AU2011201763A1 - Method and system of providing a beverage and a product - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract The invention relates to a method and a system of providing a beverage and a product, including a beverage ordering console and a product console located at a first location within a service center. The beverage ordering console is operable by a consumer to produce a beverage order comprising beverage information and beverage payment information. The product console is operable by the consumer to provide the product and product payment information. The product is not related to food or beverages. A first communication means communicates the beverage information from the beverage ordering console to a second location within the service centre. A second communication means communicates the beverage payment information and the product payment information from the first location to a third location within the service centre. The beverage payment information and the product payment information are combined to form a payment order. A beverage supply unit at a second location is operated upon receipt of the beverage information to create the beverage. Payment means at the third location processes payment for the payment order.

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 ORIGINAL COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: "METHOD AND SYSTEM OF PROVIDING A BEVERAGE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 TITLE Method and System of Providing a Beverage and a Product FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 The invention relates to method and system of providing a service. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a method and system of providing a beverage and a product to a consumer, whilst minimizing the inconvenience of queues for ordering and receiving the beverage. 10 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The provision of beverages, particularly coffee, on a take-away basis to consumers is a large industry. Unfortunately, the quality of the take-away coffee provided by service centres is often low, particularly in those service centres that are not mainly providing food and beverages. The coffee is often produced by 15 machines such as filter coffee machines or the like which hold pre-prepared coffee for long periods. Many consumers are becoming more discerning about the quality of the coffee they drink and wish to purchase a high quality take-away coffee whilst they are away from home pursuing their daily activities. A qualified barista operating a coffee machine can produce a high quality 20 coffee, however this takes a certain amount of time once the order is received such that the consumer is kept waiting. If the consumer is at a cafe or restaurant, this waiting period is usually acceptable, as the primary purpose of being at the cafe or restaurant is to take some time out to sit and relax. A consumer at a service center which mainly provides products other than food or 2 beverages, however, usually wants to quickly complete both the tasks of that center and buying a coffee, so they can continue with their general activities. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 5 It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the above problems and/or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 10 In one form, although it need not be the only or indeed the broadest form, the invention resides in a method of providing a beverage and a product including the steps of: providing a first location within a service centre having a beverage ordering console and a product console, wherein the beverage ordering console 15 is operable by a consumer to produce a beverage order comprising beverage information and beverage payment information, and the product console is operable by the consumer to provide the product and product payment information; providing a first communication means to communicate the beverage 20 information from the beverage ordering console to a second location within the service centre; providing a second communication means to communicate the beverage payment information and the product payment information from the first location to a third location within the service centre, wherein the beverage payment 25 information and the product payment information are combined to form a 3 payment order; providing a beverage supply unit at the second location, wherein the beverage supply unit is operated upon receipt of the beverage information to create the beverage; 5 providing payment means at the third location to process payment for the payment order; wherein the product is not related to food or beverages. In another form, the invention resides in a system of providing a beverage and a product including: 10 a beverage ordering console placed at a first location within a service center, the beverage ordering console being operable by a consumer to produce a beverage order comprising beverage information and beverage payment information; a product console placed at the first location, the product console being 15 operable by the consumer to provide the product; a beverage supply unit placed at a second location within the service center, wherein the beverage supply unit is operable to create the beverage; a first communication means to communicate the beverage information from the beverage ordering console to the second location; 20 a second communication means to communicate the beverage payment information and the product payment information from the first location to a third location within the service centre, wherein the beverage payment information and the product payment information are combined to form a payment order; payment means placed at the third location, the payment means being 25 operable to process payment for the payment order; and 4 wherein the product is not related to food or beverages. Preferably, the service center is a fuel filling station, and the product is fuel. In a particularly preferred embodiment the beverage is a drink containing 5 coffee. Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 10 To assist in understanding the invention and to enable a person skilled in the art to put the invention into practical effect preferred embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG 1 shows an embodiment of the invention in diagrammatic form; and 15 FIG 2 shows a flow chart of a method according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In order to provide a beverage and a product to a consumer at a service center 100, as shown in diagrammatic form in FIG 1, a beverage ordering 20 console 200 and a product console 300 are provided, together with first communication means 400, a beverage supply unit 500, second communication means 600 and payment means 700. The service center 100 has a first location 110, a second location 120 and a third location 130. Typically, the service center 100 is a self service fuel filling 25 station or petrol station, a self service photo printing center or the like. In an 5 embodiment where the service center 100 is a fuel filling station, the first location 110 is in the fuel forecourt, the second location 120 and the third location 130 are within a building. The beverage ordering console 200 is located at the first location 110 in 5 the service center 100. The beverage ordering console 200 is designed to be operable by a consumer to produce a beverage order 210. The beverage ordering console 200 is suitably in the form of a keypad, with an associated display screen. Alternatively, a touch screen console, or a combination of some or all of the elements of a keypad, a screen and a printer, to provide a paper 10 copy of the beverage order 210, may be used. The beverage order 210 includes one or more pieces of beverage information 211 which describes what the consumer wishes to purchase. The beverage order 210 also includes beverage payment information 212 giving the cost of the beverage order 210 and an identifier 213 to identify the consumer. 