Method and system for remote orders

• US 9,773,265 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Issued: 09/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perk Dynamics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Perk Dynamics, Inc.
• Inventors: Sharpley, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US12/760,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20100268378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,722 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/52 Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus ; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/521 the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a computer or a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering

Abstract

A system for and method of processing customer orders are disclosed. The system contains an order entry device, software having a database and at least an interface function, an algorithm adapted for selecting the order processing location and adapted for transmitting customer orders to the order processing device. The method of processing customer orders includes collecting the orders at an order entry device such as a point of sale, prioritizing and queuing the orders, identifying the best point of delivery for each order, transmitting the order to the point of delivery and processing the order at the point of delivery. This saves time for the customer and improves the accuracy of filling the orders.

Claims

1. A network of devices comprising:

a. an order entry device for entering an order;

b. a data device for processing the order received from the order entry device, wherein the data device maintains a city-wide order queue to prioritize orders among locations within a city; and

c. a dispensing device for dispensing an item based on the order processed by the data device, wherein the data device determines a delivery location based upon a GPS location of a user and the city-wide order queue, wherein the dispensing device includes an order queue display to enable a user to view an order queue including orders of other users.

2. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the order entry device is selected from the group consisting of a grocery/check out machine, a checkout kiosk, a point of sale device, a mobile device, a personal computer, a laptop, a netbook and a kiosk.

3. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device further comprises a brewing device.

4. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device contains one or more recipes for preparing the item to be dispensed.

5. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device is selected from the group consisting of a manual device, a semi-automatic device and a fully automatic device.

6. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the dispensing device is selected from the group consisting of an espresso brewing machine, a coffee brewing machine, a tea brewing machine, a soup brewing machine, an ice cream machine, a smoothie machine and an iced coffee/tea machine.

7. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device further comprises an application for selecting an order processing location and transmitting the order to the dispensing device at the order processing location.

8. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device is for storing statistical data and performance data, wherein the performance data includes a comparison of revenue of a plurality of locations.

9. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device is for storing error data, wherein the error data includes codes defined for each type of error, machine information and location information.

10. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device is for storing alerts, wherein the alerts specify which device an alert is for and what specifically needs to be addressed for the device to function properly.

11. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein data stored in the data device is stored in a database and is reported to a reporting system.

12. The network of devices of claim 11 wherein the reporting system dispatches the data to a messaging system.

13. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device receives the order in a first format and translates the order into a second format that the dispensing device understands.

14. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device determines a delivery location based upon at least one of order parameters and a selected delivery location.

15. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device records data of all items dispensed.

16. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the delivery location includes a location with a shortest wait time within a user-specified distance of a current location of a user.

17. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device implements load balancing wherein orders are sent to various dispensing devices to maintain a balanced load on the dispensing devices.

18. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device enables future orders to be placed.

19. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device changes at least one of settings and recipes on the dispenser device.

20. The network of devices of claim 1 wherein the data device sends a base setting to dispenser devices and delta settings based on a location of each of the dispenser devices.

21. A system for processing customer orders comprising:

a. a memory for storing an application, the application comprising;

i. an order acceptance module for accepting orders;

ii. an order flow module for controlling a flow of the orders received from the order acceptance module, wherein the orders are included in a city-wide order queue to prioritize orders among locations within a city; and

iii. a dispenser interface module for providing dispensing control of the orders received from the order flow module, wherein the dispenser interface module includes an order queue display to enable a user to view an order queue including orders of other users; and

b. a processor for processing the application.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the orders are selected from the group consisting of point of sale orders, kiosk orders, web orders, mobile orders, point of service orders and remote orders.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein providing dispensing control includes providing load leveling across multiple machines, sequence integrity of the orders, re-order data capture and machine control.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the dispensing interface module is further for translating commands from a first format to a second format.

25. A method of processing customer orders programmed in a non-transitory memory of a device comprising:

a. collecting the orders at an order entry device;

b. transmitting the orders to a point of delivery device for processing the orders, wherein the point of delivery device includes an order queue display to enable a user to view an order queue including orders of other users, wherein the order queue is comprises a city-wide order queue to prioritize orders among locations within a city; and

c. updating machine settings at the point of delivery device.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising prioritizing and queuing the orders.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising identifying the point of delivery device for each of the orders.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein transmitting the orders to the point of delivery device includes translating the orders from a first format to a second format.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein collecting the orders includes a customer ordering without verbal communication.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of delivery device comprises a brewing and dispensing device.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the point of delivery device comprises one or more recipes which are utilized to process the orders.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising determining a location of the point of delivery device based upon at least one of order parameters, a GPS location and a selected delivery location.

