TW201415389A - Communications system, computing devices and methods for securely exchanging data - Google Patents

Abstract

A communications system is provided, including a point of sale (POS) device, an intermediate server, and a customer device. The POS device can receive item identifier(s) corresponding to goods selected by a customer and generate transaction data including price(s) for the selected goods. The POS device transmits the transaction data to the intermediate server. The intermediate server uses the transaction data and tax rules to generate a total price for the transaction, generates a web page containing some of the transaction data and the total price, and transmits an address of the web page to the POS device. The POS device is used to convey the address to the customer device, which then accesses the web page. The customer device can then send payment instructions to the intermediate server, and the intermediate server can interact with financial servers to effect a transfer of funds to pay for the selected goods.

Description

Communication system, arithmetic device and method for secure exchange of data Cross-reference to related applications

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/695, 584, filed on A.

This description is generally directed to the exchange of data between different computing devices and, more particularly, to communication systems, computing devices and methods for securely exchanging data, such as information related to financial transactions.

Electronic payments have become commonplace in physical retail locations. While there are a variety of electronic payment systems, many are characterized by the following factors: payment customers need to provide sensitive payment information at the point of sale; and the computing device operated by the retailer needs to calculate the final price and with the financial infrastructure (such as a financial institution operating server) )interactive.

These factors can result in reduced security during the transaction because sensitive payment data may be intercepted or maliciously stored by the retailer. In addition, changes in regional taxes and changes in tax laws can result in outdated retailer calculations and different financial infrastructures may not be accessible from specific locations or specific computing devices.

According to one aspect of the present specification, a communication system for securely exchanging data is provided, which includes a point of sale computing device, an intermediate server, and a client computing device. Point of sale device A project identifier (corresponding to the item selected by the customer) is received and a transaction data containing the price corresponding to the item identifier is generated. The point of sale device can then transmit the transaction data to the intermediate server. The intermediate server can then use the transaction data and tax rules to generate the total price of the transaction. The intermediate server can also generate a web page containing a portion of the transaction data and the total price and transmit the web address to the point of sale device. The point of sale device can be used to transfer the web address to the customer device, which then uses the web address to access the web page. The customer device can then send the payment instruction to the intermediate server and the intermediate server can interact with the financial server to effect a funds transfer to pay for the selected item.

100‧‧‧Communication system

104-1‧‧‧Point of Sale (POS) device

104-2‧‧‧Point of Sale (POS) device

104-3‧‧‧Point of Sale (POS) device

104-4‧‧‧Point of Sale (POS) device

108‧‧‧Network

112-1‧‧‧Link

112-2‧‧‧Link

112-3‧‧‧Link

112-4‧‧‧Link

116‧‧‧Customer computing device/customer device

120‧‧‧link

124‧‧‧Link

128‧‧‧Intermediate server

132‧‧‧Link

136-1‧‧‧Financial Server

136-2‧‧‧Financial Server

140-1‧‧‧Link

140-2‧‧‧ link

200‧‧‧ processor

204‧‧‧ memory

208‧‧‧Point of Sale Application

212‧‧‧ Input device

216‧‧‧ display

220‧‧‧Internet interface

230‧‧‧ processor

234‧‧‧ Non-transitory memory

238‧‧‧ Purchase application

242‧‧‧ Input device

246‧‧‧ display

250‧‧‧Internet interface

260‧‧‧ processor

264‧‧‧ Non-transitory memory

268‧‧‧Buy an intermediate application

270‧‧‧Business Database

272‧‧‧Customer Database

274‧‧‧ Tax Rules Database

280‧‧‧Web interface/communication interface

600‧‧‧ method

800‧‧‧Webpage

804‧‧‧ transaction identifier

808‧‧‧Business identifier

812‧‧‧Optional elements

816‧‧‧Optional elements

900‧‧‧Webpage

904‧‧‧Optional elements

908‧‧‧Optional elements

912‧‧‧ field

916‧‧‧Optional elements

Embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 depicts a communication system for securely exchanging data in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment; Figure 2 depicts a particular interior of an arithmetic device in the system of Figure 1 in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment 3; FIG. 3 depicts a method of registering and authenticating the particular computing device of FIG. 1 in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment; FIG. 4 depicts a customer repository stored by the intermediate server of FIG. 1 in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment; 5 depicts a merchant database stored by the intermediate server of FIG. 1 in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment; FIG. 6 depicts a method for securely exchanging data in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment; FIG. Example of a tax rule database stored by the intermediate server of FIG. 1; FIG. 8 depicts a web page generated in block 620 of the method of FIG. 6 in accordance with a non-limiting embodiment; and FIG. 9 depicts a non-limiting embodiment according to a non-limiting embodiment The web page generated in block 645 of the method of FIG.

Figure 1 depicts a communication system 100 for securely exchanging data, in particular data relating to financial transactions. System 100 includes one or more point-of-sale (POS) computing devices, collectively referred to as POS devices 104 and commonly referred to as a POS device 104. Four POS devices 104-1, 104-2, 104-3, and 104-4 are shown in this example. Each POS device 104 is associated with a merchant that stocks the merchandise for purchase at a "bricks and mortar" retail location. In this example, POS devices 104-1 and 104-2 are associated with merchant A, while POS devices 104-3 and 104-4 are associated with merchant B. POS device 104 via links 112-1, 112-2, 112-3, and 112-4, respectively (which may be wired (shown as solid lines) or wireless (shown as dashed lines) links or combinations thereof ) is connected to the network 108.

