Abstract: A system and method monitor the progress of a meal and provide course menus in synchronization with the monitored progress of the meal. The system includes a menu application for retrieving course menus and sending them to a patron communicator located at a table in a restaurant. The patron communicator displays the course menu for viewing by the patrons seated at a table. When an attendant receives orders from the patrons, an attendant service indicator is activated to provide an attendant service signal to the patron communicator. The attendant service signal is provided to the menu application so the meal status may be updated and the next course menu corresponding to the updated meal status retrieved. The menu application may insert advertising in the course menus. The advertisements may also include special offers and discounts generated from food supply data so that dishes prepared with food approaching freshness expiration dates may be timely offered.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus is presented that provides advertising transmitted from a business to prospective customers that are proximate the business premises via a short-range wireless transmission protocol receivable by personal devices enabled with the short-range wireless transmission protocol. Preferably, the personal devices are already enabled with the short-range wireless transmission protocol. As well, the short-range wireless transmission protocol is preferably Bluetooth™. The advertising may be either only one-way from the business or may be interactive (two-way) between the business and a prospective customer. In the one-way transmission mode, the personal device only receives the advertisement. The advertisement is preferably automatically received and played on the personal device. In the interactive or two-way mode, the personal device not only receives the advertisement, the personal device is able to interact with or respond to the advertisement.

Abstract: A system, method and apparatus is presented that provides advertising transmitted from a business to prospective customers that are proximate the business premises via a short-range wireless transmission protocol receivable by personal devices enabled with the short-range wireless transmission protocol. Preferably, the personal devices are already enabled with the short-range wireless transmission protocol. As well, the short-range wireless transmission protocol is preferably Bluetooth™. The advertising may be either only one-way from the business or may be interactive (two-way) between the business and a prospective customer. In the one-way transmission mode, the personal device only receives the advertisement. The advertisement is preferably automatically received and played on the personal device. In the interactive or two-way mode, the personal device not only receives the advertisement, the personal device is able to interact with or respond to the advertisement.

Abstract: The invention provides a multi-processor data processing system comprising: (a) the processors of a plurality of point-of-sale terminals, and (b) a control processor; wherein the said processors of the plurality of point-of-sale terminals are interconnected in a network and are operable, under the control of the control processor, to concertedly perform data processing operations on bulk data, the said bulk data being subdivided; by the control processor, for processing by the individual processors of the plurality of point-of-sale terminals. The invention also provides a method of processing a bulk data set using a plurality of point-of-sale processors, and advantageously enables the processing power of interconnected point-of-sale terminals to be used as an high-capacity data processing resource.