Device and system for presenting and facilitating payment of a restaurant bill

• US 7,370,794 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TableSafe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fleming Trane
• Inventors: Trane, Fleming
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien Minh
• Application Number:
  US11/377,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20070215695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/381, 235/383, 235/486, 235/487, 235/493, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A device, system and method are disclosed for presenting a bill to restaurant patrons, and facilitating the payment of the bill by the patrons. A basic embodiment of the device includes a computing system and a billfold for housing at least a portion of the computing system. The computing system includes at least a pressure sensitive display, a magnetic strip reader for inputting payment information, a memory for storing computer executable instructions and a processing unit for executing computer executable instructions.

Claims

1. A device for presenting and facilitating payment of a restaurant bill, the device comprising:

a computing system for processing payment of a restaurant bill, the computing system comprising;

a pressure sensitive display for displaying information and for receiving input from a user;

a magnetic strip reader for receiving payment information encoded on a magnetic strip;

a wireless communication device for communicating with a central computing system;

memory for storing computer executable instructions for facilitating payment of a restaurant bill; and

a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions, wherein said processing unit is communicatively connected to the pressure sensitive display, the magnetic reader, the wireless device and the memory; and

a billfold comprising at least a first flap, a second flap and a hinge connecting said first flap to said second flap, wherein the billfold houses at least a portion of the computing system.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive display, the wireless communication device, the memory and the processing unit are housed within the billfold.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive display is housed within the first flap.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication device, the memory and the processing unit are housed within the second flap.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the second flap comprises padding material to protect the wireless communication device, the memory and the processing unit.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the pressure sensitive display, the wireless communication device, the memory and the processing unit are housed within the first flap.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic strip reader is mounted on said hinge.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the magnetic strip reader is mounted on said first flap.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein the magnetic strip reader is mounted on said second flap.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device has a thickness of no less than 0.2 cm and no greater than 3 cm.

11. A system for presenting and facilitating payment of a restaurant bill for a group of patrons, the system comprising:

a computing system for processing payment of a restaurant bill, wherein the computing system performs the steps of;

receiving information regarding a number of paying patrons;

receiving information regarding whether a bill will be divided evenly among the paying patrons;

in response to receipt of information that the bill will not be divided evenly among the paying patrons, receiving item information for a first paying patron, then receiving gratuity information for the first paying patron;

in response to receipt of information that the bill will be divided evenly among the group of patrons, receiving gratuity information from a first paying patron;

processing payment of a portion of the bill being paid by the first paying patron; and

a billfold comprising at least a first flap, a second flap and a hinge connecting said first flap to said second flap, wherein the billfold houses at least a portion of the computing system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing payment step comprises receiving information regarding a form of payment from the first paying patron.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing payment step further comprises receiving payment information encoded on a magnetic strip.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing payment step further comprises receiving information indicating whether a transaction receipt should be electronically mailed to the first paying patron.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processing payment step comprises receiving information indicating an amount of cash that will be tendered by the first paying patron for payment of the portion of the bill.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing system comprises a display and further performs the following steps:

receiving information regarding conditions within a restaurant;

determining whether to offer discounts, based on the conditions; and

if a determination is made to offer discounts, displaying discount information to the group of patrons.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing system comprises a display and further performs the following steps:

displaying a survey question to a patron; and

receiving an answer to the survey question from the patron.

18. A system for presenting and facilitating payment of a restaurant bill for a group of patrons, the system comprising:

a computing system for processing payment of a restaurant bill, the computing system comprising;

a pressure sensitive display for displaying information and for receiving input from a patron;

a magnetic strip reader for receiving payment information encoded on a magnetic strip;

a wireless communication device for communicating with a central computing system;

memory for storing computer executable instructions for facilitating payment of a restaurant bill; and

a processing unit for executing the computer executable instructions,

wherein when the computer executable instructions are executed the following steps are performed;

receiving information regarding a number of paying patrons;

receiving information regarding whether a bill will be divided evenly among the paying patrons;

in response to receipt of information that the bill will not be divided evenly among the paying patrons, receiving item information for a first paying patron, then receiving gratuity information for the first paying patron;

in response to receipt of information that the bill will be divided evenly among the group of patrons, receiving gratuity information from a first paying patron;

processing payment of a portion of the bill being paid by the first paying patron; and

a billfold comprising at least a first flap, a second flap and a hinge connecting said first flap to said second flap, wherein the billfold houses at least a portion of the computing system.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the memory has further computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving information regarding conditions within a restaurant;

determining whether to offer discounts, based on the conditions; and

if a determination is made to offer discounts, displaying discount information to the group of patrons.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the memory has further computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:

displaying a survey question to a patron on said pressure sensitive display; and

receiving an answer to the survey question from the patron using said pressure sensitive display.