Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1080-6
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MULTIMEDIA INTERACTIVE COMUTER-BASED
ORDER ENTRY AND INFORMATION KIOSK SYSTEM
BACKGROUND ART
Field of Invention. This invention relates to an automated shopping assistance
system for
entering and obtaining shopping orders, and more particularly to an audio
visual interactive sys-
tem which intuitively guides patrons through the ordering process using
intelligent multimedia
userinterface aids.
Prior Art. In the prior art, automated systems have been developed such as
those shown and
described in U.S. Patent No, 4,959,686 for remote entry delicatessen food
shopping. Such sys-
tems depend on text-based interactive displays such as those found in
automated teller kiosks.
In particular, what is read on the screen must be correlated by the reader
with a series of push-
button choices on a numbered keypad. The patent claims a system for automated
shopping
order entry for the delicatessen station of a supermarket comprising a
processor subsystem, a
customer subsystem, at least one further customer subsystem, an employee
subsystem, and
means for signaling an employee when a custom order has been entered at the
customer subsys-
tem.
Several patents show computer-operated, interactive restaurant food ordering
systems
such as U.S. Patent No. 4,547,851 issued to Kurland, October 15, 1985, and
U.S. Patent No.
4,553,222, issued to Kurland, et al., November 12, 1985, which provide
integrated food and
entertainment processing, enabling restaurant patrons to obtain meals for
individual food selec-
tion on a video monitor at their tables, while at the same time playing games.
Of the same ilk
CA 02277621 1999-07-14
is U.S. Patent No. 4,722,053 issued to Dubno, et al., January 26, 1988.
U.S. Patent No. 4,797,818 issued to Cotter, January 10, 1989, discloses a
computerized
order delivery system for use in the food service industry including a central
computer that
accepts customer food orders and, based on a customer identifier,
automatically selects the store
that is to prepare the food and transmits the required information to that
location.
These systems suffer from a lack of any truely interactive intuitive
audiovisual instruc-
tive sensory system which simulates actual interaction between a customer and
a clerk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My invention comprises an ordering system comprising an apparatus means and
method, most preferably in a kiosk, that provides a common set of user
interactive computer
software driven methods utilized in multimedia interactive touch screen entry
means, point-of
information, and point-of sale, computer based kiosk applications and systems.
The system
contextually guides the user through the process of obtaining the products or
information in
which they are interested. The system may also use information which the
patron has previous-
ly entered and which the system has subsequently learned about the patron's
product interests.
Consequently, the system provides patrons with an expedient, intuitive
ordering process by
intelligently utilizing a variety of contextual multisensory multimedia user
interface aids.
My invention comprises an interactive multimedia enabled supermarket ordering
system
which contextually guides store customers through the process of obtaining the
products or
information in which they areinterested in, utilizing information which the
patron has previous-
ly entered and which the system has subsequently learned about the patron's
product interests
and correlated to the products detailed in the system's product databases. The
system provides
patrons with an expedient, intuitive ordering process by intelligently
utilizing a variety of con-
textual multisensory multimedia user interface aids. The kiosk system attracts
patrons of a
supermarket, using high resolution computer graphics, audio, and digital video
clips which
explain the products and services offered by the system. Users of the kiosk
system are present-
CA 02277621 1999-07-14
ed with delicatessen product information represented as high resolution
graphical user interface
elements, through which the user navigates using the system's touch screen.
When the patron uses a customer loyalty card, the system offers the
merchandise
ordered at a discount, and then remembers the order and the patron's name and
card number.
The next time the patron uses the kiosk, my invention recognizes the patron,
greets them
("Hello Mrs. Smith. I'm happy to help you again!") and presents the patron's
previous order,
asking the patron if they would like to order any of the same items. If the
patron selects any
items for order that are on sale under a different brand name, my invention
asks the patron if
they would like to try the sale item instead. In this way, the system becomes
a patron's trusted
shopping assistant and partner.
The system also provides bar coded coupons, that can be scanned by the store's
check-
out register system; which coupons discount the items which were ordered using
the kiosk.
These coupons are printed in the store department which receives the order,
and are attached to
the completed order. This scenario minimizes the problem of customers who
would order items
from the kiosk, then also stand in line to order the same items - taking the
order which the store
department processed first and leaving the other. Taking one of two orders can
account for
losses in revenue due to waste and spoilage.
When a patron has selected platters, incuding size and quantity, the system
will ask the
patron for their name and phone number, the date of pickup, and the time of
pickup; using an
intuitive graphical touch-screen user interface that guides the patron through
the process using
animations, sound and voice prompts. The system also allows patrons to enter
this information
by swiping their customer loyalty card.
To select the date which the patron would like to pickup the party platter, my
invention
displays a series of graphical calendars which provide the patron with an
intuitive method of
selecting the pickup date, rather than having to remember the current date and
typing in the date
of pickup textually. The software highlights the only the days which the
patron will be permit-
ted to pickup the party tray. For instance, if it takes the store at least 48
hours to prepare a
CA 02277621 1999-07-14
party tray, the first day the patron will be able to select from the calendar
will be three days
after the current day. To further streamline the ordering process, the system
provides (4) pre-
selected pick-up times of 9:OOam, 12:00 noon, 3:OOpm and 6:OOpm.
Upon completing the order, the patron is handed a receipt detailing the
platters which
they ordered and the date and time of pick-up. To complete the transaction,
the system will
then direct the patron to pick-up a signed copy of their order receipt from
the store department
that handles party platters. This allows the store to screen each platter
order before preparing
the order. On the day that the platter is to be prepared, the store will call
the patron who
ordered the platter, using the information captured from the patron at the
time of the order, to
verify that they still want the platter. This methodology can save the store
from preparing very
costly service products that may never be picked up and purchased.
Stores using the kiosk system may also elect to use the system's credit card
payment
interface which asks the patron to pay for their order before picking it up.
This not only saves
the store from bogus orders which are never paid for, but also streamlines the
customer experi-
ence by allowing the customer save time by ordering their service items from
the kiosk and
paying for them at the same time, which avoids both the line at the service
item counter and the
checkout line at the front of the store.
My invention also provides a means by which products cataloged in the kiosk's
databas-
es can be ordered from locations outside of the store, i.e. remotely, via a
kiosk system located in
an office complex or school dormitory, or via an Internet web browser in a
virtual store scener-
io. This function provides a means in which the external system communicates
with the kiosk
system located in the store to locate and list the products available to the
interested patron. The
patron then selects the products they wish to order from the products obtained
over the network
from the in-store kiosk system. This method of product query solves the
problem of listing
products which are tracked only by individual stores (known as direct-delivery
items) which are
not tracked by the store's Point-Of Sale (POS) system and are only managed by
individual
stores and store departments which sell these products. This method also
provides the automat-
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ed means by which products are ordered and the transaction is verified and
completed. To the
patron, the transaction is transparent and is as if they were using the kiosk
system in the store.
When the transaction is completed the store can elect to accept payment for
the order remotely,
have the order delivered to the patron, and/or have the order ready for pickup
after a designated
preparation period.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
This system provides software components (behaviors, classes, commands, device
dri-
vers, functions, and methods) which facilitate the construction of interactive
kiosk based appli-
cations which interact with patrons using multimedia technologies to
intuitively guide them
through an ordering process. These software components include, but are not
limited to: touch
screen based user interface, digital video control, live video capture and
control, digital audio,
live audio capture and control, magnetic strip card interaction, credit card
purchase authoriza-
tion, smart card interaction, high-quality speech synthesis, speech
recognition, remote commu-
nications access and system control, multimedia object oriented database,
remote database
access, intelligent agents, open communications, usage analysis and reports,
and low, medium
and high-quality printer imaging including barcode generation.
The preferred application of this system is as a kiosk based order entry
system for use in
various types of supermarket stores. In this application the system is used to
facilitate a multi-
media interactive computer-based, order entry and information kiosk system.
The kiosk system
provides patrons of a supermarket with the ability to order supermarket
delicatessen and certain
specialty department items from a remote location in the store by intuitively
guiding the patron
through the ordering process using the software's voice prompting, animations,
photograph
quality graphics, and video messages. These items may include sliced meats,
cheeses, salads,
platters, seafood, individually prepared sandwiches, individually prepared
pizza, individually
prepared pasta meals, individually prepared flower arrangements, prescription
refills and other
store sale and service items. The kiosk system also provides patrons with
information listings,
CA 02277621 1999-07-14
such as recipes, which may be printed using the kiosk system's receipt
printers.