15 The identifier 213 may be a number, name, initial or any combination thereof. The identifier 213 may be entered by the consumer using the beverage ordering console 200 or may be automatically generated by the beverage ordering console 200. The beverage order 210 may also include a date/time stamp 214. The beverage information 211 may include terms of size, e.g. small, 20 regular, large, tall, and contents e.g. cappuccino, cafft latte, espresso, flat white, long black, Americano, macchiato. Other descriptors such as double shot, half shot, skim milk, soy milk, and the like may be included in the beverage information 211. The product console 300 is also located at the first location 110 of the 25 service center 100. The product console 300 is operable by the consumer to 6 provide a product 310 and product payment information 320. In one embodiment the product console 300 is a self-service fuel bowser, and the product 310 is fuel for a motor car, motor bike and the like. The product console 300 and the beverage ordering console 200 may be 5 integrally formed or they may be separate items. In one embodiment, the beverage ordering console 200 may only be operated by the consumer prior to the consumer operating the product console 300. This may assist in providing sufficient time for preparation of the beverage whilst the consumer operates the product console 300. 10 The first communication means 400 provides a means of communicating the beverage information 211 from the first location 110 to the second location 120. The identifier 213 and date/time 214 may also be communicated by the first communication means 400. The first communication means 400 is a data transmission system such as a wire, optic fibre or wireless system. 15 The beverage supply unit 500 includes one or more pieces of equipment which may be operated to prepare a beverage 510 according to the beverage information 211. The beverage supply unit 500 is located at the second location 120 and is not operated by the consumer. The beverage supply unit 500 may include a display 520 for displaying the 20 beverage information 211. The display 520 may be a display screen, or a printer which creates a printout, to communicate the beverage information 211 to a person operating the beverage supply unit 500. The display 520 may be integral with or separate from the beverage supply unit 500. In a preferred embodiment the beverage supply unit 500 includes a coffee 25 machine, operable by a trained barista to produce a variety of beverages 510, 7 being coffee containing drinks. The second communication means 600 communicates the beverage payment information 212 and the product payment information 320 from the first location 110 to the third location 130. The second communication means 600 is 5 a data transmission system such as a wire, optic fiber or wireless system. A payment order 610 is created by combining the beverage payment information 212 and the product payment information 320. The payment order 610 may be created at the first location 110 or the third location 130. The payment order 610 may also include one or more of the beverage information 10 211, the identifier 213 and the date/time stamp 214. The payment means 700 is located at the third location 130. The payment means 700 is suitably a cash register, and receives the payment order 610 from the second communication means 600. The payment order 610 is processed at the payment means 700 to accept payment from the consumer. 15 In operation, the method of providing the beverage 510 and the product 310 includes a series of steps, as shown in the flow chart of FIG 2. Initially, step 810, a consumer arrives at the service centre 100 and proceeds to the first location 110. Then, step 811, the consumer operates the beverage ordering console 200 to create the beverage order 210. In step 812, 20 the identifier 213 is either entered by the consumer (e.g. a name) or assigned by the beverage ordering console 200. In step 813, the consumer enters or selects the beverage information 211. In step 814, the beverage ordering console 200 creates the beverage payment information 212 appropriate for the beverage information 211 selected by the 25 consumer. The date/time stamp 214 can also be added to the beverage order 8 210 in step 814 to provide further identification means for the beverage order 210. In step 815 the beverage payment information 212 is sent via the second communication means 600 to the third location 130. 5 The consumer then, in step 820, operates the product console 300 and collects the product 310. In step 821, the product payment information 320 is sent via the second communication means 600 to the third location. In step 822, the beverage payment information 212 and the product payment information 320 are combined to create the payment order 610. 10 In step 823, the payment means 700 at the third location 130 receives the payment order 610. Then, in step 824, the consumer pays the payment order 610. Meanwhile in step 816, the beverage information 211 is sent via the first communication means 400. Then, at step 817, beverage information 211 is 15 shown on the display 520 of the beverage supply unit 500 at the second location 120 of the service center 100. In step 818, a person at the second location 120 utilizes the beverage supply unit 500 to produce the beverage 510 according to the beverage information 211. 20 Once the beverage 510 has been produced, the identifier 213 associated with the beverage 510 may be either displayed or announced, and, in step 819, the consumer collects the beverage 510. The method and system of the invention therefore provides the consumer with a quality beverage whilst minimizing the consumer's waiting time. The 25 consumer can conveniently order the beverage and then move on to serve 9 themselves the product before collecting the beverage. As the payment for the beverage and the product are already combined in a payment order, payment for both items is easy and quick. It is not necessary for the person operating the beverage supply unit to communicate with the 5 person operating the payment means, or for the consumer to need to transfer a ticket or the like from the second location to the third location. Indeed, the consumer can decide whether to collect the beverage first or to pay the payment order first. In the embodiment where the beverage is a coffee beverage, once the 10 order is received, a barista can take the time to prepare a quality coffee whilst the consumer is occupied with the task of operating the product console. Additionally, as the tasks of preparing the beverage and the operating the product console are undertaken concurrently, a faster throughput of consumers through the service center can be achieved. 15 Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. Persons skilled in the relevant art may realize variations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be 20 made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (8)

