WO2009037472A1 - Contrôleur de point de vente et appareil et procédés apparentés - Google Patents

Contrôleur de point de vente et appareil et procédés apparentés Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2009037472A1
WO2009037472A1 PCT/GB2008/003184 GB2008003184W WO2009037472A1 WO 2009037472 A1 WO2009037472 A1 WO 2009037472A1 GB 2008003184 W GB2008003184 W GB 2008003184W WO 2009037472 A1 WO2009037472 A1 WO 2009037472A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
point
sale
user
recipient
item
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2008/003184
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Mark Lewis
Original Assignee
The Light Agency Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by The Light Agency Limited filed Critical The Light Agency Limited
Publication of WO2009037472A1 publication Critical patent/WO2009037472A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07G—REGISTERING THE RECEIPT OF CASH, VALUABLES, OR TOKENS
    • G07G1/00—Cash registers
    • G07G1/12—Cash registers electronically operated
    • G07G1/14—Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit
    • G07G1/145—PLU-management
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
    • G06Q20/08—Payment architectures
    • G06Q20/20—Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
    • G06Q20/38—Payment protocols; Details thereof
    • G06Q20/384—Payment protocols; Details thereof using social networks
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
    • G06Q20/38—Payment protocols; Details thereof
    • G06Q20/387—Payment using discounts or coupons

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to point-of-sale controllers and related selection computers, point-of-sale devices and methods of operating the aforementioned point-of-sale controllers, selection computers and point-of-sale devices.
  • Mobile devices such as PDAs and cellular phones are increasingly common in today's technology driven markets.
  • mobile devices and in particular cellular phones have historically had a limited range of capabilities.
  • various combinations of mobile devices and internet-based PCs and/or server technology are being used to extend the use of mobile devices far beyond voice calls and SMS communication.
  • One such extension which has emerged in recent years is the use of mobile devices in some transaction processing applications.
  • United Kingdom patent GB2393014 discloses a system for providing discounts at a point of sale terminal, in which a user can take his or her cellular phone to the point of sale terminal for the transfer of user identification information in order to initiate a discount or rebate process for a product.
  • the terminology used in the patent document referred to above will be used throughout this specification. Corresponding terms will be given the same meaning, unless alternative definitions are provided.
  • Coupons have been used in marketing for some time, offering a monetary discount or full rebate when a consumer purchases a product at a point of sale (POS).
  • POS point of sale
  • Coupons are issued by retailers or product manufacturers as a part of sales promotions or campaigns. They may be distributed through the post, in newspapers, over the Internet, and, increasingly, through mobile devices such as cellular phones and PDAs in the form of 'mobile coupons' .
  • a point-of-sale controller operably coupled to a remote point-of-sale device and a remote selection computer, the controller comprising: rules and/or actions relating to products available via the selection computer; an interface configured to receive from the selection .computer a recipient identity and a item identity; control code configured to process said received identity information and to cause a data item readable by a point-of-sale device to be sent to a mobile device of said recipient; an interface configured to receive a reference from a point-of-sale device, said reference being responsive to reading of said data item by a point-of-sale device: and control code configured to determine based on said rules and/or actions an amount owing to a retailer responsive to said reference.
  • a selection computer comprising a website bearing a promotional feature
  • the selection computer comprising: website content comprising a selectable promotional feature; a message generator configured to capture a selection of an item and a recipient identity and operable to transmit these to a remote point-of-sale controller
  • said point-of-sale controller comprises control code and an interface operable to cause a data item readable by a point-of-sale device to be transmitted to a mobile device of said recipient and a processor arranged to access rules and/or actions to determine amounts payable to a retailer operating a point-of- sale device for individual selectable items
  • said point-of-sale controller further ' comprises an interface operable to receive references comprising said data item from a point-of-sale device.
  • a selection computer comprising a handheld mobile device provided with a mobile application, said mobile application comprising a selection tool and a message generator configured to capture a selection of an item and a selection of a recipient, and operable to transmit corresponding item and recipient identities to a remote point-of-sale controller
  • said point-of-sale controller comprises an interface and control code operable to cause a data item readable by a point-of-sale device to be transmitted to a mobile device of said recipient
  • said point-of-sale controller further comprises rules and/or actions accessible by a processor to define amounts payable to a retailer for individual selectable items responsive to a reference from a point-of-sale device and an interface configured to receive references comprising said data item from a point-of-sale device.
  • a selection computer comprising pages of a social network in the form of a plurality of user profiles, the selection computer comprising a message generator configured to capture a selection of an item and a selection of a recipient, said selection computer being operable to transmit a message comprising corresponding item and recipient identities to a remote point-of-sale controller, wherein said point-of-sale controller further comprises an interface operable to cause a data item readable by a point-of-sale device to be transmitted to a mobile device of said recipient, and wherein said point-of-sale controller further comprises rules and/or actions accessible by a processor to determine amounts payable for individual selectable items to the retailer operating the point-of-sale device and an interface operable to receive references comprising said data item from a point-of-sale device.
  • a method of operating a point-of-sale controller to control a remote point-of-sale device comprising: receiving a recipient identity and an item identity from a selection computer; sending a message comprising a data item readable by a point-of-sale device to a mobile device of said recipient; providing rules and/or actions defining at least an amount owing to an operator of the point-of-sale device for each of a plurality of items selectable using said selection computer; and referencing said rules and/or actions responsive to a request from said point-of-sale device to determine an amount owing to the operator of the point-of-sale.
