Online ordering for in-shop service

• US 10,713,707 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Groupon Incorporated
• Inventors: Scholl, Nathaniel B., Crawford, Jason, Puckett, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US16/176,793
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Systems and related methods providing for online ordering of menu items from a merchant are discussed herein. Circuitry may be configured to generate an online menu based on menu information stored in a menu database. The menu information may be also configured to facilitate point-of-sale functionality at the merchant, such as by a point-of-sale device. The online menu may be provided to a consumer device. An online order may be received from the consumer device. The circuitry may be configured to process the online order, such as by facilitating a reservation, order preparation, and payment.

Claims

1. A method for integrating online and offline ordering of menu items from a restaurant by a networked processor connected with a merchant device and a consumer device via a network, comprising, by the networked processor:

receiving menu items offered for sale by the restaurant;

generating menu information based on the menu items, wherein the menu information indicates an amount of menu items that are in stock;

storing the menu information in a menu database;

applying an automated optimization to the menu items to generate a display ranking of the menu items based on a consumer purchase prediction for each of the menu items, wherein the automated optimization is performed based on online order tracking data stored in the menu database;

generating a first configuration of menu items based on the display ranking, wherein the first configuration of menu items is configured to cause a display screen of the consumer device to render the menu items according to the display ranking;

generating an online menu characterized by the first configuration of menu items; and

providing the online menu to the consumer device via the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each consumer purchase prediction for a menu item of the menu items is determined based on a predicted behavior of a consumer associated with the consumer device, and wherein the predicted behavior of the customer is determined based on the online order tracking data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, based on the menu information in the menu database, a point-of-sale menu including a second configuration of menu items, wherein the point-of-sale menu is configured to facilitate point-of-sale functionality at the restaurant.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the consumer device, online order data associated with an online order indicating at least one item from the online menu.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in response to receiving the online order data, providing the online order data to the merchant device via the network to facilitate processing of a purchase of the at least one item of the online order by the merchant device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that a trigger condition has been satisfied, wherein the trigger condition comprises a predetermined proximity of the consumer device to the merchant device;

in response to determining the trigger condition has been satisfied, transmitting ticket data to one or more ticket output devices, wherein the ticket data comprises one or more indications of one or more items included in the online order data;

receiving, from the merchant device, in-restaurant order data associated with the online order indicating purchase of at least a second item selected from the point-of-sale menu for addition to the online order in combination with the at least one item; and

in response to determining the trigger condition has been satisfied, transmitting ticket data to one or more ticket output devices, wherein the ticket data comprises one or more indications of one or more items included in the online order data.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

prior to receiving the online order data, associating the consumer with a payment account; and

subsequent to an occurrence of the trigger condition, facilitating a financial transaction associated with the online order, which includes the second item combined with the at least one item, using the payment account.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an additional order of an additional item subsequent to receiving the online order data; and

associating the additional item with the payment account before facilitating the financial transaction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the additional order of the additional item is received from the consumer device via a network connection.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the additional order of the additional item is received from a device located in the restaurant.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising associating an unpaid amount with the payment account.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving an indication to cancel the online order; and

responsive to receiving the indication to cancel the online order, canceling preparation of the online order.

13. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

accessing a waitlist indicating table wait times;

adding an entry to the waitlist for a table based on a request received from the consumer device;

sending an estimated seating time for the table to the consumer device;

associating the online order data with the entry to the waitlist; and

sending an indication that the table is available to the consumer device.

14. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

associating the online order with a plurality of payment accounts;

receiving payment data indicating how to allocate payment amounts among the plurality of payment accounts; and

facilitating financial transactions using the plurality of payment accounts according to the payment data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the payment data indicates a ratio for allocating the payment amounts among the plurality of payment accounts.

16. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from the merchant device, in-restaurant order data associated with the online order indicating purchase of at least a second item selected from the point-of-sale menu for addition to the online order in combination with the at least one item;

determining updated menu information including an updated amount of menu items that are in stock based on the online order, which includes the second item combined with the at least one item;

updating the menu database based on the updated menu information; and

in response to updating the menu database, updating the point-of-sale menu and the online menu based on the updated menu information.

17. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory comprising program code, wherein the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform a method for integrating online and offline ordering of menu items from a restaurant by a networked processor connected with a merchant device and a consumer device via a network, comprising, by the networked processor:

receiving menu items offered for sale by the restaurant;

generating menu information based on the menu items, wherein the menu information indicates an amount of menu items that are in stock;

storing the menu information in a menu database;

applying an automated optimization to the menu items to generate a display ranking of the menu items based on a consumer purchase prediction for each of the menu items, wherein the automated optimization is performed based on online order tracking data stored in the menu database;

generating a first configuration of menu items based on the display ranking, wherein the first configuration of menu items is configured to cause a display screen of the consumer device to render the menu items according to the display ranking;

generating an online menu characterized by the first configuration of menu items; and

providing the online menu to the consumer device via the network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each consumer purchase prediction for a menu item of the menu items is determined based on a predicted behavior of a consumer associated with the consumer device, and wherein the predicted behavior of the customer is determined based on the online order tracking data.

19. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions configured to cause one or more processors to at least perform a method for integrating online and offline ordering of menu items from a restaurant by a networked processor connected with a merchant device and a consumer device via a network, comprising, by the networked processor:

receiving menu items offered for sale by the restaurant;

generating menu information based on the menu items, wherein the menu information indicates an amount of menu items that are in stock;

storing the menu information in a menu database;

applying an automated optimization to the menu items to generate a display ranking of the menu items based on a consumer purchase prediction for each of the menu items, wherein the automated optimization is performed based on online order tracking data stored in the menu database;

generating a first configuration of menu items based on the display ranking, wherein the first configuration of menu items is configured to cause a display screen of the consumer device to render the menu items according to the display ranking;

generating an online menu characterized by the first configuration of menu items; and

providing the online menu to the consumer device via the network.

20. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 19, wherein each consumer purchase prediction for a menu item of the menu items is determined based on a predicted behavior of a consumer associated with the consumer device, and wherein the predicted behavior of the customer is determined based on the online order tracking data.