System and method for receiving and managing remotely placed orders

Abstract

A system for enabling the remote ordering of products, primarily for use in a multi-vendor system, is disclosed. Orders are placed remotely, such as through wireless devices connected to a central server. The central server, in turn, is in communication (wireless or otherwise) with a server located at one or more venues within the organization operating the system. The one or more venues provide produces or services available for ordering through the system. Where multiple venues are involved, the system is designed to handle differences in the product or service availability at those different venues, and provides for an ability to make corrections to orders that may be or may become necessary on account of those differences. The system provides for multiple options through which users can pay for and receive orders, and also provides methods for synchronizing the remote ordering system with pre-existing, conventional methods of ordering and product/service order fulfillment.

1 . A remote ordering system comprising:
 an order management system server at a first location equipped with first application software for relaying menu data indicative of goods available to be ordered;   a mobile user device in communication with the order management system server and equipped with second application software for generating order data;   a venue server at a second location remote from the first location in communication with the order management system server and equipped with third application software for generating an order number; and   a location verification marker at the second location;   wherein the mobile user device transmits order data indicative of a current order specifying goods to be produced to the order management system server from a third location, then subsequently transmits location verification data to the order management system server from the second location to cheek in the current order.   
     
     
         2 . The remote ordering system of  claim 1 , wherein data is not transmitted directly between the mobile user device and the venue server. 
     
     
         3 . The remote ordering system of  claim 1 , wherein the second application software interprets menu data received from the order management system server to product a menu used to generate the order data indicative of the current order. 
     
     
         4 . The remote ordering system of  claim 3 , wherein the menu data is venue specific menu data corresponding to a menu of items available from a venue at the second location. 
     
     
         5 . The remote ordering system of  claim 1 , wherein the order management system server releases the current order to the venue server for production of the goods specified in the current order after the current order is cheeked in. 
     
     
         6 . The remote ordering system of  claim 5 , wherein the venue server generates an order number associated with the current order once the current order is released to the venue server. 
     
     
         7 . The remote ordering system of  claim 6 , further comprising an order ready board at the second location for displaying the order number once the goods specified in the current order are ready for pickup. 
     
     
         8 . The remote ordering system of  claim 6 , wherein the order management system server transmits the order number to the mobile user device, and wherein the second application software generates a screen on the mobile user device displaying the order number for use in receiving the goods specified in the current order. 
     
     
         9 . The remote ordering system of  claim 1 , wherein the first application software compares a first total price stored within the order data indicative of the current order to a second total price indicated by data received from the venue server at the time of check in. 
     
     
         10 . The remote ordering system of  claim 9 , wherein, if the second total price is greater than the first total price, the order management system server requests an authorization from the mobile user device before releasing the current order to the venue server for production of the goods specified in the current order. 
     
     
         11 . The remote ordering system of  claim 1 , wherein the order management system server stores a plurality of user accounts, each user account associated with unique consumer identification data. 
     
     
         12 . The remote ordering system of  claim 11 , wherein one of the plurality of user accounts contains quick order data representative of orders that a first user has previously placed through the remove ordering system. 
     
     
         13 . The remote ordering system of  claim 12 , wherein the current order comprises at least some of the quick order data. 
     
     
         14 . The remote ordering system of  claim 1 , wherein checking in the current order comprises the steps of:
 snapping an image of the location verification marker with the mobile user device;   transmitting the image to the order management system server; and   verifying that the image uniquely corresponds to a venue at the second location.   
     
     
         15 . A system for managing dynamic menus across a multi-venue organization comprising:
 a menu management server for generating a main menu comprising a description of products available across a plurality of venues within the organization;   a plurality of venue servers, each associated with a separate one of the plurality of venues, and each to communication with the menu management server, wherein each venue server generates a venue specific menu comprising a description of products and product pricing specific to a venue where the venue server that generated the venue specific menu is located;   an order management system server in communication with each of the plurality of venue servers and with at least one mobile device wherein, upon receiving from the at least one mobile device a request to order products from a first venue from among the plurality of venues, the order management system server provides to the at least one mobile device the venue specific menu associated with the first venue; and   wherein the order management system server receives an order for products from the venue specific menu from the at least one mobile device and, upon subsequently receiving a request to receive the order, contacting the venue server associated oath the first venue to verity continued availability and pricing of the products ordered.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein, when the pricing of the products ordered has changed, the order management system server seeks authorized from the at least one mobile user device to proceed. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the venue server associated with the first venue can override aspects of the main menu provided by the menu management server in constructing the venue specific menu for the first venue. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the venue server associated with the first venue changes an item available on the venue specific menu based on the passage of time. 
     
     
         19 . An order management system comprising:
 at least one venue server located at a first venue and capable of generating venue specific menu data indicative of products and product pricing available from a venue where the at least one venue server is located;   a mobile device equipped with an image capture capability and a software interface capable of generating a menu from the venue specific menu data and presenting the menu on a display integral with the mobile device: and   an order management system server in communication with the at least one venue serves and with the mobile device;   wherein, upon receiving from the mobile device location verification data representative of an image captured at the first venue, the order management system server releases a Current Order generated by the mobile device to the at least one venue server for fulfillment.