How Mobile Devices Use Tags to Close Restaurant Checks
A system for restaurant servers to open and close customer tabs by tapping a mobile device against a physical tag at a table.
Original patent title: “Systems and methods for facilitating closing of a check”
A system for restaurant servers to open and close customer tabs by tapping a mobile device against a physical tag at a table. Granted to NCR Corp in 2020 with 10 claims and 1 forward citation, and it is expected to expire in 2037.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method where a server uses a portable device to interact with a physical tag, such as an NFC chip or QR code, located at a customer's table. By performing an action like tapping or scanning the tag, the server's device receives a unique location identifier that links a digital check to that specific table. To close the check, the server performs the same action again; the system recognizes the location, closes the tab, and transmits the final bill to a payment-processing device. This automates the process of tracking which check belongs to which table without manual input.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems that rely on manual table number entry instead of a physical tag.
- Does not cover payment processing that happens directly on the server's device without transmitting to a second device.
- Does not cover location tracking via GPS or beacon triangulation that does not involve a specific physical tag at the location.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The system uses the same physical tag as a 'state machine' trigger—the first tap opens the check, and the second tap closes it, using the tag's unique ID as the persistent key to bridge the two actions.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
NFC-enabled tabletop ordering systems
Server handheld POS terminals
QR-code based restaurant check management
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology streamlines service in high-volume hospitality environments by reducing the time servers spend manually searching for and closing checks in a POS system. It minimizes errors caused by manual entry and speeds up table turnover, which is a primary operational goal for restaurant management software providers like NCR.
Filed
July 13, 2017
Granted
February 11, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
NCR Corporation, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, remains a major player in point-of-sale (POS) systems for the hospitality industry. Other companies in the space, such as Toast, Square, and Oracle Micros, continue to develop similar mobile-first table management solutions.
Market impact
This patent reflects the broader industry shift toward mobile-first POS systems that replace stationary terminals. It helps solidify the use of localized physical identifiers (like NFC tags) as a standard way to bridge the gap between physical table space and digital transaction management.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method where a server uses a portable device to interact with a physical tag, such as an NFC chip or QR code, located at a customer's table. By performing an action like tapping or scanning the tag, the server's device receives a unique location identifier that links a digital check to that specific table. To close the check, the server performs the same action again; the system recognizes the location, closes the tab, and transmits the final bill to a payment-processing device. This automates the process of tracking which check belongs to which table without manual input.
The clever bit
The system uses the same physical tag as a 'state machine' trigger—the first tap opens the check, and the second tap closes it, using the tag's unique ID as the persistent key to bridge the two actions.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems that rely on manual table number entry instead of a physical tag.
- Does not cover payment processing that happens directly on the server's device without transmitting to a second device.
- Does not cover location tracking via GPS or beacon triangulation that does not involve a specific physical tag at the location.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
6/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
7/20
Moderate scope
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$40K – $128K
Midpoint $80K · 11.0 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
10 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Fortuna, J. L., & Cloin, J. A. (2020). How Mobile Devices Use Tags to Close Restaurant Checks (U.S. Patent No. 10,559,047). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10559047/systems-and-methods-for-facilitating-closing-of-a-check
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Mobile Devices Use Tags to Close Restaurant Checks cover?
A system for restaurant servers to open and close customer tabs by tapping a mobile device against a physical tag at a table.
Who owns patent US 10559047?
NCR Corp owns this patent, granted in 2020.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on July 13, 2037, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10559047 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 1 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology streamlines service in high-volume hospitality environments by reducing the time servers spend manually searching for and closing checks in a POS system. It minimizes errors caused by manual entry and speeds up table turnover, which is a primary operational goal for restaurant management software providers like NCR.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems that rely on manual table number entry instead of a physical tag.
Patent monitoring