Handheld order unit and cash handling device

• US 8,781,903 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Bohen, Daniel Christopher, Folk, Amy Baker, Sanders, William Thomas, Johnson, Shane Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, IG TAI
• Application Number:
  US12/254,533
• Time in Patent Office: 2,094 Days
• Field of Search: 705/15
• US Class Current: 705/15
• 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 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

Methods and devices allow a handheld order unit to be used with a cash handling device. A handheld order unit may be used by a staff person to enter order information, to display an amount due for the meal or other transaction, to facilitate payment, to print receipts, and to communicate information about the transaction to a cash handling device. The cash handling device may identify the handheld order unit and the assigned user for the unit and determine what financial documents need to be inserted by the user for reconciliation purposes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first order information, entered by a user, into a handheld order unit, the user being assigned to the handheld order unit;

communicating, from the handheld order unit, the first order information to a cash handling device;

displaying an amount due for the first order on the handheld order unit;

receiving first payment information, entered by the user, about the first order into the handheld order unit;

receiving at least one second order information, entered by the user, into the handheld order unit;

communicating, from the handheld order unit, the at least one second order information to the cash handling device;

displaying an amount due for the at least one second order on the handheld order unit;

receiving second payment information, entered by the user, about the at least one second order into the handheld order unit; and

performing a reconciliation of the handheld order unit to the cash handling device including the following steps;

displaying a currency prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating how much physical currency must be input into the cash handling device to reconcile the amount due for the first order with the first payment information,

displaying at least one card prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating that at least one processed transaction card slip, must be deposited into the cash handling device to reconcile the amount due for the at least one second order with the at least one second payment information;

at the cash handling device, receiving and scanning the at least one processed transaction card slip deposited in the cash handing device and processing the scanned data associated with the at least one processed transaction card slip for said reconciliation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication of the order information from the handheld order unit to the cash handling device occurs wirelessly.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the reconciliation includes allowing said currency to be deposited into the cash handling device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the currency is selected from the group consisting of cash and coins.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the reconciliation includes displaying at least one check prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating that at least one check must be deposited.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the reconciliation includes identifying which said at least one check is to be deposited.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the reconciliation includes allowing said at least one check to be deposited.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of scanning said at least one check after it is deposited.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the reconciliation includes routing said at least one processed transaction card slip to a storage location.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the reconciliation includes storing said at least one processed transaction card slip.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one processed transaction card slip is selected from the group consisting of a debit card slip and a credit card slip.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the reconciliation includes:

displaying a first check prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating a first check that must be deposited,

receiving the first check, and

after displaying the first check prompt, displaying a second check prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating a second check that must be deposited.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to performing the reconciliation, storing, at the cash handling device, how much physical currency the user has received based upon the first payment information and the at least one second payment information; and

prior to the reconciliation, storing, at the cash handling device, how many processed transaction card slips the user has received based upon the at least one second payment information and an amount associated with each processed transaction card slip.

12. A system comprising:

a cash handling device, including;

a scanner, and a processor;

a handheld order unit including;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory having stored therein computer executable instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

receive first order information entered by a user, the user being assigned to the apparatus;

communicate the first order information to the cash handling device;

display an amount due for the first order;

receive first payment information, entered by the user, about the first order;

receive at least one second order information entered by the user;

communicate the at least one second order information to the cash handling device;

display an amount due for the at least one second order;

receive at least one second payment information, entered by the user, about the at least one second order; and

perform a reconciliation to the cash handling device,

wherein the reconciliation includes displaying a currency prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating how much physical currency must be input into the cash handling device to reconcile the amount due for the first order and the amount due for the at least one second order with the first payment information and the at least one second payment information,

wherein the reconciliation includes displaying at least one card prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating that at least one processed transaction card slip must be deposited and scanned into the cash handling device so that the scanned data associated with the at least one processed transaction card slip can be used to reconcile the amount due for the at least one second order with the at least one second payment information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the reconciliation includes display at least one check prompt indicating that at least one check must be deposited.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

receive at least one order information entered by a user, the user being assigned to a handheld order unit;

communicate the at least one order information from the handheld order unit to a cash handling device;

display an amount due for the at least one order;

receive at least one payment information, entered by the user, about the at least one order; and

perform a reconciliation of the handheld order unit to the cash handling device,

wherein the reconciliation includes displaying a currency prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating how much physical currency must be input into the cash handling device to reconcile the amount due for the at least one order with the at least one payment information,

wherein the reconciliation includes displaying at least one card prompt, on the handheld order unit, indicating that at least one processed transaction card slip must be deposited and scanned into the cash handling device so that the scanned data associated with at least one processed transaction card slip can be used to reconcile the amount due for the at least one order with the at least one payment information.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the reconciliation includes display at least one check prompt indicating that at least one check must be deposited.