JP2015531104A - Electronic commerce record distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

A point-of-sale (POS) receipt management system is coupled to a computerized device in a POS that executes first software (SW) from a non-transitory physical medium, and is adjacent to a peripheral device and adjacent to the computerized device. And a peripheral device capable of wirelessly transmitting data to the mobile communication device owned by the consumer. When a consumer finishes a transaction at POS, the POS computerized device prepares transaction data to be transmitted wirelessly to the peripheral device and thus to the portable communication device owned by the consumer.

Description

  This application is based on earlier co-pending U.S. Patent Application No. 13 / 022,867 filed on Feb. 8, 2011 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 433,820 filed on Jan. 18, 2011. The entire disclosure of the issue is incorporated at least by reference and new matter is added. The filing date of 13 / 022,867 for any claim validated by the entire disclosure of that application, and 61/433 for any claim validated by the entire provisional application Priority is claimed against the filing date of 820.

  The present invention is in the field of commerce and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for obtaining transaction records from an electronic point-of-sale (POS) system.

  In commercial technical fields, including e-commerce, receipts are an important record of financial transactions. Many receipts are physically printed on paper by point-of-sale (POS) systems, vending machines, ticket issuers, or other systems or machines that facilitate the closing of financial or commodity transactions . Maintaining, organizing and removing paper receipts can be time consuming and tedious. Prior to being collected for tax return or other financial audit purposes, physical receipts may be lost, temporarily misplaced, or disposed of.

  Many receipts are in electronic form. Such electronic receipts are used in electronic commerce where financial transactions or merchandise transactions are accomplished over the Internet or via telephone. An electronic receipt is a file containing essentially the same data as a paper receipt. The electronic receipt is supplied to the recipient remotely or from a remote location. As such, the recipient of the record must send contact information, most commonly an email address, to the sender. However, sharing an email address or other personal contact information with the receipt sender exposes the entity receiving the receipt to privacy and risk risks.

  Recently, efforts have been made to use electronic receipts for physical stores. There are software products developed to integrate into a POS system that outputs receipt information for files. Electronic records or receipts are uploaded to the central server from a location that can be sent from the server to the receiving device or can be sent directly to the receiving device. The problem with this approach is that the consumer must provide identification and contact information to the POS or third party service provider. In the case of a third party service, the contact data and identifier data provided may be used exclusively in the third party service.

  The problem in the technology is also obvious that integration must be performed between the POS and the third party system before the record can be distributed to a particular third party system or device. This type of system often stores additional information about receipts that send entities rather than just receipt information, and integration with such systems delays or prevents the introduction of such electronic record distribution systems. May raise security and privacy concerns that may have an impact.

  Therefore, what is clearly needed is a record distribution system for a POS computing system that provides direct receipt distribution to a local or user-controlled remote repository.

  The issues discussed above are that printing and printing (physical receipts) or remote, while environmentally friendly and efficient record generation and receipt in consumer e-commerce (B2C) transaction scenarios are desirable for enterprise and customer consumers Many conventional means of obtaining receipt records, such as by transmission (electronic receipt), also result in unnecessary paperwork (physical printing) and potential danger risks (remote transmission) is there. As such, the inventor looks for a component that demonstrates the integrated capabilities that can be used in some cases to provide receipt presentation and acquisition, but in a manner that does not create a security challenge or further paperwork. The functional components of the information management (POS) computing system were examined.

  Every business that puts a product or service on the market is driven by consumer patronage, one by-product of which is the large volume of transactions that must occur and be accounted for. Most such businesses use networked POS computing systems to perform the day-to-day operations of the enterprise, and POS computing terminals and similar consumer interface applications and machines are typically such Part of the device.

  The inventor is able to efficiently and securely transmit transaction records, including relevant data, from a POS computing device to a secure personal device or other secure storage location of the consumer in terms of conducting transactions. It was noted at the time of the invention that if possible, it could lead to significant improvements in efficiency and security around the transaction. Therefore, the inventor has recorded records that have allowed consumers to obtain their receipts directly from the POS computing system using a nearby wireless protocol to obtain in an efficient advanced security setting. Configured a unique system for sending. A significant improvement in efficiency and a reduction in the cost of transaction performance has been achieved without any obstacles to work or quality of service (QoS).

  Therefore, the point-of-sale (POS) receipt management system provided in the embodiment of the present invention is a computerized device and a computerized device in a POS that executes the first software (SW) from a non-transitory physical medium. A peripheral device coupled to the peripheral device, the peripheral device being able to transmit data wirelessly to a portable communication device owned by a consumer in proximity to the peripheral device. When the consumer finishes the transaction at the POS, the POS computerized device prepares transaction data to be transmitted wirelessly to the peripheral device and thus to the portable communication device owned by the consumer.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, wireless communication from a peripheral device to a consumer's mobile communication device is a short-range wireless communication (NFC (near field communication) that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's mobile communication device. ))by. In another embodiment, wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device is via Bluetooth ™ technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's mobile communication device. In yet another embodiment, wireless communication from a peripheral device to a consumer mobile communication device is by a combination of NFC technology and Bluetooth (TM) technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer mobile communication device. . In yet another embodiment, wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer mobile communication device is displayed on the peripheral device display, captured by the camera of the consumer mobile communication device, and then decoded. By encoding transaction data. The image-based code may be a QR code (registered trademark). In yet another embodiment of the present invention, wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is by ultrasound technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device.

