FR3108187A1 - ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AN ESTABLISHMENT - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device 200 for assisting in the management of orders in an establishment, said device 200 being linked to a specific location of said establishment and comprising: a touch element 210 which can be actuated by a user to request an identifier in order to to order; a processing unit 219 which establishes a request for allocation of a unique identifier in response to an action on the touch element 210; a transceiver 215 which transmits to an order manager the request for allocation of a unique identifier and which receives from the order manager an allocated unique identifier; and a display 220 which displays the assigned unique identifier received from the order manager. The invention also relates to a system as well as a method which uses such a device. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

ORDER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN AN ESTABLISHMENT

The present invention relates to a system for managing orders in an establishment, a device for assisting in the management of orders in an establishment, as well as a method for taking an order in an establishment comprising at least one device for assistance in order management linked to a specific location of said establishment.

Technological Background

To simplify orders in an establishment, in particular a bar or restaurant type establishment, advanced management systems offer the use of communicating devices, such as smartphones, tablets or laptops. These communicating devices can be used in an establishment to establish a connection with an associated central unit, which provides the establishment's menu and prices and which allows users of the communicating devices to place orders.

Application FR 2 968 423 A1 describes a system for managing direct orders in an establishment, which provides for the use of a smartphone as a communicating device. A customer of the establishment must first download a dedicated application on his smartphone to communicate with a central unit of the establishment. Thus, when the customer arrives in the establishment, a communication is established between the central unit of the establishment and the customer's smartphone to exchange the menu and the prices of the establishment in order to allow the customer to pass An order. The connection between the smartphone and the central unit is facilitated by the use of a flash code or QR code taken by the smartphone and then translated into a wifi connection address.

Such a direct order management system makes it possible to anticipate an order in an establishment where the service is provided at the bar or at a counter, such as for example a fast food restaurant, but is not suitable for a traditional catering establishment. In addition, the need to download an application beforehand constitutes a constraint for the user which hinders the deployment of such a solution.

Application WO 2016/209006 A1 describes an order management system in an establishment, which provides for the use of a web page server as a central unit. This web page server allows any smartphone, tablet or laptop computer used as a communicating device to connect using an internet browser. In addition, to be able to identify a specific place in the establishment from which an order is placed, such as a table, each table is associated with an authentication code indicated on the table.

Such an order management system makes it possible to have an order taken by identifying a table. However, such a system may have operating faults and in particular accidental or voluntary connection replay long after the customer has left the establishment.

The invention proposes to improve the reliability and security of order management in an establishment while simplifying order taking.

In more detail, the invention proposes a device for assisting in the management of orders in an establishment, said device being linked to a specific place of said establishment and comprising at least one touch-sensitive element, a processing unit, a transceiver and a display. The touch-sensitive element can be actuated by a user to request an identifier in order to place an order. The processing unit is provided to establish a request for the allocation of a unique identifier in response to an action on the tactile element. The transceiver is provided to transmit to a command handler the request for assignment of a unique identifier and to receive from the command handler an assigned unique identifier. The display is intended to display the assigned unique identifier, received from the command manager.

Thus, the invention allows the creation of a unique identifier linked to a specific place of an establishment, such as a bar or restaurant, in order to allow authentication of a customer of the establishment only from the specific place. when ordering. Preferably, the unique identifier is linked to the specific location of the establishment only during a reduced time window of a predefined duration, for example 30 seconds, in order to greatly reduce the potential risk of accidental or voluntary connection replays, which could result into duplicate or otherwise unwanted orders.

The tactile element can be a push button. Thus, a reliable, inexpensive and simple to use tactile element can be made available to allow a user to request an identifier in order to place an order.

The transceiver may be a Bluetooth module, said Bluetooth module preferably being equipped with low-power Bluetooth technology. The use of a Bluetooth module equipped with low-power Bluetooth technology enables the identification of the order management assistance device in an establishment by the associated hardware address, i.e. by the address MAC of the Bluetooth module, while making possible a sufficiently low consumption for a power supply on battery or battery of the device.

Optionally, the transceiver produces a Bluetooth beacon which sends an internet address pointing to a site or a hypertext page for taking orders. Thus, access to the site or to the hypertext page for taking orders can be advantageously simplified.

The display can display the assigned unique identifier received from the command manager, preferably for a predefined limited time, the predefined limited time corresponding to a lifetime associated with the assigned unique identifier received from the command manager. Thus, erroneous use, for example in the context of an accidental or voluntary connection replay, can advantageously be avoided.

Optionally, the display is a display with organic light-emitting diode technology, an ink display, or a set of seven-segment displays. Thus, the assigned unique identifier received from the order manager can be displayed in a clear and distinct manner in order to allow the user to enter it when taking an order.

