AU2021203879A1 - System and Method for Dine-In and Pre-order Customer Relationship Management Software as a Service with integrated Smart Menu's for Multiple Hospitality Providers. - Google Patents

Abstract

A system to provide a software as a service solutionforcustomers to purchase menu items for dine-in and pre-ordering for dine-in offered by hospitality providers and an application for hospitality providers to receive ordersfordine in and pre-orderdine in menu items from customers. Said system comprises of two separate integrated downloadable applications, one for said customers and the other for said hospitality providers to access on a mobile phone, smart phone, tablet device and the like. Said system comprising ofa method for hospitality providers to check available locations and available menu items and contact customers regarding said items and location availabilitybeforeconfirmation of reservation and orders are processed. F optliypovg1sin.2 obco eaprvdr Hoptlt Acon Mange 0pliato accpt provider reus an crete th hoptlt0rvdracutwt thi unqu proide nu be whc0ssb itdt h seve application Hoptlt Acon Maae Aplcto is use 0o 0capture 00i hoptlt prvdr cotc deallctin prtn hors and kice aviablt time 0hc is stre in the0 server aplcto.0 0 Hositait Acon Maae Appicaio .6s0 used to crat said prvdr sm r meuta it euctgreie s

Description

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System and Method for Dine-In and Pre-order Customer Relationship Management Software as a Service with integrated Smart Menu's for Multiple Hospitality Providers.

Cross Reference to Related Applications

1. The present application is a standard application of Australian Patent Application No. 2020902014 provisional patent titled "The use of a software application for both customers and staff within the hospitality industry, which gives customers the ability to make reservations and self-service pre order and purchase food, beverages, and entertainment to be ready when the customers arrive. Hospitality providers will be able to use their system access to manage available tables or rooms. Confirm reservations for customers and accept their orders." with filing date of 17/06/2020.

COPYRIGHT NOTIFICATION

2. This application includes material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND Field of the Disclosure

3. The present invention relates to a dine-in and pre-ordering systems and methods for hospitality providers and establishments which sell any combination of food, drinks and entertainment to their customers. Hospitality providers include but are not limited to restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs, karaoke bars, sporting venues, cinemas, hotels, resorts, motels, and cafes.

Technical Field

4. The present invention relates to a system and method for dine-in and pre ordered customer relationship management software as a service integrated with smart menus for multiple hospitality providers. This includes the ordering of food and/or beverages as well as offering entertainment through a system of connected applications for hospitality provider client management, hospitality providers establishment management, customer application and server application for data management.

Description of the Related Technology

5. The enhancements for online web and mobile applications for takeaway and delivery have far surpassed anything used for dine-in or pre-ordered dine-in offerings available to hospitality providers.

6. While technology exists for POS systems and reservation systems restaurants are left to rely solely on staff to do all the work to manage the relationship with customers in the front end. Front end hospitality staff have minimal resources to assist them in providing service or to enhance customer experiences.

7. The traditional methods used in online, web application-based reservation systems are limited to reserving a table, whether straight through processing linked to POS or requiring confirmation from hospitality providers, this is where the process ends which leaves a opportunities missed by hospitality providers to commence the menu offering and ordering process before their customers arrive.

8. The traditional methods of printed menu's leaves hospitality to providers with limitations to what they can put on a written printed menu with images. Having a digital smart menu creates a solution to integrate customer service points such as adding items, matching of meals to certain sides or suggesting drinks to match meals that are only available through the knowledge of hospitality providers' staff.

9. The traditional methods of using printed menus and then hospitality provider staff taking orders from customers and entering it into a POS system creates a disconnect to the data that should be utilized the most by restaurants, being the connection between the customer and the restaurant. This leaves the collection of data between customers and restaurants relied solely on the memories of staff and heavily impacted by staff turnover.

10.The traditional methods of handing out menus to customers and collecting cards for payment comes with health risks and spread of illnesses that can be easily avoided by customer using their own mobile phones, smart phones and tablet devices to order and pay for menu items.

