Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
Specification
Title
Method and System for Delivery Management, Cross Marketing and Sales
Background
= People have always enjoyed drinking alcohol and eating food together. It
is a
common practice for people to eat in restaurants, and it is becoming
increasingly popular
for people to order food for delivery from restaurants to their homes. When it
comes to
alcohol, people tend to drink in a pub or a restaurant, or simply buy their
drinks from a
liquor store for consumption at home.
= Nevertheless, sometimes people may not want to go to a restaurant to eat,
and they
may not want to go to an alcohol retailer to buy their alcohol. Instead, they
may prefer the
convenience of having both food and alcohol delivered to them at home by an on-
demand
delivery service. Alternatively, sometimes people may prefer the convenience
of picking up
both food and alcohol themselves from one pickup location.
= Currently, there are on-demand delivery services that allow people to
order food
from a restaurant and alcohol from an alcohol retailer separately in
individual orders. The
food and alcohol are delivered in separate deliveries, or can be picked up at
separate pickup
locations.
= Typically, there may be additional time and additional expenses
associated with
having the food and alcohol items delivered to the customer in separate orders
and
deliveries. For example, additional expenses for compensating the drivers for
delivery of the
food and alcohol items in separate orders.
= Another complication is the fact that timing of the individual deliveries
may not
match. For example, whereas pizza can be ordered and delivered within, say, 45
minutes,
the beer ordered from a liquor store may take more than 2 hours to be
delivered. A further
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complication is the fact that some restaurants may not have a license to sell
alcohol, and
some alcohol merchants may not have the facilities to cook and sell food.
= Furthermore, there may be additional time and additional expenses
associated with
picking up food and alcohol items from separate pickup locations.
= Sometimes people may want to go to a restaurant to eat food and drink
alcohol, but
the restaurant may not serve alcohol or may not serve a variety of alcohol
items that the
people prefer. Also, people may want to go to a pub to drink alcohol and eat
food, but the
pub may not serve food or may not serve a variety of food items they prefer.
= To solve the above problems (and similar problems), what is needed is an
online on-
demand delivery service that: (i) enables customers to order food items from
any of a
variety of restaurants and combine their food items with an alcohol order from
any of a
variety of alcohol merchants; and (ii) arranges for delivery drivers to
deliver the food and
alcohol items in one combined delivery to a location specified by the
customer.
Brief Summary
= An exemplary computer-implemented method and system for delivery
management, cross marketing and sales allows consumers to remotely order in a
single
transaction a variety of different types of goods from a range of local
individual merchants,
and to have all the goods combined and delivered on-demand in a single batch
to a desired
delivery location. The system is coordinated by a service provider computing
device, which
is connected via a network to buyers, merchants and courier drivers. An app on
a buyer
computing device such as a smart phone or tablet provides the buyer with
convenient
selection of merchants providing different kinds of goods. Prompts and
functions on a
general user interface generated by the app guide the buyer from a merchant
selling a first
kind of goods to another merchant selling a second kind of goods commonly
associated with
the first kind. In an exemplary embodiment, the two kinds of goods are pizza
and alcoholic
drinks. The service provider computing device carries out the combined order
by
communicating with the selected merchants, and with drivers who are associated
with the
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merchants or who are independent. The range of local individual merchants can
be
predetermined by using the system, which in a typical application enables
restaurants,
alcohol merchants and service providers to form arrangements to cross market
and sell food
and alcohol products for delivery in one combined order.
= The exemplary online on-demand delivery service enables customers to
avoid or
mitigate the additional time and expense associated with having food and
alcohol items
delivered to them in separate orders from separate merchants. In addition, the
service
provides variety of purchases and convenience to the customer. Furthermore,
the method
and system enable restaurants to service customers who also want to buy
alcohol, and
enable alcohol merchants to service customers who also want to buy food.
Brief Description of the Drawings
= The detailed description set forth below will give a full understanding
of the
invention including its objectives and benefits. The detailed description
makes reference to
the following figures.
= FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment for the management of cross
marketing,
sales, ordering and delivery of combined orders according to some
implementations of the
present invention.
= FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process for combining
orders and for
delivery, according to some implementations of the present invention.
= FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating aspects of a system and processes for
cross marketing
and sales involving combined orders according to some implementations of the
present
invention.
= FIG. 4 is a diagram showing aspects of a combined order delivery system
according
to some implementations of the present invention.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= FIG. 5 illustrates a first example user interface of a buyer device for
combining orders
for delivery according to some implementations of the present invention.
= FIG. 6 illustrates a second example user interface of a buyer device for
combining
orders for delivery according to some implementations of the present
invention.
= FIG. 7 illustrates a third example user interface of a buyer device for
combining
orders for delivery according to some implementations of the present
invention.
= FIG. 8 illustrates a fourth example user interface of a buyer device for
combining
orders for delivery according to some implementations of the present
invention.
= FIG. 9 illustrates a fifth example user interface of a buyer device for
combining
orders for delivery according to some implementations of the present
invention.
= FIG. 10 schematically illustrates certain components of an example
service provider
computing device according to some implementations of the present invention.
= FIG. 11 schematically illustrates certain components of an example buyer
device
according to some implementations of the present invention.
= FIG. 12 schematically illustrates certain components of an example driver
device
according to some implementations of the present invention.
= FIG. 13 schematically illustrates certain components of an example
merchant device
according to some implementations of the present invention.
= In the drawings, example embodiments of the invention are illustrated. It
is to be
expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the
purpose of
illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended as a
definition of the limits
of the invention described herein.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
Detailed Description
= A novel system detailed herein can, among other things, allow a customer
to easily
browse through product offerings from individual merchants and create a
combined order,
pay for the order, and have the ordered items delivered on-demand immediately
or by
scheduled delivery.
= The technological innovations detailed herein include a novel system for
buyers to
place orders for delivery of items such as food and alcohol from separate
merchants, and
have the orders combined into one consolidated order for on-demand immediately
or
scheduled delivery. Buyers are provided with a unique online environment that
allows them
to do this.
= Furthermore, detailed herein are technological innovations for a novel
system for
merchants and or a service provider(s) to cross market items from separate
merchants and
have them combined into one consolidated order to be sold and delivered by on-
demand
delivery to their customers. Merchants and a service provider(s) are furnished
with an
online environment that would enable them to do this.
= The systems described herein enable a merchant such as a restaurant, pub,
brewery,
grocery, liquor store, etc. to increase sales, expand its customer base, and
manage delivery
drivers, in addition to other things.
= Moreover, the systems herein can benefit merchants, by facilitating
indirect
advertising and marketing to customers in targeted ways, without requiring
them to
conduct the advertising or marketing communications directly through their own
systems.
= In some situations, merchants in particular industries may primarily draw
their
customers from a particular target market; such as a pizza restaurant drawing
customers
that want to eat pizza. Using some examples of the present systems, the pizza
restaurant
can reach additional customers and a broader target market area by cross
marketing
products from another merchant. For example, the pizza restaurant can draw
customers
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
who want to drink alcohol by cross marketing and delivering alcohol products
from a nearby
liquor store.
= Furthermore, in numerous examples of the present system, merchants can
offer on-
demand instant or scheduled delivery of products in an efficient, economical,
lawful, and
simplified manner.
= The present system also enables merchants to gain access to new markets
and
expand existing markets through the use of computers, mobile devices (such as
smart
phones and tablets), and other devices able to connect to the Internet or
other networks.
= For instance, the system can create cross marketing and delivery
arrangements
between different merchants and service providers or a combination of both
located within
specific zones, or according to various criteria and thresholds. Such criteria
and thresholds
can for example include distances between the merchants' premises, operating
hours of the
merchants, etc.
= The system can be attractive to various entities because it can provide
direct access
to cross marketing and advertising to individual customers as part of a sales,
ordering and
delivery process.
= One example is a merchant such as a liquor store offering to pay a
customer's
delivery fee imposed by a pizza restaurant, or carry out the delivery using
its own drivers, in
exchange for the customer being able to choose to create a combined order.
That is, the
liquor store's products as advertised are added within the pizza restaurant's
menu, for the
customer to select from as desired. Another example is a pizza restaurant
paying a sales
commission to a liquor store in exchange for the customer being able to choose
to create a
combined order. That is, the pizza restaurant's products as advertised are
added within the
liquor store's product menu, for the customer to select from as desired. A
further example
is a brewery paying a sales commission to a service provider in exchange for
the customer
being able to choose to create a combined order. That is, the brewery's
products as
promoted and advertised are added onto a service provider's website.
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= The technology described herein employs one or more computing devices,
mobile
devices, and location sensors to provide a novel technological arrangement
that not only
enables merchants to cross market and sell products to buyers, but also
enables buyers to
combine orders for items from more than one merchant into a single on-demand
delivery.
= The implementations described herein include techniques, systems and
arrangements for combining orders for items that are to be picked up from
multiple
merchants located within a proximity threshold to each other, and then
delivered to a single
buyer. As one example, a buyer can use application software (an app) on a
buyer device to
create an order by selecting one or more items, such as food items, offered by
a food
merchant such as a restaurant. The buyer can then use the same app on the
buyer device to
create a combined order by selecting one or more items, such as alcohol items,
offered by
an alcohol merchant such as a liquor store.
= The buyer can send the combined order to a computing device of a service
provider.
Accordingly, because the buyer can combine a food order from a restaurant with
an alcohol
order from a liquor store, the buyer can buy alcohol with their food order at
a reduced cost,
with more variety of choosable items and more convenience.
= The service provider can send the individual orders contained within the
combined
order to merchant devices separately. Thereafter, the details of the combined
order are
forwarded to a driver's device for the individual orders to be picked up and
delivered in one
delivery to the buyer.
