Patent ID: 6633851
Filing Date: 2003-10-14
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
A method of generating custom reports based on restaurant point-of-sale data transferred between multiple remote computing devices and a central computing device, the method comprising:(a) transferring point-of-sale data to a central computing device from multiple computing devices at multiple remote locations, wherein such locations comprise restaurants; (b) a restaurant-industry user logging into a web site for the purpose of defining a custom report format using an Internet-browser interface, wherein such defining is initiated with web-based report generating selection operations starting from a report initiating page and concluding with a report request selection, wherein the selection operations include: displaying on a page one or more report formats, wherein each displayed report format is presented at least in part with textual information indicative of the nature of the report format, wherein the page is configured to process a selection operation from the restaurant-industry user that specifies at least one of the report formats, and wherein the at least one report format accesses a selected portion of the point-of-sale data as defined in one or more queries used to populate the at least one report format; displaying on a page one or more remote locations associated with the restaurant-industry user according to one or more user permissions that can be assigned by an administrator on a user-by-user basis, wherein each displayed remote location is presented at least in part with textual information indicative of the remote location, and wherein the page is configured to process a selection operation from the restaurant-industry user that specifies at least one of the remote locations; displaying on a page one or more operative data-entry fields configured to process a selection operation from the restaurant-industry user that specifies one or more dates or date ranges, wherein the operative data-entry fields are substantially only those required to obtain the dates or date ranges associated with the at least one specified report format; wherein the restaurant-industry user navigates between one or more of the selection operations using Internet-browser navigation mechanisms; and wherein access to and administration of the underlying point-of-sale data is controlled as a function of the report formats and remote locations made available for the user to choose in defining the custom report format so that the user obtains access only to a selected portion of the point-of-sale data; (c) generating a custom report using the custom report format, the custom report being based on point-of-sale data related to the specified remote locations and the specified dates or date ranges; and (d) enabling the restaurant-industry user to view or obtain the generated custom report using the Internet.