Restaurant Cost Ratings Computing Device for Objective Meal Pricing

The patent introduces an intermediary system (the cost determination system) that processes objective transaction data to generate cost ratings. This intermediary translates raw transaction data into standardized cost ratings (e.g., $ to $$$$$), eliminating the need for customers to provide subjective opinions while maintaining reliability through objective data sources like payment card transactions and point-of-sale system records.

The system leverages existing transaction processing systems (point-of-sale systems, payment card networks) to automatically generate cost data without requiring restaurants to manually report information. The transaction data is captured automatically during the payment process, ensuring accuracy and eliminating the potential for misreporting while maintaining ease of data acquisition.

The system continuously processes new transaction data as it occurs, maintaining an up-to-date cost rating for each restaurant. Rather than relying on periodic customer reviews, the system automatically incorporates each new transaction into the cost calculation, ensuring that the cost ratings reflect current pricing and remain continuously relevant without becoming outdated.

The system utilizes existing multi-functional transaction processing infrastructure (payment card networks, point-of-sale systems) that already handle various financial operations. By leveraging these existing universal systems, the patent avoids building complex dedicated data collection infrastructure, as the same systems that process payments also provide the cost data needed for ratings.