  In one embodiment, the POS device is connected to the Internet, the transaction information is transmitted to a third party server in the Internet, and the transaction ID indicates that the consumer downloads the transaction information from the third party server. Sent via peripherals to the consumer's portable communication device to enable. In some cases, transaction data may be pushed by a third party server to an internet connected device selected by the consumer.

  A point-of-sale (POS) receipt management method provided by another aspect of the present invention includes: (a) configuring transaction information in a point-of-sale computerized device relating to a transaction completed by a consumer; and (b) a computerized device. Transmitting transaction information to a peripheral device coupled to the device, and (c) transmitting the transaction information by the peripheral device to a portable communication device associated with the consumer using proximity wireless technology. .

  In one embodiment of the method in step (c), the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is a near field communication (NFC) that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device. by. In another embodiment in step (c), wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device is via Bluetooth ™ technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's mobile communication device. In yet another embodiment in step (c), wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's mobile communication device with NFC technology and Bluetooth (TM). By combination with technology.

  In one embodiment of the method of the invention in step (c), wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device is displayed on the peripheral device display and captured by the camera of the consumer mobile communication device. By encoding the transaction data as an image-based code that is then decoded. The image-based code may be a QR code. In yet another embodiment, wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device is by ultrasonic technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's mobile communication device.

  In another embodiment of the method, the POS device is connected to the Internet, the transaction information is transmitted to a third party server in the Internet, and the transaction ID is downloaded by the consumer from the third party server. It is transmitted via a peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device that enables this. In some cases, transaction data is pushed by a third party server to an internet connected device selected by the consumer.

2 is an architecture overview of a transaction network supporting direct transfer of transaction records according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the dongle device of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating basic and optional components of the dongle device of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating steps for transmitting a transaction record from a POS computing device according to an aspect of the present invention. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating steps for transmitting a transaction record from a POS computing device according to another aspect of the present invention. 6 is a process flow diagram illustrating steps for transmitting a transaction record from a POS computing device according to yet another aspect of the present invention.

  The inventor allows consumers to receive records of transactions or other business that have taken place without requiring the consumer to provide personal contact information to the POS entity. A data transmission system for use in a physical point of sale (POS) system is provided. The present invention is described in the detailed description which allows the use of the following examples, which may describe one or more related embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is an architecture overview 100 of a transaction network that supports direct transfer of transaction records according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transaction network 100 includes a retail sales base 101. Location 101 can be any physical location from which a consumer can obtain a record of transactions involving store locations, ticket machines, ATM locations, or other locations where physical receipts can be printed for the consumer. Express. The retail location 101 includes a local area network (LAN) 125. The LAN 125 may be connected to an automated transaction network (ATM) or Internet network without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

  The LAN 125 supports point-of-sale (POS) computing devices 107. The POS device 107 is a sales terminal in this example. In one aspect, the LAN 125 supports terminals that are installed and connected to a server having a POS SW executable therefrom. The POS device 107 in this embodiment includes a keyboard for input and a monitor for display. Other input methods may also include touch screen input and the like. In this example, the device 107 includes a peripheral device 109 connected to the device 107 by a computer peripheral cable 108. In one embodiment, device 109 is a dongle device equipped with wireless communication functions such as near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth (TM), or both. Dongle device 109 is cabled to computing device 107 in this example. In one embodiment, the dongle device is a USB dongle connected via a universal serial bus (USB) cable. In another embodiment, the dongle may be connected to the device 107 via a serial or parallel port cable. In another embodiment, the dongle device 109 utilizes a wireless connection to the computing device 107, such as infrared, wireless USB, or some other wireless connection protocol.

  The computing device 107 in this example has a printer 106 connected to the computing device 107 via a standard printing cable. One or more physical printers may be connected to the computing device 107 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, the printer 106 has a default printer or wireless connection capability and is configured wirelessly with the POS computing device 107. The printer 106 is a printer used to print transaction records or receipts for consumers who have purchased products or services from a base. In other embodiments, the printer having a connection with a POS may be a network printer, i.e. a printer connected to the same network as the POS.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the dongle device 109 utilizing the SW 112 emulates the printer 106 as a default printing destination. If the dongle 109 is properly installed and ported to the POS computing device 107, the dongle is immediately recognized as the default destination for consumer transaction records, which are mainly characterized as transaction receipts. A consumer who operates the mobile communication device 110 may shop at the base 101. The transaction record is sent to dongle device 109 and may or may not be displayed on the device. The receipt is an electronic file that is transmitted directly to the mobile communication device 110 via the NFC protocol. The consumer must bring the mobile device 110 within the NFC range (10 centimeters or less) for the dongle to initiate data transmission from the dongle directly to the mobile device.

