Automatic ordering, billing and accounting system and method for ordering items listed in a restaurant menu

Claim 2

An automated information entry, processing and retrieval system which comprises: control means which is adapted for receiving order item data from a communications link and is further adapted for verifying from memory the availability of the order item and calculating billing information and providing such verification and calculations as output to the communications link; a portable communications terminal for transmitting order data by radio transmission and for receiving verification by radio transmission; a radio base station adapted for communicating (a) data received in digital form from the control means to the portable terminal and (b) transmissions received from the portable terminal in digital form to the control means via the LAN; and at least a terminal communicating with the control means over the communications link for providing order item data to the control means.

Claim 3

The system of Claim 1, further comprising at least one printer communicating with the control means over the communications link and controlled by the control means for printing order item data and modifications and calculations applied thereto by the control means.

Claim 4

The system of Claim 1, or Claim 2, wherein the control means is a general purpose computer programmed for such verification, calculation and feed-back functions.

Claim 7

The system of Claim 5 wherein the local area network cable comprises a two-wire pair, and wherein stations on the local area network comprise a driver circuit adapted for receiving digital logic signals from the associated station and responsively driving the local area network wire pair to respectively relatively high and low polarity states or conversely, and for otheriwise presenting a high impedance level to the local area network during quiescent periods; and a receiver circuit adapted for transmitting digital logic signals to the associated station responsive to the combined polarity states of the local area network wire pair.

Claim 9

An automated ordering and billing system, which comprises: computer means adapted for receiving order item data from a local area network and programmed for verifying from memory the availability of the order item and calculating billing information and providing such verification and calculations as output to the local area network; a portable terminal for transmitting order data by radio transmission and for receiving verification by radio transmission; a radio base station adapted for communicating data received in digital form from the computer means to the portable terminal and for communicating transmissions received from the portable terminal in digital form to the control means over the local area network; the local area network being adapted for interconnecting the computer means and radio base station and being adapted for interconnecting peripheral units to the computer means; at least a terminal communicating with the computer means over the local area network for providing order item data to the computer means; and at least one printer communicating with the computer means over the local area network and controlled by the computer means for printing order item data and modifications and calculations applied thereto by the computer means.

Claim 10

An automated ordering and billing system, which comprises: computer means adapted for receiving order item data from a local area network and programmed for verifying from memory the availability of the order item and calculating billing information and providing such verification and calculations as output to the local area network; a portable terminal for transmitting order data by radio transmission and for receiving verification by radio transmission; a radio base station adapted for communicating data received in digital form from the computer means to the portable terminal and for communicating transmissions received from the portable terminal in digital form to the control means over the local area network; the local area network being adapted for interconnecting the computer means and radio base station and being adapted for interconnecting peripheral units to the computer means; at least a terminal communicating with the computer means over the local area network for providing order item data to the computer means; and at least one printer communicating with the computer means over the local area network and controlled by the computer means for printing order item data and modifications and calculations applied thereto by the computer means.

Claim 11

The system of Claim 8 wherein the local area network cable comprises a two-wire pair, and wherein stations on the local area network comprise a driver circuit circuit adapted for receiving digital logic signals from the associated station and responsively driving the local area network wire pair to respectively relatively high and low polarity states or conversely, and for otherwise presenting a high impedance level to the local area network during quiescent periods; and a receiver circuit adapted for transmitting digital logic signals to the associated station responsive to the combined polarity states of the local area network wire pair.

Claim 12

The ordering and billing system of Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the portable terminal and the radio base station include transceiver means and computer means adapted for controlling bi-directional communication between the transceiver means and the local area network.

Claim 13

The ordering and billing system of Claim 8, wherein the local area network comprises a pair of wires, and wherein the computer means and the radio base station, and the terminal and printer units further comprise driver and receiver circuits adapted for applying to the wire pair and receiving from the wire pair equal and oppositely-directed currents such that digital 0/1 is determined by the current direction in a selected wire.

Claim 14

The order and billing system of Claim 10, wherein the local area network comprises a pair of wires, wherein the system components including the computer means, the radio base station and the terminal and printer units further comprise a driver and receiver circuit adapted for applying to the wire pair and receiving from the wire pair equal and oppositely-directed currents such that digital 0/1 is determined by the current direction in a selected wire, and wherein each said circuit is controlled by a computer to effect bi-directional communication through the circuit between the particular associated component and the local area network.