Patent ID: 8055359

Claim:
Apparatus comprising: a transaction facility adapted to accomplish transactions, including: a drive-through lane, a telephone system, at least one vehicle sensor operative to sense a vehicle at the drive-through lane, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to generate at least one sensor signal responsive to sensing a vehicle at the drive-through lane, at least one telephone switching interface device operative to generate at least one dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal, wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device includes a Private Branch eXchange (PBX) interface device, wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is in operative connection with the at least one vehicle sensor, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one vehicle sensor to send generated sensor signals to the at least one telephone switching interface device, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device to receive sensor signals sent from the at least one vehicle sensor, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device, responsive to receiving at least one sensor signal sent from the at least one vehicle sensor, to generate at least one DTMF signal, wherein the at least one telephone switching interface device is in operative connection with the telephone system, wherein the operative connection causes the at least one telephone switching interface device to send generated DTMF signals to the telephone system, wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive DTMF signals sent from the telephone switching interface device, wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive at least one DTMF signal corresponding to arrival of a vehicle at the drive-through lane, responsive to the at least one vehicle sensor sensing arrival of the vehicle at the drive-through lane, wherein the operative connection causes the telephone system to receive at least one DTMF signal corresponding to departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane, responsive to the at least one vehicle sensor sensing departure of the vehicle away from the drive-through lane.