  In one embodiment, the dongle device is not specifically required to emulate a printer. In one aspect of the invention, the paper printer setup process may be changed or modified, or the system may intervene in the normal printing process. For example, one may modify or intervene a spooler step provided by the operating system during the printing process. Instead of simply printing to the printer, the spool SW may be configured to temporarily store the print data in memory or computing hardware before sending the data to the printer driver. Accordingly, the spooler may transmit print data to a plurality of transmission destinations including a dongle device and a paper printer, or directly to a transaction terminal. According to another embodiment of the invention, the copy of the print data is configured for that purpose immediately after the spooler receives the print data, but before it is erased from the temporary memory controlled by the spooler SW. Created by the SW.

  In yet another possible embodiment of the invention, the dongle component connects to a POS computing device and a paper printer. In this case, a computer protocol (not shown) operating on the operating system (OS) receives the print data and sends a copy to the dongle SW. The algorithm also sends a copy to the paper printer. It is noted herein that this alternative embodiment operates downstream from the printer driver. However, the first two alternative embodiments are implemented upstream from the printer driver. This fact causes some difference in the format of the print data received by the dongle device. When operating downstream of the paper printer driver so that the data received by the dongle is already encoded by the paper printer standard, the printer driver may be configured to have a unique coding standard. In this respect of the most recently mentioned alternative embodiment, the received data must typically be decoded by a paper printer standard. This may add some complexity to the implementation, making the third embodiment a less desirable embodiment.

  Dongle device 109 is illustrated in this example to communicate with mobile communication device 110. Communication device 110 may be a smartphone, an Android device, a personal digital assistant, an iPad device, or some other mobile platform computing device. In this embodiment, the mobile phone 110 is used to accept transaction records transmitted wirelessly from the dongle device 109. In this embodiment, the POS computing device has a SW 112 (dongle driver) provided to support the operation and functionality of the dongle device 109. A driver SW (SW 112) installed on the POS computer 107 allows the dongle device to be immediately recognized as a receipt printer.

  The device 109 can emulate either one type or multiple types of receipt printers in software, so that the device is the same type of printer as the actual receipt printer (106) used at the site. Can be configured to allow a configuring user (POS host) to select which particular printer the device should emulate. If the dongle is plugged into a POS computing device, such as device 107, and the driver is installed and operating, the POS computing device immediately recognizes the dongle as a receipt printer and selects the dongle from the list of printer type options. A pop-up window may appear on the POS display requesting the seller to select the type of printer that they want to emulate. The seller selects the same type of printer that the seller is currently using as the receipt printer. SW 112 enables the dongle to obtain receipt information when the POS computer sends a print request. Receipt information (transaction records) obtained in print format can be decoded and reformatted into other formats on the dongle device for better readability if necessary. The dongle can also be configured to convert the print format to a standard PDF or HTML format.

  During installation, the driver / install software (112) recognizes all existing printers to which the POS computer is connected. This presents the seller with an option to create a master printer with a name that the seller can specify. This allows sellers to print simultaneously on their existing paper, receipt printers, and dongles. Technically, this is accomplished by performing a printer filter function in the driver software that allows print commands / messages to pass through the actual paper receipt printer.

  The transaction record can include several data categories such as seller name, address, department, date and time of transaction, payment method used, warranty information, rebate information, and so on. The data may be itemized on the dongle device, such as the name, price, and quantity of the purchased item, total payment price, total tax, tip, and other similar information. In one embodiment, the dongle device can then analyze the data to extract some data that can be automatically organized, managed and analyzed for settlement, tax return, or other purposes. Includes SW. In another embodiment, the function may be performed on the POS system using the first SW.

  Mobile communication device 110 is a dongle device that provides a wireless receipt of transaction records provided there and via a proximity wireless protocol such as Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth (TM), or some other proximity wireless protocol. 109 has a SW 113 configured to be capable of being held on 109. In one embodiment, NFC is used to pair mobile phone 110 and dongle device 109 for Bluetooth (TM) communication. In this embodiment, a consumer who operates the mobile phone 110 activates the Bluetooth (TM) pairing and establishes a device within the NFC range (10 centimeters or less) to establish a subsequent Bluetooth (TM) session. Bring in. The consumer can then obtain a transaction record when a Bluetooth (TM) session is activated and a receipt is sent from the dongle to the mobile device.

  The LAN 125 supports the Internet access server 114. Internet access server 114 allows POS computing stations to receive Internet access services. The server 114 is connected to a network backbone 115 in the Internet network 102. The backbone 155 represents all of the lines, facilities, and access points that make up the Internet network as a whole. As such, there are no regional restrictions on the practice of the present invention. It is noted that the present invention may be implemented locally without the requirement to log on to any network. However, in one embodiment, the consumer operating the mobile phone 110 wishes to have transaction records transferred to a repository maintained online by a third party service (online management service 105). May be.