The kiosk system attracts patrons of a supermarket, using high resolution
computer
graphics, audio, and digital video clips which explain the products and
services offered by the
system. Users of the kiosk system are presented with delicatessen product
information repre-
sented as high resolution graphical user interface elements, which the user
navigates using the
system's touch screen.
Using my invention, a store patron is guided to the information that they are
interested
in and the products which they want to purchase. Depending on the type of
information, users
may also elect to receive a printed copy of the information from the kiosk via
its built-in print-
er. When placing an order with the kiosk, the user selects and specifies (by,
for example,
pounds of, thickness sliced, size, etc.) the items they want to purchase; then
places the order,
and then is handed a printed order receipt which details the products which
they ordered, and
the place and time they can be picked up. The order is then sent to the
printer which is located
in the store department that processes the type of product ordered (such as,
sliced meats from
the deli department, seafood items from the seafood department; etc.).
When the patron uses a customer loyalty card, the system offers the
merchandise
ordered at a discount, and then remembers the order and the patron's name and
card number.
The next time the patron uses the kiosk, my invention recognizes the patron,
greets them
(e.g."Hello Mrs. Smith. I'm happy to help you again!") and presents the
patron's previous
order, asking the patron if they would like to order any of the same items. If
the patron selects
any items for order that are on sale under a different brand name, my
invention asks the patron
if they would like to try the sale item instead. In this way, the system
becomes a patron's trust-
ed shopping assistant and partner.
The system also provides bar coded coupons, that can be scanned by the store's
check-
out register system, which coupons discount the items which were ordered using
the kiosk.
These coupons are printed in the store department which receives the order,
and are attached to
the completed order. This scenario minimizes the problem of customers who
might order items
CA 02277621 1999-07-14
from the kiosk, then also stand in line to order the same items - taking the
order which the store
department processed first and leaving the other. That practice can account
for losses in rev-
enue due to waste and spoilage.
Prepared Items for Later Pickup
My invention can provide for the sale of prepared items which are to be
pickedup at a
later date, such as party platters, party hero sandwiches, baked goods, and
floral arrangements.
For example, the system presents patrons ordering a party platter or party
hero sandwich
with a description of the platter or hero sandwich in the form of a digital
photograph and visual
descriptions of the contents of the platter or hero sandwich, size options
describing the quantity
of persons the platter or hero sandwich feeds, and the price of the selected
platter or hero sand-
wich.
Once the patron has selected all of the platters they wish to order, and their
size and
quantity, the system will ask the patron for their name and phone number, the
date of pick-up,
and the time of pick-up, using an intuitive graphical touch-screen user
interface that guides the
patron through the process using animations, sound and voice prompts. The
system also allows
patrons to enter this information by swiping their customer loyalty card. To
select the date
which the patron would like to pickup the party platter, my invention displays
a series of graph-
ical calendars which provide the patron with an intuitive method of selecting
the pickup date,
rather than having to remember the current date and typing in the date of
pickup textually. The
software highlights the only the days which the patron will be permitted to
pickup the party
tray; for instance if it takes the store at least 48 hours to prepare a party
tray, the first day the
patron will be able to select from the calendar will be three days after the
current day. To fur-
ther streamline the ordering process, the system provides (4) pre-selected
pick-up times of
9:OOam, 12:00 noon, 3:OOpm and 6:OOpm.
Upon completing the order, the patron is handed a receipt detailing the
platters which
they ordered and the date and time of pickup. To complete the transaction, the
system will then
CA 02277621 1999-07-14
direct the patron to pick-up a signed copy of their order receipt from the
store department that
handles party platters. This allows the store to screen each platter order
before preparing the
order. On the day that the platter is to be prepared, the store will call the
patron who ordered
the platter, using the information captured from the patron at the time of the
order, to verify that
they still want the platter. This methodology can save the store from
preparing very costly ser-
vice products that may never be picked up and purchased.
