Split ticket handling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017193488-A1
Application number	US-201514985528-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 31, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure describes techniques and arrangements for splitting one or more items from a ticket to another ticket. Some techniques and arrangements facilitate the splitting of one or more items from an open ticket to one or more split tickets. In some implementations, a foster ticket is utilized to account for items associated with split tickets. Other techniques and arrangements include providing split ticket suggestions. In some implementations, split ticket suggestions are provided based on historical ticket information and/or customer information.

First claim

1 . A point-of-sale (POS) device for receiving payment for a cost of a transaction, the POS device comprising:
a display; memory; one or more processors; and one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving, at least partly via an open ticket mode of a user interface (UI) presented on the display, a first input designating a set of items to a first ticket, the set of items including a first item and a second item, and the first ticket being associated with a first state;
storing, in the memory of the POS device, the first ticket in association with the set of items and in association with a first identifier;
sending, to one or more serving devices associated with a payment processor that processes payments for multiple merchants including a merchant associated with the POS device, a first message that causes the one or more serving devices to store a duplicate of the first ticket,
the duplicate of the first ticket being associated with a second state that is different than the first state,
the duplicate of the first ticket being a first foster ticket that is associated with the set of items and that is associated with the first identifier,
the one or more serving devices being configured to use at least the first foster ticket to account for items capable of being manipulated in a ticket splitting mode of the UI of the POS device;
receiving, at least partly via the UI, a second input that initiates a split ticket mode of the UI for splitting tickets;
receiving, at least partly via the split ticket mode of the UI, a third input designating at least the first item to be split from the first ticket to a second ticket;
storing, in the memory of the POS device, the second ticket in association with at least the first item;
receiving, at least partly via the split ticket mode of the UI, a fourth input corresponding to at least one of a save of the first ticket;
at least partly responsive to receiving the fourth input:
dismissing the first ticket from the split ticket mode of the UI;
determining a first subset of items associated with tickets that remain in the split ticket mode of the UI after the dismissing the first ticket;
determining a second identifier associated with the second ticket; and
sending, to the one or more serving devices, a second message that causes the one or more serving devices to generate a second foster ticket and to store the second foster ticket in association with the first subset of items and the second identifier, the second foster ticket replacing the first foster ticket and the second foster ticket being associated with the second ticket via the second identifier; and

at least partly responsive to receiving a fifth input corresponding to a save of the second ticket:
dismissing the second ticket from the split ticket mode of the UI;
determining a second subset of items associated with tickets that remain in the split ticket mode of the UI after the dismissing the second ticket; and
sending, to the one or more serving devices, a third message that causes the one or more serving devices to update the association between the first foster ticket and the set of items to an association between the first foster ticket and the second subset of items.

2 . The POS device of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
receiving, at least partly via the split ticket mode of the UI, a sixth input designating at least the second item to be split from the first ticket to a third ticket; receiving a seventh input corresponding to a cancel of the third ticket; at least partly responsive to the receiving the seventh input:
dismissing the third ticket from the UI; and
updating, in the UI, the first ticket to include the at least the second item.

3 . The POS device of claim 2 , wherein the updating the first ticket to include the at least the second item is based at least in part on one or more of:
the first foster ticket; a parent-child relationship between the first ticket and the third ticket; or a split ticket event that has been logged in association with the first ticket and the third ticket.

4 . A method implemented at least in part by a point-of-sale (POS) device, the method comprising:
receiving, at least partly via a user interface (UI) of the POS device, a first input indicating a set of items that have been ordered by one or more customers from a merchant associated with the POS device; generating a first ticket associated with the set of items; receiving a second input designating at least one item of the set of items to be split from a first ticket to a second ticket; sending, to one or more serving devices, a first message that causes the one or more serving devices to generate a first foster ticket associated with the first ticket and the set of items, the first foster ticket being a duplicate of the first ticket, the first foster ticket being associated with a different state than the first ticket, and the one or more serving devices being configured to use foster tickets to account for items capable of being manipulated at least partly via the UI of the POS device; receiving a third input corresponding to an action that changes a state of at least one of the first ticket or the second ticket in the UI; and sending, at least partly responsive to the receiving the third input, a second message that causes the one or more serving devices to affect a change to the first foster ticket.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the one or more serving devices are associated with a third-party payment processor; and the one or more serving devices are configured to process payments for multiple merchants including the merchant associated with the POS device.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein;
the first ticket is an open ticket generated while the UI of the POS device is operable in an open ticket mode; the second ticket is a split ticket generated while the UI of the POS device is operable in a split ticket mode; and the method further comprises receiving, at least partly via the UI of the POS device, a fourth input that causes the POS device to transition from the open ticket mode to the split ticket mode.

7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the third input corresponds to one or more of:
a save of at least one of the first ticket or the second ticket; a cancel of at least one of the first ticket or the second ticket; a print of at least one of the first ticket or the second ticket; or a close out of at least one of the first ticket or the second ticket.

8 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
presenting, via the UI of the POS device, the first ticket and the second ticket, wherein the UI is presented on a display of the POS device; receiving a fourth input corresponding to at least one of a save or a cancel of at least one of the first ticket or the second ticket; and dismissing, at least partly responsive to the receiving the fourth input, at least one of the first ticket or the second ticket, wherein the dismissing includes removing the at least one of the first ticket or the second ticket from the UI presented on the display.

9 . The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the third input corresponds to a save of the first ticket; and the second message causes the one or more serving devices to generate a second foster ticket that replaces the first foster ticket, the second foster ticket being associated with items remaining in the UI.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising dismissing, at least partly responsive to the receiving the third input, the first ticket

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Renke Christopher Philip
• Brunet Justin

Classifications

• G06Q20/322 Primary

  Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices] · CPC title

• G06Q20/209

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

• G06Q20/102

  Bill distribution or payments · CPC title

• G06Q20/045

  using payment protocols involving tickets · CPC title

• G06Q20/085 Primary

  involving remote charge determination or related payment systems · CPC title