Patent Publication Number: US-11030678-B2

Title: User-adaptive restaurant management system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to the following co-pending U.S. Patent Applications, each of which has a common assignee and common inventors. 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 SERIAL NUMBER 
                 FILING DATE 
                 TITLE 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 16/221,787 
                 Dec. 17, 2018 
                 ADAPTIVE RESTAURANT 
               
               
                   
                   
                 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 
               
               
                 16/221,844 
                 Dec. 17, 2018 
                 APPARATUS AND 
               
               
                   
                   
                 METHOD FOR ADAPTIVE 
               
               
                   
                   
                 RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT 
               
               
                 16/221,880 
                 Dec. 17, 2018 
                 COMMAND-ADAPTIVE 
               
               
                   
                   
                 RESTAURANT 
               
               
                   
                   
                 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 
               
               
                 16/221,902 
                 Dec. 17, 2018 
                 CONTEXT-ADAPTIVE 
               
               
                   
                   
                 RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT 
               
               
                   
                   
                 SYSTEM 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates in general to the field of retail establishment management, and more particularly to process management systems that are adaptive for intended use and which employ one or more features directed to acceleration of order entry and fulfillment processes. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     In prior times, when a patron entered a retail establishment (e.g., a store, a restaurant, etc.), an employee of the establishment assisted the patron in order to locate and generate an order of retail items for preparation and delivery. The employee either remembered the items or wrote the selections down on a paper order form. The order was then communicated/provided to an order processing station where one or more other employees assembled the prepared and the items on the order. The completed items were then delivered to the patron. Such a system has been employed for hundreds of years and is still used in many small establishments. 
     In more recent years, establishments—especially larger ones—are switching over from paper-based ordering to electronic screen-based ordering systems. These systems may employ conventional displays for viewing menu items and conventional keyboards for entry of selected menu items to configure an order for a patron. Other forms of electronic ordering systems comprise touchscreen-based terminals (e.g., special purpose tablet computers—both wired and wireless—to generate orders and to communicate those orders to one or more order processing stations. These order processing stations may additionally have (typically) larger touchscreen-based terminals, whereon taken orders are displayed for preparation, and whereby order processors indicate completion of the orders. Completion is generally indicated by touching a specified area of the touchscreen terminals or by actuating controls that are coupled to the terminals. 
     As one skilled in the art will appreciate, many order processing environments are riddled with substances that are detrimental to electronic devices. Consider a restaurant kitchen, where one skilled will also appreciate that most food ingredients may damage electronic devices when they come in contact with the devices. In addition, many order processing environments require that order processors wear protective gear, which may also impede interaction with a touchscreen or other electronic device to indicate completion of orders. 
     The present inventors have observed the above problems and limitations in the art and have sensed a need for apparatus and methods within order entry and processing environments that preclude degradation of electronic order entry and processing devices, and that furthermore may be employed to accelerate order entry ad processing tasks over that which has heretofore been provided. 
     Therefore, what is needed is a retail management system that employs 3D gestures, to accelerate placement of orders and to indicate order completion. 
     What is also needed is a retail management system that employs voice commands, to accelerate placement of orders and to indicate order completion. 
     What is additionally needed is a retail management system that employs voice commands to enter a 3D gesture mode, where the 3D gestures are used to accelerate placement of orders and to indicate order completion. 
     What is furthermore needed is a retail management system that employs facial recognition for configuration of associated order entry and processing devices, including entering into a 3D gesture mode, where the 3D gestures are used to accelerate placement of orders and to indicate order completion. 
     What is moreover needed is a retail management system that suggests order selections based upon voice recognition of key terms, and that utilized 3D gestures to select from among the suggested order selections. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention, among other applications, is directed to solving the above-noted problems and addresses other problems, disadvantages, and limitations of the prior art. In one embodiment, a user-adaptive order processing terminal is provided that includes a display, a microphone, a configuration manager, and a motion sensor. The display is configured to display electronic menu items in a first area for selection by a user, where the electronic menu items are accessed via selection of one or more sub-menu items. The microphone is configured to detect audio spoken by the user. The configuration manager is coupled to the display and the microphone, and is configured to capture the audio from the microphone, to transmit the audio via first messages to a backend server, to receive second messages from the backend server providing text that corresponds to the audio, to access suggested menu items that correspond to the text, and to modify a second area of the display to present the suggested menu items for selection, where the suggested menu items would otherwise be presented in the first area through selection of the one or more sub-menu items. The motion sensor is coupled to the configuration manager, and is configured to subsequently detect distance to and motions performed by the user, where the configuration manager captures movements of the user from the motion sensor, transmit the motions via third messages to the backend server, receives fourth messages from the backend server providing 3-dimensional (3D) gestures that correspond to the movements, and adds one or more of the suggested menu items to an electronic order in accordance with the 3D gestures. 
     One aspect of the present invention contemplates a user-adaptive order processing terminal that has a display, a microphone, an order processor, and a motion sensor. The display is configured to display electronic menu items in a first area for selection by a user, where the electronic menu items are accessed via selection of one or more sub-menu items. The microphone is configured to detect audio spoken by the user. The order processor is coupled to the display and the motion sensor, and is configured to maintain current states of all orders being fulfilled. The order processor includes current state fields and a configuration manager. The current state fields each maintain a current state for a corresponding one or the orders being fulfilled. The configuration manager is coupled to the display and the microphone, and is configured to capture the audio from the microphone, to transmit the audio via first messages to a backend server, to receive second messages from the backend server providing text that corresponds to the audio, to access suggested menu items that correspond to the text, and to modify a second area of the display to present the suggested menu items for selection, where the suggested menu items would otherwise be presented in the first area through selection of the one or more sub-menu items. The motion sensor is coupled to the order processor, and is configured to subsequently detect distance to and motions performed by the user, where the configuration manager captures movements of the user from the motion sensor, transmit the motions via third messages to the backend server, receives fourth messages from the backend server providing 3-dimensional (3D) gestures that correspond to the movements, and adds one or more of the suggested menu items to an electronic order in accordance with the 3D gestures. 
     Another aspect of the present invention comprehends a user-adaptive order processing method, including: displaying electronic menu items in a first area for selection by a user, where the electronic menu items are accessed via selection of one or more sub-menu items; employing a microphone to detect audio spoken by the user; capturing the audio from the microphone, transmitting the audio via first messages to a backend server, receiving second messages from the backend server providing text that corresponds to the audio, accessing suggested menu items that correspond to the text, and modifying a second area of the display to present the suggested menu items for selection, where the suggested menu items would otherwise be presented in the first area through selection of the one or more sub-menu items; and subsequently detecting distance to and motions performed by the user by capturing movements of the user from a motion sensor, transmitting the motions via third messages to the backend server, receiving fourth messages from the backend server providing 3-dimensional (3D) gestures that correspond to the movements, and adding one or more of the suggested menu items to an electronic order in accordance with the 3D gestures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, and accompanying drawings where: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating a present-day technique for restaurant management that is paper based; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram depicting another present-day technique for restaurant management that is touchscreen based; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram featuring a front view of an adaptive restaurant management terminal according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing a top view of an adaptive restaurant management terminal according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a restaurant management terminal according to the present invention that provides for intelligent menu assistance; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram detailing a context-adaptive terminal according to the present invention that features an exemplary manager&#39;s display; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram showing a terminal configuration screen on a context-adaptive terminal according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagram illustrating a context-adaptive terminal according to the present invention that features an exemplary anti-theft display; 
         FIG. 9  is a block diagram depicting an adaptive restaurant management system according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram featuring a backend server according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a block diagram showing an adaptive terminal according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 12  is a diagram detailing exemplary update/status messages according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Exemplary and illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. It should be understood at the outset that, although exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the figures and described below, the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification, for those skilled in the art will appreciate that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation specific decisions are made to achieve specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which vary from one implementation to another. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments shown and described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features herein disclosed. 
     The present invention will now be described with reference to the attached figures. Various structures, systems, and devices are schematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation only and so as to not obscure the present invention with details that are well known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attached drawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples of the present invention. Unless otherwise specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
     The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase (i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art) is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning (i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans) such a special definition will be expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase. As used in this disclosure, “each” refers to each member of a set, each member of a subset, each member of a group, each member of a portion, each member of a part, etc. 
