Systems, apparatuses, and methods for ordering items from an electronic menu, and servicing thereof

1. A method for ordering items from an electronic menu and servicing thereof, in a networked computing environment that communicably connects via at least one network at least a plurality of first handheld electronic devices, a plurality of second handheld electronic devices and a venue computer, the method comprising:

associating a predetermined identifier with a first handheld electronic device, the predetermined identifier identifying a group of two or more of the first handheld electronic devices;

displaying at least a part of the electronic menu of order items on a display of at least one of the two or more the first handheld electronic devices;

receiving, at each of the two or more first handheld electronic devices in the group, input from respective first users selecting one or more order items from the displayed menu for an order, wherein the order comprises the one or more order items selected by each of the two or more respective first users;

receiving input from one of the respective first users indicating finalizing of the order comprising the selected one or more order items;

based upon a selection of the predetermined identifier on a display of a second handheld electronic device configured differently than the first handheld electronic device or based upon an input of the predetermined identifier to the second handheld electronic device, associating the second handheld electronic device with the group of the two or more first handheld electronic devices that are each associated with the predetermined identifier;

receiving, at the second handheld electronic device, the finalized order for one or more order items from at least one of the two or more first handheld electronic devices associated with the predetermined identifier;

displaying the received order on a display of the second handheld electronic device; and

based upon an input from a second user provided at the second handheld electronic device, transmitting one or more of the order items to the venue computer for further consideration of the one or more order items.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising updating a list of ordered items displayed on at least one of the two or more first handheld electronic devices based upon items ordered using other of the two or more first handheld electronic devices associated with the predetermined identifier.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein each first handheld electronic device is a patron-operated device.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first handheld electronic devices is a patron-operated device.

5. A first handheld electronic device for servicing an order for order items transmitted by two or more second handheld electronic devices that are configured to display an electronic menu and to receive user input making selections from the displayed electronic menu, the first handheld electronic device comprising:

a display;

at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising:

based upon a selection of a predetermined identifier on a display of the first handheld electronic device or based upon an input of the predetermined identifier to the first handheld electronic device, associating the first handheld electronic device with a group of two or more of the second handheld electronic devices that are associated with the predetermined identifier;

receiving the order placed by one of the second handheld electronic devices associated with the predetermined identifier, the order comprising order items selected by two or more respective ones of the second handheld electronic devices;

displaying the received order on the display; and

based upon an input from a first user, transmitting one or more of the order items in the order to the venue computer for further consideration of the one or more order items in order to provide corresponding physical items to a user associated with the second handheld electronic device.

6. A first handheld electronic device for creating and placing an order for order items from an electronic menu in cooperation with one or more other first handheld electronic devices, the first handheld electronic device comprising:

a display;

at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising:

associating a predetermined identifier with the first handheld electronic device, the predetermined identifier identifying a group of two or more of the first handheld electronic devices;

displaying at least a part of the electronic menu of order items on the display;

receiving input from a first user selecting one or more order items from the displayed menu for the order;

receiving input from the first user indicating finalizing of the order comprising the selected one or more order items and one or more order items from the one or more other first handheld electronic devices; and

transmitting the finalized order over a network,

wherein the finalized order is received by a second handheld electronic device that is associated the predetermined identifier based upon a selection of the predetermined identifier on a display of the second handheld electronic device or based upon an input of the predetermined identifier to the second handheld electronic device, and configured to service the finalized order received from at least the first handheld electronic device, wherein the finalized order comprises order items selected on respective ones of the two or more first handheld electronic devices, and wherein a venue computer is configured to receive, from the second handheld electronic device, order items from the finalized order for further consideration of the order items in order to provide corresponding physical items to the first user.