The assigned unique identifier can also, or in addition, be displayed in the form of a code, for example a dynamically created QR code, further encoding an internet address pointing to a site or a hypertext page for taking orders. Thus, entering the assigned unique identifier allows the user to immediately access the site or the hypertext page for order taking, which significantly simplifies order taking by the user.

Alternatively, a QR code in printed form can be made available, for example by means of a sticker stuck on the order management assistance device in an establishment according to the invention, the QR code encoding only an address pointing to a site or a hypertext page for taking orders. Thus, the dynamic creation of the QR code can be omitted and the processing of the assigned unique identifier simplified.

Preferably, the order management assistance device in an establishment according to the invention comprises one or more visual indicators comprised among a payment indicator, a staff call indicator, a charge level indicator, and an indicator connection status. The payment indicator may be provided to indicate whether a placed order has been paid for. The staff call indicator may be provided to indicate if a staff call has been made. The charge level indicator may be provided to indicate a charge level of one or more rechargeable batteries associated with the device. The connection status indicator may be provided to indicate the quality of device connectivity. Thus, a simple and effective means of signaling relating to different statuses of the device for assisting in the management of an order in the establishment and/or an order placed can be produced for the personnel of the establishment.

In addition, the current states of the visual indicators can be exchanged with a central unit of the establishment, such as a status manager, where these current states are preferentially displayed and constantly updated, for example on a table plan. A change of status may possibly come from the central unit, from an associated website, from buttons on the device for assisting in the management of an order in an establishment accessible to the customer or from tactile organs provided on the device , which are accessible only to facility staff via a key or other security means.

Furthermore, the order management assistance device in an establishment according to the invention may comprise a touch device which can be actuated to send a status signal to the order manager. Similarly, or additionally, the device for assisting in the management of orders in an establishment according to the invention may comprise a call element which can be actuated to call staff, a respective call to the staff being at least transmitted to the command manager.

Thus, facility staff can easily be called by the user when needed by actuating the call element, and the arrival of staff can in turn be confirmed simply and efficiently, for example via the command manager, by means of status signals. More generally, changes in status can easily be signaled by sending appropriate status signals by actuating the tactile member dedicated to sending status signals. For example, in an establishment of the bar or restaurant type where the order management aid device can be linked to a particular table, the status signals can refer to a status of the table and/or of an order passed from this table, such as occupied, drawn up, established, served, settled, etc.

In addition to a device for assisting in the management of orders in an establishment, the invention also proposes an order management system in an establishment. This system comprises at least one order management assistance device in an establishment, as described above, and an order manager comprising a transceiver for communicating with the at least one management assistance device of orders in an establishment, and a processing unit which processes requests for the allocation of unique identifiers received from the at least one device for assisting in the management of orders in an establishment.

For example, in an establishment of the bar or restaurant type where the at least one order management assistance device can be linked to a particular table, the order manager can be linked to a counter from which the bar or restaurant is run. Thus, an effective means of management can be made available at the counter in the form of a centralized order manager making it possible to offer an improved service to the customers of the establishment as well as facilitating the work of the staff, both at the counter than in the room.

The command manager transceiver may be a Bluetooth module, said Bluetooth module preferably being provided with low-power Bluetooth technology. The use of a Bluetooth module equipped with low-power Bluetooth technology makes it possible to unambiguously identify the at least one order management assistance device by its associated hardware address, that is to say by the MAC address of the Bluetooth module of the at least one device, while making possible a sufficiently reduced consumption for battery or battery power supply of the command manager transceiver.

According to one aspect of the invention, the order management system in an establishment comprises an identifier generator which assigns unique identifiers and which is accessible by the order manager. Thus, a fast and efficient allocation of unique identifiers is made possible.

Preferably, the order management system in an establishment comprises at least one service provision server for order management which is accessible by the order manager on the one hand and via a network using an internet protocol of somewhere else. Thus, the service provision server for order management can be accessed both to establish an order and to manage it afterwards. In other words, access to the server can be available to all participants and active components in the order management system in an establishment according to the invention from order taking to final payment.

Optionally, the service provision server for order management is an order-taking website accessible via the network using an internet protocol to any personal communication device that can identify itself using an identifier single assigned. Thus, the number of components required for the realization of the order management system in an establishment can advantageously be reduced and the management of the order taking website can be delocalized.

The service provision server for order management can be a server specific to an establishment. Nevertheless, in a particular embodiment, the service provision server for order management is an Internet server which is common to several establishments. According to this embodiment, an assigned unique identifier sent to a particular facility can at the same time identify the facility and a specific location within the facility. Thus, when an order is taken on the internet server, the server can transmit the order to the establishment, indicating the specific location concerned. In addition, a payment linked to the order can possibly be settled online via the internet server, the server then indicating to the establishment that the order has been paid.