The system 100 also includes a customer computing device 116 carried by the customer who can access the merchant A or merchant B, select the merchandise purchase and hand the selected merchandise to the operator of the POS device 104 (typically but not necessarily the employee of the merchant). The client device 116 is connected to the network 108 via a wired or wireless link 120 (the present example depicts a wireless link). In addition, the customer device 116 can communicate with the POS device 104, for example, via link 124.

In addition, system 100 includes an intermediate server 128 coupled to network 108 via link 132 and one or more financial servers 136-1, 136-2 connected to network 108 via links 140-1 and 140-2. (Commonly, financial servers 136, and generally, a financial server 136).

In short, in operation, system 100 facilitates a customer to purchase merchandise from a merchant. For example, a customer carrying customer device 116 may enter merchant A and select a different merchandise purchase. The POS device 104 (for example, the POS device 104-1) collects data describing the selected item and transmits the data to the intermediate server 128 via the network 108. The intermediate server 128 returns additional data to the POS device 104-1, which delivers the additional data to the customer device 116. The customer device 116 then communicates directly with the intermediate server 128 (and not with the POS device 104-1) to schedule payment for the selected item. More specifically, the customer device 116 commands the middle The server 128 schedules a funds transfer from the account associated with the customer to the account associated with the merchant A on the financial server 136. After the funds transfer is successfully completed, the intermediate server 128 will notify the customer device 116 and the POS device 104-1 of the successful transfer and the customer is allowed to leave the merchant A with the selected item.

Prior to providing a more detailed discussion of the operation of system 100, the internal components of POS device 104-1, intermediate server 108, and customer device 116 will be described.

Referring now to Figure 2, an internal diagram of POS device 104-1, intermediate server 108, and customer device 116 is shown. The POS devices 104-2, 104-3, and 104-4 need not be the same as the POS device 104-1 as shown in FIG. 2, but the POS device 104-1 is provided as a representative example of other POS devices.

The POS device 104-1 can be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld communication device such as a tablet computer, a cellular phone, a smart phone, and the like. POS device 104-1 includes a processor 200 interconnected with a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as memory 204. Memory 204 can be volatile memory (eg, random access memory ("RAM")) and non-volatile memory (eg, only memory ("ROM")), electrically erasable and programmable Any suitable combination of read-only memory ("EEPROM"), flash memory, magnetic computer storage, or optical disc.

The memory 204 stores a plurality of computer readable instructions (including an operating system and a plurality of applications) executable by the processor 200. One such application is the point of sale application 208. When processor 200 executes an instruction from application 208, processor 200 is configured to perform different functions to facilitate the purchase of merchandise by the customer described above. These functions will be described in more detail below.

POS device 104-1 also includes an input device 212 that is interconnected with processor 200. Input device 212 is configured to receive input and provide information representative of this input to processor 200. Input device 212 can include any one or any suitable combination of a keypad, a touch screen, a light sensor, a microphone, a camera or barcode scanner, a GPS receiver, and the like (not shown).

POS device 104-1 also includes one or more output devices (such as display 216) interconnected with processor 200. Display 216 can be controlled by processor 200 to generate an interface that represents data and/or applications maintained in memory 204. Display 216 includes any of a cathode ray tube (CRT) display and a flat panel display (eg, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display), or any suitable combination. When the input device 212 includes a touch screen, a touch screen (not shown) can be integrated with the display 216. The POS device 104-1 may also include other output devices (not shown), such as an LED indicator (not shown) and a motor or other mechanical output device (not shown) that causes the communication device 104 to vibrate, a speaker and Similar device.

POS device 104-1 also includes a network interface 220 interconnected with processor 200. Network interface 220 allows POS device 104-1 to communicate with other computing devices via link 112-1 and network 108 or via a peer-to-peer link similar to link 124. 112-1 may be a wired link (for example, based on Ethernet standards) (e.g., IEEE 802.11 standards-based mobile telecommunications standard, Bluetooth ^TM, Near Field Communication (NFC) standard, and similar standards), or of any wireless Proper combination. The network interface 220 thus contains the necessary hardware, such as radios, network interface controllers, and the like, to communicate via link 112-1 and any regional links.

The various components of POS device 104-1 are contained within a housing (not shown) including any suitable combination of materials (e.g., aluminum or other metals, plastics, and the like). The components of POS device 104-1 are interconnected via one or more communication busses (not shown) and receive power from a power source, such as a battery (not shown). In some instances, certain components need not be contained within the same housing. For example, display 216 can be included in a separate housing and connected to processor 200 via a local connection (eg, a digital video interface (DVI) connection).

As noted above, POS device 104-1 as illustrated represents other POS devices 104, but POS devices 104 may all have different configurations consistent with the overviews set forth above.

The customer device 116 is also illustrated in FIG. The client device 116 can be any mobile computing device, such as a laptop or handheld communication device, such as a tablet, a cellular phone, Smart phones and similar devices. Similar to POS device 104-1, client device 116 thus includes a processor 230 interconnected with non-transitory memory 234, which may be volatile memory (eg, RAM) and non-volatile memory. Any suitable combination of (eg, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory, magnetic computer storage, or optical disc). The memory 234 stores a plurality of computer readable instructions executable by the processor 230, including an operating system and a plurality of applications, wherein the application 238 is purchased. When the processor 230 executes the instructions of the application 238, the processor 230 is configured to perform different functions to facilitate the purchase of merchandise by the customer described above.