  • a point-of-sale system comprising: a product reader for reading product identities from products; a data input device for receiving one or more of a user identity and a coupon identity from a mobile device of the user; processing means operable to determine a price in dependence on a product identity read by the product reader, wherein said processing means is configured to be responsive to the one or more user identity and the coupon identity to: transmit one or more of the user identity and the coupon identity to a remote point-of-sale controller in a request message via a network and to receive a response comprising a price owed to the retailer according to the one or more of user identity and the coupon identity, and wherein said point-of-sale controller is operably coupled to a remote selection computer configured to allow selection of an item available at the point-of-sale.
  • a method of operating a computer system to perform a point-of-sale transaction comprising: connecting to a remote selection computer configured to offer a selection of items available via a point- of-sale device and to detect a selection of at least one item by a selecting user; receiving an indication of the item selection and from said remote selection computer at a point-of-sale controller operably coupled to a remote point-of-sale device; sending a message comprising a data item readable at the point-of-sale to a mobile device of an intended recipient of the item, and wherein the point-of-sale controller is configured to receive references from the point-of-sale device based on a data item readable from a user mobile device at the point-of- sale and to return data indicating an amount owed to a retailer operating the point-of-sale device.
  • Figure 1 illustrates a transaction system according to the present invention
  • Figure 2 shows a more detailed illustration of a first embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 3A shows a typical process by which a transaction is carried out according to the first embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 3B shows a typical process by which a transaction is carried out according to the first embodiment of the invention with a verification process
  • Figure 4 shows a more detailed illustration of a second embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 5 a typical process by which a transaction is carried out according to the second embodiment of the invention
  • Figure 6 shows a more detailed illustration of a third embodiment of the invention.
  • Figure 7 shows a typical process by which a transaction is carried out according to the third embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a transaction system according to the present invention.
  • the system comprises: a transaction server 10, a remote server 20, and one or more electronic devices capable of browsing the internet, such as desktop computers 30, cellular phones (or PDAs and such like) 40.
  • Communication between the servers 10, 20 and the electronic devices 30, 40 is generally through the internet 50.
  • the device is a cellular phone, however, it may be connected to server 10 via a cellular operator network 60.
  • the transaction server is generally connected to a point-of-sale terminal 70, for example in a store or retail outlet, either via the internet 50 or a direct network connection such as Ethernet.
  • FIG. 2 shows a more detailed illustration of a first embodiment of the invention, in which transaction server 10 communicates with remote server 20, and where the remote server is a web server 20A hosting a website.
  • the transaction server 10 comprises: a transaction manager 101 with a cell data recogniser 102, a user ID module 105, a product ID archive 109, a user ID archive 111, a transmitter/ receiver 113, and optionally a verifier 115 and a payment module 117.
  • the transaction also comprises an interface 119 for communication with remote server 20.
  • the cell data recogniser 102 is capable of receiving cellular device information and, from this information, identifying a cellular phone number when the transaction server is initiated to carry out a transaction. While the cell data recogniser 102 is shown as a separate component to the transaction manager 101, its function may alternatively be integrated with the transaction manager 101.
  • the transaction server 10 receives transaction information (e.g. in the form of an XML script) from the web server 20A.
  • the cell data recogniser 102 receives and processes XML-based file format data stored in a User Agent Profile (UAProf) on a mobile device.
  • UProf User Agent Profile
  • the UAProf file describes aspects of a mobile device, including: cell number, network operator, manufacturer, model, screen size, multimedia capabilities, character set support, as well as other data.
  • a mobile device generally sends a header (e.g. a WAP header) within a HTTP request when browsing a site e.g. via WAP.
  • the header contains a link to the device's UAProf file. From this file, the cell number of the mobile device can be automatically identified. As well as automatically identifying the cell phone number of a given user, cell device information can ultimately be used to produce a user ID in an appropriate format for the specific device i.e. using the specific device model e.g. a barcode sized to display on a certain screen size.
  • cellular phone data including for example the type of data available in a UAProf file will arrive at transaction interface 119.
  • the cell data recogniser Once the cell data recogniser has processed the data they are passed to the transaction manager 101, where they can be used to create a user ID.
  • a user ID is a unique code which is used by the transaction server 10 to identify a user.
  • the user ID module 105 generates, allocates and controls user ID codes which are unique identifier codes of users participating in a transaction, i.e. a transaction initiator (userl) and recipient user.
  • the user ID is generated and associated with at least a cellular phone number corresponding to a mobile device in a user table.
  • the table may also contain additional user identity information e.g. network operator, handset type or other data from a UAProf file, as well as email address, postal address and such like.
  • the user ID code may form part of a larger user table populated with the additional data listed and stored on the transaction server 10 e.g. in a memory.
  • the user ID module 105 further has access to a user ID archive 111, which may be a database stored in a memory on the transaction server or elsewhere such as a remote server.
  • the user ID archive 111 typically contains a list of all user tables which are already registered on the transaction server (i.e. where users have taken part in transactions in the past and their details have been kept in the archive for future use).
  • the user ID module is also capable of generating temporary user IDs and tables for any given transaction.
  • the transaction is for a promotional product, it may not be desirable or necessary to store user IDs in the memory, since the promotion may be of limited duration and it may not be important to verify a user's identity.
  • the user may not have used the transaction server before or the cell data recogniser 102 may not recognise the provided cellular phone number of the recipient.
  • the user ID module creates a temporary user ID code for use during the transaction and stores it in a table, along with the cell number, in the user ID archive 111.
  • the temporary user ID can be registered as a more permanent user ID during or once the transaction has been completed e.g. by automatically storing the user table or by the transaction server prompting the user to provide additional information to populate the user table. This data may then be stored in the user ID archive 111 for future transactions.
