Did You Know...
...that after Parker Brothers executives turned down the game of Monopoly because it had "52 fundamental errors" (including taking too long to play), a copy of the game wound up in the home of the company president who stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish playing it? He was so impressed by the game that the next day he wrote to inventor Charles Darrow and offered to buy it!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8006804 | System and method for improving the satisfaction of customers of a high-volume restaurant A bakery-cafe is arranged and operated in a manner that efficiently moves a customer within the bakery-cafe to, for example, improve customer satisfaction by minimizing customer wait times. ... | 08/30/2011 |
| 7366338 | Automated document processing system using full image scanning A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7362891 | Automated document processing system using full image scanning A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past an image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives the... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7349566 | Image processing network An image processing network for processing image files and coupled to an outside data communication network comprising a plurality of remote image capture units, the units scanning documents and creating a plurality of image files of said documents; the image proces... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7324958 | Information administering system for an eating house A customer of an eating house orders refreshments by pressing a first touch panel provided at a customer's seat, watching a liquid-crystal monitor on which a menu of the refreshment and an average cooking time thereof are displayed. A cook inputs cooking-state infor... | 01/29/2008 |
| 7257547 | Service managing system A service managing system comprises: order terminals for enabling customers to view contents of service items and to order desired items, and being portable and driven by a battery; order-receiving terminals for receiving and indicating orders from the order termina... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7255199 | Circulating type food and drink transport apparatus management device for managing the expiration date of food and drink arranged on a plate and including a camera for capturing a two-dimensional code on a cylindrical base of the plate, a barcode scanner for analyzing the two-dimensional code captured by the camera a... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7243758 | Food and drink managing device in circulation type carrying path A food and drink managing device with a circulation type path allows standardizing while adding food and drink onto the carrying path, simplifying management, holding down cost, and achieving precise identification information reading. The food and drink managing de... | 07/17/2007 |
| 7219767 | Serving utensil on retractable tether A serving utensil, used for serving food on a salad bar, is attached to a retractable tether device. The retractable tether device is coupled to the under surface of a sneeze shield extending over the food on a salad bar, effectively elevating the retractable tether... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7206753 | Methods for facilitating a retail environment The methods of the invention provide a variety of processes that may be performed by a mobile retail system or a mobile robot system. In accordance with one process, the invention provides a method of facilitating a retail environment, comprising the steps of provid... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7200255 | Document processing system using full image scanning A system for tracking currency bills comprises a currency scanning device. The scanning device includes a sensor that retrieves currency identification characteristic information of each bill processed. The currency identification characteristic information permits ... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7194423 | Method and apparatus for determining a progressive discount for a customer based on the frequency of the customer's transactions A system and method are disclosed for determining and applying a discount to a customer's transaction. The discount is of a progressive nature, wherein the value of a customer's discount increases if the customer meets the conditions associated with the discount. Th... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7187795 | Document processing system using full image scanning A system for tracking currency bills comprises a currency scanning device. The scanning device includes a sensor that retrieves currency identification characteristic information of each bill processed. The currency identification characteristic information permits ... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7156207 | Food presentation method and system A method and system for serving food. A plurality of sets of compatible food items are selected and a unique identifier is assigned to each set. The food items are placed in individual display containers. Each display container is marked with the one or more unique ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7149336 | Automatic currency processing system having ticket redemption module An apparatus for currency discrimination comprises first and second stationary scanheads, disposed on opposite sides of a bill transport path, for scanning respective first and second opposing surfaces of a bill traveling along the bill transport path and for produc... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7099832 | Method and apparatus for defining routing of customers between merchants A server or Internet service provider computer selects a soliciting merchant and an outputting merchant based on various factors. In one embodiment, the soliciting merchant is selected if its activity rate (e.g. sales rate) is low. The outputting merchant provides o... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7000828 | Remote automated document processing system An automated check processing system for accepting and processing checks from a customer, having a plurality of document scanners. The document scanners are adapted to obtain full images of checks fed into the document scanners and to obtain images of selected porti... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6996263 | Network interconnected financial document processing devices A document processing system comprises an input receptacle for receiving documents. A transport mechanism receives the documents from the input receptacle and transports the documents past a full image scanner and a discrimination unit. An output receptacle receives... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6979669 | Encapsulated active ingredient preparation for use in particulate detergents and cleaning agents A granulate for particulate detergents or cleaning agents, the granulate containing a detergent or cleaning agent active ingredient and an outer encapsulation layer formed of polyvalent metal salts of an unbranched or branched, unsaturated or saturated, mono- or pol... | 12/27/2005 |