The client device 116 also includes an input device 242 interconnected with the processor 230, which may include a keypad, a touch screen, a light sensor, a microphone, a camera or barcode scanner, a GPS receiver, and the like (not shown). Either or any suitable combination.

The client device 116 also includes one or more output devices interconnected with the processor 230, such as a display 246 that can be controlled by the processor 230 to generate an interface representing data and/or applications maintained in the memory 234. Display 246 includes any suitable flat panel display (eg, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display). When the input device 242 includes a touch screen, a touch screen (not shown) can be integrated with the display 246. The customer device 116 may also include other output devices (not shown), such as LEDs in the form of LEDs (not shown) and motors or other mechanical output devices (not shown) that cause the communication device 104 to vibrate, speakers, and the like. .

The client device 116 also includes a network interface 250 interconnected with the processor 230 that allows the client device 116 to communicate with other computing devices via link 120 and network 108 or via a regional inter-link similar to link 124. Link 120 can be any suitable combination of wired (e.g., based on Ethernet standards) or wireless (e.g., based on mobile telecommunications standards, IEEE 802.11 standards, Bluetooth ^(TM) , Near Field Communication (NFC) standards, and the like). The network interface 250 thus contains the necessary hardware, such as radios, network interface controllers, and the like, to communicate via link 120 and any regional links.

The various components of the customer device 116 are contained within a housing (not shown) that includes any suitable combination of materials (e.g., aluminum or other metal, plastic, and the like). The components of POS device 104-1 are interconnected via one or more communication busses (not shown) and receive power from a power source, such as a battery (not shown).

Finally, FIG. 2 also illustrates certain internal components of the intermediate server 128. The intermediate server 128 includes a processor 260 interconnected with non-transitory memory 264, which may be volatile memory (eg, RAM) and non-volatile memory (eg, ROM, EEPROM, fast) Any suitable combination of flash memory, magnetic computer storage or optical disc.

The memory 264 stores a plurality of computer readable instructions executable by the processor 260, including an operating system and a plurality of applications, wherein the intermediate application 268 is purchased. When the processor 260 executes the instructions of the application 268, the processor 260 is configured to perform different functions to facilitate the purchase of merchandise by the customer described above, interacting with the POS device 104, the customer device 116, and the financial server 136 as needed.

The memory 264 also stores a merchant database 270, a customer database 272, and a tax rules database 274, each of which will be discussed in greater detail below.

The intermediate server 128 also includes a network interface 280 that allows the intermediate server 128 to communicate with other computing devices via the link 132 and the network 108. In the present example, link 132 is a wired link and communication interface 280 thus includes a network interface controller (NIC) that implements Ethernet-based communication. However, the consideration link 132 can be any suitable combination of wired links and wireless links and the nature of the communication interface 280 can vary depending on the nature of the link 132.

The processor 260 can receive input data from one or more input devices (not shown) such as a keyboard and a mouse. In addition, processor 260 can transmit output data to control one or more output devices, such as displays, speakers, and the like (not shown). These input and output devices can be co-located with the intermediate server 128 and connected to the processor 260 via a local end connection (eg, a universal serial bus (USB)). In other examples, such input and output devices It can be located on a further computing device (not shown) that is coupled to the intermediate server 128 via the network 108 and link 132.

The components of the intermediate server 128 are interconnected via one or more communication busbars (not shown) and housed within one or more enclosures (not shown). The intermediate server 128 can receive power from a power source (not shown).

Returning briefly to Figure 1, it is contemplated that additional POS devices and additional customer devices (not shown) other than those shown are substantially as described above in connection with POS device 104-1 and customer device 116. In addition, financial servers 136-1 and 136-2, as well as any other financial server, may include substantially the same hardware components as described above in connection with intermediate server 128. However, instead of databases 270, 272, and 274, financial server 136 includes a database that defines the balances and other details of different financial accounts associated with customers and merchants. These accounts can include credit card accounts, credit lines, checking accounts, and similar accounts. The specific details relating to the operation of the financial server 136 are not set forth in detail herein, as they are well known to those skilled in the art.

Register and authenticate the device to the intermediate server

Prior to the operation of system 100 summarized above, POS device 104-1 and customer device 116 must register with intermediate server 128. In addition, in order to participate in the purchase process summarized above, the POS device 104 and the customer device 116 must be authenticated by the server 128 (i.e., the devices must prove that they correspond to devices previously registered with the intermediate server 128). Referring now to Figure 3, a method 300 of registering and authenticating an arithmetic device on an intermediate server 128 is illustrated. The blocks of method 300 are performed by intermediate server 128 and, in particular, processor 260 in conjunction with execution of the remaining components of intermediate server 128 via application 268.

The first exemplary execution of the registration description method 300 of the client device 116 will be performed. Beginning in block 305, the intermediate server 128 receives the request via the network 108. It is assumed that the request originates from the customer device 116, but in other instances, the request may originate from any other computing device associated with the customer (such as a desktop computer operated by the customer). Request therefore from the customer device 116 is transmitted via link 120, network 108, and link 132 to reach network interface 280. The request may be generated on the client device 116 via execution of the application 208 or via execution of a web browser application, the web browser application being operable to access the login and registration web pages hosted by the intermediate server 128.