  • the transaction manager 101 is capable of ascertaining, Via the user ID module 105, whether a cell number arriving at the transaction server interface 119 has an associated user ID or not. In order to do this, the transaction manager 101 sends an instruction to the user ID module to lookup the user tables in the user ID archive to determine if there is an associated user ID for a given cell number. In the event that a user ID for a given cell number does not exist, the user ID module creates a temporary user ID. In the event a user ID does exist for the cell number, there may be an optional validation step to check the cell number remains with the user reflected in the archive.
  • a product ID is a numerical identifier which is associated with a certain product.
  • a can of diet cola may have the product ID DOOOOl
  • a can of diet cola with lemon may be D00002
  • a regular can of cola may be D00003 and so on.
  • Examples of known formats of product ID code used to identify goods include SKU (Stock Keeping Units) and UPC (Universal Product Code) data.
  • a higher level of product classification is sometimes used by the transaction server 10 in certain embodiments of the invention.
  • This classification may be defined as an item table.
  • the item table represents a list one or more product IDs.
  • the item table may therefore be said to broadly define a category of a product, and the product IDs then represent variations of different products under the item table category.
  • an item, table may represent "a can of Cola” and the product IDs are the different types of cola available, as explained in the previous paragraph.
  • the item table may represent "6 cans of cola”.
  • the 6 cans may be comprised of 6 regular cans of cola ( 6 x D00003) or 3 normal and 3 diet with lemon ( 3 x D00003 + 3 x D00002) etc..
  • the transaction manager 101 has access to a product ID archive 109, which may be a database stored in a memory on the transaction server or on another remote server.
  • the product ID archive 109 typically contains a list of all the products available through the transaction server.
  • the transaction manager 101 is controlled by one or more campaign tables stored in the campaign table archive 103.
  • a campaign table comprises a set of rules 104 and actions 106 for a given campaign and holds a list of product ID_user ID associations 107 in the form of a table for each campaign.
  • the product ID_user ID associations link product and user IDs from the archives 109 and 111 with a given campaign table. In this regard, they define which user IDs and product IDs qualify for a certain campaign.
  • the campaign tables may additionally contain retailer and brand information.
  • a campaign may be for example an advertising promotion, or general sale of an individual item.
  • the rules 104 may be broadly categorised as transaction rules defined by an administrator. More specifically, however, the rules define which products are eligible for transactions and pricing information which applies in certain circumstances.
  • the actions 106 generally define how price is set, the way users receive discounts (if any) and, where applicable, how a payment is distributed between various parties for a given transaction. This is described in more detail with reference to figures 5 and 7.
  • the transaction manager 101 is capable of associating a user ID with one or more campaign tables in the campaign table archive 103 by creating the relevant entries in the product ID_user ID association table. To this effect, the transaction manager can be said to create relationships defining associations between, for example, users and products, retailers and products, users and retailers. Using the relationships, the transaction manager 101 is capable of recording price or offers via a website and determining price to be applied at the point of sale. It may also be capable checking whether the user is a qualifying user for a certain campaign, whether the user has redeemed the code in the allowed time period and whether the store in which they have presented their user ID code is a participating store.
  • a manufacturer of sports goods may start a promotional campaign to boost sales of a new line of running shoes.
  • the manufacturer would generate a campaign table governing the promotion.
  • the campaign table may be defined as "New Running Shoes Promotion", where the new running shoes have a certain product ID recognised in stores.
  • An aspect of this campaign may be to advertise the new shoes on a website, e.g. a sports news website, in the form of a clickable advert banner. Once a User clicks the banner, they initiate a transaction on the transaction server according to the rules specified in a campaign table.
  • the manufacturer may offer a user 10% off the purchase price of the new running shoes when they present themselves at a point of sale terminal.
  • the rules in this case would specify that the action carried out by the transaction manager 101 when it receives a user ID from a point of sale terminal 70 is to issue a 10% discount off the purchase price at a point of sale.
  • the rules may also limit the offer to a single transaction. In this case, the rules would prevent the user from claiming the offer more than once. In order to do this, the transaction manager may disassociate the user ID from the campaign table after the transaction.
  • the discount offer may stipulate that the offer is not limited to a single transaction so the user may be able to use their user ID code in stores a predetermined number of times or even any number of times. Any transaction rules and actions may be defined for any campaign and the preceding example is for illustrative purposes only.
  • transactions are initiated and processed based on a user ID, rather than the conventional use of coupon IDs i.e. in conventional coupon promotions.
  • a user having a user ID code presents a product (which has a certain product ID) at a point of sale 70.
  • the product can be scanned to determine its product ID.
  • the user ID code can then also be scanned.
  • the point of sale terminal 70 communicates with the transaction server 10 and transmits the user ID code and product ID code.
  • the transaction manager 101 therefore is able to identify which user is at the point of sale and which product they have presented.
  • the transaction manager 101 determines which campaign table (or tables) the user ID code is associated with.
  • the transaction manager 101 is also capable of generating a verification code for a given transaction.
  • the verification code is required where payment information is required from a user.
  • the verification code can be sent out to a recipient (i.e. using the cell number ascertained by the cell data recogniser 102) before the user ID is issued to the recipient.
  • the verification code is a text and/or numerical code sent to a user by SMS/MSS etc..
  • the recipient will usually reply, e.g. by SMS, with a message containing the verification code in order to complete the verification process and then receive the correct user ID, which can then be redeemed at a point of sale 70. This process is described in more detail with reference to figure 3.
  • the transaction server 10 may ascertain all the required information to carry out the transaction from the user's UAProf file on their mobile device (or if the user manually enters their cell number), and since promotional offers do not necessarily require payment, it may be unnecessary to verify the user. In this case, they may be sent a unique user ID without verification.
