Apple files patent application to use iPhone to purchase “to-go” items – no more waiting in line
By Will Park on Monday, December 31st, 2007 at 1:41 PM PST In Apple, Partnerships, Services, Technologies, iPhone
It seems Steve Jobs may be just as tired of waiting in long-lines at the local Starbucks as we are. Wouldn’t it be great if we could use our media player or cellphone to wirelessly order a cup of coffee ahead of time and simply stroll into the brick-and-mortor shop to pick up our cup of joe. Well, good, ole’ Stevie is on it. Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) just filed a patent application on December 20 for a method whereby a media player, PDA, or cellphone could be used to place a wireless-order at a particular store – doing away with the dreaded “queue.”
iPhone users are already able to wirelessly download music from iTunes’ catalogue at all Starbucks locations, and this technolofy would take the Apple-Starbucks relationship to the next step. USPTO patent application #20070291710 outlines a system that is capable of logging orders and notifying the customer when the order is ready for pick-up. The system would also track customers’ shopping habits and purchases.
Customers might tap a button to order their favorite drink, say a double-shot mocha, as they stroll up to the nearest coffee shop. When the drink is ready go to, the device–such as an iPhone–would chime or blink to let the thirsty one know it’s time to scoop up the order at the counter.
The iPhone may be set to take on a new role – transitioning from a cellphone/media player phenom into a life-assistant for your daily activities. We’ll have to wait and see just what Apple does with this new technology. A patent application doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple will be putting the new tech into their future lineup, but if it does pan out, we couldn’t be happier. There’s nothing worse than waiting in line (trust us, we know a thing or two about lines).
[Via: Forbes]
How the money is handled in wireless transactions like these remains a question, though. Read more at http://watchingapple.com/2007/12/wireless-transactions-and-apples-pos-patent/.
Too labor intensive for both the cell phone user and the poor order preparer…then they have to match up order to you when you finally show up…and a payment will have to be made AND verified or you ain’t leaving the premises, bub!…there is so much more to say…but this is a huge flop. JUST CALL THE COFFEE SHOP, GIVE THEM YOUR ORDER AND PUT IT ON YOUR TAB (OR HAVE YOUR CREDIT/DEBIT CARD ON FILE WITH THEM) FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF COLD COFFEE/DRINKS LEFT TOO LONG AT THE “CHECKOUT” AND PLENTY OF IRRITATED CUSTOMERS UPSET THAT JOE SCHMOE ORDERING FROM HIS CAR CUT AHEAD OF HIM IN LINE…THUMBS DOWN TO THIS “APPLICATION”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=493163&in_page_id=1965&ito=1490
This sounds kinda dumb. Why are shops going to bother implementing this if only iPhone users can use it, unless Apple licenses it out to other people. They must be either planning on keeping it exclusive or licensing it or they wouldn’t be bothering with the patent. Not that other companies would license it when they can just create their own way of doing this and release it as an industry standard as a part of Bluetooth or something, which would make a lot more sense.