Computer-based ordering system

Abstract

A computer-based ordering system for ordering goods and services includes a plurality of self-service client terminals and a server. Each self-service client terminal runs a self-order application including a set of interactive menu screens having buttons that allow the customer to select and customize products for the order. An administration tool application communicates with the server to administer the self-service client terminals. The administration tool application including a menu editor that enables the administrator to create and edit the interactive menu screens provided by the self-order application at the self-service client terminals. The menu editor accesses a library of menu templates containing predefined groupings of buttons, and uses the menu templates, as directed by the administrator, during creation and editing of the interactive menu screens.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-based ordering system for ordering goods and services, the system comprising:
 a self-service terminal for use by a customer user to place an order, the self-service terminal including a processor and a storage medium storing a self-order an ordering application, the self-order ordering application providing configured to provide a first user interface including a set of interactive menu screens having buttons that allow the customer user to select and customize products for the order; 
 the storage medium further storing an administration tool application for administering the self-service terminal, 
 wherein the administration tool application providingis configured to provide a second user interface that can be accessedfor access by thean administrator to perform various administrative functions, 
 wherein the administration tool application includingincludes a menu editor that enablesconfigured to enable the administrator to create and edit the interactive menu screens provided by the self-orderordering application; and, 
 wherein the menu editor is resident in the self-service terminal accesses and is configured to access a library of menu templates containing including predefined groupings of buttons, and uses to use the menu templates, as directed by the administrator, during creation and editing of the interactive menu screens, and 
 wherein at least one of the buttons includes a multi-part button, the multi-part button being configured such that:
 in response to selection by the user of any portion of the multi-part button while a plurality of additional buttons associated with the multi-part button are not visible, the additional buttons appear, 
 a first button of the plurality of additional buttons corresponds to a default for the multi-part button, 
 in response to selection by the user of a second button of the plurality of additional buttons while another one of the plurality of buttons is presently selected, (i) a visual indicator appears corresponding to the second button and (ii) the plurality of additional buttons remains visible, and 
 in response to selection by the user of the second button while the second button is already selected, the plurality of additional buttons disappears. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 1  wherein the self-service terminal further comprises a display screen having a touch screen for accepting user input, and wherein the first user interface, which is provided by the self-order ordering application, is a graphical user interface, and the customer interacts touch screen is configured to allow the user to interact with the self-order ordering application using the touch screen. 
     
     
       3. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 1  wherein the self-service terminal further comprises a display screen having a touch screen for accepting user input, and wherein the second user interface, which is provided by the administration tool application, is a graphical user interface, and the touch screen is configured to allow the administrator interacts to interact with the administration tool application using the touch screen. 
     
     
       4. A computer-based ordering system for ordering goods and services, the system including comprising:
 a plurality of self-service client terminals for use by customers users to place orders, at least one of the plurality of client terminals including a computer-readable storage medium, 
 each self-service client terminal running a self-order an ordering application, 
 the self-order ordering application providing a first user interface including a set of interactive menu screens having buttons that configured to allow the customer user to select and customize products for the order, 
 the system further including a server in communication with the plurality of self-service client terminals, the system further comprising: 
 an administration tool application stored on a the computer-readable storage medium, 
 the administration tool application being executable by a computer for communicating with the server to administer the self-service client terminals, 
 the administration tool application providing configured to provide a second user interface that can be accessed by the administrator to perform various administrative functions, 
 the administration tool application including a menu editor that enables configured to enable the administrator to create and edit the interactive menu screens provided by the self-order ordering application at the self-service client terminals; and, 
 wherein the menu editor accesses is configured to access a library of menu templates containing predefined groupings of buttons, and uses to use the menu templates, as directed by the administrator, during creation and editing of the interactive menu screens, and 
 wherein at least one of the buttons includes a multi-part button, the multi-part button being configured such that:
 in response to selection by the user of any portion of the multi-part button while a plurality of additional buttons associated with the multi-part button are not visible, the additional buttons appear, 
 a first button of the plurality of additional buttons corresponds to a default for the multi-part button, 
 in response to selection by the user of a second button of the plurality of additional buttons while another one of the plurality of buttons is presently selected, (i) a visual indicator appears corresponding to the second button and (ii) the plurality of additional buttons remains visible, and 
 in response to selection by the user of the second button while the second button is already selected, the plurality of additional buttons disappears. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 4  wherein each self-service client terminal further comprises a display screen having a touch screen for accepting user input, and wherein the touch screen is configured to allow the customer interacts user to interact with the self-order ordering application using the touch screen. 
     
