AU2019100146A4

AU2019100146A4 - Digital Invoice Wallet: Methods, Applications, Systems and Processes for Transferring Invoices to Buyers Seamlessly in Digital Format without the Need for Buyers to Share Their Personal Details

Info

Publication number: AU2019100146A4
Application number: AU2019100146A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Hamish Sadler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2019-02-12
Filing date: 2019-02-12
Publication date: 2019-03-28
Anticipated expiration: 2027-02-12

Abstract

Abstract Methods, applications, systems and processes for transferring invoices to buyers seamlessly in digital format without the need for buyers to share their personal details with invoice issuers are hereby disclosed under a "Digital Invoice Wallet" concept. An incarnation of the invention is proposed as a) Back-end Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to be called either directly or through "virtual print drivers" by Point of Sale (POS) systems for saving digital invoices online using the Extended Business Reporting Language (XBRL), or any other applicable format, model or structure; b) Optional virtual print drivers that can act as normal Point of Sale (POS) printers but translate and bridge the act of "printing" invoices into calls made to the back-end Application Programming Interfaces to push invoices to the back-end in the cloud while easing the integration of the proposed digital invoice wallet for Point of Sale systems; c) A QR code that gets generated directly or through virtual print drivers by Point of Sale systems following the saving of invoices in the cloud; d) Smartphone applications that can act as users' digital invoice wallet, facilitating secure user registration, as well as scanning of the generated QR codes to extract parameters necessary to seamlessly, securely and quickly retrieve the invoice from the back-end in the cloud on to end users' device and saving them locally on the device for future analysis, management, use and demonstration. While eliminating the need for buyers to share their personal details like email addresses or phone numbers with vendors to receive invoices, the proposed invention also acts as the central repository of all invoices that belong to the same user from multiple vendors to organize and manage expenses and invoices for different purposes including reporting, management and taxation. Significant reductions in invoice printing costs and environmental footprints are other benefits of the proposed invention. r de r Firalized T re ra nslatce into API e ne ra ate ro DDisplay yR Cde to Callsser BuaeQroe Btr Ma'p In vic t StreInoiStndorvie nvic Bye'sIdnttyan GeeeratD Moveln eo e ~, C, -k Sc R Code Retr lnvoc - , Storelvoic Figure 2 Business Process Model for Issuing and Transferring Invoices Using a Virtual Print Driver Proxy Order, Finalized upBMap In-vic to bGenerateD Movenvicet Figure 3 -Business Process Model for Issuing and Transferring Invoices Using a Direct API Call Model from the Point of Sale system

Description

EDITORIAL NOTE

There are two pages of the description only .

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Summary of Invention

The ultimate goal of the invention is to provide a seamless, secure, fast and easy mechanism to transfer invoices to buyers in digital format. It eliminates the need for buyers to provide their personal details (like email addresses or phone numbers) to vendors when receiving invoices. By acting as the central repository of all invoices a buyer receives from multiple vendors, it can facilitate a much more effective way of managing expenses for them. Above all, it eliminates the need for physical paper-based printing of invoices that impose costs to vendors, minimizing operational costs and environmental impacts on the planet. Through binding the identity of the buyers to invoices without sharing personal details with vendors, it can also help vendors minimise goods returning fraud and theft. The invention minimizes the process of receiving an invoice to a simple QR scan while facilitating an optional secure cloud-based storage option for all invoices for a user for future use.

Through the virtual print drivers, Point of Point systems can seamlessly integrate with the Digital Invoice Wallet back-ends with minimal change as if they are sending the print job to a real invoice printer, hence minimizing the roll-out and adoption costs and complexities by all vendors, operating multiple different types of point of sale systems .

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Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 illustrates the High-level View of Digital Invoice Wallet System Components.

Figure 2 illustrates the Business Process Model for Issuing and Transferring Invoices Using a Virtual Print Driver Proxy.

Figure 3 illustrates the Business Process Model for Issuing and Transferring Invoices Using a Direct API Call Model from the Point of Sale System

Figure 4 illustrates the Use Case Diagram Related to Buyers' Smartphone or Tablet Application.

1.1 A method for transferring invoices to buyers seamlessly in digital format without buyers sharing personal details with invoice issuers; the method compromising

Claims

1.1.1 Back-end Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for saving digital invoices using the Extended Business Reporting Language (XBRL), or any other custom formats, models and structures; with APIs to be called either directly by Point of Sale (POS) systems, or indirectly through virtual print drivers as part of normal invoice printing process by such Point of Sale systems, or through other alternate methods for the purpose of issuing invoices, comprising i . An API back-end to create an invoice from an input payload ii . An API back-end to modify an invoice from an input payload and a unique identifier for the invoice iii . An API back-end to delete an invoice by a unique identifier of the invoice iv. An API back-end to map a stored invoice to the identity of a buyer by receiving the unique identifier for the invoice and the user v. Other applicable API back-ends to facilitate saving and retrieval of invoices 1.1.2 Optional Virtual Print Drivers that can act as normal Point of Sale (POS) printers but translate and bridge the act of printing invoices into calls made to application programming interface (API) back-ends, as per 1.1.1, to push and save invoices to the online back-end, comprising vi . User interface to enter vendor identifying details and back-end API call parameters vii . Engine to receive printing tasks and translate them into API calls to the aforementioned API endpoints 1.1.3 A QR code that following the saving of invoices by the back-end, gets generated directly or through the virtual print drivers by Point of Sale systems. The code will be shown to users and scanned by the Buyer's Smartphone/Tablet App and used to map the cloud-stored invoice to a user and move the invoice to the user's invoice wallet;

1.1.4 Buyers' Smartphone/Tablet App(s), comprising

i. A local database, a user interface, a business logic core to facilitate the functionalities listed below ii. User registration, sign-up and account management facilities to verify user's details iii. User profile creation facility to allow users to enter their profile details, addresses, phone numbers and other details iv. User interface and facilities for users to scan QR codes generated by Point of Sale systems or their virtual print driver upon the storage of an invoice in the cloud b the back-end APIs

v. Facilities to call back-end APIs upon scanning of an invoice to map the stored invoice to the identity of the user, hence, moving the invoice to the user's wallet vi. Facilities to enter payment and subscription details vii. Facilities to demonstrate a history of all invoices issued to the user viii. Facilities to search among all invoices issued to the user and group them by different parameters ix. Facilities to demonstrate different reports out of the data within invoices

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χ. Facilities to generate expense management plans based on user preferences xi. Facilities to create notifications upon exceeding certain limits set by users regarding expenses within their desired expense management plans xii. Facilities to inform users of their expense management plans and limits xiii. Facilities to synchronize local and cloud-stored invoices in the wallet between multiple devices

i. Facilities to look for and retrieve invoices from the cloud

1.2 A method as defined in claim 1.1 where all invoices from multiple vendors can be stored in user's personal digital invoice wallet securely and seamlessly in digital format without the need for users to share their personal details with invoice issuers or other parties, through the use of a QR code, smartphone/tablet app and online back-ends.

1.3 A method as defined in claim 1.1 where the act of pushing an invoice from a Point of Sale system to the cloud is carried out through a virtual print driver that bridges and transforms printing into calls made to back-end APIs, as per 1.1.2.

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