| 6973437 | Computer integrated communication system for restaurants A computer integrated communication system for restaurants that includes a central server and a series of table units and staff units. The table and staff units each include a display and wireless communication device that enables customer request information and ot... | 12/06/2005 |
| 6634460 | Counter for presenting and/or selling goods The invention relates to a counter (10) for presenting and/or selling goods. The aim of the invention is to provide a means of displacing a module consisting of a system of joint mechanisms (22) which are associated with a glass pane (21) by means of fixi... | 10/21/2003 |
| 6561317 | Foodservice system The invention is embodied in a commercial foodservice system having a primary counter unit constructed and arranged to perform a direct or related foodservice function, and an independent peripheral unit constructed and arranged in juxtaposition with the ... | 05/13/2003 |
| 6557669 | Automatic dish serving system The automatic dish serving system includes: a supply center for supplying articles such as food and drink; a customer's seat to which the articles are served; a carrier wagon traveling along a route between the supply center and the customer's seat for ca... | 05/06/2003 |
| 6431318 | Food and drink conveying system A food and drink conveying system is provided in which the sorts of foods and drinks displayed on display members placed on a circulating conveying path and the number of foods and drinks placed on the circulating conveying path following after their resp... | 08/13/2002 |
| 5944143 | Fast service food court systems and method of establishing variations thereof To permit installations of food court systems at various sites in an expeditious and cost effective manner, freestanding modules for each site are selected from available food court sets, each set consisting of a predetermined equal number of customized m... | 08/31/1999 |
| 5775033 | Building structure comprising a combined enclosed restaurant and amusement area having a viewing pane therebetween The present invention provides a building structure within which a setting is maintained which allows restaurant patrons to enjoy dining out while allowing primarily children accompanying adult patrons the opportunity of playing in an adjacent amusement a... | 07/07/1998 |
| 5193648 | Restaurant construction system A restaurant construction system comprising a building having a first floor. A second floor consists of a terrace on three sides of the building forming an atrium between the terrace and the fourth side of the building. Both floors have dining tables and ... | 03/16/1993 |
| 4935720 | Apparatus for the transmission of information in a restaurant A waiter-restaurant information transfer system in which a principal unit in the kitchen has a set of buttons associated with respective tables or a keyboard which can be operated by food-preparation personnel to provide a display at its unit, at a board ... | 06/19/1990 |
| 4889210 | Robotic product server and system A robot for serving a product dispensed from a product dispenser to a customer including a processor and a robotic arm. The processor stores a predetermined instruction set and generates command signals according to the instruction set. The robotic arm is... | 12/26/1989 |
| 4722053 | Food service ordering terminal with video game capability A computer operated food servcie establishment has individual patron locations each provided with a game-playing terminal from which patrons can select games to be played from a listing thereof provided by the central computer unit. Each termainl also dis... | 01/26/1988 |
| 4588047 | Quick-meal restaurant installation In a quick-meal restaurant installation, a service space is located on one side of a furniture unit and seats are provided for customers on the other side. The unit consists of modules assembled together and each having a portion forming a table. Each mod... | 05/13/1986 |
| 4582172 | Method and apparatus for automatically giving and receiving orders and for making calculation thereof in restaurants and shops The method and apparatus of this invention can be used for smoothly giving and receiving orders between clients and cookers in restaurants and shops or the like so that clients can order the goods at their own discretion and calculation and also so that c... | 04/15/1986 |
| 4560032 | Restaurant food display and serving system A restaurant food display and serving system including a food preparation area surrounded by a watercourse upon which a plurality of interconnected boats carrying a variety of foods on trays travel with a current.... | 12/24/1985 |
| 4553222 | Integrated interactive restaurant communication system for food and entertainment processing An interactive restaurant communication system (10) provides integrated food and entertainment processing which enables restaurant patrons to obtain menus for individual food selection on a video monitor (56) at their tables, individually enter their orde... | 11/12/1985 |
| 4547851 | Integrated interactive restaurant communication method for food and entertainment processing An interactive restaurant communication system (10) provides integrated food and entertainment processing which enables restaurant patrons to accomplish both food selection and select and receive entertainment on a common video monitor (56) at their table... | 10/15/1985 |
| 4476848 | Countertop oven A countertop oven particularly well suited for preparing convenience foods, such as frozen dinners and hot sandwiches is provided. The oven includes at least one heating and serving tray with heat resistant handles, the tray sliding into slots in the oven... | 10/16/1984 |
| 4245720 | Fast food restaurant The food preparation area of a fast food restaurant is configured in the manner of a continuous production line and includes two grills disposed within reach of and on either side of the chef. Make up tables extend from common ends of the grills and suppl... | 01/20/1981 |
| 4132216 | Two-zone hot air oven for food-loaded cartridges A hot air oven for heating food-loaded cartridges, each constituted by a stack of sealed trays comtaining pre-cooked meals nested within an open carton whose side walls have holes therein to admit heated air. The oven includes a rotating turn-table for su... | 01/02/1979 |
| 4074793 | Restaurant dining system The restaurant dining system described in the specification comprises dining and bar areas, a cocktail lounge, a kitchen and an order-taking post separate from and adjacent the dining and bar areas to facilitate the direct delivery of food and drink order... | 02/21/1978 |