  • the transaction may be carried out in relation to one or more coupon IDs or one or more product IDs without the necessity of a user ID.
  • the coupon IDs may be issued to the recipient and can be redeemed in stores in much the same way as normal coupons.
  • the transmitter/ receiver 113 is capable of transmitting and receiving mobile device data. Generally this is via SMS/MMS over a cellular phone network to and from a cellular phone but other devices and protocols may also be used according to preference.
  • the transmitting portion of 113 will generally transmit the verification code (if a verification code is being used) and ultimately the user ID code to a user's device.
  • the receiving portion of 113 receives any response by the user, e.g. where the verification code is being used, the user's reply SMS containing the verification code and sends it to the verifier 115.
  • the verifier 115 checks the verification code in the reply sent by the user against the verification code generated by the transaction manager 101. If the codes match, then the user is verified and sent the correct user ID code through the transmitting portion of 113. The user ID code can then be presented at a point of sale 70 to complete the transaction.
  • the payment module 117 checks that suitable payment has been made for the product before the user ID is sent to the user by the transmitting portion of 113. Payment may be made via a number of methods. Generally, payment will be made by a mobile billing system such as premium SMS using the cellular phone number provided by the user or ascertained from the UAProf file and the relevant amount can be charged directly to the user's cell account. Alternatively, the payment may be made by some other means such as credit/ debit card or an internet payment account e.g. Paypal.
  • the transaction server 10 whose operational components have been described above, is in communication with a remote web server 20A.
  • the remote web server 2OA comprises a web interface 201A for interfacing with the transaction server interface 119.
  • the remote web server drives a website 203A based on website information, which may be any website on the internet accessible by any browser- capable device such as a desktop PC, PDA or WAP-enabled cellular phone.
  • the web server 20A further comprises a campaign module 207A which is logically associated with the campaign table archive on transaction server 10. More specifically, the campaign module 207A generates a code or XML stream which, when sent to the. transaction server 10, identifies the relevant campaign table in the campaign table archive 103.
  • the campaign module may therefore further comprise an XML generator 208A for this purpose.
  • the web server further comprises advertising banners 209A and/or branding features 211A, which are marketing tools used on website 203A e.g. to promote a certain product or range of products. In order to illustrate how the components function, the following example is provided.
  • the website 203A may be a health and fitness website and the campaign may be to promote a new range of health drinks, in which a user is offered a free sample of one of the drinks by clicking an advert banner 209A.
  • a campaign table is predefined in the campaign table archive 103 on transaction server 10, containing the product ID of the free sample, a rule e.g. discount the full cost of the product and action e.g. subtract the full cost of the item at the point of sale terminal when the user ID and product ID are presented.
  • the features 207A-211A are shown to reside in the web server 20A, they may also reside in a separate server. For example the same advertising campaign may span across several websites, which all link back to the transaction server 10 in the form of one or more campaign tables.
  • FIG. 3A shows a typical process by which a transaction is carried out according to the first embodiment of the invention.
  • a user 301 visits a website 302 operating on the remote web server 20A.
  • the website typically displays an advertising banner (as described above) or other promotional graphic which the user then clicks 303.
  • the campaign module 207A generates a code 304 (e.g. in the form of an XML stream) for identifying the relevant campaign table on the transaction server.
  • the web server presents the user with a means of initiating the promotional transaction e.g. in the form of a button which the user can click to initiate 305 the transaction.
  • the user visits the website using a WAP-enabled mobile device.
  • the web server 2OA sends 306 data containing the code for calling up the relevant campaign table, as well as cell data corresponding to, for example, UAProf data via web interface 201A to the transaction server 10.
  • the web server 20A may provide the user with form in which they can manually enter certain information.
  • the user can then fill out the form, e.g. using a desktop PC or a mobile device with an internet browser, providing some or all of the required information.
  • At least part of this information will be a cellular phone number which is then transmitted to the transaction server 10 via web interface 201A.
  • the cellular phone number may belong to the user or a friend who they may consider interested in the promotion.
  • Additional information which may be entered into the form includes, for example, device manufacturer and model, network operator, a home delivery address for receiving mail about future promotions, or personal information for market research purposes etc.. This information may be kept on the web server, e.g. in a database or transmitted to the transaction server 10 to populate user profiles.
  • the cell data recogniser 102 receives the cell data.
  • the cell data recogniser determines 307 the relevant information from the cell data e.g. the cell number, the device make and model etc..
  • the transaction manager 101 sends an instruction 308 to the user ID module 105 to check the cell phone number against user IDs stored in the user ID archive, i.e. to ascertain if the cell number has been used on the transaction server previously and thus whether there is a user ID present 309. If it has been used previously, the user ID module returns the user ID associated with the cell number to the transaction manager and the transaction manager uses the archived user ID 310.
  • the user ID module If, on the other hand, the user ID module returns a result that the cell number has not been used on the transaction server previously (i.e. cell number does not have a corresponding user ID stored in the user ID archive) then the user ID module generates a temporary user ID 311.
  • the transaction manager then associates 312 the user ID with the relevant campaign table by creating a product ID_user ID association. For a given user ID, therefore, the transaction manager now has a campaign table listing the product IDs associated with the campaign, as well as the rules and actions governing it.
  • the user ID is then sent to the user's cell number 314.
  • the user then presents the user ID at a point of sale 315, along with the product they wish to purchase.
  • the user ID and product ID are scanned by the point of sale terminal and the point of sale terminal then contacts 316 the transaction server and transmits the user ID and product ID to the transaction manager.