1. A method of providing a beverage and a product including the steps of: providing a first location within a service centre having a beverage ordering console and a product console, wherein the beverage ordering console is operable by a consumer to produce a beverage order comprising beverage information and beverage payment information, and the product console is operable by the consumer to provide the product and product payment information; providing a first communication means to communicate the beverage information from the beverage ordering console to a second location within the service centre; providing a second communication means to communicate the beverage payment information and the product payment information from the first location to a third location within the service centre, wherein the beverage payment information and the product payment information are combined to form a payment order; providing a beverage supply unit at the second location, wherein the beverage supply unit is operated upon receipt of the beverage information to create the beverage; providing payment means at the third location to process payment for the payment order; wherein the product is not related to food or beverages. 11

2. A system of providing a beverage and a product including: a beverage ordering console placed at a first location within a service center, the beverage ordering console being operable by a consumer to produce a beverage order comprising beverage information and beverage payment information; a product console placed at the first location, the product console being operable by the consumer to provide the product; a beverage supply unit placed at a second location within the service center, the beverage supply unit being operable to create the beverage; a first communication means to communicate the beverage information from the beverage ordering console to the second location; a second communication means to communicate the beverage payment information and the product payment information from the first location to a third location within the service centre, wherein the beverage payment information and the product payment information are combined to form a payment order; payment means at the third location to process payment for the payment order; and wherein the product is not related to food or beverages.

3. The method of claim 1 or the system of claim 2, wherein the beverage ordering console is a touch screen console.

4. The method of claim 1 or the system of claim 2, wherein the service center is a fuel filling station. 12

5. The method of claim 1 or the system of claim 2, wherein the product console is a self-service fuel bowser and the product is fuel.

6. The method of claim 1 or the system of claim 2, wherein the beverage order also includes one or more identifiers.

7. The method of claim 1 or the system of claim 2, wherein the beverage order also includes a date and/or time stamp.

8. A method of providing a beverage containing coffee, and of providing fuel, including the steps of: providing a first location within a fuel filling station, the first location having a coffee ordering console and a fuel bowser, wherein the coffee ordering console is operable by a consumer to produce a coffee order comprising coffee information and coffee payment information, and the fuel bowser is operable by the consumer to provide fuel and fuel payment information; providing a first communication means to communicate the coffee information from the coffee ordering console to a second location within the fuel filling station; providing a second communication means to communicate the coffee payment information and the fuel payment information from the first location to a third location within the fuel filling station, wherein the coffee payment information and the fuel payment information are combined to form a payment order; providing a coffee machine at the second location, wherein the coffee 13 machine is operated upon receipt of the coffee information to create the coffee; providing payment means at the third location to process payment for the payment order.