Smart table

• US 6,580,360 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Appliance Scientific, Inc. (Ali Holding Srl)
• Original Assignee: Digibot Inc.
• Inventors: Wong, Bobby, Moeller, Eric J., McKee, Philip R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T.
• Application Number:
  US09/735,761
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/541, 340/825.08, 340/525.28, 340/825.29, 340/286.09, 340/311.1, 340/321
• US Class Current: 340/286.09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A smart table to be utilized is disclosed. The smart table includes a patron presence detector, a patron counter, a staff presence detector, and a transmitter. The patron presence detector detects information regarding the presence of patrons sitting at the table. The patron counter counts the number of patrons sitting at the table. The staff presence detector detects information regarding the presence of a staff member serving the table. The above-mentioned detected information are subsequently transmitted by the transmitter to a remotely located data processing system.

Claims

1. A smart table comprising:

a patron presence detector for detecting information regarding the presence of a patron sitting at said table;

a staff presence detector for detecting information regarding the presence of a staff serving at said table; and

a transmitter, coupled to said patron presence detector, for transmitting said detected information to a remotely located processing system.

2. The smart table of claim 1, wherein said staff presence detector is activated by a detection of the presence of a patron sitting at said table.

3. The smart table of claim 1, wherein said patron presence detector is battery operated.

4. The smart table of claim 1, wherein said staff presence detector is battery operated.

5. The smart table of claim 1, wherein said smart table further includes a patron counter for counting the number of patrons sitting at said table.

6. The smart table of claim 5, wherein said patron counter is activated by a detection of the presence of a patron sitting at said table.

7. The smart table of claim 5, wherein said patron counter is battery operated.

8. The smart table of claim 1, wherein said detected information is transmitted over-the-air.

9. The smart table of claim 1, wherein said detected information is transmitted via a wire connection.

10. The smart table of claim 1, wherein said detected information is displayed on a display monitor for a restaurant manager to review at said remotely located processing system.