= As one example, a restaurant which has received an order on its merchant
device
can cook the food items whilst the driver who has received the combined order
on the
driver device can pick up the alcohol items from a liquor store before
proceeding to pick up
the food items from the restaurant. The driver then delivers the combined
order to the
buyer. Accordingly, because the driver picks up the alcohol items from the
liquor store
during the time that the restaurant is cooking the food items, the combined
order can be
delivered to the buyer without any adverse impact to the quality of the food
items
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contained within the combined order. In another example, the driver who has
received the
combined order on his driver device can pick up the food items from the
restaurant first and
then pick up the alcohol items from the liquor store situated on route to the
delivery
location. The driver then delivers the combined order to the buyer.
Accordingly, because
the driver saves time by picking up the alcohol items on route to the delivery
location, the
combined order can be delivered to the buyer without any substantial delay.
= As used herein, an order or combined order can include a request
submitted by a
buyer (e.g., a client, a customer, a business, a venue, etc) for the
acquisition of food items
from a food merchant and or alcohol items from an alcohol merchant (referred
to herein as
"items"). The order information can be received by the service provider
computing device
and sent to the merchant(s). For example, a food merchant can include a
restaurant, food
truck, food court, ghost kitchen or any other business or entity engaged in
the offering of
food items for delivery to buyers. An alcohol merchant can include a liquor
store, brewery,
pub, beer store, gas station, grocery store or any other business or other
entity engaged in
the offering of alcohol items for delivery to buyers.
= Actions assigned to a merchant herein can include actions performed by
employees,
contractors or other personnel representing and or working on behalf of the
merchant.
Therefore, no distinction is made herein between merchants and their
representatives
unless specifically mentioned. In addition to this, a buyer can include any
person or entity
that purchases items from a merchant. Buyers can be customers or potential
customers of a
particular merchant. The service provider can receive payment from a buyer for
an order
associated with an individual or combined order, and the service provider can
provide
payment to the merchant(s) for the order. Furthermore, the service provider
can provide
payment to the driver(s) for delivering the order. Alternatively, the
merchant(s) can receive
payment from a buyer for an order and the merchant(s) can provide payment to
the service
provider for use of the service provider's system associated with the order.
Further, the
merchant(s) can provide payment to the driver(s) for delivering the order.
= The present invention can involve the Internet, an intranet, or another
networked
environment. Therefore, any reference to any of the Internet, an intranet or
another
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networked environment should be understood broadly to encompass not only the
referenced term, but all of the Internet, one or more intranets, or other
networked
environments. In the same manner, terms indicating aspects of either the
Internet, an
intra net or another networked environment, such as a webpage in the Internet
environment, should be understood broadly to include the equivalent(s)
available in any of
the Internet, intra nets or other networked environments.
= For illustrative purposes, some example implementations are described in
the
environment of cross marketing products such as food and alcohol from
different
merchants and combining the products into a combined order for delivery, so as
to provide
a reduction in time and expenses to buyers and an increase in sales for
merchants.
Numerous other implementations can similarly be achieved by applying the
systems,
methods and principles described herein.
= The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in
the art to make
and use the disclosed embodiments, and is provided in the context of
particular exemplary
applications of the embodiments and their requirements. Various modifications
to the
disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art,
and the general
principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications
without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present embodiments. Thus, the
systems and
methods herein are not limited to the embodiments shown, but are to be
accorded the
widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.
= References to things or items in the singular form should be construed to
include
plural such things or items as may be applicable. References to things or
items in the plural
form should be construed to include such things or items as a single thing or
a single item as
may be applicable.
= FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment 100 for cross marketing and
combining
sales, orders and delivery according to some implementations of the present
invention. For
instance, the environment 100 can enable one or more service provider
computing
devices 104 of a service provider 102 to receive, over one or more networks
106, buyer
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combined order information 108 from a buyer 110. Based on the buyer
combined order information 108 received from the buyer 110, the service
provider
computing device 104 can send individual order information 112 derived from
the buyer
combined order information 108 to a particular merchant 114 of one or more
merchants
114. The particular merchant 114 can receive the individual order information
112, and can
respond with an individual order confirmation 116 to confirm that
the individual order information 112 has been received and can be prepared by
the
particular merchant 114. Depending on the buyer combined order information
108,
respective individual order information 112 may be sent to each of plural
merchants 114.
= In the following description, unless the context indicates otherwise, it
will be
assumed for convenience that for a given buyer 110, the buyer
combined order information 108 specifies two or more individual orders, and
that the
individual orders require that respective individual order information 112 be
sent to each of
plural merchants 114. However, it is to be understood that in certain cases,
the buyer
combined order information 108 may simply specify one individual order. it is
to be further
understood that in certain other cases, when the buyer
combined order information 108 specifies two or more individual orders, only
one individual
order information 112 need be sent to a single merchant 114.
= In some examples, the individual order information 112 sent to a
particular
merchant 114 can identify items 138 ordered by the buyer 110 from the merchant
114. For
instance, each merchant 114 can offer one or more items 138, respectively,
which can be
ordered by buyers 110 for delivery. In some instances, each merchant 114 can
promote,
advertise and sell as part of a cross marketing arrangement 140 one or more
items 138 from
the one or more merchants 114, respectively, which can be ordered by buyers
110 for
delivery.
= In some further examples, the individual order information 112 can also
designate a
time at which the individual order is to be picked up by a driver (or courier)
122 of one or
more drivers 122. For example, the individual order confirmation 116 sent by a
particular
merchant 114 to the service provider computing device 104 can confirm the
pickup time
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
designated by the service provider computing device 104. In other cases, the
individual
order information 112 sent to a particular merchant 114 can include a request
for the
merchant 114 to specify when the individual order will be ready for pickup,
and the
merchant 114 can include with the individual order confirmation 116 a
specified time at
which the individual order will be ready for pickup.
= In either event, in response to receiving the individual order
confirmation 116 from a
particular merchant 114, the service provider computing device 104 can assign
delivery of
the individual order to a driver 122. Typically, the service provider
computing
device 104 receives respective individual order confirmations 116 from plural
merchants 114. In such case, when the service provider computing device 104
assigns
delivery of the individual orders, the assignment is made according to various
criteria and
thresholds of a service provider delivery system 152 of the service provider
computing
device 104. The service provider computing device 104 then sends dispatch
combined order information 120 to one or more drivers 122 to whom the delivery
has been
assigned. The one or more drivers 122 pick up the individual orders from the
merchants 114, and deliver the combined order to the buyer 110.1n the
following
description, unless the context indicates otherwise, it will be assumed for
convenience that
for a given buyer 110, all the individual orders are picked up by a single
driver 122, and the
combined order is delivered by that same one driver 122.
= For instance, each merchant 114(1)-114(2) can be associated with a
respective
pickup location 128(1)-128(2) and or a respective delivery location 134(2)-
134(3), either of
which can typically be the merchant's place of business. Furthermore, a buyer
110 can be
associated with a respective delivery location 134(1), which can typically be
the buyer's
place of residence or a merchant's place of business.
= In some examples, to enable participation in a combined order, two or
more
merchants 114 can be associated with the same pickup location 128.
Alternatively, the
pickup locations 128 of the merchants 114 may not be the same, but can still
be within a
threshold distance of each other and within a threshold distance of the
delivery location
134.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= The dispatch combined order information 120 sent to the driver(s) 122 can
include
the pickup locations 128 for the individual orders (derived from the buyer
combined order
information 108), the pickup times, and the delivery location 134 for the
combined order. In
some examples, the dispatch combined order information 120 can include a
scheduled time
for delivery such as a time by which the service provider 102 has agreed to
have the ordered
items 138 delivered to the buyer 110 at the delivery location 134. Further, in
some cases,
the dispatch combined order information 120 can include an amount that the
driver 122 can
be paid if the driver 122 accepts the delivery job, and or other information
related to
the combined order.
= In the illustrated example, the service provider computing device 104 of
the service
provider 102 is able to communicate with merchant devices 118(1)-118(2) over
the one or
more networks 106. Each merchant device 118(1)-118(2) can be associated with a
respective merchant 114(1)-114(2). Each merchant device 118(1)-118(2) can be a
computing device, such as a desktop, laptop, tablet, smart phone, or the like,
and can
include a respective instance of a merchant application 142 that executes on
the respective
merchant device 118(1)-118(2).
= In some examples, the merchant application 142 can provide point-of-sale
(POS)
functionality to the merchant device 118 through a third party payment
processor 154 of
the service provider computing device 104, to enable the merchant 114 to
accept payments
using the merchant device 118.
= In addition, the buyers 110 can be associated with respective buyer
devices 130 that
can execute respective instances of buyer applications 132. For example,
buyers 110 can use
buyer devices 130, such as smart phones, tablet computers, laptops, desktops,
or other such
similar device; and these buyer devices 130 can have the buyer application 132
installed
thereon.
= The buyer application 132 can enable the buyer 110 to select one or more
items 138 to purchase from one or more of the merchants 114 in a combined
order to be
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delivered to the buyer 110 by the driver 122. Furthermore, the buyer
application 132 can
enable the buyer 110 to place a combined order from merchants 114 as a
scheduled order,
such as for example scheduling an order for delivery at a specified time on a
specified day
and at a specified location.
= In one example, the buyer 110 makes a payment for an order using the
buyer
application 132. For instance, the service provider 102 can charge a buyer
account
associated with the buyer 110 for an amount associated with a combined order.
In some
examples, the buyer application 132 and the service provider computing device
104 can
communicate with each other via one or more APIs.
