Restaurant ordering system employing television whitespace communication channels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10878397-B2
Application number	US-201816197735-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2018
Priority date	Nov 21, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

An order fulfillment system includes mobile terminals and a backend server. The mobile terminals generate, queue, and transmit state changes for orders in a restaurant, where the mobile terminals may communicate over both a Wi-Fi network and a White-Fi network. The backend server is operably coupled to the mobile terminals, and receives/transmits the state changes to all of the mobile terminals. The backend server has a queue processor, television whitespace (TVWS) band update logic, and a band assignment map. The queue processor is configured to queues the state changes in terminal queues. The TVWS band update logic periodically receives TVWS available channels for the White-Fi network, and assigns one of the TVWS available channels for communications over the White-Fi network. The band assignment map indicates whether each of the mobile terminals is programmed to communicate within the restaurant in the Wi-Fi mode or the White-Fi mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual band order fulfillment system, the system comprising:
mobile terminals, each configured to generate state changes corresponding to orders in a restaurant, and configured to queue said state changes in one or more order queues that correspond to said orders, and configured to transmit said state changes in said one or more order queues, from oldest to youngest, when operably connected to a network, wherein said mobile terminals may communicate over both a Wi-Fi network and a White-Fi network within said restaurant, and when programmed in a Wi-Fi mode, said mobile terminals communicate only over said Wi-Fi network as a selected wireless network, and when programmed in a White-Fi mode, said mobile terminals communicate only over said White-Fi network as said selected wireless network; and
a backend server, disposed other than where said mobile terminals are disposed, operably coupled to said mobile terminals via said network, configured to receive said state changes, and configured to transmit said state changes to all of said mobile terminals, said backend server comprising:
a queue processor, configured to queue said state changes in terminal queues that correspond to said mobile terminals, wherein said state changes for all of said orders are transmitted to a first one of said mobile terminals, from oldest to youngest, when said first one of said mobile terminals is operably connected to said network, and wherein said state changes are maintained in terminal queues corresponding to other ones of said mobile terminals while said other ones of said mobile terminals remain operably disconnected from said network;
television whitespace (TVWS) band update logic, configured periodically receive TVWS available channels for said White-Fi network, and configured to assign one of said TVWS available channels for communications over said White-Fi network; and
a band assignment map, that indicates whether each of said mobile terminals is programmed to communicate within said restaurant in said Wi-Fi mode or said White-Fi mode.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said network comprises the internet and said selected wireless network.

3. The system as recited in claim 2 , wherein said backend server comprises a cloud-based server.

4. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein two or more of said mobile terminals generate unique ones of said state changes corresponding to a same one of said one or more orders.

5. The system as recited in claim 4 , wherein, when programmed to operate in said Wi-Fi mode, said mobile terminals operably connect to said network via one or more Wi-Fi access points that are disposed within said restaurant.

6. The system as recited in claim 4 , wherein, when programmed to operate in said White-Fi mode, said mobile terminals operably connect to said network via a White-Fi access point that is disposed within said restaurant over said one of said TVWS available channels.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 , further comprising:
a fixed terminal, additionally configured as said White-Fi access point, coupled to internet gateway for communications with said backend server via a wired network within said restaurant, and coupled to said mobile terminals via said one of said TVWS available channels, wherein said fixed terminal forwards messages from said backend server to said mobile terminals over said one of said TVWS available channels.

8. A dual band order fulfillment system, the system comprising:
mobile terminals, each configured to generate state changes corresponding to orders in a restaurant, and configured to queue said state changes in one or more order queues that correspond to orders, and configured to transmit said state changes in said one or more order queues, from oldest to youngest, when operably connected to a network, wherein said mobile terminals may communicate over both a Wi-Fi network and a White-Fi network within said restaurant, and when programmed in a Wi-Fi mode, said mobile terminals communicate only over said Wi-Fi network as a selected wireless network, and when programmed in a White-Fi mode, said mobile terminals communicate only over said White-Fi network as said selected wireless network;
a backend server, disposed other than where said mobile terminals are disposed, operably coupled to said mobile terminals via said network, configured to receive said state changes, and configured to transmit said state changes to all of said mobile terminals, said backend server comprising:
a queue processor, configured to queue said state changes in terminal queues that correspond to said mobile terminals, wherein said state changes for all of said orders are transmitted to a first one of said mobile terminals, from oldest to youngest, when said first one of said mobile terminals is operably connected to said network, and wherein said state changes are maintained in terminal queues corresponding to other ones of said mobile terminals while said other ones of said mobile terminals remain operably disconnected from said network;
television whitespace (TVWS) band update logic, configured periodically receive TVWS available channels for said White-Fi network, and configured to assign one of said TVWS available channels for communications over said White-Fi network; and
a band assignment map, that indicates whether each of said mobile terminals is programmed to communicate within said restaurant in said Wi-Fi mode or said White-Fi mode; and

a fixed terminal, additionally configured as a White-Fi access point, coupled to an internet gateway for communications with said backend server via a wired network within said restaurant, and coupled to said mobile terminals via said one of said TVWS available channels, wherein said fixed terminal forwards messages from said backend server to said mobile terminals over said one of said TVWS available channels when said mobile terminals are programmed in said White-Fi mode.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , wherein said network comprises the internet and said selected wireless network.

10. The system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said backend server comprises a cloud-based server.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 , wherein two or more of said mobile terminals generate unique ones of said state changes corresponding to a same one of said one or more orders.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein, when programmed to operate in said Wi-Fi mode, said mobile terminals operably connect to said network via one or more Wi-Fi access points that are disposed within said restaurant.

13. The system as recited in claim 11 , wherein, when programmed to operate in said White-Fi mode, said mobile terminals operably connect to said network via a White-Fi access point that is disposed within said restaurant over said one of said TVWS available channels.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein said fixed terminal forwards messages from said backend server to said mobile terminals over said one of said TVWS available channels.

15. A dual band order fulfillment method, the method comprising:
via mobile terminals, generating state changes corresponding to orders in a restaurant, and queuing the state changes in one or more order queues that correspond to the orders, and transmitting the state changes in the one or more order queues, from oldest to youngest, when operably connected to a network, wherein the mobile terminals may communicate over both a Wi-Fi network and a White-Fi network within the restaurant, and when programmed in a Wi-Fi mode, the mobile terminals communicate only over the Wi-Fi network as a selected

Assignees

• Toast Inc

Inventors

• Vick Ronald
• Papa Steven P

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• G06Q50/12

  Hotels or restaurants · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title

• G06Q20/322

  Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices] · CPC title

• G06Q10/087

  Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders · CPC title