  • the transaction manages then calls up the relevant campaign table associated with the user ID and determines whether the transmitted product ID corresponds to a product ID listed in the campaign table. If a match is produced, the transaction manager checks 317 the rules and issues price information, usually in the form of a discount 318 according to the rules provided in the campaign table.
  • the promotion may be free sample of a chocolate bar so the rules for the campaign table are that the user is given a 100% discount at the point of sale.
  • other rules may be used e.g. buy one get one free, 25% off, £1 off etc..
  • Figure 3B shows an alternative embodiment.
  • the website manages the taking of a payment in step 305A and, before the transaction manager 101 issues the user ID to the user's mobile device, the transaction manager generates a verification code 313A in order to verify said payment.
  • the verification code is sent 313B to the cell number (i.e. the recipient's number) received by the transaction server e.g. via SMS over a mobile network.
  • the SMS includes a message relating to the product promotion, the- verification code (text and/or numerical) and instructions on how and where to redeem the product. • Th e user then replies, usually by SMS, with a message containing the verification code.
  • the SMS is received 313C by receiver 113 in the transaction server and sent 313D to the verifier 115.
  • the verifier checks the cell number against the verification code and, if the code is correct, the user is verified as the correct recipient of the product. However, as an alternative, the user may be provided with the option of verifying the code via a website, in which case the user can visit a webpage provided with a field for entering the verification code.
  • the verifier receives the code e.g. via transaction interface 119 and processes the code in a similar manner as has been described above.
  • the payment module 117 is initialised 313E to check that suitable payment for the item has been made 313F.
  • the payment module will look up the rules relating to the transaction in the transaction manager rule set 107. In the case of a free promotion (e.g. 100% discount), payment from the user is generally not required so the payment module will allow the transaction.
  • the payment module may be bypassed where the rules 107 are such that the promotion does not require payment and the transaction module may simply send the user ID once they have been verified by verifier 115.
  • the user is required to pay at least certain amount towards the cost of the product, e.g. in some 'money off' promotions.
  • payment will be by premium SMS using the number provided by the user.
  • other payment methods may also be used where suitable, for example, payment by credit/debit card, Paypal and such like.
  • the transaction module sends 314 the. user ID code to the cellular device, e.g. via SMS or MMS, though transmitter 113.
  • the user ID code may be presented in a number of ways. Examples include, but are not limited to, a barcode or other image file, a Java application, a code transmittable via Near Field Communication (NFC) or any other method such as Bluetooth, Infrared Data Association (IrDA) etc..
  • NFC Near Field Communication
  • IrDA Infrared Data Association
  • the user can then present the user ID code 315 at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal 70 at a participating outlet and it is processed in a manner which suits the code format.
  • POS point-of-sale
  • the code is a barcode
  • an optical scanner is used at the point-of-sale terminal to scan the barcode.
  • the product(s) may be scanned in a similar way in order to ascertain the product ID.
  • the point of sale terminal then contacts 316 the transaction server 10 to send the user ID and product ID to the transaction server.
  • the transaction manager 101 recognises the user ID and checks the rules 317 relating to the transaction in the relevant campaign table. It then issues the discount 318 accordingly by sending a communication to the point of sale terminal e.g. via the internet.
  • the rules for a particular promotion may be such that only one free product or a predetermined number of products can be received by any one user.
  • the transaction manager disassociates the product ID from the user ID or flags the user ID so that the user can no longer redeem the code in a store.
  • the rules used by the transaction manager are fully configurable so a promoter/advertiser, retailer or transaction administrator can decide how products are distributed to users according to preference, and specify any rule accordingly.
  • the transaction server may utilise a coupon ID or similar.
  • a user may provide the transaction server with a cell number and in turn the user is provided with a coupon code which is much like a conventional coupon and can be redeemed at a retail outlet accordingly.
  • a gift coupon may be sent to the user via email (e.g. as a printable voucher) or in paper format through the post.
  • FIG 4 shows a more detailed illustration of a second embodiment of the invention, in which transaction server 10 communicates with remote server 20, and where the remote server is a social networking server 20B.
  • the social networking server 20B comprises a website 201B for allowing users to interface with the social network, user accounts 203B linked by one or more user relationships 205B. Additionally, the server 20B comprises a web interface 209B for interfacing with transaction server 10, and an item store 211B which may be provided in part or in full by the transaction server 10.
  • the server 20B may also comprise a digital item generator 213B which generates a digital version of an item sent via transaction server 10 for display on social networking website 201B.
  • Examples of established social networking services are services such as Facebook, Myspace and Bebo. These services allow users to communicate and interact in various ways over the internet.
  • a social network is therefore a form of online community in which users create a profile for themselves and are able to view the profiles created by others and interact in various way with other users, generally through their profiles. Upon creation of such profiles, users are usually given the opportunity to upload a picture of themselves, along with other digital media such as videos and audio clips, and write some text describing aspects of their personality.
  • Other applications which have emerged on social networks include for example the ability to create blogs, discussion forums, send private messages, email, video, voice chat and file sharing.
  • Users are given the option to affiliate themselves with other users, who may be friends, family, business associates and such like. Their profile pages then usually display the affiliation in some way, usually as a link to a "friend". Often, a single user is linked to a large number of such friends, creating large or small sub-networks within the structure of the host network.
  • the server 2OB typically further comprises one or more applications 207B which users can use to interact with other users.
  • one of these applications relates to transactions and may be broadly referred to as a 'transaction application', which users of an online social networking service can use to initiate transactions. These transactions may involve themselves and/or other users.
  • Figure 5 a typical process by which a transaction is carried out according to the second embodiment of the invention.
