Transaction broker

• US 20040193499A1
• Filed: 04/02/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SF IP Properties 62 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: SF IP Properties 62 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ortiz, Luis M., Lopez, Kermit D.
• Application Number:
  US10/817,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193499A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing negotiable economic credits (e.g., electronic coupons, cash, incentive and/or awards, etc.) through, or at the request of, a hand held device in association with a transaction broker communicative with the hand held device and/or point of sale. At least one negotiable economic credit can be transferred from a transaction broker communicative with the hand held device to the hand held device or point of sale. The negotiable economic credit can be stored within a memory of the hand held device for retrieval and processing at a point of sale associated with a retail establishment, or may be transferred to the point of sale at the request of the hand held device. The negotiable economic credit can be associated with a security module for protecting the privacy of the negotiable economic credit. A user profile can be compiled for utilization during the retrieval of the negotiable economic credit. The user profile can be stored in a database associated with the transaction broker and/or a database associated with the hand held device.

Claims

1. A method of processing negotiable economic credits through a hand held device, said method comprising the step of:

transferring at least one negotiable economic credit to a retail enterprise for use at a point of sale on behalf of a credit redemption request by a hand held device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transferring at least one negotiable economic credit to a retail enterprise for use at a point of sale on behalf of a credit redemption request by a hand held device, further comprises the step of:

transferring at least one negotiable economic credit to a retail enterprise for use at a point of sale on behalf of a credit redemption request by a hand held device, in response to synchronization of said point of sale and said hand held device.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transferring at least one negotiable economic credit to a retail enterprise for use at a point of sale on behalf of a credit redemption request by a hand held device, in response to a request by said retail enterprise to thereby reward purchases at a point of sale associated with said retail enterprise by a hand held device.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

synchronizing said point of said and said hand held device through a wireless communications network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said hand held device comprises a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said hand held device comprises a cellular telephone.

8. The method of claim 1 further providing the step of:

providing said hand held device, wherein said hand held device comprises a central processing unit, which processes said at least one negotiable economic credit for transfer to said retail enterprise for use at said point of sale on behalf of said credit redemption request by said hand held device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said hand held device further comprises

3. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of:

redeeming said at least one negotiable economic credit at said point of sale, in response to transferring said at least one negotiable economic credit to said point of sale from said hand held device.

10. The method of claim I further comprising the steps of:

scanning an item at said point of sale after transferring said at least one negotiable economic credit to said retail enterprise for use at said point of sale on behalf of said credit redemption request by a hand held device; and

automatically calculating a cost of said item via point of sale, in response to scanning said item at said point of sale;

automatically crediting said at least one least one negotiable economic credit toward said cost of said item; and

automatically reducing said cost of said item in response to automatically crediting said at least one least one negotiable economic credit toward said cost of said item.

11. A method of processing negotiable economic credits through a hand held device, said method comprising the step of:

transferring at least one negotiable economic credit to a retail enterprise through a network for use at a point of sale on behalf of a credit redemption request via a hand held device; and

redeeming said at least one negotiable economic credit at said point of sale, in response to transferring said at least one negotiable economic credit to said point of sale from said hand held device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

transferring at least one negotiable economic credit to a retail enterprise for use at a point of sale on behalf of a credit redemption request by a hand held device, in response to a request by said retail enterprise to thereby reward purchases at a point of sale associated with said retail enterprise by a hand held device.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

transferring at least one updated negotiable economic credit from said point of sale from said retail enterprise to said hand held device in response to redeeming said at least one negotiable economic credit at said point of sale; and

thereafter storing said at least one updated negotiable economic credit in a memory of said hand held device for use in thereafter redeeming said at least one updated negotiable economic credit at a point of sale, in response to transferring said at least one negotiable economic credit to said point of sale from said hand held device.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

storing a user profile in a database within said hand held device; and

updating said user profile in response to redeeming said at least one negotiable economic credit at said point of sale.

15. A method of processing negotiable economic credits through a hand held device, said method comprising the step of:

transferring at least one negotiable economic credit to a retail enterprise through a network for use at a point of sale on behalf of a credit redemption request via a hand held device;

redeeming said at least one negotiable economic credit at said point of sale, in response to transferring said at least one negotiable economic credit to said point of sale from said hand held device;

transferring at least one updated negotiable economic credit from said point of sale from said retail enterprise to said hand held device in response to redeeming said at least one negotiable economic credit at said point of sale; and

thereafter storing said at least one updated negotiable economic credit in a memory of said hand held device for use in thereafter redeeming said at least one updated negotiable economic credit at a point of sale, in response to transferring said at least one negotiable economic credit to said point of sale from said hand held device

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

storing a user profile in a database within said hand held device; and

updating said user profile in response to redeeming said at least one negotiable economic credit at said point of sale.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said point of sale comprises a retail checkout station located at said retail enterprise, wherein said retail checkout station communicates with said network via wireless and wireless communications.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

configuring said point of sale to communicate with a network server associated with said network; and

storing a security module within a memory location of said server for authenticating said at least one negotiable economic credit transferred from said hand held device to said point of sale.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

authenticating said at least one negotiable economic credit utilizing said security module, in response to transferring said at least one negotiable economic credit to said point of sale from said hand held device and prior to redeeming said at least one negotiable economic credit at said point of sale, in response to transferring.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of authenticating said at least one negotiable economic credit utilizing said security module, further comprises the step of:

identifying a user profile associated with said hand held device, wherein said user profile is stored in a database within said server; and

verifying said user profile in order to authenticate said at least one negotiable economic credit utilizing said security module.