`
`(12) United States Patent
`McNally et al.
`
`(10) Patent No.: (cid:9)
`(45) Date of Patent: (cid:9)
`
`US 8,146,077 B2
`Mar. 27, 2012
`
`(54)
`
`INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND
`SYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS
`SYSTEM WITH MENU GENERATION, AND
`HANDWRITING AND VOICE
`MODIFICATION OF ORDERS
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Keith R. McNally, San Diego, CA (US);
`William H. Roof, San Diego, CA (US);
`Richard Bergfeld, Chatsworth, CA (US)
`
`(73)
`
`Assignee: Ameranth, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
`
`( * )
`
`Notice: (cid:9)
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 1535 days.
`
`EP
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`
`705/15
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`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`(Continued)
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`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 11/112,990
`
`(22) Filed: (cid:9)
`
`Apr. 22, 2005
`
`(65) (cid:9)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2005/0204308 Al (cid:9)
`
`Sep. 15, 2005
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`
`(63) Continuation of application No. 10/016,517, filed on
`Nov. 1, 2001, now Pat. No. 6,982,733, which is a
`continuation-in-part of application No. 09/400,413,
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`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`GO6F 9/445
`U.S. Cl. (cid:9)
`
`(52)
`
`(2006.01)
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`
`ABSTRACT
`
`An information management and synchronous communica-
`tions system and method facilitates database equilibrium and
`synchronization with wired, wireless and Web-based sys-
`tems, user-friendly and efficient generation of computerized
`menus and reservations with handwritten/voice modifica-
`tions for restaurants and other applications that utilize equip-
`ment with nonstandard graphical formats, display sizes and/
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`
`18 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
`
`Ameranth 21st Century Communications Integration
`
`WAN Wireless
`Growth in 2000+
`
`.1.1n•nnn
`
`POS Interface
`15+ POS Partners
`
`Other PC-
`based
`systems
`
`Ethernet
`
`Ethernet
`•
`Ameanth Mddleware
`Communications Contmller
`linked Databases
`• Corn setup
`• Wait list
`• Frequent Customers
`• Reservations
`Wireless Hub
`
`Web
`Hub
`
`•On-line ordering
`•On-line reservations
`•On-line waitlisting
`•On-line Frequent
`customer
`•On-lIne reports/
`coordination
`
`Web Linksi
`
`• 318 MHz
`
`27MHz 318.1411z
`
`*sect/ye/24
`
`Specbrne24
`
`Padtink
`Table Status
`
`2700 for
`hostess
`station
`
`2700 for
`wireless POS
`
`2700 for
`Manager
`Inventory
`Scanning
`
`2700 for
`valet parking
`
`Fixed POS
`stations with
`Spectrum24
`card
`
`Apple, Exhibit 1004, Page 1
`
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
`(cid:9)
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`US 8,146,077 B2
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`Dec. 2, 1998.
`Compuwave Technologies, Inc., company information web page,
`http://web.archive.org/web/20010207174316/www.compuwave.
`net/about.htm. Feb. 7, 2001.
`Collins & Malik, "Hospitality Information Technology", pp. 214-
`376, Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 3d Ed., 1998.
`
`Hospitality Technology, pp. 14,26,34, Jan. 1997.
`"Wireless Technologies and the National Information Infrastruc-
`ture", OTA-ITC-622 GPO stock #052-003-01421-1, pp. 99-131, Sep.
`1995.
`Judgment on Jury Verdict, Sept 21, 2010, Amerenth, Inc. v. Monusoft
`Systems Corp. and Cash Register Sales & Service of Houston, Inc.,
`Case No. 2:07-CV-271-CE (E.D. Tex.).
`Plaintiffs Final Trial Exhibit List, Ameranth, Inc. v. Menusoft Systems
`Corp. and Cash Register Sales & Service of Houston Inc., Case No.
`2:07-CV-271-CE (E.D. Tex.).