     Applicants note that unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in a particular claim, it is not intended that any of the appended claims or claim elements are recited in such a manner as to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f). 
     Definitions 
     Central Processing Unit (CPU): The electronic circuits (i.e., “hardware”) that execute the instructions of a computer program (also known as a “computer application” or “application”) by performing operations on data that include arithmetic operations, logical operations, and input/output operations. 
     Microprocessor: An electronic device that functions as a CPU on a single integrated circuit. A microprocessor receives digital data as input, processes the data according to instructions fetched from a memory (either on-die or off-die), and generates results of operations prescribed by the instructions as output. A general-purpose microprocessor may be employed in a desktop, mobile, or tablet computer, and is employed for uses such as computation, text editing, multimedia display, and Internet browsing. A microprocessor may also be disposed in an embedded system to control a wide variety of devices including appliances, mobile telephones, smart phones, and industrial control devices. 
     Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) or Instruction Set: A part of a computer architecture related to programming that includes data types, instructions, registers, addressing modes, memory architecture, interrupt and exception handling, and input/output. An ISA includes a specification of the set of opcodes (i.e., machine language instructions), and the native commands implemented by a particular CPU. 
     x86-Compatible Microprocessor: A microprocessor capable of executing computer applications that are programmed according to the x86 ISA. 
     Microcode: A term employed to refer to a plurality of micro instructions. A micro instruction (also referred to as a “native instruction”) is an instruction at the level that a microprocessor sub-unit executes. Exemplary sub-units include integer units, floating point units, MMX units, and load/store units. For example, micro instructions are directly executed by a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor. For a complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor such as an x86-compatible microprocessor, x86 instructions are translated into associated micro instructions, and the associated micro instructions are directly executed by a sub-unit or sub-units within the CISC microprocessor. 
     In view of the above background discussion on retail establishment management systems and associated techniques employed within present-day establishments for receiving and processing orders, a discussion these systems will be presented with reference to  FIGS. 1-2 . Following this, a discussion of the present invention will be presented with reference to  FIGS. 3-12 . The present invention overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of present-day order processing techniques by providing an adaptive restaurant management system featuring hands-free kitchen displays, kiosks, and fixed and mobile point-of-sale (POS) terminals that are adaptable to configuration and environment, and that provide for increased order processing throughput and efficiency, along with providing for processing improvements in the displays, kiosks, and terminals themselves. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a diagram  100  is presented illustrating a present-day technique for restaurant management that is paper based. This technique, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, is widely employed within many retail establishments all over the world and is most prevalently employed within restaurants. The diagram  100  shows an order processor  102  who is responsible for processing orders placed for prepared goods within the establishment. In a big box store or warehouse, the goods may comprise one or more merchandised items, and the order processor  102  may be required to aggregate and assemble the items. In a restaurant, the order processor  102  may be required to assemble and prepare food items selected from the restaurant&#39;s menu. 
     Typically, the order processor  102  may be positioned at a workstation  104  and may be within sight and touch distance of one or more paper orders  108  upon which are written one or more menu items XXX, YYY, ZZZ that patrons have selected from the menu. The paper orders  108  are generated by staff (e.g., waiters) and brought to the workstation  104 . The paper orders  108  are then temporarily affixed (e.g., clipped, pinned, etc.) to an order holding device  106  (e.g., a rail, a line, a magnetic strip, etc.) As the order processor  102  completes an assigned order, he/she may remove its corresponding paper order  108 , hand the paper order to order delivery staff (e.g., a waiter, expeditor, etc.), and begin preparation of menu items XXX, YYY, ZZZ shown on a next paper order  108 . The diagram  100  shows the order processor  102  preparing orders from left to right as shown on the holding device  106  and removing the leftmost paper order  108  as it is completed; however, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, some establishments work right to left because such a convention is a function of the order processing environment. It is noted that to clear an order, its corresponding paper order  108  must be touched and handled by the order processor  102  or by other staff. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 2 , a diagram  200  is presented depicting another present-day technique for restaurant management that is touchscreen based. This technique, though not as widely employed as the paper-based technique of  FIG. 1 , is increasingly being employed in establishments having significantly greater numbers of patrons that those establishments that utilize paper orders  108 . The diagram  200  shows an order processor  202  who is responsible for processing orders placed for prepared goods within the establishment. Like the scenario of  FIG. 1 , the order processor  202  may be required to assemble and prepare merchandise or food items selected from a menu. 
     Typically, the order processor  202  may be positioned at a workstation  204  and may be within sight and touch distance of a kitchen display screen (KDS)  210  upon which are displayed one or more electronic orders  208 , each comprising menu items XXX, YYY, ZZZ that patrons have selected from the menu. The electronic orders  208  are generated by staff (e.g., waiters) and transmitted to the KDS  210  for display to the order processor  202 . In some environments, staff (e.g., waiters) may take orders by hand or by memory and may enter those orders into a fixed order entry terminal that is coupled to the KDS  210 . In other environments, staff may enter orders directly into a mobile terminal that transmits the orders via a wireless link (e.g., Wi-Fi) to the KDS  210 . As one skilled in the art will appreciate, a larger establishment may have numerous workstations  204  and KDSs  210  for performing specified preparation functions (e.g., salad station, pasta station, grill master, expeditor, etc.) and portions of a given electronic order  208  may be prepared by order processors  202  at one or more of the numerous workstations  204 . 
     Like the paper orders  108  of  FIG. 1 , the electronic orders  208  are presented on a display area  212  of the KDS  210 . In some cases, the display area  212  comprises a touchscreen, and as the order processor  202  completes an assigned order, he/she may remove its corresponding electronic order  208  by performing touch gestures on the display area  212  (e.g., swipe left, double-touch click, and swipe up, etc.) and begin preparation of menu items XXX, YYY, ZZZ shown on a next electronic order  208 . As the electronic order  208  is removed, its completion may be communicated to staff so that the corresponding order may be delivered to an expeditor or directly to a patron. The diagram  200  shows the order processor  202  preparing orders from left to right as shown on the display  212 , deleting the leftmost electronic order  208  as it is completed, and shifting remaining electronic orders  208  to the left; however, as noted above with reference to  FIG. 1 , some establishments work right to left, and such convention is a function of the order processing environment. Like the environment of  FIG. 1 , to clear an order, the order processor  202  or staff is required to physically touch the display area  212  of the KDS  210  and, as one skilled in the art will further appreciate, many order processing workstations  204  present environments that are detrimental to the handling of electronic devices such as the KDS  210 . Environmental factors that may cause error, degradation, or failure of a touchscreen KDS  210  include, but are not limited to, moisture, dirt, grease, food items, solvents, etc. In addition, sanitation or safety requirements may require that the order processor  202  wear hand protection, which interferes with performing touch gestures. 
     Accordingly, the diagram  200  shows an optional control device  214  comprising one or more actuators  216 . The control device  214  may be coupled to the KDS  210  via a wired or wireless link (not shown) and may be employed by the order processor  202  in lieu of performing touch gestures on the display area  212  of the KDS  210 . Generally, the control device  216  costs substantially less than the KDS  210 . In a restaurant environment, the control device  214  is referred to as a bump bar  214  and comprises actuators  216  that, when actuated, direct the KDS  210  to perform the same functions as if the order processor  202  touched the display area  212 . The actuators  216  may comprise mechanical switches or small touchscreen switches. The control device  216  may provide for some level of environmental resistance (e.g., switch seals, screen cover) and may further allow for actuations by the order processor  202  when wearing protection (e.g., gloves). It is noted, however, that a bump bar configuration, while precluding contamination of the KDS  210 , merely shifts potential contamination effects to the bump bar  216 . 
     The present inventors have observed that potential contamination effects are a significant problem in the industry and have also noted that these effects are increasingly pronounced as more and more establishments are converting their order processing environments from paper-based environments to electronic device-based environments. In addition, the present inventors have observed workstation environments where it is difficult for an order processor  202  to physically access a touchscreen KDS  210 , such as environments where the KDS  210  is beyond reasonable arm&#39;s length away. Therefore, the present inventors have sensed a need in the art for more reliable, durable, and user-friendly techniques and mechanisms for processing orders in environments that present the potential for contamination of touchscreen-based order processing devices, such as the KDS  210  of  FIG. 2 . 
     The present invention overcomes the above noted limitations and disadvantages, and other related problems, by providing apparatus and methods that entirely preclude contamination of touchscreen-based order processing devices, and that furthermore significantly increase order processing efficiencies within order processing environments. In addition to these noted advantages, the techniques disclosed herein according to the present invention may also be applied to related order processing devices that are employed outside of a kitchen or other hazardous environment. Such order processing devices include, but are not limited to, handheld mobile order processing terminals, point-of-sale terminals, host terminals, and self-ordering kiosk terminals. The present invention will now be discussed with reference to  FIGS. 3-12 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 3 , a diagram  300  is presented featuring a front view of an adaptive restaurant management terminal  310  according to the present invention. Like the diagrams  100 ,  200  of  FIGS. 1-2 , diagram  300  depicts an order processor  302  who is responsible for processing orders placed for prepared goods within an establishment. In a big box store or warehouse, the goods may comprise one or more merchandised items, and the order processor  302  may be required to aggregate and assemble the items. In a restaurant, the order processor  302  may be required to assemble and prepare food items selected from the restaurant&#39;s menu. 
     Preferably, the present invention is intended for use in a restaurant setting; however, the present inventors note that the apparatus and methods disclosed herein may be employed in any order processing environment, regardless of whether contaminants are present or not, because it is an objective of the present invention to not only preclude physical degradation of order processing devices, but also to improve order processing throughput in an establishment. In order to clearly teach aspects of the present invention, a restaurant environment will be employed along with related terms such as waiter, host, chef, etc., though the reader should bear in mind that the scope of the present invention extends beyond application in restaurants. 
