Wireless communication system

• US 7,724,716 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly; Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US11/485,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20070291710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/328, 370/310, 455/414.2, 455/421
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/025 adapted to a specific application
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

A processing system is described that includes a wireless communication interface that wirelessly communicates with one or more wireless client devices in the vicinity of an establishment. The wireless communication interface receives a remote order corresponding to an item selected by at least one of the wireless client devices. A local server computer located in proximity to the establishment generates instructions for processing the remote order received from the wireless communication interface. The local server computer then passes the processing instructions to an order processing queue in preparation for processing of the remote order.

Claims

1. A processing system, comprising:

a wireless communication interface arranged to wirelessly communicate with one or more wireless client devices in the vicinity of the establishment, the wireless communication interface receiving a remote order corresponding to an item selected by at least one of the wireless client devices;

a local server computer located in proximity to the establishment in communication with the wireless communication interface that receives the remote order from the wireless communication interface and generates instructions for processing the remote order, wherein the instructions include at least a processing command that includes processing requirements for the selected item;

a processing queue in communication with the local server computer that receives the processing instructions from the local computer server in preparation for processing of the remote order;

a local processing center coupled to the processing queue that responds to the processing command by processing the selected item according to the processing requirements;

a pick up station coupled to the local processing center for staging a fully processed selected item for pick up; and

a notification unit coupled to the local processing center arranged to issue a notification signal indicating an estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station.

2. A processing system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a local ordering system coupled to the processing queue arranged to receive a local order and pass the local order to the processing queue.

3. A processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected item is a next to be processed selected item.

4. A processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the notification signal is wirelessly transmitted by way of the wireless communication interface to the at least one wireless communication device from which the selected item indication originated.

5. A processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the local server computer generates an acknowledgement signal indicating that the remote order has been successfully received and forwards the acknowledgement signal to the wireless communication interface.

6. A processing system as recited in claim 5, wherein the wireless communication interface forwards the acknowledgement signal to the at least one wireless communication device that originated the remote order.

7. A processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the local server computer tags the remote order received from the wireless communication interface indicating a processing order for the selected item.

8. A processing system as recited in claim 7, wherein when the remote order is tagged, then the tagged remote order is to be processed before any local orders are processed.

9. A processing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless client device is a wireless consumer electronic product selected from a group comprising:

a wireless media player, a wireless personal digital assistant, a cell phone.

10. A processing system as recited in claim 9, wherein the wireless client device includes a display screen suitable for displaying images and text and an output device that includes a speaker or earphone.

11. A processing system as recited in claim 9, wherein the notification signal indicating the estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station is audibly rendered and output by way of the audio output device.

12. A processing system, comprising:

a wireless communication interface arranged to wirelessly communicate with one or more wireless client devices in the vicinity of the establishment, the wireless communication interface receiving a remote order corresponding to an item selected by at least one of the wireless client devices;

a local server computer located in proximity to the establishment in communication with the wireless communication interface that receives the remote order from the wireless communication interface and generates instructions for processing the remote order; and

a processing queue in communication with the local server computer that receives the processing instructions from the local computer server in preparation for processing of the remote order,

wherein the wireless client device includes a display screen suitable for displaying images and text and an output device that includes a speaker or earphone, and

wherein the notification signal indicating the estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station is converted to text and displayed on the display screen.

13. A method of processing an order provided by one or more wireless client devices in the vicinity of an establishment, comprising:

receiving a remote order corresponding to an item selected by at least one of the wireless client devices at a wireless communication interface in communication with a local server computer in proximity to the establishment;

processing the remote order by the local server computer;

storing the remote order in a processing queue in preparation for processing of the remote order;

receiving a local order from a local ordering system;

passing the local order to the processing queue;

generating a processing command by the local server computer that includes processing requirements for the selected item;

processing the selected item according to the processing requirements by a local processing center coupled to the processing queue in response to the processing command;

staging a fully processed selected item for pick up at a pick up station coupled to the local processing center; and

issuing a notification signal indicating an estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station by a notification unit coupled to the local processing center.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, the selected item is a next to be processed selected item.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

wirelessly transmitting the notification signal by way of the wireless communication interface to the at least one wireless communication device from which the selected item indication originated.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

generating an acknowledgement signal indicating that the remote order has been successfully received and forwarding the acknowledgement signal to the wireless communication interface by the local server computer.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, further comprising;

forwarding the acknowledgement signal to the at least one wireless communication device that originated the remote order by the wireless communication interface.

18. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

tagging the remote order received from the wireless communication interface indicating a processing order for the selected item by the local server computer.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, further comprising;

processing the tagged remote order before any local orders.

20. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless client device is a wireless client device selected from a group comprising:

a wireless media player, a wireless personal digital assistant, or a cell phone.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the wireless client device includes a display screen suitable for displaying images and text and an output device that includes a speaker or earphone.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

converting the notification signal indicating the estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station to text; and

displaying the text on the display screen.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

audibly rendering the notification signal indicating the estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station; and

outputting the audio by way of the audio output device.

24. A wireless client device suitable for wirelessly providing a remote order to an establishment, comprising:

a wireless communication interface arranged to send and receive wireless signals;

a processor for processing executable instructions;

a wireless range evaluator unit in communication with the wireless communication interface and the processor arranged to determine if the wireless client device is within wireless range of the establishment, wherein when the wireless range evaluator unit determines that the wireless client device is within wireless range of the establishment, then the processor sends the remote order to the establishment by way of the wireless communication interface; and

a ping signal strength evaluator for determining if a ping signal strength of a ping signal received by the wireless communication interface is greater than a predetermined ping signal strength wherein when the ping signal strength is greater than the predetermined ping signal value, then the wireless evaluator unit notifies the processor that the wireless client device is within range of the establishment.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein when the processor is notified that the wireless client device is within range of the establishment, then the processor retrieves an establishment identifier (ID) encoded in the ping signal.

26. A system as recited in claim 25, wherein the processor sets an establishment recognition status based upon a determination of whether or not the establishment is recognized using the retrieved establishment ID.

27. A system as recited in claim 26, wherein the wireless client device further comprises:

a memory arranged to store data.

28. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the data stored in the memory comprises:

a customer identifier (ID) that uniquely defines a customer associated with the wireless client device;

a customer preference file listing customer preferences for the customer;

a list of establishments recognized by the customer; and

a customer history file for each of the recognized establishments listing items previously selected by the customer at each of the recognized establishments.

29. A wireless client device as recited in claim 28, wherein the processor determines the recognition status of the establishment by comparing the establishment ID retrieved from the ping signal with the list of establishment IDs recognized by the customer and wherein when the establishment ID matches at least one of the list of establishment IDs, then the processor sets the establishment recognition status to recognized, otherwise the processor sets the recognition status to unrecognized.

30. A wireless client device as recited in claim 29, wherein when the processor has updated the recognition status of the establishment, the processor forwards a response request to the customer preference file in order to determine how the wireless client device responds.

31. A wireless client device as recited in claim 30, wherein the customer preference file returns a response instruction back to the processor for execution based upon the recognition status of the establishment.

32. Computer program product executable by a computer processor for processing an order provided by one or more wireless client devices in the vicinity of an establishment, comprising:

computer code for receiving a remote order corresponding to an item selected by at least one of the wireless client devices at a wireless communication interface in communication with a local server computer in proximity to the establishment;

computer code for processing the remote order by the local server computer;

computer code for storing the remote order in a processing queue in preparation for processing of the remote order;

computer code for generating a processing command by the local server computer;

computer code for processing the selected item according to the processing requirements by a local processing center coupled to the processing queue in response to the processing command;

computer code for staging a fully processed selected item for pick up at a pick up station coupled to the local processing center;

computer code for issuing a notification signal indicating an estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station by a notification unit coupled to the local processing center; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing the computer code.

33. Computer program product as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

computer code for receiving a local order from a local ordering system; and

computer code for passing the local order to the processing queue.

34. Computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the processing command includes processing requirements for a next to be processed selected item.

35. Computer program product as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

computer code for wirelessly transmitting the notification signal by way of the wireless communication interface to the at least one wireless communication device from which the selected item indication originated.

36. Computer program product as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

generating an acknowledgement signal indicating that the remote order has been successfully received and forwarding the acknowledgement signal to the wireless communication interface by the local server computer.

37. Computer program product as recited in claim 36, further comprising;

forwarding the acknowledgement signal to the at least one wireless communication device that originated the remote order by the wireless communication interface.

38. Computer program product as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

tagging the remote order received from the wireless communication interface indicating a processing order for the selected item by the local server computer.

39. Computer program product as recited in claim 38, further comprising:

processing the tagged remote order before any local orders.

40. Computer program product as recited in claim 32, wherein the wireless client device is a wireless client device selected from a group comprising:

a wireless media player, a wireless personal digital assistant, a cell phone.

41. Computer program product as recited in claim 40, wherein the wireless client device includes a display screen suitable for displaying images and text and an output device that includes a speaker or earphone.

42. Computer program product as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

computer code for converting the notification signal indicating the estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station to text; and

computer code for displaying the text on the display screen.

43. Computer program product as recited in claim 42, further comprising:

computer code for audibly rendering the notification signal indicating the estimated amount of time until the fully processed selected item is available for pick up at the pick up station; and

computer code for outputting the audio by way of the audio output device.