US-20260127569-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING A GROUP PAYMENT TRANSACTION USING COMPUTER VISION AND BIOMETRIC INFORMATION

US20260127569A1US 20260127569 A1US20260127569 A1US 20260127569A1US-20260127569-A1

Abstract

A group payment computing system that: receives a group transaction image associated with a transaction including one or more members of a group for purposes of dividing, amongst the one or more members, a transaction amount associated with the transaction made by the group at a merchant; analyzes the group transaction image using computer vision tools to determine an identity of the one or more members; determines an amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members based upon input from the one or more members of the group; causes a payment submission option to be displayed on a user device associated with the one or more members; and in response to the payment submission option being selected, initiates a plurality of payment transactions, each payment transaction being between one of the one or more members and the merchant for the attributable amount.

Inventors

Christopher T. Scholl
David Vorhies
Shawn Mehrhoff

Assignees

MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241105

Claims (20)

1 . A group payment computing system comprising: a group payment computing device including one or more processors in communication with one or more memory devices, the one or more processors programmed to: receive a group transaction image associated with a transaction including one or more members of a group for purposes of dividing, amongst the one or more members of the group, a transaction amount associated with the transaction made by the group at a merchant, the group transaction image being a photographic image showing a portion of the one or more members of the group; analyze the group transaction image using computer vision tools to determine an identity of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; determine an amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction based upon input from the one or more members of the group; cause a payment submission option to be displayed on a user device associated with the one or more members of the group, the payment submission option corresponding to the amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; and in response to the payment submission option being selected, initiate a plurality of payment transactions, each payment transaction being between one of the one or more members of the group and the merchant for the attributable amount for the respective member of the one or more members of the group.
2 . The group payment computing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the merchant is a restaurant, the restaurant uses restaurant management software to manage operations of the restaurant, the transaction reflects at least one item sold by the restaurant to the group as part of the transaction, and the one or more processors are further programmed to access the restaurant management software to assist in determining an amount, type, and price of the at least one item sold by the restaurant to the group as part of the transaction.
3 . The group payment computing system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to: receive identifying information for each of one or more members of the group; build one or more user identification profiles based on the identifying information; and register (i) at least one of the one or more members of the group as a registered user using a corresponding user identification profile of the one or more user identification profiles, and/or (ii) the user device.
4 . The group payment computing system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the registered user is a first registered user and a second registered user, the user device is a first personal electronic device of the first registered user and a second personal electronic device of the second registered user, the first registered user initiates a group payment session using the first personal electronic device and the second registered user joins the group payment session using the second personal electronic device, wherein the second registered user joins the group payment session by performing at least one of: (i) accepting an invitation message via the second personal electronic device; (ii) using a group payment application to join the group payment session, the group payment application being accessible on the second personal electronic device; and (iii) transmitting, via the second personal electronic device, credentials to the first personal electronic device over a cellular, internet, or near-field communications protocol.
5 . The group payment computing system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the portion is a head, the identifying information includes one or more facial recognition datapoints of the one or more members of the group, and the computer vision tools are configured to determine an identity match between the at least one of the one or more members of the group present in the photographic image and a user identification profile of the registered user.
6 . The group payment computing system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the photographic image shows at least one item sold by the merchant to the group as part of the transaction, and the computer vision tools are configured to detect the at least one item.
7 . The group payment computing system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the identifying information is at least in part based on data from personal contacts stored in the user device, the user device being a registered device.
8 . The group payment computing system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the identifying information further includes geo-location data of the group, and the geo-location data is associated with the user device.
9 . The group payment computing system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the group further includes one or more non-registered users, the identifying information further includes data from a government database, and the data from the government database is used to authenticate the one or more non-registered users for presenting and processing the payment submission option associated with at least one non-registered user of the one or more non-registered users.
10 . A computer-implemented method for providing a group payment computing system using at least one processor in communication with at least one memory, the method comprising: receiving a group transaction image associated with a transaction including one or more members of a group for purposes of dividing, amongst the one or more members of the group, a transaction amount associated with the transaction made by the group at a merchant, the group transaction image being a photographic image showing a portion of the one or more members of the group; analyzing the group transaction image using computer vision tools to determine an identity of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; determining an amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction based upon input from the one or more members of the group; causing a payment submission option to be displayed on a user device associated with the one or more members of the group, the payment submission option corresponding to the amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; and in response to the payment submission option being selected, initiating a plurality of payment transactions, each payment transaction being between one of the one or more members of the group and the merchant for the attributable amount for the respective member of the one or more members of the group.
11 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the merchant is a restaurant, the restaurant uses restaurant management software to manage operations of the restaurant, and the transaction reflects at least one item sold by the restaurant to the group as part of the transaction, the method further comprising accessing the restaurant management software to assist in determining an amount, type, and price of the at least one item sold by the restaurant to the group as part of the transaction.
12 . The method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising: receiving identifying information for each of one or more members of the group; building one or more user identification profiles based on the identifying information; and registering (i) at least one of the one or more members of the group as a registered user using a corresponding user identification profile of the one or more user identification profiles, and/or (ii) the user device.
13 . The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the portion is a head, and the identifying information includes one or more facial recognition datapoints of the one or more members of the group, the method further comprising: determining, via the computer vision tools, an identity match between the at least one of the one or more members of the group present in the photographic image and a user identification profile of the registered user.
14 . The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the identifying information is at least in part based on: (i) data from personal contacts stored in the user device, the user device being a registered device; and (ii) geo-location data of the group, the geo-location data being associated with the user device.
15 . The method in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the group further includes one or more non-registered users, and the identifying information further includes data from a government database, the method further comprising: authenticating, via the data from the government database, the one or more non-registered users for presenting and processing the payment submission option associated with at least one non-registered user of the one or more non-registered users.
16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media with instructions stored thereon that, in response to being executed, cause a group payment computing system to: receive a group transaction image associated with a transaction including one or more members of a group for purposes of dividing, amongst the one or more members of the group, a transaction amount associated with the transaction made by the group at a merchant, the group transaction image being a photographic image showing a portion of the one or more members of the group; analyze the group transaction image using computer vision tools to determine an identity of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; determine an amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction based upon input from the one or more members of the group; cause a payment submission option to be displayed on a user device associated with the one or more members of the group, the payment submission option corresponding to the amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; and in response to the payment submission option being selected, initiate a plurality of payment transactions, each payment transaction being between one of the one or more members of the group and the merchant for the attributable amount for the respective member of the one or more members of the group.
17 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the merchant is a restaurant, the restaurant uses restaurant management software to manage operations of the restaurant, the transaction reflects at least one item sold by the restaurant to the group as part of the transaction, and the one or more processors are further programmed to access the restaurant management software to assist in determining an amount, type, and price of the at least one item sold by the restaurant to the group as part of the transaction.
18 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to: receive identifying information for each of one or more members of the group; build one or more user identification profiles based on the identifying information; and register (i) at least one of the one or more members of the group as a registered user using a corresponding user identification profile of the one or more user identification profiles, and/or (ii) the user device.
19 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the portion is a head, the identifying information includes one or more facial recognition datapoints of the one or more members of the group, and the computer vision tools are configured to determine an identity match between the at least one of the one or more members of the group present in the photographic image and a user identification profile of the registered user.
20 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the identifying information is at least in part based on: (i) data from personal contacts stored in the user device, the user device being a registered device; and (ii) geo-location data of the group, the geo-location data being associated with the user device.