     Accordingly, the diagram  300  depicts the adaptive terminal  310  adjacent to the order processor  302 , within viewing range, but not necessarily within arm&#39;s reach. In one embodiment, the adaptive terminal  310  may be configured as a kitchen display screen (KDS)  310 , that is employed within a restaurant kitchen to present electronic orders  308  on a display  314  to the order processor  302  for preparation of menu items XXX, YYY, ZZZ. In one embodiment, the KDS  310  comprises a touchscreen display  314 . In another embodiment, the KDS  310  comprises a display without touchscreen features. The order processor  302  may or may not be utilizing ingredients that could potentially contaminate the KDS  310 . 
     In contrast to the KDS  210  of  FIG. 2 , the KDS  310  according to the present invention may further comprise a video camera  318 , a motion sensor  320 , and a microphone  316 . In one embodiment, when enabled, the motion sensor  320  may be employed to detect and interpret non-touch 3-dimensional (3D) gestures that are performed by the order processor  302  to direct the KDS  310  to execute specified functions such as, but not limited to, clearing an electronic order  308 , scrolling to a next or previous order  308 , selecting and opening details of an order  308 , and other order processing functions that may be required in a restaurant kitchen. An exemplary 3D axis is shown in the diagram  300  whereby the motion sensor  320  may interpret left to right movements as positive X, down to up movement as positive Y, and push movements as positive Z. It is noted that this coordinate system is exemplary and provided to teach aspects of the present invention and, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, other types of coordinate systems may be employed. 
     In another embodiment, when enabled, the microphone  316  may be employed to detect and interpret voice commands spoken by the order processor  302  or other staff (not shown) to direct the KDS  310  to execute the functions noted above. In a combined embodiment, when enabled, the motion sensor  320  and microphone  320  may be synergistically employed to detect and interpret both non-touch 3D gestures and voice commands performed and/or spoken by the order processor  302  or other staff to direct the KDS  310  to execute the functions noted above. In yet another embodiment, a command spoken to the microphone  316  may be employed to enable detection and interpretation of 3D gestures by the motion sensor  320 . In a further embodiment, a 3D gesture performed by the order processor  302  may be employed to disable detection and interpretation of 3D gestures by the motion sensor  320  and to enable detection and interpretation of voice commands spoken into the microphone  316 . In an adaptive embodiment, the video camera  318  may be employed to capture and image of the order processor  302  whereby, as will be described in further detail below, voice-based, 3D gesture-based, and video-based functions of the KDS  310  are automatically configured as a function of the captured image. 
     In yet another embodiment, the KDS  310  may comprise a touchpad display  310  on the order of 15 inches, an example of which is a 1I-Series 2.0 for Android 15″ AiO Touchscreen as produced by Elo Touch Solutions, Inc. In yet a further embodiment, the KDS  310  may comprise a touchpad display  310  on the order of 22 inches, an example of which is a 1I-Series 2.0 for Android 22″ AiO Touchscreen as produced by Elo Touch Solutions, Inc. In both embodiments, the microphone  316  and camera  318  are integrated into the touchpad displays  310 , and the motion sensor  320  is coupled to the touchpad displays  310  via a connector (not shown), such as a USB connector. Other embodiments contemplate a camera  318 , motion sensor  320  and microphone  316  that are separate from, but coupled to, the touchpad display  310 , via a connector or other conventional port, such as a USB port. 
     In one embodiment, the microphone  316  may comprise a directional microphone  316  with an audio field of coverage, where captured audio may additionally be employed by other components (not shown) of a restaurant management system according to the present invention for purposes of noise cancellation. In another embodiment, the microphone  316  may comprise a low-power microphone  316  that listens for one or more specific words (e.g., “Hey KDS”), and upon detecting the one or more specific words, commands the KDS  310  to wake up from a low-power mode, or that commands the KDS  310  to enter a 3D gesture mode. 
     Preferably, the motion sensor  320  may comprise one or more passive infrared (PIR) sensors  320  that exhibit a sensitivity range up to approximately 20 feet with a horizontal field of view (FOV) of approximately 110 degrees and a vertical (FOV) of approximately 70 degrees. In all embodiments, the motion sensor  320  is configured to communicate motions of the order processor  302 . 
     In operation, when enabled, the motion sensor  320  may detect and interpret a horizontal right to left motion of a hand of the order processor  302  as a command to the KDS  310  complete a leftmost order  308 , to communicate completion of the leftmost order  308  to staff, and to stage a next order  308  for preparation. In another embodiment, when enabled, the motion sensor  320  may detect and interpret one or more specified words (e.g., “KDS, clear current order”) spoken by the order processor  302  as a command to the KDS  310  complete a leftmost order  308 , to communicate completion of the leftmost order  308  to staff, and to stage a next order  308  for preparation. It is not a purpose of the present disclosure to present an exhaustive list of 3D gestures and voice commands for use in a restaurant or other retail order processing environment, but rather to teach features and details that provide for tailoring of gestures, spoken audio, and captured video images within a restaurant management system according to the present invention, whereby employment of those tailored gestures, spoken audio, and captured video images result in increased order processing speeds along with increased performance of the order processing devices  310  themselves, without exposing the order processing devices  310  to any form of physical contact by staff  302 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , diagram  400  is presented showing a top view of an adaptive restaurant management terminal  410  according to the present invention, such as the terminal  310  of  FIG. 3 . Similar to those like-named elements of  FIG. 3 , the diagram  400  depicts an order processor  402  who is responsible for processing orders placed for prepared goods within an establishment, the adaptive terminal  410  that is adjacent to the order processor  402 , within viewing range, but not necessarily within arm&#39;s reach. The adaptive terminal  410  may be configured in any of the embodiments discussed with reference to  FIG. 3  and includes a video camera  418 , a motion sensor  420 , and a microphone  416 . 
     The camera  418  has a focal length with an image field of view  419  that allows for capture of images of the order processor  402  or another person of interest within the image field of view  419 , where the images are suitable for processing by facial recognition algorithms. The microphone  416  has a sensitivity with an audio field of coverage  417  that allows for capture of speech from the order processor  402  or another person within the field of coverage  417 , where the captured audio quality is suitable for processing by speech-to-text algorithms. The motion sensor  420  has a sensitivity within a field of coverage  421  that allows for detection and tracking of movement by the order processor  402  or another person within the field of coverage  421 . In accordance with the coordinate system shown in  FIG. 3 , the top view of  FIG. 4  depicts the coordinate system having perpendicular X and Z axes in the plane of the page. Thus, the Y axis is perpendicular to the X and Z axes. 
     The diagram  400  also shows an exemplary command table  430 . When movements shown in the swipe direction column of the table  430  are detected, the restaurant management system according to the present invention are interpreted as corresponding commands, which are executed by the KDS  410 . For example, when the motion sensor  420  detects a hand swipe in the negative X direction, the restaurant management system interprets the movement as a command to clear a current order. Accordingly, the command is issued to and executed by the KDS  410 , thus completing the current order and moving a next order into a current order position, as described above with reference to  FIG. 3 . Likewise, a movement in the positive Z direction results in a command to the KDS  410  to initiate a cursor and begin following movement of the order processor&#39;s hand with the cursor. Two movements in the positive Z direction result in a command to the KDS  410  to select and open an order. Movement in the negative Z direction results in deselection of an order. Other exemplary movements are detailed in the table  430 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 5 , a diagram  500  is presented illustrating a restaurant management terminal  510  according to the present invention that provides for adaptive menu assistance. Like the terminals  310 ,  410  of  FIGS. 3-4 , the terminal  510  in the diagram  500  may comprise a camera  518 , a motion sensor  520 , and a microphone  516  whose configuration and operation are substantially the same as those like-named elements in  FIGS. 3-4 . The terminal  510  also has a touchscreen display  514 . Preferably, the terminal  510  is employed either by wait staff when configured as a fixed or handheld terminal  510  for taking orders, or by patrons when configured as a fixed or handheld self-ordering kiosk  510 . Dimensions of the terminals  510  may vary according to configuration. For example, when configured as a handheld wireless terminal  510 , the terminal  510  may comprise an approximately 8-inch Android tablet computer with integrated camera  518  and microphone  516 , to which the motion sensor  520  is coupled via a USB port. When configured as a kiosk, the terminal  510  may comprise a 15- or 22-inch tablet as described above, to which the motion sensor  520  is coupled via a USB port. Other dimensions of the terminal  510  are contemplated. 
       FIG. 5  is illustrates a feature of the present invention that is directed toward acceleration of order entry by either staff or patrons over that which has heretofore been provided. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, electronic terminals  510  typically only display a portion of a menu, primarily because the display area  514  is much smaller than the size required to display a full multi-page restaurant menu. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, there are several present-day techniques that provide for navigation through the menu in order for staff/patrons to make item selections. One technique may employ recognizable page thumbnail images which, when selected, expand to full-size text and images. Another technique merely places full-size text and images in order and the staff/patrons are required to scroll through the text in order to locate and make menu selections. A third technique, shown in the diagram  500 , employs hyperlinks (e.g., BREAKFAST MENU, LUNCH MENU, etc.) which, when selected, bring up sub-menu hyperlinks which, when selected, ultimately result in the display of menu items. For example, if staff/patrons select the DINNER MENU hyperlink, sub-menu hyperlinks such as APPETIZERS, ENTREES, DESSERTS, and DRINKS may be displayed. Upon further selections, ultimately menu items (e.g., 16-Ounce Ribeye) are displayed for order entry. The present inventors note that navigation to menu items by any of the above noted techniques is onerous and annoying at best, but in addition adds time and confusion to the order entry process. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides for recognition and interpretation of a limited dictionary of menu keywords via speech-to-text algorithms and processing within the terminal  510  to quickly navigate to those menu items or other sub-menus that present a high probability of being selected. Thus, the display area  514  is divided into a primary menu display area  514 . 1  and an accelerated suggestion area  514 . 2 . As the order process begins, the diagram  500  shows the results of recognition and interpretation of the word “eggs,” and thus the restaurant system, as described in further detail below, displays two suggested menu items (CALIFORNIA SCRAMBLE and HUEVOS RANCHEROS) along with a suggested hyperlink for breakfast sides. Advantageously, accelerated menu navigation according to the present invention provides for significant improvements in the order entry process and customer satisfaction. 
     The present inventors also note that examples abound for acceleration of the process via speech-to-text and use of a limited keyword dictionary. For instance, “I don&#39;t like red wine” and “I only drink French wines,” would result in the elimination of multiple sub-menu steps, thereby quickly navigating to wine selections that are appropriate. Other examples that cut through multiple hyperlink traversals include:
         “I want a cheeseburger and fries.”   “I&#39;m gluten free.”   “We are interested in the specials.”   “Do you have a chopped salad?”       

