Message Broker for Merchant Device Interoperation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing merchant devices, such as POS systems in retail and restaurant environments, often operate in isolation, lacking the ability to interoperate effectively, leading to inefficiencies in order management and operational processes within establishments.
Innovation Solution
Implementing techniques that enable robust interoperation between back-of-house (BOH) and front-of-house (FOH) devices through real-time communication sessions and intelligent routing based on device location, order associations, and contextual information, allowing for optimized communication and task management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If merchant devices operate independently without interconnected communication, then device simplicity and ease of operation are maintained, but operational efficiency and task management capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a message broker as an intermediary component that enables communication between BOH and FOH devices without requiring direct point-to-point connections. The message broker receives messages from publishing devices, routes them to subscribing devices based on message topics, and manages the communication infrastructure centrally, thus improving operational efficiency while maintaining relative device simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system implements a universal messaging protocol and standardized message formats that can be used across different device types (BOH devices, FOH devices, mobile devices). This multi-functional approach allows a single communication infrastructure to handle various operational scenarios including order management, task assignment, and real-time notifications, improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity
2Productivity
If real-time communication and dynamic task management are implemented between devices, then operational efficiency and order processing improve, but device complexity and system integration requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The message broker serves as a central intermediary that handles all real-time communication between devices. It manages message routing, subscription management, and delivery guarantees, enabling dynamic task management and real-time order processing without requiring complex peer-to-peer integration between individual devices
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where devices publish status updates and receive acknowledgments through the message broker. For example, when a task is assigned to a FOH device, the device publishes completion status back to the system, enabling real-time tracking and dynamic reassignment, thus improving order processing efficiency through continuous feedback loops
3Productivity
If manual intervention is reduced in high-volume environments, then productivity increases, but system automation complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where devices automatically publish messages when events occur (order placed, task completed, inventory updated) and automatically receive and act on relevant messages without human intervention. The message broker automatically routes messages based on predefined subscriptions, enabling high-volume processing with minimal manual configuration or intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The system is pre-configured with message topics, subscriptions, and routing rules before operation begins. Devices are pre-programmed with the messaging client and subscription information, allowing them to immediately participate in automated communication upon deployment, thus enabling high throughput without complex runtime configuration or manual intervention
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for enabling merchant devices to interoperate with one another in a more robust manner, such that overall operation and efficiency within a merchant establishment is improved. For instance, the techniques described herein may enable the intelligent routing of requests between devices within the merchant establishment based on real-time locations of the devices, which devices are associated with which orders, and the like.