System and method for online management of restaurant orders

• US 8,655,743 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetWaiter System LLC
• Original Assignee: Netwaiter LLC
• Inventors: Shimoff, Jared R., Moothart, Gabriel T., Birchem, Mark A., Casci, Brandon, Easley, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Amee A
• Application Number:
  US13/801,550
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.41
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

A system and method for online management of restaurant orders may comprise of a server computer for storing data related to a plurality of vendors; a client computer for sending a request for vendor product to the server computer; and a vendor point of sale system, at a specific location, for interfacing with the server computer and for processing the request.

Claims

1. A system for online ordering, comprising:

a server computer for storing data related to a plurality of vendors;

wherein the plurality of vendors using a vendor based user interface controlled by the server computer upload vendor product information at any given time, for customers to view and order from;

wherein the plurality of vendors are restaurants, each identified by a unique identifier;

a client computer for sending a consumer request for a vendor product to the server computer via a remote network connection;

wherein the consumer request is for a food item from one of the restaurants, and based on the ordered food item, the server computer is configured to suggest additional items to the consumer for purchase; and

a vendor point of sale system, at a specific location, for interfacing with the server computer and for processing the request;

wherein the vendor point of sale system directly accepts the request for the food item, directly transmits the request to a kitchen that prepares the food item and then transmits a response to the server notifying that the request has been accepted.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data related to the plurality of vendors is preloaded in the server computer and updated based on vendor input.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data related to the plurality of vendors comprises a restaurant menu for consumers to view and order food items from.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein one or more of the plurality of vendors, at any given time, can make a request to the server computer to add, update, or change a specific location'"'"'s menu.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the request from one or more of the plurality of vendors includes a location identifier that uniquely identifies the specific location.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein while the consumer is ordering a food item and if the consumer has only ordered an entré

e and not an appetizer, the server computer via the user interface is configured to prompt the consumer to order an appetizer.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein while the consumer is ordering a food item and if the consumer has only ordered a single food item, the server computer is configured to, via the user interface, prompt the consumer to order a second food item.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server computer transmits a reply to the request from the vendor point of sale system to the client computer.

9. A system for online ordering, comprising:

a server computer for storing restaurant menus from a plurality of restaurants;

wherein each restaurant identified by a unique location identifier is provided an interface to upload a restaurant menu and update the restaurant menu at any given time;

a client computer that interfaces with the server computer via a remote network connection;

wherein the client computer displays a user interface to obtain information regarding a consumer; and

the consumer places an order to purchase a food item from one or more of the restaurant menus;

wherein while the consumer is placing an order, the server computer is configured to prompt the consumer to purchase an additional item related to the food item; and

a vendor point of sale system, at a specific location interfaces directly with the server computer for processing the consumer order;

wherein the vendor point of sale system directly accepts the consumer order, directly transmits the order to a kitchen that prepares the food item and transmits a response to the server computer notifying that the order has been accepted.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein while the consumer is ordering a food item and if the consumer has only ordered an entré

e and not an appetizer, the server computer via the user interface is configured to prompt the consumer to order an appetizer.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the server computer transmits a reply to the request from the vendor point of sale system to the client computer.

12. A method for online food ordering, comprising:

a server computer storing data related to a plurality of restaurants;

the plurality of restaurants, using a restaurant-based user interface controlled by the server computer, uploading restaurant product information at any given time, for customers to view and order from;

wherein each restaurant is identified by a unique identifier;

a client computer sending a consumer request for a product to the server computer via a remote network connection;

wherein the consumer request is for a food item from one of the restaurants, and, based on the ordered food item, the server computer suggests additional items to the consumer for purchase; and

a restaurant point of sale system, at a specific location, interfaces with the server computer for processing the request;

wherein the restaurant point of sale system directly accepts the request for the food item, directly transmits the request to a kitchen that prepares the food item and then transmits a response to the server notifying that the request has been accepted.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data related to the plurality of restaurants is preloaded in the server computer and updated based on restaurant input.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data related to the plurality of restaurants comprises a restaurant menu for consumers to view and order food items from.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the plurality of restaurants, at any given time, makes a request to the server computer to add, update, or change a specific location'"'"'s menu.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the request from the one or more of the plurality of restaurants includes a location identifier that uniquely identifies the specific location.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein while the consumer is ordering a food item and if the consumer has only ordered an entré

e and not an appetizer, the server computer via the user interface prompts the consumer to order an appetizer.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein while the consumer is ordering a food item and if the consumer has only ordered a single food item, the server computer via the user interface prompts the consumer to order a second food item.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the server computer transmits a reply to the request from the restaurant point of sale system to the client computer.