Systems and methods for providing consumer facing point-of-sale interfaces

• US 10,163,089 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2014
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Parker, David Scott, Mun, Tim Loong, Acuna Carrasco, Raul Eduardo, Arasu, Kavin, Hong, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Detweiler, James M
• Application Number:
  US14/454,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20150095134A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for providing point-of-sale functionality are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a system including a merchant device and a consumer facing device. The merchant device may include a merchant display device configured to present interactive displays of a merchant facing interface configured to be used by merchants. The consumer facing device may be configured to present interactive displays of a consumer facing interface configured to be used by consumers. The point-of-sale system may be configured to facilitate financial transactions and other forms of consumer service. For example, merchant inputs provided via the merchant facing interface (e.g., entered menu items) may be shown on the consumer facing interface. In another example, consumer inputs provided via the consumer facing interface be sent to the merchant device and/or otherwise used by the merchant device to facilitate a financial transaction, among other things.

Claims

1. A point-of-sale system for facilitating transactions comprising:

a payment server configured to access a promotion database storing at least consumer data;

a consumer device comprising;

a consumer device display;

a consumer device processor and consumer device executable code stored in a non-volatile consumer device memory, such that when the consumer device executable code is executed the consumer device processor is configured to;

display promotion data on the consumer device display;

transmit wallet identifying data;

transmit the wallet identifying data to a merchant device;

a consumer facing device, wherein the consumer facing device, the merchant device and the consumer device are each different devices, the consumer facing device comprising;

a consumer facing display;

a promotion instrument reader device;

a consumer facing device processor and consumer facing device executable code stored in a non-volatile consumer device memory, such that when the consumer facing device executable code is executed the consumer facing device processor is configured to;

receive, from the merchant device, consumer data associated with a consumer account that is associated with the wallet identifying data, the consumer data containing information indicating at least one of consumer purchase histories and consumer-provided ratings;

provide a consumer facing interface to the consumer facing display;

provided an interactive scan button to the consumer facing interface;

generate, in response to a selection of the interactive scan button on the consumer facing interface, a first consumer input by capturing the promotion data displayed on the consumer device display using the promotion instrument reader device;

receive consumer inputs via at least a touchscreen, a camera, and a card reader; and

select impressions indicating one or more promotions are available for purchase or acceptance by the consumer for display on the consumer facing interface based on the consumer data;

display the selected impressions on the consumer facing interface;

establish a personal area network connection with the merchant device;

transmit, via the personal area network connection, the first consumer input to the merchant device;

receive, via the personal area network connection, a total transaction value from the merchant device;

receive, in response to receiving the total transaction value, a payment input associated with a user account;

transmit, via the personal area network connection, the payment input to the merchant device; and

the merchant device comprising;

a merchant facing display; and

a merchant device processor and merchant device executable code stored in a nonvolatile merchant device memory, such that when the merchant device executable code is executed the merchant device processor is configured to;

receive, the wallet identifying data from the consumer device;

provide a merchant facing interface to the merchant facing display;

receive the first consumer input from the consumer facing device via the personal area network connection;

receive merchant inputs via the merchant facing interface;

establish a wide area network connection with the payment server;

transmit, to the payment server via the wide area network connection and in response to receiving the wallet identifying data, the wallet identifying data;

receive in exchange for the wallet identifying data, from the payment server, via the wide area network connection, the consumer data associated with a consumer account that is associated with the wallet identifying data;

transmit, to the consumer facing device and in response to receiving the consumer data associated with the consumer account that is associated with the wallet identifying data, the consumer data associated with the consumer account that is associated with the wallet identifying data;

determine, a total transaction value based on the first consumer input and the merchant inputs;

transmit, via the local network connection, the total transaction value to the consumer facing device, and in response receive, from the consumer facing device, a second consumer input;

facilitate a current transaction based on the total transaction value, the second consumer input and the consumer data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the payment input comprises secure payment data, and the payment input is independent of the consumer data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the payment input comprises a secured electronic signature, and the payment input is independent of the consumer data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the payment input comprises encrypted data, and the payment input is independent of the consumer data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the payment input comprises encrypted payment data, and the payment input is independent of the consumer data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the merchant device processor is further configured to;

determine point-of-sale data based on at least one of the first consumer input and the second consumer input and at least one of the merchant inputs; and

prior to completing the current transaction, provide an indication of the point-of-sale data to the consumer facing device; and

when the consumer facing device executable code is executed by the consumer facing device processor, the consumer facing device is further configured to;

display the indication of the point-of-sale data via the consumer facing display.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the point-of-sale data indicates one or more of:

an item, a redeemable promotion, a menu item, an item price, a modification to an item, or a total transaction price.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein

