Service Request Device With Multi-Function Display And Processor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing service request devices in restaurants cannot transmit information beyond table numbers and do not provide personalized services, limiting efficient restaurant management and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A service request device equipped with a display, button, communication unit, and processor that transmits electronic codes, performs time synchronization, and generates call signals based on input strength, allowing for the transmission of various information types, including reordering options and payment systems, using low-power Bluetooth and Wi-Fi communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If existing service request devices only transmit table numbers, then device complexity is low and power consumption is minimal, but information transmission capability is limited and service personalization cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The service request device is transformed into a multi-functional terminal that can perform not only service requests but also menu ordering, payment, and information display functions. The display unit shows various information including menu items, prices, and electronic codes, while the processor handles multiple operations, enabling one device to serve multiple purposes and reducing the need for separate dedicated devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
A server acts as an intermediary between the service request device and the restaurant management system. The device communicates with the server, which processes complex operations like order management, payment processing, and information storage. This mediator approach allows the terminal device to remain relatively simple while still providing sophisticated services through cloud-based processing.
2Productivity
If service request devices transmit only basic table information, then power consumption remains low, but service efficiency and user experience are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The display unit updates information periodically rather than continuously, showing menu items, prices, and electronic codes at specific intervals. The processor executes operations in periodic cycles, processing orders and updating displays only when necessary. This periodic operation mode reduces power consumption compared to continuous operation while maintaining service efficiency by providing timely updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables customers to independently perform menu selection, ordering, and payment operations without requiring constant staff intervention. The terminal provides self-service capabilities where customers can browse menus, place orders, and complete payments through the display and input interface, improving service efficiency while reducing the need for energy-intensive continuous monitoring systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the device displays multiple information types and generates electronic codes, then service personalization improves, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Complex processing functions are extracted from the terminal device and relocated to the server. The device displays electronic codes and menu information locally, but the actual processing of orders, payment calculations, and customer data management are performed by the external server. This extraction allows the terminal to provide personalized services with minimal local processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The service system transitions from a single-dimension table number identification to a multi-dimensional information display including menu items, prices, electronic codes, and customer preferences. The display unit presents information in multiple dimensions (visual text, codes, graphical interfaces), enabling personalized service delivery without requiring proportional increases in processing complexity at the terminal level.
4Ease of operation
If the button detects only simple presses, then device complexity is minimal, but service differentiation and urgency detection cannot be implemented
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the button are assigned different functions and sensitivities. The button includes multiple input regions with varying detection thresholds, allowing users to indicate different levels of urgency or different service requests by pressing different areas. This local differentiation enables enhanced service detection without requiring completely separate buttons for each function, maintaining ease of operation while adding capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a service request device including a display which includes an information display unit and an electronic code display unit, a button, and a processor which transmits a call signal corresponding to at least one of an input, information corresponding to an electronic code displayed on the information display unit, and an electronic code displayed on the electronic code display unit when the input to the button is received.