TECHNIQUES FOR DRIVE THRU MOBILE ORDERING

• US 20140114778A1
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Finley, Michael Cain, Miller, Joel Aaron
• Application Number:
  US13/659,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20140114778A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices

Abstract

Techniques for drive-thru mobile ordering are provided. When a consumer'"'"'s mobile device is detected within a drive-thru queue or within a configurable distance of a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal for drive-thru ordering, an interactive ordering interface is presented on the mobile device of the consumer. The consumer places his/her order via that interface and may optionally make payment for the order. The interface interacts with a POS agent of an establishment where the consumer is making the order to take the order and ensure fulfillment of that order.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, at a mobile device, a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal that is a traditional drive-thru POS terminal having a two-way microphone and equipped with a mechanism for automated discovery by the mobile device;

initiating, on the mobile device, a POS interface for placing an order; and

communicating, from the mobile device, the order defined in the POS interface by a consumer, the order wirelessly communicated from the mobile device to a POS agent for a POS system that includes the POS terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting further includes identifying the POS terminal via one of:

Bluetooth discovery, Bluetooth Low Energy discovery, Radio Frequency discovery, Near Field Communication discovery, and WiFi discovery.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying further includes discovering WiFi based on a broadcast network name for the WiFi.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting further includes identifying the POS terminal based on an inputted code from the consumer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying further includes initially receiving the code on the mobile device as a text message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating further includes connecting to the POS agent to interact with the POS interface, and wherein the POS interface processes remote from the mobile device on the POS system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating further includes starting the POS interface within an application on the mobile device, the app connecting automatically to the POS agent.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, receiving, on the mobile device, a confirmation for the order.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving further includes obtaining the confirmation as a text message on the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, making payment, from the mobile device, to the POS agent for the order.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein making payment further includes applying coupons to the payment.

12. A method, comprising:

identifying, on a POS device, a mobile device within a configurable proximity to a POS drive-thru terminal, the POS device remotely located in a cloud from the POS drive-thru terminal that is a traditional drive-thru having a two-way microphone and supporting traditional drive-thru ordering;

interacting, via the POS device, with a mobile-device ordering agent processing on the mobile device to take an order; and

confirming, via the POS device, the order to the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising, obtaining, via the POS device, payment for the order from the mobile-device ordering agent.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising, interacting, via the POS device with a payment system to complete processing of the payment.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising, applying, via the POS device, discounts and/or credits to a payment for the order.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying further includes detecting the mobile device via an interaction received from the mobile-device ordering agent.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying further includes detecting the mobile device based on a registration for the mobile device and a physical location published by the mobile-device ordering agent.

18. A system comprising:

a server configured to distribute a mobile-device ordering agent to memory of a mobile device, the mobile-ordering agent processing on the mobile device; and

a Point-Of-Sale (POS) system having memory configured with a POS ordering agent that executes on one or more processors of the POS ordering agent;

wherein the mobile-device ordering agent is configured to automatically detect a drive-thru POS terminal and to establish automatic communications with the POS ordering agent, the POS ordering agent configured to interact with the mobile-device ordering agent to complete a customer order and the POS system remotely located from the POS terminal in a cloud, the POS terminal is a traditional drive-thru having a two-way microphone and supporting traditional drive-thru ordering.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile-device ordering agent is configured to complete a payment for the customer order with the POS ordering agent.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the server and the drive-thru POS terminal are part of the POS system.