  In one embodiment, a consumer may bring an NFC-enabled or radio frequency identification (RFID) tag 111 within range of communication with the dongle device 109 when there is no NFC-enabled communication device such as device 110. . This operation may cause a consumer identification (ID) parameter such as a personal identification number (PIN) or personal access code (PAC) to be transmitted (read) from an NFC or RFID tag. The ID may also include a network destination address such as a universal resource locator (URL) for the online repository destination. The management service 105 includes a LAN 126 that supports the Internet connection data server 127. The data server 127 includes a physical digital medium coupled to the data server 127 that is configured to hold all the SW and data necessary to enable the data server functionality.

  Server 127 has a connection to Internet backbone 115. The POS 107 may transfer the record to the server 127 via the access line 124 and the network backbone 115 instead of printing the local record. Server 127 receives the record and stores the record along with other records for the identified and verified consumer. Then, with the support of the third party SW, the consumer may access the receipt when required. For example, a consumer operating a desktop computer 116 assisted by a SW application 122 accesses a server 127, an Internet service provider (ISP) 121, and a network backbone 115 through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 104. To achieve registration and coordinate access to data stored in repository 128 labeled receipt data, SW application 122 is provided by a third party service as a downloaded and installed application. May be.

  A consumer who operates the wireless cellular phone 117 supported by the SW application 123 is connected to the server through the wireless carrier network (WCN) 103, the cellular phone base station 119, the wireless Internet service provider (WISP) 120, and the network backbone 115. 127 may be accessed. A consumer operating laptop computer 118 assisted by SW 124 may access server 127 through WCN 103, mobile phone base station 119, and WISP 120. In another embodiment, a consumer operating mobile phone 110 assisted by SW 113 temporarily retrieves a receipt from dongle 109 and then uploads it to server 127 for later storage in repository 128. May be. There are many possibilities. The SW 113 may also receive data from the server 127. SW applications 122, 123, and 124 represent third party applications for interacting with subscriber services to store records online, but are not explicitly required to implement the present invention. .

  After the consumer stores the transaction record on his or her mobile device, the consumer can use the mobile SW application to “synchronize” the receipt information accumulated on his personal computer, server or other electronic device. May be set. When a customer needs a receipt for return, product exchange, or other purposes, the customer pulls a specific receipt on his mobile device or downloads it from the server to the mobile device I just need it. A digital receipt may be displayed on the mobile device so that the merchant can scan the barcode in the receipt for processing the requested transaction. Alternatively, by uploading a digital receipt from the user's mobile device or to a server and then accessing it on the web, the user can print the digital receipt on paper when needed.

  When a consumer needs a receipt for return, product replacement, or the like, the consumer can call a specific receipt on the host mobile device or from a third party service to the mobile device You can download the receipt. A digital receipt may be displayed on the display screen of the mobile device so that the POS merchant can scan the barcode in the receipt for processing the requested transaction. Alternatively, by uploading a digital receipt from the user's mobile device or to a server and then accessing and printing it on the web, the user prints the digital receipt on paper whenever necessary be able to.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of the dongle device 109 of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Dongle device 109 may be a wireless device or a wired device without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In this example, the device 109 may additionally be configured as a physical credit card and debit card reader and may include a card read slot 201 for swiping the debit or credit card while conducting a transaction. In this example, the dongle 109 has a display 204. Display 204 may be used during a transaction to display transaction items and to display transaction records such as electronic receipts.

  When the dongle receives the print command, the dongle displays receipt data in the display window 204. Dongle 109 has at least one indicator light or button 202 that can be programmed to reveal when a transaction record is ready to be offloaded from the device. In one embodiment, the button 203 is for presenting a consumer PIN or PAC sent from the NFC or RFID tag to the dongle, in addition to a unique transaction record for third party hosted storage and management services. Provide a presentation button. In one embodiment, the consumer has a tax service account so that all receipts that can be deducted by the end of the year are accounted for and organized by tax reporting protocols. Receipts that allow some income deductions may be uploaded directly. In one embodiment, the SW program can algorithmically port data to existing tax related functions. Dongle device 109 does not require a display to implement the present invention.

  In one embodiment, the user interacts with the dongle device as a POS terminal that includes sliding a credit or debit card to initiate payment. A dongle that employs SW 122 can send data to a mobile phone such as device 110 at different stages of trading. In embodiments where the consumer desires a printed receipt rather than a sent file, the dongle device passes transaction record data (print request) to a default physical printer connected to the POS computing device. It can function as (pass through inline device). Alternatively, if the user does not want a paper receipt, the dongle device may not send a receipt to the default printer. In one embodiment, this functionality can be managed via a dongle device using an input control and display configured as a consumer interface. In one embodiment, a consumer interface for selecting a particular function is provided on the POS as part of the SW 12 rather than directly on the dongle device.

  Alternatively, consumers can use wireless NFC accessories to obtain NFC functionality on their Bluetooth ™ compatible devices. More specifically, such wireless NFC accessories may consist of both Bluetooth (TM) and NFC components. Such an accessory would have a processor and circuitry for passing data between two different communication components. One of the functions of the accessory is to pair the Bluetooth (TM) on the hardware accessory ported to the mobile phone with the Bluetooth (TM) on the dongle device, get data from the dongle device through NFC, It will pass the data in the accessory from its NFC to its Bluetooth (TM). Since the consumer device is already paired with Bluetooth (TM), the receipt data can then be transmitted from the dongle to the consumer device through the Bluetooth (TM) connection.

