System and method for wireless software download and remote transaction settlement

• US 20040054597A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Paik, Russell, Takemura, Masaki, Gulliver, Christopher Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A portable computer in a store can be carried past a kiosk and wirelessly receive from the kiosk demonstration versions of software, along with an ID of the store. Later, after using the demonstration version, the user can access a Web server and purchase a full version of the software. During the transaction, the store ID is provided to the server, which can then credit the particular store at which the demonstration version was obtained with a sale.

Claims

1. A method for vending software using a portable computing device, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting, from a kiosk to the portable device, a demonstration version of the software and at least some identifying data representing an identification of a store with which the kiosk is associated;

using a requesting device having access at least to the identifying data, sending to a server, via the Internet, at least a request to purchase the software;

sending the identifying data to the server;

using the server, providing the software to the requesting device; and

using the identifying data to associate a sale credit with the store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the demonstration version is provided to the portable device when the portable device is disposed in the store, and the portable device is transported therefrom to a location remote from the store prior to receiving the software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the demonstration version is transmitted to the portable device without user interaction, once the portable device is located in the store.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the portable device is disposed in the store and includes a download utility associated with the kiosk, titles of software programs are transmitted from the kiosk to the portable device and presented on a display of the portable device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a user of the portable device may select at least one of the titles to cause the kiosk to transmit a demonstration version of a selected title.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying data is contained in a software agent downloaded to the portable device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the agent is useful for accessing a Web site at which the software can be purchased.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying data is contained in an access code.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising generating the access code by combining a store identification and a software identification using an encryption protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the kiosk periodically transmits a download solicitation receivable by the portable device.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the download utility is automatically transmitted from the kiosk to the portable device.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein the download utility is transmitted to the portable device only upon a user request for the utility.

13. A method for vending software, comprising:

downloading a demonstration version of the software from a source located in a vending facility to a portable computing device;

downloading indicating data indicating the vending facility along with the demonstration version; and

sometime later, using the indicating data to purchase the software.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the source is at least one kiosk, the vending facility is a store, and the demonstration version and indicating data are downloaded wirelessly.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

using the portable device to send to a server, via the Internet, at least a request to purchase the software;

sending the indicating data from the portable device to the server;

using the server, providing the software to the portable device; and

using the indicating data to associate a sale credit with the store.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the demonstration version is provided to the portable device when the portable device is disposed in the store, and the portable device is transported therefrom to a location remote from the store prior to receiving the software.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the demonstration version is transmitted to the portable device without user interaction, once the portable device is located in the store.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein when the portable device is disposed in the store and includes a download utility associated with the kiosk, titles of software programs are transmitted from the kiosk to the portable device and presented on a display of the portable device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein a user of the portable device may select at least one of the titles to cause the kiosk to transmit a demonstration version of a selected title.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the indicating data is contained in a software agent downloaded to the portable device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the agent is useful for accessing a Web site at which the software can be purchased.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the indicating data is contained in an access code.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising generating the access code by combining a store identification and a software identification using an encryption protocol.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the kiosk periodically transmits a download request receivable by the portable device.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the download utility is automatically transmitted from the kiosk to the portable device.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the download utility is transmitted to the portable device only upon a user request for the utility.

27. A kiosk, comprising:

a processor executing method acts comprising;

wirelessly transmitting at least one demonstration version of software, the demonstration version being receivable by a portable computing device; and

wirelessly transmitting at least identifying data representing an identification of a store with which the kiosk is associated, the identifying data being receivable by the portable device.

28. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the method acts executed by the processor further include:

wirelessly transmitting at least one download utility to the portable device, the download utility being useful for downloading the demonstration version and the identifying data.

29. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the demonstration version is downloaded automatically to the portable device.

30. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the demonstration version is downloaded only upon receipt of a download request from the portable device.

31. The kiosk of claim 28, wherein the download utility is downloaded automatically to the portable device.

32. The kiosk of claim 28, wherein the download utility is downloaded only upon receipt of a download request from the portable device.

33. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the method acts executed by the processor include:

periodically transmitting a download solicitation.

34. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the identifying data is embodied in an agent.

35. The kiosk of claim 27, wherein the identifying data is embodied in an access code.

36. The kiosk of claim 35, wherein the access code is generated by combining a store identification and a software identification using an encryption protocol.

37. A portable computing device, comprising:

at least one download utility useful for the wireless reception, from at least one kiosk, of at least one demonstration version of software and identifying data representing an identification of a store with which the kiosk is associated; and

code means for accessing a network server to purchase the software at least in part by uploading the identifying data to the server.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the utility is received from the kiosk only upon transmission of a request therefor from the portable device.

39. The device of claim 37, wherein the demonstration version is received from the kiosk only upon transmission of a request therefor from the portable device.

40. The device of claim 37, wherein the utility is received automatically from the kiosk, without a user generating a request therefor.

41. The device of claim 37, wherein the demonstration version is received automatically from the kiosk, without a user generating a request therefor.

42. The device of claim 37, wherein the means for accessing is embodied in the utility, and the identifying information is at least one access code.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein the access code is generated by combining a store identification and a software identification using an encryption protocol.

44. The device of claim 37, wherein the means for accessing is embodied in an agent and the agent includes the identifying information.

45. A network server, comprising:

code means for receiving a purchase request for software;

code means for receiving identifying data representing a store at which a demonstration version of the software had been wirelessly provided to a portable computing device;

code means for executing a transaction for the software; and

code means for generating data representative of a sale credit to the store using the identifying data.

46. The server of claim 45, further comprising code means for sending the sale credit to a transaction facility.