Abstract:
A system for allowing interaction between individuals in an establishment and individuals remote from establishment is disclosed. The system has a server for transferring graphical and textual data to and from the establishment. A plurality of customer terminals are located in the establishment and coupled to the server. The customer terminals are used for ordering items in the establishment and for interacting with others in and remote from the establishment. At least one employee terminal is coupled to the server. The employee terminal is used for displaying items ordered by individuals in the establishment. This will allow employees to provide faster service to individuals in the establishment. A plurality of establishment video cameras are coupled to the server. The video cameras are used for transmitting graphical images from inside the establishment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     This invention relates generally to an eating/drinking establishment and, more specifically, to an interactive live web broadcast establishment where patrons in the establishment and at remote locations can interact with one another online.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Individuals that would like to meet and date other individuals are presently provided with a plurality of well known methods to attempt to do so. Dance clubs, social clubs, bars, and the like, are well known approaches to meeting other individuals. Often, however, these locations are flooded with loud music and a significant level of background noise. They can also be impersonal and foreign for infrequent patrons. As a result, these establishments are most inviting to younger individuals, or for the planned meeting of a group of persons. It can further be noted that the possibility of rejection, especially in a crowded club or bar room, makes such places quite intimidating to many single persons. Accordingly, most singles find the club/bar option unattractive.  
         [0005]     Online or internet dating/matchmaking is another way for individuals to meet one another. The online/internet dating service industry has grown significantly in recent years. ComScore Media Medtrix has provided recent user information for a number of the larger personals/dating web-sites (there are over 200 on-line dating sites), as follows:  
                                                                     Number of Unique Users           Web-site   (as of July, 2002)                                        Match.com   5,665,000           Yahoo! Personals   4,412,000           Date.com   2,295,000           Matchmaker.com   1,522,000           Someonelikesyou.com   1,237,000           Dreammates.com   983,000                      
 
         [0006]     In addition, a recent Jupiter Research study stated that more than 34 million people have visited online personal ad sites, and that the average user spends 13 hours a month on such sites.  
         [0007]     Online/internet dating allows those who may be a little shy to interact with one another. Interaction can occur through emails, chat rooms, instant messaging, and the like. However, despite its growth, the online dating/personals industry continues to be plagued by the problem of users either misrepresenting themselves (e.g., as younger, more attractive (via outdated pictures or through misrepresentation of height/weight), more successful, etc.), or concealing important information (e.g., a criminal record, a drug or alcohol addiction, sexually transmitted diseases, a marriage, etc.). As of Dec. 11, 2002, there have been over 17,900 online dating horror stories, and some have ended tragically.  
         [0008]     Therefore, a need existed to provide an improved place and method that allows individuals to meet and/or date other individuals. The improved place and method must overcome the problems associated with the prior art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved place and method that allows individuals to meet and/or date other individuals.  
         [0010]     It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved place and method that allows individuals to meet and/or date other individuals must overcome the problems associated with the prior art.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a system for allowing interaction between individuals in an establishment and individuals remote from establishment is disclosed. The system has a server for transferring graphical and textual data to and from the establishment. A plurality of customer terminals are located in the establishment and coupled to the server. The customer terminals are used for ordering items in the establishment and for interacting with others in and remote from the establishment. At least one employee terminal is coupled to the server. The employee terminal is used for displaying items ordered by individuals in the establishment. This will allow employees to provide faster service to individuals in the establishment. A plurality of establishment video cameras are coupled to the server. The video cameras are used for transmitting graphical images from inside the establishment.  
         [0012]     The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular, description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, as well as a preferred mode of use, and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a simplified block diagram of the interactive live web broadcast establishment used in the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a simplified functional block diagram of the interactive live web broadcast establishment system of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]     Referring to the Figures, an interactive live web broadcast establishment and system  1  of the present invention is shown. The system  1  is comprised of two main components. The system  1  has a remote computer system  10  and premises equipment  20 .  
         [0017]     The remote computer system  10  is used by individuals who are not present at the establishment. The remote computer system  10  will allow individuals who are not in the establishment to observe, chat, and interact with customers in the establishment. The remote computer system  10  is in general, a standard home computer system  12 . The computer system  12  will have a motherboard having a processor  16 . Memory  17  is coupled to the processor  16 . The memory  16  may be any type of memory such as dynamic, static, combinations thereof, and the like.  
         [0018]     The computer system  12  will have one or more input/output devices coupled thereto. The input/output devices will allow one to input and transfer data from the computer system  12  to the premises equipment  20 . The input devices may include one or more of the following: a keyboard  14 , a mouse  15 , a video camera  23 , a card reader  26 , and the like. The listing of the above should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention. The keyboard  14  and mouse  15  will allow one to input data and execute certain on screen commands. The video camera  23  will allow video and/or still images to be taken and transferred to the premises equipment  20  thus allowing interaction between the individual at the remote site and the people in the establishment. A card reading device  26  is also coupled to the computer system  12 . The card reading device  26  will scan and read information on a card inserted into the card reading device  26 . The card reading device  26  may be used to read credit/debit cards, membership cards, smartcards, and the like. The listing of the above should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention.  
         [0019]     A graphical display  13  will also be coupled to the computer system  12 . The graphical display  13  is used to show visual information to the person using the computer system  12 . For example, the graphical display  13  may show live video data from the establishment. The graphical display  13  may further show a menu or other textual information from the establishment. The graphical display may be any type of computer monitor.  