`Defendants' Final Trial Exhibit List, Ameranth, Inc. v. Menusoft
`Systems Corp. and Cash Register Sales & Service of Houston, Inc.,
`Case No. 2:07-CV-271-CE (E.D. Tex.).
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Apple, Exhibit 1004, Page 4
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`Mar. 27, 2012 (cid:9)
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`Mar. 27, 2012 (cid:9)
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`Ameranth 21st Century Communications Integration
`
`Apple, Exhibit 1004, Page 12
`
`
`
`1
`INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND
`SYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS
`SYSTEM WITH MENU GENERATION, AND
`HANDWRITING AND VOICE
`MODIFICATION OF ORDERS
`
`The present application is a continuation of application Ser.
`No. 10/016,517, filed Nov. 1, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,982,
`733, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
`09/400,413, filed Sep. 21, 1999 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,
`850). The contents of application Ser. No. 10/016,517 and
`application Ser. No. 09/400,413 are incorporated herein by
`reference.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`This invention relates to an information management and
`synchronous communications system and method for genera-
`tion of computerized menus for restaurants and other appli-
`cations with specialized display and synchronous communi-
`cations requirements related to, for example, the use of
`equipment or software with non-PC-standard graphical for-
`mats, display sizes and/or applications for use in remote data
`entry, information management and synchronous communi-
`cation between host computer, digital input device or remote
`pager via standard hardwired connection, the internet, a wire-
`less link, smart phone or the like.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`While computers have dramatically altered many aspects
`of modern life, pen and paper have prevailed in the hospitality
`industry, e.g., for restaurant ordering, reservations and wait-
`list management, because of their simplicity, ease of training
`and operational speed. For example, ordering prepared foods
`has historically been done verbally, either directly to a waiter
`or over the telephone, whereupon the placed order is recorded
`on paper by the recipient or instantly filled.
`Although not previously adapted for wide-scale use in the
`hospitality industry, various forms of digital wireless com-
`munication devices are in common use, e.g., digital wireless
`messengers and pagers. Also in common use are portable
`laptop and handheld devices. However, user-friendly infor-
`mation management and communication capability not
`requiring extensive computer expertise has not heretofore
`been available for use in everyday life such as for restaurant
`ordering, reservations and wait-list management. Hundreds
`of millions of dollars have been spent on personal digital
`assistant ("PDA") development seeking to produce a small,
`light-weight and inexpensive device that could be adapted to
`such uses; yet none have yielded a satisfactory solution.
`One of the inherent shortcomings of PDA type devices is
`that, as they strive for small size, low weight and low cost,
`they must compromise the size and clarity of the operator
`display medium interface itself, which in most cases is one of
`a variety of LCD (liquid crystal display) type devices. As the
`size of the display shrinks, the amount of information that
`may be displayed at any one point or time is commensurately
`decreased, typically requiring multiple screens and displays
`to display information to the operator. This reduces the over-
`all utility of the device. Additionally, the smaller display and
`keyboard results in a non-optimal operator interface, which
`slows down operation and is thus unacceptable for the time
`criticality of ordering, reservation and wait-list management
`and other similar applications. This necessitates many design
`
`US 8,146,077 B2
`
`2
`compromises which in the aggregate have resulted in limited
`acceptance of PDA type devices in the restaurant and hospi-
`tality fields.
