Drive-in restaurant credit-card transaction system

• US 7,343,006 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: America's Drive-In Brand Properties LLC (Mavericks, Inc. (d/b/a Inspire Brands, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: America's Dive-In Corp.
• Inventors: Ewald, Richard, Klearman, William I., Williams, Michael Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): GORT, ELAINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/951,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 705/18, 705/21, 705/26, 705/41, 705/39, 705/43, 705/40, 705/44, 379/93.01, 379/114.19, 379/93.12, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 379/114.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/145 PLU-management

Abstract

A method for conducting credit card transactions at a business having a plurality of remote customer interfaces includes the steps of electronically transmitting a customer'"'"'s order from one of the plurality of remote customer interfaces to a transaction hub, entering the customer'"'"'s order into the transaction hub, transmitting payment information for the customer'"'"'s order from the transaction hub to a credit card interface at the one of the plurality of remote customer interfaces, electronically transmitting credit card information from the credit card interface to the transaction hub and conducting a credit card approval procedure. A presently preferred apparatus includes a system that includes a remote customer interface and a transaction hub. The remote customer interface preferably includes a credit card interface and a radio client. The transaction hub preferably includes a central server and a radio client.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a credit card transaction at a business having a plurality of remote customer interfaces, the method comprising the steps of:

electronically transmitting a customer'"'"'s order from one of the plurality of remote customer interfaces to an order entry terminal via an intercom;

entering the customer'"'"'s order into a central server of a transaction hub;

generating an electronic order ticket;

transmitting payment information for the customer'"'"'s order from the transaction hub to a credit card interface in the customer interface;

electronically transmitting credit card information from the customer interface to the transaction hub, wherein the information is transmitted from a radio host in the customer interface to a radio server in the transaction hub with a radio signal after the customer has swiped a credit card;

matching the credit card information and payment information with the order ticket based on the location of the customer;

conducting a credit card approval procedure;

delivering the order to the customer upon credit card approval;

and wherein the transmission of the customer'"'"'s order and the credit card information is not carried out on a common means of communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding the credit card information before transmitting the credit card information from the radio host to the radio server with a radio signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of confirming the customer'"'"'s order on a visual display at the credit card interface.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the customer with the option of paying with cash.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the option of paying with cash is automatically selected if no credit card information is transmitted from the customer interface after a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the order ticket includes a unique identification number, payment information and information about the location of the customer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the order ticket further reflects whether the customer has paid for the customer'"'"'s order and the real-time status of the customer'"'"'s order.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the order ticket is displayed at operational peripherals to optimize the service provided to the customer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of conducting a credit card approval procedure further comprises transmitting credit card information and payment information from the transaction hub to an external credit card approval network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of receiving credit card approval information from the external credit card approval network and electronically transmitting the credit card approval information to the customer interface from the transaction hub.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the credit card is a gift card and the step of conducting a credit card approval procedure further comprises the step of transmitting gift card and payment information from the transaction hub to an external gift card approval network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating an order ticket representative of the customer'"'"'s order in the central server;

dividing the order ticket to reflect multiple orders; and

transmitting payment information from the transaction hub to the customer interface for each of the multiple orders.

13. A method of conducting a credit card transaction at a quick-serve restaurant having a building and at least one remote customer interface located exterior to the building, the method comprising:

taking an order from the at least one remote customer interface using an intercom;

entering the order into a central server in the building;

generating an electronic order ticket in the central server representative of the order;

transmitting payment information associated with the order ticket to the at least one remote customer interface with a radio signal;

transmitting credit card information from the remote customer interface to the central server with a radio signal;

transmitting the credit card information and the payment information to a credit card approval network using a satellite data connection;

delivering the order to the customer upon credit card approval;

and wherein the taking of an order and the transmission of payment and credit card information is not carried out on a common means of communication.