     As one skilled will appreciate, the provision of recognition and interpretation of a limited dictionary of keywords radically changes the order processing experience, both for staff and patrons in an establishment. In addition to the menu assist portion of the display  514 . 2 , the terminal  510  may also be configured to utilize the motion sensor  520  to detect hand/finger movements of a user to make menu selections from the suggested items in the display area  514 . 2 . Use of gestures, accordingly, provides advantages in that a user may place an order via speech and/or 3D gestures, without ever coming into physical contact with the terminal  510 . Such a configuration may be preferable during, say, cold season or flu season, because the means for transmission of germs are decreased in number. 
     While  FIGS. 3-5  illustrate applications of the present invention that employ interpretation of voice and 3D gestures to improve the order processing experience,  FIGS. 6-8  show how the addition of facial recognition techniques enable terminals—both fixed and mobile—to rapidly adapt context for the execution of functions by a terminal to comport with a recognized or unrecognized user. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a diagram  600  detailing a context-adaptive terminal  610  according to the present invention that features an exemplary manager&#39;s display. The discussion with reference to  FIGS. 3-5  focused primarily on utilization of 3D gestures and speech recognition to command a terminal  310 ,  410 ,  510  according to the present invention to perform certain actions, whether configured as a KDS  310 ,  410  or an order entry terminal  510 . Another object of the present invention is to enable automatic contextual configuration of a terminal  310 ,  410 ,  510  by utilizing facial recognition techniques, described in further detail below, to identify registered users and to configure displays and control features of the terminal  310 ,  410 ,  510  in accordance with their intended usage of the terminal  310 ,  410 ,  510 . 
     Like the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510  of  FIGS. 3-5 , the terminal  610  in the diagram  600  may comprise a camera  618 , a motion sensor  620 , and a microphone  616  whose configuration and operation are substantially the same as those like-named elements in  FIGS. 3-4 . The terminal  610  also has a touchscreen display  614 . The terminal  610  may be employed either by wait staff when configured as a fixed or handheld terminal  610  for taking orders, or by patrons when configured as a fixed or handheld self-ordering kiosk  610 , or by order processing staff when configured as a KDS  610 . Dimensions of the terminals  610  may vary according to configuration. For example, when configured as a handheld wireless terminal  610 , the terminal  610  may comprise an approximately 8-inch Android tablet computer with integrated camera  618  and microphone  616 , to which the motion sensor  620  is coupled via a USB port. When configured as a kiosk or KDS, the terminal  610  may comprise a 15- or 22-inch tablet as described above, to which the motion sensor  620  is coupled via a USB port. Other dimensions of the terminal  610  are contemplated. 
     In any of the above configurations, facial recognition techniques may be employed to identify a user and to configure displays and controls that correspond to the user&#39;s primary functions. In operation, when the terminal  610  is put into service, upon initialization, the terminal  610  may employ the camera  618  to capture an image of the user and employ facial recognition techniques to adapt the displays and controls provided to comport with the user&#39;s function. In one embodiment, the image may be captured and identified upon power up of the terminal  610 . In another embodiment, touch screen options may be provided on all displays  314 ,  414 ,  514 ,  614  that, when executed, direct the terminal  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610  to capture an image of the user and employ facial recognition techniques to change the displays and controls previously provided to comport with the user&#39;s function. 
     In one embodiment, the displays and controls of the terminal  310 ,  410  may result from recognition of the order processor  302 ,  402  along with their function. Accordingly, upon initialization, the KDS  310 ,  410  captures and identifies an image of the order processor  302 , and configures the terminal  310 ,  410  as a KDS terminal  310 ,  410 . Based upon the role of the order processor  302 ,  402  (e.g., grill master, salad station, pasta station, etc.), the KDS  310 ,  410  may further tailor menu entries XXX, YYY, ZZZ on the electronic orders  308  to comport with the user&#39;s role. For example, if menu item XXX corresponds to a salad, and the user  302 ,  402  is identified as a grill master, then the menu item XXX is not displayed; only menu items corresponding to work required of the grill master are displayed. Likewise, 3D gestures and/or voice controls may be enabled or disabled in accordance with preferences that are preconfigured for employment of the terminal  310 ,  410  according to the role of the user  302 ,  402 . 
     In similar manner, facial identification of another user may result in the terminal  510  as discussed with reference to  FIG. 5  (including voice controls), when that user is recognized in their role as a waiter. 
     The diagram  600  shows a display/control configuration resulting from recognition of a captured image of an employee having management functions and privileges. Accordingly, upon initialization (or via direct command), the terminal  610  directs the camera  618  to capture and recognize the user&#39;s image, which is shown in display area  614 . 3 . Area  614 . 1  shows the user&#39;s credential&#39;s and area  614 . 2  shows an exemplary manager&#39;s display with hyperlinks to functions routinely performed by a manager such as reviewing revenue reports, inventory reports, accounts payable, personnel records, etc. Additionally, presuming that only managers are allowed to configure a terminal  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 , the area  614 . 2  also shows a hyperlink to a terminal configuration function which, when selected, results in the terminal configuration shown in  FIG. 7 . As with all of the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510  discussed above, the terminal  610  shown in the diagram may be configured to employ speech and/or 3D gestures as well to accelerate performance of managerial functions. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 7 , a diagram  700  is presented showing a terminal configuration screen on a context-adaptive terminal  710  according to the present invention. As noted above, such an exemplary display  714  results from a manager executing the TERMINAL CONFIGURATION hyperlink shown in  FIG. 6 . Like the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610  of  FIGS. 3-6 , the terminal  710  in the diagram  700  may comprise a camera  718 , a motion sensor  720 , and a microphone  716  whose configuration and operation are substantially the same as those like-named elements in  FIGS. 3-6 . The terminal  710  also has a touchscreen display  714 . Accordingly, the manager&#39;s image is shown in display area  714 . 3 , the manager&#39;s credentials are shown in display area  714 . 1 , and a terminal confirmation form is shown in display area  714 . 2 . Therein, the manager may provide information for configuration of any of the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  used in the establishment. Thereafter, the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  may receive the information as will be discussed below and reconfigure upon initialization or direct reconfiguration command. The exemplary display area  714 . 2  allows the manager to enter a terminal identification number (shown as F2742. Likewise, terminal F2742 may be configured to operate in a fixed or mobile mode, and default function of terminal F2742 may be configured as a host terminal (used in restaurants to route patrons to tables and to assign wait staff for service), a point-of-sale (POS) terminal (used for order entry and payment), a KDS (used by an order processor to prepare orders), or a kiosk (a terminal whereby patrons directly place orders). Terminal F2742 may further be configured to utilize any combination of 3D gestures, facial recognition, and voice commands. When 3D gestures (“MOTION”) are enabled, Terminal F2742 may furthermore be configured to adjust the size of text displayed to the user as a function of the user&#39;s distance from the terminal, as determined by the motion sensor. When voice commands are enabled, terminal F2742 may moreover be configured as a primary input for voice commands, as a background audio source that is employed for noise cancellation, or both as a primary input for voice commands and a background audio source. Clearly, as one skilled in the art will appreciate, configuration of any of the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  discussed herein may involve other settings as well, and the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  may have configuration that is initialized by default. 
     Though terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  may be configured to employ facial recognition identify authorized users and registered patrons, another adaptive configuration contemplates detection of unauthorized users and adaptation of functions of the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  to preclude damage and theft. A terminal  810  thus configured is shown in the diagram  800  in  FIG. 8 . Like the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  of  FIGS. 3-7 , the terminal  810  in the diagram  800  may comprise a camera  818 , a motion sensor  820 , and a microphone  816  whose configuration and operation are substantially the same as those like-named elements in  FIGS. 3-7 . The terminal  8710  also has a touchscreen display  814 . Recall that when a terminal  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710  is initialized or directly commanded, the camera  818  captures and image of a user. If the user is recognized, the terminal  810  is configured to function according to the user&#39;s role. However, if the user is not recognized, the configuration of the terminal  810  may automatically adapted to any of a number of other modes. For instance, if the user is not recognized during operating hours, the terminal  810  may just temporarily disable voice command or 3D gestures and may furthermore disable input to the terminal via touch. The diagram  800  show an exemplary configuration that may be employed when the establishment is closed for purposes of precluding tampering or theft. Accordingly, in this mode, the motion sensor  820  may be enabled and, when movement is detected, the terminal  810  may direct the camera  818  to capture one or more images of an unauthorized user, which is shown in display area  814 . 3 . Display area  814 . 1  may be employed to show a message (UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS) to get the attention of the unauthorized user, and display are 814.2 may be employed to flash a message to the unauthorized user to preclude tampering and/or theft. As will be discussed in more detail below, upon detection of the unauthorized user, other terminals within the establishment may be configured to perform related security functions such as, but not limited to, recording stills or video, tracing movement, flashing messages, recording audio, etc. Advantageously, the adaptive terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710 ,  810  according to the present invention provide for functions substantially beyond mere processing of order, resulting in safer, more secure work environments. 
     Although elements and operation of the terminals  310 ,  410 ,  510 ,  610 ,  710 ,  810  has been discussed above, a primary objective of the discussions with reference to  FIGS. 3-8  has been to teach how adaptive terminals according to the present invention may be used under a number of different configurations. Attention is now directed to  FIGS. 9-12  where design details of an adaptive restaurant management system according to the present invention are now presented. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a block diagram is presented depicting an adaptive restaurant management system  900  according to the present invention. The system  900  may include one or more service areas  902 , such as a front service area  902 , service area 1-service area N  902 , and service area kitchen  902 . As alluded to above, the present inventors reiterate that though the present invention is applicable to any type of retail establishment, a restaurant establishment is herein primarily employed in order to teach relevant aspects of the present invention. 
