Touchless and touch optimized processing of retail and other commerce transactions

• US 20060224429A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Andreas, Blucher, Jeffrey, LaBlanc, Sylvester M., Dingle, Gregg Robert, O'Meara, Brendan, Bazlen, Derrick Steven, Mathew, Ashvin
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A computer implemented method for reducing input performed in a commerce based application is provided. The method includes receiving a sequence of input values from an input device and associating the sequence of input values with an object in the application based on the sequence. A context of the application is determined. One or more tasks in the application are automatically performed based on the object, the context and the sequence of input values.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for reducing input performed in a commerce based application, comprising:

receiving a sequence of input values from an input device;

associating the sequence of input values with an object in the application based on the sequence;

determining a context of the application; and

automatically performing one or more tasks in the application based on the object, the context and the sequence of input values.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

switching the context of the application based on the sequence of input values.

3. The method of claim 2 and further comprising:

receiving a second sequence of input values;

associating the second sequence of input values with a second object based on the second sequence; and

automatically performing one or more tasks in the application based on the second object, the second sequence and the context of the application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein associating includes comparing the sequence of input values to a data source that includes items and customer information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the commerce based application is a retail application.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the object is an item for purchase and the one or more tasks include populating a transaction in the retail application with the item and calculating an amount for the transaction.

7. The method of claim 6 and further comprising:

receiving a second sequence of input values related to a credit card number; and

associating the credit card number with a tender object for the transaction.

8. The method of claim 7 and further comprising:

verifying the credit card number; and

printing a receipt for the transaction.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the object is an item and the context is switched to a sales transaction mode.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the object is a receipt and the context is switched to a return void mode.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the object includes information related to at least one of an item, a customer identification, a tender, a transaction and a receipt.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the context relates to at least one of a user, a location and an object of the application.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein an entire transaction is completed within the application using only input received from a bar code scanner and a magnetic stripe reader.

14. A commerce based system comprising:

a computer having memory and at least one input port;

a plurality of input devices operably coupled to the at least one input port to send a sequence of input values to the input port; and

a commerce based application program stored on the memory and operably coupled to the at least one input port to receive a particular sequence of input values from one of the plurality of input devices, the application program including;

an application context module defining a context of the application program;

a transaction processing module operably coupled to the application context module and adapted to receive the particular sequence, associate the particular sequence with an object based on the sequence and perform one or more tasks based on the object, the particular sequence and the context of the application program.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the application context module is adapted to switch the context based on the particular sequence.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the transaction processing module is further adapted to receive a second particular sequence of input values from one of the plurality of input devices, associate the second particular sequence with a second object and automatically perform one or more tasks in the application program based on the object, the second particular sequence and the context.

17. The system of claim 14 and further comprising a data source operably coupled to the computer and wherein the transaction processing module is adapted to compare the particular sequence to the data source.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the object is an item for purchase and the transaction processing module is adapted to populate a transaction in the application program with the item and calculate an amount for the transaction.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the object includes information related to at least one of an item, a customer identification, a tender, a transaction and a receipt.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of input devices include a bar code scanner and a magnetic stripe reader and wherein an entire transaction in the application program is processed using only the bar code scanner and the magnetic stripe reader.