In addition to a device for assisting in the management of an order in an establishment and an order management system in an establishment, the invention also proposes a method for taking an order in an establishment comprising at least one device for order management assistance linked to a specific location of said establishment, in which a user places an order using a personal communication device connected to a remote order-taking server. Said method preferably comprises the following steps:
- when establishing an order, the user actuates a tactile element of said aid device,
- in response to the actuation of the tactile element, said aid device sends a request to obtain an identifier intended for an identifier generator linked to the remote server,
- the identifier generator assigns a unique identifier and associates it with the specific location linked to said aid device having issued the request to obtain the identifier, then transmits the unique identifier assigned to said aid device,
- upon receipt of the identifier, said aid device displays the assigned unique identifier so that the user can read it,
- following the display, the assigned unique identifier is copied into the personal communication device in order to provide it to the remote server and enter an order,
- the order being entered, the remote server associates the place of delivery of the order as being the specific place associated with the assigned unique identifier.

Thus, the invention allows the assignment of a unique identifier to a specific place, such as a table of an establishment such as a bar or restaurant, in order to allow authentication of a customer of the bar or restaurant during of an order taking from said table by the customer. According to one embodiment, but not necessarily, each table of such a bar or restaurant can be equipped with an order management aid device linked to the table and making it possible to request a unique identifier if necessary, for example when taking an order. Each unique identifier then makes it possible to identify the table for which it was created and to which it is assigned, as well as the client being installed at said table. In order to eliminate the potential risk of accidental or voluntary connection replays, which could result in double or otherwise unwanted order taking, each unique identifier is preferentially valid only during a reduced time window of a predefined duration, for example 30 seconds. . According to another embodiment, the generation of identifiers can be permanent and the unique identifier assigned to a particular table changes for example every 30 seconds.

Brief Description of Figures

The invention will be better understood and other characteristics and advantages thereof will appear on reading the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of illustrative and non-limiting examples, and referring to the attached drawings, among which:

shows a block diagram illustrating an order management system in an establishment according to one embodiment,

shows the front face of an order management assistance device in an establishment according to one embodiment,

shows the rear face of the order management assistance device in an establishment of FIG. 2,

shows a block diagram of a service provision server for order management according to one embodiment,

shows a block diagram of a command management unit according to one embodiment,

shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of order taking at an establishment according to one embodiment, and

shows a flow diagram illustrating a payment method for an order taken in an establishment according to one embodiment.

detailed description

Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an order management system 100 in an establishment. According to one embodiment, the system 100 is suitable for managing orders in an establishment of the bar or restaurant type, but can also be applied for managing orders in other establishments, such as for example a lounge or dining room. waiting at an airport or station, a bistro, a VIP box at a sports venue, a stadium or a theatre, a fast food type establishment, etc.

Independently of its specific application, the system 100 preferably comprises at least means 110 for creating orders in an establishment, means 120 for managing orders in the establishment, and at least one server 130 for providing services for order management. The server 130 can be a server specific to the establishment or an Internet server which is common to several establishments.

The means 110 for creating orders in the establishment comprise according to one embodiment at least one, and for the illustration several devices 111, 113, 115 for assisting in the management of orders in the establishment, which are numbered from 1 to N. Each device 111, 113, 115 is preferably linked to a specific location of the establishment. In an establishment of the bar or restaurant type, this specific place can, for example, be a table. By way of example, a device that can be used to produce each of the devices 111, 113, 115 is described in more detail with reference to Figs. 2 and Figs. 3.

The means 120 for managing orders in the establishment preferably include at least one order manager 122 which is provided for communicating with the devices 111, 113, 115. The order manager 122 and, more generally, the means 120 are suitable for access the server 130 for providing services for order management. The command management means 120 consist for example of one or more computers implementing programs performing the various management functions described in this document. The server 130 can for example be accessible via a network using an internet protocol. The server 130 can be made using one or more computers which can be common to several establishments or specific to the establishment. Access to the server 130 can be done via an internet connection when it is common to several establishments or via a local connection, for example Wifi, when the server 130 is specific to the establishment. According to a particular variant where the server 130 is specific to the establishment, the server 130 and the means 120 can be produced on the same computer implementing its programs independently and in parallel.

According to one embodiment, the server 130 is an order-taking website accessible, via the network using an internet protocol, to any personal communication device that can identify itself using an assigned unique identifier. A method of assigning a unique identifier is described in greater detail in Fig. 6.

By way of example, an applicable personal communication device may be a smartphone, tablet, netbook, or notebook. In the context of this description, such personal communication devices are used to create commands and send them to the server 130. Accordingly, these personal communication devices can be considered as order creation and sending devices, which are associated with means 110.