     
       6. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 4  wherein the computer-readable storage medium storing the administration tool application is located at the server, and wherein the server further comprises a display screen having a touch screen for accepting user input, and wherein the second user interface, which is provided by the administration tool application, is a graphical user interface, and wherein the touch screen is configured to allow the administrator interacts to interact with the administration tool application using the touch screen. 
     
     
       7. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 4  wherein the library of menu templates includes a plurality of templates, each template representing an interactive menu screen having buttons, and wherein the menu editor enables is configured to enable the administrator to, during creation/editing of an interactive menu screen, select a template for the interactive menu screen and associate functions with the buttons included on the selected template. 
     
     
       8. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein associating functions with the buttons included on the selected template includes selecting a button type for a button. 
     
     
       9. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein associating functions with the buttons included on the selected template includes selecting associated text for a button. 
     
     
       10. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein associating functions with the buttons included on the selected template includes selecting an image overlay for a button. 
     
     
       11. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein associating functions with the buttons included on the selected template includes selecting an item/product for a button. 
     
     
       12. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 11  wherein associating functions with the buttons included on the selected template includes selecting a quantity for the item/product for a button. 
     
     
       13. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 11  wherein associating functions with the buttons included on the selected template includes selecting a pricing option for the item/product for a button. 
     
     
       14. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein associating functions with the buttons included on the selected template includes selecting a subsequent menu screen for activation upon selection of a button by the customer user, thereby creating a hierarchy of menus to guide the customer user through the order process. 
     
     
       15. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of templates includes at least one template configured to allow selection of only a single button by the customer user from a presented plurality of buttons. 
     
     
       16. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of templates includes at least one template configured to allow selection of multiple buttons by a customer the user from a presented plurality of buttons. 
     
     
       17. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of templates includes at least one template configured to allow selection of multiple buttons by a customer the user from a presented plurality of buttons, and wherein the presented plurality of buttons includes at least one special button, the special button including a plurality of sub-buttons to provide multiple selected states for the special button. 
     
     
       18. The computer-based ordering system of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of templates includes at least one template configured to allow selection of multiple buttons by a customer the user from a presented plurality of buttons, and wherein the presented plurality of buttons includes at least one special button, the special button configured to, upon selection thereof, causing cause selection of a predetermined set of the presented plurality of buttons. 
     
     
       19. A method of administrating the computer-based ordering system of  claim 4 , the method comprising:
 establishing a library of menu templates containing predefined groupings of buttons; and 
 utilizing the menu editor of the administration tool application to create and edit the interactive menu screens for the self-order ordering application, 
 wherein the interactive menu screens are created using menu templates from the library. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein the library of menu templates includes a plurality of templates, each template representing an interactive menu screen having buttons, the method further comprising: during creation/editing of an interactive menu screen, selecting a template for the interactive menu screen and associating functions with the buttons included on the selected template. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 19  wherein the computer-readable storage medium storing the administration tool application is located at the server. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21  wherein the server is configured to also operates operate as a self-service client terminal by running the self-order ordering application while the server communicates with the plurality of self-service client terminals in the background. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21  wherein the administration tool application is also located at a plurality of the self-service client terminals to allow administration from any of the self-service client terminals having the administration tool application. 
     
     
       24. The computer-based ordering system of claim 1 wherein:
 the first button corresponds to a first amount of a first product of the products,   the second button corresponds to a second amount of the first product, and   the second amount is different than the first amount.   
     
     
       25. The computer-based ordering system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of additional buttons is an overlay button visually contained within a perimeter of the multi-part button. 
     
     
       26. The computer-based ordering system of claim 4 wherein:
 the first button corresponds to a first amount of a first product of the products,   the second button corresponds to a second amount of the first product, and   the second amount is different than the first amount.   
     
     
       27. The computer-based ordering system of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of additional buttons is an overlay button visually contained within a perimeter of the multi-part button.