Systems, apparatuses, and methods for ordering items from an electronic menu, and servicing thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9582825-B2
Application number	US-201514666847-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for ordering items from an electronic menu and servicing thereof, in a networked computing environment that communicably connects via at least one network at least a plurality of first handheld electronic devices (e.g., wait staff operated devices in a restaurant), a plurality of second handheld electronic devices (e.g., patron operated devices in a restaurant) configured to display the electronic menu, and a venue computer are described. Corresponding apparatuses are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for ordering items from an electronic menu and servicing thereof, in a networked computing environment that communicably connects via at least one network at least a plurality of first handheld electronic devices, a plurality of second handheld electronic devices, and a venue computer,
wherein a first handheld electronic device from the plurality of first handheld electronic devices comprises:
a first display;
at least first one processor configured to perform operations comprising:
based upon a selection or an input of a predetermined identifier, associating the first handheld electronic device with one or more of the second handheld electronic devices that are each associated with the predetermined identifier;
receiving a finalized order for one or more order items from at least one of the second devices associated with the predetermined identifier;
displaying the received finalized order on the first display; and
based upon an input from a first user, transmitting one or more of the order items to the venue computer for further consideration of the one or more order items in order to provide corresponding physical items to a user associated with the at least second handheld electronic device,

wherein a second handheld electronic device from the plurality of second handheld electronic devices comprises:
a second display;
at least one second processor configured to perform operations comprising:
associating the predetermined identifier with the second handheld electronic device;
displaying at least a part of the electronic menu of order items on the second display;
receiving input from a second user selecting one or more order items from the displayed menu for an order;
receiving input from the second user indicating finalizing of the order comprising the selected one or more order items; and
transmitting the finalized order using the at least one network, and

wherein the finalized order is received by the first handheld electronic device that is associated the predetermined identifier, and wherein the venue computer is configured to receive, from the first handheld electronic device, one or more order items from the finalized order, and
wherein the displaying by second handheld electronic device includes providing for the second user to associate additional request information with the order, wherein the additional request information includes text, audio and/or video information.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second handheld electronic device is further configured to disable the transmitting the finalized order at least until a predetermined indication is received from the first handheld electronic device.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second handheld electronic device is further configured to perform operations comprising:
updating an image displayed on the display to include information related to the one or more selected items in the finalized order;
receiving information relating to a second finalized order made at another second handheld electronic device also associated with the predetermined identifier; and
responsive to the receiving, again updating the image displayed on the second display to include information relating to the second finalized order.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the second user is enabled to, by providing an input in association with the displayed information relating to the second finalized order, increase a number of items or a quantity of one or more items already in the second finalized order.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying by the second handheld electronic device includes updating the displayed menu based upon the input, received from the second user, which includes a selection of a displayed item, and wherein the updating the displayed menu includes displaying one or more selectable further items automatically determined to be associated with the selected menu item.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying by second handheld electronic device includes separately displaying a list of selected but not ordered items and a list of ordered items.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the displaying by second handheld electronic device includes providing for the second user to selectively display nutrition information related to one or more of the menu items.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second handheld electronic device is configured to perform operations further including, based upon an input from the second user, transmitting an alert to the first handheld electronic device, and wherein the alert relates to one of a request to bring a check related to the finalized order or a request for table visit.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the first handheld electronic device is further configured to immediately display information related to an arriving alert generated by the second handheld electronic device.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first handheld electronic device is configured to perform further operations for displaying order information and a status of each item in the received finalized order, and
wherein displaying a status includes differently identifying items that have been approved by the first user for further processing from items that have not been approved by the first user for further processing.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein displaying a status further includes identifying items that have been included in a received finalized order but have been cancelled by the second user or the first user.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the first handheld electronic device is configured to perform operations further comprising, upon selection of one of the displayed items by the first user, enabling the first user to approve, delete, or cancel the selected item.

13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the first handheld electronic device is configured to perform operations further comprising, upon selection of one of the displayed items by the first user, enabling editing of order information associated with the selected item.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first handheld electronic device is associated with a plurality of predetermined identifiers that are each also associated with respective groups of second handheld electronic devices, and wherein the first handheld electronic device is further configured to display a list of the plurality of predetermined identifiers and a status related to each of the plurality of predetermined identifiers.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the first handheld electronic device is further configured to enable the first user to change the status related to one or more of the displayed predetermined identifiers, wherein changing the status provides for the first user to perform at least one of assign one of the predetermined identifiers to self, to temporarily transfer assignment of one of the predetermined identifiers from self to a user of another first handheld electronic device, move assignment of one of the predetermined identifiers from self to a user of another first handheld electronic device for servicing the order, or end servicing associated with one of the predetermined identifiers.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first handheld electronic device is a staff-operated device and the second handheld electronic device is a patron operated device.

17. The system according to claim 3 , wherein the first

Assignees

• Touch Tunes Music Corp
• Touchtunes Music Corp

Inventors

• Fang Yu
• Dykes Robert R
• Gibson Heidi

Classifications

• G06Q50/12

  Hotels or restaurants · CPC title

• G06Q30/0635 Primary

  replenishment orders; recurring orders · CPC title