IP Library Granted Patent US 11,062,287
Granted Patent B2
US 11,062,287 · App. 15/784,015 · Granted Jul 13, 2021

Consumer device based point-of-sale

Inventors: Tuomas Artman (San Francisco, CA); Jyri Engestrom (San Francisco, CA); Ulf Schwekendiek (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Groupon, Inc.
G06Q20/202G06Q20/20G06Q20/204G06Q20/206G06Q20/3224G06Q20/3278G06Q20/36G06Q20/363G06Q20/3825G06Q20/3827G06Q20/38215G06Q20/4012G06Q20/40145H05K999/00H05K999/99G06Q20/3274
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,062,287
App. No.
15/784,015
Granted
Jul 13, 2021
Kind
B2
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 (57)

1. A merchant device for providing secure, real-time location tracking of consumer devices within a monitored region of a merchant shop, the merchant device, 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 wireless communications between the consumer device and a plurality of other merchant devices positioned throughout the monitored region via a wireless network;

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

determine location data indicating a consumer device location within the monitored region based at least in part on the received wireless communications;

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

provide a graphical representation of a floor plan of the monitored region to the display comprising a consumer device location indication including at least some of the consumer identifying data in association with a unit of location for the consumer device that is selected from a plurality of units of location within the monitored region based on the consumer device location.

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

determine location data based on a wireless communication received from the consumer device; and

determine the unit of location based on the location data.

3. The merchant device of claim 2 , wherein the wireless communication is based on one or more signals using near field communication (NFC), Quick Response (QR) code, radio frequency identification (RFID), triangulation, or received signal strength indication (RSSI).

4. The merchant device of claim 1 , wherein the unit of location is a dine-in location at a restaurant associated with a table identifier.

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

6. The merchant device of claim 5 , 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.

7. The merchant device of claim 4 , 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.

8. The merchant device of claim 7 , 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.

9. The merchant device of claim 7 , wherein the consumer information includes dine-in preference data configured to facilitate customized dining service.

10. The merchant device of claim 7 , wherein the consumer information includes menu item purchase history data.

11. The merchant device of claim 7 , wherein the consumer information includes one or more promotional deals redeemable at the restaurant.

12. The merchant device of claim 4 , 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.

13. The merchant device of claim 12 , wherein the consumer information includes an ordered menu item.

14. The merchant device of claim 12 , 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.

15. A machine-implemented method for providing secure, real-time location tracking of consumer devices within a monitored region of a merchant shop and by a merchant device comprising:

a display configured to present interactive displays and

communications circuitry configured to facilitate communications with a consumer device and a central system, the machine-implemented method comprising:

receiving wireless communications between the consumer device and a plurality of other merchant devices positioned throughout the monitored region via a wireless network;

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

determining location data indicating a consumer device location within the monitored region based at least in part on the received wireless communications;

receiving, from the central system, consumer identifying data associated with the wallet identifying data; and

providing a graphical representation of a floor plan of the monitored region to the display comprising a consumer device location indication including at least some of the consumer identifying data in association with a unit of location for the consumer device that is selected from a plurality of units of location within the monitored region based on the consumer device location.

16. The method of claim 15 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.

17. The method of claim 16 , 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.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising, by the merchant device:

comparing the consumer device location with a plurality of available units of locations; and

wherein associating the consumer identifying data with the unit of location comprises associating the consumer identifying data with a nearest unit of location from the plurality of available units of locations.

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

compare the consumer device location with a plurality of available units of locations; and

wherein associating the consumer identifying data with the unit of location at the merchant shop comprises associating the consumer identifying data with a nearest unit of location from the plurality of available units of locations.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 12, 2024
From: GROUPON, INC.
To: BYTEDANCE INC.
Reel/Frame 068833/0811 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: GROUPON, INC.; LIVINGSOCIAL, LLC (F/K/A LIVINGSOCIAL, INC.)
Reel/Frame 066676/0001 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS Recorded Feb 26, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: GROUPON, INC.; LIVINGSOCIAL, LLC (F/K/A LIVINGSOCIAL, INC.)
Reel/Frame 066676/0251 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 23, 2020
From: GROUPON, INC.; LIVINGSOCIAL, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053294/0495 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2020
From: ARTMAN, TUOMAS; ENGESTROM, JYRI; SCHWEKENDIEK, ULF
To: GROUPON, INC.
Reel/Frame 051438/0447 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 13875019 · May 1, 2013
Continuation In Part 13794529 · Mar 11, 2013
Related Publication 20180276634A1 · Sep 27, 2018
Cited By (4)
US 12,271,881 US 12,271,927 US 12,536,521 US 12,711,823