For illustration, the means 110 comprise as many devices for creating and sending orders as devices for assisting in the management of orders in the establishment. In other words, as there are N order management assistance devices in the establishment, that is to say the devices 111, 113, 115, there are also N devices for creating and sending commands, which are by way of example referenced by the numbers 112, 114, 116. Thus, each of the devices 112, 114, 116 can be associated with one of the devices 111, 113, 115. The creation and sending devices control 112, 114, 116 can be made up of any communicating device of a client user of the establishment allowing connection to a site or to a hypertext page via a local network or via the Internet. By way of example, the order creation and sending device 112, 114, 116 can be a smartphone, a tablet or a laptop computer of a customer who has a browser and means of connection to a network. locally or online.

It goes without saying that for a given establishment the actual number of devices for creating and sending orders will depend solely on the number of customers present in the establishment, while the actual number of order management assistance devices in the establishment will preferably depend on the number of specific places which are to be equipped with such aid devices. In other words, if we take as an example of an establishment a restaurant with twenty tables, where each table must be equipped with an assistive device, that makes twenty assistive devices to be provided. If, however, at a given time there are only three customers in this restaurant, who are independent of each other, then there will be only three devices for creating and sending orders in the establishment.

In addition, an establishment may only be partially equipped with order management assistance devices. For example, in the aforementioned example of a restaurant with twenty tables, only ten tables can be equipped with assistive devices, while the other ten tables are intended for “classic” management.

In addition, devices other than the aforementioned personal communication devices can be taken into consideration to produce the devices for creating and sending commands 112, 114, 116. For example, desktop-type computers can be installed in the above example at restaurant tables, etc.

According to one embodiment, the means 120 for managing orders in the establishment include a status manager 124 and/or a payment manager 126. Optionally, the status manager 124 and/or the payment manager 126 can communicate with the command manager 122.

The status manager 124 can preferentially communicate with the server 130 providing services for the management of orders in order to exchange status signals with the server 130. In the aforementioned example of a restaurant with twenty tables, the status signals may refer to a status of a given table and/or an order placed from that table, such as busy, set, set, served, paid, etc. The payment manager 126 can preferentially communicate with the server 130 to process payments for orders made by customers via the server 130.

Optionally, at least the status manager 124 and/or the payment manager 126 are implemented by an electronic cash register. According to a variant, at least the status manager 124 and/or the payment manager 126 are produced in the form of software executed on a suitable computer, for example of the laptop type.

Fig. 2 shows a device 200 for assisting with the management of orders in an establishment, and illustrates an exemplary front face of the device 200. The device 200 can be used to produce each of the devices 111, 113, 115 of FIG. 1. For the illustration, the device 200 is made in the form of a solid electronic box. Optionally, this solid electronic box comprises fixing elements making it possible to mount it on a specific place of said establishment, in particular a table.

According to one embodiment, the device 200 comprises at least one tactile element 210, a transceiver 215, a processing unit 219, and a display 220. Preferably, the device 200 is powered by batteries, preferably by rechargeable batteries. For this reason, the device 200 has a battery compartment 230 allowing the installation of batteries in the device 200.

The tactile element 210 can be actuated by a user such as a customer of the establishment to request an identifier in order to place an order. By way of example, the tactile element 210 is a push button.

The processing unit 219 can establish a request for allocation of a unique identifier in response to an action on the touch element 210. The processing unit 219 can include at least one processor and at least one data memory.

The transceiver 215 can transmit the request for allocation of a unique identifier, preferably to an associated command manager, for example the command manager 122 of FIG. 1, and then receiving an assigned unique identifier 222 from it, in particular from the command manager 122 of FIG. 1. The transceiver 215 can be a Bluetooth module and, preferably, a Bluetooth module with Bluetooth low energy technology.

Optionally, the transceiver 215 produces a Bluetooth beacon which sends an internet address 217 pointing to a site or a hypertext page for taking orders. Such a Bluetooth beacon can for example be based on one of the Eddystone or iBeacon standards.

According to one embodiment, the Bluetooth beacon can be detected by a device for creating and sending orders from a client of the establishment, for example one of the devices 112, 114, 116 of FIG. 1, which has a suitable Bluetooth module and which scans its environment to detect it. Once detected, the internet address 217 encoded by the Bluetooth beacon can be signaled to the customer in the form of a notification, in particular in the form of an internet link. Thus, the customer can be invited to use the digital space, that is to say the connection network, to access for example the server 130 for the provision of services for the management of orders in order to establish an order .

Display 220 can at least display the assigned unique identifier 222 received by transceiver 215. Optionally, display 220 is a display with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, an ink display, or a set of seven-segment displays. For illustration, display 220 is a set of eight seven-segment displays 224 that displays the assigned unique identifier "14A-5uL7".

