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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 orders into a table station "intelligent" termina

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 orders into a table station "intelligent" terminal (12, 14, 16, 18, 20) at their tables, select from and interactively play a variety of remotely retrievable interactive entertainment activities using the video monitor (56) while waiting for the food to arrive, and if desired, where applicable, have the food and entertainment charges automatically added to a composite bill which may be printed at the table station terminal (12, 14, 16, 18, 20) or at a remote central location. The food and entertainment functions of the terminal (12, 14, 16, 18, 20) are down-line loaded from a central data base (22, 32) in response to terminal requests therefor.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system for enabling both individualized food and entertainment interactive information communication with a central remote data base from each of a plurality of different multipurpose table station terminals utilizable by a plurality

1. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system for enabling both individualized food and entertainment interactive information communication with a central remote data base from each of a plurality of different multipurpose table station terminals utilizable by a plurality of different restaurant patrons, said system comprising a central computer means for remotely retrievably storing information comprising a plurality of food menu modules and entertainment modules for selective retrieval of said remotely stored information by each of said table station terminals over a common transmission media and for processing information received from each of said table station terminals; and a plurality of said table station terminals, each of said table station terminals comprising microcomputer means for controlling the operation thereof, said microcomputer means being connected to said common transmission media for receiving and transmitting information between said central computer means and said table station terminals, each of said table station terminals further comprising food and entertainment selection and control means connected to said microcomputer means for enabling retrievable selection of said remotely stored food and entertainment modules from said central computer means and interaction therewith at said table station terminal, a local storage means connected to said microcomputer means for locally storing said selected ones of said food and entertainment modules and a common local video type display means connected to said microcomputer means and said common transmission media for connecting each of said table station terminals to said central computer means for enabling communication of said respective information therebetween and for commonly displaying data corresponding to said selected module; each of said remotely stored food and entertainment modules information comprising a different set of control instructions for said table station terminal, each of said sets of control instructions corresponding to a different selectable food menu or entertainment function respectively, for said terminal, said information transmittable from said central computer means over said common transmission media comprising said retrievably stored sets of control instructions for down-line loading of said local storage means at said table station terminal of a selected set of said control instructions in response to a request therefor by a restaurant patron via said selection means, said sets of control instructions for said table station terminal comprising sets of control instructions for said microcomputer means; each of table station terminals further comprising means connectable to said microcomputer means, to said selection means and to said local storage means for selectively controlling the local storage of said remotely transmitted information in said local storage means dependent on at least said selected interactive food or entertainment function for said terminal, said microcomputer means being operable in accordance with at least a first one of said locally stored remotely transmitted selected sets of control instructions and comprising means capable of processing incoming data provided via said selection and control means in accordance therewith, processed food menu selection data processed by said incoming data processing means being transmittable from said table station terminal to said central computer means over said common transmission media, said central computer means further comprising central display means for commonly displaying said processed food menu selection data from said plurality of table station terminals, said remotely stored entertainment modules comprising interactive activities, said microcomputer incoming data processing means comprising means capable of processing incoming interactive entertainment activity data provided from said selection and control means corresponding to a selected down-line loaded interactive entertainment activity for providing a displayable processed output therefrom on said common local video type display means; whereby each table station terminal may independently provide both interactive entertainment and food selection on a common video type display terminal in cooperation with a central data base. 2. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said local display means comprises means capable of locally displaying at least said selected food menu selection data and said processed interactive entertainment activity data. 3. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said remotely stored food and entertainment modules information further comprises food menu selection data and entertainment data, respectively. 4. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said local display means comprises means capable of locally selectively displaying at least said food menu selection data and said entertainment data dependent on said selected locally stored set of control instructions. 5. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said local display means further comprises means for locally displaying said processed interactive entertainment activity data. 6. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said interactive entertainment activity comprises on interactive video game. 7. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 2 wherein said local display means further comprises means for locally displaying said processed interactive entertainment activity data. 8. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said local display means further comprises means for locally displaying said processed interactive entertainment activity data. 9. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 4 wherein said local display means further comprises means for locally displaying said processed interactive entertainment activity data. 10. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said local display means further comprises means for locally displaying said processed interactive entertainment activity data. 11. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said remotely stored entertainment modules interactive activities comprise a plurality of different interactive video games. 12. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said local display means comprises video display means, said displayable data comprising video displayable data. 13. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said local display means comprises video display means, said displayable data comprising video displayable data. 14. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 6 wherein said local display means comprises video display means, said displayable data comprising video displayable data. 15. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 7 wherein said local display means comprises video display means, said displayable data comprising video displayable data. 16. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 8 wherein said local display means comprises video display means, said displayable data comprising video displayable data. 17. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 9 wherein said local display means comprises video display means, said displayable data comprising video displayable data. 18. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said local display means comprises video display means, said displayable data comprising video displayable data. 19. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said local storage means comprises random access memory means. 20. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 19 wherein said local storage selective control means comprises read only memory means for controlling the loading of at least one of said selected remotely transmitted sets of instructions into said random access memory means and enabling subsequent control of said microcomputer means in accordance with said locally stored selected one of said remotely transmitted sets of instructions. 21. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said local storage selective control means comprises read only memory means for controlling the loading of at least one of said selected remotely transmitted sets of instructions into said local storage means and enabling subsequent control of said microcomputer means in accordance with said locally stored selected one of said remotely transmitted sets of instructions. 22. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 3 wherein said local storage means comprises random access memory means. 23. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 22 wherein said local storage selective control means comprises read only memory means for controlling the loading of at least one of said selected remotely transmitted sets of instructions into said random access memory means and enabling subsequent control of said microcomputer means in accordance with said locally stored selected one of said remotely transmitted sets of instructions. 24. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 22 wherein said local storage selective control means comprises read only memory means for controlling the loading of at least one of said selected remotely transmitted sets of instructions into said local storage means and enabling subsequent control of said microcomputer means in accordance with said locally stored selected one of said remotely transmitted sets of instructions. 25. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said local storage means comprises random access memory means. 26. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 25 wherein said local storage selective control means comprises read only memory means for controlling the loading of at least one of said selected remotely transmitted sets of instructions into said random access memory means and enabling subsequent control of said microcomputer means in accordance with said locally stored selected one of said remotely transmitted sets of instructions. 27. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 25 wherein said local storage selective control means comprises read only memory means for controlling the loading of at least one of said selected remotely transmitted sets of instructions into said local storage means and enabling subsequent control of said microcomputer means in accordance with said locally stored selected one of said remotely transmitted sets of instructions in accordance therewith. 28. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 18 wherein said local storage means comprises random access memory means. 29. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said local storage selective control means comprises read only memory means for controlling the loading of at least one of said selected remotely transmitted sets of instructions into said random access memory means and enabling subsequent control of said microcomputer means in accordance with said locally stored selected one of said remotely transmitted sets of instructions. 30. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 28 wherein said local storage selective control means comprises read only memory means for controlling the loading of at least one of said selected remotely transmitted sets of instructions into said local storage means and enabling subsequent control of said microcomputer means in accordance with said locally stored selected one of said remotely transmitted sets of instructions. 31. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said communication media is a two-way communication media. 32. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said processed incoming data comprises billing information at least with respect to said food selection based on said food menu selection data, said billing information being transmitted to said central computer means over said communication media. 33. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 32 wherein said billing information further comprises billing information with respect to said selected entertainment module. 34. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 33 wherein said central computer means further comprises printer means for printing a composite bill for a given table station terminal based on said transmitted food selection billing information and entertainment selection billing information. 35. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 33 wherein said table station terminal further comprises printer means for printing a composite bill for said table station terminal based on said food selection and entertainment selection billing information for said table station terminal. 36. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said processed incoming data comprises billing information at least with respect to said food selection based on said food menu selection data, said billing information being transmitted to said central computer means over said communication media. 37. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 36 wherein said billing information further comprises billing information with respect to said selected entertainment module. 38. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 37 wherein said central computer means further comprises printer means for printing a composite bill for a given table station terminal based on said transmitted food selection billing information and entertainment selection billing information. 39. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 37 wherein said table station terminal further comprises printer means for printing a composite bill for said table station terminal based on said food selection and entertainment selection billing information for said table station terminal. 40. An interactive integrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 36 wherein said local display means comprises means capable of locally displaying at least said selected food menu selection data and said processed interactive entertainment activity data. 41. An interactive intergrated restaurant information communication system in accordance with claim 36 wherein said local display means further comprises means for locally displaying said processed interactive entertainment activity data.