     The service areas  902  may comprise one or more wireless access points  901 . The service areas  902  may also comprise one or more wireless POS terminals  911 ,  921 ,  931 , coupled to the access points  901  via wireless links  903 , and which are distinguished in the system  900  as a host terminal  911 , mobile terminals  921 , and order processing terminals  931  (also referred to as KDSs  931 ). The service areas  902  may further comprise a gateway  913  to which is coupled one or more fixed hardwired terminals  912 , and which provides for coupling of the fixed terminals  912  and access points  901  to an internet cloud  960  via conventional wired links  905  such as, but not limited to, Ethernet, cable, fiber optic, and digital subscriber line (DSL) As part of the network path to and through the cloud  960 , providers of internet connectivity (e.g., ISPs) may employ wireless technologies from tower to tower, etc., but for purposes of this application, such links  905  will be referred to as conventional wired links  905  to distinguish them from local and cellular wireless links  901 . The wireless links  903  may comprise, but are not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near field communications, infrared links, IEEE 802.15.4, Zigbee radio links, and cellular based links (e.g., 3G, 4G, LTE) or a combination of the noted links. The POS terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931  may be adaptively configured to comport with intended function (i.e., host seating, order and payment entry, order fulfillment, etc.) as described above with reference to  FIGS. 3-8 , and their assistive features (e.g., facial recognition, voice commands, motion sensing, keyword recognition and menu assist) may be enabled/disabled via any one or more of the techniques discussed above with reference to  FIGS. 3-8 . In one embodiment, the mobile terminals  921  may comprise a touch screen display, camera, motion sensor, microphone, and integral payment processor (e.g., card/chip reader) that provides for both order entry, display of order status, and payment processing. As such, the host terminal  911 , fixed terminals  912 , and KDSs  931  may comprise larger touch screens to allow for easier viewing by restaurant staff along with camera, motion sensor, and microphone, or they may comprise displays with keyboard entry and separately connected camera, motion sensor, and microphone. In one embodiment, terminals  911 ,  912 ,  931  may comprise desktop computers, laptop computers, smartphones, or tablets that are executing application programs or web-enabled application programs that provide for communication with a background server  970  for purposes of order entry, status updates, configuration, facial recognition, speech-to-text processing and, optionally, payment processing. 
     The background server  970  is coupled to the internet cloud  260 , and to an administrative console  971  via a conventional wired link  905  and/or a wireless link  903 . The background server  970  is not on-premise and is thus also referred to herein as a cloud server  970 . The administrative console  971  may be disposed within the restaurant premises and coupled to the background server  970  via the links  903 ,  905 , or the console  971  may be disposed in another location, say, at an operations headquarters for multiple restaurants within a given region. In addition, the system  900  may comprise one or more browser-based terminals  981  that are coupled to the background server  970  via links  905 . In one embodiment, the browser-based terminals  981  may comprise desktop computers, laptop, computers, smartphones, or tablets that are running stand-alone applications or web-enabled applications that provide for communication with the background server  970  for purposes of order entry, status updates, and optionally, payment processing. 
     The system  900  may further comprise one or more third-party-based terminals  941  that are coupled to the background server  970  via the conventional links  905  though the cloud  960 . The third party-based terminals  941  may comprise desktop computers, laptop, computers, smartphones, or tablets that are running stand-alone third-party applications or web-enabled third-party applications that provide for communication with the background server  970  for purposes of order entry, status updates, and optionally, payment processing via a proprietary application programming interface (API)  942 . An example of such a terminal  941  may include the well-known GrubHub third-party application that is configured to communicate with the background server  970  via the API  941 . 
     The system  900  may further comprise one or more delivery terminals  951  that are coupled to one or more cellular access points  901  via conventional cellular wireless links  903 , and the cellular access points  901  are coupled to the background server  970  via the cloud  960 . In one embodiment, the delivery terminals  951  are substantially similar to the mobile terminals  921  in form and function, and that are configured to provide services for order entry, status updates, order fulfillment (i.e., delivery), and payment processing. In another embodiment, the delivery terminals  951  are disposed as smartphone or tablets with integrated camera and microphone, and with detachable motion sensor and payment processor (e.g., card/chip reader). In a further embodiment, the delivery terminals  951  are disposed as smartphone or tablets with camera, microphone, motion sensor, and payment processor integrated within a single housing. Other embodiments are contemplated. 
     Service areas  902  corresponding to the mobile terminals  921  may have one or more tables  904  corresponding to one or more orders. For clarity, service area 1  902  depicts two tables  904 , one of which corresponds to order 1 OD1, and the other of which corresponds to order 2 OD2. The mobile terminals  921  within service area 1  902  may processes portions of both orders 1 OD1 and order 2 OD2. 
     Service area N  902  depicts two tables  904 , both of which correspond to order A ODA. The mobile terminals  921  within service area N  902  may both process portions order A ODA. 
     Though disposed within separate service areas (service area 1  902 -service area N  902 ), the mobile terminals  921  therein may be further configured to process portions of any and all orders within the restaurant and may roam from service area  902  to service area  902  to support work load of the restaurant. 
     The order processing terminals  931  may process all orders in the restaurant, or they may be configured to each process a portion of all of the orders in the restaurant according to their role (e.g., salad preparation station, fry cook station, inventory station, etc.). 
     The host terminal  911  and fixed terminals  912  may be configured to process all orders in the restaurant to provide for on-premise seating assignment, order initiation, order selection, and payment processing, including closeout of orders. 
     One or more restaurant staff members (not shown) within service area 1  902 -service area N  902  may have a personal device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop)  906  that can provide an ad hoc network (i.e., hotspot) to which one or more of the mobile terminals  921  may tether for purposes of communicating with the backend server  970  in the absence of Wi-Fi connectivity to the access points  901 . 
     In one embodiment, operations are initiated when the one or more patrons enter the restaurant. Generally, a host (not shown) will create an order (along with corresponding order identifier (OID) via the host terminal  911  for the one or more patrons and will seat the patrons at one or more tables  904 . The created order may include service area designation and assignment of the order to one or more mobile terminals  921 . In another embodiment, mobile terminals  921  within a service area  902  are assigned to all orders within that service area  902 . Other embodiments are contemplated. The created order and service area assignment are transmitted over the cloud  960  to the backend server  970 , which maintains durable terminal queues within which are stored order updates for all orders in the restaurant. Each of the durable queues correspond to each of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  within the system  900 . When connection status to a given terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  is down (i.e., the server  970  cannot verify communication with the given terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951 ), then the server  970  maintains the order updates for that terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  until connectivity is reestablished, at which time the server  970  may transmit one or more of the order updates to the terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951 , verifying with each transmission that the terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  received the update. Advantageously, each of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  is capable of processing portions of any of the orders in the restaurant. 
     Likewise, each of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  maintains durable order queues within which are stored order updates only for each of the orders being processed by the terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951 . Each of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  also maintains a plurality of order states that depict a current state for each of the orders in the restaurant. As a seated patron selects one or more menu items, wait staff enters the menu items as an update in one of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951 , generally a mobile terminal  921  assigned to the given service area  902 . The order update is entered into one of the durable order queues that corresponds to the order ID. If connectivity if present, then the terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  transmits the order update to the server  970  and waits for the server  970  to acknowledge the order update. If acknowledged, the terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  removes the order update from the one of the durable order queues. If unacknowledged (i.e., in the case of non-persistent network connectivity), the terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  maintains the order update in the one of the durable order queues until such time as connectivity is reestablished, and the terminal  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  completes transmission of the order update with acknowledgement by the server  970 . 
     Upon reception of a particular update from the server  970 , the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  may check one of their plurality of order states that correspond to the particular update for conflicts, as will be described in further detail below. If a conflict exists, the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  may utilize domain specific rules to resolve the conflict in order to establish a valid order state. Each of the  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  is configured with the same domain specific rules to provide for consistent resolution of order states. 
     As patrons continue to order items corresponding to the order ID, the one or more of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  may enter the order updates and transmit/durably queue the order updates to the server  970  in accordance with connectivity conditions. The server  970  may also queue/transmit order updates for all orders in the restaurant to each of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  according each terminal&#39;s connectivity. Order fulfillment, payment, and closeout are likewise handled as order updates through the server  970  and are queued/transmitted to all of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  in accordance with the connection status of each terminal. Delivery terminals  951  may not be on premise at the time an order is placed; however, the system  900  according to the present invention may treat the delivery terminals  951  as if they are virtually on premise, assigning them to a virtual on-premise service area  902 . 
