Location-Aware Bill-Splitting Payment System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing billing systems struggle with efficiently splitting bills among multiple parties, often requiring upfront payment followed by individual settlements, which is time-consuming and not easily facilitated by restaurants or bars, leading to increased wait times for customers and staff, and reduced table turnover.

Innovation Solution

A location-aware, bill-splitting payment system utilizing NFC tags, QR codes, or Bluetooth devices that allow customers to use their mobile devices to select and pay for their portion of the bill directly, integrating with a point-of-sale system and back-end service to manage orders and payments, enabling seamless and efficient bill splitting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If conventional billing systems are used where one party pays the entire bill upfront, then the billing process is simple to implement, but it increases wait time and reduces customer satisfaction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewait time for paymentVSAvoidease of bill splitting

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables customers to independently initiate and complete bill splitting and payment processes through mobile devices without requiring waitstaff intervention. Customers scan QR codes, view their portions, select payment methods, and complete transactions autonomously, transforming the traditional staff-service model into a self-service payment system that reduces wait time while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

A backend service acts as an intermediary between the point-of-sale system and customer mobile devices. This intermediary automatically calculates portion allocations, manages payment transactions, and coordinates data exchange between systems, enabling complex bill splitting functionality without requiring customers or staff to manually handle the complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If manual bill processing by waitstaff is used, then the system has simple technology requirements, but it increases staff workload and processing time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetable turnover rateVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual mechanical processes (waitstaff physically handling bills, calculating portions, processing payments) with automated digital systems. Mobile devices, QR codes, and backend services automate the entire bill splitting and payment workflow, significantly increasing table turnover rate while the modular architecture keeps system complexity manageable through standardized interfaces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The billing system is segmented into independent functional modules: QR code generation, mobile device application, backend service, and point-of-sale integration. This segmentation allows each component to be developed and maintained independently, managing overall system complexity while enabling high-speed parallel processing of multiple bill splitting transactions to improve productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If bill splitting is limited to a few party members, then the payment process is simpler to manage, but it reduces versatility and customer flexibility

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility in bill splittingVSAvoidpayment processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bill splitting system dynamically adapts to any number of party members and any distribution pattern. The backend service automatically adjusts portion calculations based on real-time input from customers regarding what they consumed, allowing flexible splitting across unlimited participants without requiring pre-configuration or complex manual intervention, managing complexity through automated dynamic adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Loss of time

If waitstaff manually process each payment method, then the system requires minimal technology infrastructure, but it increases processing time and staff workload

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment processing timeVSAvoidautomation level

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

Customers independently complete the entire payment process through their mobile devices, selecting payment methods and authorizing transactions without waitstaff involvement. This self-service automation dramatically reduces payment processing time from several minutes of manual handling to seconds of automated electronic processing, while the modular backend service manages the automation complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11068867B1Location-aware, bill-splitting payment system and location-aware, bill-splitting payment processes

Publication Date: 2021.07.20 TUCKER RYAN CRAWFORD

AI summary

A location-aware, bill-splitting payment system and process are disclosed which reduces wait time for service customers, reduces work for service and waitstaff, and increases table turnover rate for a restaurant. The location-aware, bill-splitting payment system and process allows party members to quickly select and pay for their portion of the bill with their mobile devices while still sitting at the table, without having to wait for busy waitstaff to present the bill, or to manually process payment.