11.The following third party systems are used by the present system or are currently already being used by hospitality providers.

12.Payment Providers - Payment providers are used by the applications outlined in this document to accept and receive payments between customers and hospitality providers and hospitality account manager app.

13.POS systems - These are currently used by hospitality providers to manage the orders between kitchen's, bars and service staff. Staff can either key in orders received through the Hospitality provider app or POS systems can provide integration to our applications using rest API's. Third party integration providers can also use their application to connect between our application suite and POS providers.

14.Reservation Systems - These are currently used by hospitality providers for table management, reservation booking's and prepare service staff. Staff can either key in pre orders received through the Hospitality provider app or reservation systems can provide integration to our applications using API's. Third party integration providers can also use their application to connect between our application suite and Reservation providers.

15.Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.

Genesis of the Invention

16. The genesis of the present invention is a desire to provide a software suite that enables hospitality providers to enhance staff productivity, minimise errors and improve their customers menu offerings smart menus and the collection of customers order data...therefore improving their customers experiences.

Description of terms used

17. For the purpose of outlining the system and method used in this document the following terms are used to describe said system and method. 18. Hospitality providers include but are not limited to restaurants, pubs, bars, clubs, karaoke bars, sporting venues, cinemas, hotels, resorts, motels, and cafes. Where hospitality providers are mentioned in this document it may also refer to any of the staff working for said provider. 19. Customers refer to the patrons that attend hospitality providers establishments and order menu items including any combination of food, beverages and entertainment. 20. Menu items refer to food, and/or drinks as well as any entertainment offered by hospitality providers. 21. Application refers to a computer program available on mobile, web, or desktop that uses software with a user interface that is programmed to complete the functions, tasks and methods outlined in this document. 22. Establishment refers to the hospitality providers venue, or place conducting business. 23. Provider locations and location requests refer to the various tables, seating, rooms and locations offered by the hospitality providers used to provider menu items and service of said menu items. 24. ML/AI refers to machine learning and artificial intelligence.

SUMMARY OF CERTAIN INVENTIVE ASPECTS

25. The system and method comprises of four applications running concurrently to perform tasks and run queries. The four applications include a hospitality account manager application, server application, hospitality provider application and customer application. Each of these applications includes a user interface designed for the users of each of these applications. Each application follows the system and method for each user to complete the tasks necessary to fulfill the steps and process flows outlined in this document.

26. The first application is the hospitality account management application which is used for the setup and management of hospitality provider accounts. The hospitality providers account is setup with their unique account number with said providers contact details, location, kitchen hours, operating hours, menu items with prices, discounts and promotions, as well as any relevant surcharges and taxes. The said hospitality account manager application then uses said providers locations numbers for the various tables, seating locations, or rooms that customers can order menu items and be served menu items from.

27. The server application is used to collect, store and provide data from and to all three of the other applications for users to access through the application user interfaces. Providing these applications with the necessary details to compute the various functions and queries outlined in this document. The server application stores provider account numbers, hospitality provider details, hospitality contact details and information, customer account number, customer account details, provider locations numbers, menu items, pre-orders, dine in orders, and locations reservation requests.

28. This data is captured and used to improve customer experiences through suggestion or recommendation engines that utilise machine learning and artificial intelligence. This data can also be used by hospitality providers where it relates to their business and will assist hospitality providers with insights into their customers to help customise meals and drinks or improve entertainment based on their customers preferences. 29. The hospitality provider application is used to manage the establishments smart menus, details, locations, accept table requests, orders and payments from customers who use the customer application.

30. Smart menus are available through the hospitality account manager application and hospitality providers provider application and are setup to provide customers with options to customise their meals. Including but not limited to options to add or remove certain items, offer suggestions to add other menu items. Smart Menu's include kitchen order availability times, menu items, menu prices, happy hour prices, discounts/promotions such as pre-order discounts and the like as well as Sunday/public holiday surcharges.