According to one embodiment, the display 220 displays the assigned unique identifier 222 only for a predefined limited time. This predefined limited time may correspond to a lifetime associated with the assigned unique identifier 222, for example thirty seconds.

Optionally, the device 200 comprises a call element 240. This can be actuated to call the personnel of the establishment. Preferably, a respective call to staff is at least transmitted to the command manager 122 of FIG. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the device 200 of FIG. 2 and illustrates an exemplary back side thereof. In addition to the components depicted in Fig. 2, the device 200 preferably comprises a switch 250, a display element 260, one or more visual indicators 270, one or more signage elements 280, and a touch device 290.

The switch 250 can be actuated to turn the device 200 on or off. 'turn off ("0"). However, other switches can be used similarly, such as a two-level ON/OFF switch etc.

The display element 260 can be a display with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology or an ink display. Thus, display element 260 may display assigned unique identifier 222 of FIG. 2 in the form of a code, for example a dynamically created QR code, further encoding the internet address 217 of FIG. 2 pointing to a site or a hypertext page for taking orders.

Alternatively, the display element 260 can be a simple display plate comprising, for example, a static QR code which only serves to encode the internet address 217. Optionally, this static QR code can be printed on a sticker pasted on the display plate.

The visual indicators 270 comprise, by way of example, four visual indicators 271, 272, 273, 274. According to one embodiment, the indicator 271 is a payment indicator which indicates whether an order placed has been paid for, the indicator 272 is a staff call indicator which indicates whether a staff call has been made, for example using the call element 240 of FIG. 2, indicator 273 is a charge level indicator which indicates a charge level of one or more rechargeable batteries associated with device 200, and indicator 274 is a connection status indicator which indicates the quality of device connectivity 200.

The descriptive elements 280 comprise, by way of example, four descriptive elements 281, 282, 283, 284. These descriptive elements 281, 282, 283, 284 are preferentially associated with the visual indicators 271, 272, 273, 274, respectively. Thus, element 281 symbolizes payment, element 282 symbolizes staff, element 283 symbolizes stack loading, and element 284 symbolizes connection quality.

It should be noted that the visual indicators 271, 272, 273, 274 and the descriptive elements 281, 282, 283, 284 are only described by way of example and not to limit the invention accordingly. Other visual indicators and signage elements are also considered. For example, it is possible to provide a visual indicator which indicates whether an order has been carried out, said visual indicator being associated with a descriptive element symbolizing an order, etc.

Furthermore, a wide choice for the particular realization and operation of the visual indicators 271, 272, 273, 274 is possible. By way of example, the visual indicators 271, 272, 273, 274 can be produced by colored lights, preferably single-color LED lights. Thus, the visual indicator 271 can optionally be illuminated in green, if an order placed has been paid for, and remain off otherwise. The 272 indicator may optionally be illuminated in red, if a staff call has been made, and remain off otherwise. Similarly, visual indicator 273 may optionally be illuminated red, if the rechargeable batteries associated with device 200 need to be recharged, and remain off otherwise. Finally, the visual indicator 274 can optionally be illuminated in red, if the device 200 has no connection, and remain off otherwise.

However, other configurations are also possible and similarly contemplated. By way of example, the visual indicators 271, 272, 273, 274 can be produced by two-color LED indicators. Thus, by way of example, the visual indicator 271 can be illuminated in green, if an order placed has been paid for, in red, if there is a problem with the payment, and remain extinguished otherwise, etc.

According to one embodiment, the touch device 290 can be actuated to send a status signal, preferably at least to the command manager 122 of FIG. 1. Additionally, or alternatively, the status signal may be sent to status manager 124 of FIG. 1 and/or to the server 130 for providing services for order management in FIG. 1.

By actuating the tactile member 290, changes in status can be signaled by the sending of appropriate status signals, preferably by the personnel of the establishment. For example, in a bar or restaurant type establishment where the device 200 is preferentially linked to a particular table, the status signals can refer to a status of the table and/or of an order placed from this table, such as occupied, trained, established, served, settled, etc.

Optionally, the touch device 290 is produced by a switch having several positions. Descriptive indicators 295 can then be provided for the different positions thereof, each notch being associated for example with a particular status. In order to reserve the use of the touch device 290, the switch can only be actuated with the help of a key possessed only by the personnel of the establishment.

Fig. 4 shows the service provision server 130 for order management of FIG. 1, which can be a server specific to a given establishment or an Internet server which is common to several establishments. According to one embodiment, the server 130 offers at least three different services: a site or a hypertext page for taking orders 410, an identifier generator 420 and a payment service 430. Alternatively at least one, or even each of these three can be housed on a separate server, which can be located at a separate location and accessible via a network using an internet protocol.

