Method and apparatus for menu generation

• US 7,870,166 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen; Syling
• Application Number:
  US11/859,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,205 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/601, 707/687, 707/706, 707/713, 707/736, 707/758, 707/791, 707/803, 707/804, 707/808, 707/999.101, 707/999.102, 707/999.103, 707/999.107, 705/15, 705/26, 705/75, 705/76, 705/80, 725/41, 725/43, 715/850, 715/855
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

Methods and Apparatus related to generating representations of information. The information may include menu information for merchants such as restaurants. Referring to menus, methods may include receiving potential information for a first menu, and receiving indications of associations of the information with the first menu and/or any number of additional menus. Information and/or associations may later be updated by a desired set of users.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the processor, direct the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving, from a first user, a representation of first information for a first menu of food items offered for sale by a first restaurant, in which the first information includes an image related to a food item;

receiving an electronic message from a device of a second user that includes an association of the first information with a second menu of food items offered for sale by a second restaurant;

associating the second menu with the first information, in response to receiving the electronic message;

receiving, from a third user an edit to the first information, in which the third user is not identified to the apparatus;

providing an association of the first menu and the second menu with the edited first information such that prior to including the edited first information in representations of the first menu and the second menu, a verification of the edit must be received;

receiving the verification of the edit from a fourth user, in which the fourth user is identified to the apparatus;

associating the first menu and the second menu with the edited first information such that the edited first information is included in representations of the first menu and the second menu in response to receiving the verification;

transmitting a representation of the second menu to a customer, the representation of the second menu including the edited first information;

receiving, from the customer, an indication of a selection of food items from the second menu;

receiving, from a fifth user, an indication of a second association of second information with the second menu; and

updating the representation of the second menu transmitted to the customer to include the second information at least in part in response to receiving the indication of the second association.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic message includes a selection of at least one of the association between the first and second menus, a type of the first and second menus, and a category of the first and second menus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first information includes at least one of product information, service information, merchant information, delivery information, and payment information.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first information includes the delivery information, and the delivery information includes at least one of a delivery boundary, a delivery availability, a delivery method, a delivery restriction, and a delivery time.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first information includes the payment information, and the payment information includes at least one of a type of payment accepted, a minimum payment accepted, and a method of making a payment.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first information includes the product information, and the product information includes at least one of a name, a category, a description, an image, an availability, and a price.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, in which a user is identified to the apparatus by logging in.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the fourth user includes at least one of an administrator, the first restaurant the second restaurant, and the customer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the edit includes a textual edit to textual information.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the processor, direct the processor to perform a method comprising;

associating the first information with a second menu of items offered for sale by a second merchant;

receiving, from a second user an edit to the first information, in which the second user is not identified to the apparatus;

providing an association of the first menu and the second menu with the edited first information such that prior to including the edited first information in representations of the first menu and the second menu, a verification of the edit must be received;

receiving the verification of the edit from a third user, in which the third user is identified to the apparatus;

associating the first menu and the second menu with the edited first information such that the edited first information is included in representations of the first menu and the second menu in response to receiving the verification;

transmitting a representation of the second menu to a customer, the representation of the second menu including the edited first information;

receiving, from the customer, an indication of a selection of items from the second menu;

receiving, from a fourth user, an indication of a second association of second information with the second menu; and

updating the representation of the second menu transmitted to the customer to include the second information at least in part in response to receiving the indication of the second association.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first information includes at least one of product information, service information, merchant information, delivery information, and payment information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first information includes the delivery information, and the delivery information includes at least one of a delivery boundary, a delivery availability, a delivery method, a delivery restriction, and a delivery time.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first information includes the payment information, and the payment information includes at least one of a type of payment accepted, a minimum payment accepted, and method of making a payment.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first information includes the product information, and the product information includes at least one of a name, a category, a description, an image, an availability, and a price.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first information includes the service information, and the service information includes at least one of a name, a category, a description, an availability, and a price.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first information includes the merchant information, and the merchant information includes at least one of a name, an image, a location, a category, operation hours, and a price.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the method further comprises:

receiving an indication that the first information should be associated with the second merchant.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second merchant includes a plurality of second merchants, and in which the indication includes a plurality of indications, each indication of the plurality of indication indicating an association of the first information with a respective second merchant of the plurality of second merchants.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the indication includes an indication of at least of a similar category for the first and second merchant and a similar type for the first and second merchant.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the method further comprises:

facilitating delivery of the item from the second merchant to the customer.

21. The apparatus of claim 10, in which the method further comprises:

receiving third information for the second menu of items; and

associating the second menu with the second information.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein associating the third information with the second menu includes disassociating the first information and the second menu.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the third information includes at least one change to the first information.

24. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein associating the at least the first information with the second menu includes using the at least the portion of the first information as a default menu value for the second menu.

25. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that when executed by the processor, direct the processor to perform a method comprising;

assigning a plurality of merchants that each offer a plurality of respective items for sale to a category;

receiving, from a first user, first information about a first merchant in the category;

in response to receiving the first information, associating a remainder of merchants in the category with the first information;

receiving, from a second user an edit to the first information, in which the second user is not identified to the apparatus;

providing an association of the first menu and the second menu with the edited first information such that prior to including the edited first information in representations of the first menu and the second menu, a verification of the edit must be received;

receiving the verification of the edit from a third user, in which the third user is identified to the apparatus;

associating the plurality of merchants with the edited first information such that the edited first information is included in representations of the first menu and the second menu in response to receiving the verification;

transmitting a first representation of a first menu of one of the reminder of merchants to a customer, the first representation of the first menu including the edited first information;

receiving second information, from a fourth user, about the first merchant in the category, in which the third user is identified to the apparatus;

in response to receiving the second information, associating the plurality of merchants with the second information;

transmitting a second representation of a second menu of one of the reminder of merchants to the customer, the second representation of the second menu including the second information;

receiving, from a fifth user, an indication of a second association of third information with the second menu; and

updating the second representation of the second menu transmitted to the customer to include the third information at least in part in response to receiving the indication of the second association.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein associating the remainder of merchants with the second information includes disassociating the remainder of merchants with the edited first information.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the second information includes at least one change to the first information.