System and method for ordering and delivering food/drinks

Abstract

A system and method for ordering and delivering food/drinks is described. Embodiments of the system and method can include an application running on a restaurant device and one or more user devices. Customers of the restaurant can order food via the application and the smart device can illuminate in a color assigned to the order via the application. The application can be implemented on the restaurant device to assign colors to orders and let workers of the restaurant know which color each order is associated with. Workers may then look for a smart device illuminated in a particular color to know where to deliver an order.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of receiving and delivering an order, the method comprising:
 providing a menu of items available to order; 
 receiving a first order for one or more items on the menu via a first user device; 
 determining if whether a color assignment is available for the first order; 
 assigning a first color to the first order when a color assignment is available; 
 sending a first signal including the first color to the first user device; 
 illuminating a screen of the first user device in the first color in response to receiving the first signal; 
 locating the first user device via the illuminated screen of the first user device; and 
 delivering the first order to a user of the first user device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving a second order for one or more items on the menu via a second user device; 
 determining if whether a color assignment is available for the second order; 
 queuing the second order when a color assignment is not available; and 
 continuously checking to see if a color assignment is available for the second order. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein when a color assignment becomes available for the second order, comprising the steps of:
 assigning a second color to the second order; 
 sending a second signal including the second color to the second user device; 
 illuminating a screen of the second user device in the second color in response to receiving the second signal; 
 locating the second user device via the illuminated screen of the second user device; and 
 delivering the second order to a user of the second user device. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein there are at least three different colors available to assign. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the signal sent to the first user device includes an order total. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , the method further including the step of:
 initiating a payment process to pay for the items ordered. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the payment process is automatically completed when the first user device is a predetermined distance from a predetermined location. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the predetermined location is a restaurant providing the items for order on the menu. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the payment process is completed by an interaction between the user and the first user device. 
     
     
       10. A method of receiving and delivering an order in a restaurant, the method comprising:
 by a user device, displaying a menu of items available to order; 
 by the user device, placing a first order of one or more items from the menu, the first order being sent to a restaurant device; 
 by the restaurant device, receiving the first order of one or more items from the user device; 
 by the restaurant device, determining if whether a color assignment is available for the first order; 
 by the restaurant device, assigning a first color to the first order when a color assignment is available; 
 by the restaurant device, sending a signal including the first color to the user device; 
 by the user device, illuminating a screen of the user device in the first color; 
 locating the user device via the illuminated screen in the first color of the user device; and 
 delivering the first order to a user of the user device. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , the method further comprising the step of:
 by the user device, initiating a payment process to pay for the items ordered. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein each order displayed on the restaurant device is displayed with a background of the color assigned to a particular order. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein after an order is completed, the color assigned to the completed order is assigned to another order. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , the method further comprising the steps of:
 by the restaurant device, receiving an input that the first order has been completed; 
 by the restaurant device, sending a completed signal to the user device; 
 by the user device, stopping illuminating the screen of the user device in the first color. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of:
 by the user device, confirming the first order has been delivered with each ordered item. 
 
     
     
       16. A method of implementing an ordering system, the method comprising: providing the ordering system, the ordering system including an application adapted to run on at least one restaurant device and on one or more user devices;
 providing a menu of items available to order; 
 receiving a first order for one or more items from the menu, the order being sent to a restaurant device; 
 determining if whether a color assignment is available for the first order; 
 assigning a first color to the first order when a color assignment is available; 
 sending a signal including the first color to a user device on which the first order was made; 
 causing a screen of the user device to illuminate in the first color; 
 locating the user device via the illuminated screen in the first color; and 
 delivering the first order to a user of the user device. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the system includes one or more databases, the one or more databases storing data related to a plurality of different restaurants. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the data stored in the one or more databases are accessible by a plurality of user devices. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , the method further comprising the steps of:
 receiving a second order for one or more items from the menu, the order being sent to the restaurant device; 
 assigning a second color to the second order; 
 sending a second signal including the second color to a second user device on which the second order was made; 
 causing a screen of the second user device to illuminate in the second color; 
 receiving a third order for one or more items from the menu, the order being sent to the restaurant device; 
 assigning a third color to the third order; 
 sending a third signal including the third color to a third user device on which the third order was made; and 
 causing a screen of the third user device to illuminate in the third color. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16 , wherein orders received after all colors are assigned are queued until a current order is completed.