31. The customer application is used to setup and manage the customers individual accounts, find hospitality providers, order food, beverages and/or entertainment, make location reservation requests, and pre-order menu items, as well as manage the customer's account, contact details and payment methods. Customers can search or browse through providers, enter the providers location numbers, or use QR codes and NFC chips assigned to provider location. The customer application can also be used to add notes for their ordered menu items for dietary needs and set preferences to the order of menu items to be served by the hospitality providers.

Brief Description of the Drawings Fig 1.1 is a flow chart illustrating the data capture and integrations of all the applications used in the system and method described in this document. Fig 1.2 is a flow chart illustrating the series of steps undertaken by a hospitality provider account manager, hospitality providers and customers to set up their accounts for ordering and pre-ordering. Fig 1.3 is a flow chart illustrating the series of steps undertaken by the server application to process the ML/AI recommendations to the customer and hospitality provider applications. Fig 1.4 is a flow chart illustrating a series of steps undertaken by the customer and to which the hospitality providers respond for dine-in ordering. Fig 1.5 is a flow chart illustrating a series of steps undertaken by the customer and to which the hospitality providers respond for pre-order researching and ordering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

32. The present disclosure provides a system comprising of four applications running concurrently to perform tasks and run queries. The four applications include a hospitality account manager application, server application, hospitality provider application and customer application. Each of these applications includes a user interface designed for the users of each of these applications. Each application follows the system and method for each user to complete the tasks necessary to fulfill the steps and process flows outlined in this document.

33. Server Application - Comprises of a software programmable language that is used to collect and store customer numbers, hospitality provider numbers, menu items, orders, pre-orders, location requests and location numbers as well as customer and restaurant data on a server or cloud-based hardware system. The server application accepts, stores and sends this data from and to the hospitality account manager application, hospitality provider application and customer application. This data is captured and used to improve customer experiences through suggestion or recommendation engines that utilise machine learning and artificial intelligence. This data can also be used by hospitality providers where it relates to their business and will assist hospitality providers with insights into their customers to help customise meals and drinks or improve entertainment based on their customers preferences.

34. The collection and storage of menu items ordered in relation to both customers and hospitality providers to utilise this data with ML/AI programming for recommendations for both customers and hospitality providers. This system comprises of the menu items being captured and stored with order number, customer number and provider number. Said system access said data and is processed through ML/AI algorithms such as K Nearest Neighbours, Neural Networks, Matrix factorization and the like to offer recommendations to both customers and providers.

35. Hospitality Account Manager Application - This provides administrator type access to the company providing the software and services or for the head office of a hospitality provider with multiple establishments and/venues to set up and maintain hospitality providers accounts and manage hospitality provider enquiries. Smart menus can be set up using this application. This provides the single solution for all restaurants to be accessed through the customer application.

36. Smart Menus - Smart menus are available through the hospitality account manager application and hospitality providers provider application and are setup to provide customers with options to customise their meals. Including but not limited to options to add or remove certain items, offer suggestions to add other menu items. Smart Menu's include kitchen order availability times, menu items, menu prices, happy hour prices, discounts/promotions such as pre-order discounts and the like as well as Sunday/public holiday surcharges.

37. Hospitality Provider Application - This application is used by hospitality providers to manage their menu's, menu items, receive orders and pre-order requests from customers. Providers are able to manage their happy our specials, promo's, discounts, pre order offers, public holiday surcharges, and kitchen availability times and operating hours. Hospitality providers staff will use this app to manage customers' orders and pre-order dine in, contact and message customers, and manage refund requests.

38. Customer Application- This application is used by customers of hospitality providers to setup and manage their own accounts, update their contact information and login details, find hospitality providers, order food, beverages and/or entertainment when dining in. Make pre-order reservation requests, and pre-order menu items, as well as manage their payment options and purchase menu items.

