Methods and apparatus for facilitation of a food order

• US 9,070,175 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panera LLC (Panera Bread Company)
• Original Assignee: Panera LLC (Panera Bread Company)
• Inventors: Hurst, Blaine E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/839,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20140279087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide techniques which aid in correctly capturing what a restaurant customer intends to order, and may enhance the customer'"'"'s satisfaction with the ordering and dining process overall. For example, an interface may be provided through which a customer may specify an order, and the interface may clearly convey such information as each ordered item'"'"'s ingredients and nutritional content. The interface may enable the customer to customize ordered items, and may clearly convey any changes that the customer has made, allowing the customer to make informed choices about the items included in an order. The interface may embody a design which enables the customer to quickly and easily customize items, and/or to re-order previously customized items.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a customer to order a food item, the food item being comprised of a collection of ingredients each in an amount, the method comprising acts of:

(A) causing information relating to potential changes to the food item'"'"'s ingredients to be displayed to the customer via a screen interface;

(B) identifying one or more types of changes to the item'"'"'s ingredients that cause a price of the item to be modified;

(C) in response to input being received from the customer specifying a change to the item'"'"'s ingredients, determining whether the specified change causes the price of the item to be modified, the specified change relating to adding an ingredient to the collection, removing an ingredient from the collection, substituting an ingredient that is not in the collection for an ingredient that is in the collection, or modifying the amount of an ingredient in the collection; and

(D) if it is determined in the act (C) that the specified change does not cause the price of the item to be modified, causing updated information relating to the food item to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, the updated information reflecting the specified change and relating to the food item'"'"'s ingredients, the food item'"'"'s nutritional content, and any potential allergens included in the food item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (A) comprises causing information relating to potential changes to the item, each potential change to the item being assigned a weight, to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, and the act (C) comprises determining whether the specified change causes a predetermined maximum change weight to be exceeded.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (C) comprises determining whether the specified change causes a predetermined maximum number of changes to the item to be exceeded.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (D) comprises, if it is determined in the act (C) that the change causes the price of the item to be modified, providing the customer the options of retracting the change and ordering the item at the modified price.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising acts of:

(E) receiving input from the customer specifying a second change to the item;

(F) determining whether the second change causes the price of the item to be modified;

(G) if it is determined in the act (F) that the second change causes the price of the item to be modified, causing information relating to the food item to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, the information reflecting the second change.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the act (C) comprises determining that the price of the item has increased, and the act (F) comprises determining that the price of the item has decreased.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the act (C) comprises determining that the price of the item has decreased, and the act (F) comprises determining that the price of the item has increased.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (C) comprises determining that the price of the item has increased.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act (C) comprises determining that the price of the item has decreased.

10. A computer system for enabling a customer to order a food item, the food item being comprised of a collection of ingredients each in an amount, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor programmed to;

cause information relating to potential changes to the food item'"'"'s ingredients to be displayed to the customer via a screen interface;

identify one or more types of changes to the item'"'"'s ingredients that cause a price of the item to be modified;

in response to input being received from the customer specifying a first change to the item'"'"'s ingredients, determine whether the specified change causes the price of the item to be modified, the specified change relating to adding an ingredient to the collection, removing an ingredient from the collection, substituting an ingredient that is not in the collection for an ingredient that is in the collection, or modifying the amount of an ingredient in the collection; and

if it is determined that the first change does not cause the price of the item to be modified, cause updated information relating to the food item to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, the updated information reflecting the specified change and relating to the food item'"'"'s ingredients, the food item'"'"'s nutritional content, and any potential allergens included in the food item.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to cause information relating to potential changes to the item, each potential change to the item being assigned a weight, to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, and to determine whether the first change causes a predetermined maximum change weight to be exceeded.

12. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine whether the first change causes a predetermined maximum number of changes to the item to be exceeded.

13. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to, if it is determined that the first change causes the price of the item to be modified, provide the customer the options of retracting the first change and ordering the item at the modified price.

14. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to:

receive input from the customer specifying a second change to the item;

determine whether the second change causes the price of the item to be modified;

if it is determined that the second change causes the price of the item to be modified, causing new information relating to the food item to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, the new information reflecting the second change.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine that the price of the item has increased as a result of the first change, and to determine that the price of the item has decreased as a result of the second change.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine that the price of the item has decreased as a result of the first change, and to determine that the price of the item has increased as a result of the second change.

17. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine that the price of the item has increased as a result of the first change.

18. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to determine that the price of the item has decreased as a result of the first change.

19. At least one computer-readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed, perform a method for enabling a customer to order a food item, the food item being comprised of a collection of ingredients each in an amount, the method comprising acts of:

(A) causing information relating to potential changes to the food item'"'"'s ingredients to be displayed to the customer via a screen interface;

(B) identifying one or more types of changes to the item'"'"'s ingredients that cause a price of the item to be modified;

(C) in response to input being received from the customer specifying a change to the item'"'"'s ingredients, determining whether the specified change causes the price of the item to be modified, the specified change relating to adding an ingredient to the collection, removing an ingredient from the collection, substituting an ingredient that is not in the collection for an ingredient that is in the collection, or modifying the amount of an ingredient in the collection; and

(D) if it is determined in the act (C) that the change does not cause the price of the item to be modified, causing updated information relating to the food item to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, the updated information reflecting the specified change and relating to the food item'"'"'s ingredients, the food item'"'"'s nutritional content, and any potential allergens included in the food item.

20. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the act (A) comprises causing information relating to potential changes to the item, each potential change to the item being assigned a weight, to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, and the act (C) comprises determining whether the specified change causes a predetermined maximum change weight to be exceeded.

21. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the act (C) comprises determining whether the specified change causes a predetermined maximum number of changes to the item to be exceeded.

22. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the act (D) comprises, if it is determined in the act (C) that the change causes the price of the item to be modified, providing the customer the options of retracting the change and ordering the item at the modified price.

23. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method comprises acts of:

(E) receiving input from the customer specifying a second change to the item;

(F) determining whether the second change causes the price of the item to be modified;

(G) if it is determined in the act (F) that the second change causes the price of the item to be modified, causing new information relating to the food item to be displayed to the customer via the screen interface, the new information reflecting the second change.

24. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the act (C) comprises determining that the price of the item has increased, and the act (F) comprises determining that the price of the item has decreased.

25. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the act (C) comprises determining that the price of the item has decreased, and the act (F) comprises determining that the price of the item has increased.

26. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the act (C) comprises determining that the price of the item has increased.

27. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the act (C) comprises determining that the price of the item has decreased.