Method and systems for personal restaurant assistant

• US 8,126,776 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deem, Incorporated (Jack Taylor Family Voting Trust U A D 4 14 99)
• Original Assignee: Rearden Commerce Inc
• Inventors: Messa, Suzette, Orttung, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaawat, Mussa A
• Application Number:
  US11/480,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A method and systems for a personal restaurant assistant. In one embodiment, the method, that may be implemented on a system, comprises identifying from an invoice for a group of diner'"'"'s having ordered meals, charge items from the invoice to be allocated to one or more of the diners; transmitting over a network connection to a service provider, the identification of the charge items having been allocated to the one or more diners, to have calculated an allocated amount of the invoice for the one or more diners; and receiving over the network connection from the service provider, a calculated allocated amount of the invoice for the one or more diners.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, by at least one computing device, from each of a plurality of wireless devices, a login for a respective one of a plurality of diners associated with the respective wireless device, the plurality of diners comprising a party associated with an order comprising a plurality of items, such that the login comprises an ID and a table number transmitted to each of the plurality of wireless devices via a wireless transmission from a device operated by a restaurant employee;

transmitting, by the at least one computing device, to each of the plurality of wireless devices, a bill for the order, the bill comprising the plurality of items;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a selection of a respective at least one of the plurality of items by the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a respective tip amount designated by the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device;

calculating, by the at least one computing device, for each of the plurality of diners, a respective total amount comprising a charge for the respective at least one of the plurality of items selected by the respective diner and the respective tip amount designated by the respective diner;

transmitting, by the at least one computing device, to each of the plurality of wireless devices, the respective total amount for the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a respective electronic payment of the respective total amount for the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device; and

receiving, by the at least one computing device, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a respective grade for the quality of a dining experience from the respective user associated with the respective wireless device, wherein the respective tip amount for the respective diner is determined based on the respective grade received from the respective diner.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of items comprise food and beverages.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the login is transmitted to each of the plurality of wireless devices as a v-card.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the respective total amount for each of the plurality of diners includes a respective amount for taxes for the respective at least one of the plurality of items selected by the respective diner.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the respective payment for at least one of the plurality of diners is received electronically from the respective one of the plurality of wireless devices associated with the respective diner.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of diners select one of the plurality of items, wherein each of the at least two diners designates a respective percentage of responsibility for the one of the plurality of items, wherein the respective total amount for each of the at least two diners reflects a respective percentage charge for the one of the plurality of items in accordance with the respective percentage of responsibility designated by the respective diner.

5. A tangible machine readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by at least one computing device, from each of a plurality of wireless devices, a login for a respective one of a plurality of diners associated with the respective wireless device, the plurality of diners comprising a party associated with an order comprising a plurality of items, such that the login comprises an ID and a table number transmitted to each of the plurality of wireless devices via a wireless transmission from a device operated by a restaurant employee;

transmitting, to each of the plurality of wireless devices, a bill for the order, the bill comprising the plurality of items;

receiving, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a selection of a respective at least one of the plurality of items by the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device;

receiving, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a respective tip amount designated by the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device;

calculating, for each of the plurality of diners, a respective total amount comprising a charge for the respective at least one of the plurality of items selected by the respective diner and the respective tip amount designated by the respective diner;

transmitting, to each of the plurality of wireless devices, the respective total amount for the respective diner associated with respective wireless device;

receiving, by the at least one computing device, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a respective payment of the respective total amount for the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device; and

receiving, by the at least one computing device, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a respective grade for the quality of a dining experience from the respective user associated with the respective wireless device, wherein the respective tip amount for the respective diner is determined based on the respective grade received from the respective diner.

6. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the plurality of items comprise food and beverages.

7. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the login ID is transmitted to each of the plurality of wireless devices as a v-card via a wireless transmission from a device operated by a restaurant employee.

8. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the respective total amount for each of the plurality of diners includes a respective amount for taxes for the respective at least one of the plurality of items selected by the respective diner.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the respective payment for at least one of the plurality of diners is received electronically from the respective one of the plurality of wireless devices associated with the respective diner.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein at least two of the plurality of diners select one of the plurality of items, wherein each of the at least two diners designates a respective percentage of responsibility for the one of the plurality of items, wherein the respective total amount for each of the at least two diners reflects a respective percentage charge for the one of the plurality of items in accordance with the respective percentage of responsibility designated by the respective diner.

9. A system comprising:

at least one computing device to;

receive, from each of a plurality of wireless devices, a login for a respective one of a plurality of diners associated with the respective wireless device, the plurality of diners comprising a party associated with an order comprising a plurality of items, such that the login comprises an ID and a table number transmitted to each of the plurality of wireless devices via a wireless transmission from a device operated by a restaurant employee;

transmit, to each of the plurality of wireless devices, a bill for the order, the bill comprising the plurality of items;

receive, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a selection of a respective at least one of the plurality of items by the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device;

receive, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a respective tip amount designated by the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device;

calculate, for each of the plurality of diners, a respective total amount comprising a charge for the respective at least one of the plurality of items selected by the respective diner and the respective tip amount designated by the respective diner;

transmit, to each of the plurality of wireless devices, the respective total amount for the respective diner associated with the respective wireless device; and

receive, from each of the plurality of wireless devices, a respective grade for the quality of a dining experience from the respective user associated with the respective wireless device, wherein the respective tip amount for the respective diner is determined based on the respective grade received from the respective diner.