System and method for image based viewing and ordering

摘要

Various aspects and embodiments are directed to image based viewing and/or ordering food items. According to some embodiments, an ordering system for managing image based menus includes a suite of data management applications for providers and/or deliverers (e.g., businesses in the restaurant or food and beverage industry, delivery service providers, etc.). These providers can subscribe to the system in order to access the functionality provided by image based displays including ordering and reservation capabilities provided. In some embodiments, the suite of data management applications can be configured to enable subscribers to access database-driven, market-specific product information, and use that information, for example, to tailor displays on online food and beverage ordering/viewing systems. Further each participant can specify the terms/restrictions associated with their participation and the system can optimize viewing of food and beverage items, reservations, and deliveries and manage pricing and payment of any order accordingly.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
at least one processor operatively connected to a memory; a menu engine, executed by at least one processor, configured to: search descriptive characteristics associated with food items provided by a plurality of food providers to return results based on user input criteria, wherein the results are filtered images of the food items generated responsive to the user input criteria; a display engine, executed by the at least one processor, configured to: display at least one user interface, wherein the at least one user interface is configured to display and accept user selection through a remote user device of at least one of the images of the food items provided by the plurality of food providers wherein the images of the food items are selectable to trigger generation of a single common order spanning multiple food providers; generate an image based menu in a first viewing display screen dynamically responsive to available images of the food items meeting display criteria defined on the system: aggregate matching food items from the plurality of food providers and tailoring the respective image based menu in the first viewing display screen showing the results of the search to the user based on user defined preferences stored on the system, the first viewing display including at least images of food items from different providers, wherein tailoring automatically orders the matching food items or automatically limits the display of matching food items and associated providers based on the user defined preferences; display the respective image based menu and the viewing display screen representative of food offerings available at the plurality of food providers, wherein the image based menu and the viewing display screen includes images of the food items representative of the food offerings made available by respective providers in the first viewing display screen tailored to the user; wherein the first viewing display includes at least a first display element of a first food item from a first provider matching the user input criteria and a second display element of a second food item from a second provider matching the user input criteria, wherein at least one of the first and second display elements includes an image of the respective food item captured by imaging hardware located at the respective provider, and the first and second display elements are selectable to create the single common order, wherein at least the first provider and the second provider are geographically distinct providers; and an ordering engine, executed by the at least one processor, configured to: request the food items associated with the plurality of images from one or more respective providers shown in the viewing display screen responsive to user section of any selected image to create the single common order spanning multiple food providers; build order requests for transmission to a plurality of food providers associated with the user selection, responsive to user selection in the viewing display screen; wherein the ordering engine is further configured to execute a coordinated delivery of the food items from the plurality of food providers and one or more delivery providers, wherein for single delivery provider the ordering engine is configured to schedule an order request at a second food provider to synchronize pick up time from a first provider and a first provider location and a pick up time from a second provider at a second provider location for delivery to a single location; and wherein the menu engine is further configured to group in the first viewing display screen the images of the food items representative of the food offerings made available by the respective providers based on estimated delivery information, and responsive to selection of an item in a grouping, filter out a display of groupings for which coordinated delivery is not possible; imaging hardware at respective providers configured to capture images of food as prepared and to transmit the images of food as prepared to the menu engine; and wherein the menu engine is further configured to receive images of food items as prepared, captured by the imaging hardware at respective providers, and generate the image based menu using at least one of the images of the food items captured as prepared.