In block 310, the intermediate server 128 is configured to determine that the request is a registration request or a login request. The type of request can be determined by, for example, checking the request for a username and password (indicating a login request). Other ways of distinguishing between a login request and a registration request will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

When the request received at block 305 is a registration request, execution of method 300 continues to block 315 where intermediate server 128 is configured to request registration information from client device 116 and receive the requested registration data. Execution of block 315 may include transmitting another web page to client device 116 or transmitting the command to application 208 to display the registration interface that has been stored in application 208. The customer device 116 thus displays different fields for receiving input data and receives data within the fields for transmission to the intermediate server 128.

The registration information received on block 315 is not particularly limited, but is generally used to identify the customer operating the customer device 116 and may also identify the customer device 116 itself. In other words, the registration profile definition is often referred to as the content of the customer's account on the intermediate server 128. In this example, the registration data includes the username and password, the security code (which will be discussed below), the customer name and the physical mailing address (showing the customer's residence), the email address, and the telephone number. The registration information also includes information identifying one or more financial accounts associated with the customer, such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers and the like. In addition, the registration data may include an identifier of the customer device 116, such as a serial number or MSISDN (ie, a mobile phone number assigned to the customer device 116).

Continuing to block 320, the intermediate server 128 is configured to perform a verification process on at least some of the registration data received in block 315. The nature of the verification is not particularly limited and is typically configured to confirm the identity of the customer. For example, verification can include sending a query to a directory service (not shown) to confirm that the customer name received in block 315 matches the message received in block 315. Block 320 may also include transmitting a query to financial server 136 to confirm that the account number received in block 315 not only exists, but is also actually associated with the customer name received in block 315. If the verification process is unsuccessful (for example, if the response from the directory service indicates that the provided name and mailing address do not match), the intermediate server 128 can be configured to return to block 315 and request further registration of the material. In other examples, the intermediate server 128 can be configured to simply terminate the method 300 if the verification in block 320 is unsuccessful.

When the verification in block 320 is successful, the intermediate server 128 executes block 325 where the intermediate server 128 updates the customer database 272 to include the registration data received in block 315. An example of a customer database 272 is depicted in FIG. In particular, FIG. 4 depicts one record 400 of a database 272 corresponding to a customer operating the customer device 116. Database 272 may also contain any number of other records (not shown) for other customers.

After the record 400 is established in the repository 272, the intermediate server 128 can receive the login request from the client device 116 in block 305. The login request contains login credentials such as a username and password. The intermediate server 128 is configured in block 330 to compare the received credentials with the credentials stored in the record 400. If the credentials do match, the login is successful and the intermediate server 128 can notify the client device 116 of the successful login in block 335. Otherwise, intermediate server 128 may send an error message to client device 116 in block 340.

In some examples, the intermediate server 128 can be configured to detect whether the login is a first login from the client device 116. If the device has not previously logged in, the intermediate server 128 can be configured to send an email with a unique code to the address in the record 400, which must be returned via the customer device 116 to the intermediate server 128 to authorize the customer device 116. The same method can be used to authorize other computing devices that the customer uses to log in and any successfully authorized devices (i.e., devices that have successfully associated with the account defined by record 400) can be added to record 400.

Upon successful login, the client device 116 can transmit the updated or additional registration data to change the account defined by the record 400. The client device 116 can also interact with the intermediate server 128 To carry out the purchase process summarized above. In some instances, additional verification may be required, such as providing the security code shown in FIG. 4 by the customer device 116 to complete the purchase or such as providing the password shown in FIG. 4 to perform any editing of the record 400 (even at the customer device) 116 has been logged in).

The registration and authentication of the POS device 104 is similar to the above process. An exemplary execution of method 300 will now be described in conjunction with registering merchant A and POS devices 104-1 and 104-2 on intermediate server 128. The registration of merchant B and POS devices 104-3 and 104-4 will continue in substantially the same manner.

Beginning again from block 305, the intermediate server 128 receives, for example, a request from one of the POS devices 104-1 and 104-2 or from a separate computing device associated with the merchant A. Upon determining that the request is a registration request, the intermediate server 128 requests and receives the registration data in block 310.

The registration information for merchant A received in block 310 is not particularly limited. In this example, the registration data includes the user name and password, the name and physical mailing address, the phone number, and the identification of one or more financial accounts associated with the merchant A (for example, the revenue from the merchant A selling the merchandise is imported Information on the account).

The registration data also includes the identifiers of any POS devices (in this example, POS devices 104-1 and 104-2) that are authorized to interact with the intermediate server 128 on behalf of the merchant A, and the individual POS devices 104-1 and 104-2. User name and password of the operator (usually the employee of Merchant A). The registration information may also include various restrictions or permissions associated with each operator, such as the time period during which the operator is allowed to log in, the POS device to which the operator is permitted to log in, and the like. The registration information may also include the location of the inventory and price of the commodities (not shown in Figure 1) of the commodities reserved by the merchant A. The database may be located at merchant A, such as on a local computing device (including one of POS devices 104) or remotely configurable, for example, in a server that stores inventory and price lists for a plurality of merchants. An example of such a database is described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 13/586,092, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In general, The database contains unique identifiers for each item (such as the Universal Product Code (UPC)) and the corresponding price for each item. The database may also contain other materials, such as the type of each item (food, electronic devices, and the like).

The intermediate server 128 performs the verification process substantially as described above in block 320 (for example, using the directory listing to verify that the name and mailing address provided for merchant A in block 310 is correct). After successful verification, in block 325, the intermediate server updates the merchant database 270 to include the registration data received in block 315.