  • Userl 501 logs into their social networking profile 502 stored on the social networking server 2OB. They then select 503 one or more recipient users as an item recipient e.g. from a list summarising their various user relationships. Userl is then prompted for and provides 504 recipient user's identity. Userl may alternatively select themselves as the recipient.
  • t the social networking profile 502 stored on the social networking server 2OB. They then select 503 one or more recipient users as an item recipient e.g. from a list summarising their various user relationships. Userl is then prompted for and provides 504 recipient user's identity. Userl may alternatively select themselves as the recipient.
  • the social network server 2OB then loads the transaction application 505 from the one or more applications 207B available on the social networking server.
  • the transaction application accesses the item store 211B which presents the user with a list and/or graphical display of various items (products or gifts) they are able to send to a recipient user.
  • the userl selects an item 507 to send to the recipient user.
  • the items contained in the item store 211B each have an item ID associated with item table 108 (see fig 4) which can be recognised by transaction manager 101. While in this example, the recipient user was selected ahead of the item to send, other embodiments may allow selection of the item ahead of the recipient, in which case the transaction application 505 is loaded automatically in the same way.
  • a payment is made 508.
  • payment will be by premium SMS and the userl is prompted to enter their own cell number so that a cost for the item may be charged from userl's cell phone bill.
  • other payment methods may also be used where suitable, for example, payment by credit/debit card, Paypal, Pay4lt and such like e.g. over the internet or through a mobile device.
  • the payment step may involve integration with a payment system operating on the social network server 20A or a third party remote server handling money transactions.
  • the user of the social network may also have the ability to input payment information into their account.
  • the transaction server would thus be able to receive payment information from the social network server whenever a transaction (e.g. giving an item) is carried out. It may also be preferable for users to prepay item credit of a chosen amount-, which is then stored in association with the user's account for use in transactions.
  • the transaction information comprising the recipient identity and the item ID is sent 509 through web interface 209B to the transaction server via the internet, where it is received by interface 119 and sent 510 to transaction manager 101.
  • the transaction information is generally sent as a text string and may further comprise sender and/or recipient profile information.
  • the recipient user is prompted to provide the recipient user's cell phone number 504.
  • the recipient user's cell number may already be stored in a social networking account or on the transaction server and may be accessed by the server 2OB upon request, obviating the need for userl to enter the number manually.
  • userl may enter the recipient user's cell number.
  • the transaction manager 101 sends a request instruction 511 to the user ID module 105 to ascertain if there is a user ID present 512 in the user ID archive corresponding to the cellular phone number provided. If it has been used previously, the user ID module returns the user ID associated with the cell number to the transaction manager. The transaction manager thus uses the , archived user ID 513. In this embodiment, the user ID may be additionally linked with the user account on the social networking server via the user table. If, on the other hand, the user ID module returns a result that the cell number has not been used on the transaction server previously (i.e. cell number does not have a corresponding user ID stored in the user ID archive) then the user ID module generates 514 a temporary user ID.
  • the transaction manager then sends 515 the temporary or archived user ID to the transaction manager, along with the item ID.
  • the transaction manager looks up 516 the relevant item table 108 to determine which product IDs are available for the item selected in step 507.
  • the transaction manager then calls up 517 the relevant campaign table associated with the item table and associates 518 the user ID with the campaign table.
  • Steps 519 to 522 shown in brackets are optional steps according to this embodiment and the invention may be implemented without them.
  • the transaction manager may generate a verification code which is associated with both the user ID and the corresponding product ID.
  • the verification code is sent 520 to the cell number received by the transaction server, i.e. the cell number of the item recipient, for example via SMS over a mobile network.
  • the SMS includes a message relating to the item (e.g. "You have received an item from your friend, userll"), the verification code (text and/or numerical) and instructions on how and where to redeem the product.
  • the user is given the opportunity to make the temporary user ID into a more permanent user ID, e.g.
  • Steps 523 to 529 are equivalent to steps 313E to 318 in figure 3.
  • the recipient user is then required to respond, usually by SMS, with a message containing the verification code.
  • the SMS reply containing the verification code is received 521 by the transaction server via receiver 113 and is sent 522 to the verifier 115.
  • the verifier checks the cell number against the verification code and, if the code is correct, the user is verified as the correct recipient of the item.
  • the user may be provided with the option of verifying the code via a website, in which case the user can visit a webpage provided with a field for entering the verification code.
  • the verifier receives the code e.g. via transaction interface 119 and processes the code in a similar manner as was as described above.
  • the payment module 117 is initialised 523 to check that suitable payment for the item has been made.
  • the payment module looks up the rules 107 relating to the transaction in the transaction manager to check 524 the relevant payment has been made.
  • the userl will typically have prepaid for the item before sending it to recipient user.
  • the transaction module sends 525 the user ID code to the cellular device corresponding to the recipient user, e.g. via SMS or MMS, though transmitter 113.
  • the user ID code may be presented in a number of ways. Examples include but are not limited to a barcode or other image file, e.g. presented in a Java application, a code transmittable via Near Field Communication (NFC) or any other numerical code which can be redeemed at a point of sale.
  • NFC Near Field Communication
  • the user can then present 526 the user ID code at a point-of-sale terminal at a participating outlet and it is processed in a manner which suits the code format. Steps 527 to 529 correspond to steps 316 to 318 in figure 3A.
  • the item chosen by userl could be a cup of coffee in a high street coffee shop.
  • the transaction manager through the various actions described above, ultimately, associates the user ID of the recipient with the item table corresponding to the coffee, which may have several possibilities in the form of different product IDs.
  • the transaction manager looks up the rules relating to the item in the campaign table.
  • the rules in the campaign table may specify that the cost to user 1 for sending the item to a recipient user is for example £4.
