Consumer device based point-of-sale

• US 9,852,409 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2013
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Artman, Tuomas, Engestrom, Jyri, Schwekendiek, Ulf
• Primary Examiner(s): Glass, Shay S
• Application Number:
  US13/875,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3827 Use of message hashing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/00 dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

Systems and related methods facilitating interactions between a merchant device, a central system and a consumer device are discussed herein. Wallet identifying data may be used to secure messages between the consumer device and the merchant device over a wireless link. For example, the merchant device may include circuitry configured to wirelessly receive the wallet identifying data from a consumer device and to transmit the wallet identifying data to the central system. In response, consumer identifying data associated with the wallet identifying data may be received by the merchant device from the central system. In some embodiments, the consumer identifying data may be associated with a unit of location, such as a dine-in location at a restaurant, to facilitate consumer service.

Claims

1. A merchant device for providing secure, real-time location tracking of consumer devices by the merchant device and one or more other merchant devices that provide coverage for a wireless network within a monitored region, comprising:

a display configured to present interactive displays;

communications circuitry configured to facilitate communications with a consumer device and a central system; and

processing circuitry configured to;

receive a wireless transmission including wallet identifying data from the consumer device via a wireless network;

determine location data indicating a location of the consumer device based at least in part on receiving the wireless transmission including the wallet identifying data, wherein the location data is further determined based on using one or more of triangulation or received signal strength indication (RSSI) comparison of a signal of the wireless transmission with one or more additional signals of one or more additional wireless transmissions of the wallet identifying data between the consumer device and the one or more other merchant devices via the wireless network;

transmit the wallet identifying data to the central system;

subsequent to transmitting the wallet identifying data to the central system, receive, from the central system, consumer identifying data associated with the wallet identifying data;

provide a graphical representation of a floor plan of the monitored region to the display with an indication of at least some of the consumer identifying data within floor plan, wherein the indication is located within the floor plan based on the location of the consumer device; and

wherein the wireless transmission utilizes one or more of Quick Response (QR) code or radio frequency identification.

2. The merchant device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

determine a unit of location at a merchant shop based on the location data; and

associate the consumer identifying data with the unit of location.

3. The merchant device of claim 2, wherein the unit of location is a dine-in location at a restaurant associated with a table identifier, and the monitored location includes the restaurant.

4. The merchant device of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine, based on the location data, the table identifier from a plurality of table identifiers.

5. The merchant device of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to provide the graphical representation of the floor plan including the indication of at least some of the consumer identifying data associated with the dine-in location within the floor plan.

6. The merchant device of claim 5, wherein the graphical representation of the floor plan is part of a user interface that further includes a graphical layout of a plurality of tables within the restaurant.

7. The merchant device of claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

associate the consumer identifying data with a restaurant tab identifier;

associate menu item data indicating one or more menu items with the restaurant tab identifier;

determine a payment amount based on the menu item data;

wirelessly send the payment amount to the consumer device;

wirelessly receive consumer approval data indicating approval of a payment for at least the payment amount from the consumer device, the consumer approval data secured with a private key associated with the wallet identifying data; and

send secured payment approval data based on the consumer approval data to the central system.

8. The merchant device of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive, from the central system, consumer information associated with the consumer identifying data; and

provide the consumer information to the display when the consumer device is in proximity to the dine-in location.

9. The merchant device of claim 8, wherein:

the consumer information includes dine-in location preference data; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the dine-in location at the restaurant based on the dine-in location preference data.

10. The merchant device of claim 8, wherein the consumer information includes dine-in preference data configured to facilitate customized dining service.

11. The merchant device of claim 8, wherein the consumer information includes menu item purchase history data.

12. The merchant device of claim 8, wherein the consumer information includes one or more promotional deals redeemable at the restaurant.

13. The merchant device of claim 8, wherein the consumer information includes profile information of a consumer associated with the wallet identifying data.

14. The merchant device of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

receive consumer information entered via an interactive display presented on the display; and

send the consumer information to the central system.

15. The merchant device of claim 14, wherein the consumer information includes an ordered menu item.

16. The merchant device of claim 14, wherein the consumer information includes dine-in location preference data wirelessly received from the consumer device and configured to facilitate a determination of the dine-in location at the restaurant.

17. A machine-implemented method for providing secure, real-time location tracking of consumer devices by a merchant device and one or more other merchant devices that provide coverage for a wireless network within a monitored region, comprising:

receiving, by the merchant device, a wireless transmission including wallet identifying data from a consumer device via the wireless network;

determining, by the merchant device, location data indicating a location of the consumer device based at least in part on receiving the wireless transmission including the wallet identifying data, wherein the location data is further determined based on using one or more of triangulation or received signal strength indication (RSSI) comparison of a signal of the wireless transmission with one or more additional signals of one or more additional wireless transmissions of the wallet identifying data between the consumer device and the one or more other merchant devices via the wireless network;

transmitting, by the merchant device, the wallet identifying data to the central system;

subsequent to transmitting the wallet identifying data to the central system, receiving, from the central system and by the merchant device, consumer identifying data associated with the wallet identifying data;

providing a graphical representation of a floor plan of the monitored region to the display including an indication of at least some of the consumer identifying data within floor plan, wherein the indication is located within the floor plan based on the location of the consumer device; and

wherein the wireless transmission utilizes one or more of Quick Response (QR) code or radio frequency identification (RFID).

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising, by the merchant device:

determining a unit of location at a merchant shop based on the location data; and

associating the consumer identifying data with the unit of location.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the unit of location is a dine-in location at a restaurant associated with a table identifier;

the monitored region includes the restaurant; and

the merchant device is further configured to determine, based on the location data, the table identifier from a plurality of table identifiers.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing, by the merchant device, the graphical representation of the floor plan including the indication of the at least some of the consumer identifying data associated with the dine-in location within the floor plan.