Referring to FIG. 5, an example of database 270 is depicted after block 325 is performed above. As seen in FIG. 5, the repository 270 includes a record 500 for defining an account for the merchant A on the intermediary server 128 and defining individual POS devices 104 and operators associated with the merchant A. (There may also be additional records for other merchants. ). In this example, each operator field specifies the operator's identifier, the time period during which the operator is allowed to log in, and which of the POS devices 104-1 and 104-2 the operator is allowed to log in from.

After the merchant A and the POS devices 104-1 and 104-2 are registered, the intermediate server 128 can receive, in block 305, another request from one of the POS devices 104-1 and 104-2 for logging in (consideration Any number of POS devices 104 associated with a given merchant may be logged in; or, the maximum number of simultaneous logins may be specified in record 500). If the voucher in the login voucher matching record 500 provided by the POS device 104 is determined in block 330, the intermediate server 128 can send a login confirmation message to the POS device 104 and the logged in POS device 104 can continue to update the record 500 or participate in the above. Summarize the purchase process. As described in connection with the client device 116, if the intermediate server 128 detects that the login request from the given POS device 104 is the first attempt to log in from the device, the intermediate server 128 can be configured to send the authentication code to the store. Record the email address in 500 (not shown in Figure 5). In order to complete the first login, the particular POS device 104 is required to provide the code to the intermediate server 128.

Considerations may be implemented in system 100 for different login phases. For example, the operator "Jane" can use the POS device by providing only the user name and password shown in FIG. 104-1 logs in on the intermediate server 128. In another example, the operator may also need to provide an operator identifier. In yet another example, in addition to or in lieu of the username and password of merchant A, the operator may be required to provide a particular individual username and password for the operator.

As will be described in connection with FIG. 6, once the POS device 104 and the client device 116 are registered with the intermediate server 128, the secure exchange of the above-described materials for purchasing goods can be achieved.

Secure exchange of information for the purchase of goods

Referring now to Figure 6, the previously summarized purchase process will be set forth in greater detail. FIG. 6 depicts a method 600 of securely exchanging data, which is performed within system 100 in this example. The steps of method 600 are divided between POS device 104-1, intermediate server 128, and client device 116. When a block is indicated as being executed by a given computing device, it will be appreciated that the blocks are executed by the processor of the device via the respective application stored by the device. For example, block 605 is performed by POS device 104-1 and is therefore executed by processor 200 via execution of application 208.

For the implementation of method 600, it is assumed that the registration and authentication process is complete and POS device 104-1 and client device 116 log in to intermediate server 128.

Prior to execution of block 605, the customer operating the customer device 116 arrives at the merchant A and selects a different merchandise purchase. In this example, it will be assumed that the customer selects a laptop and a can of cola to purchase. The customer hands the selected item to the operator of the POS device 104-1.

In block 605, POS device 104-1 is configured to receive a project identifier for the selected item. Project identifiers can be received in a variety of ways. For example, the POS device 104-1 can decode the item identifier from the bar code attached to the selected item by scanning the bar code or capturing the image of the bar code using the input device 212. In other examples, the item identifier from the keypad can be received on the processor 200 if the operator has been manually entered by the operator of the POS device 104-1. The item identifier received in block 605 may also include an identifier of the item that is not explicitly selected by the customer but automatically selected by the POS device 104-1, such as associated with the selected item. A discount or extra fee. For example, the electronic device recycling fee may be paid with the purchase of any electronic device and the POS device 104-1 may therefore automatically select the item identifier corresponding to the recycling fee upon receipt of the laptop's identifier.

Continuing to block 610, the POS device 104-1 is configured to retrieve the price from the inventory database of the selected merchandise. Execution of block 610 can include transmitting one or more queries including the item identifier received in block 605. In some embodiments, POS device 104-1 can be configured to retrieve the location of the inventory database from record 500 on intermediate server 128 prior to transmitting such queries. Where the price of the selected item has been retrieved, POS device 104-1 may be configured to generate transaction data and transmit the transaction data to intermediate server 128.

The nature of the transaction information is not particularly limited. In general, the transaction data identifies the POS device 104-1 and also identifies the selected item. In this example, the transaction data includes the item identifier, the quantity of each selected item, the price of the selected item, and the subtotal calculated by the POS device 104-1 (which is the sum of the individual prices of the selected item). The transaction data may also include the current location of the POS device 104-1, such as a geographic coordinate generated by a GPS receiver.

In block 615, the intermediate server 128 is configured to receive transaction data from the POS device 104-1 and store the transaction data in the memory 264. The intermediate server 128 is then configured to generate the total price of the selected item, including any applicable taxes. The generation of the total price includes the retrieval of rules from the tax rules database 274. The nature of the rules stored in the database 274 is not particularly limited. In general, database 274 contains a plurality of records, each identifying a particular tax. Each record also identifies which region (country, state, province, and similar) is subject to taxes, tax ranks (eg, the percentage of commodity prices), and (if applicable) which type of commodity the tax applies. An example of a database 274 is depicted in FIG. In particular, database 274 is depicted as having two records, each defining a particular tax, the region to which it applies, its rank, and the type of commodity that the tax includes or excludes (for example, in Ontario, "food" Types of goods are subject to HST tax and all other types of goods are subject to HST). The intermediate server 128 can also be configured to verify the transaction data received from the POS device 104-1 prior to generating the total price. For example, the intermediate server 128 can communicate with the inventory database identified in the record 500 to confirm the price of the selected item.