  • the product e.g. a cup of espresso coffee, may cost £ to buy in the shop.
  • the rules in the campaign table in this case may be that the user receives £ off the price of coffee in high street coffee shop.
  • the transaction manager may then apportion the remaining £ paid by userl to the scheme administrator or, alternatively, may apportion out the remaining £2 between the scheme administrator and one or more other parties for example social network provider. It is a preferred feature of embodiments of the invention that the transaction manager acts as a transaction tool in order to manage and distribute an initial payment by a user, less an amount owed to a retailer, to one or more parties.
  • the transaction rules used by the transaction manager are fully configurable so that retailers or the administrators of the social networks and/or the transaction system can decide how products are distributed according to preference, and specify cost distribution rules accordingly.
  • the difference between the price paid by userl and the recipient may be defined for example as a 100% "discount" or an amount to be off set.
  • the transaction server may utilise a coupon code.
  • a userl provides the transaction server with a recipient user, pays for the product using any payment method described above and, once the transaction process has been completed, the recipient user is provided with a coupon code, which is much like a conventional coupon and can be redeemed at a retail outlet accordingly.
  • a gift coupon may be sent to recipient user via email (e.g. as a printable voucher) or in paper format through the post.
  • the digital item generator 213B may then be used to generate a digital version of the item which can be placed, for example, on the user's profile page. Other users can then see what items have been sent between users.
  • FIG. 6 shows a more detailed illustration of a third embodiment of the invention, in which transaction server 10 communicates with mobile device 40.
  • the mobile device 40 generally communicates with the transaction server 10 via a mobile application 400.
  • the application 400 may be downloaded as software onto the mobile device e.g. in the form of a Java application or alternatively reside in a remote web server which is accessible from a mobile device via WAP or other suitable mobile protocol.
  • the application 400 comprises a front end 401 as a user interface, a mobile interface 403 for communicating to transaction server 10 e.g. over a mobile network or the internet, an item store 405 and, optionally, access to a phonebook 407 and/or an address book 409.
  • the front end 401 is used by the mobile device user to navigate items from item store 405. Typically, this is in the form of a list or some other graphical display.
  • the item store 405 is linked to and preferably provided by the item tables stored on transaction server 10. All of the components of the transaction server 10 are the same as those described
  • Figure 7 shows a typical process by which a transaction is carried out according to the third embodiment of the invention.
  • Userl 701 uses mobile device 40 to initiate and carry out a transaction, which is either for a product for themselves or a product for another user.
  • the mobile device 40 is a mobile phone or PDA with transaction application 400.
  • the userl typically loads 702 the application 400.
  • the userl selects 703 one or more recipient users by providing an identity or a cell number 704 for the recipient user. This may be done by browsing the phone or address book on userl's mobile device or may be entered manually by userl.
  • the userl may also specify themselves as the recipient.
  • providing a cellular number is optional since the cell number may be determined by the transaction manager via a method described above e.g. using a UAProf.
  • the transaction system of the present invention may form the basis of a cashless payment system, in which a user can prepay for an item e.g. from home using their mobile device or desktop computer with access to the internet. They can then use their mobile device to purchase the product in-store, without having to carry cash and/or transaction cards which may not only be more convenient for a user, but may also be safer.
  • the userl uses the application 400 to select 705 an item from the item store 405 via a list presented through the front end 401.
  • the item list which may be textual or graphical, is logically linked to the item table 108 residing on the transaction server 10 and may be updated, for example, each time the user loads the application, periodically or upon user or server request.
  • the items presented on the mobile device may be driven, in full or at least in part, by the transaction server 10.
  • the userl pays 706 for the item by one of the methods described above (see figure 5).
  • the transaction information is sent 707 through web interface 209B to the transaction server interface 119 via the internet, where it is received and processed 708 by cell data recogniser 102.
  • the transaction manager and sends a request instruction 709 to the user ID module 105 to ascertain if there is a user ID in the user ID archive corresponding to the recipient identity provided.
  • the user ID module performs a lookup in the user ID archive to ascertain 710 if the identity has been used on the transaction server previously and thus there is an entry present in the user ID archive. If it has been used previously, the user ID module returns the user ID associated with the cell number to the transaction manager.
  • the recipient may be prompted for a cell number or userl may be prompted to enter the recipient cell number on their behalf.
  • the transaction manager thus uses the archived user ID 712. If, on the other hand, the user ID module returns a result that the user has not used the transaction server previously (i.e. the identity does not have a corresponding user ID stored in the user ID archive) then the user ID module generates 714 a temporary user ID and sends 715 it to the transaction manager 101.
  • the transaction manager then associates 716 the user ID with campaign table corresponding to the item selected by userl in step 705.
  • the item chosen by userl could be a cinema ticket.
  • the transaction manager looks up the item table corresponding to the cinema ticket and associates the user ID with the product ID corresponding to the cinema ticket listed in the item table.
  • the transaction manager looks up the rules relating to the campaign.
  • the ticket may be a gift so the rules are such that the user is given a 100% discount in participating cinemas. It may cost userl an amount such as Georgia to send the item to the recipient user, and the cost of the ticket in the cinema may be £5.
  • the transaction manager 101 is then able to distribute the difference between the price paid by user 1 and the retail price to the system administrator and/or other desirable parties.
  • the transaction manager then generates a verification code 717 which is associated with both the user ID and the corresponding product ID.
  • the verification code is sent 718 to the cell number received by the transaction server, i.e. the cell number of the item recipient, for example via SMS over a mobile network.
  • the SMS includes a message relating to the item (e.g. "You have received a gift from your friend, userll"), the verification code (text and/or numerical) and instructions on how and where to redeem the product.