  However, this embodiment uses NFC as a method of transmitting receipt data between the user's accessory and the seller's dongle device, and the user's accessory (NFC hardware extension function) and the user's main device ( Bluetooth (TM) is used as a method for transmitting data to and from the mobile communication device. One disclosed embodiment uses NFC as a bridge connection to pair user equipment and merchant dongles and uses Bluetooth (TM) or other connection methods to transmit receipt data.

  It is hereby noted that the dongle device and SW functionality does not require integration with a POS computing platform or other receipt generation system because the interface is established through a standard printing protocol already recognized by the system. It is noted in. This fact makes it very simple and easy for vendors and businesses to adopt dongle devices regardless of the type of POS protocol used.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the basic and optional components of the dongle device 109 of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Dongle device 109 includes a PC interface 309 for porting or plugging the device into a port on the POS computing device. In this example, a power line input terminal, a data input line, and a data output line (I / O) are shown. In this example, the dongle device includes a microprocessor 300 configured to process data on the device and transmit the data upon startup or request. The BUS structure is available on devices that connect various device components for operation. Dongle device 109 includes an NFC module 302 that enables short-range transmission of data in a bidirectional manner between the device and a mobile communication device, such as smartphone 110 of FIG. The NFC module 302 may also be configured to communicate NFC or RFID tags.

  In this example, the dongle device includes a read / write module 301 configured to read data from the card and write data to the card. It is envisaged herein that the NFC module enables the transmission of some form of data and receipts of data between the dongle and the mobile communication device or wireless enabled NFC or RFID tag.

  Dongle device 109 may include a display circuit 308 configured to allow display of data. Dongle device 109 includes a consumer input circuit 305 configured to allow a consumer to interact with the dongle as the consumer interface of a POS terminal. In one embodiment, the display is a touch screen display and the consumer may interact with the device using the touch screen. In another embodiment, a physical keypad, a series of action buttons, or other input indicia may be provided. The flash memory module 309 is provided for the purpose of storing data for transmission to other devices. Small amounts of random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM) may be provided for boot SW load and other purposes. In one embodiment, the memory is configured as a high speed cache for rapid upload or data transfer.

  Dongle device 109 includes a data transmission circuit (TX) 307. TX circuit 307 is configured to enable the dongle device to transmit data using NFC or Bluetooth (TM). In other embodiments, other wireless protocols may be employed. Dongle device 109 includes a status indicator circuit 306. The status indicator circuit 306 is configured to allow blinking icons, light emitting diodes (LEDs), illumination buttons, or similar types of illumination, thereby indicating a status such as ready for data transmission. There may be one or more such displays installed on the dongle device 109 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The indicator may be a flashing icon on the display screen or display in the touch screen. The indicator may be a light emitting diode (LED) or some other light source integrated into the device.

  In one embodiment of the invention, dongle 109 is configured for Bluetooth (TM) via Bluetooth (TM) module 303. The Bluetooth (TM) module 303 may be used for communication instead of NFC. In one embodiment, NFC may be used on a device that pairs the device with another Bluetooth (TM) device for data transmission from one device to the other. Dongle device 109 includes a power cell 304. The power cell 304 may be a rechargeable battery. Since power may be input from the host computer into which the device is implanted, the power cell 304 is not particularly essential for practicing the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the dongle device of the present invention may include fewer or more components than shown here. The complexity of the device and its functionality may vary depending on the design and intent. For example, the device may not include a display or user input means. In another embodiment, the device may include both a display and user input means. The primary functions of the device in the preferred embodiment are printer emulation, file format verification and conversion as needed, and the ability to communicate print information to another device, and instructions, PIN, or PAC from another device Is to pick up such data.

  Some POS terminals are not accompanied by a computing system, but instead are automated attendant machines that can host transactions and print receipts. This is noted herein. These types of interfaces include, among other things, automatic teller machines (ATMs) and gas station attendant machines. In such machines, the functionality of the dongle device 109 is provided in the SW and a standard public interface window for those types of machines by installing a radio interface for NFC or Bluetooth (TM) communication functions. May be integrated. In another embodiment, transmission of data may be accomplished through swiping (reading and writing) the card. For example, after a transaction is completed, the user may swipe his card again to accept the electronic receipt described on the card, which card reads the peripheral device connected to the host computing device. It can be transmitted to another device that can read the card, such as a device.

  FIG. 4 is a process flowchart 400 illustrating steps for transmitting a transaction record from a POS computing device according to an aspect of the present invention. In this example, it is assumed that the consumer has installed the SW of the present invention on his personal mobile device. At step 401, the consumer terminates the item transaction at the POS location and pays using a credit / debit card, gift card, or some other form of payment instrument. In one aspect, the process moves directly to step 402 where a human attendant or POS computing device sends a transaction record to the printer. In step 403, the consumer may be prompted whether the consumer wants a paper receipt. Receiving paper receipts is not a requirement, and not receiving paper receipts is environmentally friendly. However, in step 403, the consumer is given the choice of paper or paperless.

