Server for Automatic Tab Charging via POS Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pay-at-table systems face challenges in inter-operating with different Point of Sale (POS) systems, particularly Category B systems, where automatic charging of customers who do not pay is difficult due to lack of proactive communication, leading to issues in reconciling unpaid tabs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a server that prompts customers for automatic billing, uses a gatekeeper server for card validation, and introduces a 'QkrAutoCharge' menu item for automatic charging, allowing the server to charge the customer's card without requiring re-engineering of POS systems, and enabling round-based ordering and grouping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the server implements automatic charging functionality, then payment processing efficiency is improved, but compatibility with existing POS systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a special menu item called 'QkrAutoCharge' that acts as an intermediary mechanism. This menu item is added to the existing POS system interface and triggers the automatic charging process when selected. By using this intermediary, the server can implement automatic charging functionality without directly modifying or re-engineering the core POS system architecture, thus maintaining compatibility while enabling new functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the 'QkrAutoCharge' menu item and establishing the automatic charging logic in advance. When a customer's tab needs to be charged, the system has already prepared the necessary payment information and charging rules, allowing for seamless automatic processing without requiring real-time system modifications or complex integrations with existing POS infrastructure.
2Reliability
If the server monitors and controls automatic charging usage, then fraud prevention is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the server continuously monitors the usage of the 'QkrAutoCharge' menu item and tracks automatic charging transactions. The system receives feedback about charging attempts, customer behavior patterns, and system usage metrics. Based on this feedback, the server can identify suspicious patterns, prevent fraudulent activities, and adjust charging parameters dynamically without requiring complex manual intervention or additional hardware components.
Data Source
AI summary
A server to process a tab for a customer at a merchant premises may provide a list of candidate merchant premises to a customer mobile device, receive a signal indicating a user selection of one of the candidate merchant premises, receive payment card details for the customer mobile device, obtain a specific code for a tab at the selected merchant premises, send to the customer mobile device the specific code, receive a signal from a Point of Sale (POS) terminal of the selected merchant premises, associate the customer mobile device with an open tab maintained by the POS terminal, receive from the POS terminal at least one identifier and amount for each purchase of the open tab, request payment of at least a portion of a balance of the open tab from a payment gateway using the payment card details, and notify the POS terminal of the payment.