= Additionally, or alternatively, the buyer application 132 can be a web
browser or the
like. The buyer 110 can navigate to a website associated with the service
provider 102, and
can use that website to place an order. Thus, in this case, the website can
provide at least
some of the functionality attributed to the buyer application 132 herein.
= Additionally, or alternatively, when the buyer application 132 is a web
browser or
the like, the buyer 110 can navigate to a website associated with a merchant
114, and can
use that website to place an order. Thus, in this case, the website can
provide at least some
of the functionality attributed to the buyer application 132 herein.
= In addition, the drivers 122, who can be employed and or contracted by
any of the
merchants 114 or the service provider 102 or combinations of them, can be
associated with
respective driver devices 124 that can execute respective instances of driver
applications 126.
= For example, drivers 122 can use driver devices 124, such as smart
phones, tablet
computers, laptops, desktops, or other such similar devices. These driver
devices 124 can
have the driver application 126 installed thereon. The driver application 126
can be
configured to receive the dispatch combined order information 120 from the
service
provider computing device 104, to provide a particular driver 122 with
information for
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
picking up the individual orders at the merchant pickup locations 128 and for
delivering
the combined order to the buyer delivery location 134.
= The driver application 126 can further enable the driver 122 to respond
to the
service provider computing device 104 to confirm acceptance or refusal of a
delivery job.
= Additionally, in some cases, the driver application 126 can provide the
service
provider computing device 104 with an indication of a current location of a
particular
driver 122. In some examples, the driver application 126 and the service
provider computing
device 104 can communicate with each other via one or more APIs.
= The one or more networks 106 can include any network or combination of
networks
that is appropriate. For example, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet), a
local area
network (intranet), a wireless network (cellular network), a local wireless
network (Wi-Fi), a
close-range wireless communications network (e.g., BLUETOOTH or BLUETOOTH Low
Energy), or any other network that may be appropriate.
= Accordingly, the service provider computing device 104, the merchant
devices 118,
the buyer devices 130, and the driver devices 124 are able to communicate over
the one or
more networks 106 using wired connections, wireless connections, or
combinations thereof.
= In the illustrated example, the service provider computing device 104
includes
an order processing module 136. The order processing module 136 can be
executed on the
service provider computing device 104 to provide, at least in part, the
functionality
attributed to the service provider computing device 104.
= The order processing module 136 can receive the buyer
combined order information 108 from the buyer 110, and can associate the buyer
combined order information 108 with buyer information 144 and merchant
information 146.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= The order processing module 136 can access a buyer account included in
the buyer
information 142 to charge a particular buyer account for a particular order
using a payment
gateway provided by the third party payment processor 154. For example, when a
buyer
110 creates a buyer account or uses the service for making a purchase, the
buyer 110 can
provide credit card, debit card or other payment card information to enable
the service
provider 102 to charge the account of the buyer 110 for purchases made in the
form of
individual or combined orders placed by the buyer 110. In this description,
unless the
context indicates otherwise, the term "combined order" can also include the
situation
where only one individual order has been placed by a buyer 110.
= Furthermore, based on a particular merchant 114 identified by the buyer
combined order information 108, the order processing module 136 can associate
the buyer
combined order information 108 with a merchant account of the particular
merchant 114.
The order processing module 136 can access the merchant account to determine
contact
information for sending the individual order information 112 to the correct
merchant
device 118. Thereby, the particular merchant 114 can receive the individual
order information 112, and then provide the individual order confirmation 116.
= The order processing module 136 can further access the merchant account
of the
particular merchant 114 to credit payment to that merchant 114.
= In addition, the order processing module 136 can access driver
information 148 to
determine driver contact details for sending the dispatch
combined order information 120 to a particular driver(s) 122. For example,
the order processing module 136 can determine whether the particular driver(s)
122 is
willing to accept the job of picking up the items 138 from the pickup
locations 128 and
delivering the combined order to the delivery location 134.
= The particular driver 122 can use the driver application 126 on the
driver
device 124 to receive the dispatch combined order information 120, and to
respond with
acceptance of the delivery job. The driver 122 can subsequently pick up
the individual orders from the merchants 114 at the pickup locations 128, and
deliver
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
the combined order to the buyer 110 at the delivery location 134. When the
driver 122 has
completed delivery of the combined order to the delivery location 134, the
driver 122 can
use the driver application 126 to inform the order processing module 136 that
the delivery
has been completed.
= The order processing module 136 can access a driver account included in
the driver
information 148 for the driver 122, to credit the driver account of the driver
122 with
payment for the delivery job.
= The order processing module 136 on the service provider computing device
104 can
store data associated with each order as order information 150. For instance,
the order information 150 can include the summation of the value of the items
138
contained within the order, the date of the order, the exact time of the
order, the
merchants 114 contained within the order, the pickup location(s) 128
associated with the
order, and the delivery location 134.
= The order information 150 can also include, for each order: a merchant
114
identification number or the like; a buyer identification number or the like;
details of
items 138 ordered; the preparation time(s) for the order; the location of the
driver 122 when he accepts delivery of the order; the time that the order is
picked up by the
driver 122; the exact time that the order is confirmed as being delivered; the
exact amount
paid for the order; the estimated delivery time provided to the buyer 110 by
the service
provider 102; etc.
= As one example, a buyer 110 decides to place an order for delivery. The
buyer 110
can access the buyer application 132 on the buyer device 130 to be presented
with a GUI,
which enables the buyer 110 to place a combined order. For example, the GUI
can present,
for selection, information related to items available for delivery from one or
more different
merchants 114. Example GUIs are described below with reference to FIGS. 5-9.
= Further, the buyer application 132 can receive, via the GUI, a buyer 110
input to
select an item 138 offered by a particular merchant 114 of one or more
merchants 114. As
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
one example, the buyer 110 can scroll through a plurality of different
merchants 114 and
select the merchant 114(1) from which to order.
= The GUI can then present a menu of items 138(1) offered by the merchant
114(1).
The buyer 110 can scroll through the menu and select one or more items 138(1)
provided by
the merchant 114(1) that the buyer 110 would like to have delivered to a
delivery
location 134 associated with the buyer 110. When the buyer 110 has finished
selecting the
items 138(1) for delivery, at the checkout stage the buyer 110 can select an
option to add
items 138 from a separate merchant 114 of one or more merchants 114 located
within a
threshold distance of the first merchant 114(1). The one or more merchants 114
located
within the threshold distance of the first merchant 114(1) are presented to
the buyer 110 as
part of a cross marketing arrangement 140 provided by the service provider
102; and in this
example, include the merchant 114(2). The buyer 110 chooses to add items
138(2) offered
by the merchant 114(2). The buyer 110 thus creates a combined order, obtaining
items that
they may not be normally able to obtain from the first merchant 114(1). See
also the below
description of an example GUI in relation to FIG. 5.
= Alternatively, the GUI can then present a menu of items 138(1) offered by
the
merchant 114(1), wherein such menu also includes a predetermined separate
merchant 114
of one or more merchants 114 located within a threshold distance of the first
merchant
114(1). The predetermined separate merchant 114 is presented as part of a
cross marketing
arrangement 140 provided by the service provider 102. In this example, the
predetermined
separate merchant 114 is the merchant 114(2). The buyer 110 can then select
one or more
items 138(1) provided by the merchant 114(1) that the buyer 110 would like to
have
delivered to a delivery location 134 associated with the buyer 110, and select
one or more
items 138(2) provided by the merchant 114(2) that the buyer 110 would like to
combine
into one order and have delivered to the delivery location 134. See also the
below
description of an example GUI in relation to FIG. 7.
= According to the above, the service provider 102 is able to determine
that a second
merchant device 132(2) associated with the second merchant 114(2) is within a
threshold
distance of the first merchant device 132(1). For instance, the threshold
distance can be
17
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
limited to being within the same pickup address, in the same geographical area
or zone, or
similar. As one example, the threshold distance can be sufficiently close to a
first pickup
location 128(1) associated with the first merchant 114(1) such that a
driver(s) 122 that
delivers the combined order does not have to travel more than 5-10 minutes to
pick up a
second order at a second pickup location 128(2) associated with the second
merchant 114(2).
= For example, the buyer combined order information 108 can include first
merchant
114 account information that can be used to associate first order information
with a first
merchant 114 account. The first merchant 114 account can be associated with
the first
merchant device 118(1) and the first merchant 114(1). Similarly, the buyer
combined order
information 108 can include second merchant 114 account information that can
be used to
associate second order information with a second merchant 114 account. The
second
merchant 114 account can be associated with the second merchant device 118(2)
and the
second merchant 114(2).
= The buyer application 132 can send the buyer combined order information
108 to
the service provider computing device 104. The order processing module 136 can
combine
the individual orders as a combined order, and send individual order
information 112 to the
particular merchants 114 identified by the first order information and the
second order information.
= Additionally, the order processing module 140 can assign delivery of the
combined
order to one or more drivers 122 based on the various criteria and thresholds
of the service
provider delivery system 152. The order processing module 140 can then send
the combined order information 108 to a particular assigned driver(s) 122, who
can pick up
the combined order from the pickup location(s) 128 of the merchant(s) 114. The
driver(s) 122 delivers the combined order to the delivery location 134. See
also the below
description of examples in relation to FIG. 4.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= The order processing module 140 can process payments and refunds
associated with
buyer information 144 through a payment gateway provided by an API of the
third party
payment processer 154.
= Further, the order processing module 140 can process payments and refunds
associated with merchant information 146 through a payment gateway provided by
the API
of the third party payment processer 154.
= FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating an example process 200 for
combining orders for
delivery according to some implementations of the present invention. In some
examples,
the process 200 can be executed and coordinated by the service provider
computing device
104, or by another suitable computing device.