Description

BACKGROUND This disclosure relates to electronic payment transactions, and, more particularly, to processing group payment transactions using multiple accounts, computer vison, and biometric information. Groups of consumers are often presented with purchasing situations in which each member of the group is required to pay for a portion of a purchase. One very common situation is when a group goes to a restaurant and shares a meal and drinks. In certain instances, the restaurant/merchant may not be able to or willing to generate individual bills for each consumer and, as a result, one consumer generally pays for the meal under the assumption that he or she will be reimbursed by the other members of the group. Settling up between the payee of the group and the other individual group members is generally unreliable and usually involves one or more of a cash exchange, later settlement through electronic payment transfers, or a later promise that the group member will pay back the payee in kind. These issues are further exacerbated when the group members are not in close proximity. For example, if a group of friends dispersed across the country wish to split a gift purchase for another friend, they must generally rely on one of them to make the purchase on behalf of the group on the promise of later reimbursement. The ubiquity of multi-account purchasing situations renders known systems in which a consumer or group of consumers are limited to paying using a single payment card account undesirable. Today, making group payments is cumbersome, and takes time to track payments down from individuals. For example, such known systems are inconvenient and lead to consumer dissatisfaction because consumers are unable to pay for a purchase as they wish. Transaction time may also be increased as consumers try to negotiate or otherwise determine how to fund the purchase and ensure that the payee is adequately reimbursed. In some cases, consumers are unable to see if their friends/fellow patrons have selected their items and/or paid for their portion of the bill, and items may be missed, which can be problematic if a person of the party has left early. Additionally, when using a group digital payment scheme, each member of the group typically has to use their own device (e.g., mobile phone) to initiate their contribution to cover their portion of the bill, which is inefficient. In light of the foregoing, a system and method for facilitating a streamlined group payment transaction is needed that resolves the inefficiencies and inconvenience of known single payment account systems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE In one aspect, a group payment computing system including a group payment computing device including one or more processors in communication with one or more memory devices, the one or more processors programmed to: (a) receive a group transaction image associated with a transaction including one or more members of a group for purposes of dividing, amongst the one or more members of the group, a transaction amount associated with the transaction made by the group at a merchant, the group transaction image being a photographic image showing a portion of the one or more members of the group; (b) analyze the group transaction image using computer vision tools to determine an identity of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; (c) determine an amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction based upon input from the one or more members of the group; (d) cause a payment submission option to be displayed on a user device associated with the one or more members of the group, the payment submission option corresponding to the amount of the transaction attributable to each of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; and (e) in response to the payment submission option being selected, initiate a plurality of payment transactions, each payment transaction being between one of the one or more members of the group and the merchant for the attributable amount for the respective member of the one or more members of the group. In another aspect, a computer-implemented method for providing a group payment computing system using at least one processor in communication with at least one memory, the method including: (a) receiving a group transaction image associated with a transaction including one or more members of a group for purposes of dividing, amongst the one or more members of the group, a transaction amount associated with the transaction made by the group at a merchant, the group transaction image being a photographic image showing a portion of the one or more members of the group; (b) analyzing the group transaction image using computer vision tools to determine an identity of the one or more members of the group associated with the transaction; (c) determining an amount of the transaction attr