Open tab transactions
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for facilitating purchases from a merchant by a customer, comprising:
- receiving, by a server and from one of a set of devices, a first purchase indication indicating a request by the customer to purchase a first item from the merchant, wherein the set of devices includes a customer device associated with the customer and a merchant device associated with the merchant;
generating a first purchase record at the server in response to receipt of the first purchase indication, the first purchase record identifying the customer'"'"'s purchasing of the first item from the merchant;
creating a tab data structure at the server, the tab data structure storing at least the first purchase record;
receiving, by the server and from the merchant device associated with the merchant, a tab updating event alert indicating a request by the customer to purchase a second item from the merchant;
receiving, by the server and from the customer device, a proximity notification indicating that the customer device is within detection range of a short-range wireless signal output by a signal source associated with the merchant device after the tab data structure is created;
determining, at the server, that a payment for the first item and the second item is approved based on the proximity notification;
generating a second purchase record at the server in response to receipt of the tab updating event alert, the second purchase record identifying the customer'"'"'s purchasing of the second item from the merchant;
updating the tab data structure at the server in response to receipt of the tab updating event alert, wherein updating the tab data structure includes adding the second purchase record to the tab data structure; and
sending an aggregation of the first purchase record and the second purchase record from the server to a financial service server in response to updating the tab data structure and in response to determining that the payment for the first item and the second item is approved, thereby processing the payment for the first item and the second item.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A customer device generates an order for purchasing one or more goods or services from a merchant. A list of the purchased items is stored in a data structure designated as a tab. The list is routed to a merchant device. The customer device is carried by a user to the merchant. When the user reaches the merchant, the customer device or merchant device can receive a request to add an additional item to the list of purchased items. The tab remains open and modifiable until the customer device or merchant device receives an input to close it. Payment for the goods or services listed in the modified tab is processed upon closing of the tab.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for facilitating purchases from a merchant by a customer, comprising:
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receiving, by a server and from one of a set of devices, a first purchase indication indicating a request by the customer to purchase a first item from the merchant, wherein the set of devices includes a customer device associated with the customer and a merchant device associated with the merchant; generating a first purchase record at the server in response to receipt of the first purchase indication, the first purchase record identifying the customer'"'"'s purchasing of the first item from the merchant; creating a tab data structure at the server, the tab data structure storing at least the first purchase record; receiving, by the server and from the merchant device associated with the merchant, a tab updating event alert indicating a request by the customer to purchase a second item from the merchant; receiving, by the server and from the customer device, a proximity notification indicating that the customer device is within detection range of a short-range wireless signal output by a signal source associated with the merchant device after the tab data structure is created; determining, at the server, that a payment for the first item and the second item is approved based on the proximity notification; generating a second purchase record at the server in response to receipt of the tab updating event alert, the second purchase record identifying the customer'"'"'s purchasing of the second item from the merchant; updating the tab data structure at the server in response to receipt of the tab updating event alert, wherein updating the tab data structure includes adding the second purchase record to the tab data structure; and sending an aggregation of the first purchase record and the second purchase record from the server to a financial service server in response to updating the tab data structure and in response to determining that the payment for the first item and the second item is approved, thereby processing the payment for the first item and the second item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A non-transitory storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a server, cause the one or more processors to perform operations for facilitating purchases from a merchant by a customer, the operations comprising:
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receiving, by the server and from one of a set of devices, a first purchase indication indicating a request by the customer to purchase a first item from the merchant, wherein the set of devices includes a customer device associated with the customer and a merchant device associated with the merchant; generating a first purchase record at the server in response to receipt of the first purchase indication, the first purchase record identifying the customer'"'"'s purchasing of the first item from the merchant; creating a tab data structure at the server, the tab data structure storing at least the first purchase record; receiving, by the server and from the merchant device associated with the merchant, a tab updating event alert indicating a request by the customer to purchase a second item from the merchant; receiving, by the server and from the customer device, a proximity notification indicating that the customer device is within detection range of a signal source associated with the merchant device after the tab data structure is created; determining, at the server, that a payment for the first item and the second item is approved based on the proximity notification; generating a second purchase record at the server in response to receipt of the tab updating event alert, the second purchase record identifying the customer'"'"'s purchasing of the second item from the merchant; updating the tab data structure at the server in response to receipt of the tab updating event alert, wherein updating the tab data structure includes adding the second purchase record to the tab data structure; and sending an aggregation of the first purchase record and the second purchase record from the server to a financial service server in response to updating the tab data structure and in response to determining that the payment for the first item and the second item is allowed, thereby processing the payment for the first item and the second item. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for facilitating purchases from a merchant by a customer, the system comprising:
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a processor of a server; and a non-transitory storage device of the server storing instructions that, when executed by the processor of the server, cause the server to perform operations comprising; receiving, by the server and from one of a set of devices, a first purchase indication indicating a, a request by the customer to purchase a first item from the merchant, wherein the set of devices includes a customer device associated with the customer and a merchant device associated with the merchant, generating a first purchase record at the server in response to receipt of the first purchase indication, the first purchase record identifying the customer'"'"'s purchasing of the first item from the merchant, creating a tab data structure at the server, the tab data structure storing at least the first purchase record, receiving, by the server and from the merchant device associated with the merchant, a tab updating event alert indicating a request by the customer to purchase a second item from the merchant, receiving, by the server and from the customer device, a proximity notification indicating that the customer device is within detection range of a wireless signal output by a signal source associated with the merchant device after the tab data structure is created, determining, at the server, that a payment for the first item and the second item is approved based on the proximity notification, generating a second purchase record at the server in response to receipt of the tab updating event alert, the second purchase record identifying the customer'"'"'s purchasing of the second item from the merchant, updating the tab data structure at the server in response to receipt of the tab updating event alert, wherein updating the tab data structure includes the second purchase record to the tab data structure, and sending an aggregation of the first purchase record and the second purchase record from the server to a financial service server in response to updating the tab data structure and in response to determining that the payment for the first item and the second item is approved, thereby processing the payment for the first item and the second item. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification