Drive-through transaction system and method
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- (a) installing at a transaction facility including a drive-through lane and a telephone system;
at least one vehicle sensor, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense a vehicle at the drive-through lane, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to generate at least one sensor signal responsive to sensing a vehicle at the drive-through lane;
andat least one telephone switching interface device operative to generate at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal, wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device includes a Private Branch eXchange (PBX) interface device;
(b) operatively connecting the at least one vehicle sensor and the at least one telephone switching interface device,wherein the operative connection causes the at least one vehicle sensor to send generated sensor signals to the at least one telephone switching interface device,wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device to receive sensor signals sent from the at least one vehicle sensor,wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device, responsive to receiving at least one sensor signal sent from the at least one vehicle sensor, to generate at least one DTMF signal; and
(c) operatively connecting the at least one telephone switching interface device and the telephone system,wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device to send generated DTMF signals to the telephone system,wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone system to receive DTMF signals sent from the telephone switching interface device,wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive at least one DTMF signal corresponding to arrival of a vehicle at the drive-through lane, responsive to the at least one vehicle sensor sensing arrival of the vehicle at the drive-through lane,wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive at least one DTMF signal corresponding to departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane, responsive to the at least one vehicle sensor sensing departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system (10) for carrying out transactions between a customer at a customer station (14, 21, 202, 204) and a service provider at a service provider station (12, 194), includes transferring items through transaction devices such as pneumatic carrier delivery and receiving device (21, 200) and a deal drawer (20, 208). The customer at the customer station provides inputs corresponding to a financial account through input devices on the body which is stored in the memory (82, 158) on the body. After transfer to the service provider station, data in the memory is output to a charge device (56) which is operative to assess a charge to the customer'"'"'s account responsive to data output from the memory. Vehicle sensors (230, 234) sense a vehicle adjacent the respective transaction device. At least one computer calculates at least one time value corresponding to each vehicle and stores the at least one time value and other data values concerning the respective transaction.
29 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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(a) installing at a transaction facility including a drive-through lane and a telephone system; at least one vehicle sensor, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense a vehicle at the drive-through lane, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to generate at least one sensor signal responsive to sensing a vehicle at the drive-through lane; and at least one telephone switching interface device operative to generate at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal, wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device includes a Private Branch eXchange (PBX) interface device; (b) operatively connecting the at least one vehicle sensor and the at least one telephone switching interface device, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one vehicle sensor to send generated sensor signals to the at least one telephone switching interface device, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device to receive sensor signals sent from the at least one vehicle sensor, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device, responsive to receiving at least one sensor signal sent from the at least one vehicle sensor, to generate at least one DTMF signal; and (c) operatively connecting the at least one telephone switching interface device and the telephone system, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device to send generated DTMF signals to the telephone system, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone system to receive DTMF signals sent from the telephone switching interface device, wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive at least one DTMF signal corresponding to arrival of a vehicle at the drive-through lane, responsive to the at least one vehicle sensor sensing arrival of the vehicle at the drive-through lane, wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive at least one DTMF signal corresponding to departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane, responsive to the at least one vehicle sensor sensing departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method of acquiring metrics at a facility adapted to accomplish transactions,
the facility including: -
a telephone system, at least one drive-through lane, at least one transaction device operative to exchange items with persons in vehicles in the at least one drive-through lane, at least one vehicle sensor operative to sense a vehicle at least one position in the at least one drive-through lane, at least one telephone switching interface device in operative connection with the at least one vehicle sensor and the telephone system, at least one processor in operative connection with at least one data store and in operative connection with the at least one telephone switching interface device, wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one time value corresponding to the vehicle at the at least one position, wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause a determined time value to be stored in the at least one data store, the method comprising; (a) operating the at least one vehicle sensor to sense a vehicle at a position in the at least one drive-through lane; (b) subsequent to step (a), operating the at least one vehicle sensor to communicate at least one signal corresponding to the vehicle sensed in step (a) to the at least one telephone switching interface device; (c) subsequent to step (b), operating the at least one telephone switching interface device to communicate at least one telephone communication signal corresponding to the vehicle sensed in step (a) to the telephone system; (d) subsequent to step (c), operating the telephone system to communicate at least one signal corresponding to the vehicle sensed in step (a) to the at least one processor; (e) subsequent to step (d), determining at least one time value corresponding to the vehicle sensed in step (a) responsive to operation of the at least one processor; and (f) subsequent to step (e), storing in the at least one data store, responsive to operation of the at least one processor, the at least one time value determined in step (e). - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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11. A method for of improving the operation of a facility adapted to accomplish transactions,
the facility including: -
a telephone system, at least one drive-through lane, at least one transaction initiation device operative to alert a service provider within the facility, at least one transaction device operative to exchange items with persons in vehicles in the at least one drive-through lane, at least one sensor operative to sense an occurrence of at least one event related to a person in a vehicle at a drive-through lane of the facility, at least one telephone switching interface device in operative connection with the at least one sensor and the telephone system, at least one processor in operative connection with at least one data store and the at least one telephone switching interface device, and operative to determine at least one time value corresponding to the at least one event and to cause the at least one time value to be stored in the at least one data store, the method comprising; (a) sensing, with the at least one sensor, the occurrence of the at least one event related to a person in a vehicle at a drive-through lane of the facility; (b) communicating at least one signal corresponding to the at least one event to the at least one telephone switching interface device, responsive to the sensing in step (a); (c) receiving with the at least one telephone switching interface device, at least one signal communicated in step (b); (d) operating the at least one telephone switching interface device to communicate at least one signal corresponding to the at least one event to the telephone system, responsive to step (c); (e) operating the at least one processor to receive at least one signal corresponding to the at least one event, responsive to step (d); (f) determining responsive to operation of the at least one processor at least one time value corresponding to the at least one event, responsive to step (e); and (g) storing in the at least one data store, responsive to operation of the at least one processor, the at least one time value determined in step (f). - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification