Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a restaurant order management networking system. More particularly, the present invention relates to network system which is very helpful to small and medium enterprises engaged in business tea shop or fast food. Further this invention which relates to systems for managing restaurant dining service. Further this invention which also relates to a more particularly ,to methods and systems for managing restaurant dining service through meal orders.

Background of the invention and related prior Art

Most restaurants share several common goals, such as providing accurate and efficient service as well as providing an enjoyable dining experience. When either goal is not met, the customers may be dissatisfied and may not return to the restaurant with any frequency or, worse yet, may not return at all. Some restaurants are successful with efficiency or with providing a friendly and enjoyable dining experience but few satisfy both goals fully or regularly. Other restaurants, particularly bars and casinos provide bartending with so-called "flair" techniques, e.g. tossing or spinning liquor containers prior to or in the process of preparing mixed drinks.

Various electronic devices have been proposed in the art for either improving the efficiency of ordering or order fulfillment, such as by increasing speed or accuracy or both. Although assumably effective for their intended purposes, the existing devices do not maximize the entertainment value to customers while simultaneously assisting bartenders, kitchen staff, waiters, etc. with accurately and quickly preparing mixed beverages or food items.

Dining experiences may be coarsely divided into two classes. In the first class, a patron orders all the components of a meal for one or more persons at a single opportunity. The patron then pays for the accumulated total, the staff prepares and provides the ordered components at a delivery point for pick-up by the patron or delivery to the patron, and the patron then leaves with the meal or consumes it on the premises. This type of dining experience is typically called fast food dining. As the moniker denotes, this type of dining is directed to prompt specification of meal components, immediate payment, relatively quick production and, usually, non-leisurely consumption of the food. The menus for such an experience is typically comprised of an illuminated and illustrated display of the various meal components and/or meal combinations available for the eating establishment with their prices. To enhance the speed of food ordering and production, the menu items change infrequently and menus for different meals of the day, such as the breakfast menu and lunch menu, are displayed simultaneously with a notice of the times at which the different meal types are available. The standard menu items and limited selections help ensure the dining experience comports well with its identification as "fast food."

A second type of dining experience is more leisurely and typically requires more staff for the dining experience. This type of dining experience begins with one or more dining guests being greeted by a restaurant facilities manager. The facilities manager inquires about the size of the dining party and any special considerations required for their seating, such as environmental matters (smoking or non¬smoking) and the need for a special arrangement or views available from the various seating locations. After confirming an appropriate seating location is available for the party, the facilities manager seats the dining party, distributes menus, and notifies the serving personnel of the need to provide water and other complementary meal items, such as bread, to the table.

Shortly after the service of the complementary meal accompaniments, the server attends to the table to answer questions that diners may have and to receive the dining party's orders for drinks. The meal then continues with the server bringing an ordered course, distributing the items, and receiving the party's orders for the next course. If the party has time constraints that require a more expeditiously served meal, they may order more than one course at a time. However, the tempo of the dining experience is typically measured by several food service, next course ordering intervals until all of the courses for the meal have been ordered, served, and consumed. After confirming satisfactory completion of the meal, the server then presents the bill for the meal and returns to retrieve the payment before presenting the receipt for the termination of the establishment's service for the meal.

This second type of dining experience is more labor intensive as the pace of the meal is more or less dictated by the decisions of the dining party to place their orders of subsequent courses and the time the party members take to consume each course. Sometimes, the dining experience is interrupted by the server making appearances to receive orders for a subsequent course before the party is ready to order. The party may be involved in intense conversation or debating the relative merits of menu items. In upscale restaurants, the patrons may be deliberating the selection of a wine that properly complements the various foods being ordered by the party members. The appearance of the server during these periods of intense conversation or deliberations may not be well received by the patrons. On the other hand, a server may perceive a dining party's desire to be undisturbed and become unavailable when the party has a question that requires information from the server. Seeking to obtain the server's attention may then become problematic and frustrate the overall dining experience for the patrons. Thus, there is a delicate balance in a sever being available for orders or answering questions to enhance the dining experience and the restaurant's interest in processing a dining party as efficiently as possible so the table may be made available for another seating.

Many food items in restaurants providing meals that are more leisurely consumed meals than fast food meals, do not retain freshness for extended periods of time or spoil easily. Consequently, the restaurant management prefers to serve these items before they pass the point of optimal flavor or appearance and have to be discarded. To encourage consumption of these items, establishments offer specials on dishes prepared with these items to diners. However, restaurants that use printed menus either have to print an addendum for each menu or, to avoid the cost of printing an addendum, they have the servers orally announce these specials to patrons at the presentation of the menus. Frequently, patrons forget these oral announcements and only consider the standard items from the printed menu for their dining choices.