Hospitality provider account set up system and method

39. Hospitality provider signs up to become a provider. 40. Hospitality account manager application accepts providers request and creates the hospitality provider account with their unique provider number which is submitted to the server application. 41. Hospitality account manager application is used to capture said hospitality providers contact details, location, operating hours, and kitchen availability times which is stored in the server application. 42. Hospitality account manager application is used to create said providers smart menu that lists menu categories, items, prices, dietary info, discounts, happy hours and promotions as well as any surcharges with details provided by said hospitality provider. 43. Each menu item is assigned a unique number which is sent to and stored in the server application. 44. Hospitality account manager application uses said hospitality providers unique location numbers to serve menu items to the customers location such as table, seating, room and the like. 45. Hospitality account manager application setups and assigns payment providers details for hospitality providers to accept payments digitally. 46. Once account has been setup customers using the customer application can commence using the above-mentioned details, smart menu, order menu items, pay for menu items and request reservations from said hospitality provider. 47. Hospitality provider uses a mobile smart data device to access their Hospitality Provider Application through their account linked to their unique provider number. 48. Hospitality provider use the hospitality provider application to manage their menu items, surcharges, discounts, promotions and pause the acceptance of customers' orders.

Customer account set up system and method

49. Customer downloads the customer application from the application market places (such as Google Play, Apple Store, Microsoft store and the like) onto their mobile phone, smart phone or tablet device. 50. Said customer sets up their account using said customer application by entering in at least one contact name and contact method which creates said customers unique customer number which is submitted to the server application along with said customers details during this sign-up process. 51. Once said customer account is setup, said customer can use login details acquired during the setup to access said customers' accounts through said customer application.

Server application ML/AI recommendations system and method

52. Server application captures and stores menu items ordered in relation to both customers and hospitality providers.

53. Server application aligns data points and attributes for the use of ML/AI separating orders by customer number categories and provider categories. 54. ML/AI process data through recommendation algorithms. 55. Server application captures and stores these new recommendations for the use by the customer and provider accounts by customer number and provider number.

Dine-In system and method

56. Customer accesses their account through the customer application to search for the hospitality providers establishment and enter said providers allocated table/seating number, or use said providers location QR code, NFC chip or similar technology to access said hospitality providers smart menu with said customers location. 57. Said customers are presented with said hospitality providers smart menu through said customer application which accesses menu data and the providers unique number from the server application. 58. Said customer can access any of said providers details, operating hours, discounts and promotions, food, drinks and any entertainment available from said providers smart menu. 59. Said customer uses said customer application to select said menu items to order and once items have been selected said customer uses said customer application to confirm payment by entering in payment details or selecting their prefilled payment method and submitting the order. 60. Said customer can use said customer application to advise said provider of preferences for said order menu items to be served and/or send a message for said providers with any requests as part of said order. 61. During said order process said payment is verified through payment provider and upon verified payment a unique order number is created and sent to the server application along with said customers number, said order menu items, said customer location number and said providers' number. 62. Said order is then sent from the server application to the said providers account using said providers number with a notification of the received order. 63. Said hospitality provider receives said notification to advise order is received from said providers application with the above-mentioned order details (including menu items, customer details, serving preferences, any message, and said customers location). 64. Said providers can use said provider application to accept or contact said customers regarding said order. 65. If said provider is unable to fulfill said customers order, said provider can use said provider application to refund said customer. 66. Said hospitality provider serves said customers said order, providing said customer with their food, drinks as well as any entertainment to said customers location.

Pre-Ordering for Dine-In system and method

67. Customer accesses their account through the customer application to search or browse through hospitality provider establishments to choose a provider. 68. Said customer can access any of said providers details, operating hours, discounts and promotions, food, drinks and any entertainment available from said providers smart menu.

