COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION TERMINAL AND COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20080128483A1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Japan Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ASA, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A communication system includes a communication terminal wirelessly communicating with a predetermined base station and a server capable of transferring data through the wireless communication with the communication terminal. The communication terminal includes a payment settlement processing unit capable of carrying out payment settlement processing, a record memory unit configured to store a record of the payment settlement processing carried out at the payment settlement processing unit, a display unit configured to display record data stored in the record memory unit, and a control unit configured to transfer the record stored in the record memory unit to the server. The server includes a storage unit configured to store the record data transferred from the communication terminal, and a record disclosure processing unit configured to transfer the record data stored in the storage unit to other communication terminals within a predetermined range.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a communication terminal wirelessly communicating with a predetermined base station and including

a payment settlement processing unit capable of carrying out payment settlement processing,

a record memory unit configured to store a record of the payment settlement processing carried out at the payment settlement processing unit,

a display unit configured to display record data stored in the record memory unit, and

a control unit configured to transfer the record stored in the record memory unit to the server; and

a server capable of transferring data through the wireless communication with the communication terminal, including

a storage unit configured to store the record data transferred from the communication terminal; and

a record disclosure processing unit configured to transfer the record data stored in the storage unit to other communication terminals within a predetermined range.

2. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the payment settlement processing unit is a short-range wireless communication processing unit configured to perform wireless communication with a reader/writer in proximity to the communication terminal.

3. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication terminal further includes a position information acquisition unit configured to obtain position information of the communication terminal at present,

the record memory unit stores the position information, when carrying out the payment settlement processing, with the payment settlement record, and

the display unit displays a map based on the position information stored in the record memory unit when carrying out the payment settlement processing.

4. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein

information based on a record of payment settlement processing carried out by other communication terminals transferred from the server is displayed when the display unit displays the map.

5. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the range of transfer of the record data stored in the record disclosure processing unit of the server is limited within a group of communication terminals registered in advance.

6. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the communication terminal further includes a data processing unit configured to add data to the record, the data being related to merchandise or service for which the payment is settled.

7. A communication system according to claim 1, wherein

the storage unit of the server stores the record data the transfer range of which is unlimited.

8. A communication terminal for performing wireless communication with a predetermined base station, comprising:

a payment settlement processing unit capable of carrying out payment settlement processing;

a record memory unit configured to store a record of payment settlement processing carried out at the payment settlement processing unit;

a data processing unit configured to store the record that is stored in the record memory unit and a record that is transferred from a predetermined server related to payment settlement processing carried out by other communication terminals in the record memory unit;

a display unit configured to display record data stored in the record memory unit; and

a control unit configured to transfer the record stored in the record memory unit to the predetermined server.

9. A communication method between a communication terminal performing wireless communication with a predetermined base station and a server capable of transferring data through the wireless communication with the communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

storing record data of payment settlement processing in the case where the payment settlement processing is carried out by a payment settlement processing function provided in the communication terminal,

storing the stored record data,

transferring the stored record data to the server, and

storing the record data transferred to the server and transferring the stored record data to other communication terminals within a predetermined range.