`Many of the negatives prevalent in earlier devices have
`5 been eliminated, but, to date, there is still no integrated solu-
`tion to the ordering/waitlist/reservation problem discussed
`above. With the advent of the Palm® and other handheld
`wireless devices, however, the efforts to make such devices
`ubiquitous have begun to bear fruit at least in some areas, e.g.,
`10 personal calendars. However, substantial use of such devices
`in the restaurant and hospitality context has not occurred to
`date. As discussed above, at least one of the reasons PDAs
`have not been quickly assimilated into the restaurant and
`hospitality industries is that their small display sizes are not
`15 readily amenable to display of menus as they are commonly
`printed on paper or displayed on, e.g., large, color desktop
`computer screens. Another reason is that software for fully
`realizing the potential for wireless handheld computing
`devices has not previously been available. Such features
`20 would include fast and automatic synchronization between a
`central database and multiple handheld devices, synchroni-
`zation and communication between a World Wide Web
`("Web") server and multiple handheld devices, a well-defined
`application program interface ("API") that enables third par-
`25 ties such as point of sale ("POS") companies, affinity pro-
`gram companies and internet content providers to fully inte-
`grate with computerized hospitality applications, real-time
`communication over the internet with direct connections or
`regular modem dialup connections and support for batch
`30 processing that can be done periodically throughout the day
`to keep multiple sites in synch with the central database. A
`single point of entry for all hospitality applications to com-
`municate with one another wirelessly has also previously
`been unavailable. Such a single point of entry would work to
`35 keep all wireless handheld devices and linked Web sites in
`synch with the backoffice server (central database) so that the
`different components are in equilibrium at any given time and
`an overall consistency is achieved. For example, a reservation
`made online would be automatically communicated to the
`40 backoffice server and then synchronized with all the wireless
`handheld devices wirelessly. Similarly, changes made on any
`of the wireless handheld devices would be reflected instanta-
`neously on the backoffice server, Web pages and the other
`handheld devices.
`For the foregoing reasons, paper-based ordering, waitlist
`and reservations management have persisted in the face of
`widespread computerization in practically all areas of com-
`merce. At most, computerization of these functions has been
`largely limited to fixed computer solutions, i.e., desktop or
`so mainframe, because of the problems heretofore faced in con-
`figuring wireless handheld devices and maintaining database
`synchronization for such applications. Specifically, the
`unavailability of any simple technique for creating restaurant
`menus and the like for use in a limited display area wireless
`55 handheld device or that is compatible with ordering over the
`internet has prevented widespread adoption of computeriza-
`tion in the hospitality industry. Without a viable solution for
`this problem, organizations have not made the efforts or
`investments to establish automated interfaces to handheld and
`60 Web site menus and ordering options.
`A principal object of the present invention is to provide an
`improved information management and synchronous com-
`munications system and method which facilitates user-
`friendly and efficient generation of computerized menus for
`65 restaurants and other applications that utilize equipment with
`non-PC-standard graphical formats, display sizes and/or
`applications.
`
`45 (cid:9)
`
`Apple, Exhibit 1004, Page 13
`
`
`
`US 8,146,077 B2
`
`3
`A further object of the present invention is to provide an
`improved information management and synchronous com-
`munications system and method which provides for entry,
`management and communication of information from the
`operator as well as to and from another computer, Web page 5
`menu, remote digital device using a standard hardwired con-
`nection, the internet or a wireless link.
`A further object of the present invention is to provide an
`improved information management and synchronous com-
`munications system which is small, affordable and light- 10
`weight yet incorporates a user-friendly operator interface and
`displays menus in a readily comprehensible format.
`A further object of the present invention is to provide a
`synchronous information management and communications
`system which enables automatic updating of both wireless 15
`and internet menu systems when a new menu item is added,
`modified or deleted from any element of the system.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`20
`
`The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are
`provided by a synchronous information management and
`communications system and method optimized for simplicity
`of operation which incorporates menu generation for creation
`of menus to be used with wireless remote handheld computer 25
`and PDA devices, the internet or any application where
`simple and efficient generation of menus is appropriate. The
`menu generation approach of the present invention includes a
`desktop software application that enables the rapid creation
`and building of a menu and provides a means to instantly 30
`download the menu configuration onto, e.g., a handheld
`device or Web page and to seamlessly interface with standard
`point of sale ("POS") systems to enable automatic database
`updates and communication exchanges when a change or
`input occurs in any of the other system elements. To solve the 35
`above and other related problems, an information manage-
`ment and communications system is provided which results
`in a dramatic reduction in the amount of time, and hence cost,
`to generate and maintain computerized menus for, e.g., res-
`taurants and other related applications that utilize n