Method and apparatus for a transparent network guest controller

An apparatus comprising a guest controller, the guest controller linking with a plurality of point-of-sale registers having a plurality of keypads, wherein the guest controller can be manipulated or programmed through the keypads, and wherein the guest controller controls one or more electronic displays and wherein the guest controller transparently collects information transferred by the plurality of point-of-sale registers and produces output to the one or more electronic displays in accordance with predetermined preferences and formats.

An guest controller comprising:

• at least one processor;
• at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor;
• a guest controller program residing in the memory, the guest controller program linked to a point-of-sale register host system, the guest controller program receiving dormant information from the link with the point-of-sale register host computer system, wherein the point-of-sale register host computer system does not react to the dormant information and wherein the dormant information facilitates manipulation of the guest controller program through the host computer system occurs transparent to the host computer system, and wherein the guest controller program to controls an electronic display in response to the received dormant information.

A method for controlling a guest electronic display comprising the steps of:

• forming a link between a point-of-sale register host computer system having at least one host input device and a guest controller having an output to one or more guest output devices;
• and
• manipulating or programming the guest controller through the at least one host input device and producing output to the one or more guest output devices in a manner transparent to the host computer system.

A program product comprising:

• a guest controller program, the guest controller program linked to a point-of-sale register host system, the guest controller program receiving dormant information from the link with the point-of-sale register host computer system, wherein the point-of-sale register host computer system does not react to the dormant information and wherein the dormant information facilitates manipulation of the guest controller program through the host computer system occurs transparent to the host computer system, and wherein the guest controller program to controls an electronic display in response to the received dormant information;
• and
• computer-readable signal bearing media bearing the guest controller program.

An order information display system comprising:

• an electronic display;
• a guest controller, the guest controller coupled to a point-of-sale register system, the guest controller monitoring the point-of-sale register system for current order information, the guest controller controlling the electronic display such that current order information is displayed on the electronic display;
• and wherein the guest controller further monitors the point-of-sale register system for dormant information entered on the point-of-sale register, wherein the dormant information comprises entered data ignored by the point-of-sale register system, and wherein the dormant information is used to program or manipulate the guest controller.