= At step 202, the buyer's delivery location 134 is determined by the
service provider
computing device 104 receiving, from a buyer device 130 associated with a
buyer 110,
information for the delivery address.
= For example, the buyer's delivery location 134 is determined based on a
current
location of the buyer device 130, such as can be indicated by location
information received
from the buyer device 130. Thus the service provider computing device 104 can
receive,
from the buyer device 130, location information from one or more location
sensors
associated with the buyer device 130, and can determine an indicated delivery
location 134
based at least in part on the location information from the one or more
location sensors.
For instance, the buyer device 130 can include one or more on-board sensors
that can be
used to determine a geographical location of the buyer device 130. For
example, such
determination can be based on data received from an on-board Global
Positioning System
(GPS) device or a device with similar GPS locating capabilities. In this
description, the term
"GPS device" includes the meaning of a satellite navigation device, GPS
receiver, etc.
Alternatively, the buyer's delivery location 134 can be specified by the buyer
110 when
placing the order.
19
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= At step 204, one or more merchants 114 are located within a threshold
distance of
the buyer's delivery location 134, and the buyer device 130 receives from the
service
provider 102 a list of merchants 114 that the buyer 110 can order items from.
The list of
merchants 114 can be presented to the buyer 110 within a GUI within a buyer
app 132 or on
a website.
= The service provider computing device 104 can determine that a second
pickup
location associated with a second merchant 114 of one or more merchants 114 is
within a
threshold distance of a first pickup location associated with a first merchant
114. For
instance, the threshold distance can be different for different environments,
such as the
respective pickup locations being in the same geographical area or zone, same
street, same
complex or similar. As one example, the threshold distance can be sufficiently
close such
that the driver 122 does not spend more than 5-10 minutes traveling from the
first pickup
location to the second pickup location.
= At step 206, the service provider computing device 104 receives from the
buyer
device 130 an instruction to select the menu of items of the first merchant
114, and the
service provider computing device 104 sends information to the buyer device
130 whereby
a menu of items offered for sale by the first merchant 114 is presented to the
buyer 110
within a GUI within a buyer app 132 or on a website. The buyer 110 then
proceeds to select
a first item from the menu of items offered for sale by the first merchant
114.
= At step 208, the buyer 110 is provided within a GUI within the buyer app
132 on the
buyer device 130 with the option to create a combined order. The GUI providing
the option
can be presented either at the check-out stage of the first merchant 114 (see
the example
GUI in FIG. 5), or within the menu of the first merchant 114 (see the example
GUI in FIG. 7),
or within the menu of a merchant (or venue) 114 where the buyer 110 is located
(see the
example GUI in FIG. 8)
= The service provider computing device 104 can receive, from the buyer
device 130,
an indication to create a combined order. For example, the buyer 110 can
select by tapping
on a section or area in a user interface presented on the buyer device 130, to
indicate that
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
the buyer 110 would like to create a combined order; and this information can
be sent to
the service provider computing device 104.
= In some instances, the buyer 110 may not want to select and add items
from a
second merchant 114 to create a combined order. In such case, the buyer 110 is
brought to
an order confirmation page within a GUI within the buyer app 132 (see step
212).
= At step 210, if the service provider computing device 104 receives from
the buyer
device 130 an indication to create a combined order, a menu of items offered
for sale by a
second merchant 114 of one or more merchants 114 is presented to the buyer 110
within a
GUI within the buyer app 132. The buyer 110 then proceeds to select a second
item from
the menu of items offered for sale by the second merchant 114.
= At step 212, the service provider computing device 104 receives from the
buyer
device 130 an order confirmation containing order information. The service
provider
computing device 104 can send to a first merchant device 118 associated with
the first
merchant 114 order information for ordering the first item; and where
applicable, the
service provider computing device 104 can send to a second merchant device 118
associated with the second merchant 114 order information for ordering the
second item.
In the following description, unless the context indicates otherwise, it will
be assumed that
the buyer 110 has created a combined order.
= At step 214, the buyer 110 is presented within the GUI within the buyer
app 132
payment options that can include credit card, debit card, cash on delivery,
etc. Payments by
credit card and debit card are processed by the third party payment processor
154 through
a third party payment gateway API. In the following description, unless the
context indicates
otherwise, it will be assumed that payment is made by credit card or debit
card.
= At step 216, upon payment being processed by the third party payment
processor
154, the buyer device 130 is presented with confirmation from the service
provider
computing device 104 that the payment has been received. In the event that the
payment is
not processed, the buyer device 130 is returned to step 214 whereby the buyer
device 130
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
is presented within a GUI within the buyer app 132 a selection of payment
options. In the
event that the payment is processed successfully, the process 200 continues to
step 218.
= At step 218, the merchant devices 118 receive from the service provider
computing
device 104 respective individual order information 112 derived from the
combined order.
= At step 220, each of the merchant devices 118 sends confirmation to the
service
provider computing device 104 with information on the order preparation time
and the
estimated pickup time of the item.
= At step 222, the order processing module 136 on the service provider
computing
device 104 assigns the pickups and delivery to a driver(s) 122, based on the
confirmation
information received from the merchants 114 and the various criteria and
thresholds of the
service provider delivery system 152. In the following description, unless the
context
indicates otherwise, it will be assumed that the pickups and delivery have
been assigned to
a single driver 122.
= At step 224, the service provider computing device 104 sends, to the
driver device
124 associated with the assigned driver 122, dispatch combined order
information 120
indicating the delivery location 134 and pickup locations 128 associated with
the merchants
114.
= At step 226, the service provider computing device 104 sends to the buyer
device
130 and merchant devices 118 notification to confirm that the items contained
within the
combined order have been picked up by the assigned driver 122 at the pickup
locations 128.
= At step 228, the service provider computing device 104 sends to the buyer
device
130 and the merchant devices 118 notification to confirm that the items
contained within
the combined order have been delivered by the assigned driver 122 to the
delivery location
134.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating aspects of a system 300 and processes
for cross
marketing and sales involving combined orders according to some
implementations of the
present invention. The diagram shows examples of various different system
combinations of
cross marketing arrangements 140 between different merchants 114 such as food
merchants 114(2), 114(4), 114(5), 114(6) and alcohol merchants 114(1), 114(3).
The
merchants 114 receive/confirm orders from/to a service provider computing
device 104
over a network(s) 106 using merchant devices 118. Anybody skilled in the art
can recognise
that many cross marketing and sales combinations are possible with many
different types of
merchants 114 and entities. In the following description, unless the context
indicates
otherwise, it will be assumed that there is one network 106.
= In some examples, the cross marketing and sales system 300 allows users
such as
merchants 114 to interact and create cross marketing and sales arrangements
140 with
other merchants 114 based on the respective locations of the merchants 114.
This and
other concepts described here are scalable and transferable across many
different
industries. Furthermore, any merchant 114 having the appropriate hardware such
as a
tablet device can implement aspects of the cross marketing and sales system
300 for its own
uses.
= One aspect of the cross marketing and sales system 300 is the ability for
merchants
114 and service providers 102 individually or in combination to facilitate and
or create
exclusive or non-exclusive partnerships and or arrangements for cross
marketing and sales
of items to individual buyers 110 or groups of buyers 110. Such partnerships
and or
arrangements can be based on certain geographical areas (or other kinds of
territories), and
can be structured according to certain timings, dates and periods, etc.
= In some examples of the cross marketing and sales system 300, merchants
114 can
advertise generally and broadly to all or most customers. In other examples,
merchants 114
can engage in targeted advertising¨e.g., advertising at specific time periods,
for specific
products, in specific locations, or to specific individuals or groups.
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= In one implementation, a cross marketing and sales arrangement 140 can
allow
merchants 114 to sponsor deliveries if a buyer 110 purchases a particular
item(s) from a
particular merchant 114 in a combined order with another merchant 114. In this
model, a
merchant 114 would only have to spend money on advertising if a customer buys
its
product. For the buyer 110, the appeal of free delivery would be an incentive
to consider
switching to the merchant's products or adding the merchant's products to an
order. This
would create methods for merchants 114 to acquire new customers and release
new
products.
= In one example, an alcohol merchant 114(1) such as a brewery could offer
to cover
the cost of delivery of a combined order. In this situation, a buyer 110 using
a buyer device
130 sends an order over the network 106 to the service provider computing
device 104 to
buy the brewery's items (such as a particular brand of beer) as part of a
combined order
with items from a particular food merchant 114(2) such as a pizza restaurant.
= In one implementation, a service provider 102 can cross market items from
various
merchants 114 in an online platform, and can promote particular items from a
particular
first merchant 114 with a particular second merchant 114 based on data such as
past
orders, etc.
= In one example, a service provider 102 can have menus of one or more
merchants
114 within a GUI within a buyer app 132 on a buyer device 130 that advertises
food items
from a food merchant 114(2) and alcohol items from an alcohol merchant 114(1),
in order
to create a cross marketing and sales arrangement 140. The service provider
computing
device 104 can receive over the network 106 from a buyer device 130 a combined
order
containing items from the food merchant 114(2) and items from the alcohol
merchant
114(1) to be delivered to the buyer's location. Alternatively, the delivery
location 134 can be
the location of one of the merchants 114(1), 114 (2) contained within the
combined order.
For example, the buyer 110 can arrange to pick up the combined order from
either the food
merchant 114(2) or the alcohol merchant 114(1).
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= Additionally, based on past order data, the service provider 102 can
promote and
advertise particular items of a particular first merchant 114 within the menu
or checkout of
a particular second merchant 114 within a GUI within a buyer app 132 on a
buyer device
130, in order to drive sales of the items of the first merchant 114.
