System and method of providing digital media management in a quick service restaurant environment

• US 9,444,932 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2009
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tillster, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tillster, Inc.
• Inventors: Ravenel, J. Patrick, Chong, Trevor, Silva, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ludwig, Peter L.
• Application Number:
  US12/506,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20100042506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,611 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/20 with means for interrupting existing connections; with means for breaking-in on conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42187 Lines and connections with preferential service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/465 Arrangements for simultaneously calling a number of substations until an answer is obtained
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems and methods for managing digital media content within a quick service restaurant environment to provide a consistent visual experience and accurate, timely data across various digital media displays to QSR customers. In some embodiments, a digital media management appliance (“DMMA”) is used to manage the distribution of digital media data which is used to drive various display devices present in the QSR environment. The DMMA may be configured to extract data from a point of sale (“POS”) system and/or other data sources within the QSR environment in order to generate display data for the digital media devices in the store.

Claims

1. A system for managing digital display content in a plurality of quick service restaurant (QSR) environments, comprising:

a digital media delivery module configured to execute computer instructions on a processor which generates digital media data for a plurality of digital media devices in the QSR environments, the plurality of digital media devices including at least one digital menu display device;

a computer memory in each QSR environment configured to store the digital media data;

a point of sale interface configured to communicate with a point of sale system in each of the QSR environments;

a menu building module remote from the QSR environments and configured to;

receive a selection of menu items from menu data to include in a product menu;

receive a selection of promotional items from promotional data;

receive a definition of rules for displaying the promotional items;

assemble the selection of menu items, the selection of promotional items, and the definition of rules into a digital media package; and

transmit the same digital media package to the QSR environments for storage in the respective computer memory of each QSR environment;

a synchronization module configured to;

monitor point of sale data stored in the point of sale system and update the digital media data based upon a change to the point of sale data;

access the digital media package from the computer memory and modify the point of sale data to reflect the digital media package; and

a translation module configured to receive the digital media data from the memory and translate the digital media data into a format readable by the point of sale system, wherein a structure of the digital media data as stored in the memory is incompatible with the point of sale data stored in the point of sale system,

wherein the synchronization module is further configured to maintain consistency between the digital media data and the point of sale data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a digital media management appliance.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of digital media devices in the QSR environments further includes at least one of;

one or more kiosk device;

one or more digital marketing display device; and

one or more digital confirmation display device; and

the digital media delivery module comprises at least two of;

a kiosk engine configured to generate a kiosk menu for display on the one or more kiosk device;

a digital marketing display engine configured to play multimedia files indicative of food items on the one or more digital marketing display device;

an order confirmation display engine configured to display an order confirmation on the one or more digital confirmation display device; and

a digital menu display engine configured to display a QSR menu on the one or more digital menu display device;

wherein, each engine is configured for generating a display on its respective digital media device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the digital marketing display device comprises a LCD television device in communication with the digital marketing display engine via a DVI interface.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the digital media delivery module further comprises a web ordering engine configured to generate web pages for ordering products in the QSR environment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the menu building module is further configured to:

receive a selection of QSRs to receive the digital media package;

receive a time frame for running the digital media package, the time frame selectable on a per QSR basis; and

transmit the digital media package to the selected QSRs.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the definition of rules comprises up selling rules which specify up selling opportunities presented in the digital media data based on types of products ordered by a customer.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital media data comprises digital menu data.

9. A method of managing digital display content in a plurality of quick service restaurant (QSR) environments, the method comprising:

generating digital media data for a plurality of digital media devices in the QSR environments, the plurality of digital media devices including at least one digital menu display device, the digital media data including a digital menu, and wherein the generating the digital menu is remote from a plurality of QSRs and comprises;

receiving a selection of menu items from menu data to include in a product menu;

receiving a selection of promotional items from promotional data;

receiving a definition of rules for displaying the promotional items;

assembling the selection of menu items, the selection of promotional items, and the definition of rules into a digital media package; and

transmitting the same digital media package to the QSR environments for storage in a respective computer memory of each QSR environment;

storing the digital media data in the computer memory in each QSR environment;

communicating with a point of sale system in each QSR environment;

monitoring point of sale data stored in each point of sale system and updating the digital media data based upon a change to the point of sale data;

performing synchronization functions to maintain consistency between the digital media data and the point of sale data, the synchronization functions including accessing the digital media package from the computer memory and modifying the point of sale data to reflect the digital media package; and

translating the digital media data into a format readable by the point of sale system, wherein a structure of the digital media data as stored in the memory is incompatible with the point of sale data stored in the point of sale system,

wherein the translating the digital media data further comprises translating the digital media data into a plurality of formats, each format being associated with a different point of sale system, and

wherein the method is performed by one or more computer processors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of digital media devices in the QSR environments further includes at least one of;

one or more kiosk device;

one or more digital marketing display device; and

one or more digital confirmation display device; and

the digital media data is generated for at least of;

a kiosk engine configured to generate a kiosk menu for display on the one or more kiosk device;

a digital marketing display engine configured to play multimedia files indicative of food items on the one or more digital menu display device;

an order confirmation display engine configured to display an order confirmation on the one or more digital confirmation device; and

a digital menu display engine configured to display a QSR menu on the one or more digital menu display device;

wherein, each engine is configured for generating a display on its respective digital media device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the digital marketing display device is a LCD television device in communication with a digital marketing display engine via a DVI interface.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating web pages for ordering products in the QSR environment based on the stored digital media data.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating the digital menu further comprises:

receiving a selection of QSRs to receive the digital media package;

receiving a time frame for running the digital media package, the time frame selectable on a per QSR basis; and

transmitting the digital media package to the selected QSR.