Communications: electrical – Systems – Call station
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-28
2004-12-14
Lieu, Julie (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Systems
Call station
C340S286020, C340S286060, C700S213000, C700S216000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06831549
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the improvement of customer service in restaurants and for other on site services.
2. Background of the Invention
Often times, patrons in a restaurant require service to change their order, refill their drink or for some other need requiring assistance. Getting the server's attention can be a challenge in some modern restaurants. Visibility, noise and other factors often impair the ability of patrons to get the assistance they may need in a timely fashion.
In the past, some restaurants implemented a service call system by installing a lamp or bell at each dining table. One system used a lamp installed on each table. If patrons need service, they could turn the lamp on at their table to indicate to the server that something was needed. The server would then go to the table and assist the patrons. While this method of calling for service was effective at that restaurant, it is impractical in most modern, upscale restaurants due to visibility and privacy issues. Additionally, the problem of installing wiring to each table to power the lamp is not practical in many modern restaurant facilities.
In a system, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,196, a wireless waiter paging system included a plurality of table transmitters which transmitted a “waiter call” signal, a central unit which received the “waiter call” signal from the table transmitter and relayed the “waiter call” signal, and a plurality of waiter pager units, associated with a set of tables, which receive the “waiter call” signal from the central unit. The pager unit notifies the waiter via a vibrator or buzzer that a request has been received and displays the request. In a second embodiment, there is no central unit. Rather, the waiter pager units receive the “waiter call” signal directly from the table transmitters.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,090 shows a communication apparatus, as used in hospitality establishments such as restaurants or the like, comprising a network of transmitters and receivers communicating with each other by means of UHF radio frequency signals. Each transmitter is linked to one or more associated receivers and can be individually activated to transmit a selected one of a number of different predetermined messages to its associate receivers along a corresponding communication channel. Each transmitter is placed in an active state by means of a respective message selector, which enables a user thereof to select the predetermined message to be transmitted by the transmitter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,838,798 shows a restaurant transaction processing system and method which includes portable computing devices and which employs cordless telephone transceivers for wirelessly transmitting orders.
However, while improving customer communications and organization of services, these devices are not designed to assist restaurant customers when they have need for service, while, at the same time, assisting management by providing direct oversight of on-site operations, interactive communications with the customers, or tracking calls from customers and providing statistical information about the cost efficiency of the operation.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The deficiencies described above are solved by the invention, as disclosed herein, that is designed to be easily installed in any restaurant or on-site service environment, either at the time of new construction or after the restaurant has opened for business. It has as its objectives, elimination of direct line of sight for communication between a server and table or the installation of wiring. It provides a means for management to see and track the number and types of calls for service, allowing improvements to be made and helping to prevent dissatisfied customers from leaving the restaurant without the manager being aware that there has been a problem.
The invention is described as an Interactive Communication and Data Processing System for Restaurant Services, comprising hardware and software components and operates as a system for calling for service, in a hospitality setting, such as for example in restaurants.
The System is designed for operation in a restaurant environment or other on-site service environment to assist customers when they have need for service. It also assists management by tracking calls from customers and providing statistical information about the timeliness or cost efficiency of services rendered. It is designed to be easily installed in any restaurant environment, either at the time of new construction or after the restaurant has opened for business.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, as disclosed according to its inventive principals, the invention comprises a data processing system, using hardware and software components as may be commercially available. However, the inventive principles are not limited to currently available technology but may be used with any interactive communication and data processing technology now in use or which may be developed for processing any form of information in a form translated or translated from a human perceptible form into a form which can be processed electronically or by means of light or other means now in existence or hereafter developed, for processing and transmission and for translation back into human perceptible form.
The inventive system employs a plurality of customer call units, placed around the service area, for example on the diner's respective tables. Each call unit includes a transmitter for interactive communication with the portable response units carried by servers. The communication may be by radio frequency as disclosed for a preferred embodiment or any other means of remote communication now or hereafter developed. With the call units and the portable response units, the system employs as a base station, a central processing unit and may include a smaller unit such as for example a notebook or other computer device which may be used to access and copy the base station stored information and for processing the information.
In a preferred embodiment, as shown and described, the system comprised of the data processing unit, the call units, the portable response units, a unit allocated to a food processing area or other service area, and the central processing unit or base station, are assembled using available data processing and communications hardware and software programs, as would be known by those skilled in the art. However, the disclosed principals of the invention are not limited by state of the art communications devices or techniques or computer processing devices and operating software, but extend to any device now or hereafter conceived or reduced to practice and which performs the functions and methods of the disclosed inventive principles.
The inventive system operates responsively to a request for service. The service request from the call unit is transmitted directly to a server response unit or to the central unit, which responsively processes the request to produce a signal, such as for example, as shown in the disclosed preferred embodiment, an indication on the central unit display or on a response unit display, identifying the call unit or table unit transmitting the request. A server response then may be transmitted from the base unit, or from the portable response unit, which may be carried by the server or placed at a convenient location. The response may be to acknowledge the call, with the server being able to transmit a separate message responsive to the call unit message and providing an answer to the call unit request. The call unit and the response unit to indicate the call is acknowledged. Each of the units operates to clear the messages once the responsive messages have been transmitted and received.
The central part of the system is the base unit which is used to monitor and manages the communication between the table call units, server response units and any external computing or data processing device. However, as would be understood by those skilled in the art, the f
Burns Thomas R.
Foster Stanley Earl
Lieu Julie
Rosenblatt Joel I.
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