The site or the hypertext page for taking orders 410 optionally includes a selection unit 412 and an order reception and transmission unit 414. The selection unit 412 is preferably adapted to display the offers and prices of a given establishment in order to to allow the selection of offers to order. By way of example, if the establishment is a restaurant, the selection unit 412 can display the menu of the restaurant and its prices, for example in the form of a web page. The command reception and transmission unit 414 preferentially allows the reception of an order established by a customer using the selection unit 412, and its sending to the establishment.

According to one embodiment, the site or the hypertext page for taking orders 410 is a web server type service with display of a web page of the merchant site type allowing the creation and taking of orders. Such structures are well known to those skilled in the art and their detailed description may be omitted for the sake of brevity.

The identifier generator 420 is preferably adapted to generate unique identifiers and to assign each unique identifier generated to a particular establishment and a specific place in the particular establishment. The creation of such a unique identifier for a particular establishment, such as a bar or restaurant, allows the association of an order placed at the establishment with a specific location of the particular establishment from which the order was placed. sent, such as a table in a bar or restaurant, and so with a customer of the particular establishment who is seated at that table. Preferably, the unique identifier is linked to the specific location of the particular establishment only during a reduced time window of a predefined duration, for example 30 seconds.

According to one embodiment, the identifier generator 420 is produced using specialized software. Such software may be proprietary software or open source software. Nevertheless, software that can produce the identifier generator 420 is well known to those skilled in the art and does not form part of the present invention per se. Thus, their detailed description will be omitted for the sake of brevity.

The 430 payment service is preferably adapted to allow payment for an order placed. Services capable of performing the 430 payment service are well known to those skilled in the art, such as for example PayPal or Amazon Pay, to cite only two examples. However, these services in themselves do not form part of the present invention. Thus, their detailed description will also be omitted for the sake of brevity.

Fig. 5 shows the command management means 120 of FIG. 1, which includes the order manager 122, the status manager 124, and the payment manager 126. Preferably, the order manager 122 can at least communicate with the payment manager 126.

Optionally, the command manager 122 is made in the form of a solid electronic box. This solid electronic box can include fixing elements allowing it to be mounted on a specific place in an establishment, for example a counter.

According to one embodiment, the command manager 122 comprises at least one transceiver 510 and a processing unit 515. The transceiver 510 is provided to allow the command manager 122 to communicate at least with the devices 111, 113, 115 of Fig. 1. Preferably, the transceiver 510 is a Bluetooth module, preferably a Bluetooth module with Bluetooth low energy technology.

The processing unit 515 is provided to process unique identifier allocation requests received from the devices 111, 113, 115 of FIG. 1. Processing unit 515 may comprise at least one processor and at least one data memory.

The status manager 124 comprises, for example, a floor plan display 520. In an establishment of the bar or restaurant type with several tables, the floor plan display 520 can display the status of each table. Each status of each table can be indicated by an associated LED, such as a single-color or dual-color LED.

By way of example, the seating plan display 520 can indicate for each table whether it is set up and/or occupied. In addition, it can indicate whether an order has been established for the customer(s) seated at the table, whether the order is being prepared, served, paid for, etc. In addition, the seating plan display 520 can even indicate for each table which dish has just been served as well as the number of customers seated. In addition, the 520 seating plan display can simply illustrate the occupancy of each table.

The payment manager 126 includes, for example, a touch cash register 530. Such a touch cash register 530 makes it possible to collect payment from a customer when he leaves the establishment. After the collection, if the entire payment has been collected, the payment manager 126 preferentially sends a status signal to the order manager 122 to confirm the collection to the latter. The order manager 122 can then transmit the confirmation to the order management assistance device in the establishment concerned, that is to say one of the devices 111, 113, 115 of FIG. 1, in order to notify the collection to the staff.

Alternatively, the payment manager 126 can be accessed by the customer via a network using an internet protocol. Thus, the customer can access the payment manager 126 by his device for creating and sending orders, that is to say one of the devices 112, 114, 116 of FIG. 1, in order to pay for his order. Thereafter, the payment manager 126 can for example manage the payment via the payment service 430 of FIG. 4.

According to one embodiment, the status manager 124 and/or the payment manager 126 are specific proprietary software installed on a dedicated computer or server in the establishment. Similarly, the command manager 122 can be realized as specific proprietary software installed, for example, on the same computer or dedicated server, or another.

Furthermore, the order manager 122, the status manager 124 and/or the payment manager 126 can be fully or partially integrated into each other, or be implemented as separate modules. By way of example, the status manager 124 can be integrated into the payment manager 126 or quite simply into the touchscreen cash register 530, when the latter is itself produced in the form of a computer program running on a computer with a touch screen as a man-machine interface.

Fig. 6 shows a method 600 for taking an order in an establishment according to one embodiment. The method 600 is preferably executed by the order management system 100 in an establishment according to FIG. 1 comprising the devices 111, 113, 115 to help manage orders linked to a specific location of said establishment, in which a user places an order using one of the devices 112, 114, 116 for creating and sending of commands by the server 130 for the provision of services for the management of commands.