Thus, in block 615, the intermediate server 128 is configured to retrieve from the database 274 the location of the matching POS device 104-1 and either or both of the customer premises from the record 400 and, if applicable, the transaction data. A rule that identifies the type of item selected. For this exemplary execution of method 600, it will be assumed that merchant A is located in Ontario (ON) and the type indicated by the selected laptop is "electronic device" and the type indicated by the can cola is "food". Thus, in block 615, the intermediate server 128 selects the "HST" tax and adds 13% to the price of the laptop and adds the modified price of the laptop to the unmodified price of the can of Coke. Produce the final price. Execution of block 615 may also include the generation of any required transaction fees, which may also be determined by intermediate server 128, for example, based on the location of merchant A.

Where the final price of the selected item has been generated, in block 620, the intermediate server 128 is configured to generate a particular payment entry website for the transaction. The payment portal may be a web page hosted on an intermediate server and accessible via network 108. An exemplary web page 800 is depicted in FIG. Web page 800 contains transaction identifier 804, which may be generated by intermediate server 128 or by POS device 104-1 and provided to intermediate server 128 with transactional material. The web page 800 can also include an identifier 808 (in this example, merchant A) that initiates the transaction by sending the transaction data. Page 800 also indicates the name, quantity and price of the selected item as well as subtotals, taxes and total prices. Finally, web page 800 contains selectable elements 812 and 816, which will be discussed in greater detail below.

Returning to Figure 6, to complete execution of block 620, the intermediate server is configured to transmit a web address (such as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)) of web page 800 to POS device 104-1. The web address can be encoded in a format such as a linear barcode or a two-dimensional barcode (eg, a quick response (QR) code). In some examples, the web address sent to POS device 104-1 can be encrypted such that only customer device 116 can decrypt the web address (for example, the web address can be assigned to customer device 116) Public key encryption).

In block 625, the POS device 104-1 is configured to receive the web address transmitted by the intermediate server 128 and transmit the web address to the client device 116. The manner in which the web address is transmitted to the client device 116 is not particularly limited. For example, POS device 104-1 may present a web address on display 216, after which client device 116 may retrieve the image of display 216 using a camera or (if the web address is encoded in a machine readable form such as a bar code) barcode scanner . The client device 116 can also receive the web address as input to the keypad or touch screen (ie, the customer operating the customer device 116 can read the web address from the display 216 and enter the web address on the input device 242).

In other examples, it may be 116 (such as via Bluetooth ^TM communication or NFC) to implement the URL from the POS device 104-1 to the transmission device via the client communication link region. In still other examples, POS device 104-1 can be equipped with or connected to a printer and can print a physical copy of the web address, which can then be scanned or photographed by customer device 116 or manually entered by customer at customer device 116.

In block 630, where the web address of web page 800 has been received from POS device 104-1 (as discussed above, whether directly or indirectly), client device 116 is configured to access web page 800 on intermediate server 128. The steps taken when accessing web page 800 are the same as those used to access any web page (eg, by sending an HTTP request and receiving its response) and are therefore not described in detail herein. However, in some instances, prior to requesting web page 800 from intermediate server 128, client device 116 may determine whether the web address received in block 630 is authentic. The client device 116 can store (in the memory 234, for example, as a setting in the application 238) an identifier of the domain of the intermediate server 128 (e.g., server 128.com). Accordingly, the customer device 116 can be configured to compare any of the web addresses received in block 630 with the stored domain. If the domain of the received web address does not match the stored domain, the client device 116 can be configured to drop the web address as potentially malicious and notify the intermediate server 128 that the link is dropped. The intermediate server 128 can then be configured to suspend the transaction, ending the execution of the method 600. On the other hand, when the domain of the web address does match the stored domain, method 600 Execution can continue.

In the event that the web page 800 has been accessed in block 630 (i.e., a copy of the web page 800 is retrieved from the intermediate server 128), the customer device 116 is configured to present the web page or at least a portion thereof on the display 246. Thus, display 246 can present an interface that is substantially similar to the interface shown in FIG.

In block 635, the customer device 116 is configured to determine acceptance or rejection of the transaction based on input received from the input device 242. In particular, referring to FIG. 8, customer device 116 is configured to receive a selection of "checkout" element 812 or a selection of "reject" element 816. If a "Reject" element 816 is selected on the input device 242 indicating that the transaction was rejected, the customer device 116 is configured to continue to block 640 and abort the transaction. For example, the transaction can be aborted by sending a message to the intermediate server 128 instructing the intermediate server 128 to end the transaction and telling the POS device 104-1 that the transaction has been rejected. Execution of method 600 then ends.

However, if the "Checkout" element 812 is selected, the determination at block 635 is affirmative and the customer device 116 proceeds to block 645. In block 645, the customer device 116 is configured to receive yet another input on the input device 242 and send a payment instruction to the intermediate server 128. For example, referring to FIG. 9, display 246 can be controlled to present a web page or other interface 900 containing transaction identifier 804 and merchant identifier 808 from web page 800 and which also includes a record 400 corresponding to database 272. Optional elements 904 and 908 of the account. The customer device 116 is configured to receive a selection of element 904 or element 908 indicating which account associated with the customer device 116 will be debited to pay for the selected item. Web page 900 can also include a field 912 in which a security code must be entered, and a selectable element 916 that, when selected by input device 242, causes client device 116 to send a payment instruction.

