SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING A RESTAURANT ORDER ON A WIRELESS MOBILE PERSONAL COMPUTER
A wireless mobile personal computer is provided for enabling a customer to generate a restaurant order on the wireless mobile personal computer. The wireless mobile personal computer includes a restaurant order generating application configured to generate restaurant item selecting interface screens for generating the restaurant order comprising at least one restaurant item, to generate a machine-readable representation of the generated restaurant order, a processor for executing the restaurant order generating application, a memory for storing the restaurant order generating application and selectable restaurant items, and a display for displaying the restaurant item selecting interface screens, and the at least one restaurant item.
1 . A wireless mobile personal computer for enabling a customer to generate a restaurant order on the wireless mobile personal computer, comprising:
a restaurant order generating application configured to generate restaurant item selecting interface screens for generating the restaurant order comprising at least one restaurant item, to generate a machine-readable representation of the generated restaurant order;
a processor for executing the restaurant order generating application;
a memory for storing the restaurant order generating application and selectable restaurant items; and
a display for displaying the restaurant item selecting interface screens and the at least one restaurant item,
wherein the wireless mobile personal computer is configured to provide the machine-readable representation of the generated order to an order processing system for placement at the restaurant order.
2 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable representation of the generated order is an optical machine-readable representation.
3 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable representation of the generated order is a radio transmittable representation.
4 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 3 , further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the radio transmittable representation of the generated restaurant order.
5 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable representation of the generated restaurant order is stored in the memory of the wireless mobile personal computer.
6 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 2 , wherein the optical machine-readable representation is a barcode.
7 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 6 , wherein the barcode is either a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode.
8 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 3 , wherein the radio transmittable representation is a radio-frequency identification.
9 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 1 , wherein the restaurant order generating application is further configured to generate the restaurant order within the wireless mobile personal computer without communication with a remote computer.
10 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 1 , wherein the restaurant order generating application is further configured to generate the machine-readable representation within the wireless mobile personal computer without communication with a remote computer.
11 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 2 , wherein the optical machine-readable representation is displayed on the display for scanning by a scanner of a customer kiosk, wherein the customer kiosk is part of the order processing system.
12 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 4 , further wherein the radio transmittable representation is transmitted by the transmitter for detection by a radio-frequency receiver of a customer kiosk, wherein the customer kiosk is part of the order processing system.
13 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 11 , wherein the customer kiosk further comprises:
a scanning application configured to scan and capture the optical machine-readable representation;
a kiosk processor for executing the scanning application; and
a kiosk memory for storing the scanning application.
14 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 12 , wherein the customer kiosk further comprises:
a radio-frequency detecting application configured to detect and capture the radio transmittable representation;
a kiosk processor for executing the detecting application; and
a kiosk memory for storing the detecting application.
15 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 13 , wherein the customer kiosk further comprises a display.
16 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 11 , wherein the customer kiosk is in communication with a vendor system.
17 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 16 , wherein the vendor system comprises:
an account establishing application configured to establish a customer account;
a vendor system processor for executing the account establishing application;
a vendor system memory for storing the account establishing application; and
a database for storing customer accounts.
18 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 17 , wherein the customer account comprises customer information and customer payment options.
19 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 18 , wherein the customer information comprises at least one of a name of the customer, an e-mail address of the customer, and/or a phone number of the customer.
20 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 18 , wherein the customer payment options comprise at least one of a credit card number representing a chargeable credit card account associated with the customer, a debit card number representing a debitable bank account associated with the customer, a payment service number representing a payment service account associated with the customer, and/or currency.
21 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 17 , wherein the customer account is established through execution of the account establishing application through the wireless mobile personal computer.
22 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 18 , wherein the machine-readable representation comprises the customer information.
23 . The wireless mobile personal computer according to claim 18 , wherein the machine-readable representation comprises at least one of the customer payment options.
24 . A computer readable medium encoded with a restaurant order generating computer program application configured to generate a restaurant order on a wireless mobile personal computer, the wireless mobile personal computer having a processor for executing the restaurant order generating application, a memory for storing the restaurant order generating application and selectable restaurant items, and a display, the restaurant order generating computer program application comprising:
a first code segment for generating restaurant item selecting interface screens;
a second code segment for receiving a selection of at least one restaurant item;
a third code segment for generating a restaurant order from the selection of the at least one restaurant item; and
a fourth code segment for generating a machine-readable representation of the generated restaurant order.
25 . The computer readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the machine-readable representation of the generated order is an optical machine-readable representation.
26 . The computer readable medium according to claim 24 , wherein the machine-readable representation of the generated order is radio transmittable representation.
27 . The computer readable medium according to claim 25 , further comprising a fifth code segment for displaying the optical machine-readable representation on the display.
28 . The computer readable medium according to claim 26 , further comprising a sixth code for transmitting the radio transmittable representation via a transmitter.
29 . The computer readable medium of claim 24 , further comprising:
an seventh code segment for storing the machine-readable representation of the generated restaurant order in the memory of the wireless mobile personal computer.
30 . The computer readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the third code segment generates the restaurant order within the wireless mobile personal computer without communication with a remote computer.
31 . The computer readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the fourth code segment generates the machine-readable representation within the wireless mobile personal computer without communication with a remote computer.
32 . A system for enabling a customer to generate an order, the system comprising:
a wireless mobile personal computer for enabling a customer to generate a restaurant order on the wireless mobile personal computer, comprising:
a restaurant order generating application configured to generate restaurant item selecting interface screens for generating the restaurant order comprising at least one restaurant item, and to generate a machine-readable representation of the generated restaurant order;
a processor for executing the restaurant order generating application;
a memory for storing the restaurant order generating application and selectable restaurant items; and
a display for displaying the restaurant item selecting interface screens and the at least one restaurant item;
a customer kiosk for capturing the machine-readable representation; and
a vendor system in communication with the customer kiosk, comprising;
an account establishing application configured to establish a customer account;
a vendor system processor for executing the account establishing application;
a vendor system memory for storing the account establishing application; and
a database for storing customer accounts.
33 . The system according to claim 32 , wherein the machine-readable representation of the generated order is an optical machine-readable representation.
34 . The system according to claim 32 , wherein the machine-readable representation of the generated order is a radio transmittable representation.
35 . The system according to claim 34 , wherein the wireless mobile personal computer further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the radio transmittable representation of the generated restaurant order.
36 . The system according to claim 34 , wherein the customer kiosk further comprises a scanner, wherein the scanner comprises a scanning application configured to scan and capture the optical machine-readable representation, a kiosk processor for executing the scanning application, and a kiosk memory for storing the scanning application,
37 . The system according to claim 35 , wherein the customer kiosk further comprises an RFID signal receiver, wherein the RFID signal receiver comprises a detecting application configured to detect and capture the radio transmittable representation, a processor for executing the detecting application, and a memory for storing the detecting application.