“Apple Inc.’s iPhone can already playback video, browse the Internet, and place phone calls, but a new filing by the handset maker suggests it may one day take your lunch order and serve as a tour guide at the local zoo,” Slash Lane reports for AppleInsider.
“The concept calls for a short-range wireless network comprised of a central server and one or more wireless routers, such as AirPort Extreme WiFi base stations, that merchants or attraction organizers could install within their venues. Included on the central server would be a proprietary software-based application (or ‘iPhone server’) capable of interfacing and serving up customized information and applications to Apple media devices devices that come within range of the network,” Lane reports.
“‘For example, assuming the establishment is a restaurant, local server may provide a menu to media device,’ the company said. ‘A user may choose contents in the menu for an order by interfacing with device 1020 and submit the order to local server when complete. Local server may then process that order upon receipt,'” Lane reports.
“In some cases, software on the server could interact with software on a user’s media device, such as an iPhone or iPod touch, to allow the menu to be customized for a that user. For example, the personal media device may have stored user preference profiles for desired foods. If it is known that user of device has a dietary restriction (such as diabetes) or prefers to eat vegan food (Steve Jobs), the menu could be customized such that only the food the user is permitted to eat or prefers to eat is provided on the menu,” Lane reports.
More in the full article here.
I believe El Jobso is actually a Pescetarian, not a Vegetarian. Someone needs to check their facts.
cool!
Can’t imagine it taking off anytime soon in the midwest.
Interesting.
It struck me that I might actually see a movie in a theater if I could listen through my iPhone headset and block all those nasty distractions…
i rather like the tour idea. free tours at zoos, museums…. that could be very nice.
Didn’t we hear about this before, at least the restaurant aspect? There was a report a few months ago about ordering at Starbucks using your iphone to avoid waiting in line. Anyway, this patent adds credence to that rumor.
Potentially brilliant, i’d say.
But I thought Microsoft’s Big @ss Table was the menu solution in restaurants… *snicker*
I like it … get er done
Those patents don’t necessarily need to apply to an iPhone… they could apply to a touchpad as well… like one aimed at corporations.
Nice way to do self-guided museum tours. In mulitple languages.
The ‘self-guided museum tours’ concept has been quite nicely addressed by the burgeoning cottage industry online, via ordinary iPods. While many large museums already have their downloadable MP3 guides, alternative versions are all over the internet, most for free, and many of excellent (sometimes even better than museums’) quality.
Obviously, this way you wouldn’t need to prepare for it, so it might be a nice use for the patent. Either way, any kind of location-aware value-added service is a perfect candidate.
And on the subject of vegetarianism, where I come from, vegetarians are those strange people who don’t eat meat, only poultry and fish (in addition to the vegetables, which officially don’t count as real food)… It has been suggested above that S.J. is a pescetarian (i.e. eats fish); back home they’d probably say: “…as if there’s a difference”.
Seems like the definition of vegetarianism and other similar dietary choices may depend on the local culture; it might not be the best idea to let iPhone choose your menu based on such criteria…
Awesome. Apple needs to get the prices down on both the iPhone and Touch so that everyone can afford these awesome devices.
This is as likely as the myth of the ‘kitchen recipes on your PC’ since the 1980s. Why pay someone big bucks to set it up when you can pay a kid to draw the menu on a chalkboard or in Word?
Now micro-payments for your food (iBank?), internet discount vouchers and Google street directions make more sense.
@Winston–
It was David Pague. He basically came up with the idea, and pleaded for someone to make it happen. It looks like Apple was listening, and plans to deliver.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
According to Wikipedia, S.J. is a Pescetarian (not vegetarian or vegan), which means he does not eat animal flesh or poultry, but occasionally fish.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs
Would be cool at the theatre. Could walk into any movie and have synced audio of any language streamed to your phone…. with subtitles!!!
not that we should even encourage catering to any other languages but english… stinking democrats!
“According to Wikipedia, S.J. is a Pescetarian (not vegetarian or vegan), which means he does not eat animal flesh or poultry, but occasionally fish.”
——————
Yep, that’s probably why they chose “seafood” as a restaurant type in one of the original iPhone commercials…
Jobs eats Phish!
ALERT THE MEDIA!
The term for this kind of media is “augmented reality.” Unlike VR, which seeks to create a self-contained world, AR augments the experience of being in a real place by overlaying data pertinent to that time & place or any number of other variables.
Way to go Apple!
From Wiki=
“Jobs is not a vegetarian or vegan as is often claimed. Although he does not eat mammalian meat or fowl, he eats fish from time to time. This is known as pescetarianism.[40]”
[40] http://www.economist.com/research/backgrounders/displaystory.cfm?story_id=4400796
That settles that, aye.
For the iPhone server idea – I think it is short sighted to only make such a service (albeit, very cool and innovative) for only a few possible clients. Unless the server can broadcast to other portable devices like mobile phones (cell phones in the USofA) and other smart devices. THEN it would be a true Trojan horse (on the none Apple products – have the Apple Logo show up at the beginning and end of the ad) Nothing like blatant advertising to move your market.
Cheers.
As for the Starbucks idea:
http://www.genoco.com/link/interactive_iphone+starbucks.html
Credits goes to Phil Lu
First, who decided that fish weren’t animals? They’re sentient beings, they have eyes that see, and likely feel pain when they’re killed (maybe plants do, but how to know?). I’m Jewish and always thought it weird that there’s milk and meat to be separated, vegetables and fruits that can be eaten with either, as can fish. WTF??!
Second, I think this is a good idea. You could set up an account at the restaurant, have the menu items you are interested in on your phone/iPod Touch, including your preferred drinks, and pay via pre-arranged method without taking out your card or signing anything.
Better than a big-ass table, eh? Brilliant! Y’have to eat sushi if you’re a friend of Larry.