The payment instruction includes a transaction identifier 804, an identifier of the selected account (for example, "Account 1"), and a security code in the input field 912. Returning to FIG. 6, in block 650, the intermediate server 128 is configured to receive the payment instructions sent by the customer device 116 and command the financial server 136. Prior to commanding the financial server 136, the intermediate server 128 can be configured to The payment instruction is verified, for example, by comparing the security code received from the customer device 116 with the "master" security code stored in the record 400. If the two codes do not match, the intermediate server 128 can be configured to abort the transaction. In some instances, verification of the security code may be done entirely within the client device 116 (ie, the client device 116 stores the master code and compares the master code with the security code received as input prior to sending the payment instruction).

If the security code provided by the client device 116 matches the security code stored in the record 400, the intermediate server 128 commands the financial server 136 to transfer funds in accordance with the payment instruction. In particular, the amount equal to the sum shown in Figures 8 and 9 will be debited from the account indicated by the customer device 116 in block 645 and credited to the account identified in the record 500 (i.e., associated with merchant A). Account). The precise nature of the communication between the intermediate server 128 and the financial server 136 is considered to be in accordance with conventional standards and protocols for conducting financial transactions and is therefore not described in detail herein.

In block 655, the intermediate server 128 is configured to determine if the payment specified by the customer device 116 was successfully completed. The intermediate server 128 can determine whether the payment is complete based on the information received from the financial server 136. For example, if the message from the financial server 136-1 is received on the intermediate server 128 indicating that the account selected by the customer device 116 does not contain sufficient funds to pay for the selected item, then the determination in block 655 is negative. . The intermediate server 128 thus records the details of the failed transaction in memory 264 in block 660 and proceeds to block 670. On the other hand, if a message from the financial server 136-1 is received on the intermediate server 128 indicating that the funds transfer is complete, the determination in block 655 is affirmative and the intermediate server 128 proceeds to block 665. In block 665, the details of the successful transaction are recorded in memory 264 and intermediate server 128 continues to block 670.

The precise nature of the information entered in blocks 660 and 665 is not particularly limited. The recorded data may include an identifier of the merchant that initiated the transaction (eg, merchant A) and an identifier of the POS device (eg, POS device 104-1); an identifier of the customer device 116; an identifier of the selected item; The total price determined by the server; the account selected by the customer device 116 for payment Household; the reason for the transaction failure and similar information. The information entered in blocks 660 and 665 can be accessed later by client device 116 and POS device 104. For example, POS device 104 may request a report of a transaction associated with a merchant such as the one. It is also contemplated that if the transaction is aborted at the beginning of method 600 (for example, if the decision in block 635 is negative), then the intermediate server 128 can record the data.

In block 670, the intermediate server 128 is configured to notify the customer device 116 and the POS device 104-1 of the successful or unsuccessful completion of the transaction. In block 675, the POS device 104-1 receives the notification and may also present the notification on the display 216. Similarly, at block 680, the customer device 116 can receive the notification and present the notification on the display 246. The customer can then be allowed to leave the merchant A with the selected item.

Consider the changes in the above systems and methods. In some embodiments, the intermediate server 128 can be configured to retrieve the price and item type directly from the inventory database identified in the record 500. In such instances, POS device 104-1 only needs to transmit the item identifier for the selected item without having to retrieve the price or determine the subtotal. In block 615, the intermediate server 128 is then configured to receive the item identifier and request the item type, price, and the like from the database identified in the record 500.

In still other embodiments, the intermediate server 128 can also initiate related transactions automatically. For example, the intermediate server 128 can include in the database 274 an indication of which account (e.g., local government agency) to pay for each tax. The intermediate server 128 can therefore not only determine the total price in block 615 but can also initiate an account transfer from the account selected by the customer device 116 to the account associated with the merchant A and initiate a transfer from the merchant account to the tax collection account in block 650 ( Or multiple tax collection accounts, if multiple taxes apply to the selected item). This embodiment can be extended to apply to tips, franchise fees, consignment fees and the like. With a consignment instance, the selected item can be identified as consignment in the inventory database. The intermediate server 128 can thus be configured to consult the inventory database to determine that the selected item is for sale and to determine the portion of the item price to be remitted to the consignor. Thus, in block 650, the intermediate server 128 can place the final price Part of the transfer to the merchant's account and a portion to the consignor's account (which can also be identified in the inventory database). The above automatic transfer may also occur directly from the customer's account to the tax collection, consignor or other related account (ie, bypassing the merchant account).

In yet another variation, in block 645, the customer device 116 may also provide information related to discounts, gift cards, and the like. In other words, the account indicated in the payment instruction (and identified in record 400) can include a variety of financial instruments. A combination of the above changes is also considered.

Those skilled in the art will now appreciate the particular advantages of the above described systems, methods, and computing devices. For example, the customer device 116 need not provide potentially sensitive payment information (such as an account number) at the merchant A. Therefore, the security of the transaction is improved. Moreover, due to the centralized storage of tax rules, the POS device 104 need not be updated as the tax rules change.

Yet another advantage provided by the use of the intermediate server 128 is that neither the POS device 104 nor the customer device 116 need to interact directly with the financial server 136. Therefore, the types of communication protocols supported by the POS device 104 and the client device 116 can be reduced. Moreover, the customer device 116 need not communicate with different financial servers to effect payment of merchandise at any merchant and in some instances may even avoid communicating with the POS device 104. Other advantages are also contemplated by those skilled in the art.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many alternative embodiments and modifications that may be used to implement the embodiments and that the above embodiments and examples merely illustrate one or more embodiments. Therefore, the scope is limited only by the scope of the patent application accompanying this document.

