Order communication system for restaurant

• US 6,087,927 A
• Filed: 05/17/1999
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Techknow, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Techknow, Inc.
• Inventors: Battistini, Gene, Battistini, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): La, Anh V.
• Application Number:
  US09/313,161
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.09, 340/285.35, 340/942, 340/286.06, 348/14, 348/61, 348/15, 348/13, 348/153, 705/15, 705/16, 705/26, 705/27, 705/35, 705/37
• US Class Current: 340/286.09
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/02 for self-service type systems, e.g. supermarkets A47F10/06 takes precedence; hand-carts B62B; baskets B65D
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/068 calling personnel in a restaurant, e.g. waiter call

Abstract

An order communication system is provided which allows audiovisual interactive communication between a customer at a remote order station and an attendant receiving orders in a restaurant. The order communication system allows flexible display programming by restaurant employees and in particular allows the customer to view textual descriptions and/or graphical depictions of ordered items. The order communication system also allows the customer to view live video of the attendant, while allowing the attendant to view live video of the customer as well as the video image the customer is seeing.

Claims

1. An interactive order system having a two-way audio communications system and an order entry device, said order system comprising:

at least one pair of operably connected stations including an order receiving station for accepting input from an employee and an order placement station, remote from said order receiving station, for accepting input from an ordering customer, wherein said two-way audio link connects said order placement station and said order receiving station;

a predetermined catalog of visual representations of menu items, said catalog including at least one graphical depiction for each said menu item;

a customer monitor having means for display of at least one said graphical depiction of each said menu item;

a first means for selecting contents for display on said customer monitor wherein said first selecting means matches an ordered item with one said graphical depiction for said menu item corresponding to said ordered item, using a selection code;

a first video display area for presenting one said graphical depiction of said ordered item most recently chosen by said customer; and

a centralized video controller linking said customer monitor and said selecting means whereby said graphical depiction of said ordered item is displayed on said customer monitor.

2. The interactive order system as in claim 1, said customer monitor further comprising:

a second video display area for presenting a graphical catalog of said ordered items, wherein said graphical catalog includes one graphical depiction for each said ordered item chosen by said customer;

a third video display area for presenting a pre-selected visual image;

a fourth video display area for presenting a pre-selected textual message; and

a fifth video display area for presenting an order total.

3. The interactive order system as in claim 2, said first means for selecting comprising:

a control processing unit operationally linked with said order entry device and with data storage for said predetermined catalog of visual representations;

a mapping program running on said control processing unit, said mapping program using said selection code to locate said graphical depiction for said ordered item in said data storage; and

wherein said selection code is input by use of said order entry device by said employee.

4. The interactive order system as in claim 3, further comprising a plurality of graphics displays and a second means for selecting at least one said graphics display, for transmission to said customer monitor via said video controller.

5. The interactive order system as in claim 4, wherein said video controller includes a vehicle detection sensor, said sensor being activated by the presence of a customer.

6. The interactive order system as in claim 5, whereby said controller transmits a predetermined selection of at least one of said graphics displays to said customer monitor when said sensor is activated.

7. The interactive order system as in claim 4, said customer monitor being operative to present a live video image of said employee to said customer.

8. The interactive order system as in claim 7, further comprising:

an employee monitor within each order receiving station for presenting an image of said ordering customer to said employee, said employee monitor having means for displaying an inset image of said employee wherein said inset image is identical to said employee image presented to said customer;

a first camera for capturing said image of said customer, said first camera positioned within each said order placement station and operationally linked with said employee monitor; and

a second camera for capturing said image of said employee, said second camera positioned within each said order receiving station and operationally linked with both said customer monitor and said employee monitor.

9. The interactive order system as in claim 8, said centralized video controller further linking said first camera, said second camera, said customer monitor, said employee monitor, and said first and second means for selecting.

10. The interactive order system as in claim 8, wherein said pre-selected visual image is said live video image of said employee relayed from said second camera.

11. The interactive order systems as in claim 10, wherein said inset image of said employee is a live video image identical to said live video image appearing on said customer monitor.

12. The interactive order system as in claim 2, wherein said pre-selected visual image is a predetermined series of animated graphics selected from said graphics displays using said second means for selecting.

13. The interactive order system as in claim 2, wherein a pre-selected visual image is a predetermined informational video selected from said graphics displays using said second means for selecting.

14. The interactive order system as in claim 2, wherein said pre-selected visual image is a predetermined informational graphic selected from said graphics displays using said second means for selecting.

15. The interactive order system as in claim 2, further comprising means for programming said pre-selected textual message.

16. The interactive order system as in claim 1, wherein said graphical depiction in said first video display area is an exploded view of said ordered item.

17. The interactive order system as in claim 1, wherein said graphical depiction in said first video display area is an animated graphic of said ordered item.

18. The interactive order system as in claim 1, wherein said graphical depiction in said first video display area is a pre-recorded video clip of said ordered item.

19. The interactive order system as in claim 1, said order placement station further comprising an enclosure surrounding said customer monitor and said first camera.

20. The interactive order system as in claim 19, wherein said customer monitor is a flat rectangular panel having a vertical dimension and a horizontal dimension, wherein said vertical dimension is greater than said horizontal dimension.

21. The interactive order system as in claim 19, said customer monitor having the capability to adjust to changes in outdoor light.