initiating the application of power from said battery to said transceiver and placing said microcomputer in the "operate" state, said microcomputer having resident software effective upon entering the "operate" state for (1) operating said transceiver to listen for a predetermined polling code;

(2) after receiving such a polling code, transmitting a preselectable time later a request code identifying the particular remote unit and the particular switch element actuated;

(3) following such transmission, controlling the transceiver to listen for an acknowledgement code;

(4), if the acknowledgement code is received, energizing said display means to indicate that the request was received by a server unit;

(5) controlling the transceiver to listen for a cancel code; and

(6), if a predetermined cancel code is received, terminating the request display;

wherein each server unit comprises;

server display means for identifying remote unit/switch element combinations;

a plurality of presettable selector devices which can be set to correspond with respective remote units;

a plurality of manually actuable switch devices, there being at least one switch device for each remote unit for which the server unit is responsible;

a server microcomputer, said server microcomputer having resident software which, (1) monitors data communications from the master unit, (2) upon receiving a code identifying a service request corresponding to a remote unit for which a respective selector has been set, operates the server display to identify the remote unit/switch element combination, and (3) upon actuation of a switch device, terminates the respective identifying combination display and transmits a predetermined code communication to the master unit,

wherein the master unit comprises;

a wireless signal transceiver;

a master microcomputer, said master microcomputer having resident software which (1) operates the master transceiver to periodically transmit a predetermined polling code and, following transmission of said polling code, to listen for request code transmitted by the remote units, (2) upon receiving such a request code, issuing to said server units a coded communication which identifies the remote unit/switch element combination;

(3) which monitors data communications from the server units;

(4) upon receiving from a server unit a predetermined code communication representing a request cancel, operating said transceiver to transmit a cancel code to the remote unit which corresponds to the request.

4. A service request communications system comprising a master unit, several server units, and a plurality of remote units, each of said remote units comprising:

a wireless signal transceiver;

a microcomputer having an "operate" state and a "quiescent" state;

a plurality of manually actuable switching elements;

display means;

a battery for selectively powering said transceiver, said microcomputer and said display means; and

means responsive to the actuation of any of said switch elements for initiating the application of power from said battery to said transceiver and placing said microcomputer in the "operate" state, said microcomputer having resident software effective upon entering the "operate" state for (1) operating said transceiver to listen for a predetermined polling code;

(2) after receiving such a polling code, transmitting a preselectable time later a request code identifying the particular remote unit and the particular switch element actuated;

(3) following such transmission, controlling the transceiver to listen for an acknowledgement code;

(4), if the acknowledgement code is received, energizing said display means to indicate that the request was received by a server unit;

(5) controlling the transceiver to listen for a cancel code; and

(6), if a predetermined cancel code is received, terminating the request display;

wherein each server unit comprises;

a wireless signal transceiver;

server display means for identifying remote unit/switch element combinations;

a plurality of presettable selector devices which can be set to correspond with respective remote units;

a plurality of manually actuable switch devices, there being at least one switch device for each remote unit for which the server unit is responsible;

a server microcomputer, said server microcomputer having resident software which, (1) operates the server transceiver to monitor data communications from the master unit, (2) upon receiving a code identifying a service request corresponding to a remote unit for which a respective selector has been set, operates the server display to identify the remote unit/switch element combination, and (3) upon actuation of a switch device, terminates the respective identifying combination display and operates the server transceiver to transmit a predetermined code communication to the master unit;

wherein the master unit comprises;

a wireless signal transceiver;

a master microcomputer, said master microcomputer having resident software which (1) operates the master transceiver to periodically transmit a predetermined polling code and, following transmission of said polling code, to listen for request code transmitted by the remote units, (2) upon receiving such a request code, operating the master transceiver to transmit to said server units a coded communication which identifies the remote unit/switch element combination;

(3) which monitors data communications from the server units;

(4) upon receiving from a server unit a predetermined code communication representing a request cancel, operating said transceiver to transmit a cancel code to the remote unit which corresponds to the request.