  • the user is given the opportunity to make the temporary user ID into a more permanent user ID, e.g. by providing some registration details, which may then be stored in the user ID archive 111 and be used in future transactions. In some embodiments, this happens automatically, when the recipient presents themselves at a point of sale terminal and collects the item.
  • the recipient user may then respond, usually by SMS, with a message containing the verification code.
  • the SMS reply containing the verification code is received 719 by the transaction server via receiver 113 and is sent 720 to the verifier 115.
  • the verifier checks the cell number against the verification code and, if the code is correct, the user is verified as the correct recipient of the item.
  • the user may be provided with the option of verifying the code via a website, in which case the user can visit a webpage provided with a field for entering the verification code.
  • the verifier receives the code e.g. via transaction interface 119 and processes the code in a similar manner as was as described above.
  • the payment module 117 is initialised 721 to check that suitable payment for the item has been made.
  • the payment module looks up the rules 107 relating to the transaction in the transaction manager to check 722 the relevant payment has been made.
  • the userl will typically have prepaid for the gift before sending it to the recipient user.
  • payment will be by premium SMS. and the userl is prompted to enter their own cell number before the transaction is sent to the transaction server in step 706. In this case, the userl enters their own cell number when sending the item to the recipient user so that the cost of the item may be charged from userl's cell phone bill.
  • the transaction module sends 723 the user ID code to the cellular device of the recipient user, e.g. via SMS or MMS, though transmitter 113.
  • the user ID code may be presented in a number of ways. Examples include but are not limited to a barcode or other image file, e.g. presented in a Java application, a code transmittable via Near Field Communication (NFC) or any other numerical code which can be redeemed at a point of sale.
  • NFC Near Field Communication
  • the recipient user can then present 724 the user ID code at a point-of-sale terminal at a participating outlet and it is processed in a manner which suits the code format. For example, and following on the illustrative example from above, the user receives a barcode for a cinema ticket.
  • the user presents the barcode at the point-of-sale terminal 70 in the cinema, whereupon a scanner is used to scan the barcode.
  • the prod ⁇ ct(s) may be scanned in a similar way in order to ascertain the product ID.
  • the point of sale terminal then contacts 725 the transaction server 10 sends the user ID and product ID to the transaction server 10,
  • the transaction manager 101 recognises the user ID and looks up the rules 726 relating to the product ID. It then issues the appropriate amount 727 payable (if anything) by the recipient in order to collect the goods accordingly, by sending a communication to the point of sale terminal e.g. via the internet.
  • the transaction server may utilise a coupon code.
  • a userl provides the transaction server with a cell number for the recipient user, pays for the product using any payment method described above and, once the transaction process has been completed, the recipient user is provided with a coupon code corresponding to an item which is much like a conventional coupon and can be redeemed at a retail outlet accordingly.
  • an item coupon may be sent to the recipient user via email (e.g. as a printable voucher) or in paper format through the post.
  • the recipient user presents a user ID code at a point of sale using their mobile device.
  • the user ID code is inputted to the point of sale terminal 70 by a means suited to format of the user ID code.
  • the product ID of the item presented at the point of sale is inputted to the point of sale terminal.
  • the point of sale terminal 70 then contacts the transaction server 10 via a communication link.
  • This link is preferably a secure network connection linking the point of sale terminal with the transmitter/ receiver component 113.
  • the point of sale terminal and transaction server 10 may be connected via any suitable means for example over the internet.
  • the user ID code is received by the transaction manager 101 which uses the user ID code to look up the relevant campaign table using the product ID_user ID association table.
  • the transaction manager 10 then checks the product ID code presented at the point of sale terminal with the product IDs listed in the product ID_user ID association table. If there is a match between the two product IDs, the transaction manager 10 then sends back instructions to the point of sale terminal based on the relevant rules and actions for a given campaign table.
  • the web server 20A, social network server 2OB or mobile device 40 may be broadly described as 'remote selection computers'.
  • any of the remote selection computers operated by a selecting user (as herein described as 'userl') has a message generator for gathering an item identity and a recipient user identity and transmitting the item identity and recipient user identity to the transaction server.
  • the transaction server in the above described embodiments is generally a point-of-sale controller for controlling a point of sale device or terminal.
  • the transaction manager is capable of producing control code configured to process identity information and to cause a data item readable by a point-of-sale device to be sent to a mobile device of a recipient user.
  • the data item readable by a point-of-sale device may be sent to the mobile device of a recipient user directly or through any remote selection computer, i.e. the web server 2OA, social network server 2OB or mobile device 40.

Abstract

L'invention porte sur un contrôleur de point de vente couplé de façon fonctionnelle à un dispositif de point de vente à distance et un ordinateur de sélection à distance. Le contrôleur comprend un gestionnaire de transaction comprenant des règles et/ou des actions portant sur des produits disponibles par l'intermédiaire de l'ordinateur de sélection, une interface configurée pour recevoir à partir de l'ordinateur de sélection une identité de destinataire et une identité d'article, un programme de commande configuré pour traiter lesdites informations d'identité reçues et pour amener un article de données lisible au niveau d'un dispositif de point de vente à être envoyé à un dispositif mobile dudit destinataire, une interface configurée pour recevoir une référence à partir d'un dispositif de point de vente, ladite référence étant en réponse à la lecture dudit article de données par un dispositif de point de vente, et en outre un programme de commande configuré pour déterminer sur la base desdites règles et/ou actions un montant dû à un détaillant en réponse à ladite référence.
PCT/GB2008/003184 2007-09-20 2008-09-19 Contrôleur de point de vente et appareil et procédés apparentés WO2009037472A1 (fr)

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