  In step 403, if the consumer decides that he wants a paper receipt, it is recorded and the consumer is then prompted in step 411 to decide whether he wants online recording. If the consumer wants paper but does not want on-line records or electronic receipts, the process may simply pass the printed receipt to the consumer and terminate at step 412. In this case, information is not transmitted to the dongle device. However, if, in step 403, the consumer refuses or matches the receipt of the paper receipt, the process moves to step 404 where the print message or command and data is transferred to the dongle device. In step 411, if the consumer accepts the paper receipt, but wants more electronic or online recording, the consumer has the option to further receive the electronic record. In this case, the process moves to step 404 where the print message is sent to a dongle device that emulates a physical printer. In one aspect of the process, print messages are sent concurrently to the physical printer and the emulated printer destination (dongle) in parallel.

  In step 405, a print message including transaction record data is transmitted to the dongle device. Transaction record data may include all the usual items such as seller name, item listing, price, tax, total price, discount information, contact data, and website data. In one embodiment, additional promotional data that is not necessarily printed in the physical receipt may be transmitted electronically. This may include free samples or discount date notices, pricing, survey data, or other promotional material. In one embodiment, the consumer may forego receiving some information in addition to the transaction record.

  In step 406, the consumer is prompted to make a decision whether to send data to a mobile device available over a wireless connection or to a third party site. May be. If the consumer decides in step 406 not to send data to the mobile device, the consumer is prompted in step 413 to upload the electronic record to the designated service site for storage. May be. If the consumer does not send data to the mobile device at step 406 and does not want to upload the electronic record at step 413, the process will probably print a paper receipt by default and terminates at step 412. right.

  If, in step 406, the consumer decides to send an electronic record to the mobile device, then in step 407, the consumer initiates transmission of data from the dongle to the mobile device. Bring your mobile device within the wireless communication range of the dongle device. In one aspect, the transmission protocol is NFC or Bluetooth (TM). In one aspect, NFC is used to pair a dongle device with Bluetooth (TM) that enables a mobile device, such as a smartphone for communication using Bluetooth (TM) technology. In step 408, the dongle device may indicate when the recording is ready to be offloaded from the device. It is noted herein that data offloading does not erase the seller's copy of the transaction.

  In step 409, the recorded data is transmitted from the dongle device to the mobile device. The process may then end at step 412 bypassing step 415 if no record is sent to the third party destination. In step 406, if the consumer decides not to send the record to the mobile device and the consumer determines in step 413 that the consumer wants to upload data to the third party service destination online, In step 414, the consumer enters consumer identification information to verify the consumer along with the third party service destination. This may be accomplished by bringing an NFC or RFID tag with a consumer ID within the wireless communication range of the dongle device. The dongle will get the data it needs from the tag to initiate the transfer of records over the Internet, for example to a third party service.

  The process then moves to step 408 where the dongle device indicates that it is ready to send data. Such an indication may precede a confirmation step by the user to serve as a final approval for data transmission. For example, to perform a transfer, the user may need to press a button on the device or interact with an icon displayed on the touch screen. In one embodiment, the dongle device skips step 408 when the consumer decides to send a record to online storage. In step 409, the dongle device validates the process and sends the data to the third party storage service using the consumer ID to access the repository server. In step 415, the dongle device may indicate confirmation of completion of the task by a flashing icon, LED, or some other visual or audible indication. A beep or a series of tones may be used to indicate a successful transmission of data. Processing then ends at step 412.

  In one aspect of the process, it is possible that the consumer desires a mobile phone copy of the transaction record and may also want to upload a copy to the record information management service. Steps 406 and 413 may be integrated to receive the electronic record locally and give the consumer the option to upload the record to the service. In either case, the consumer is not required to give email contact information or other personal information to the seller or third party service. The PIN or PAC that the consumer with the third party service has is sufficient to verify the consumer. It is noted in this or other aspects of the invention that encryption and other security regimens can be assumed to exist and be used.

  FIG. 5 is a process flowchart 500 illustrating steps for transmitting a transaction record from a POS computing device according to another aspect of the present invention. In step 501, the consumer finishes accounting for the item at the POS location. In step 502, the operator of the POS terminal or computing device sends a print command or message to the dongle device. This case assumes that the consumer does not have an NFC-enabled smartphone or similar device, but the consumer has an NFC tag or RFID tag.

  In step 503, the dongle device indicates that it is ready to send a transaction record. Since the consumer does not have a local device to accept transaction records, in step 504, the consumer instead brings an NFC tag or RFID tag within range of communication with the dongle device. This processing change addresses the consumer aspect of deciding to keep transaction records for third party services. The consumer will have information about such tags that may be read by a dongle device assisted by the SW of the present invention. The information will be required to verify the consumer and access third party services for which the consumer is a subscriber.

  In step 506, the dongle device obtains a consumer ID, which can be a PIN, PAC, or some other key that allows access to the service on behalf of the consumer. At 507, the dongle device sends a transaction record to a third party service that may represent a data record storage and management service.

