Web-based point of sale builder

• US 10,083,012 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cloudofchange, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cloudofchange, LLC
• Inventors: Baratta, Wayne, Olson, Quentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Masud, Rokib
• Application Number:
  US15/635,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20170300301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 705 16, 705 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

This invention provides a system and a method for online, web-based point of sale (POS) building and configuration, which can assist non-expert business operators in building, editing and testing a point of sale system to manage their businesses. The business operations range from a single branch to a large chain of stores or branches. The key advantages of the Web-based POS builder are that it is completely built on the foundation of the Web. The POS builder is accessible anywhere in the world. It can be used by a person of any skill level. The POS builder builds, edits, and tests new POS terminals in real time.

Claims

1. A web-based point of sale (POS) builder system comprising:

a web server including POS builder software installed thereon;

one or more POS terminals generated by said POS builder software and said one or more POS terminals configured to be accessible at one or more terminal devices, said POS terminals configured to accept POS transactions and collect corresponding transaction data; and

a POS builder interface configured to be accessible via network communication with said web server over a communications network;

wherein said POS builder interface is configured to be utilized to access said POS builder software for programmatically creating or modifying said one or more POS terminals in real time over the communications network, wherein said POS builder software is configured to interact with said one or more POS terminals over the communications network in order for the web-based point of sale (POS) builder system to perform functions in accordance with instructions sent from the POS builder interface;

wherein said POS transactions and corresponding transaction data from said one or more POS terminals are configured to be transmitted to said web server via the communications network; and

wherein each POS transaction is correlated with corresponding transaction data occurring at said one or more POS terminals.

2. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein instructions to the POS builder interface for programmatic creation and modification of the one or more POS terminals are not formatted in programming code.

3. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein said one or more POS terminals are tested iteratively in real time while said one or more POS terminals are operable to accept POS transactions.

4. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said POS builder interface and said one or more POS terminals are configured to be implemented without specialized hardware or software at a given terminal device.

5. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein said web server includes a standard internet web server implemented with standard web server hardware and software, using one or more relational databases, wherein software for said POS builder interface resides in and is executed from said web server.

6. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein said POS builder software is configured to provide instructions to add new POS terminals.

7. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein said POS builder software is configured to provide instructions to modify existing POS terminals.

8. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein said one or more POS terminals are configured to be accessible by a web browser.

9. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein said one or more POS terminals, once generated, are configured to operate independently of said web server.

10. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 1, wherein a number, shape and arrangement of selection keys or buttons for said one or more POS terminals are specified from the POS builder interface.

11. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 10, wherein items are associated with said selection keys or buttons from the POS builder interface.

12. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 11, wherein attributes are attributed to said items from the POS builder interface.

13. The web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 12, wherein said attributes are stored, retrievable and changeable from a database stored on said web server.

14. A method of implementing a web-based point of sale (POS) builder system, said web-based point of sale (POS) builder system comprising a network-accessible web server including POS builder software installed thereon, the method comprising:

providing access to said network-accessible web server by one or more POS terminals, said one or more POS terminals generated from instructions communicated from said POS builder software to respective one or more terminal devices;

accepting POS transactions via said one or more POS terminals;

collecting transaction data corresponding to transactions occurring at said one or more POS terminals; and

providing further access to said network-accessible web server by a POS builder interface via a communications network, said POS builder software configured to programmatically create or modify said one or more POS terminals in real time over the communications network;

wherein said POS builder software interacts with said one or more POS terminals over said communications network in order for the web-based point of sale (POS) builder system to perform functions in accordance with instructions sent from the POS builder interface;

wherein said POS transactions and corresponding transaction data from said one or more POS terminals are transmitted to said network-accessible web server via a network connection; and

wherein each POS transaction is correlated with corresponding transaction data occurring at said one or more POS terminals.

15. The method of providing a web-based point of sale (POS) builder system of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises testing of said one or more POS terminals iteratively in real time while said one or more POS terminals are operable to accept POS transactions.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said one or more POS terminals are accessible by a web browser.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said one or more POS terminals, once generated, are operable independently of said network-accessible web server.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein a number, shape and arrangement of selection keys or buttons for said one or more POS terminals are specified from the POS builder interface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein items are associated with said selection keys or buttons from the POS builder interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein attributes are attributed to said items, said attributes stored, retrievable and changeable from a back office database stored on said network-accessible web server.