69. Said customer can then use said customer application to request a location for pre-order with said provider by submitting a time, date and number of customers attending, once submitted said providers number is captured and a location request number is created and submitted to the server application. 70. Said request is sent to said providers account using said providers number along with a notification to the hospitality provider application with the location request and said customers details. 71. Said provider receives said notification in their provider application with location request details and customers details using said location request number. 72. Said provider can use said provider application to accept, contact and modify said location order request details and send message to said customers regarding said request confirmation. 73. Upon acceptance by said provider, a location request confirmation is sent to the customer using said customers number with a notification to said customers customer application with confirmation of their request and said location request number. 74. Said customers then receives said notification on said customers customer application with confirmation of said location request and using said location request number said customers is provided presented said providers smart menu and access to pre-ordering of menu items for said location request with said provider. 75. Said customer uses said customer application to select said menu items to order and once items have been selected said customer confirms payment by entering in payment details or selecting their prefilled payment method and submitting the order. 76. Said customer can use said customer application to advise said provider of preferences for said order menu items to be served and/or send a message for said providers with any requests as part of said order. 77. During said order process said payment is verified through payment provider and upon verified payment a unique pre-order number linked to the is location request number is created and sent to the server application along with said customers number, said order menu items and said providers' number. 78. Said order is then sent from the server application to the said providers account using said providers number with a notification of the received order. 79. Said hospitality provider receives said notification to advise order is received from said providers application with the above-mentioned order details (including menu items, customer details, serving preferences, any message, and said customers location request number). 80. Said providers uses said provider application to accept any pre-order for a future date or accept and contact said customers regarding said order for the same date. 81. Said providers uses said provider application to allocate said customers pre order with the location number. 82. Said hospitality provider serves said customers said order, providing said customer with their food, drinks as well as any entertainment to said customers location from the time said customers arrive.

Claims (2)

1. A system using programmable computer languages to provide a software as a service solution through for customers to purchase menu items for dine-in and pre-ordering for dine-in offered by hospitality providers and an application for hospitality providers to receive orders for dine in and pre-order dine in menu items from customers. 1. Said system comprises of two separate integrated downloadable applications, one for said customers and the other for said hospitality providers to access on a mobile phone, smart phone, tablet device and the like. 2. Said system comprising of a method for hospitality providers to check available locations and available menu items and contact customers regarding said items and location availability before confirmation of reservation and orders are processed. 2. A system and method for using programmable computer languages to provide a software as a service solution for hospitality providers to offer/promote the pre ordering of menu items for purchase for their reservation. 1. Said system comprises of a software as a service method for hospitality providers to confirm the location is available before the ordering and/or purchasing of menu items is available to customers for pre-ordering. 3. A system using programmable computer languages to provide a software as a service solution for a single application to setup and maintain multiple hospitality providers for the use of hospitality providers to access their own applications that providers their customers with access to a customer application for dine-in ordering and pre ordered dine-and/or purchase menu items. 4. The method of collection and storage of menu items ordered in relation to both customers and hospitality providers to utilise this data with ML/AI programming for recommendations for both customers and hospitality providers. 1. Said system comprises of the menu items being captured and stored with order number, customer number and provider number.

2. Said system accessed said data and is processed through ML/AI algorithms such as K Nearest Neighbours, Neural Networks, Matrix factorization and the like to offer recommendations to both customers and providers.

Hospitality Account Manager Application

Hospitality Provider Hospitality Provider Hospitality Provider Hospitality Provider Application Application Application Application

Smart Menu Smart Menu Smart Menu Smart Menu Server

1 Application

Customer Customer Customer Customer Customer Customer Customer Customer Application Application Application Application Application Application Application Application

Fig 1.2

Hospitality provider signs up to become a provider.

Hospitality Account Manager Application accepts providers request and creates the hospitality provider account with their unique provider number which is submitted to the server application.

Hospitality Account Manager Application is used to capture said hospitality providers contact details, location, operating hours, and kitchen availability times which is stored in the server application.

Hospitality Account Manager Application is used to create said providers smart menu that lists menu categories, items, prices, dietary info, discounts, happy hours and promotions as well as any surcharges with details provided by said hospitality provider.

Each menu item is assigned a unique number which is sent to and stored in the server application.