The first consumer input comprises promotion redemption data indicating one or more redeemable promotions, wherein the promotion redemption data comprises barcode data;

the merchant device processor is further configured to;

determine the total transaction cost based at least in part on the promotion redemption data; and

provide an indication of the total transaction cost to the consumer facing device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the merchant device processor is further configured to:

receive receipt selection data from the consumer facing device via the personal area network connection; and

facilitate at least one of a printing and emailing of a receipt for the current transaction based on the receipt selection data.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the first consumer input is generated by the promotion instrument reader scanning a barcode presented on the display of the consumer device.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the merchant device processor is further configured to:

receive, via the personal area network, tip data provided by the consumer facing device;

determine the total transaction cost based at least in part on the tip data; and

facilitate the current transaction based on the total transaction cost.

10. A machine-implemented method of facilitating transactions between a consumer device, a consumer facing device, and a merchant device, comprising:

establishing, by the merchant device, a first personal area network connection with the consumer device in an instance in which it is determined that the consumer device is proximate to a particular geographic area;

transmitting, by the consumer device, via the first personal area network connection, wallet identifying data to the merchant device;

providing, by the consumer facing device, a consumer facing interface to a consumer facing display, the consumer facing interface being configured to receive consumer inputs via at least a touchscreen, a camera, and a card reader;

providing, by the consumer facing device, an interactive scan button to the consumer facing interface;

generating, by the consumer facing device and in response to a selection of the interactive scan button on the consumer facing interface, a first consumer input by capturing promotion data displayed on a display of the consumer device using a promotion instrument reader of the consumer facing device;

establishing, by the consumer facing device, a second personal area network connection with the merchant device;

transmitting, by the consumer facing device, via the second personal area network connection, the first consumer input to the merchant device;

receiving, by the merchant device, merchant inputs provided via a merchant facing interface provided via a merchant facing display of the merchant device;

establishing, by the merchant device, a wide area network connection with a payment server;

receiving, by the merchant device, in exchange for the wallet, identifying data, via the wide area network connection, consumer data associated with a consumer account that is associated with the wallet identifying data;

transmitting, by the merchant device and in response to receiving the consumer data associated with the consumer account that is associated with the wallet identifying data, the consumer data associated with the consumer account that is associated with the wallet identifying data;

selecting, by the consumer facing device, impressions indicating one or more promotions are available for purchase or acceptance by the consumer for display on the consumer facing interface based on the consumer data associated with the consumer account that is associated with the wallet identifying data;

displaying, by the consumer facing device, the selected impressions on the consumer facing interface;

determining, by the merchant device, a total transaction value based on the first consumer input and the merchant inputs;

transmitting, by the merchant device, via the second personal area network, the total transaction value to the consumer facing device;

receiving, by the consumer facing device, in response to receiving the total transaction value, a payment input associate with a user account;

transmitting, by the consumer facing, device, via the second personal area network, the payment input to the merchant device;

facilitating, by the merchant device, a current transaction, the current transaction being facilitated based on the total transaction value, the payment input, and the consumer data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment input comprises secure payment data, and the payment input is independent of the consumer data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment input comprises a secured electronic signature, and the payment input is independent of the consumer data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment input comprises encrypted data, and the payment input is independent of the personal consumer data.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the payment input comprises encrypted payment data, and the payment input is independent of the consumer data.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein facilitating the current transaction includes:

determining, by the merchant device, point-of-sale data based on at least one of the first consumer input and the second consumer input and at least one of the merchant inputs; and

prior to completing the current transaction, providing, by the merchant device, an indication of the point-of-sale data, to the consumer facing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the point-of-sale data indicates one or more of:

an item, a redeemable promotion, a menu item, an item price, a modification to an item, or a total transaction price.

17. The method of claim 10,

wherein the first consumer input comprises promotion redemption data indicating one or more redeemable promotions, wherein the promotion redemption data comprises barcode data;

determining, by the merchant device, the total transaction cost based at least in part on the promotion redemption data; and

providing an indication of the total transaction cost to the consumer facing device.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising,

receiving, by the merchant device, receipt selection data from the consumer facing device via the second personal area network;

and

facilitating at least one of a printing and mailing of a receipt for the current transaction based on the receipt selection data.