  FIG. 6 is a process flowchart 600 illustrating steps for transmitting a transaction record from a POS computing device according to yet another aspect of the present invention. This aspect change in processing assumes that the consumer has a mobile smart phone or similar device that can use both NFC and Bluetooth (TM). In step 601, the consumer brings an NFC-enabled mobile device within the dongle range for NFC. The purpose of this step is to initiate the pairing of the mobile device to the dongle device for Bluetooth (TM) communication. In step 602, the NFC mobile device transmits a Bluetooth (TM) pairing password for pairing the two devices for Bluetooth (TM) communication.

  The consumer may then return to the Bluetooth (TM) range, and the devices are successfully paired at step 603. Device pairing only needs to be performed once per mobile device. If the consumer repeats patronage of the same POS computing terminal for future transactions, the consumer may retain this pairing. In step 604, the consumer finishes accounting for the item at the POS computing terminal. In step 605, the operator of the POS computing device sends a print command to the dongle device. The dongle device may indicate that it is ready to send a record at step 606 and establishes a Bluetooth (TM) session with the last mobile device paired with the dongle.

  In step 607, while the session is established, the dongle device receives and verifies the consumer ID. This step is strictly for security purposes and ensures that the correct receipt is sent to the correct mobile device. In step 608, the dongle device sends a transaction record to the mobile device on the established Bluetooth (TM) session. The session then ends and the process ends at step 609. In one embodiment of the invention, the mobile phone can be enabled for NFC by generating a hardware extension card that can be plugged into a smartphone to give it NFC functionality. it can.

  In one embodiment, the system of the present invention is applicable to the food and beverage industry. For example, restaurant payment processing is different from POS retail operations. In restaurants, receipts are generated before payment. When chips are dispensed, the consumer specifies the amount of chips on the receipt and maintains the copy while returning the copy to the waiter. The waiter inputs the chip amount directly to the POS computing device or the credit card processing device.

  For restaurant processing, the most convenient implementation of the system is to have a hardware unit that communicates wirelessly with the POS computing device. In this way, the waiter may bring the device directly to the customer. In order to present payment information and pick up a digital receipt, the consumer performs a single tap action. If the consumer wants chip information to be recorded along with the receipt, the process can have functions available to obtain consumer input. In that case, the consumer may type the chip amount into the “dongle”. The SW on the device accepts the input and generates an updated record that includes chip information.

  In one embodiment, NFC / Bluetooth (TM) handles when NFC is used for bridge communications. For example, when the waiter brings a payment receipt reading device (dongle) to the consumer, the consumer taps the device on the mobile device while the receipt application is running. This operation allows a Bluetooth (TM) connection to be established between the consumer's mobile device and the receipt interface or dongle brought in by the waiter. The payment information and consumer ID can be entered into the dongle from the mobile device via NFC or via Bluetooth (TM) during the same tap operation after the tap operation is initiated to initiate Bluetooth (TM), as required. Sent to the equivalent of the device.

  The waiter also obtains the tip amount from the customer and enters the tip amount into the dongle equivalent. The POS computing device returns the final receipt, including chip information, on the dongle equalization device and the consumer mobile device via the Bluetooth (TM) connection.

  In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the receipt information may be transferred to the consumer at the POS without the need for NFC, Bluetooth (TM), or other near field communication technology. In one such embodiment, the POS SW that generated the receipt for the transaction generates a unique ID for the receipt and is sent to a third party server such as the server 127 in the online management service 105. ID, receipt data, and other information are transmitted over the Internet 102. At the same time, the SW 112 can provide a unique barcode, QR code or other image-based code, receipt ID information that is immediately passed to the consumer, and image-based code that encodes some other information (eg, total amount, store ID) , And earned reward points, etc.) and sends its image-based code to the dongle 109, which may be displayed on the dongle display. The dongle has the functions described above for NFC and / or Bluetooth (TM) communication. It is only necessary that the image-based code is displayed for the consumer.

  In this embodiment, it is not necessary to send all information about the transaction via the image-based code. The ID is important for the retrieval of further information sent to the third party service and associated with the ID.

  Instead of having to have an NFC-enabled phone to scan a bar code, QR code, or other image-based code to collect store information in the code, consumers on their smartphone Use the camera. The SW 113 running on the consumer's mobile phone can then decrypt the information. It delivers a certain amount of up-to-date information about the transaction to the shopper along with a unique ID as described above. The consumer can now retrieve all receipt information from the third party server using its unique receipt ID.

  In one embodiment, the entire information may be encoded in an image-based code, such as a QR code, or in the same amount that the maximum capacity of the code is acceptable. As capacity performance increases, additional data may be sent directly.

  In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasonic communication technology is not like NFC, Bluetooth (TM), or QR code, but for transmitting transaction information (receipt information) to the consumer at POS. May be used. In this embodiment, SW 112 provides functionality for operating a speaker and microphone associated with computer 107, or a dongle such as 109, and SW 113 running on the consumer's device is a speaker and microphone on that device. Operate the microphone. Information is exchanged by ultrasonic encoding / decoding on each end. In one embodiment, it is only necessary that the speaker device on the POS side be used with a microphone on the consumer device in order to transmit information in one direction from the POS device to the consumer. The information transmitted thereby may simply be a unique code associated with the transaction, and possibly more complex information, as described above, and the complete information is the number associated with the unique code. Proceeding to a tripartite service, the consumer may then download if needed from the third party service. This may be desirable because current ultrasound is much slower than NFC and Bluetooth (TM).