The document US7748626 describes that for smart and dumb implementations of a stand-alone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic display, label, tag or strip device of various sizes and shapes. The number of layers forming the device can vary depending upon the particular components employed in the device, and upon the requirements or exigencies of the intended application. The display device of the present invention provides a flexible electronic display that is self contained, does not require an onboard power source, and employs radio wave transmissions to remotely update and permanently alter information displayed in human and/or machine readable form. The electronic display device of the present invention can be provided in various embodiments, each of which can be employed as a system for displaying information related to a particular item. Each electronic display system can include combinations and variations of particular electronic components, including microprocessors, computer software, transmitters, receivers, and a variety of antennas, etc., that can communicate with and remotely update the electronic display at various distances. According to one practice, the display device can be updated by providing for an electronic hard wire connection to an information altering device, or by employing electromagnetic waves to alter the display from various distances.

The cited document also provides for smart and dumb implementations of a standalone, remotely updateable, remotely alterable, flexible electronic label. The electronic label provides for displaying information in connection with a mammal, non-mammal, an item or location. The label includes a display assembly having electronic ink disposed on a support, one or more antennas for sending or receiving signals corresponding to one of instructions, programs, data or selected indicia to be displayed by said display assembly, a storage element in circuit with the antenna for storing the instructions, programs, data and indicia, and one or more processors for intelligently determining the indicia to be displayed by the display assembly, for controlling and coordinating operation of the label, and for generating output signals for instructing the display assembly to display the indicia.

The document US7584119 discloses that an electronic kiosk having generally opposed first and second sides. A first display may be situated on the first side of the kiosk for use by the customer and a second display may be situated on the second side of the kiosk for use by a bartender. The electronic kiosk includes a first input device for use by the customer. A processor is in data communication with the first and second displays and with the first input device to retrieve data from the first input device and to actuate the first and second displays. As the first input device may be a touch screen display interface, a restaurant patron may select from food or drink ordering options, may choose to watch television or other special programming, or just allow advertisements to be displayed. The first input device may also include a card reader for receiving payment.

The kiosk defines a storage area that is configured to contain napkins or condiments. The kiosk may include a second input device for use by a bartender, such as a touch screen. The second display may be in communication with a processor for displaying selected drink recipes. Thus, a user selects a desired drink using the first display, the corresponding drink recipe may be displayed on the second display to aid the bartender in fulfilling the order. In another aspect of the invention, the bartender may wear a headset remote from the processor to which the drink recipe may be transmitted and audibly recited into the bartender's ears to assist in preparing the drink.

The system may also include an innovative electronic mixing tin for providing a bartender with instant access to drink recipes while also increasing the ambiance of the bar and entertainment value of watching a bartender mix drinks. Specifically, the mixing tin may include an LCD screen on its exterior by which to display drink recipes or even advertisements and lighting displays.

Order communication systems have been designed to allow a customer to place an order from a remote station and an employee to take the order while inside a business establishment, typically a fast food restaurant. This arrangement provides the customer the convenience of placing and picking up orders without leaving the car, and allows employees of the business establishment to more efficiently serve customers using two avenues: inside and drive-through.

The US6087927 says that invention to provide an improved design for an order placement system which allows interactive audiovisual communication between an employee receiving orders and a customer at a remote order station, more particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an order communication system with improved efficiency and accuracy by allowing the customer to verify orders visually, through text and/or pictures, and allowing employees to control the visual information that customers receive. It is pertinent to mention that the personalize drive-through service by providing both the customer and the attendant with live video of the other party to the transaction and also to allow customer verification of orders regardless of customer's ability to read English by using color pictures of ordered items and to create customized marketing outlets at remote order stations. The invention also discuss to increase the speed of the order taking process by allowing the attendant to direct customers with text and to display the total amount owed before the customer proceeds to the attendant window.

The invention of the document US5937386 comprises that a Point-Of-Sale Register by which the order is input, sent to a computer, and logged in the various programs of the processor. At the same time the order is sent to a monitor or monitors located in the food preparation area. The food is prepared and bagged, and is then placed in a queue on a counter until it can be transferred and placed on a suitable electronic scale where the order is weighed. The resultant weight is electronically transmitted to the processor and is loaded in a program which compares the actual Weight vs. Target Weight Ranges, and is at the same time loaded in a Compile Order Accuracy Status Program. If the weight is within an acceptable range a message is sent to the monitor or monitors, wherein the display indicated by a suitable recognizable means, such as the use of text or a green light. This information is also sent to the Compile Order Accuracy Status Program. If, however, the calculated weight of the order is determined to be in a borderline area the monitor will display a message, either by text or as an example a yellow light, and this is also sent to Compile Order Accuracy Status Program. This message indicates that the order is slightly outside the acceptable range and should be checked before it is handed out to the customer.

The document US20060255128 says that the features, and advantages in accordance with the present invention are provided by a portable handheld device for wireless order entry and real time payment authorization which may include a housing, a display carried by the housing, an order entry input device carried by the housing, a transaction card input device carried by the housing for reading user sensitive information from a transaction card, and a wireless transceiver carried by the housing. The portable handheld device may further include a processor carried by the housing and connected to the display, order entry input device, transaction card input device and wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending input order information, and encrypting and wirelessly sending the user sensitive information from the transaction card without storing and without displaying. Moreover, the processor may also be for wirelessly receiving and displaying payment authorization information based upon real time authorization from a transaction card issuing entity.

The document US73 70794 discloses a system for presenting and facilitating payment of a restaurant bill for a group of patrons, the system comprising: a computing system for processing payment of a restaurant bill, the computing system comprising: a pressure sensitive display for displaying information and for receiving input from a patron; a magnetic strip reader for receiving payment information encoded on a magnetic strip; a wireless communication device for communicating with a central computing system; memory for storing computer executable instructions for facilitating payment of a restaurant bill; and a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions, wherein when the computer executable instructions are executed the following steps are performed: receiving information regarding a number of paying patrons; receiving information regarding whether a bill will be divided evenly among the paying patrons; in response to receipt of information that the bill will not be divided evenly among the paying patrons, receiving item information for a first paying patron, then receiving gratuity information for the first paying patron; in response to receipt of information that the bill will be divided evenly among the group of patrons, receiving gratuity information from a first paying patron; processing payment of a portion of the bill being paid by the first paying patron; and a billfold comprising at least a first flap, a second flap and a hinge connecting said first flap to said second flap, wherein the billfold houses at least a portion of the computing system.

The another document US5003472 teaches a portable order entry terminal for use in a remote order entry system in a restaurant. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a handheld terminal including a bar code scanner. The handheld terminal includes a bar code template which includes an array of restaurant selections specified by human language descriptions, with each description having a corresponding bar code adjacent thereto. The template thus resembles a conventional restaurant order pad. The bar code scanner preferably consists of a light pen which is used to enter orders by scanning the bar code adjacent the description of an item ordered by the customer. Accordingly, the portable order entry terminal according to the present invention is thus used in a manner very similar to a conventional restaurant order pad making it simple to learn and operate. The order entry system includes host computer means for interpreting numeric identifier data scanned from the template of said terminal and for causing a human language description of the scanned menu item to be displayed on the terminal whereby the order can be verified.

The patent document US4777488 describes the restaurant service request scenario is as follows. The customer activates a request button at one of the remote or table units. This "wakes up" the remote unit which locks on its power and reads the request into memory. The remote unit then listens for the poll start code, and, after timing from the start code, transmits the message in its time slot to the master indicating the remote unit number, the nature of the request, and a checksum. The master, in the next poll cycle, sends an acknowledgement to the remote, and also sends messages to all of the situation display or server units indicating the table number and the request. If the remote does not receive an acknowledgement, it will re-transmit the original message until it does so. Only when the remote receives an acknowledgement from the master does it operate its display in correspondence to the activated request switch.

The situation display or server units, after they have been sent a message, individually acknowledge the message back to the master in the poll sequence. After having received a valid service request message from the master, each of the situation display units scan its table number switches SS1-SS10 and, if that table number is dialed in to any one or more of the switches, the corresponding status lamp is lit. Otherwise the message is ignored by that server unit, except for sending back its acknowledgement that the message was received.

When a service person has fulfilled a request, the request may be cancelled in two ways. From the remote, by a process essentially identical to the entering of a service request or from a server unit by activating the cancel switch (PBC) associated with the appropriate table number. This causes the server unit to insert a "cancel" message into the next poll. This message contains the table number and a checksum in addition to the cancel code. The master, on the following poll, acknowledges the message to the situation display unit, and sends a message to the remote to cancel pending requests.

The US560032 describes a restaurant food display and serving system comprising a food preparation area, a watercourse surrounding said food preparation area and a counter for the receipt of food dishes surrounding said watercourse and a plurality of individual floating carriers for transporting food in receptacles and connecting means joining said floating carriers in an endless succession spaced from one another a selected distance so that said carriers cannot touch an adjacent carrier, and means for creating a water current in said watercourse for propelling said carriers around said watercourse, the said connecting means including a plurality of flexible discrete members each joining the bow and stern of adjacent carriers and each discrete flexible member having a selected length so that the carriers do not touch during normal operation of the system, each of said discrete flexible members having a selected length so that each individual carrier can move a selected distance laterally with respect to said carrier in front and behind, and each of said discrete flexible members having a selected length so that a selected carrier may be stopped and the carrier behind will draw closer but will not touch said selected carrier.

The document FR2924252 says an object a method of payment in a commercial setting by means of a support of fidelity, mainly characterized in what it includes/understands the resetting of coins in receiving means, the delivery by the aforementioned means of an exchange-value in the form of information recorded on a support (card, or ticket, or card and management system) allowing the payment of purchases in case.

Information comprises at least given a corresponding one with the exchange-value. In an embodiment practice, information is recorded on a paper support. The paper support present in the shape of a ticket on which the identification of the setting and the exchange-value are printed. The printed exchange-value corresponds to the post of the value which the parts resetting represent. In a second embodiment practice, information is recorded on a card of fidelity information carrier. The card of fidelity can be a memory card of card type to chip or card with magnetic tape. The card of fidelity can be an electronic card with code bar. In this embodiment, information comprises given the corresponding one with the exchange-value, but this given is recorded on management means of cashing of the setting. Information comprises at least given identification of the customer who is recorded in the form of code bar on the electronic card.

The document 824/CHE/2004 describes a wireless networking system for restaurant order management comprising, in combination, at least one wireless transmission PDA ; means for printing and displaying data transmitted by wireless from the PDA; at least one touch screen display for wireless transmission of data to the said means; a closed loop circuit connecting, by wireless, the PDA, the said means and the touch screen display together.

What is needed is a system and method for taking orders from patrons seeking a leisurely dining experience that allows the patrons to place orders without having to have a server present at the table.

What is needed is a system and method for taking orders from patrons in a restaurant that facilitates timely interaction between patrons and servers for information requests or ancillary condiment or complementary food item service.

What is needed is a system and method for taking orders from patrons that enables patrons to participate in the scheduling of the preparation and delivery of their orders.

What is needed is a system and method for displaying food specials in a manner that more closely coincides with their interest in a particular course of a meal.

Summary of the invention

The present invention relates to a restaurant order management networking system. More particularly, the present invention relates to network system which is very helpful to small and medium enterprises engaged in business tea shop or fast food. Further this invention which relates to systems for managing restaurant dining service. Further this invention which also relates to a more particularly to methods and systems for managing restaurant dining service through meal orders. This invention also relates to a process and system which is helpful for order processing by customer and for the satisfaction of the customer in which billing is equally quick; and once an order is placed and processed there will be no possibility of the same order being repeated and misused

Detailed description of the invention with accompanying drawings

There are many possible embodiments of this invention. The drawings and description below describe in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention. It should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered of the present invention.

All Restaurants in India from smaller ones to 5 star ones uses traditional mode of menu and ordering system in which customer is provided with Paper menu card and steward takes order of customer. While the current system works fine it has lacuna of customers not able to get more details of any items they wish to order and it is less efficient as order is manually given to steward. Also while order is getting ready customer has to simply wait for the order to arrive which does not give good experience to customer.

The current system is more or less manual. In case of any additional details the customer has to seek steward. Also the items shown in the menu its ingredients and the calorie information will not be available upfront. The estimated time of preparation and the availability needs a re-check.

The proposed solution is to overcome all the above short comings in the existing system.

E-Restaurant solution overcomes these by providing menus to customers on system (a 7 inch MID device with touch screen) with easy navigation and selection from Beverages, Dinning and Desert options.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a restaurant order management networking system.

The other embodiment of the invention is to provide to network system which is very helpful to small and medium enterprises engaged in business tea shop or fast food. (Its more for a leisure dining than a fast food)

The other embodiment of the invention is to provide which relates to systems for managing restaurant dining service.

The other embodiment of the invention is to provide the customer places the order which gets updated in the steward and the cook's devices. Since all the three are in a connected network, each of them will be able to see the updates.

The other embodiment of the invention is to provide also a more particularly to methods and systems for managing restaurant dining service through meal orders.

