111111
`
`1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
`US008146077B2
`
`c12) United States Patent
`McNally et al.
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`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:
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 1535 days.
`
`EP
`
`4,547,851 A *
`4,553,222 A *
`4,638,312 A *
`5,003,472 A
`5,023,438 A *
`5,189,411 A *
`5,235,509 A *
`5,367,557 A *
`5,510,979 A
`5,724,069 A *
`
`10/1985 Kurland .......................... 705/15
`1111985 Kurland eta!. ................. 705/15
`111987 Quinn eta!. ................... 340/5.9
`3/1991 Perrill eta!.
`6/1991 Wakatsuki eta!. ...... 235/462.46
`2/1993 Collar eta!. ............... 340/825.2
`8/1993 Mueller et a!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 5115
`1111994 Ozenbaugh, II .............. 455/405
`4/1996 Moderi et al.
`3/1998 Chen ............................. 345/172
`(Continued)
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`0779759 A2
`6/1997
`(Continued)
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 11/112,990
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Apr. 22, 2005
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2005/0204308 AI
`
`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,
`filed on Sep. 21, 1999, now Pat. No. 6,384,850.
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`G06F 91445
`(2006.01)
`(52) U.S. Cl. ........ 717/177; 717/102; 717/109; 7171111;
`717/168; 717/174; 715/810; 715/828
`(58) Field of Classification Search ........... 715/810--845
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`
`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner- Lewis A Bullock, Jr.
`Assistant Examiner- Matthew Brophy
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm- Fabiano Law Firm, P.C.;
`Michael D. Fabiano
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`An information management and synchronous communica(cid:173)
`tions system and method facilitates database equilibrium and
`synchronization with wired, wireless and Web-based sys(cid:173)
`tems, user-friendly and efficient generation of computerized
`menus and reservations with handwritten/voice modifica(cid:173)
`tions for restaurants and other applications that utilize equip(cid:173)
`ment with nonstandard graphical formats, display sizes and/
`or applications for use in remote data entry, information
`management and communication with host computer, digital
`input device or remote pager via standard hardwired connec(cid:173)
`tion, the internet, a wireless link, printer or the like.
`
`18 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
`
`Ameranth 21st Century Communications Integration
`
`•On-line ordering
`•On-line reservations
`•On-line waitlisting
`•On-line Frequent
`cusbJmer
`•On-line reports/
`coordination
`
`Amerantl! Mlddlew8re
`Communications Controller
`Unltsd DBtaiNises
`•Comsetup ~
`•Waitlist ~
`• Frequent Customers
`• Resen/atlons
`Wireless Hub
`
`27NIIZ 318 HHz
`
`AMERAIITH"
`
`IWAI!UU .,.,. .. aoumoNa
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 1
`
`

`

`US 8,146,077 B2
`Page 2
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`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 2
`
`

`

`US 8,146,077 B2
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`
`

`

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`* cited by examiner
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 4
`
`

`

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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 5
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 27, 2012
`
`Sheet 2 of 8
`
`US 8,146,077 B2
`
`Modifier
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 6
`
`

`

`Menu Item
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`Long Name:
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`I Chicken Alaska
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`steamed broccoli, carrots and zucchini.
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 7
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`

`

`Customize
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 8
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar.27,2012
`
`Sheet 5 of8
`
`US 8,146,077 B2
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`

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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 10
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
`US. Patent
`
`Mar.27,2012
`Mar. 27, 2012
`
`Sheet 7 of8
`Sheet 7 of8
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`US 8,146,077 B2
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`Petitioners’ Exhibit 1004, Page 11
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 11
`
`

`

`Ameranth 21st Century Communications Integration
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`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 12
`
`

`

`US 8,146,077 B2
`
`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(cid:173)
`tion of computerized menus for restaurants and other appli(cid:173)
`cations with specialized display and synchronous communi(cid:173)
`cations requirements related to, for example, the use of
`equipment or software with non-PC-standard graphical for(cid:173)
`mats, display sizes and/or applications for use in remote data
`entry, information management and synchronous communi(cid:173)
`cation between host computer, digital input device or remote
`pager via standard hardwired connection, the internet, a wire(cid:173)
`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(cid:173)
`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(cid:173)
`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- 45
`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 50
`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 ofthe inherent shortcomings ofPDA type devices is
`that, as they strive for small size, low weight and low cost, 55
`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 60
`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 65
`criticality of ordering, reservation and wait-list management
`and other similar applications. This necessitates many design
`
`2
`compromises which in the aggregate have resulted in limited
`acceptance of PDA type devices in the restaurant and hospi(cid:173)
`tality fields.
`Many of the negatives prevalent in earlier devices have
`been eliminated, but, to date, there is still no integrated solu(cid:173)
`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(cid:173)
`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(cid:173)
`gram companies and internet content providers to fully inte(cid:173)
`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(cid:173)
`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(cid:173)
`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(cid:173)
`merce. At most, computerization of these functions has been
`largely limited to fixed computer solutions, i.e., desktop or
`mainframe, because of the problems heretofore faced in con(cid:173)
`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
`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
`Web site menus and ordering options.
`A principal object of the present invention is to provide an
`improved information management and synchronous com(cid:173)
`munications system and method which facilitates user(cid:173)
`friendly and efficient generation of computerized menus for
`restaurants and other applications that utilize equipment with
`non-PC-standard graphical formats, display sizes and/or
`applications.
`
`Petitioners' Exhibit 1004, Page 13
`
`

`

`3
`A further object of the present invention is to provide an
`improved information management and synchronous com(cid:173)
`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
`menu, remote digital device using a standard hardwired con(cid:173)
`nection, the internet or a wireless link.
`A further object of the present invention is to provide an
`improved information management and synchronous com(cid:173)
`munications system