100‧‧‧Communication system

104-1‧‧‧Point of Sale (POS) device

104-2‧‧‧Point of Sale (POS) device

104-3‧‧‧Point of Sale (POS) device

104-4‧‧‧Point of Sale (POS) device

108‧‧‧Network

112-1‧‧‧Link

112-2‧‧‧Link

112-3‧‧‧Link

112-4‧‧‧Link

116‧‧‧Customer computing device/customer device

120‧‧‧link

124‧‧‧Link

128‧‧‧Intermediate server

132‧‧‧Link

136-1‧‧‧Financial Server

136-2‧‧‧Financial Server

140-1‧‧‧Link

140-2‧‧‧ link

Claims (19)

A communication system for securely exchanging data, comprising: a point-of-sale computing device having an input device, a first network interface connected to a network, and a first processor, the first processor Configuring to: receive an item identifier from the input device; generate transaction data including a price corresponding to one of the item identifiers and transmit the transaction data via the first network interface; an intermediate server having a a second memory coupled to the second network interface of the network and a second processor, the second processor configured to: receive the computing device from the point of sale on the second network interface The transaction data; generating, based on the transaction data and based on a tax rule stored in the second memory, data representing a total price; generating a portion accessible via the network and containing the transaction data and the total price a webpage; and transmitting a webpage of the webpage to the point-of-sale computing device; a customer computing device having a third network interface connected to the network and a third processor, the third processing Configuring to: receive the web address sent from the intermediate server to the point of sale device; access the web page on the intermediate server using the web address; and send a payment instruction to the intermediate server, the payment instruction includes a selected account identifier; the intermediate server is further configured to receive the payment instruction and transmit a transfer instruction via the network to a financial server for transferring funds from the selected account to the point of sale One of the accounts associated with the computing device. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction material includes a commodity type corresponding to the item identifier. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the web address is encoded as a machine readable code; the point of sale device is configured to transmit the machine readable code to the client device via a zone link. The system of claim 1, wherein the payment instruction includes a security code; the intermediate server is configured to store a primary security code in the second memory and compare the security code to the primary security code. The system of claim 1, the intermediate server configured to store an identifier of a plurality of accounts maintained by the financial server and associated with the customer computing device; the web page comprising one of the account identifiers selectable element. As in the system of claim 5, the customer computing device is configured to receive one of the selectable elements to select and include the corresponding one of the account identifiers in the payment instruction. As in the system of claim 1, the intermediate server is further configured to generate an additional transfer instruction for transferring funds from one of the accounts associated with the point of sale computing device to one of the other accounts. An intermediate server includes: a memory; a network interface coupled to a network; and a processor interconnected with the memory and the network interface, the processor configured to: Receiving transaction data from a point of sale computing device via the network interface, the transaction data including a price corresponding to a item identifier; generating a representative total price based on the transaction data and based on a tax rule stored in the memory Information; Generating a web page accessible via the network and containing a portion of the transaction data and the total price; transmitting a web address of the web page to the point of sale computing device via the web interface; responding to a request from a customer computing device Transmitting, by the network interface, the webpage to the customer computing device; receiving a payment instruction from the customer computing device, the payment instruction including a selected account identifier; and transmitting a transfer instruction via the network interface Transfer to a financial server for transferring funds from the selected account to one of the accounts associated with the point of sale computing device. The intermediate server of claim 8, wherein the transaction material includes a commodity type corresponding to the item identifier. An intermediate server of claim 8, the processor configured to generate a machine readable code encoding one of the web addresses; wherein transmitting the web address comprises transmitting the machine readable code to the point of sale device. The intermediate server of claim 8, wherein the payment instruction includes a security code; the intermediate server is configured to store a primary security code in the second memory and compare the security code to the primary security code. In the intermediate server of claim 8, the memory stores an identifier of a plurality of accounts maintained by the financial server and associated with the customer computing device; and the web page includes a selectable element representing each account identifier. As with the intermediate server of claim 8, the processor is further configured to generate an additional transfer instruction for transferring funds from one of the accounts associated with the point of sale computing device to one of the other accounts. An intermediate server having a memory and a connection Connecting to a network interface of a network and a processor interconnecting the memory and the network interface, the method comprising: receiving, by the network interface, a transaction from a point of sale computing device on the processor Data, the transaction data including a price corresponding to a item identifier; generating, on the processor, information representative of a total price based on the transaction data and based on a tax rule stored in the memory; on the processor Generating a web page accessible via the network and containing a portion of the transaction data and the total price; transmitting a web address of the web page to the point of sale computing device via the web interface; responding to a request from a customer computing device Transmitting, by the network interface, the webpage to the customer computing device; receiving a payment instruction from the customer computing device, the payment instruction including a selected account identifier; and transmitting a transfer instruction via the network interface Transfer to a financial server for transferring funds from the selected account to one of the accounts associated with the point of sale computing device. The method of claim 14, wherein the transaction material includes a commodity type corresponding to the item identifier. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a machine readable code encoding one of the web addresses; wherein transmitting the web address comprises transmitting the machine readable code to the point of sale device. The method of claim 14, wherein the payment instruction includes a security code; the method further comprising storing a primary security code in the second memory and comparing the security code to the primary security code. The method of claim 14, the memory storing an identifier of a plurality of accounts maintained by the financial server and associated with the customer computing device; and the web page includes a generation One of the table account identifiers can select an element. The method of claim 14, further comprising: generating an additional transfer instruction for transferring funds from one of the accounts associated with the point of sale computing device to another account.