For illustration, the method 600 is explained below with respect to a use of the devices 111, 112 of FIG. 1 in an establishment of the bar or restaurant type, in which the device 111 is made in the form of the device 200 for order management assistance according to FIG. 2 and Figs. 3 and associated with a bar or restaurant table. The device 112 of FIG. 1 is for example produced by a personal communication device in the form of a smartphone and the server 130 of FIG. 1 is by way of example implemented as a remote order taking server.

During a first step 610, a user of the smartphone activates as a customer of the bar or restaurant when establishing an order the tactile element 210 of the device 200 for order management assistance. In response to the actuation of the touch element 210, said control management aid device 200 transmits during a step 620 a request to obtain an identifier intended for an identifier generator. (420 in Fig. 4) linked to the remote server 130. Preferably, the request is first sent to the command manager 122 of FIG. 1, which transmits the request to the identifier generator (420 in Fig. 4) during a step 630.

According to one embodiment, the command manager 122 of FIG. 1 determines the MAC/IP address of the command management aid device 200 that issued the request. Thus, the table of the order management aid device 200 can be determined and, consequently, a table identifier assigned to the table. Next, the command manager 122 of FIG. 1 can establish an HTTPS request comprising a bar or restaurant identifier as well as the table identifier, and send the HTTPS request to the identifier generator (420 in Fig. 4) in order to obtain a unique identifier.

The identifier generator (420 in FIG. 4) assigns a unique identifier and associates it with the table of the order management assistance device 200 having issued the request for obtaining the identifier, then transmits the unique identifier assigned to the order management assistance device 200 during a step 640. Preferably, the assigned unique identifier is first sent to the order manager 122 of FIG. 1, which transmits the unique identifier assigned to the device 200 for order management assistance during a step 650.

According to one embodiment, the identifier generator (420 in Fig. 4) first checks whether the command manager 122 of Fig. 1 that issued the HTTPS request is authorized. Then, it checks if an authentication token attached to the HTTPS request is valid, and if there has not already been an HTTPS request for the table identified by the table identifier in the HTTPS request for the predefined duration, for example 30 seconds, of validity of each unique identifier created. Only if all the checks are affirmative, the required unique identifier is created by the identifier generator (420 in Fig. 4), passed to the command handler 122 of Fig. 1 via an HTTPS replica, and stored in memory for the predefined duration.

Upon receipt of the identifier, the order management aid device 200 displays the assigned unique identifier (222 of FIG. 2) during a step 660 so that the user of the smartphone, i.e. i.e. the client, can become acquainted with it. For example, the assigned unique identifier is displayed by the display 220 of FIG. 2.

Following the display, the assigned unique identifier is copied during a step 670 into the smartphone of the user, that is to say of the client, in order to provide it to the remote server 130 and to enter an order . The order is preferably entered via the site or the order-taking hypertext page 410 of FIG. 4 of the remote server 130. The order being entered, the remote server 130 associates the place of delivery of the order as being the table of the bar or restaurant, which is associated with the assigned unique identifier. Preferably, the remote server 130 then communicates the place of delivery, that is to say the table, as well as the order entered to the order manager 122 of FIG. 1.

It should be noted that the sequence of steps 610 to 670 is exemplary only and is not intended to limit the present invention. According to a variant, it is possible to first enter an order and to request the unique identifier only once the order is established. In this case, the unique identifier is entered to finalize the established order, before sending it.

Fig. 7 shows a method 700 for online payment of an order by a customer in an establishment according to one embodiment. The method 700 is preferably executed by the order management system 100 in an establishment according to FIG. 1 comprising the devices 111, 113, 115 to help manage orders linked to a specific location of said establishment, in which a user places an order using one of the devices 112, 114, 116 for creating and sending of commands by the server 130 for the provision of services for the management of commands.

For illustration, the method 700 is explained below with respect to a use of the devices 111, 112, the order manager 122 and the payment manager 126 of FIG. 1 in a bar or restaurant type establishment. In this establishment of the bar or restaurant type, the device 111 is made in the form of the device 200 for order management assistance according to FIG. 2 and Figs. 3 and associated with a bar or restaurant table. The device 112 of FIG. 1 is for example produced by a personal communication device of the client in the form of a smartphone and the server 130 of FIG. 1 is by way of example implemented as a remote order taking server.

During a first step 710, the customer accesses the payment manager 126 with his smartphone to make payment for an order. The payment manager 126 then establishes during a step 720 a connection to a payment service (430 of FIG. 4) of the remote server 130 to proceed with the payment.