  The ultrasound technology may then be used to send a unique shopper ID to a POS sales device that may be paired with information uploaded to a third party service. The service may in turn push the complete information package to the consumer's mobile device or other network connection device preferred by the consumer.

  In another change, transaction records are consumed so that appropriate information can be provided to the qualified person through the use of credit or loyalty card information, or any token that uniquely represents the shopper. The merchant ID may be matched and the merchant has already captured it (eg, from a payment terminal, face recognition, fingerprint scanning, or other method). In this embodiment, the consumer mobile application (software 113) needs to require the shopper to pair such personal identification information to his account along with the e-receipt system.

  In the embodiment described above, when an image-based code (eg QR) is used to send a unique transaction ID to the consumer, the POS side will allow the consumer to actually Unless the third party server confirms against the POS that the user has interacted with the server related to the transaction ID, there is no way to confirm that the consumer has actually scanned the code. In one embodiment, the QR code method may be combined by an ultrasound method or NFC or RF communication, where the POS side immediately knows that the consumer has scanned the encoding. As such, it may be used to send the shopper id to the POS side. Thereafter, the POS side no longer needs to display the code on its display. Secondary communications may also be based on an electromagnetic signature and may not return the shopper ID to the seller, but rather simply identify that another mobile device is nearby.

  In some embodiments, a receipt system of any one or a combination of the embodiments described above may be integrated into a payment method, a loyalty system, or a customer information management system.

  It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the transaction record delivery system of the present invention may be provided using some or all of the features and components described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. right. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments described above are single, broad scope embodiments of the invention that may have a greater scope than any of the individual descriptions taught. Let's go. Many changes may be made in the specification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (18)

A computerized device in a POS that executes first software (SW) from a non-transitory physical medium;
A peripheral device coupled to a computerized device and adjacent to the peripheral device capable of transmitting data wirelessly to a portable communication device owned by a consumer;
When the consumer finishes the transaction at the POS, the POS computerized device prepares the transaction data to be transmitted wirelessly to the peripheral device and thus to the portable communication device owned by the consumer (POS). ) Receipt management system.   The POS receipt management system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is near field communication (NFC) that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device.   The POS receipt management system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is based on Bluetooth (TM) technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device.   2. The POS according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer mobile communication device is based on a combination of NFC technology and Bluetooth (TM) technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer mobile communication device. Receipt management system.   Wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device is encoded on the transaction data as an image-based code that is displayed on the peripheral device's display, captured by the camera of the consumer's mobile communication device, and then decoded The POS receipt management system according to claim 1.   The POS receipt management system according to claim 5, wherein the image-based code is a QR code.   The POS receipt management system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is based on an ultrasonic technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device.   The POS device is connected to the Internet, the transaction information is transmitted to a third party server in the Internet, and the transaction ID is a consumer's enabling the consumer to download the transaction information from the third party server. The POS receipt management system according to claim 1, wherein the POS receipt management system is transmitted to a portable communication device via a peripheral device.   The POS receipt management system according to claim 8, wherein the transaction data is pushed by a third party server to the Internet connection device selected by the consumer. (A) composing transaction information at a point-of-sale computerized device for a transaction completed by a consumer;
(B) transmitting transaction information to a peripheral device coupled to the computerized device;
(C) Point-of-sale (POS) receipt management method comprising: using proximity wireless technology to send transaction information to a mobile communication device associated with a consumer by a peripheral device.   The wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device in step (c) according to claim 10 by near field communication (NFC) that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's mobile communication device. POS receipt management method.   The POS receipt according to claim 10, wherein in step (c), the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device is based on Bluetooth (TM) technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's mobile communication device. Management method.   In step (c), the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer mobile communication device is billed by a combination of NFC technology and Bluetooth (TM) technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer mobile communication device. Item 15. The POS receipt management method according to Item 10.   In step (c), wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's mobile communication device is displayed on the peripheral device's display, captured by the camera of the consumer's mobile communication device, and then decoded as an image-based code. The POS receipt management method according to claim 10, wherein the transaction data is encoded.   The POS receipt management method according to claim 14, wherein, in step (c), the image-based code is a QR code.   11. The POS receipt management method according to claim 10, wherein in step (c), the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is performed by an ultrasonic technology that can be used by both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device. .   The POS device is connected to the Internet, the transaction information is transmitted to a third party server in the Internet, and the transaction ID is a consumer's enabling the consumer to download the transaction information from the third party server. The POS receipt management method according to claim 10, wherein the POS receipt management method is transmitted to a portable communication device via a peripheral device.   The POS receipt management method according to claim 17, wherein the transaction data is pushed by a third party server to an Internet connection device selected by the consumer.

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