         [0020]     The computer system  12  has an internet connection  11 . The internet connection  11  allows the computer system  12  to connect and transfer data to and from the premises equipment  20  via one or more servers. The internet connection  11  may be a phone line, a cable, ethernet connection, and the like. The listing of the above should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention.  
         [0021]     The premises equipment  20  is comprised of a premises server  22 . The server  22  is used to transfer data to and from the establishment where the system  1  is installed. The server  22  is further used to host the website of the establishment. The server  22  will generally have a processor  16 A and memory  17 A. The server  22  is coupled to one or more personal computers  12  via an internet connection  11 .  
         [0022]     The server  22  will be coupled to a plurality of cameras  23 A. The cameras  23 A will be located throughout the establishment. The cameras  23 A will allow people coupled to the server  22  to observe people in the establishment and to see what&#39;s going on in the establishment.  
         [0023]     The server  22  also has a plurality of customer terminals  24 . The customer terminals  24  will allow one to order food/drinks and to interact with others in the establishment as well as those remote from the establishment. The customer terminals  24  may be a simple video display  13  having one or more input devices coupled to the server  22  for entering data (i.e., drink/food orders, online chat, etc.). The input devices would be similar to those described above.  
         [0024]     Alternatively, the customer terminals  24  may be something more similar to that of the computer system  10 . Thus, each customer terminals  24  will generally have a motherboard having a processor  16 . Memory  17  is coupled to the processor  16 . The memory  16  may be any type of memory such as dynamic, static, combinations thereof, and the like.  
         [0025]     Each customer terminal  24  will have one or more input/output devices coupled thereto. The input/output devices will allow one to input and transfer data from the customer terminal  24  to the server  22 . Thus, data may be transferred from the customer terminal  24  to a home computer system  12  via the server  22 . The input devices may include one or more of the following: a keyboard  14 , a mouse  15 , a video camera  23 , a card reader  26 , and the like. The listing of the above should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention. The keyboard  14  and mouse  15  will allow one to input data and execute certain on screen commands. The video camera  23  will allow video and/or still images to be taken and transferred to the server  22  thus allowing interaction between individuals at the establishment and people at a remote site. A card reading device  26  is also coupled to the customer terminal  24 . The card reading device  26  will scan and read information on a card inserted into the card reading device  26 . The card reading device  26  may be used to read credit/debit cards, membership cards, smartcards, and the like. The listing of the above should not be seen as to limit the scope of the present invention.  
         [0026]     A graphical display  13  will also be coupled to the customer terminal  24 . The graphical display is used to show visual and/or textual information to the person using the computer system  12  in the establishment. The graphical display  13  may be any type of computer monitor.  
         [0027]     Employee terminals  25  are also coupled to the server  22 . The employee terminals  25  will allow employees of the establishment to see what a particular table in the establishment has ordered (i.e., food, drinks, etc.). This will allow the employees to better serve the items in a more timely manner.  
         [0028]     In operation, the system  1  will operate in the following manner. A restaurant, bar or other establishment will have the premises equipment  20  installed. A plurality of customer terminals  24  will be installed wherein each table in the establishment will have one or more customer terminals  24 . A plurality of video cameras  23  are positioned through out the establishment. Video cameras  23  may also be positioned at each table and or customer terminal  24 . When a person arrives at the establishment, the customer can use the customer terminal  24  to input an order for food and/or a drink. This information will be sent to an employee terminal  25  via the server  22 . An employee can then fill the customer&#39;s order.  
         [0029]     Customer&#39;s may further interact with other customers via the customer terminal  24 . Each customer terminal  24  will have some identification marker. Thus, one customer can send a text message, video message, video conference call, instant message, etc. to a specific customer at another customer terminal  24 . Thus the system  1  will allow people in the establishment to interact with one another. A customer may further order drinks and/or food and have it delivered to another customer at another customer terminal  24 .  
         [0030]     A card reading device  26  may be coupled to the customer terminal  24 . The card reading device may be used for several purposes. First, the card reading device  26  may be used so that customers at the customer terminal  24  may insert a credit card, debit card, or the like to pay for any food and/or drinks that are ordered. Second, the card reading device  26  may be used to read an establishment club card. For example, the use of a customer terminal  24  could be limited to those who are members of an establishment club. Card could be issued to club members. One could only access and use the customer terminal  24  by inserting the establishment club card into the card reading device  26 .  
         [0031]     Customers at remote locations can also interact with customers at the establishment. Customers may log onto a website using a remote computer system  10 . Customers may then interact with other customers at a customer terminal  24 . Since each customer terminal  24  will have some identification marker, remote customers can send a text message, video message, video conference call, etc. to a specific customer at a specific customer terminal  24 . A remote customer may further order drinks and/or food and have it delivered to a customer at a specific customer terminal  24 .  
         [0032]     If a card reading device  26  is coupled to a remote computer system  10 , the card reading device may be used for several purposes. First, the card reading device  26  may be used so that customers at a remote computer system  10  may insert a credit card, debit card, or the like to pay for any food and/or drinks that are ordered. Second, the card reading device  26  may be used to read an establishment club card. For example, access to the website may be limited to members of an establishment club. Cards could be issued to club members. One could only access and use the a remote computer system  10  by inserting the establishment club card into the card reading device  26 .  
         [0033]     It should be noted that the system  1  can still function without the use of a card reading device  26 . Information can always be inputted into a remote computer system  10  or a customer terminal  24  by manually entering the data using an I/O device like a keyboard or a mouse.  
         [0034]     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.