Drive-through transaction system and method
View Patent ↗A system ( 10 ) for carrying out transactions between a customer at a customer station ( 14, 21, 202, 204 ) and a service provider at a service provider station ( 12, 194 ), includes transferring items through transaction devices such as pneumatic carrier delivery and receiving device ( 21, 200 ) and a deal drawer ( 20, 208 ). The customer at the customer station provides inputs corresponding to a financial account through input devices on the body which is stored in the memory ( 82, 158 ) on the body. After transfer to the service provider station, data in the memory is output to a charge device ( 56 ) which is operative to assess a charge to the customer's account responsive to data output from the memory. Vehicle sensors ( 230, 234 ) sense a vehicle adjacent the respective transaction device. At least one computer calculates at least one time value corresponding to each vehicle and stores the at least one time value and other data values concerning the respective transaction.
1. Apparatus comprising:
a transaction facility adapted to accomplish transactions, including:
a drive-through lane,
a telephone system,
at least one vehicle sensor operative to sense a vehicle at the drive-through lane, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to generate at least one sensor signal responsive to sensing a vehicle at the drive-through lane,
at least one telephone switching interface device operative to generate at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal, wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device includes a Private Branch eXchange (PBX) interface device,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is in operative connection with the at least one vehicle sensor,
wherein the operative connection causes the at least one vehicle sensor to send generated sensor signals to the at least one telephone switching interface device,
wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device to receive sensor signals sent from the at least one vehicle sensor,
wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device, responsive to receiving at least one sensor signal sent from the at least one vehicle sensor, to generate at least one DTMF signal,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is in operative connection with the telephone system,
wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device to send generated DTMF signals to the telephone system,
wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive DTMF signals sent from the telephone switching interface device,
wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive at least one DTMF signal corresponding to arrival of a vehicle at the drive-through lane, responsive to the at least one vehicle sensor sensing arrival of the vehicle at the drive-through lane,
wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive at least one DTMF signal corresponding to departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane, responsive to the at least one vehicle sensor sensing departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is in operative connection with at least one processor,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one arrival time value corresponding to sensed arrival of the vehicle at the drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one departure time value corresponding to sensed departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with at least one data store,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to store the at least one arrival time value and the at least one departure time value in the at least one data store.
3. Apparatus comprising:
a facility adapted to accomplish transactions, including:
a telephone system,
at least one drive-through lane,
at least one transaction device useable by a service provider to exchange items with persons in vehicles in the at least one drive-through lane,
at least one vehicle sensor operative to sense a vehicle at least one position in the at least one drive-through lane,
at least one telephone switching interface device in operative connection with the at least one vehicle sensor and the telephone system,
at least one processor in operative connection with at least one data store and in operative connection with the at least one telephone switching interface device,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one time value corresponding to the vehicle at the at least one position,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause a determined time value to be stored in the at least one data store,
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense a vehicle at a first position in the at least one drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to subsequently communicate to the at least one telephone switching interface device, at least one signal corresponding to the vehicle sensed at the first position,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is operative to subsequently communicate to the telephone system, at least one telephone communication signal corresponding to the vehicle sensed at the first position,
wherein the telephone system is operative to subsequently communicate to the at least one processor, at least one signal corresponding to the vehicle sensed at the first position,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to
subsequently determine at least one time value
corresponding to the vehicle sensed at the first
position, and
wherein the at least one processor is operative to subsequently store in the at least one data store, the at least one time value determined.
4. Apparatus comprising:
a facility adapted to accomplish transactions, including:
a telephone system,
at least one drive-through lane,
at least one transaction initiation device operative to alert a service provider at the facility,
at least one transaction device useable by the service provider to exchange items with persons in vehicles in the at least one drive-through lane,
at least one sensor operative to sense the occurrence of at least one event related to a person in a vehicle at a drive-through lane of the facility,
at least one telephone switching interface device in operative connection with the at least one sensor and the telephone system,
at least one processor
in operative connection with
at least one data store, and
the at least one telephone switching interface device,
and operative to
determine at least one time value corresponding to the at least one event, and
cause the at least one time value to be stored in the at least one data store,
wherein the at least one sensor is operative to sense a first event related to a person in a vehicle at a drive-through lane of the facility,
wherein the at least one sensor is operative to subsequently communicate to the at least one telephone switching interface device, at least one sensor signal corresponding to the first event,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is operative to subsequently receive the at least one sensor signal communicated,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is operative to subsequently communicate to the telephone system,
at least one signal corresponding to the first event,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to subsequently receive at least one signal corresponding to the first event,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to subsequently determine at least one time value corresponding to the first event,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to subsequently store in the at least one data store, the at least one time value determined.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4 and further comprising at least one computer operative to carry out modeling of the operation of the facility by using discrete event simulation software.
6. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the facility includes a pharmacy.
7. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the facility comprises a bank.
8. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is operative to communicate at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal to the telephone system.
9. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the telephone system includes the at least one processor.
10. The apparatus according to claim 3
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense an arrival of the vehicle at an initial position at an entrance to the at least one drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to communicate to the at least one telephone switching interface, at least one signal corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the initial position at the entrance to the at least one drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface is operative to communicate to the telephone system, at least one signal corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the initial position at the entrance to the at least one drive-through lane,
wherein the telephone system is operative to communicate to the at least one processor, at least one signal corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the initial position at the entrance to the at least one drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one time value corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the initial position at the entrance to the at least one drive-through lane, and
wherein the at least one processor is operative to store in the at least one data store, data corresponding to the at least one time value corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the initial position at the entrance to the at least one drive-through lane.
11. The apparatus according to claim 3
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense an arrival of the vehicle at a position in the at least one drive-through lane adjacent the transaction device,
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to communicate to the at least one telephone switching interface, at least one signal corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the position in the at least one drive-through lane adjacent the transaction device,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface is operative to communicate to the telephone system, at least one signal corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the position in the at least one drive-through lane adjacent the transaction device,
wherein the telephone system is operative to communicate to the at least one processor, at least one signal corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the position in the at least one drive-through lane adjacent the transaction device,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one time value corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the position in the at least one through lane adjacent the transaction device, and
wherein the at least one processor is operative to store in the at least one data store, the at least one time value corresponding to the arrival of the vehicle at the position in the at least one drive-through lane adjacent the transaction device.
12. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the facility further includes
at least one transaction initiation device operative to alert a service provider within the facility,
at least one transaction initiation sensor operative to sense a transaction initiation,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is in operative connection with the at least one transaction initiation sensor,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one transaction initiation time value corresponding to a transaction initiation sensing by the at least one transaction initiation sensor,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one transaction initiation time value to be stored in the at least one data store.
13. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the facility further includes
at least one transaction sensor operative to sense an item exchange,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is in operative connection with the at least one transaction sensor,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one item exchange time value corresponding to an exchange of an item,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one item exchange time value to be stored in the at least one data store.
14. The apparatus according to claim 3
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense a departure of the vehicle from a position in the at least one drive-through lane adjacent the transaction device,
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to communicate to the at least one telephone switching interface, at least one signal corresponding to the departure,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface is operative to communicate to the telephone system, at least one signal corresponding to the departure,
wherein the telephone system is operative to communicate to the at least one processor,
at least one signal corresponding to the departure,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one departure time value corresponding to the departure, and
wherein the at least one processor is operative to store in the at least one data store, the at least one departure time value.
15. The apparatus according to claim 3
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense an arrival of the vehicle at a position at an exit from the at least one drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to communicate to the at least one telephone switching interface, at least one signal corresponding to the arrival,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface is operative to communicate to the telephone system, at least one signal corresponding to the arrival,
wherein the telephone system is operative to communicate to the at least one processor,
at least one signal corresponding to the arrival,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one arrival time value corresponding to the arrival, and
wherein the at least one processor is operative to store in the at least one data store, the at least one arrival time value.
16. The apparatus according to claim 3
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense a departure of the vehicle from a position at an exit from the at least one drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to communicate to the at least one telephone switching interface, at least one signal corresponding to the departure,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface is operative to communicate to the telephone system, at least one signal corresponding to the departure,
wherein the telephone system is operative to communicate to the at least one processor, at least one signal corresponding to the departure,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine at least one departure time value corresponding to the departure, and
wherein the at least one processor is operative to store in the at least one data store, the at least one departure time value.
17. The apparatus according to claim 3
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense arrival of a vehicle in a drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to subsequently determine at least one arrival time value corresponding to the arrival sensed,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to subsequently store in the at least one data store, the at least one arrival time value determined.
18. The apparatus according to claim 17
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense a departure of the vehicle from a position in the at least one drive-through lane,
wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to communicate to the at least one telephone switching interface device, at least one signal corresponding to the departure sensed,
wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is operative to subsequently communicate to the telephone system, at least one telephone communication signal corresponding to the departure sensed,
wherein the telephone system is operative to subsequently communicate to the at least one processor, at least one signal corresponding to the departure sensed,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to subsequently determine at least one departure time value corresponding to the departure sensed,
wherein the at least one processor is operative to subsequently store in the at least one data store, the at least one departure time value determined.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is operative to generate at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal, wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device comprises at least one Private Branch eXchange (PBX) interface device, and wherein the at least one PBX interface device is operative to send at least one DTMF signal to the telephone system.
20. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is operative to generate at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal, wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device comprises at least one Private Branch eXchange (PBX) interface device, wherein the at least one PBX interface device is operative to send at least one DTMF signal to the telephone system.