= As one example, a food merchant 114(5) such as a food truck that does not
sell
alcohol can have a menu within a GUI within a buyer app 132 on a buyer device
130. The
menu advertises alcohol items from an alcohol merchant 114(1) in a cross
marketing and
sales arrangement 140 at a specific time that the food truck is within a
specific location. The
service provider computing device 104 can receive over the network 106 from a
buyer
device 130 a combined order containing items from the food merchant 114(5) and
items
from the alcohol merchant 114(1) to be delivered in a combined delivery to the
buyer's
location.
= Additionally or alternatively, based on past order data, the service
provider 102 can
sell promotional and advertising slots to enable merchants 114 to target
customers of a
particular merchant 114 of one or more merchants 114. For example, a
particular alcohol
merchant 114(1) can purchase advertising slots to advertise and promote
alcohol items
within the menu or check out process of a food merchant 114(2) such as a
restaurant, with
the slots designated at specific times, on specific days, and the like. For
example, a pizza
restaurant can advertise items within a pub menu on days when demand for pizza
is low
and the pub is busy, in order to increase sales of pizza on those days.
Another example
would be a pizza restaurant advertising items within the menu of a liquor
store during the
times when the liquor store has high demand for delivery of alcohol items.
= In one implementation, a first merchant 114 of one or more merchants 114
can
create a cross marketing and sales arrangement 140 in the form of a
partnership or the like
with a second merchant 114 of one or more merchants 114.
= As one example, a venue 302 such as a comedy club that does not sell
either food or
alcohol can have a menu within a GUI within a buyer app 132 on a buyer device
130. The
buyer device 130 is owned by the venue 302, and provided within the venue 302
to the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
buyer 110 for the purpose of placing an order. The menu advertises food items
from a food
merchant 114(2) and alcohol items from an alcohol merchant 114(1) in a cross
marketing
and sales arrangement 140. The service provider computing device 104 can
receive over the
network 106 from the buyer device 130 an order containing items from the
alcohol
merchant 114(1) and or items from the food merchant 114(2), to be delivered to
the buyer
110 at the venue 302.
= In another example, an alcohol merchant 114(3) such as a pub that does
not sell
food can have a menu within a GUI within a buyer app 132 on a buyer device
130. The buyer
device 130 is owned by the pub and provided within the pub to the buyer 110
for the
purpose of placing an order. The menu advertises food items from a food
merchant 114(4)
in a cross marketing and sales arrangement 140. The service provider computing
device 104
can receive over the network 106 from the buyer device 130 an order containing
items from
the alcohol merchant 114(3) to be served within the pub and or items from the
food
merchant 114(4) to be delivered to the buyer's location at the pub.
= As another example, a food merchant 114(6) such as a food truck that does
not sell
alcohol can have a menu within a GUI within a buyer app 132 on a buyer device
130. The
buyer device 130 is owned by the food truck, and provided at the food truck to
the buyer
110 for the purpose of placing an order. The menu advertises alcohol items
from an alcohol
merchant 114(1) in a cross marketing and sales arrangement 140. The service
provider
computing device 104 can receive over the network 106 from the buyer device
130 an order
containing items from the food merchant 114(6) to be served at the food truck
and or items
from the alcohol merchant 114(1) to be delivered to the buyer's location at
the food truck.
In another example, a food merchant 114(6) such as a food truck can be booked
to attend a
party on demand or at a scheduled date at the buyer's location. The buyer 110
can create a
combined order containing items from a food merchant 114(6) and an alcohol
merchant
114(1) to be served at the party.
= FIG. 4 is a diagram showing aspects of a combined order delivery system
400
according to some implementations of the present invention. The diagram
illustrates
examples of various different combinations of pickup and delivery by drivers
122 in a shared
26
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
and unshared delivery arrangement according to the criteria and thresholds of
the service
provider delivery system 152 of the service provider computing device 104.
Anybody skilled
in the art can recognise that many delivery combinations are possible.
= Drivers 122 are assigned based on various criteria and thresholds
determined by the
service provider delivery system 152. For example, availability of drivers
122, location of
drivers 122, location of pickup(s), location of delivery(ies), source(s) of
order(s), delivery
agreement(s) between merchants 114, operating timings of the merchants 114,
etc.
= For instance, the service provider computing device 104 can communicate
over one
or more networks 106 with one or more driver devices 124, some of which are
associated
with active drivers 122 and some of which are associated with inactive drivers
122. The
service provider computing device 104 can receive communications from the
driver devices
124 associated with active drivers 122 who are willing to be assigned delivery
jobs. In the
following description, unless the context indicates otherwise, it will be
assumed that there is
one network 106.
= Furthermore, the service provider computing device 104 can receive
location
information obtained from one or more location sensors associated with each
driver device
124 of an active driver 122. For instance, the driver devices 124 of active
drivers 122 can
report their current locations to the service provider computing device 104
based on
information from one or more on-board sensors, such as data received from a
GPS device or
a device with similar GPS locating capabilities. Therefore the driver devices
124 associated
with the active drivers 122 can communicate with the service provider
computing device
104, and can send location information obtained from one or more location
sensors
associated with each driver device 124. The location information can indicate
respective
geographical locations of each driver device 124.
= The service provider computing device 104 can determine respective
indicated
locations of the active driver devices 124 within a delivery service zone.
Based on the
indicated locations, the service provider computing device 104 can select a
particular driver
122 to which to assign the order, so as to minimize driver travel time to the
pickup
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
location(s). If there is no active driver 122 nearby, the service provider
computing device
104 can send a message to a driver device 124 associated with at least one
inactive driver
122 for the purpose of activating the inactive driver 122. For example, the
service provider
computing device 104 can send communications over the network 106 to one or
more
driver devices 124 associated with the inactive drivers 122, to determine
current locations
of the inactive drivers 122 and or to determine whether the inactive drivers
122 are willing
to become active for the purpose of delivering orders. If there is an inactive
driver 122 near
the pickup location(s) who is willing to become active for the purpose of
delivering orders,
the delivery job can be assigned to that driver 122.
= Further, the service provider computing device 104 can select a
particular driver 122
to which to assign the order based on the source of the combined order or
based on a
delivery agreement between particular merchants 114. For example, a combined
order is
made by a buyer 110 through a buyer app 132 within a buyer device 130. A
particular food
merchant's menu within the GUI within the buyer app 132 can give priority to a
driver 122
contracted or employed by that food merchant 114 to make the delivery to the
buyer 110.
Alternatively, a food merchant 114 and an alcohol merchant 114 can have an
agreement to
share pickups and deliveries.
= In one implementation, an Independent driver 122(1) receives on a driver
device
124(1) an order assigned for delivery by the service provider computing device
104. The
order is to pick up items 138(1) from an alcohol merchant 114(1) whose
location is
determined by the location of the corresponding merchant device 118, and pick
up items
138(2) from a food merchant 114(2) whose location is determined by the
location of the
corresponding merchant device 118, and then deliver the items 138(1), 138(2)
to the buyer
110 at a delivery location 134 determined by the buyer device 130. For
example, the buyer
110 places an order for delivery of pizza from a pizza restaurant and beer
from a beer store
to be delivered in one combined order to their home, and one independent
driver 122(1)
picks up the items from both pickup locations and delivers them to the buyer's
home.
= In another implementation, a food merchant's driver 122(2) receives on a
driver
device 124(2) an order assigned for delivery by the service provider computer
device 104.
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
The order is to pick up items 138(1) from the alcohol merchant 114(1) whose
location is
determined by the location of the corresponding merchant device 118, and pick
up items
138(2) from the food merchant 114(2) whose location is determined by the
location of the
corresponding merchant device 118, and then deliver the items 138(1), 138(2)
to the buyer
110 at a delivery location 134 determined by the buyer device 130. For
example, the buyer
110 places an order for delivery of pizza from a pizza restaurant and beer
from a beer store
to be delivered in one combined order to their home. The driver 122(2)
employed by the
pizza restaurant picks up the pizza from the pizza restaurant where he is
employed and then
picks up the beer on the way to delivering the pizza to the buyer 110. In this
way, the risk of
spoiling of hot pizza or cold beer is minimized.
= In another implementation, an alcohol merchant's driver 122(3) receives
on a driver
device 124(3) an order assigned for delivery by the service provider computing
device 104.
The order is to pick up items 138(2) from the food merchant 114(2) whose
location is
determined by the location of the corresponding merchant device 118, and pick
up items
138(1) from the alcohol merchant 114(1) whose location is determined by the
location of
the corresponding merchant device 118, and then deliver the items 138(1),
138(2) to the
buyer 110 at a delivery location 134 determined by the buyer device 130. For
example, the
buyer 110 places an order for delivery of pizza from a pizza restaurant and
beer from a beer
store to be delivered in one combined order to their home. The driver 122(3)
working for
the beer store picks up the beer from the beer store he is working in and then
picks up the
pizza on the way to delivering the beer to the buyer 110. In this way, the
risk of spoiling of
cold beer or hot pizza is minimized.
= In another implementation, a food merchant's driver 122(2) receives on a
driver
device 124(2) an order assigned for delivery by the service provider computing
device 104.
The order is to pick up items 138(2) from the food merchant 114(2) whose
location is
determined by the location of the corresponding merchant device 118, and
deliver the
items 138(2) to the alcohol merchant 114(1) whose location is determined by
the location
of the corresponding merchant device 118. Further, the alcohol merchant's
driver 122(3)
receives on the driver device 124(3) an order assigned for delivery of the
items 138(2) and
items 138(1) to the buyer 110 at a delivery location 134 determined by the
buyer device
29
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
130. For example, the buyer 110 places an order for delivery of pizza from a
pizza restaurant
and beer from a beer store to be delivered in one combined order to their
home. The driver
122(2) contracted by the pizza restaurant picks up the pizza from the pizza
restaurant he is
contracted to, and delivers the pizza to the beer store. Then the driver
122(3) employed by
the beer store picks up the pizza and beer and delivers the combined order to
the buyer
110.
