Splitting a purchase among multiple parties using an electronic receipt after the transaction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10074082-B2
Application number	US-201213691665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2012
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

A method is disclosed for a customer splitting a bill with other persons. A bill may be obtained and viewed electronically on a mobile electronic device with electronic receipts software thereon. Using a device configured according to one or more embodiments of the invention, a customer is able to select the bill for splitting as well as selecting other persons to share the cost of items on the receipt. The customer may allocate item cost among those other persons and each person may pay for their individual portion of the bill. Notifications and/or receipt copies may be sent electronically to each person associated with the bill.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A receipt management method being implemented via computer instructions configured to be executed by one or more processors and configured to be stored at one or more non-transitory memory storage devices, the method comprising:
displaying a first user interface on a receipt management software application (“software app”) downloaded on a mobile electronic device, wherein the mobile electronic device is associated with a first person and is located remotely from the one or more processors, wherein the software app comprises a contact user interface in an un-launched state providing access to at least a list of contacts having at least one or more contact persons associated with the first person, wherein the list of contacts contain personal information of each contact person of the at least one or more contact persons, including telephone and email address information, and wherein the list of contacts is accessible without launching the contact user interface for transmitting information associated with the first person via a text or an email to the at least one or more contact persons on the list of contacts of the first person;
receiving, from the software app on the mobile electronic device, (a) an electronic receipt for a bill or (b) a barcode associated with the bill, wherein the bill is associated with a transaction involving multiple persons, and the multiple persons comprise the first person causing the software app on the mobile electronic device to display on the first user interface an electronic representation of the bill in response to receiving the electronic receipt or the barcode associated with the bill from the mobile electronic device associated with the first person;
receiving, from the software app on the mobile electronic device, a selection to split costs of the bill between the multiple persons, wherein the selection to split the costs of the bill between the multiple persons is entered by the first person at the first user interface on the mobile electronic device;
after receiving the selection to split the costs of the bill between the multiple persons, receiving, from the software app on the mobile electronic device, a selection of a first item from the bill, wherein the selection of the first item from the bill is entered by the first person at the first user interface on the mobile electronic device;
causing the software app on the mobile electronic device to display a menu on a second user interface on the mobile electronic device associated with the first person;
accessing the list of contacts of the first person, wherein the multiple persons associated with the costs of the bill comprise one or more suggested persons, wherein the one or more suggested persons are determined from the at least one or more contact persons on the list of contacts of the first person, wherein the contact user interface remains in the un-launched state, wherein the first person selects the one or more suggested persons from the list of contacts of the first person, as displayed on the second user interface, wherein the one or more suggested persons from the list of contacts previously split the costs of a previous bill with the first person in a previous transaction, wherein the first person selects one of the one or more suggested persons to associate with the first item from the bill;
receiving, from the menu via the software app on the mobile electronic device, a selection of a first suggested person of the one or more suggested persons, wherein the selection of the first suggested person is entered by the first person at the second user interface on the mobile electronic device;
receiving, from the software app on the mobile electronic device, a selection of at least part of an item cost of the first item from the bill to associate with the first suggested person, wherein the selection of the at least part of the item cost of the first item from the bill to associate with the first suggested person is entered by the first person at the second user interface on the mobile electronic device;
allocating the at least part of the item cost of the first item from the bill to the first suggested person in accordance with receiving the selection of the at least part of the item cost of the first item from the bill to associate with the first suggested person;
receiving, from the software app on the mobile electronic device, a selection of a remainder of the costs of the bill to associate with the multiple persons, wherein the selection of the remainder of the costs of the bill to associate with the multiple persons is entered by the first person at the second user interface on the mobile electronic device;
allocating the remainder of the costs of the bill to the multiple persons in accordance with receiving the selection of the remainder of the costs of the bill to associate with the multiple persons;
after allocating, using the second user interface, a total of the costs of the bill between the multiple persons associated with the costs of the bill, recommending a suggested tip amount to each person of the multiple persons associated with the costs of the bill, as allocated, when a tip amount is applicable to the transaction associated with the costs of the bill; and
transmitting, by the software app on the mobile electronic device, the information via the text or the email comprising a notification for a respective allocation of the total of the costs of the bill, including a respective portion of an allocated cost associated with the first suggested person, and a respective suggested tip amount, as applicable, wherein the contact user interface remains in the un-launched state while the notification via the text or the email is retrieved by the multiple persons, and, wherein the multiple persons comprise the first suggested person and the first person.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing the at least part of the item cost to be displayed on a user interface at an other mobile electronic device associated with the first suggested person of the one or more suggested persons and located remotely from the one or more processors.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
causing the electronic representation of the bill to be displayed on a user interface at an other mobile electronic device associated with the first suggested person of the one or more suggested persons and located remotely from the one or more processors.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first person comprises the first suggested person.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the multiple persons comprise the first suggested person.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after receiving, from the software app on the mobile electronic device, the selection to split the costs of the bill between the multiple persons, and before receiving the selection of the first item from the bill, receiving, from the software app on the mobile electronic device, a selection of a second item from the bill, wherein the selection of the second item from the bill is entered by the first person at the first user interface on the mobile electronic device; and
receiving, from the menu via the software app on the mobile electronic device, one or more selections of the one or more suggested persons, wherein the one or more selections of the one or more suggested persons are entered by the first person of the one or more suggested persons at the second user interface on the mobile electronic device;
wherein receiving the selection of the remainder of the costs of the bill comprises receiving, from the mobile electronic device, one or more selections of one or more parts of an item cost of the second item from the bill to associate with the one or more selections of the one or mor

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Argue Stuart
• Marcar Anthony Emile

Classifications

• G06Q20/3274

  using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device · CPC title

• G07G1/0081

  the reader being a portable scanner or data reader (G07G1/009 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06Q20/3227

  using secure elements embedded in M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/209

  Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output · CPC title

• G06Q20/102 Primary

  Bill distribution or payments · CPC title