# US 2022/0036331 A1 · Systems and methods for programmatically grouping consumer devices into stable spatial clusters > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0036331 A1 - Document ID: US20220036331A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/375,295 - Filed: 2021-07-14 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-27 - Assignees: Groupon, Inc. - Applicants: Groupon, Inc. - Inventors: Geoffrey Hubert Woo; Mahmudul Arefin Din; Robert James Skillington; Michael Chen; Tihomir Tsankov Georgiev - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220036331A1 ## CPC - G06Q 20/202: {Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR} - G06Q 20/327: {Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices} - G06Q 20/04: Payment circuits - G06Q 20/0655: {e-cash managed centrally} - G06Q 20/20: Point-of-sale [POS] network systems - G06Q 20/204: {comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit} - G06Q 20/227: {characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer} - G06Q 20/30: characterised by the use of specific devices {or networks} - G06Q 20/3226: {Use of secure elements separate from M-devices} - G06Q 20/387: {Payment using discounts or coupons (relating to marketing G06Q30/02)} - G06Q 20/40155: {for triggering transactions} - G06Q 20/405: {Establishing or using transaction specific rules} - H04W 40/244: {using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Systems, apparatus, methods, and non-transitory media for programmatically grouping consumers are discussed herein. Some embodiments may include a point-of-sale system including a merchant device and one or more communication beacons. The communication beacons may be placed at locations of interest and may be configured to broadcast different beacon identifiers. Nearby consumer devices that receive the beacon identifier may be determined to be associated with a point-of-sale order and suitable point-of-sale functionality may be provided. In some embodiments, a peer consumer device may be selected as an ad hoc communication beacon for broadcasting a beacon identifier to other consumer devices. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-22. (canceled) ### Claim 23 An apparatus for programmatically facilitating a shared payment, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: initiate broadcast of a beacon identifier from a communication beacon, the communication beacon comprising a first consumer device of a stable spatial cluster of consumer devices; receive one or more indications from at least one other consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices in response to the broadcasted beacon identifier; receive a point-of-sale order; associate consumer account records associated with the first consumer device and the at least one other consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices with the point-of-sale order; determine, based on at least the point of sale order, a payment share amount associated with each of the consumer account records; and finalize the point-of-sale order by facilitating a payment for each payment share amount from a respective consumer account of the consumer account records. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, wherein receiving the location data from the plurality of consumer devices comprises tracking respective locations of the plurality of consumer devices within a merchant shop over a predetermined period of time. ### Claim 25 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, wherein upon receiving a respective indication from a respective consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices the respective consumer device is able to move within a merchant shop and remain associated with the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the point-of-sale order includes one or more unclaimed items, and wherein a portion of unclaimed costs associated with the one or more unclaimed items is automatically added to the payment share amount associated with each of the consumer account records. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, in an instance the first consumer device serving as the communication beacon for the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices is determined to have moved, a second consumer device from the other consumer devices of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices is selected to serve as a new communication beacon. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the communication beacon is configured to generate a mapping of real-world locations with a merchant shop. ### Claim 29 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, wherein finalizing the point-of-sale order further comprises receiving each payment for each payment share amount. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the selection of the first consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices to serve as the communication beacon comprises registering the first consumer device with a Bluetooth LE characteristic that identifies the consumer device as the leader of the point-of-sale order. ### Claim 31 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for programmatically facilitating a shared payment, when executed by a processor, cause an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory to: receive location data from a plurality of consumer devices; identify a stable spatial cluster of consumer devices from the plurality of consumer devices based on the location data; select a first consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices to serve as a communication beacon; initiate broadcast of a beacon identifier from the communication beacon; receive one or more indications from other consumer devices of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices in response to the broadcasted beacon identifier; retrieve consumer account records associated with the first consumer device and the other consumer devices of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices; receive a point-of-sale order; associate the consumer account records with the point-of-sale order; determine a transaction price for the point-of-sale order; determine, based on at least the transaction price, a payment share amount associated with each of the consumer account records; and finalize the point-of-sale order by facilitating a payment for each payment share amount from a respective consumer account of the consumer account records. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein receiving the location data from the plurality of consumer devices comprises tracking respective locations of the plurality of consumer devices within a merchant shop over a predetermined period of time. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein upon receiving a respective indication from a respective consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices the respective consumer device is able to move within a merchant shop and remain associated with the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the point-of-sale order includes one or more unclaimed items, and wherein a portion of unclaimed costs associated with the one or more unclaimed items is automatically added to the payment share amount associated with each of the consumer account records. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, in an instance the first consumer device serving as the communication beacon for the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices is determined to have moved, a second consumer device from the other consumer devices of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices is selected to serve as a new communication beacon. ### Claim 36 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the communication beacon is configured to generate a mapping of real-world locations with a merchant shop. ### Claim 37 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein finalizing the point-of-sale order further comprises receiving each payment for each payment share amount. ### Claim 38 (depends on 31) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the selection of the first consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices to serve as the communication beacon comprises registering the first consumer device with a Bluetooth LE characteristic that identifies the consumer device as the leader of the point-of-sale order. ### Claim 39 A machine-implemented method for programmatically facilitating a shared payment, comprising: receiving location data from a plurality of consumer devices; identifying a stable spatial cluster of consumer devices from the plurality of consumer devices based on the location data; selecting a first consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices to serve as a communication beacon; initiating broadcast of a beacon identifier from the communication beacon; receiving one or more indications from other consumer devices of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices in response to the broadcasted beacon identifier; retrieving consumer account records associated with the first consumer device and the other consumer devices of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices; receiving a point-of-sale order; associating the consumer account records with the point-of-sale order; determine a transaction price for the point-of-sale order; determining, based on at least the transaction price, a payment share amount associated with each of the consumer account records; and finalizing the point-of-sale order by facilitating a payment for each payment share amount from a respective consumer account of the consumer account records. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The machine-implemented method of claim 39, wherein receiving the location data from the plurality of consumer devices comprises tracking respective locations of the plurality of consumer devices within a merchant shop over a predetermined period of time. ### Claim 41 (depends on 40) The machine-implemented method of claim 40, wherein upon receiving a respective indication from a respective consumer device of the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices the respective consumer device is able to move within a merchant shop and remain associated with the stable spatial cluster of consumer devices. ### Claim 42 (depends on 39) The machine-implemented method of claim 39, wherein the point-of-sale order includes one or more unclaimed items, and wherein a portion of unclaimed costs associated with the one or more unclaimed items is automatically added to the payment share amount associated with each of the consumer account records.