     Patrons outside of the restaurant are also handled in similar fashion via the browser-based terminals  981 , and third-party terminals  941 , though without feedback from the server  970  regarding all orders in the restaurant. When accessed through the browser-based terminals  981  and third-party terminals  941 , the server  970  creates and order ID and assigns it to one of the order processing terminals  931  for fulfillment, while sending status updates on the order ID to all of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  via the durable terminal queues therein. The server  970  may designate a specific delivery terminal  951  for pickup, delivery, and payment based upon proximity to the restaurant, or based upon workload corresponding to the delivery terminal  951 . 
     The administrative console  971  may maintain a master record of all order states and order updates according to all of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  in order to provide for restaurant management, maintenance, analytics, and network traffic analyses. The console  971  may alternatively be disposed in an expediter&#39;s area of the restaurant for use by expediters in assignment and allocation of patron seating and terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951 . 
     The durable terminal queues and durable order queues may be disposed as non-transitory battery backed random-access memory, electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory, solid state memory, hard disk memory, or a combination of the above that will provide for maintaining order updates within the queues across network and power interruptions. 
     Advantageously, the present invention provides for more efficient performance of computational resources within the server  970  and the terminals  211 ,  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  over that which has heretofore been provided because multiple terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  may be assigned to process portions of a single order, resulting in more timely processing of the single order. Similarly, any of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  in the restaurant may be immediately reassigned to a particular order to replace a malfunctioning terminal or to increase throughput of the server  970 . Likewise, each of the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  may be configured as disclosed above with reference to  FIGS. 3-8  to adapt to operational context of a recognized (or unrecognized) user, and they may furthermore be enabled to accelerate order entry and processing through the employment of facial recognition, 3D gestures, or voice commands, or a combination of facial recognition, 3D gestures, and voice commands. The terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951 , may further be configured to accelerate order entry and processing by performing voice recognition of selected menu keywords, which provide for high probability suggestions for menu items, as is discussed above with reference to  FIG. 5 . Accordingly, computational resources  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951 ,  970  within the system  900  are afforded an overall performance improvement as a result of acceleration of the order entry and processing process, elimination of tedious drill-down sub-menu hyperlinks, recognition of users and patrons along with automatic adaptation of functions according to role. Reliability and maintainability of terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  for use in areas having conditions that are detrimental is increased via enablement of non-touch 3D gestures. 
     Now turning to  FIG. 10 , a block diagram is presented featuring a backend server  1000  according to the present invention, substantially similar to the server  970  of  FIG. 9 . The server  1000  may comprise communications circuitry COMMS  1002  (e.g., transceivers, modems, message formatter, etc.) that is coupled to one or more wired or wireless communications links  1001 , examples of which are described above with reference to  FIG. 9 . The server  1000  may also comprise a terminal status element  1005 , a terminal update element  1006 , a facial processor  1008 , a payment processor  1004 , and a speech processor  1024 , all of which are coupled to COMMS  1002  via a message bus MSG. The terminal status element  1005  is coupled to the terminal update element  1006  via a status bus STS. The terminal update element  1006  may comprise a service area map SA MAP  1007  and a terminal configuration table  1009 . The terminal update element  1006  is coupled to the facial processor  1008 , the payment processor  1004 , the speech processor  1024 , a motion processor  1030 , and an order initiation element  1003  via a terminal bus TBUS. The terminal update element  1006  is also coupled to a queue processor  1010  via a queue bus QBUS. 
     The queue processor  1010  may include a durable terminal queue  1011  that includes terminal update records  1012 , each of which are associated with a corresponding terminal, such as the terminals  911 ,  912 ,  921 ,  931 ,  951  discussed with reference to  FIG. 9 , that is employed within a given restaurant. In the embodiment of  FIG. 10 , N terminal update records  1012  are shown, each associated with a corresponding one of N terminals for the given restaurant. In a large restaurant or big box environment, N may be roughly equal to 100 terminals, though larger and smaller numbers are contemplated. 
     Each of the terminal update records  1012  may comprise update fields  1013 , which are employed to queue order updates for transmission to each of the corresponding terminals as connectivity to the corresponding terminals permits. Update fields  1013  nearest to OUT are the oldest order updates queued for transmission to the corresponding terminals. Update fields  1013  nearest to IN are youngest (or most recent) order updates queued for transmission to the corresponding terminals. Fields  1013  between the oldest order updates and the youngest order updates descend in age from oldest to youngest update according to when those updates are received from others of the corresponding terminals. 
     Values of the order update fields  1013  may include, but are not limited to, an order ID along with order details taken by the others of the corresponding terminals. Accordingly, the terminal update record  1012  for terminal 1 TERM1 depicts a plurality of order update fields  1013  to be transmitted to TERM1 when connectivity is reestablished with TERM1. In decreasing age from oldest to youngest order update, the fields  1013  depict updates to order 64 U64, then order 6 U6, then order 22 U22, and so on, culminating with an update to order 17 U17. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the terminal update record  1012  for TERM1 is indicative that TERM1 has been offline (i.e., no connectivity) longer than any of the other terminals in the restaurant. This length of time may correspond to a mobile terminal that is serving a party on a restaurant porch that has poor Wi-Fi connectivity, or may correspond to a delivery terminal that is traversing an area with poor cellular coverage. The terminal update records  1012  corresponding to TERM2, TERM 3, and TERMN depict a number of populated order update fields  1013  less than the number of fields for TERM1, which may correspond to terminals within the restaurant that have only slightly intermittent connectivity. And the terminal update record for TERM4 contains only empty order update fields  1013 , thus indicated that this terminal is up to date on all order state changes within the restaurant. 
     Operationally, the terminal status element  1005  may periodically transmit a first message to each of the terminals and update the connectivity status of the terminals based upon whether they acknowledge the first message or not. In one embodiment, the first message may comprise a ping message. In one embodiment, acknowledgment may comprise a simple acknowledge message. In other embodiments, acknowledgement may comprise additional data such as received signal strength indication RSSI, number of hops, or Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates. The acknowledge message may further comprise configuration identification data such as mode (e.g., mobile order entry, KDS, kiosk, management terminal) and order accelerator features (e.g., 3D gestures, voice commands, facial recognition, menu assist, etc.). 
     The terminal status element  1005  may provide connectivity status of each of the terminals to the terminal update element  1006  via bus STS. The service area map  1007  is a table that associates each of the terminals to one or more service areas within the restaurant. In one embodiment, the terminal update element  1006  may generate order update messages from oldest to youngest update for each of the terminals that are connected. Connectivity is maintained when a terminal acknowledges receipt of an order update message. Once acknowledged, the terminal update element  1006  directs the queue processor  1010  to delete the oldest order update for that terminal and shift pending order updates so that the next oldest order update becomes the oldest order update. In one embodiment, order updates are transmitted to a given terminal until its terminal update record  1012  is empty, or until connectivity is broken. 
     In one embodiment, all of the terminals associated with the restaurant are updated by the terminal update element  1006 . In an alternative embodiment, terminals are selectively updated in accordance with their mapping to the one or more service areas, as indicated by contents of the service area map  1007 . For example, delivery terminals may only require knowledge of orders that are to be delivered outside the restaurant, and thus they may be mapped to a “delivery” service area so that order updates that correspond to the delivery service area are transmitted to the delivery terminals. Similarly, the restaurant or retail establishment may be so large that management dedicates certain terminals to designate service areas. Accordingly, all of the terminals in a given service area may be employed to update any order placed within the given service area, but they may not be employed to update orders placed outside of the given service area. 
     The terminal update element  1006  may also include a terminal configuration table  1009 , which contains records for each of the terminals in the system  1000 . The records indicate a default configuration for each of the terminals along with their current configuration and features, the terminal configuration table  1009  may be accessed as required other elements of the system over TBUS. For terminals that employ 3D gestures, the terminal configuration table  1009  also provides a mapping of 3D gestures to terminal commands. For example, the table  1009  may indicate that a swipe left results in a terminal command to complete a current order and display a next order. 
     Messages received from the communications circuit  1002  may also require additional functions to be performed by the backend server  1000 . For example, when orders are placed by a browser-based or third-party based terminal, the terminal update element  1006  may transmit the order update to the order initiation element  1003  via TBUS. The order initiation element  1003  may then create an order ID for the order update and may assign the order ID to one or more of the terminals within the restaurant. Similarly, when an order update message received over the COMMS  1002  requires processing of transactions outside of the terminals&#39; capabilities (e.g., financial transactions with credit card providers, loyalty card discounts, etc.), the payment processor  1004  may generate messages to complete the transactions and the messages are transmitted via COMMS  1002 . The payment processor  1004  may further generate order updates (e.g., “order paid,” “payment source  1  approved,” “discount amount,” etc.) to be transmitted to the terminals and may provide these updates to the terminal update element  1006  via TBUS. The terminal update element  1006  may then provide those updates to the durable queue  1011  via QBUS, and the updates are transmitted to the POS terminals in due course dependent upon connection status, as is described above. 
