System and method for managing restaurant customer data elements

• US 8,224,700 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analytical Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Andrew Silver
• Inventors: Silver, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US10/642,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20050043996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,256 Days
• Field of Search: 705/15, 705/16, 235/379, 283/602
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

This invention is a system and method for managing restaurant customer data elements.

Claims

1. A method of restaurant customer management, comprising:

logging a customer unit into a restaurant pre-dining system with a mobile phone of the customer unit;

responsive to logging the customer unit into the restaurant pre-dining system, placing the customer unit on a waiting list for a table;

paging the mobile phone with a page that notifies the customer unit that the table is ready for the customer unit;

sending an interactive restaurant menu to the mobile phone;

receiving at least one customer request of at least one service of the restaurant from the mobile phone;

uploading, by a post-dining system of the restaurant, a bill for the at least one service from a point of sale system of the restaurant to the mobile phone; and

performing a customer self-checkout whereby payment for the at least one service is submitted by the customer unit via the mobile phone to the point of sale system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer unit is a single group of people.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile phone is implemented in a wireless enabled handheld computer.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying, by the pre-dining system, the customer unit;

managing, by the pre-dining system, queue assignment that includes the waiting list;

updating, by the pre-dining system, a table management system; and

storing, by the pre-dining system, at least one customer data element in a database.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the restaurant comprises a dining system, and wherein the interactive restaurant menu is sent to the mobile phone via the dining system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the restaurant includes a self-check out and payment processing system that uploads the bill, the method further comprising:

capturing, by the self-check out and payment processing system, a digital signature from the mobile phone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the post dining system, a post-dining survey;

collecting, by the post dining system, at least one customer data element from the customer unit via the mobile phone; and

storing the customer data element in a database.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the post-dining system, the customer unit to pre-purchase an entertainment unit prior to leaving the restaurant via the mobile phone and receive a confirmation of the entertainment unit purchase.

9. A restaurant customer management system that manages customer data elements, the system comprising:

a software program that receives at least one customer request of at least one service from a restaurant from a mobile phone of a customer unit;

a restaurant pre-dining system that logs in the customer unit that issues the customer request and pages the mobile phone thereby notifying the customer unit that a table is ready for the customer unit;

a dining system that sends an interactive restaurant menu to the mobile phone;

a customer managed post-dining system that uploads a bill for the at least one service from a point of sale system of the restaurant to the mobile phone and performs a customer self-check out and payment processing-whereby payment for the at least one service is submitted by the customer unit via the mobile phone to the point of sale system.

10. The restaurant customer management system of claim 9 further comprising a database, wherein a digital receipt is stored in the database.

11. The restaurant customer management system of claim 9 wherein the customer unit is provided a graphical user interface for selection of a gratuity on the mobile phone.

12. The restaurant customer management system of claim 9 further comprising an electronic repository that stores a customer data element comprising an online payment service provider account number.

13. The restaurant customer management system of claim 9 wherein the restaurant is a cafeteria establishment, the system further comprising:

a customer managed payment system implemented as a computer having a graphical user interface that allows the customer unit to identify cafeteria items selected and pay for the items.

14. The restaurant customer management system of claim 13 wherein the items are tagged with RFID tags, the system further comprising a terminal device that tallies the items by utilizing the RFID tags.

15. The restaurant customer management system of claim 9 wherein submission of payment is facilitated by an RFID card.

16. A method of splitting a customer bill on a terminal device comprising:

identifying a number of people at a table;

identifying a person associated with a restaurant menu item;

splitting at least one restaurant item between at least two people;

monitoring a bill balance;

splitting the bill balance into at least two bills each respectively associated with one of the people at the table; and

closing the at least two bills for each of the associated people at the table.

17. A method of splitting a customer bill on a terminal device of claim 16 wherein identifying a person associated with a restaurant menu item is accomplished by a customer manipulating a software system graphical user interface on a terminal device.

18. A method of splitting a customer bill on a terminal device of claim 16 wherein closing the at least two bills comprises:

tracking, by a restaurant customer management system, a customer data element storing, by the restaurant customer management system, a customer data element;

running, by a terminal device having an operating system, a graphical user interface software, digital signature capture software, and payment processing software; and

printing, by a printer, a customer receipt.