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Wireless fast food ordering; Apple's working on the patent
Topic Started: Dec 28 2007, 06:29 AM (137 Views)
Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showAr...cleID=205203690

Quote:
 
Apple is seeking to patent a system that would make it possible for a person to use a wireless gadget to place an order at a cafe or fast-food restaurant and pickup the order without waiting in line.

If the "wireless communication system" described in U.S. Patent Application No. 20070291710 becomes a product, then it would transform Apple into more than a computer and iPod maker and online seller of music and video. Instead, Apple would also become a middleman between restaurants, cafes, and possibly other merchants and their customers.


Cool idea, and it would mean big things for Apple if this caught on. I don't see what the patent would be for, though. Surely existing technology is all that's needed for something like this? Buying products with your phone's been going on in Japan for a little while now.
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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The 89th Key
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Aqua, what they didn't tell you is this special device can only order apples. No, literally! No other food but apples. Macintosh apples.
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RosemaryTwo
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HOLY CARP!!!
If a robot could go get the food for me, that would be even better.
"Perhaps the thing to do is just to let stupid run its course." Aqua
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Aqua Letifer
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The 89th Key
Dec 28 2007, 06:46 AM
Aqua, what they didn't tell you is this special device can only order apples. No, literally! No other food but apples. Macintosh apples.

Well, that's okay I guess.

I mean, the Golden Delicious is really the best apple. A Macintosh is a little small and not as tasty, but I'll still eat one with no complaints.
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Once you've got location awareness[*] and web browsing capabilities built into a mobile device, (1) adding a fast food ordering "application discovery" capability and (2) using that web browser to interact with the fast food ordering application server are child's play.

[*] location awareness -- if you're on WiFi or some other location area wireless technology, that's easy (a simple DHCP or DNS exchange upon detecting that wireless LAN would get you all the info you need to talk to the ordering application server, should one exist on that LAN). If you're on a cellular network (e.g., like iPhone might be on AT&T's data network), there are other ways for the phone to figure out where it is (JBryan can probably tell you all that E911 location resolution stuff), connect to a central food ordering "dispatch/triage" server, then using the phone's location, deduce which nearby restaurant location its user would like to place the order with and hand off the food ordering interaction with the appropriate server.

There is no fundamentally hard technological or architectural problem to solve here, but it's hard for other companies to do it because Apple has all these "location-aware + wireless web browsing capable" devices floating around (i.e., iPhone, iTouch) and Apple has a deal with Starbucks in place. So Apple can always move faster and make bigger moves than any one else can (once it decides to move, that is). :shrug:

Still, if the patent has already been issued, that means Apple thought of it years ahead of time, and kudos to Apple! :thumb:
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