= In another implementation, the alcohol merchant's driver 122(3) receives
on the
driver device 124(3) an order assigned for delivery by the service provider
computing device
104. The order is to pick up items 138(1) from the alcohol merchant 114(1)
whose location
is determined by the location of the corresponding merchant device 118, and
deliver the
items 138(1) to the food merchant 114(2) whose location is determined by the
location of
the corresponding merchant device 118. Further, the buyer 110 receives on the
buyer
device 130 information from the service provider computing device 104 to pick
up the items
138(1) and items 138(2) at the food merchant 114(2). For example, the buyer
110 places an
order for the delivery of beer from a beer store to a pizza restaurant, and
for the buyer 110
to pick up the beer and pizza from the pizza restaurant. The driver 122(3)
working for the
beer store picks up the beer from the beer store he is working in and delivers
the beer to
the pizza restaurant. Then the buyer 110 picks up the combined order of pizza
and beer at
the pizza restaurant.
= In another implementation, the Independent driver 122(1) receives on the
driver
device 124(1) an order assigned for delivery by the service provider computing
device 104.
The order is to pick up items 138(2) from the food merchant 114(2) whose
location is
determined by the location of the corresponding merchant device 118, and
deliver the
items 138(2) to the buyer 110 at a delivery location 134 determined by the
location of the
buyer device 130. For example, the buyer 110 places an order for delivery of
pizza from a
pizza restaurant to a pub where he can consume the pizza at the pub. The
independent
driver 122(1) picks up the pizza from the pizza restaurant and delivers the
pizza to the pub
where the buyer 110 is located.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= FIG. 5 illustrates an example graphical user interface 500 that can be
presented on a
display 502 associated with the buyer device 130 according to some
implementations of the
present invention. The GUI 500 presents information, such as information
related to
an order to be placed by the buyer 110 using the buyer device 130. The GUI 500
includes a
delivery address 504 to which the order can be delivered. In some examples,
the delivery
address 504 can be determined by the buyer application 132 based on a current
location of
the buyer device 130. For example, the current location can be determined from
data
received from an on-board GPS device or a device with similar GPS locating
capabilities.
Alternatively, the current location can be determined from wireless access
point
information, cell tower information, and/or through various other techniques.
= In one example, upon obtaining the GUI 500, the buyer 110 can be asked if
the buyer
application 132 is allowed to use the buyer's current location. For instance,
a mobile app
can via a push notification request access to a buyer's location the first
time the buyer 110
loads the mobile app after downloading it. If the buyer 110 does not allow
access, he is
prompted to manually turn on the access in the mobile device settings.
Thereby, the buyer's
location is determined, for instance using geolocation.
= In some examples, the delivery address 504 may have been previously
entered by
the buyer 110, and/or may be a default location that can be changed by the
buyer 110
through interaction of the buyer 110 with the GUI 500.
= For instance, suppose that when placing the order, the buyer 110 is in
one location,
but is planning to go to another location to receive the order. Accordingly,
the buyer 110
can specify the delivery address 504 to be an address different from the
buyer's current
location.
= The GUI 500 further includes a user icon 506 that the buyer 110 can
select. Then the
buyer 110 can view or change a buyer account associated with the order, or can
access
other information of the buyer account.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= In the illustrated example, suppose that the buyer 110 has been presented
with a
listing of merchants 114, and has selected a particular merchant 114. The
merchant 114 is
the Acme Pizza Restaurant, which is indicated in the GUI 500 by an identifying
image 522 associated with the merchant 114 and a name 508 of the merchant 114.
Further,
suppose that the buyer 110 has already completed selection of several items
from a menu
of the merchant 114. Accordingly, the GUI 500 can present the selections made
by the
buyer 110, which can include a listing 512 of the selected items. The listing
512 includes the
price for each selected item.
= If the buyer 110 desires to make any changes to the items selected, the
buyer 110
can tap (or otherwise select) an area 510 in the GUI 500 to either add more
items or remove
a selected item. As indicated at area 514, the GUI 500 can further present an
estimated
delivery time for the order if the buyer 110 were to proceed immediately with
placement of
the order 518 without creating a combined order. Alternatively, the buyer 110
can tap (or
otherwise select) the area 516 and create a combined order with a nearby
merchant 114,
which in this example is an alcohol merchant 114.
= If the buyer 110 decides to create a combined order and taps (or
otherwise selects)
the area 516, he is provided with a range of alcohol merchants 114, from which
one such
alcohol merchant 114 can be selected. When the menu of that alcohol merchant
114 is
presented, alcohol items can be selected and added to the order to create the
combined
order.
= Additionally, if the buyer 110 decides to schedule the order for a
specific delivery
time, the buyer 110 can tap (or otherwise select) an area 520 in the GUI 500.
The buyer 110
is then provided with the option to select a specific delivery time for when
the order should
be delivered to him.
= FIG. 6 illustrates an example graphical user interface 600 that can be
presented on a
display 602 associated with the buyer device 130 according to some
implementations of the
present invention. The GUI 600 presents information, such as information
related to a
combined order to be placed by the buyer 110 using the buyer device 130. The
32
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
GUI 600 includes a delivery address 604 to which the order can be delivered.
In some
examples, the delivery address 604 can be determined by the buyer application
132 based
on a current location of the buyer device 130. For example, the current
location can be
determined from data received from an on-board GPS device or a device with
similar GPS
locating capabilities. Alternatively, the current location can be determined
from wireless
access point information, cell tower information, and/or through various other
techniques.
= In one example, upon obtaining the GUI 600, the buyer 110 can be asked if
the buyer
application 132 is allowed to use the buyer's current location. For instance,
a mobile app
can via a push notification request access to a buyer's location the first
time the buyer 110
loads the mobile app after downloading it. If the buyer 110 does not allow
access, he is
prompted to manually turn on the access in the mobile device settings.
Thereby, the buyer's
location is determined, for instance using geolocation.
= In some examples, the delivery address 604 may have been previously
entered by
the buyer 110, and/or may be a default location that can be changed by the
buyer 110
through interaction of the buyer 110 with the GUI 600.
= For instance, suppose that when placing the order, the buyer 110 is in
one location,
but is planning to go to another location to receive the order. Accordingly,
the buyer 110
can specify the delivery address 604 to be an address different from the
buyer's current
location.
= The GUI 600 further includes a user icon 606 that the buyer 110 can
select. Then the
buyer 110 can view or change a buyer account associated with the order, or can
access
other information of the buyer account.
= In the illustrated example, suppose that the buyer 110 has been presented
with a
listing(s) of merchants 114, and has selected two particular merchants 114,
which in this
example are the Acme Pizza Restaurant and Big Beer Store Inc. Each of these
merchants 114
is indicated by an identifying image 622, 624 and a name 607, 608 in the GUI
600. Further,
suppose that the buyer 110 has already completed selection of several items
from menus of
33
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
the merchants 114. Accordingly, the GUI 600 can present the selections made by
the buyer
110, which can include a listing 610 of the selected items. The listing 610
includes the price
for each selected item.
= If the buyer 110 desires to make any changes to the items selected, he
can tap (or
otherwise select) an area 614 in the GUI 600 to either add more items or
remove a selected
item. As indicated at area 612, the GUI 600 can further present an estimated
delivery time
for the combined order from both merchants 114 if the buyer 110 were to
proceed
immediately with placement of the order 618.
= Additionally, if the buyer 110 decides to schedule the order for a
specific delivery
time, the buyer 110 can tap (or otherwise select) an area 620 in the GUI 600.
The buyer 110
is then provided with the option to select a specific delivery time for when
the order should
be delivered to him.
= FIG. 7 illustrates an example graphical user interface 700 that can be
presented on a
display 702 associated with the buyer device 130 according to some
implementations of the
present invention. The GUI 700 presents information, such as information
related to
an order to be placed by the buyer 110 using the buyer device 130. The GUI 700
includes a
delivery address 704 to which the order can be delivered. In some examples,
the delivery
address 704 can be determined by the buyer application 132 based on a current
location of
the buyer device 130. For example, the current location can be determined from
GPS
information provided by an on-board GPS device or a device with similar GPS
locating
capabilities. Alternatively, the current location can be determined from
wireless access
point information, cell tower information, and/or through various other
techniques.
= In one example, upon obtaining the GUI 700, the buyer 110 can be asked if
the buyer
application 132 is allowed to use the buyer's current location. For instance,
a mobile app
can via a push notification request access to a buyer's location the first
time the buyer 110
loads the mobile app after downloading it. If the buyer 110 does not allow
access, he is
prompted to manually turn on the access in the mobile device settings.
Thereby, the buyer's
location is determined, for instance using geolocation.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= In some examples, the delivery address 704 may have been previously
entered by
the buyer 110, and/or may be a default location that can be changed by the
buyer 110
through interaction of the buyer 110 with the GUI 700.
= For instance, suppose that when placing the order, the buyer 110 is in
one location,
but is planning to go to another location to receive the order. Accordingly,
the buyer 110
can specify the delivery address 704 to be an address different from the
buyer's current
location.
= The GUI 700 further includes a user icon 706 that the buyer 110 can
select. Then the
buyer 110 can view or change a buyer account associated with the order, or can
access
other information of the buyer account.