     Messages received from the communications circuit  1002  may comprise captured images or electronic representations thereof, which are routed to the facial processor  1008 . The facial processor  1008  may comprise a facial ID table  1022  that comprises a mapping of captured images to authorized users and registered patrons as discussed above. The facial ID table  1022  may also include a default terminal configuration, including adaptive features (e.g., 3D, voice commands, menu assist) for each of the authorized users. Accordingly, the facial processor  1008  may generate messages designated for one or more terminals that correspond to a given captured image, indicating recognition or non-recognition of a user/patron corresponding to the captured image. The facial processor  1008  may further generate messages to designated terminals that correspond to a recognized user that directs the designated terminals to change their configuration to comport with user requirements (e.g., change to KDS configuration, enable voice commands, etc.). Portions of the facial processor  1008  may alternatively utilize internet-based 3rd party facial recognition services, which are accessed and employed via messages generated by the facial processor  1008  and provided to COMMS  1002  via MSG. Accordingly, when a captured image is received, the facial processor  1008  may generate messages over MSG that are transmitted to the 3rd party facial recognition services that include the captured image and requesting identification. The facial processor  1008  may further receive messages from the 3rd party facial recognition services that designate an ID that corresponds to the captured image. The ID is then employed as an index into the facial ID table  1022  to retrieve the user&#39;s default terminal configuration. The facial processor  1008  may additionally generate messages to one or more designated terminals that include the default configuration. 
     Messages received from the communications circuit  1002  may additionally comprise audio that has been captured by one or more terminals, which are routed to the speech processor  1024 . The speech processor  1024  then provides the audio to a speech-to-text element  1027  and optionally to a noise cancellation element  1028 . If the audio corresponding to the one or more terminals is to be employed for noise cancellation purposes, the noise cancellation element  1028  may subtract the audio from audio received from surrounding terminals prior to processing by the speech-to-text element  1027 . The speech-to-text element  1027  converts audio signals/files to text signals/files and provides the text signals/files to a keyword table  1026 . The keyword table  1026  is a dictionary whose contents are limited to voice commands and menu items that are employed within the restaurant system. Keywords that correspond to converted audio are then incorporated into messages generated by the speech processor  1024 , which are then transmitted to a designated terminal via MSG. 
     The speech processor may alternatively employ an internet-based 3rd party speech-to-text service, which is accessed via messages generated/received over MSG. In this embodiment, audio signals/files that have been converted to text signals/files are received over MSG and used to index the keyword table  1026 , and keywords that correspond to converted audio are then incorporated into messages generated by the speech processor  1024 , which are then transmitted to a designated terminal via MSG. 
     Messages received and transmitted over MSG may further comprise captured motion from designated terminals. The messages are provided to a motion processor  1030  that includes a global gesture table  1032  that provides a mapping of captured motion to a global set of 3D gestures, such as, but not limited to, swipe left, swipe right, swipe up, swipe down, tap, tap and hold for cursor, double tap, reverse tap, etc. Captured motion that corresponds to 3D gestures is then transmitted to the designated terminals via messages over MSG. In one embodiment, all motion received over motion sensors in the restaurant system is processed by the motion processor  1032 . In an alternative embodiment, one or more of the terminals themselves process motion detected by their corresponding motion sensors. 
     The backend server  1000  according to the present invention is configured to perform the functions and operations as discussed above. The server  1000  may comprise digital and/or analog logic, circuits, devices, or microcode (i.e., micro instructions or native instructions), or a combination of logic, circuits, devices, or microcode, or equivalent elements that are employed to execute the functions and operations according to the present invention as noted. The elements employed to accomplish these operations and functions within the server  1000  may be shared with other circuits, microcode, etc., that are employed to perform other functions and/or operations within the server  1000 . According to the scope of the present application, microcode is a term employed to refer to a plurality of micro instructions. A micro instruction (also referred to as a native instruction) is an instruction at the level that a unit executes. For example, micro instructions are directly executed by a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor. For a complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor such as an x86-compatible microprocessor, x86 instructions are translated into associated micro instructions, and the associated micro instructions are directly executed by a unit or units within the CISC microprocessor. 
     The backend server  1000  may be embodied as one or more central processing units (CPUs) that are coupled to both transitory and non-transitory storage (i.e., memory), where one or more application programs that are configured to perform the server functions discussed above are stored in the non-transitory storage, transferred to the transitory storage at run time, and executed by the one or more CPUs. 
       FIG. 11  is a block diagram showing an adaptive terminal  1100  according to the present invention, as discussed above with reference to  FIGS. 3-10 . The terminal  1100  may comprise a communications circuit COMMS  1102  (e.g., transceivers, modems, message formatter, etc.) that is coupled to one or more wired or wireless communications links  1101 , examples of which are described above with reference to  FIG. 9-10 . The terminal  1100  may also comprise a connection monitor  1104 , an order processor  1110 , a and a payment processor  1106 , all of which are coupled to COMMS  302  via a message bus MSG. The terminal  1100  may also comprise a link select element  1105  that is coupled to the connection monitor via bus CS and to the COMMS  1102  via bus LNK. The order processor  1110  is coupled to the connection monitor  1104  via bus CBUS and to the payment processor  1106 , an order initiation element  1107 , a local gesture table  1131 , a GPS receiver  1108 , and a local keyword table  1132  via bus SBUS. The order processor  1110  is coupled to a touchscreen display  1103  via bus DATA, to a microphone  1113  via bus AUDIO, to a camera  1114  via bus VIDEO, to a motion sensor  1115  via bus SENSE, and to a terminal ID element  1109  via bus TID. The order processor  1110  is also coupled to a state processor  1120  via a queue bus QBUS. 
     The state processor  1120  may include a durable order update queue  1121  that includes order update records  1122 , each of which are associated with a corresponding order for the terminal  400 . Individual terminals  400  are identified by their corresponding terminal ID, which may be stored within and accessed from the terminal ID element  1109 . The terminal ID element  1109  also is employed for storage and retrieval of terminal configuration information (e.g., KDS, kiosk, mobile terminal, etc.) along with enablement/disablement of order processing acceleration features (i.e., voice commands, 3D gestures, menu assist, facial recognition). 
     Each of the order update records  1122  may comprise order state fields  1123 , which are employed to queue order state changes (i.e., order updates) for transmission to a synchronization server (not shown) as connectivity to the backend server permits. State fields  1123  nearest to OUT are the oldest order state changes queued for transmission to the backend server. State fields  1123  nearest to IN are youngest (or most recent) order state changes queued for transmission to the backend server. Fields  1123  between the oldest state fields  1123  and the youngest state fields  1123  descend in age from oldest to youngest order state change according to when those state changes are entered by the terminal  1100 . 
     Values of the order state fields  1123  may include, but are not limited to, an order ID along with order details taken by the terminal  1100 . Accordingly, the order update record  1122  for order 27 O27 depicts a plurality of order state fields  1123  to be transmitted to the server when connectivity is reestablished. In decreasing age from oldest to youngest order state change, the fields  123  depict order state changes  51  through SN. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, the order update record  422  O27 depicts that many more state changes have been entered while connection status of the terminal  1100  is down than have been entered for orders 62 O62 through order 3 O3. Advantageously, the terminal  1100  according to the present invention may be employed for entry of order updates even in the presence of network interruptions, which is characteristic of most Wi-Fi networks. 
     In operation, order state changes result from two sources: the touchscreen display  1103  and messages received over COMMS  1102  from the backend server. In the first case, wait staff may enter menu items as requested by patrons, or in the case that the terminal  1100  is configured as a kiosk  1100 , the patrons may enter the order items themselves. The present invention contemplates provisions within the terminal  1100  to display menu selections and payment options to both wait staff and patrons. Order items received from the touchscreen display  1103  are provided to the order processor  1110  via bus DATA, which generates the state changes. State changes received from the backend server are provided to the order processor  1110  in messages over bus MSG. 
     The connection monitor  1104  may monitor reception of a first message (e.g., a ping message) from the backend server and direct transmission of an acknowledgement message. The connection monitor  1104  may update the connectivity status of the terminal  1100  accordingly. In one embodiment, acknowledgment may comprise a simple acknowledge message. In other embodiments, acknowledgement may comprise additional data such as received signal strength indication RSSI associated with one or more access points, number of hops between the backend server and the terminal  400 , or Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, as will be described in further detail below. 
     The link select element  1105  may be employed to direct the COMMS  1102  to change links  1101  over which to communicate with the backend server, such as switching from Wi-Fi to LTE, for example. In one embodiment, in the absence of connectivity within the restaurant, the link select element  1105  may direct the COMMS  1102  to tether to a cellular equipped device corresponding to an order ID, such as devices  906  in  FIG. 9 , in order to transmit acknowledgements and order state changes to the backend server. 
     The connection monitor  1104  may provide connectivity status of the terminal  1100  to the order processor  1110  via bus CBUS. In one embodiment, the order processor  1110  may generate order state change messages from oldest to youngest update for each of the orders in the queue  1121 . Connectivity is maintained when the terminal  1100  receives acknowledgement of a previously transmitted order state change message from the backend server. Once acknowledged, the order processor  1110  directs the state processor  1120  to delete the oldest state change update for a corresponding order ID and shift pending updates so that the next oldest state change update becomes the oldest order update. In one embodiment, state change updates are transmitted to the backend server until its order state change record  1122  is empty, or until connectivity goes down. 
