Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
  • G06Q10/08—Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
  • G06Q10/087—Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to a system including a remote, portable computer data entry device to enter data into a computer for processing, control and subsequent communication display, and more particularly, such a system in which the portable data entry device establishes data entry communication with the computer through airwave transmission.
• this invention relates to such a system which is used to convey and process information relating to operation of a restaurant or the like.
• Such personal or small business computers consist of a microprocessor-based, stored program control system for data manipulation, a random access memory, or RAM, for temporary data storage, floppy disk and hard disk drives for permanent large volume data storage, cathode ray tubes, or CRT's, for data entry and communication ' display and printers for hard copy output.
• RAM random access memory
• CRT's cathode ray tubes
• the waitress returns to the kitchen and/or bar to pick up ordered food and/or drinks and serves the customer.
• the final bill is prepared on yet another piece of paper.
• the waitress walks to the main reception area with the bills for financial computation which is
• Interfacing means associated with the computer receives the airwave transmitted data, translates the received data into a form suitable for processing by the computer, and provides the translated data to the computer.
• the resultant improved coimaunica- -tion customer service reduces labor.costs.
• the system functions to:
• Yet another object of the present invention is. to provide an interface for a computer which will 5 receive airwave transmitted data from a remote entry device and convert that data to a format, such as EIA standard format, which can be utilized by a computer.
• a further object is to provide a system for direct communication between a computer and a remote entry 0 device in which error detection and correction , Security and cross talk or other interruption prevention features are. provided to facilitate reliable communication.
• One or more reservation display terminals such as CRT displaying terminals, for selection and display of meal reservations, table assignments, telephone message 0 and the like.
• One or more bar/bartender CRT display terminals for instant display of drink orders from the remote entry device and for work-in-process analysis.
• One or more management/manager CRT display terminals for instant display of floor status, order status, and data processing functions to generate
• One or more remote hand held, wireless remote entry devices for directly entering and retrieving customer orders to and from the computer;
• Fig. 1 is an overall block diagram of the system of the present invention in a restaurant application
• Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the two way airwave transmission interface between the remote entry device and the computer;
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the remote entry device showing its keyboard- and display;
• Fig. 4 is a chart illustrating the data format for the communication between the remote entry device and the computer.
• Fig. 5 is a logic flow chart of the communication between the remote entry device and the computer;
• Fig. 6 is a logic flow chart for the establishment and termination of communication between the remote entry device and the computer;
• Fig. 7 is a logic flow chart of the system of the present invention as used in a restaurant application; -6-
• Fig. 8 is a functional block diagram of the system in a restaurant application
• 5 Fig. 9 is a subsystem block diagram of the various types of data communicated through or organized by the system;
• Fig. 10 is an illustration of a typical floor status display of the management terminals MGMT of 10 Fig. 1;
• Fig. 11 is an illustration of a typical display of the service terminal SERT of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 12 is an illustration of a typical reserva ⁇ tion status display at the reservation terminal REST 15 of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 13A is an illustration of a typical main kitchen display at the kitchen terminal KITT of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 13B is an illustration of another typical kitchen display by order at the kitchen terminal of 20 Fig. IB;
• Fig. 13C is an illustration of yet another typical kitchen display by item at the kitchen terminal KITT of Fig. IC;
• Fig. 14A is an illustration of a typical main bar 25 display at the bartender terminal BART of Fig. 1 in which the drink order for a given table is organized by drink name and quantity;
• Fig. 14B is an illustration of another typical main bar display of the bartender terminal BART of Fig. 30. 1;
• Fig. 14C is an illustration of yet another typical bar display of the bar terminal BART of Fig. 1 in which the information is organized by item DETAILED DESCRIPTION 35
• Fig. 1 the system of the present invention as used in a restaurant is seen to comorise a -7-
• Off line data storage is provided by floppy and/or hard disks with Winchester disk shoe 40 or the like.
• a printer 44 is coupled with the computer and provides one form of computer output;
• a modem 43 is provided for interfacing the computer 20 with a telephone network 44; a manager terminal, or MGMT, 46; a reservation/reception terminal, or REST, 48; a kitchen terminal, or KITT, 50; a bar terminal, or BART, 52; and a service terminal or, SERT, 54.