= In the illustrated example, suppose that the buyer 110 has been presented
with a
listing of merchants 114, and has selected a particular merchant 114, which in
this example
is the Acme Pizza Restaurant. This merchant 114 is indicated in the GUI 700 by
an identifying
image 722 associated with the merchant 114, and a name 707 of the merchant
114. Further,
suppose that the buyer 110 is in the process of selecting items from the menu
of the
merchant 114 as indicated at area 706 in the GUI 700. The buyer 110 can choose
to create a
combined order by tapping (or otherwise selecting) the area 708 in the GUI
700, to add
items from a predetermined second merchant 114 who is part of a cross
marketing and
sales arrangement 140. In this example, the second merchant 114 is Big Beer
Store Inc.
= If the buyer 110 desires to view the check-out which lists all the items
contained
within the combined order, the buyer 110 can tap (or otherwise select) an area
710 in the
GUI 700.
= FIG. 8 illustrates an example graphical user interface 800 that can be
presented on a
display 802 associated with the buyer device 130 according to some
implementations of the
present invention. The GUI 800 presents information, such as information
related to
an order to be placed by the buyer 110 using the buyer device 130. The GUI 800
includes a
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
delivery address 804 to which the order can be delivered. In this case, the
delivery
address 804 is a table located within the premises (venue) of a particular
merchant 114.
= The GUI 800 further includes a user icon 806 that the buyer 110 can
select. Then the
buyer 110 can change a buyer account associated with the order, or can access
other
information of the buyer account.
= In the illustrated example, suppose that the buyer 110 is located in the
venue of the
merchant 114, which in this example is the Laughs R Us Comedy Club. This venue
is
indicated in the GUI 800 by an identifying image 822 associated with the venue
and a
name 807 of the venue. Further, suppose that the buyer 110 is in the process
of selecting
items from the menu of the venue as indicated at area 812 in the GUI 800. The
buyer 110
can choose to create a combined order by tapping (or otherwise selecting) the
area 816 and
or the area 814 in the GUI 800 to add items from two different predetermined
merchants
114 who are part of a cross marketing and sales arrangement 140. In this
example, the two
merchants 114 are Acme Pizza Restaurant and Big Beer Store Inc.
= If the buyer 110 desires to view the check-out which lists all the items
contained
within the combined order, he can tap (or otherwise select) an area 818 in the
GUI 800.
= FIG. 9 illustrates an example graphical user interface 900 that can be
presented on a
display 902 associated with the buyer device 130 according to some
implementations of the
present invention. The GUI 900 presents information, such as information
related to
an order to be placed by the buyer 110 using the buyer device 130. The GUI 900
includes a
delivery address 904 to which the order can be delivered for the buyer 110 to
pick up. In
some examples, the delivery address 904 can be the same location as one of the
merchants
114 within the combined order.
= In one example, upon obtaining the GUI 900, the buyer 110 can be asked if
the buyer
application 132 is allowed to use the buyer's current location. For instance,
a mobile app
can via a push notification request access to a buyer's location the first
time the buyer 110
loads the mobile app after downloading it. If the buyer 110 does not allow
access, the buyer
36
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
110 is prompted to manually turn on the access in the mobile device settings.
Thereby, the
buyer's location is determined, for instance using geolocation.
= In some examples, the delivery address 904 may have been previously
entered by
the buyer 110, and/or may be a default location that can be changed by the
buyer 110
through interaction of the buyer 110 with the GUI 900.
= For instance, suppose that when placing the order, the buyer 110 is in
one location,
but is planning to go to another location to receive the order. Accordingly,
the buyer 110
can specify the delivery address 904 to be an address different from the
buyer's current
location.
= The GUI 900 further includes a user icon 906 that the buyer 110 can
select. Then the
buyer 110 can view or change a buyer account associated with the order, or can
access
other information of the buyer account.
= In the illustrated example, suppose that the buyer 110 has been presented
with a
listing of merchants 114, and has selected particular merchants 114, which in
this example
are the Acme Pizza Restaurant and Big Beer Store Inc. Each of these merchants
114 is
indicated in the GUI 900 by an identifying image 922, 924 and a name 907, 908.
Further,
suppose that the buyer 110 has already completed selection of several items
from menus of
the merchants 114. Accordingly, the GUI 900 can present the selections made by
the buyer
110, which can include a listing 910 of the selected items. The listing 910
includes the price
for each selected item.
= If the buyer 110 desires to make any changes to the items selected, the
buyer 110
can tap (or otherwise select) an area 914 in the GUI 900 to either add more
items or remove
a selected item. As indicated at area 912, the GUI 900 can further present an
estimated
pickup time for the combined order from one of the merchants 114 if the buyer
110 were to
proceed immediately with placement of the order 918.
37
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= Additionally, if the buyer 110 decides to schedule the order for a
specific pickup
time, the buyer 110 can tap (or otherwise select) an area 912 in the GUI 900.
The buyer 110
is then provided with the option to select a specific pickup time for when the
order should
be picked up by him.
= FIG. 10 schematically illustrates certain components of the service
provider
computing device 104 that can be used to implement the functionality of the
cross
marketing, combined ordering and delivery services described herein. The
service provider
computing device 104 can include one or more servers or other types of
computing devices
that can be embodied in any number of ways.
= In the illustrated example, each service provider computing device 104
can include
at least one processor 1002, one or more computer-readable media 1004, and one
or more
communication interfaces 1010.
= Each processor 1002 can be configured to fetch and execute computer-
readable
instructions stored in the computer-readable media 1004. That is, the computer-
readable
media 1004 can program the processor 1002 to perform the functions described
herein.
= The computer-readable media 1004 can include memory and or removable and
non-
removable media implemented in any type of technology for storage of
information. Such
information can include for example computer-readable processor-executable
instructions,
data structures, and program modules or other data. Examples of memory are
RAM, ROM,
[[PROM, etc.
= The computer-readable media 1004 can be used to store any number of
functional
components that are executable by the processor 1002. In many implementations,
these
functional components comprise instructions or programs that are executable by
the
processor 1002 and that, when executed, specifically configure the processor
1002 to
perform the actions attributed above to the service provider computing device
104.
Functional components stored in the computer-readable media 1004 can include:
the
order processing module 136, which can receive and combine orders, and perform
various
38
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
other functions; the third party payment processor 154 for receiving payments
from
customers and sending payments to merchants 114; the service provider delivery
system 152 for assigning delivery pickups and deliveries of combined orders to
the one or
more drivers 122 based on varying criteria and thresholds; and an operating
system 1006 for controlling and managing various functions of the service
provider
computing device 104.
= In addition, the computer-readable media 1004 can store data used for
performing
the operations described herein. Thus the computer-readable media 1004 can
store: the
buyer information 144, including buyer accounts 1014 associated with the
respective buyers
110; the merchant information 146, including merchant accounts 1016 associated
with the
respective merchants 114; the driver information 148, including driver
accounts 1018
associated with the respective drivers 122; and the order information 150.
= The service provider computing device 104 can also include or maintain
other
functional components and data not specifically shown in FIG. 10. For example,
other
modules and data 1008, which can include programs, drivers, etc., and the data
used or
generated by the functional components.
= The communication interfaces 1010 can include one or more interfaces and
hardware components for enabling communication with various other devices,
such as over
the network 106.
= The service provider computing device 104 can further be equipped with
various
input/output (I/O) devices 1012. Such I/O devices 1012 can include a display,
various user
interface controls, audio speakers, connection ports, etc.
= FIG. 11 schematically illustrates certain components of the buyer device
130 that can
be used by a buyer 110 to implement the functionality of the combined ordering
and
delivery services described herein. The buyer device 130 can be any of a
number of different
types of portable computing or communication devices. Some examples are smart
phones,
other mobile communication devices, tablet computing devices, laptops,
netbooks, and any
39
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
other portable devices capable of sending and receiving communications and
performing
the functions according to the techniques of the systems described herein.
Furthermore, in
some examples, the buyer device 130 can be a stationary or semi-stationary
device, such as
a desktop computer, a smart TV or another device with computing capabilities.
= In the illustrated embodiment, the buyer device 130 includes components
such as at
least one processor 1104, one or more computer-readable media 1106, one or
more
communication interfaces 1108, and one or more input/output (I/O) devices
1110. Each
processor 1104 can itself comprise one or more processors or processing cores.
The
processor 1104 can be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable
processor-
executable instructions stored in the computer-readable media 1106.
= Depending on the configuration of the buyer device 130, the computer-
readable
media 1106 can be tangible non-transitory computer storage media, and can
include
memory and or removable and non-removable media implemented in any type of
technology for storage of information. Such information can include for
example computer-
readable processor-executable instructions, data structures, and program
modules or other
data. Examples of memory are RAM, ROM, [[PROM, etc.
= Accordingly, the computer-readable media 1106 can be computer storage
media
able to store instructions, modules or components that can be executed by the
processor 1104.
= The computer-readable media 1106 can be used to store and maintain any
number
of functional components that are executable by the processor 1104. In some
implementations, these functional components comprise instructions or programs
that are
executable by the processor 1104 and that, when executed, implement
operational logic for
performing the actions and services attributed above to the buyer device 130.
Functional
components of the buyer device 130 stored in the computer-readable media 1106
can
include the buyer application 132. The buyer application 132 can present the
buyer 110
with one or more GUIs for creating combined orders, some examples of which are
described
above in relation to FIGS. 5-9. Additional functional components can include
an operating
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
system 1114 for controlling and managing various functions of the buyer device
130, and for
enabling basic user interactions with the buyer device 130.
= In addition, the computer-readable media 1106 can store data, data
structures and
the like, which are used by the functional components. Depending on the type
of the buyer
device 130, the computer-readable media 1106 can also optionally include other
functional
components and data, such as other modules and data 1116. The other modules
and
data 1116 can include applications, programs, drivers, etc., and the data used
or generated
by the functional components.