The other embodiment of the invention is to provide options to go through details of any menu item including watching its making video, getting its recipe, its price and other details which anyone might like to know before ordering an item from menu. After going through details of menu items, customer can order the same from the above system Apollo™. Customer can check the entire cost of the items ordered and modify the same before sending the order confirmation. Once it is ordered, it is sent to Steward's system wirelessly which is used for further action. While food is getting ready customer's can browse internet, check emails, Get hooked to friends on Facebook or do anything to enjoy the wait.

The other embodiment of the invention is to provide a process and system which is helpful for order processing by customer and for the satisfaction of the customer in which billing is equally quick; and once an order is placed and processed there will be no possibility of the same order being repeated and misused.

The other embodiment of the invention is to provide each table at the restaurant will have the above said system which has the menu in electronic form. This is the starting point of the e-Restaurant solution.

The other embodiment of the invention is to provide the customer to see the Menu, Freshness, ingredients of the items, availability of the item and the calorie details along with the cost and preparation method can be viewed before placing the order.
The other embodiment of the invention is to provide the customer to select items of his choice, a estimated time of preparation is displayed based on which one can review his order. Once the order is placed, the Steward's device and the Cook's device will be updated automatically. A countdown timer is displayed against each order placed which gives the insight of the time of arrival of his/her order. Once the order is served, it will be removed from the list of items and moves to served list. On demand the item's recipe can be printed over the "Remote Printing mechanism" (inline with proprietary exclusions of the recipes). During the wait time, advertisement based media can be played along with internet access.

The communication may occur through a computer communication network implementing a known communication standard and protocol, such as an Ethernet network that supports the TCP/IP protocol. Alternatively, network may be a wireless communication network. Patron communicators are display devices that include a processor, memory, and, preferably, a flat screen. The communicators may be coupled to network through known interfaces for computer communication networks. Resident in the communicators are the software applications that manage the network communication function and provide the data objects and forms to a display application program in a communicator. The display application program performs functions similar to those performed by a browser application. The display application program may also manage the execution of script programs and the like to enhance the presentation of the course menus on the communicators.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

The advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description.

Advantages of the invention :

1. The customer places the order which gets updated in the steward and the cook's devices. Since all the three are in a connected network, each of them will be able to see the updates.

2. The customer can see the Menu, Freshness, ingredients of the items, availability of the item and the calorie details along with the cost and preparation method can be viewed before placing the order. In comparison with the existing solution this seems to be highly impossible, as the data is huge and difficult for the steward to provide it upfront.

3. Once the customer selects items of his choice, a estimated time of preparation is displayed based on which one can review his order.

4. Once the order is placed, the Steward's device and the Cook's device will be updated automatically. (The same is mentioned in pointer 1)

5. A countdown timer is displayed against each order placed which gives the insight of the time of arrival of his/her order.

6. Once the order is served, it will be removed from the list of items and moves to served list.

7. On demand the item's recipe can be printed over the "Remote Printing mechanism" (inline with proprietary exclusions of the recipes)

8. During the wait time, Ad-based media can be played along with internet access.

The above mentioned solution allows customer to choose the item and place an order without any intervention of steward which makes it a unique offering and hence filing for patent.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of exemplary processes, and while the various processes have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will also readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broadest aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, implementations, or illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant's general inventive concept.

We claim:

1) Restaurant order management networking system which comprises :

i) a display;

ii) wireless communication means for sending data communications to said host means;

iii) a steward and cook communicator connected by network for displaying course menus;

iv) a server for delivering course menus to the steward communicator for display at the steward communicator;

v) and a kitchen terminal for receiving food supply data; wherein the server generates menu updates from the food supply data for delivery to the steward communicator.

2) Restaurant order management networking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the customer can see the Menu, Freshness, ingredients of the items, availability of the item, the calorie of the said items and along with the cost and preparation method of the said items before placing the order.

3) Restaurant order management networking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a estimated time of preparation is displayed based on which, one can review his order.

4) Restaurant order management networking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein Steward's device and the Cook's device will be updated automatically.

5) Restaurant order management networking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a countdown timer is displayed against each order placed which gives the insight of the time of arrival of his/her order.

6) Restaurant order management networking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein once the order is served, it will be removed from the list of items and moves to served list.

7) Restaurant order management networking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein on demand the item's recipe can be printed over the Remote Printing mechanism.

8) Restaurant order management networking system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the customer is allowed to choose the item and place an order without any intervention of steward.

9) Restaurant order management networking system substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with particular reference.