Drive-through system

A drive-through system, comprising:

• car detecting means for automatically messaging entrance of an incoming car into a drive-through store;
• a menu board including a speaker and a first microphone whose pointing direction is controllable;
• image pickup means for picking up an image of a visitor riding in said incoming car;
• image processing means for processing an image signal outputted from said image pickup means;
• a base station operatively connected to said menu board for transmitting/receiving wirelessly a voice signal and a control signal;
• an order taker head set including a second microphone and an earphone, and designed to be put on a head of a store clerk;
• and
• order taker equipment operatively connected to said order taker head set for transmitting/receiving wirelessly the voice signal and the control signal to/from said base station,
• wherein the pointing direction of said first microphone is automatically adjusted so as to be oriented toward said visitor picked up by said image pickup means on the basis of the result of the processing executed by said image processing means.

A drive-through system, comprising:

• car detecting means for automatically messaging entrance of an incoming car into a drive-through store;
• a menu board including a speaker and a first microphone whose pointing direction is controllable;
• voice processing means for processing a voice signal generated through said first microphone of said menu board;
• image pickup means for picking up an image of a visitor riding in said incoming car;
• image processing means for processing an image signal outputted from said image pickup means;
• a base station operatively connected to said menu board for transmitting/receiving wirelessly said voice signal and a control signal;
• an order taker head set including a second microphone and an earphone, and designed to be put on a head of a store clerk;
• and
• order taker equipment operatively connected to said order taker head set for transmitting/receiving wirelessly the voice signal and the control signal to/from said base station,
• wherein upon detection of the incoming car by means of said car detecting means, operation of said voice processing means is automatically started;
• a control signal corresponding to a level of the processed voice signal outputted from said voice processing means is generated to thereby adjust automatically the level of the voice signal supplied from said menu board with said control signal in said base station and said order taker equipment;
• and
• the pointing direction of said first microphone is automatically adjusted so as to be oriented toward said visitor picked up by said image pickup means on the basis of the result of the processing executed by said image processing means upon detection of said incoming car.

A drive-through system, comprising:

• car detecting means for messaging entrance of an incoming car into a drive-through store;
• a menu board including a microphone;
• voice processing means for processing a voice signal generated through said microphone;
• a base station including first gain control means which controls gain of the voice signal processed by said voice processing means;
• voice output means;
• order taker equipment connected to said voice output means;
• and
• control means,
• wherein said base station further includes transmitting means which transmits to said order taker equipment the voice signal the gain of which is controlled by said first gain control means;
• said order taker equipment includes receiving means which receives said voice signal transmitted from said transmitting means of said base station, and second gain control means which controls gain of said voice signal received by said receiving means to thereby output to said voice output means the voice signal the gain of which is controlled;
• and
• said control means, upon detection of the incoming car by said car detecting means, makes said voice processing means start operation to generate a control signal corresponding to a level of the voice signal from said microphone, whereby gain of said first gain control means of said base station and gain of said second gain control means of said order taker equipment are controlled in accordance with said control signal.

A drive-through system, comprising:

• car detecting means for messaging entrance of an incoming car into a drive-through store;
• a menu board including a microphone whose pointing direction is controllable;
• image pickup means for picking up an image of a visitor riding in said incoming car;
• image processing means for processing an image signal outputted from said image pickup means;
• a base station operatively connected to said menu board;
• voice output means;
• order taker equipment operatively connected to said voice output means;
• and
• control means for orienting the pointing direction of said microphone toward the visitor picked up by said image pickup means on the basis of the result of the processing executed by said image processing means,
• wherein said base station includes transmitting means which transmits the voice signal generated through said microphone to said order taker equipment;
• and
• said order taker equipment includes receiving means which receives said voice signal transmitted from said transmitting means of said base station to thereby output said received voice signal to said voice output means.

A drive-through system, comprising:

• car detecting means for messaging entrance of an incoming car into a drive-through store;
• a menu board including a microphone whose pointing direction is controllable;
• voice processing means for processing a voice signal generated through said microphone of said menu board;
• image pickup means for picking up an image of a visitor riding in said incoming car;
• image processing means for processing an image signal outputted from said image pickup means;
• a base station including first gain control means for controlling gain of the voice signal processed by said voice processing means;
• voice output means;
• order taker equipment operatively connected to said voice output means;
• and
• control means for orienting the pointing direction of said microphone toward the visitor picked up by said image pickup means in accordance with the result of the processing executed by said image processing means,
• wherein said base station further includes transmitting means which transmits to said order taker equipment the voice signal the gain of which is controlled by said first gain control means;
• said order taker equipment includes receiving means which receives said voice signal transmitted from said transmitting means of said base station, and second gain control means which controls gain of said voice signal received by said receiving means to thereby output to said voice output means the voice signal the gain of which is controlled;
• and
• said control means, upon detection of the incoming car by said car detecting means, makes said voice processing means start operation to generate a control signal corresponding to a level of the voice signal supplied from said microphone, whereby gain of said first gain control means of said base station and gain of said second gain control means of said order taker equipment are controlled in accordance with said control signal.