Method and system for dissemination of paperless transaction receipts in non-networked environments

• US 20060273163A1
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seaman, James Wesley, Gusler, Carl Phillip, Hamilton, Rick Allen II, Lipton, Steven Jay
• Granted Patent: US 7,748,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Electronic transaction receipts in remote non-networked sales equipment are sent through infrared or radio frequency means to portable electronic devices such as personal digital assistants (PDA'"'"'s)/smart cellular telephones that are in the possession of the consumer. These portable devices are possessed by the consumer and are in very close proximity to the POS device transmitting the information. Security procedures also verify the receiving device to avoid inadvertent transmissions and to provide addition security for the transmission. The information and records received by these portable devices may be stored and uploaded into other electronic media at the discretion of the consumer.

Claims

1. A system for completing transactions in a wireless environment

a vendor Point of Sale (POS) device capable of interfacing with and completing a transaction with a consumer, said vendor device capable of transmitting an electronic receipt to a consumer;

a portable electronic device possessed by the consumer capable of receiving information transmitted from the vendor POS device;

wherein an electronic receipt is transmitted from a Point of Sale (POS) device to a consumer located in close proximity to the POS device comprising;

a processor in the vendor POS device configured to receive an authorization request from a consumer and electronically transmit information to an electronic device possessed by the consumer; and

a software device verification program contained in the POS device capable of verifying, prior to the transmission of information that the consumer possesses the portable electronic device in communication with the POS device that is part of the current transaction, said software device verification program capable of transmitting public data to portable device possessed by the consumer by transmitting vendor public data to the portable consumer device, receiving consumer public data and assembling a receipt data packet for transmission to the consumer.

2. The system as described in claim 1 further comprising a program within said POS to encrypt information being transmitted from the POS vendor device to the portable electronic device possessed by the consumer.

3. The system as described in claim 1 wherein the POS device further comprises a printer capable of printing a paper receipt of a completed transaction.

4. The system as described in claim 1 wherein said POS device further comprises a card reader for reader consumer information.

5. The system as described in claim 1 further comprising permanent storage locations for recording completed transaction information.

6. The system as described in claim 1 further comprising a data record having multiple fields and containing public data, encrypted consumer data and encrypted vendor data.

7. A method completing transaction in a wireless environment wherein an electronic receipt is transmitted from a Point of Sale (POS) vendor device to a consumer located in close proximity to the POS device comprising the steps of:

determining whether a consumer wants to receive an electronic receipt of a completed transaction;

establishing a connection between a POS vendor device and a portable electronic device possessed by the consumer;

confirming a device identity of the portable electronic device, prior to any transmission of information of the present transaction to that device from the POS device, by transmitting vendor data to the portable consumer device, receiving consumer data and assembling a receipt data packet for transmission to the consumer; and

transmitting information about a completed transaction from the POS vendor device to the portable electronic device possessed by the consumer.

8. The method as described by claim 7 further comprising before said electronic receipt determination step, the step of determining the completion of a transaction by the consumer and issuing a type of receipt query to the consumer at the completion of the transaction.

9. The method as described in claim 8 wherein said connection establishing step further comprises the step of scanning the area in close proximity to the POS vendor device for an electronic device capable of receiving electronic information.

10. The method as described in claim 9 wherein said scanning step is performed for a predetermined time period.

11. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising before said connection establishing step, the step of terminating said method and printing a paper receipt when a consumer indicates a preference for a paper receipt.

12. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising the step of terminating said method and printing a paper receipt when there is a failure to establish a connection between the POS vendor device and a portable electronic device of the consumer.

13. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said information transmission step further comprises the step of encrypting transaction information prior transmission of the information.

14. The method as described in claim 7 wherein said information transmission step further comprises electronic transmission of transaction information to permanent storage locations.

15. The method as described in claim 7 further comprising before said information transmitting step, the step of creating a data record of the transaction, said record having a clear text field, a consumer generated field and a vendor generated field.

16. The method as described in claim 15 further comprising the step of encrypting data in one or more of the data record fields.

17. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the transmitting and receiving of data by the vendor POS device and consumer device comprises the consumer device providing authentication keys to the vendor POS.

18. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the transmitting, receiving and assembling activities of the said identity confirmation step further comprise:

transmitting a preliminary data packet by the vendor POS to the consumer device containing at least the date and time of the transaction, the transaction amount, and selected other information about the consumer involved in the transaction;

receiving data in the form of authentication keys form at the vendor POS in order to complete a consumer portion of the data packet; and

assembling at the vendor POS a final data packet embodying the electronic receipt.

19. The method as described in claim 7 wherein the transmitting, receiving and assembling activities of the said identity confirmation step further comprise:

transmitting a preliminary data packet by the vendor POS to the consumer device containing at least the date and time of the transaction, the transaction amount, and selected other information;

receiving data in the form of the complete consumer portion of a data packet; and

assembling at the vendor POS the final data packet embodying the electronic receipt.

20. A computer program product for completing transactions in a wireless environment wherein an electronic receipt is transmitted from a Point of Sale (POS) vendor device to a consumer located in close proximity to the POS device comprising;

instructions for determining whether a consumer wants to receive an electronic receipt of a completed transaction;

instructions for establishing a connection between a POS vendor device and a portable electronic device possessed by the consumer;

instructions for confirming a device identity of the portable electronic device, prior to any transmission of information of the present transaction to that device from the POS device, by transmitting vendor data to the portable consumer device, receiving consumer data and assembling a receipt data packet for transmission to the consumer; and

instructions for transmitting information about a completed transaction from the POS vendor device to the portable electronic device possessed by the consumer.