• Additional KITT, SERT, BART, REST, PRNT, and/or MGMT may be added in any combination of multiple terminals, or MT's, 56.
• the remote entry devices 22, 24 and 26 are used for entering customer orders to the computer 20 from remote locations through air transmissions by their associated transceivers 28, 30 and 32.
• Low power UHF radio wave transmission or light wave trans ⁇ mission may be used.
• the interface 34 includes the transceiver 36 for receiving and transmitting data and the interface circuit for translating the data into a form suitable for use by the computer 20 and providing it to the computer 20. Data from the computer 20 is also transmitted to the remote entry devices 22, 24 and 26 through the interface 34.
• remote entry devices are sub ⁇ stantially identical to one another.
• Each of them such as remote entry devices 24 and 26, include a microprocessor or CPO 58 for controlling communica ⁇ tions, storage and display.
• An alphanumeric and function keyboard is provided for manual entry of data and for manual control functions.
• a display such as an LCD display 62, displays received or transmitted blocks of data in alphanumeric figures.
• a random access memory 64 is provided for temporary data storage, and a read only memory 66 is provided for program storage.
• a modulator 68 coupled with the computer 58 is used to impress carrier waves with data to be sent to the computer by transceiver 30 via. a broadcast antenna 29.
• the interface 34 likewise has a modulator 74 and a demodulator 76 for data to and from the remote entry devices.
• the remote entry devices may be very similar to commercially available hand held computers, such as made by Radio Shack or Matsushita with additional suitable hardware and software added for airwave communication.
• the remote entry devices may be very similar to commercially available hand held computers, such as made by Radio Shack or Matsushita with additional suitable hardware and software added for airwave communication.
• control keys and associated computer functions are provided to simplify operation.
• Actuation of key 82 labelled NEW clears remote entry device memory and causes transmission of an identification code associated with the remote entry device to enable subsequent transmission to and receipt by the computer 20 of new customer orders.
• a key 84 labelled CAN, allows cancellation of customer orders previously entered.
• a key 86 labelled RECALL allows easy retrieval and display for amendment of customer orders previously entered.
• the key 88 labelled FOR for forward and the key 90 labelled REV for reverse permits forward and reverse scanning on display 62 of individual orders associated with a given table order.
• Further control function keys include key 92 labbelled CHECK IN/OUT, which is used when a waitress wishes to check-in and check-out at the beginning and end of work shift, as will be explained in greater detail with reference to Fig. 6. ' *
• a key 94 labelled REP is enabled whenever the computer is either in. he RECALL or the NEW mode to repeat entry of the same order when actuated. For instance, if four people ordered the same menu item", instead of the waitress keying, in each item four times individually, the entry could, be made simply by pressing the REP key three times after the initial entry is keyed in.
• a key 96 labelled HELP is actuated when the user needs assistance to determine the meaning of pre— defined.menu codes.
• the system is .designed so that if menu code 101 stood for crab legs, then depres ⁇ sing key 96 and keying in the.number 101 will cause the display 62 to show CRAB LEGS.
• the four keys 98, 100., 102 and 104, labelled Fl, F2, F3 and F4, respectively are used for functions which can be programmed into the computer 20 and 58 to suit specific needs of individual restaurants-
• a plurality of lights are provided to indicate the overall status of the remote entry device.
• a light 106 labelled ONLINE LIGHT shows whether remote entry device is in communication with the computer.
• Light 108 labelled BUSY signifies that the airwave communication channel with the computer is occupied by another remote entry device.
• Light 110 labelled RCHG is provided to indicate when the battery power source of the remote entry device needs recharging. Alternately these status indications are provided on -the twenty-four character display 62 by appropriate messages, rather than by light indicators.
• Each of the remote entry devices also has a small antenna 112 to capture airwave signals trans ⁇ mitted by the computer 20 through interface 34.
• Figs. 4, 5 and 6 The format for communication between remote entry devices 22,.24, and 26 and the computer 20 is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.
• the RED has food order data entered into it and the ENTER key 91 is actuated to send the data to the computer 20.