Hospitality Account Manager Application uses said hospitality providers unique location numbers to serve menu items to the customers location such as table, seating, room and the like.

Hospitality account manager application setups up and assigns payment providers details for hospitality providers to accept payments digitally.

Once account has been setup customers using the customer application can commence using the above mentioned details, smart menu, order menu items, pay for menu items and request reservations from said hospitality provider.

Customer downloads the customer application onto their mobile phone, smart phone or tablet device and set’s up their account.

Fig 1.3

Customer Application

Server application captures and stores menu items ordered through the customer application in relation to both customers and hospitality providers

Server application aligns data points and attributes for the use of ML/AI separating orders by customer number categories and provider categories.

ML/AI process data through recommendation algorithms.

Server application captures and stores these new recommendations for the use by the customer and provider accounts by customer number and provider number.

Hospitality Provider Customer Application Application

Fig 1.4

Customer accesses the customer application to search for the hospitality providers establishment and enter providers allocated table/seating/room number, or use said providers location QR code, NFC chip or similar technology to access said hospitality providers smart menu with customers location.

Customers are presented with hospitality providers smart menu Customer can access any of the providers details, operating hours, discounts and promotions, food, drinks and any entertainment available from said providers smart menu.

Customer selects menu items to order and once items have been selected customer uses the customer application to confirm payment by entering in payment details or selecting their prefilled payment method and submitting the order.

Customer can use the customer application to advise said provider of preferences for the order menu items to be served and/or send a message to said providers with any requests as part of said order. During the order process payment is verified through payment provider and upon verified payment a unique order number is created and sent to the server application along with customers number, order menu items, customer location number and providers number.

Said hospitality provider receives said notification to advise order is received from said providers application with the above mentioned order details (including menu items, customer details, serving preferences, any message, and said customers location). Providers use provider application to accept or contact said customers regarding their order. If provider cannot fulfil order a refund can be processed Said hospitality provider serves said customers said order, providing said customer with their food, drinks as well as any entertainment to said customers location.

Fig 1.5.1 Customer accesses their account through the customer application to search or browse through hospitality provider establishments to choose a provider. Said customer can access any of said providers details, operating hours, discounts and promotions, food, drinks and any entertainment available from said providers smart menu.

Said customer can then use said customer application to request a location for pre-order with said provider by submitting a time, date and number of customers attending, once submitted said providers number is captured and a location request number is created and submitted to the server application.

Said request is sent to said providers account using said providers number along with a notification to the hospitality provider application with the location request and said customers details.

Said provider receives said notification in their provider application with location request details and customers details using said location request number.

Said provider can use said provider application to accept, contact and modify said location order request details and send message to said customers regarding said request confirmation. Upon acceptance by said provider, a location request confirmation is sent to the customer using said customers number with a notification to said customers customer application with confirmation of their request and said location request number.

Said customers then receives said notification on said customers customer application with confirmation of said location request and using said location request number said customers is provided presented said providers smart menu and access to pre-ordering of menu items for said location request with said provider.

Fig 1.5.2 Said customer uses said customer application to select said menu items to order and once items have been selected said customer confirms payment by entering in payment details or selecting their prefilled payment method and submitting the order.

Said customer can use said customer application to advise said provider of preferences for said order menu items to be served and/or send a message for said providers with any requests as part of said order.

During said order process said payment is verified through payment provider and upon verified payment a unique pre- order number linked to the is location request number is created and sent to the server application along with said customers number, said order menu items and said providers number.

Said order is then sent from the server application to the said providers account using said providers number with a notification of the received order.

Said hospitality provider receives said notification to advise order is received from said providers application with the above mentioned order details (including menu items, customer details, serving preferences, any message, and said customers location request number).

Said providers uses said provider application to accept any pre-order for a future date or accept and contact said customers regarding said order for the same date.

Said providers uses said provider application to allocate said customers pre-order with the location number.

Said hospitality provider serves said customers said order, providing said customer with their food, drinks as well as any entertainment to said customers location from the time said customers arrive.