Outside ordering system

Abstract

An ordering system for automated processing of customer orders for a retail establishment. In some embodiments, an ordering device is disposed at an ordering location such as outside a building of the retail establishment. The ordering device is configured to generate a first audio stream responsive to an interaction with an on-site customer adjacent the ordering device. An on-site controller device includes an artificial intelligence engine configured to generate content responsive to the first audio stream. The artificial intelligence engine combines the generated content with a second audio stream from an on-site employee to transmit a seamless third audio stream, via the ordering device, to the on-site customer. The generated content may be further tailored based on one or more traits of the customer as detected by a sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 an ordering device disposed at an ordering location associated with a retail establishment and configured to generate a first audio stream responsive to an interaction with an on-site customer; and   an on-site controller device comprising an artificial intelligence engine configured to generate content responsive to the first audio stream and to combine the generated content with a second audio stream from an on-site employee to transmit a seamless third audio stream, via the ordering device, to the on-site customer.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the on-site controller device concurrently receives the first audio stream from the ordering device and the second audio stream from the on-site employee. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the on-site controller device generates the content responsive to the first audio stream by slowing playback of the first audio stream to interact with the artificial intelligence engine of the on-site computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the on-site controller device generates the content responsive to the first audio stream by detecting at least one trait associated with the customer using a sensor of the ordering device. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the artificial intelligence engine comprises a speech-to-text circuit configured to convert the first audio stream to a first set of text, a text generator circuit configured to generate a second set of text responsive to the first set of text, and a text-to-speech circuit configured to generate the content as audible speech for incorporation into the third audio stream corresponding to the generated second set of text. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the second set of text corresponds to a request to add one or more additional items to an order placed by the on-site customer in the first audio stream. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller device further comprises a memory in which the first audio stream and the second audio stream while the on-site controller device executes an automated ordering process with the customer via the ordering device. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the ordering device is a first ordering device and the on-site customer is a first on-site customer, wherein the apparatus further comprises a second ordering device concurrently communicating with a second on-site customer to generate a fourth audio stream, and wherein the on-site controller device uses the artificial intelligence engine to generate different, second content responsive to the fourth audio stream and transmits the second content, via the second ordering device, to the second on-site customer concurrently with the transmission of the third audio stream to the first on-site customer. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the on-site controller device concurrently conducts automated ordering processes for each of the first and second on-site customers. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the on-site controller device induces a delay in the fourth audio stream from the second on-site customer to enable the on-site employee to successively generate and output the second audio stream for the first on-site customer followed by a fifth audio stream for the second on-site customer. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the on-site controller device is further configured to generate a customer strategy to direct automated interactions between the artificial intelligence engine and the first on-site customer to compile a retail order, the automated interactions involving the artificial intelligence engine generating new and unique text to converse with the first on-site customer responsive to the first audio stream, converting the text to speech, and relaying the speech to the on-site customer via the ordering device. 
     
     
         12 . An ordering system for processing customer orders for a retail establishment, comprising:
 an ordering device disposed outside the retail establishment; and   an on-site controller device comprising an artificial intelligence engine configured to generate content responsive to a first audio stream from an on-site customer using the ordering device to place an order, and to combine the generated content with a second audio stream from an on-site employee within the retail establishment to transmit a seamless third audio stream, via the ordering device, to the on-site customer to confirm the order.   
     
     
         13 . The ordering system of  claim 12 , further comprising a customer sensor adjacent the ordering device configured to detect and transmit at least one customer trait associated with the on-site customer to the on-site controller device, wherein the artificial intelligence engine further generates the generated content responsive to the at least one customer trait from the customer sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The ordering system of  claim 12 , wherein the on-site controller device concurrently receives the first audio stream from the ordering device and the second audio stream from the on-site employee. 
     
     
         15 . The ordering system of  claim 12 , wherein the on-site controller device generates the content responsive to the first audio stream by slowing playback of the first audio stream to interact with the artificial intelligence engine of the on-site computing device. 
     
     
         16 . The ordering system of  claim 12 , wherein the artificial intelligence engine comprises a speech-to-text circuit configured to convert the first audio stream to a first set of text, a text generator circuit configured to generate a second set of text responsive to the first set of text, and a text-to-speech circuit configured to generate the content as audible speech for incorporation into the third audio stream corresponding to the generated second set of text. 
     
     
         17 . The ordering system of  claim 16 , wherein the second set of text corresponds to a request to add one or more additional items to an order placed by the on-site customer in the first audio stream. 
     
     
         18 . The ordering system of  claim 12 , wherein the controller device further comprises a memory in which the first audio stream and the second audio stream while the on-site controller device executes an automated ordering process with the customer via the ordering device. 
     
     
         19 . The ordering system of  claim 12 , wherein the ordering device is a first ordering device and the on-site customer is a first on-site customer, wherein the apparatus further comprises a second ordering device concurrently communicating with a second on-site customer to generate a fourth audio stream, and wherein the on-site controller device uses the artificial intelligence engine to generate different, second content responsive to the fourth audio stream and transmits the second content, via the second ordering device, to the second on-site customer concurrently with the transmission of the third audio stream to the first on-site customer. 
     
     
         20 . The ordering system of  claim 12 , wherein the on-site controller device is further configured to generate a customer strategy to direct automated interactions between the artificial intelligence engine and the first on-site customer to compile a retail order, the automated interactions involving the artificial intelligence engine generating new and unique text to converse with the first on-site customer responsive to the first audio stream, converting the text to speech, and relaying the speech to the on-site customer via the ordering device.