Stores using the kiosk system may also elect to use the system's credit card
payment
interface which asks the patron to pay for their order before picking it up.
This not only saves
the store from bogus orders which are never paid for, but also streamlines the
customer experi-
ence by allowing the customer save time by ordering their service items from
the kiosk and
paying for them at the same time, which avoids both the line at the service
item counter and the
checkout line at the front of the store.
Prescription Refill
The system provides patrons with the ability to order prescription refills. In
this sce-
nario the system asks the customer for their last name and prescription
number, using anima-
tions and voice prompts. Customers may elect to use their customer loyalty
card to further
expedite the prescription refill process as the system remembers the patron's
previous prescrip-
tion refill orders.
Store Locator Function
The system can also provide a store product locator. The store product locator
feature
provides patrons with the ability to find the area in the store where a
specific product is located.
The system provides the store product locator function as a simple graphic
depiction of the
store's layout with a graphical indication of the product's location, and
provides a virtual wak-
through which shows the patron where the product is located by visually
walking them from the
kiosk to the area in the store where the product is located. The system's
database stores all of
8
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the isle and shelf locations of the products which the store provides. If a
patron is interested in
locating a product, the system prompts the patron for the product's name,
searches the database
for the product, then uses the isle and shelf location in the product's
database record as the tar-
get location for the virtual guide. The system then references the
corresponding virtual walk-
through animation which has been prerecorded using stitched 35mm photographs.
The patron
is then presented with a photorealistic experience of walking from the system
to the isle and
shelf location of the product they are interested in finding.
Host Computer Network Interface
My invention provides for the update of its products database, usage reports,
and system
status through a host computer network interface. The standard configuration
of the kiosk soft-
ware, and the system in which it is integrated, provides for the download of
the products data-
base, including current prices, from a host system to the kiosk through a
local or wide area net-
work addressable using Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol
(TCP/IP) and stan-
dard File Transfer Protocol (FTP). The system automatically monitors the
downloaded file and
updates the products database as they change.
Remote Out-Of Store Ordering Interface
The system provides for the purchase of products in its database by a customer
in a
remote out-of store location, such as a college campus dormitory or
professional office build-
ing, through the use of a credit or debit card transaction completed at the
kiosk. The process
for ordering items from a store is the same a previously described, with the
exception of the
payment process in which the system requires payment for the items selected
before the order is
processed. The system tracks the availability of all purchasable items in a
selected store and
informs the patron if an item selected is out of stock before they can order
the item. The sys-
tem provides the ability to read a patron's credit card and process the
purchase transaction using
a dial-in credit card purchase authorization service.
CA 02277621 1999-07-14
This same interface allows patrons using an Internet web browser on a
computer, to
place an order using the store's website and my system as a means of locating
a product, plac-
ing an order for the product, processing the transaction, and completing the
transaction. My
system provides the means by which the store's web server can verify the
amount of stock
available, including direct-delivery items which are not accounted in the
store POS system,
send the order to the selected store department, and verify that the order was
acknowledged by
the department which will process the order. This function provides a means in
which the
external system communicates with the kiosk system located in the store to
locate and list the
products available to the interested patron. The patron then selects the
products they wish to
order from the products obtained over the network from the in-store kiosk
system. This method
of product query solves the problem of listing products which are tracked only
by individual
stores, known as direct-delivery items, which are not tracked by the store's
POS system and are
only managed by individual stores and store departments which sell these
products. This
method also provides the automated means by which products are ordered and the
transaction is
verified and completed. To the patron, the transaction is transparent and is
as if they were using
the kiosk system in the store. When the transaction is completed the store can
elect to accept
payment for the order remotely, have the order delivered to the patron, and/or
have the order
ready for pickup after a designated preparation period.
Description of Flowchart Drawings
The Top Level flowchart describes the standard interaction which the system
has with
each patron that uses the system.
Attraction Loon
When the kiosk system is not being used by a patron, its touch screen monitor
displays
various product audio / visual animations, and a selection of stored video
commercials to attract
and inform potential patrons. These animations and commercials are played at
preset intervals,
usually with a different commercial playing every 3 to 5 minutes. One of the
animations
