Service managing system

• US 7,257,547 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2000
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: World Picom Corp. (Colowide Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: World Picom Corp. (Colowide Company Limited)
• Inventors: Terase, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer; Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig; Peter L.
• Application Number:
  US09/638,063
• Time in Patent Office: 2,555 Days
• Field of Search: 705/15, 705/16, 705/17, 705/18, 705/19, 705/20, 705/21
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A service managing system comprises: order terminals for enabling customers to view contents of service items and to order desired items, and being portable and driven by a battery; order-receiving terminals for receiving and indicating orders from the order terminals; an accounting unit for casting accounts in response to a customer'"'"'s request and indicating a calculated result; and a control unit for processing data between the order terminals, order-receiving terminals and an accounting unit. In the system, data are transmitted and received using radio communications between the order terminals, order-receiving terminals, accounting unit and control unit. When an ordered item or service is ready, it is indicated on the order terminal via the order receiving terminal.

Claims

1. A service managing system, comprising:

a portable table top terminal that enables customers to view menus and to order a desired dish, being driven by a battery, and including a number reading part;

a kitchen terminal that receives and indicates a dish ordered from the portable table top terminal;

an accounting unit that manages accounts in response to customers'"'"' requests input into the portable table top terminal by the customer, and indicates calculated results;

a control unit that processes data between the portable table top terminal, the kitchen terminal, and the accounting unit, and

a terminal receptacle including an identification number, provided at least one customer location and, the terminal receptacle receives the portable table top terminal thereon, and the number reading part reads the identification number when the portable table top terminal is placed onto the terminal receptacle, wherein

the portable table top terminal processes a customer'"'"'s order on the basis of the identification number, and the control unit manages the occupancy of the at least one customer location based on the identification number, and

data are transmitted and received using radio communications between the portable table top terminal, the kitchen terminal, the accounting unit, and the control unit.

2. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein information indicating cooked dishes is input on the kitchen terminal and is transmitted to the portable table top terminal for indication thereon.

3. The service managing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a worktable terminal that indicates a table to be served in response to the information indicating the cooked dishes.

4. The service managing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a guide display that indicates at least vacant tables.

5. The service managing system of claim 4, wherein the guide display also indicates a route to a vacant table and usable time thereof.

6. The service managing system of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a personal handy phone system (PHS) is used to exchange data and enable verbal communications.

7. The service managing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a head office terminal that transmits visual indications of new menus or commercials to the portable table top terminal.

8. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein the portable table top terminal comprises:

a flat display panel.

9. The service managing system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the portable table top terminal and the kitchen terminal recognize an employee terminal operator name and a terminal identification number.

10. The service managing system of claim 2 or 3, wherein the portable table top terminal and the kitchen terminal input a terminal employee name and a terminal time of input.

11. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein the portable table top terminal is used at a counter as a counter top terminal.

12. The service managing system of claim 11, further comprising:

a counter top terminal receptacle provided on top of the counter at a location of a counter seat, having a counter top terminal receptacle identification number, and receives the portable table top terminal thereon, and the portable table top terminal is ready for use when placed on the counter top terminal receptacle, wherein

the portable table top terminal reads the counter top terminal receptacle identification number when placed on the counter top terminal receptacle, and further processes a customer'"'"'s order on the basis of the counter top terminal receptacle identification number.

13. The service managing system of claim 12, wherein the table top terminal emits an alarm when the table top terminal is not placed on one of the counter top terminal receptacle and the table top terminal receptacle for a predetermined period of time.

14. The service managing system of claim 11, wherein electronic mails are exchanged between a plurality of table top terminals, between a plurality of counter top terminals, or between the table top terminal and the counter top terminal.

15. The service managing system of claim 1, further comprising:

an internet or a communications network connection that enables customers to check an availability of a service item or a presence of vacant tables via an exterior customer terminal.

16. The service managing system of claim 11, wherein the table top terminal or the counter top terminal comprise a visual display.

17. The service managing system of claim 1 further comprising:

a connection to a point of sale network (POS), that transmits sales data from a head office to update an existing menu.

18. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein the table top terminal displays out-of-stock items.

19. The service managing system of claim 1, further comprising:

an order status device that indicates when ordered items are not available to the portable table top terminal, the kitchen terminal, or an external terminal.

20. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein

the kitchen terminal, in response to an order placed by the portable table top terminal, inputs a product-ready indication and transmits said product ready indication to the table top terminal, and

the portable table top terminal inputs an order-received indication and transmits the order-received indication to the kitchen terminal.

21. The service managing system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the portable table top terminal and the counter top terminal indicates material information selected from the group consisting of producing districts, suppliers, products obtained without using pesticides, or products obtained through organic culture.

22. The service managing system of claim 1 further comprising:

an image input unit that creates a menu.

23. The service managing system of claim 7, further comprising:

an analysis unit that collects data concerning a number of people observing a commercial, a time of commercial viewing, and a number of commercials viewed.

24. The service managing system of claim 11, further comprising:

a communications device that verbally repeats contents of orders input via the portable table top terminal or the counter top terminal.

25. The service managing system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the portable table top terminal and the counter top terminal specifies a time for service to prolong a time of service, or terminate an order.

26. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of portable table top terminals display a bill common to a group seated at a plurality of tables.

27. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein working statuses of employees are continuously monitored and a work command is preferentially issued to idle employees.

28. The service managing system of claim 11, wherein the portable table top terminal or the counter top terminal displays a sum of ordered items on real time basis.

29. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein the portable table top terminal is put into operation mode for ordering, as soon as the portable table top terminal is received by the terminal receptacle.

30. The service managing system of claim 1, wherein the identification number identifies a table.