Shared transactions

• US 10,217,159 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Zambo, Robyn Cortes, Acedera, Ferdinand Salarda, Mendoza, Joseph Jover Pinon
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D
• Application Number:
  US14/833,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20170061523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, devices, methods, and software for shared transactions. One method embodiment includes determining whether there are open orders with regard to a location included in first order input received via a network. When there is an open order with regard to the location, the method then transmits a request for second order input indicating whether to add the order input to the at least one open order or to open a new order. When the received second order input specifies that a new order is to be opened, the method opens a new order with regard to the location. When the received second order input specifies that the received first order input is to be added an open order, the method includes adding the first order input to an open order.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether there are any open orders with regard to a location included in first order input received via a network;

when there is at least one open order with regard to the location, transmitting a request for second order input indicating whether to add the first order input to the at least one open order or to open a new order;

opening a new order with regard to the location based on the first order input when the received second order input specifies that a new order is to be opened;

adding the first order input to one of the at least one open orders when the received second order input specifies that the received first order input is to be added to one of the at least one open orders; and

wherein;

the first and second order inputs are received via the network from a mobile device app that executes on a mobile device of a first user;

the location included in the first order input is determined based on at least one beacon identifier received within the mobile device app from a radio transceiver device of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

when the determining whether there are any open orders with regard to the location determines there are a plurality of open orders;

retrieving data representative of each open order; and

transmitting the request for second order input indicating whether to add the received first order input to the at least one open order or to open a new order includes transmitting data representative of each of the at least one open orders and requesting input identifying one of the at least one open orders to add the received first order input to; and

adding the first order input to one of the at least one open orders includes adding the first order input to a specific open order identified in the received second order input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a request for approval input, the approval input for authorizing the adding of the first order input to the at least one open order identified in the received second order input, to a mobile device app that executes on a mobile device of a second user from which the open order was received to which the first order input is to be added, once authorized, based on the second order input; and

wherein the adding of the first order input is performed only upon receipt of approval input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location included in the first order input includes an identifier of at least one beacon device located in proximity to the location.

5. The method of claim 1;

further comprising;

correlating the location to a serving location of a facility based on location data associated with each of a plurality of serving locations of the facility.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving payment authorizations with regard to a single open order from each of a plurality of payment accounts, a sum of the payment authorizations at least equal to a total cost of the single order.

7. A method comprising:

determining a location of a mobile device within a mobile device app that executes on the mobile device, the determined location associated with a serving location and determined based on at least one beacon identifier received within the mobile device app from a radio transceiver device of the mobile device;

receiving order input within a user interface of the mobile device app of at least one order item;

transmitting, via a network from the mobile device app on the mobile device to a backend system, data representative of the determined location, customer account identifying data to associate a dining session at the determined location with the customer account, and data representative of the received order input;

receiving a request from the backend system to add additional order input with regard to another individual that has requested the backend system to add the additional order input to the dining session;

receiving approval input within a user interface of the mobile device app that executes on the mobile device approving or denying the received request; and

transmitting, via the network from the mobile device app on the mobile device to the backend system, data representative of the received approval input.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, via the network from the backend system by the mobile device app that executes on the mobile device;

menu data of items available for order at the serving location;

presenting, on a display of the mobile device, at least one view generated based on the received menu data; and

wherein receiving the order input includes receiving input with regard to at least one item presented in the at least one view of the received menu data.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, via the network from the backend system by the mobile device app that executes on the mobile device, data indicating the customer account does not include associated payment data;

presenting, on a display of the mobile device, a user interface to receive payment data to associate with the customer account; and

transmitting, via the network from the mobile device app on the mobile device to the backend system, data representative of payment data received within the user interface to associate with the customer account.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the location based at least in part on the at least one beacon identifier includes transmitting each of the at least one beacon identifiers to a location service via the network and receiving location identifying data in response.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving input with regard to the dining session to split an amount due with at least one other and input identifying each of the at least one other;

transmitting a message to each of the identified one others regarding the amount due;

receiving payment input for a portion of the amount due; and

transmitting, to the backend system, a payment authorization for the portion of the amount due.

12. A system comprising:

at least one network interface device;

at least one processor;

at least one memory; and

an instruction set, stored in memory and executable by the at least one processor to perform data processing activities, the data processing activities comprising;

determining whether there are any open orders with regard to a location included in first order input received via the at least one network interface device;

when there is at least one open order with regard to the location, transmitting a request for second order input indicating whether to add the first order input to the at least one open order or to open a new order;

opening a new order with regard to the location based on the first order input when the received second order input specifies that a new order is to be opened;

adding the first order input to one of the at least one open orders when the received second order input specifies that the received first order input is to be added to one of the at least one open orders; and

wherein;

the first and second order inputs are received via the network from a mobile device app that executes on a mobile device of a first user;

the location included in the first order input is determined based on at least one beacon identifier received within the mobile device app from a radio transceiver device of the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a database management system storing order data of open orders; and

wherein the determining whether there are any open orders with regard to a location included in first order input includes querying the database management system.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

when the determining whether there are any open orders with regard to the location determines there are a plurality of open orders, retrieving data representative of each open order from the database management system; and

the request for second order input indicating whether to add the received first order input to the at least one open order or to open a new order includes transmitting data representative of each of the at least one open orders and requesting input identifying one of the at least one open orders to add the received first order input to; and

adding the first order input to one of the at least one open orders includes adding the first order input to a database record of the specific open order identified in the received second order input.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the data processing activities further comprise:

transmitting, via the at least one network interface device, a request for approval input, the approval input for authorizing the adding of the first order input to the at least one open order identified in the received second order input to a mobile device app that executes on a mobile device of a second user from which the open order was received to which the first order input is to be added, once authorized, based on the second order input; and

wherein the adding of the first order input is performed only upon receipt of approval input.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the location included in the first order input includes an identifier of at least one beacon device located in proximity to the location.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the data processing activities further comprise:

receiving, via the at least one network interface device, third order input to add additional order items with regard to another person.