Computerized method and system for fulfillment of an itemized food order from a quick-service restaurant menu

• US 5,937,386 A
• Filed: 12/09/1996
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dars, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Howard J. Frantz
• Inventors: Frantz, Howard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Macdonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irshadullah, M.
• Application Number:
  US08/762,038
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/15, 705/18, 705/23, 379/159, 141/1
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

This present invention comprises an apparatus and method for checking the accuracy of a customer'"'"'s food order when ordering food to go from a quick-service restaurant. This is done by checking the contents of a bagged order by means of a weight check of the total weight of the bagged order so as to determine the correct order and/or contents thereof prior to the customer leaving the quick service restaurant. Accordingly, the order is logged into a computer system that is programmed to check the contents of the order by means of weighing the total items packaged in the bag, whereby the restaurant employee is alerted when the bagged order is either overweight or underweight with respect to the actual predetermined weight of the total items ordered.

Claims

1. An apparatus for checking order fulfillment of bagged food items in a quick-service restaurant, said apparatus comprising:

a Point-of-Sale system which substantially includes a register means, wherein a food order comprising different menu items selected by a customer is electronically sent to a first station defined by at least one computer having at least one monitor and a second main station defined as a food prep area having a weighing means, whereby the ordered food items are prepared, bagged and weighed, said second station connected to transmit weight information to the computer;

said computer comprising a first program function to calculate a total target weight specification for the ordered food items based on weight specifications for each of the ordered food items;

said computer comprising a second program function whereby the food order data and corresponding target weight specification are stored in a memory; and

said computer comprising a third program function to compare the target weight specification of the ordered food items to the total weight of the bagged food items to verify that the food order is properly filled before being given to the customer.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said register means is defined as a point-of-sale register, whereby food items ordered entered therein are transmitted to the respective stations.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said food prep area includes:

a first substation wherein the bagged orders are placed in a waiting queue, whereby each order is sequentially moved in turn to be weighed; and

a second substation wherein each order is sequentially received from said first station and weighed on said weighing means, whereby the resultant weight of said order is transmitted to the computer.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein said weighing means comprises an electronic scale.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein:

said first program function calculates the total target weight specification for the ordered food item based on predetermined weight specifications of each ordered food item;

said second program function stores the data of each sequential order that is placed through said point-of-sale register; and

said third program function compares the actual weight of the bagged order versus the target weight to determine whether the weight of the bagged order is within an acceptable range, a borderline range or an unacceptable range, whereby the selected weight range is transmitted to and displayed on said monitor.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, including a bump bar, whereby commands can be transmitted back to said point-of-sale register when an order is to be reweighed or bypassed when an order is required to be rechecked.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, including a processor wherein respective data of all orders are collected and compiled, whereby management reports to track weight trends and identify trends in under/over portioning can be generated.

8. A method of checking the contents of a bagged food order by means of weighing a given order of bagged food items in a quick-service restaurant prior to bagged food being given to the customer comprising the steps of:

entering an itemized food order comprising different menu items into a register means;

transmitting said food order from said register means to a first main station defined as a computer and simultaneously sending said food order to a second main station defined as a food preparing station where the food is prepared and bagged;

weighing the bagged food order on a weighing means to determine the total weight of all the items bagged;

transmitting the determined total weight of the order to said computer;

comparing the actual total weight of the bagged food items in the order with the total combined acceptable weight range calculated by said computer;

determining one of three weight ranges the bagged food order corresponds to, wherein the three ranges consist of an acceptable range, a borderline range or an unacceptable range requiring that the contents of the bagged be rechecked;

transmitting the selected range to at least one monitor to notify, to the register means and said first and second main station prior to the bagged food order being given to the customer.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said computer includes the step of providing at least one processor and a plurality of programs in which there is provided a program to calculate the weight ranges based on algorithms, a program to store data to determine first in/first out buffer in a sequential queue until the next in-line food order weight check, and a program to compare actual weight versus a plurality of target ranges.

10. The methods as recited in claim 9, wherein said computer includes the step of providing a program that compiles order accuracy statements for all combined orders received from the programs, whereby management reports to track trends and identify trends in under/over positioning can be generated.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said weighing means comprises an electronic scale.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, including the step providing feedback means comprising a bump bar that allows an assigned employee to input simple commands back into a Point-Of-Sales system to allow various functions to be skipped or added and to bypass an order and skip to the next order.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said computer includes the steps of:

providing a first program function having a program that calculates the weight range of each order based on algorithms, a program function having a program that stores the data of each sequential order that is placed through said register means, and a third program function having a program that compares the actual weight of the order versus the target ranges that define whether the weight of the order is within an acceptable range, a borderline range or an unacceptable range, whereby the selected weight range is transmitted to and displayed on said monitor.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said register means is defined as a point-of-sale register.

15. A system for checking order fulfillment in a quick-service restaurant comprising:

a Point-of-Sale (POS) register for entering a food order, wherein said food order comprises a selection of different menu items, said POS register connected to transmit the food order to a first station comprising a computer and to a second station comprising a food preparation area;

said second station comprising a food preparation area whereby the food order is prepared and bagged and a scale whereby the bagged order is weighed, said measured weight being sent to the computer; and

said first station comprising the computer connected to receive said food order from the POS register, said computer comprising a first program function that determines an associated weight specification for the food order based on predetermined associated weight specifications for the different menu items comprising the food order, said computer comprising a second program function that stores the weight specification along with the order information, and said computer comprising a third program function that compares the weight specification of the food order with a measured weight of the food order, thereby checking order fulfillment prior to order delivery.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said predetermined associated weight specifications comprise an average weight and acceptable deviation for each food item on the menu.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the associated weight specification for the food order comprises a target weight and an acceptable range around the target weight wherein the food order would be considered fulfilled.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising a visual check of a bagged food order whose weight lies outside an associated acceptable range.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising a program function that compiles order accuracy statistics.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein prepared and bagged food orders are placed in a FIFO waiting queue for weight checking and the associated weight specifications are stored in a FIFO memory.