Online management portal

• US 8,756,156 B1
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Housetab LLC
• Original Assignee: Housetab LLC
• Inventors: Campi, Patrick G., Plaitakis, Nikolaos, Tauber, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/192,842
• Time in Patent Office: 110 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products of an online management portal which manages business and social activities among merchants and users in an online environment. During a user'"'"'s visit of a merchant'"'"'s establishment, the online management portal enables participants to check the user into the merchant'"'"'s establishment, open a tab on the merchant, request for a check for the tab, and pay the tab with mobile electronic devices. In general, the online management portal also allows users to engage in online chatting, posting, sending and receiving orders of merchant products, and other social activities with their mobile electronic devices.

Claims

1. A device for managing business and social activities for a user in an online environment in which a plurality of users and merchants participate, comprising:

a logging unit configured to log into or out of the online environment;

a checking unit configured to check into or out of an establishment of a merchant who is logged into the online environment;

a tab management unit configured to request to open a tab on the merchant for the user;

a user listing unit configured to obtain a first list of users who are checked into the merchant'"'"'s establishment and a second list of users who are logged into the online environment;

a gift unit configured to send an order of a product of the merchant to one of the first list of users;

a check handling unit configured to request and receive a check for the tab; and

a payment unit configured to specify a method of payment for the tab.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a mobile phone, a tablet, a wearable device, a desktop computer, or a laptop.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the user listing unit is further configured to obtain a third list of users who are designated as friends of the user and logged into the online environment, indicating whether a user on the third list is checked into an establishment of a merchant who is logged into the online environment.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the gift unit is further configured to send an order of a product of a merchant to one of the third list of users.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the gift unit is further configured to receive a notification of an acceptance or a rejection of the order.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the gift unit is further configured to receive a notification that the user'"'"'s payment for the order has been processed in response to an acceptance or a redemption of the order.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the gift unit is further configured to receive an order at a second merchant'"'"'s establishment from one of the first or third list of users.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the gift unit is further configured to accept or reject the received order.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the gift unit is further configured to redeem the accepted order at the second merchant'"'"'s establishment.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a buzz unit configured to send or receive a posting to or from one or more of the first or the second list of users.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a quick order unit configured to place an order and request a check for the order.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the payment unit specifies the method of payment in response to the request to open the tab or the request for the check.

13. A device for managing business and social activities for a merchant in an online environment in which a plurality of merchants and users participate, comprising:

a logging unit configured to log into or out of the online environment;

a checking unit configured to receive a notification that a user has checked into or out of the merchant'"'"'s establishment;

a user listing unit configured to obtain a first list of users who are checked into the merchant'"'"'s establishment and a second list of users who are logged into the online environment;

a marketing unit configured to send a marketing message to the first or the second list of users;

a tab management unit configured to open a tab on the merchant for the user;

a gift unit configured to receive a notification that a user has sent an order of the merchant to a second user;

a check handling unit configured to request and receive a check for the tab; and

a payment processing unit configured to receive a notification of a result of processing the user'"'"'s payment for the tab.

14. The device of claim 13,

wherein the user listing unit is further configured to obtain a third list of users who are logged into the online environment and who are in a neighborhood where the merchant'"'"'s establishment resides, and

wherein the marketing unit is further configured to send a marketing message to the third list of users.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the tab management unit is further configured to assign a table and a server to the user in response to the notification that the user is checked in or before opening the tab for the user.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the tab management unit is further configured to obtain a list of tabs on the merchant.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the gift unit is further configured to accept a redemption of the order for the second user.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the gift unit is further configured to receive a notification of a result of processing the user'"'"'s payment for the order.

19. The device of claim 13, further comprising an order unit configured to add orders to the tab.

20. The device of claim 13, further comprising a user interface unit configured to display a number of users who have checked into the merchant'"'"'s establishment, a number of users who have requested to open a tab, a number of users who have open tabs, and a number of users who have requested a check using different colors.