= The communication interfaces 1108 can include one or more interfaces and
hardware components for enabling communication with various other devices,
such as over
the network 106 or directly.
= FIG. 11 further illustrates that the buyer device 130 can include a
display 1102.
Depending on the type of computing device used as the buyer device 130, the
display 1102 can employ any suitable display technology. In some examples, the
display 1102 can have a touch sensor associated therewith. Accordingly, the
display 1102 provides a touchscreen display configured to receive touch inputs
for enabling
interaction with a GUI presented on the display 1102. Overall, implementations
described
herein are not limited to any particular display technology.
= The I/O devices 1110 can include speakers, a microphone, a camera, etc.
Other
components included in the buyer device 130 can include various types of
sensors, which
can include a GPS device 1112. In some cases, the GPS device 1112 can be used
by the buyer
application 132 to advise a current geographical location of the buyer device
130.
Additionally, or alternatively, the communication interfaces 1108 can be used
to determine
the current location of the buyer device 130. Such determination is based on
communication with nearby cell towers, wireless access points, or similar. In
some
examples, the buyer application 132 can send the location information to the
service
provider computing device 104 as an indicated delivery location 134 for the
associated
buyer 110.
41
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= Additionally, the buyer device 130 can include various other components
that are
not shown. For example, a removable storage, a power source such as a battery
and power
control unit, and so on.
= FIG. 12 schematically illustrates certain components of the driver device
124 that
can be used by a driver 122 to implement the functionality of the combined
ordering and
delivery services described herein. The driver device 124 can be any of a
number of
different types of portable computing devices. Some examples of the driver
device 124 are
smart phones, other mobile communication devices, tablet computing devices,
laptops,
netbooks, and other portable computers or devices capable of sending and
receiving
communications and performing the functions according to the techniques of the
systems
described herein.
= In the illustrated embodiment, the driver device 124 includes components
such as at
least one processor 1204, one or more computer-readable media 1206, one or
more
communication interfaces 1208, and one or more input/output (I/O) devices
1210. Each
processor 1204 can itself comprise one or more processors or processing cores.
The
processor 1204 can be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable
processor-
executable instructions stored in the computer-readable media 1206.
= Depending on the configuration of the driver device 124, the computer-
readable
media 1204 can be tangible non-transitory computer storage media, and can
include
memory and or removable and non-removable media implemented in any type of
technology for storage of information. Such information can include for
example computer-
readable processor-executable instructions, data structures, and program
modules or other
data. Examples of memory are RAM, ROM, [[PROM, etc.
= Accordingly, the computer-readable media 1206 can be computer storage
media
able to store instructions, modules or components that can be executed by the
processor 1204.
42
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= The computer-readable media 1206 can be used to store and maintain any
number
of functional components that are executable by the processor 1204. In some
implementations, these functional components comprise instructions or programs
that are
executable by the processor 1204 and that, when executed, implement
operational logic for
performing the actions and services attributed above to the driver device 124.
Functional
components of the driver device 124 stored in the computer-readable media 1206
can
include the driver application 126. The driver application 126 can present the
driver 122
with one or more GUIs for receiving assigned orders, some examples of which
are described
above in relation to FIG. 4. Additional functional components can include an
operating
system 1214 for controlling and managing various functions of the driver
device 124, and for
enabling basic user interactions with the driver device 124.
= In addition, the computer-readable media 1206 can store data, data
structures and
the like, which are used by the functional components. Depending on the type
of the driver
device 124, the computer-readable media 1206 can also optionally include other
functional
components and data, such as other modules and data 1216. The other modules
and
data 1216 can include applications (for example an ID verification module),
programs,
drivers, etc., and the data used or generated by the functional components.
= The communication interfaces 1208 can include one or more interfaces and
hardware components for enabling communication with various other devices,
such as over
the network 106 or directly.
= FIG. 12 further illustrates that the driver device 124 can include a
display 1202.
Depending on the type of computing device used as the driver device 124, the
display 1202 can employ any suitable display technology. In some examples, the
display 1202 can have a touch sensor associated therewith. Accordingly, the
display 1202 provides a touchscreen display configured to receive touch inputs
for enabling
interaction with a GUI presented on the display 1202. Overall, implementations
described
herein are not limited to any particular display technology.
43
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= The I/O devices 1210 can include speakers, a microphone, a camera, etc.
Other
components included in the driver device 124 can include various types of
sensors, which
can include a GPS device 1212. In some cases, the GPS device 1212 can be used
by the
driver application 126 to advise a current geographical location of the driver
device 124.
Additionally, or alternatively, the communication interfaces 1208 can be used
to determine
the current location of the driver device 124. Such determination is based on
communication with nearby cell towers, wireless access points, or similar. In
some
examples, the driver application 126 can send the location information to the
service
provider computing device 104 as an indicated current location for the
associated driver
122.
= Additionally, the driver device 124 can include various other components
that are
not shown. For example, a removable storage, a power source such as a battery
and power
control unit, etc.
= FIG. 13 schematically illustrates certain components of the merchant
device 118 that
can be used by a merchant 114 to implement the functionality of the cross
marketing,
combined ordering and delivery services described herein. The merchant device
118 can be
any of a number of different types of portable computing devices. Some
examples of the
merchant device 118 include smart phones, other mobile communication devices,
tablet
computing devices, laptops, netbooks, and other portable computers or devices
capable of
sending and receiving communications and performing the functions according to
the
techniques of the systems described herein. Furthermore, in some examples, the
merchant
device 118 can be a stationary or semi-stationary device, such as a desktop
computer, a
smart TV or another device with computing capabilities.
= In the illustrated embodiment, the merchant device 118 includes
components such
as at least one processor 1304, one or more computer-readable media 1306, one
or more
communication interfaces 1308, and one or more input/output (I/O) devices
1310. Each
processor 1304 can itself comprise one or more processors or processing cores.
The
processor 1304 can be configured to fetch and execute computer-readable
processor-
executable instructions stored in the computer-readable media 1306.
44
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= Depending on the configuration of the merchant device 118, the computer-
readable
media 1306 can be tangible non-transitory computer storage media, and can
include
memory and or removable and non-removable media implemented in any type of
technology for storage of information. Such information can include for
example computer-
readable processor-executable instructions, data structures, and program
modules or other
data. Examples of memory are RAM, ROM, [[PROM, etc.
= Accordingly, the computer-readable media 1306 can be computer storage
media
able to store instructions, modules or components that can be executed by the
processor 1304.
= The computer-readable media 1306 can be used to store and maintain any
number
of functional components that are executable by the processor 1304. In some
implementations, these functional components comprise instructions or programs
that are
executable by the processor 1304 and that, when executed, implement
operational logic for
performing the actions and services attributed above to the merchant device
118.
Functional components of the merchant device 118 stored in the computer-
readable
media 1306 can include the merchant application 142. Additional functional
components
can include an operating system 1314 for controlling and managing various
functions of the
merchant device 118 and for enabling basic user interactions with the merchant
device 118,
a stock inventory system 1316 for maintaining data and providing information
of stock
inventory associated with the merchant, and a POS system 1318 to enable the
merchant
114 to accept payments from the merchant device 118.
= In addition, the computer-readable media 1306 can store data, data
structures and
the like, which are used by the functional components. Depending on the type
of the
merchant device 118, the computer-readable media 1306 can also optionally
include other
functional components and data, such as other modules and data 1320. The other
modules
and data 1320 can include applications, programs (for example an ID
verification module),
drivers, etc., and the data used or generated by the functional components.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
= The communication interfaces 1308 can include one or more interfaces and
hardware components for enabling communication with various other devices,
such as over
the network 106 or directly.
= FIG. 13 further illustrates that the merchant device 118 can include a
display 1302.
Depending on the type of computing device used as the merchant device 118, the
display 1302 can employ any suitable display technology. In some examples, the
display 1302 can have a touch sensor associated therewith. Accordingly, the
display 1302 provides a touchscreen display configured to receive touch inputs
for enabling
interaction with a GUI presented on the display 1302. Overall, implementations
described
herein are not limited to any particular display technology.
= The I/O devices 1310 can include speakers, a microphone, a camera, etc.
Other
components included in the merchant device 118 can include various types of
sensors,
which can include a GPS device 1312. In some cases, the GPS device 1312 can be
used by
the merchant application 142 to advise a current geographical location of the
merchant
device 118. Additionally, or alternatively, the communication interfaces 1308
can be used to
determine the current location of the merchant device 118. Such determination
is based on
communication with nearby cell towers, wireless access points, or similar. In
some
examples, the merchant application 142 can send the location information to
the service
provider computing device 104 as an indicated pickup and or delivery location
128 and/or
134 for the associated merchant 114.
= Additionally, the merchant device 118 can include various other
components that
are not shown. For example, a removable storage, a power source such as a
battery and
power control unit, etc.
= It is contemplated for examples described herein to extend to individual
elements
and concepts described herein, independently of other concepts, ideas or
systems; as well
as for examples to include combinations of elements recited anywhere in this
application.
Although examples are described in detail herein with reference to the
accompanying
drawings, it is to be understood that the concepts are not limited to those
precise examples.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
As such, many modifications and variations can be apparent to practitioners
skilled in this
art. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the concepts be defined by
the following
claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it is contemplated that a
particular feature
described either individually or as part of an example can be combined with
other
individually described features, or parts of other examples, even if the other
features and
examples make no mention of the particular feature. Thus, the absence of
described
combinations should not preclude claiming rights to such combinations.
47
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-06-12