• the RED transmits an identification number code to the computer,
• the computer verifies that the number is a valid number from a list of valid numbers. If so, the computer sends the same ID number to all the RED's. Only the original RED which receives back to its own ID number is authorized to use the communication link for data transmission and is enabled to transmit.
• All other RED' s which received a number other than their own ID number are locked out and prevented from communicating until the computer sends a release code.
• the authorized RED then transmits in binary a ⁇ ynchronis form,with start and stop pulses, a block of data, a block number or parity block' and its identification number, ID.
• the first transmission of the ID signifies start of data, and the last ID number signifies the end of data.
• the computer sends a release signal which is received by all RED's. This unlocks all of the RED f s and enables them to initiate communication with the. computer 20. If the data is received with error, the computer sends a retransmit code and the data must be retransmitted by the authorized RED.
• the overall frame format of the data transmission is shown in Figure 4. While other coding formats could be used, it is prefered to use an ASCII code format with start, stop, and parity pulses. A seven or eight bit ASCII is adequate to efficiently transmit the food order and other information to the computer. Since there are multiple RED's it is possible that initially in the process of capturing the com ⁇ munication channel that more than one RED could transmit its ID number at the-exact same time, resulting in contention. In this event, the computer 20 will fail to recognize either ID# even ihough authorized and will send a release code. Upon receipt of the release code, each of the RED's will retransmit its data block in accordance with a built in, random retransmission sequence. So. that one of the RED's involved in contention will retransmit automatically before the other, and this captures the communication channel. In very large systems, multiple channels may be used so that plural RED's may simultaneously communicate with the _ computer 20.
• the system will wait until the data communication link is not in use. Based on a built-in random start sequence, the RED will "camp" on the communication channel and automatically capture it when it opens after termination of communication with TUR X ' -12-
• the system of the present invention functions in accord ance with the logic flow chart of Fig. 7. As seen, reserva ⁇ tion information is entered into the computer from, and displayed at, the reservation terminal 48. In addition to the internal reservation information, the system provides for the display of messages to the parties for which reservations are made at the reservation terminal 48.
• the orders entered by the RED is processed by the computer 20, and displayed at the kitchen terminal 50 and the bar terminal 52.
• the kitche terminal 50 and bar terminal 52 also have means for requesti information relating to completion of orders for pickup.
• the computer 20 processes the information and displays it at the service terminal 52 when orders are ready for service Finally, the computer operates a bill based on the order, an controls printer 42 to print the bill.
• the customer calls to make a reservation.
• the reservation terminal 48 display is used to determine the reservation status, and reservation data is entered in the computer based on such display.
• the customer arrives at the restaurant and confirms his reservation. If made in advance at the receiption desk through the reservation terminal 48, the display verifies th prior reservation. At this point any telephone messages would be displayed upon request at the reservation terminal 48 and conveyed to the customer.
• a specific table is assigned. The name of the customer is enterd for future telephoen messages, credit verification and personalized billing, etc.
• the computer sorts these orders and displays them at the appropriate terminals for food and beverage prepara ⁇ tion. For instance, drink orders are displayed at the bar terminal 52 and food orders are displayed at the kitchen terminal 50.
• the cook and/or bartender would enter into the computer at their associated terminals the information that the orders are completed, and ready for pickup.
• the computer then displays the completion status of the order on the display of the service terminal 54 to indicated that it is ready to be served.
• the busboy After the order is served, the busboy enters this information into the computer 20 at the service terminal 54. The computer then transmits this information to the associated RED to alert the waitress for service- or supervision.
• the waitress may change the order or add new items on the order using appropriate RED commands at any time.
• .take-out orders, room-service, delivery order entries are optional abilities of the system.
• Final billing would then be initiated by the waitres using an appropriate command on. the RED. _ The bill would then be computed by the computer. Billing is done by group or individually, and- the bills are printed on the printer 42.

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• 1982
  • 1982-05-21 EP EP19820902122 patent/EP0108751A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1982-05-21 WO PCT/US1982/000701 patent/WO1983004327A1/en not_active Ceased

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