During a step 730, the payment service (430 of Fig. 4) of the remote server 130 manages the customer's payment. After receiving the payment, the payments service (430 of Fig. 4) of the remote server 130 confirms the receipt to the customer's smartphone and to the payment manager 126.

During a step 740, the payment manager 126 sends a signal indicating the payment made to the order manager 122. a step 750.

During a step 760, the device 200 for helping to manage the order of the customer's table displays a confirmation of the payment made. For example, the visual indicator 271 of the control management aid device 200 is illuminated in green.

It should be noted that the method 700 is described only by way of example and not to limit the present invention. In fact, other possibilities for the payment of orders may alternatively or additionally be provided in a given establishment, such as payments by credit card or cash. For example, such payments can be handled by touch cashier 530 of FIG. 5 or by the personnel of the establishment according to a known technique, the personnel being able in particular to inform the control manager 122 by positioning the switch 290 on the “set” position.

Claims (16)

Device (200) for assisting in the management of orders in an establishment, said device (200) being linked to a specific location of said establishment and comprising:
- a tactile element (210) which can be actuated by a user to request an identifier in order to place an order,
- a processing unit (219) which establishes a request for the allocation of a unique identifier in response to an action on the touch element (210),
- a transceiver (215) which transmits to a command manager (122) the request for assignment of a unique identifier and which receives from the command manager (122) an assigned unique identifier (222), and
- a display (220) which displays the assigned unique identifier (222) received from the command manager (122). Device (200) according to claim 1, wherein the tactile element (210) is a push button. Device (200) according to claim 1 or 2, in which the transceiver (215) is a Bluetooth module, said Bluetooth module preferably being provided with Bluetooth low consumption technology. Device (200) according to claim 3, in which the transceiver (215) implements a Bluetooth beacon which transmits an internet address (217) pointing to a site or a hypertext page for taking orders (410). Apparatus (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display (220) displays the assigned unique identifier (222) received from the command manager (122) for a predefined limited time, the predefined limited time corresponding to a lifetime associated with the assigned unique identifier (222) received from the command manager (122). A device (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the display (220) is an organic light emitting diode technology display, an ink display, or an array of seven segment displays. Device (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the assigned unique identifier (222) is displayed in the form of a code (260) further encoding an internet address (217) pointing to a site or an order-taking hypertext page (410). Device (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising one or more visual indicators (270) included among:
- a payment indicator (271) which indicates whether a placed order has been paid for;
- a staff call indicator (272) which indicates whether a staff call has been issued;
- a charge level indicator (273) which indicates a charge level of one or more rechargeable batteries associated with the device (200); And
- a connection status indicator (274) which indicates the quality of connectivity of the device (200). Device (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a tactile element (290) which is operable to send a status signal to the command manager (122). Apparatus (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a call element (240) which is operable to call personnel, a respective personnel call being at least transmitted to the command manager (122). System (100) for managing orders in an establishment, comprising:
- at least one device (200) for assisting in the management of orders in an establishment according to any one of claims 1 to 10; And
- an order manager (122) comprising a transceiver (510) for communicating with the at least one order management assistance device (200) in an establishment, and a processing unit (515) which processes unique identifier allocation requests received from the at least one order management assistance device (200) in an establishment. System (100) according to claim 11, in which the transceiver (510) of the command manager (122) is a Bluetooth module, said Bluetooth module being preferably equipped with Bluetooth low energy technology. A system (100) according to claim 11 or 12, comprising an identifier generator (420) which assigns unique identifiers and which is accessible by the command manager (122). System (100) according to any one of Claims 11 to 13, comprising at least one server (130) for providing services for order management which is accessible by the order manager (122) on the one hand and via a network using an internet protocol on the other hand. System (100) according to claim 14, in which the server (130) for providing services for the management of orders is an order-taking website accessible, via the network using an Internet protocol, to any personal device communication being able to identify itself using an assigned unique identifier (222). Method for taking an order in an establishment comprising at least one order management aid device (200) linked to a specific location of said establishment, in which a user places an order using a device ( 112, 114, 116) communication personnel connected to a remote order taking server (130), said method being characterized in that:
- when establishing an order, the user actuates (610) a tactile element of said aid device,
- in response to the actuation of the touch element, said aid device sends (620) a request to obtain an identifier intended for an identifier generator (420) linked to the remote server,
- the identifier generator assigns a unique identifier and associates it with the specific location linked to said aid device having sent the request to obtain the identifier, then transmits the unique identifier assigned to said aid device (640 ),
- upon receipt of the identifier, said aid device displays the assigned unique identifier so that the user can read it (660),
- following the display, the assigned unique identifier is copied into the personal communication device in order to provide it to the remote server and enter a command (670),
- the order being entered, the remote server associates the place of delivery of the order as being the specific place associated with the assigned unique identifier.