     As discussed above, the terminal  1100  may be configured as a fixed or mobile POS terminal, a kiosk, a host terminal, a management terminal, or a KDS, where configurations differ principally in size of the touchscreen display  1103 . As also discussed above, the camera  1114 , microphone  1113 , and motion sensor  1115  may be integrated in to the terminal  1100  or they may be coupled to the terminal  1100  via conventional bus technologies such as a USB port, PCI port, etc. The configuration parameters including order processing acceleration features for the terminal  1100  are stored in the terminal ID  1109  element, and the configuration parameters/features are accessed by a configuration manager  1111  within the order processor  1110  upon initialization/reconfiguration of the terminal  1100 . Thus, the configuration manager  1111  may generate images for display on the touchscreen display  1103  and capture text and touches thereon, in accordance with functions prescribed according to configuration parameters/features accessed from the terminal ID element  1109 . In accordance with configuration parameters/features accessed from the terminal ID element  1109 , the configuration manager  1111  may also capture audio from the microphone  1113 , video from the camera  1114 , and motion from the motion sensor  1115 , and may generate/receive messages over MSG to/from the backend server for that are required to recognize captured images, keywords, and 3D gestures. Once received, the configuration manager  1111  may access the local gesture table  1131 , which provides a mapping of recognized 3D gesture to commands to be executed by the terminal  1100  and may execute the commands via data send to the touchscreen display  1103  over DATA. The configuration manager  1111  may additionally access the local keyword table  1132 , which provides a mapping of text (converted from audio by the backend server) to commands to be executed by the terminal  1100  and may execute the commands via manipulation of the touchscreen display  1103 , the microphone  1113 , the camera  1115 , and/or the motion sensor  1115 . The local keyword table  1132  may also provide a mapping of keywords to menu suggestions, such as are discussed above with reference to  FIG. 5 , and may send corresponding text/images over DATA for display on the touchscreen display  1103 . 
     Messages received from the communications circuit  1102  may also require additional functions to be performed by the terminal  1100 . For example, when orders are placed by a browser-based or third-party based terminal, the backend server may transmit the order state change to the terminal  1100  and the order processor  1110  may direct the state processor  1120  to create a corresponding order status record  1122  in the queue  1121 . Similarly, when processing of transactions outside of the terminal&#39;s capabilities (e.g., financial transactions with credit card providers, loyalty card discounts, etc.) are required, order processor  1110  may direct the payment processor  1106  to generate messages to the backend server to provide data (e.g., amounts, payment source type, card swipe/chip information, etc.) to complete the transactions. Such messages are transmitted via COMMS  302 . The payment processor  1104  may further receive state changes (e.g., “order paid,” “payment source  1  approved,” “discount amount,” etc.) to from the backend server and may provide these state changes to the order processor  1110  via TBUS. The order processor  1110  may then provide those updates to the queue  1121  via OBUS. The terminal  1100  may further be employed to create an order. Accordingly, from order entry data received over DATA, the order processor  1110  may direct the order initiation element  1107  to create an order ID and may also direct the state processor  1120  to create a corresponding order state record  1122  in the queue  1121 . 
     The terminal  1100  terminal according to the present invention is employed to maintain a current state of all orders being fulfilled by the restaurant. The current state of each of the orders is stored in order current state fields  1112  within the order processor  1110 . The order processor  1110  may also comprise domain specific rules, which define actions required to synchronize conflicting order state changes being received and/or processed by the terminal  1100 , where the domain specific rules are unique to the restaurant. For example, suppose that one terminal  1100  transmits a state change for a specific order to the backend server, which is acknowledged by the backend server. Concurrently, a second terminal  1100  sends a state change for the same order. The backend server may respond to the second terminal with a message indicating that the order current state field  1112  for the order ID within the second POS terminal  1100  state is out of date (due to connection status) and providing the most recent current state of the order. The domain specific rules are employed by the order processor  1110  within the second terminal  1100  to merge the state changes local to the second terminal  1100  and may store the merged state in the corresponding current state field  1112 . The order processor  1110  may then direct the COMMS  1102  to transmit the corresponding (reconciled) state field  1112  contents to the backend server for distribution to all of the terminals  400  in the restaurant. 
     Advantageously, the present invention provides for improvements in performance of computational resources within the terminals  1100  over that which has heretofore been provided because the terminal  1100  may be employed to process orders in the absence of network connectivity. In addition, unnecessary communications with the backend server are precluded due to on-board conflict resolution logic. Moreover, computing performance is increased because the terminal  1100  may be employed to process any of the other orders within the restaurant because the current states of all restaurant orders are resident therein. Overall improvements in the art are achieved through the synergistic and tailorable employment of facial recognition, voice commands, 3D gestures, and suggested menu selections based upon detected menu keywords. 
     The terminal  1100  according to the present invention is configured to perform the functions and operations as discussed above. The terminal  1100  may comprise digital and/or analog logic, circuits, devices, or microcode (i.e., micro instructions or native instructions), or a combination of logic, circuits, devices, or microcode, or equivalent elements that are employed to execute the functions and operations according to the present invention as noted. The elements employed to accomplish these operations and functions within the terminal  400  may be shared with other circuits, microcode, etc., that are employed to perform other functions and/or operations within the terminal  400 . According to the scope of the present application, microcode is a term employed to refer to a plurality of micro instructions. A micro instruction (also referred to as a native instruction) is an instruction at the level that a unit executes. For example, micro instructions are directly executed by a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor. For a complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor such as an x86-compatible microprocessor, x86 instructions are translated into associated micro instructions, and the associated micro instructions are directly executed by a unit or units within the CISC microprocessor. 
     The terminal  1100  may be embodied as one or more central processing units (CPUs) that are coupled to both transitory and non-transitory storage (i.e., memory), where one or more application programs that are configured to perform the terminal functions discussed above are stored in the non-transitory storage, transferred to the transitory storage at run time, and executed by the one or more CPUs. 
     Finally turning to  FIG. 12 , is a diagram  1200  is presented detailing exemplary update/status messages according to the present invention that flow between a backend server and a terminal. 
     An order assignment message  1210  transmitted by the backend server to one or more terminals may comprise fields  1201  having a specific terminal ID TERMID assigned for a particular order ID ORDERID along with a table number TABLENUM having a given number of seats NUMSEATS. The message  1210  may further comprise a SPECIAL field  501  via which special requirements (e.g., high chair, wheel chair access) are communicated to the terminal. 
     An order state change message  1220  transmitted from a terminal to the backend server may comprise TERMID and ORDERID fields  1201  as described above, along with one or more groups of ITEM, MOD, and SEAT #fields  1201 , where contents of the ITEM field  1201  indicated a menu item ordered for a given seat number at the table along with any modifications to the item number (e.g., rare, no onions, etc.). 
     A payment state change message  1130  transmitted from a terminal to the server may comprise TERMID and ORDERID fields along with one or more groups of PMTREQ, AMT, and TIP fields  1201 , where contents of the PMTREQ field  1201  indicate a payment type (e.g., cash, MasterCard, etc.), and contents of AMT and TIP indicate amount of payment for the particular payment type along with a tip amount. 
     An order closeout message  1240  may comprise TERMID and ORDER ID fields  1201  as noted above, along with a CLOSED field  1201 , the contents of which indicate whether the particular order ID is open or closed. 
     A terminal configuration message  1250  exchanged between a terminal and the backend server may comprise a TERMID field  1201  as noted above along with a CONFIG field  501  and a plurality of order processing acceleration features fields ACC1-ACCN  1201 , where the contents of CONFIG specify configuration parameters for the terminal (e.g., KDS, POS terminal, management terminal, delivery terminal, kiosk, etc.). The order processing acceleration features fields ACC1-ACCN  1201  prescribe specific order acceleration features to be employed by the terminal such as, but not limited to, 3D gestures, voice recognition, facial recognition, and accelerated menu suggestions based upon recognized keywords. 
     A conversion message  1260  may comprise AUDIO, TEXT, MOTION, GESTURE, IMAGE, and ID fields  1201 , where contents of AUDIO indicate captured audio that is transmitted to the backend server and contents of TEXT indicate text that has speech-to-text conversion has generated corresponding to the contents of AUDIO, and which is received by the terminal. Contents of MOTION indicate motions that are captured by the motion sensor that are transmitted to the backend server and contents of GESTURE indicate a 3D gesture received from the server that corresponds to the contents of MOTION. Likewise, contents of IMAGE indicate an image captured by the camera and which are transmitted to the server. The server in turn provides contents of ID, which provides an identity index that corresponds to the contents of IMAGE. 
     The messages  1210 ,  1220 ,  1230 ,  1240 ,  1250 ,  1260  are not exhaustive of those what may be employed according to the present disclosure but are provided herein to teach further aspects and advantages according to the present invention. 
     Portions of the present invention and corresponding detailed description are presented in terms of software, or algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These descriptions and representations are the ones by which those of ordinary skill in the art effectively convey the substance of their work to others of ordinary skill in the art. An algorithm, as the term is used here, and as it is used generally, is conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of optical, electrical, or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. 
     It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise, or as is apparent from the discussion, terms such as “processing” or “computing” or “calculating” or “determining” or “displaying” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, a microprocessor, a central processing unit, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical, electronic quantities within the computer system&#39;s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. 
     Note also that the software implemented aspects of the invention are typically encoded on some form of program storage medium or implemented over some type of transmission medium. The program storage medium may be electronic (e.g., read only memory, flash read only memory, electrically programmable read only memory), random access memory magnetic (e.g., a floppy disk or a hard drive) or optical (e.g., a compact disk read only memory, or “CD ROM”), and may be read only or random access. Similarly, the transmission medium may be metal traces, twisted wire pairs, coaxial cable, optical fiber, or some other suitable transmission medium known to the art. The invention is not limited by these aspects of any given implementation. 
     The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiments as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention, and that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth by the appended claims. For example, components/elements of the systems and/or apparatuses may be integrated or separated. In addition, the operation of the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein may be performed by more, fewer, or other components and the methods described may include more, fewer, or other steps. Additionally, unless otherwise specified steps may be performed in any suitable order. 
     Although specific advantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may include some, none, or all of the enumerated advantages.