Alerting servers using vibrational signals

摘要

Customer-used objects, such as tabletops, dinnerware, and retail racks, are impregnated with an accelerometer, a processor, and a Bluetooth chip. Taping or knocking such an entity by alerts a worker of a requested service. The accelerometer captures vibration data associated with the tapping or knocking and sends that data to the processor. The processor recognizes the gesture's vibrations. Finally, a recognized gesture will command the Bluetooth chip to send an alert to the server. The invention prevents a customer from second-guessing possible orders or purchases and allows an employee to become more efficient, thus saving time money.

主权项

1. A serving item configured to transmit a status of a user of such serving item, comprising:
a serving item operably coupled to an accelerometer, a transmitter, a power source, and a computer processor, said accelerometer, transmitter, power source, and computer processor being further operably coupled such that changes in the physical state of said serving item indicative of a change in the status of said user of said serving item are detected by the computer processor by analyzing signals from the accelerometer and the changes in status are transmitted from said serving item to a restaurant staff computing device, wherein the status indicates to the restaurant staff computing device that the user requires service, and wherein said serving item is a plate or a drinking glass or flatware or silverware.