Dual band restaurant ordering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10956887-B2
Application number	US-201816197615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2018
Priority date	Nov 21, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

An ordering system includes mobile terminals and a backend server. Each terminal generates changes for one or more orders in a restaurant, and queues the changes in queues for the one or more orders, and transmits the changes, from oldest to youngest, when operably connected to a network. The mobile terminals may communicate over both a Wi-Fi network and a White-Fi network. When programmed in a Wi-Fi mode, the mobile terminals communicate only over the Wi-Fi network, and when programmed in a White-Fi mode, the mobile terminals communicate only over the White-Fi network. The backend server is coupled to the mobile terminals via the network, and receives the changes, and is transmits the changes to all of the mobile terminals. The backend server a band assignment map that 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 a first portion of said state changes correspond to a first portion of said orders that are transmitted by a first portion of said mobile terminals and a second portion of said state changes correspond to a second portion of said orders that are transmitted by a second portion of said mobile terminals, and 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 first and second portions of 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; and

a plurality of fixed terminals, additionally configured as White-Fi access points in a mesh network, coupled an internet gateway for communications with said backend server via a wired network within said restaurant, and coupled to said mobile terminals via a plurality of White-Fi links, wherein said plurality of fixed terminals forwards messages from said backend server to said mobile terminals over said White-Fi links when said mobile terminals are programmed in 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 of said 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 said White-Fi access points disposed within said restaurant, and wherein said band assignment map further indicates a White-Fi channel over which each of said mobile terminals is programmed to communicate within said restaurant in said White-Fi mode.

7. The system as recited in claim 6 ,
wherein said plurality of fixed terminals forward said messages over said White-Fi channel.

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 a first portion of said state changes correspond to a first portion of said orders that are transmitted by a first portion of said mobile terminals and a second portion of said state changes correspond to a second portion of said orders that are transmitted by a second portion of said mobile terminals, and 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 first and second portions of 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; 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 plurality of fixed terminals, additionally configured as White-Fi access points in a mesh network, coupled an internet gateway for communications with said backend server via a wired network within said restaurant, and coupled to said mobile terminals via a plurality of White-Fi links, wherein said plurality of fixed terminals forwards messages from said backend server to said mobile terminals over said White-Fi links.

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 of said 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 said White-Fi access points, and wherein said band assignment map further indicates a White-Fi channel over which each of said mobile terminals is programmed to communicate within said restaurant in said White-Fi mode.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 , wherein said plurality of fixed terminals forwards messages from said backend server to said mobile terminals over said White-Fi channel.

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 orde

Assignees

• Toast Inc

Inventors

• Vick Ronald
• Papa Steven P

Classifications

• G06Q20/202 Primary

  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 title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W88/18

  Service support devices; Network management devices · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title