System and method for personalized e-commerce and information communications

• US 20080257957A1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey T. Steinecker
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey T. Steinecker
• Inventors: Steinecker, Jeffrey T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system allows consumers the ability to remotely transmit order and/or payment preference data to a vendor to facilitate sales transactions. A personal transmitter or key fob functions to transmit a signal to the vendor when the customer approaches the vendor, which signal comprises preferred order information for vendor processing. The vendor may acknowledge order receipt, generate the order, and automatically submit the transaction for payment through a secure connection. A web site acknowledges receipt of the payment request, retrieves specific transaction information for the target vendor, and processes the payments electronically. Customer information, vendor preferences and encrypted Customer payment specific pointers are downloaded to the personal transmitter on an ongoing basis and stored as encrypted data. If multiple vendors are within the proximity of the consumer, the transmitter will signal an error and list the vendors to the consumer, from which list the target vendor may be selected.

Claims

1. A method for transacting a sale by way of a personal transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting order preference data and payment preference data at a web-site;

downloading the order and payment preference data to a transmitter from the web-site;

carrying the transmitter with order and payment preference data to a vendor establishment area;

transmitting transmitter-carried order and payment preference data to the vendor establishment area from the transmitter;

validating the transmitted order and payment preference data;

processing the validated order and payment preference data; and

delivering a preferred order to the purchaser at the vendor establishment area.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of acknowledging receipt of the transmitted order and payment preference data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of validating the transmitted order and payment preference data comprises the step of transmitting a confirmation request, the confirmation request for confirming a target vendor within the vendor establishment area.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of transmitting transaction event data to the web-site from the vendor establishment area after processing the order and payment preference data.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of transmitting transaction event data to the web-site from the vendor establishment area while processing the order and payment preference data.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of transferring electronic funds to a vendor account for finally processing the order and payment preference data.

7. The method of claim 6 comprising the step of notifying the purchaser of electronic funds transfer.

8. The method of claim 6 comprising the step of logging transaction events after finally processing the order and payment preference data.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of alerting the purchaser to a methodological problem.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising the step of amending the order and payment preference data during the step of inputting the order and payment preference data.

11. A method for effecting a purchase by way of a personal transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting preference data at a web-site;

downloading the preference data to a transmitter;

carrying the transmitter with preference data to a vendor establishment area;

transmitting transmitter-carried preference data to the vendor establishment area from the transmitter;

processing the preference data; and

delivering a preferred order to the purchaser at the vendor establishment area.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of acknowledging receipt of the transmitted preference data.

13. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of validating the transmitted preference data before processing the preference data.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of validating the transmitted preference data comprises the step of transmitting a confirmation request, the confirmation request for confirming a target vendor within the vendor establishment area.

15. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of transmitting transaction event data to the web-site from the vendor establishment area after processing the preference data.

16. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of transmitting transaction event data to the web-site from the vendor establishment area while processing the order and payment preference data.

17. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of transferring electronic funds to a vendor account for finally processing the preference data.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising the step of notifying the purchaser of electronic funds transfer.

19. The method of claim 17 comprising the step of logging transaction events after finally processing the preference data.

20. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of alerting the purchaser to a methodological problem.

21. The method of claim 11 comprising the step of amending the preference data during the step of inputting the preference data.

22. A method for locating a displaced person by way of a personal transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:

inputting personal data at a web-site;

downloading the personal data to a transmitter;

carrying the transmitter with personal data to a vendor establishment area;

transmitting transmitter-carried personal data to the vendor establishment area from the transmitter; and

locating a displaced person by way of the personal data as transmitted to the vendor establishment area.

23. A purchasing system, the purchasing system for transacting a sale by way of a personal transmitter, the purchasing system comprising:

a web-site, the web-site comprising means for receiving and storing a purchaser'"'"'s preference data;

means for inputting the purchaser'"'"'s preference data at the web-site;

a transmitter, the transmitter comprising means for receiving and storing downloadable data and means for wirelessly transmitting data, the purchaser'"'"'s preference data being downloadable into the transmitter from the web-site, the transmitter for receiving, storing, and wirelessly transmitting the purchaser'"'"'s preference data; and

at least one vendor establishment, each vendor establishment comprising means for wirelessly receiving transmitted data, means for processing received data; and

means for delivering an order as requested from the received data, the transmitter thus enabling a purchaser to transmit transmitter-stored preference data to the vendor establishment, the vendor establishment for receiving the transmitted preference data, processing the preference data, and delivering a processed order to the purchaser.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein each vendor establishment comprises means for validating received preference data, the preference data thus being validated before being processed.

25. The system of claim 23 comprising means for acknowledging receipt of the transmitted preference data.

26. The system of claim 23 comprising means for transmitting transaction event data to the web-site.

27. The system of claim 23 comprising means for transferring electronic funds to a vendor account.

28. The system of claim 23 comprising means for logging transaction events.

29. The system of claim 23 comprising means for alerting the purchaser to a methodological problem.