Contactless Gratuity Payment With Lighting Alerts for Social Venues
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Solution Overview
Problem
The spread of viruses through handling of physical currency and the decline in gratuity payments due to social distancing measures have negatively impacted strip clubs and social venues, necessitating a contactless payment method for gratuities to exotic dancers and bartenders.
Innovation Solution
A contactless payment system using near-field and wireless technology integrated with lighting systems to facilitate payments directly to performers and bartenders, eliminating the need for physical currency and enhancing visibility of payments through illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If physical currency is used for payments, then performers and bartenders receive gratuities, but virus transmission risk increases due to handling and sharing of money
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of physical currency handling with an electronic payment system using contactless card readers and mobile payment technology. This substitution eliminates the need for physical money exchange while maintaining the gratuity delivery function, thereby reducing virus transmission risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces contactless payment terminals and mobile payment platforms as intermediaries between patrons and performers/bartenders. These intermediaries facilitate the transfer of value without requiring direct physical contact or currency handling, thus breaking the transmission chain for viruses.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If contactless payment systems are implemented, then virus transmission risk is reduced, but device complexity increases due to integration of payment terminals and lighting systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated units: contactless payment terminals are merged with stage lighting controls and bar point-of-sale systems. This consolidation reduces the number of separate devices needed and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining all required functionalities.
Solution Approach 2:
The payment system is designed with multi-functionality to handle various payment types (cashless cards, mobile payments, digital wallets) through a single unified interface. This universal approach reduces the need for multiple specialized devices and simplifies system integration.
3Loss of information
If lighting systems are integrated with payment terminals, then payment visibility is improved for performers and staff, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system operates periodically rather than continuously, activating only when a payment transaction occurs. The lights illuminate briefly to indicate payment receipt and then deactivate, significantly reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining effective communication of payment status to performers and staff.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses different colored lights to convey different payment states (e.g., green for successful payment, red for failed transaction). This color-coding system provides clear visual information with minimal light intensity and duration, optimizing the balance between visibility and energy efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables secure, hygienic, and efficient payment transactions that motivate performers and reduce wait times, revitalizing the industry by reducing virus transmission risks and improving service efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The contactless payment device uses technology that is already in use in many businesses and is attached to a section of the stage in which patrons may also place drinks or food while viewing the performance on stage
Implementation Method 2
the contactless payment system is connected to a lighting system embedded in the dance floor of the stage or tabletop of a bar area. When a patron makes a payment to a performer, or for an item from a bar, a section of the dance floor or tabletop area of a bar, associated with where the contactless payment was established, is illuminated
Data Source
AI summary
A method by which patrons can pay or provide gratuity payments to performers at night clubs, also known as strip clubs, and/or to wait staff at other social venues such as bars, through a contactless payment system. The use of existing nearfield or wireless technology for payment eliminates the need to use paper currency. The system is also connected to a lighting configuration for the dance floor, or service area of a bar, that alerts the performer, or bartender, when payment has been made in any of the sectors of the dance floor or serving areas.