Case 2:22-cv-01776-WSH Document 22-2 Filed 06/29/23 Page 1 of 23
`Case 2:22-cv-01776-WSH Document 22-2 Filed 06/29/23 Page 1 of 23
`
`EXHIBIT 2
`EXHIBIT 2
`
`
`
`US008146077B2
`
`(12) 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.
`(21) Appl. No.: 11/112,990
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Apr. 22, 2005
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`US 2005/02043O8A1
`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.
`(2006.01)
`G06F 9/445
`(52) U.S. Cl. ........ T17/177: 717/102: 717/109: 717/111.
`717/168; 717/174; 715/810; 715/828
`(58) Field of Classification Search ........... 71.5/810 845
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
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`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`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
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`18 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
`
`Case 2:22-cv-01776-WSH Document 22-2 Filed 06/29/23 Page 2 of 23
`
`
`
`Ameranth 21st Century Communications Integration
`oonine ordering
`8O-line reservations
`:3
`waitisting
`oOnline Frequent
`custoner
`OOn-line reports/
`Coordination
`
`Area/Maare
`Oyrar
`Continations
`
`o Frequent Customers
`8 Reservations
`
`w88 sysfessorio's
`
`
`
`US 8,146,077 B2
`Page 2
`
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`* cited by examiner
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`U.S. Patent
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`Mar. 27, 2012
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`Mar. 27, 2012
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`Sheet 2 of 8
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`Modifier
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`Code:
`Price:
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`Menu Cotedo
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`Case 2:22-cv-01776-WSH Document 22-2 Filed 06/29/23 Page 7 of 23
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`U.S. Patent
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`U.S. Patent
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`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, Smartphone or the like.
`
`10
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`15
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`30
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`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
`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 PalmR) 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.,
`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
`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
`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
`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
`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
`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
`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
`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
`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
`munications system and method which facilitates user
`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.
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`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.
`40
`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
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`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
`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
`and internet menu systems when a new menu item is added,
`modified or deleted from any element of the system.
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`15
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`4
`(POS) system, printer or/or display system. This unique
`operator interface enables universal languages and an unlim
`ited set of information to be manually communicated and
`exchanged. The resultant combined message of one or more
`fixed indications selected from a menu of a device Such as a
`hand-held, and dynamic handwritten messages and/or data
`provides an even more powerful tool than either modality
`used independently.
`For example a restaurant server taking a drink order could
`select from a menu of her hand-held device's screen "Iced
`Tea, and then manually write in the literal screen of her
`hand-held “with lemon' as shown in FIG.8. The manually
`written information could, for example, be printed or dis
`played in front of a bartender preparing the drink order. The
`indication "Iced Tea' as selected from a menu of the hand
`held would also be presented to the bartender, perhaps by
`printing and/or screen display. The server can also select any
`printer from within the hospitality establishment directly
`from the operator interface on the screen of the hand-held and
`have either the order or the receipt printed out where it is most
`convenient and efficient.
`Similarly, a server taking a drink order could select from a
`menu of her hand-held device's screen "Iced Tea’, and then
`record the voice message “with lemon using her hand-held
`device integral microphone. The recorded information could,
`for example, be played on a speaker attached to a computer,
`POS system, or the like located near the bartender or chef
`preparing the order. The indication "Iced Tea' as selected
`from a menu of the hand-held would also be presented to the
`bartender/chef, perhaps by printing and/or screen display.
`Both the literal screen capture method and the voice recorded
`message method combine the power of automatic fixed menu
`generation with the expanded flexibility to resolve opera
`tional issues that exist throughout the hospitality market with
`out this innovative solution. Additionally, in certain embodi
`ments, hand-writing and Voice recognition technologies can
`be utilized to convert the manual operator inputs into appro
`priate text messages which can be combined with the com
`puter generated menu options to convey the combined infor
`mation to, for example, a bartender or chef.
`Similarly, hand-held devices can link the above innova
`tions to individual customers at specific tables through a
`graphical user interface on the hand-held screen that assigns
`each customer a number within a table. For example, table 20
`might have 6 customers (1-6) and each customer has a differ
`ent order. By enabling the linkage of the orders to specific
`customer positions within the table and accessible from the
`hand-held screen, the servers can easily track and link the
`specific orders to the