33. The method of claim 25 further comprising maintaining an order queue to prioritize the orders.

34. The method of claim 25 further comprising implementing load balancing wherein the orders are sent to various point of delivery devices to maintain a balanced load on the point of delivery devices.

35. A device comprising:

a. a memory for storing an application, the application for;

i. communicating periodic future orders with an order entry device; and

ii. communicating with a point of delivery device, wherein the application is further for determining a location of the point of delivery device based upon a GPS location and a city-wide order queue that prioritizes orders among locations within a city, wherein the point of delivery device comprises a brewing and dispensing device, wherein the point of delivery device includes an order queue display to enable a user to view an order queue including orders of other users; and

b. a processing component coupled to the memory, the processing component for processing the application.

36. The device of claim 35 wherein the application is further for prioritizing and queuing orders.

37. The device of claim 35 wherein the application is further for identifying the point of delivery device for orders.

38. The device of claim 35 wherein the application is further for transmitting orders to the point of delivery device including translating the orders from a first format to a second format.

39. The device of claim 35 wherein the application is further for updating machine settings at the point of delivery device.

40. The device of claim 35 wherein the point of delivery device comprises one or more recipes which are utilized to process orders.

41. The device of claim 35 wherein the application is further for determining a location of the point of delivery device based upon at least one of order parameters and a selected delivery location.

42. The device of claim 35 wherein the application is further for implementing load balancing wherein orders are sent to various point of delivery devices to maintain a balanced load on the point of delivery devices.

43. A system for collecting and storing data comprising:

a. a distributed beverage making and dispensing device; and

b. a centralized data device containing an application having a database and an interface that collects the data from the distributed beverage making and dispensing device and stores the data in the database, wherein the centralized data device sends a base setting to distributed beverage making and dispensing devices and delta settings based on characteristics of a location of each of the distributed beverage making and dispensing devices, wherein the centralized data device maintains a city-wide order queue to prioritize orders among locations within a city and further wherein the data device determines a delivery location based upon a GPS location of a user and the city-wide order queue.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the beverage making and dispensing device and the data device communicate using at least one of a serial protocol and a network protocol.

45. The system of claim 43 wherein the data comprises statistical data and performance data, wherein the performance data includes a comparison of revenue of a plurality of locations.

46. The system of claim 43 wherein the data comprises error data, wherein the error data includes codes defined for each type of error, machine information and location information.

47. The system of claim 43 wherein the data comprises alerts, wherein the alerts specify which device an alert is for and what specifically needs to be addressed for the device to function properly.

48. The system of claim 43 wherein the data is stored in a database and is reported to a reporting system.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein the reporting system dispatches the data to a messaging system.

50. A method of processing customer orders programmed in a non-transitory memory of a device comprising:

a. collecting the orders at an order entry device; and

b. transmitting the orders to a point of delivery device for processing the orders, wherein the point of delivery device includes an order queue display to enable a user to view an order queue including orders of other users, wherein the order queue is comprises a city-wide order queue to prioritize orders among locations within a city, wherein the point of delivery device comprises a brewing and dispensing device.

51. The method of claim 50 further comprising prioritizing and queuing the orders.

52. The method of claim 50 further comprising identifying the point of delivery device for each of the orders.

53. The method of claim 50 wherein transmitting the orders to the point of delivery device includes translating the orders from a first format to a second format.

54. The method of claim 50 wherein collecting the orders includes a customer ordering without verbal communication.

55. The method of claim 50 wherein the point of delivery device comprises one or more recipes which are utilized to process the orders.

56. The method of claim 50 further comprising determining a location of the point of delivery device based upon at least one of order parameters, a GPS location and a selected delivery location.

57. The method of claim 50 further comprising maintaining an order queue to prioritize the orders.

58. The method of claim 50 further comprising implementing load balancing wherein the orders are sent to various point of delivery devices to maintain a balanced load on the point of delivery devices.