Transaction Data Capture Device and System

• US 20100010905A1
• Filed: 07/08/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OmniLync, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Andre Arzumanyan, David Arzumanyan
• Inventors: Clark, Ken, Arzumanyan, David, Deutschman, Tom, Arzumanyan, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• 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: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a device and system for capturing transaction data sent between a point of sale terminal and a peripheral device. The transaction data capture device includes an input for receiving transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal to a peripheral device during the course of a transaction with a customer and an output for transmitting the transaction data to the peripheral device. The transaction data capture device further includes a processor programmed to detect and save the transaction data received at the input and associate the transaction data with customer identity information identifying the customer. The transaction data capture device also includes a memory for storing the associated transaction data and customer identity and a network interface for routing the transaction data and associated identity information from memory over a data communications network.

Claims

1. A method for collecting transaction data from a point of sale terminal, the method comprising:

identifying a customer participating in a transaction with the point of sale terminal;

receiving a transaction data signal sent from the point of sale terminal to a peripheral device;

using a processor to detect transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal in the transaction data signal during the course of the transaction;

saving to memory the transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal to the peripheral device;

using the processor to associate the transaction data with the identified customer; and

storing the transaction data and associated customer identity information in memory.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

routing the transaction data and associated identity information from memory over a data communications network to a server.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the transaction data to the peripheral device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral device is a receipt printer.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the customer is accomplished by at least one of a radio-frequency identifier, a magnetic strip reader, and a bar code reader.

6. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

routing the transaction data and associated identity information from the server into a data repository.

7. A method according to claim 2, further comprising:

providing over the data communications network a graphical interface by means of which an end user may observe the transaction data.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the end user is one of a customer, a merchant, a government, a marketing firm, or a statistical analysis firm.

9. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

querying whether the customer would like a paper receipt as a record of the transaction; and

providing the paper receipt to the customer based on a response to the query.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction data is a receipt.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction data is at least one of a warranty, a rebate, an operational report generated by the point of sale terminal, and a financial report generated by the point of sale terminal.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal is sent to a serial input.

13. A method according to claim 3, wherein the transaction data is transmitted from a serial output.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal is sent to a parallel input.

15. A method according to claim 3, wherein the transaction data is transmitted from a parallel output to the peripheral device.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal is sent to a USB input.

17. A method according to claim 3, wherein the transaction data is transmitted from a USB output to the peripheral device.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal is sent to an Ethernet input.

19. A method according to claim 3, wherein the transaction data is transmitted from a Ethernet output to the peripheral device.

20. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing handshaking functions characterizing the peripheral device.

21. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

performing handshaking functions characterizing the point of sale terminal.

22. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving all of the transaction data from a single transaction before transmitting all of the transaction data from the single transaction to the peripheral device.

23. A method according to claim 3, further comprising:

receiving transaction data from a single transaction and transmitting the transaction data to the peripheral device as the transaction data is received.

24. A transaction data capture device, the device comprising:

an input for receiving transaction data sent from a point of sale terminal to a peripheral device during the course of a transaction with a customer;

an output for transmitting the transaction data to the peripheral device;

a processor programmed to detect and save the transaction data and associate the transaction data with customer identity information identifying the customer;

a memory for storing the associated transaction data and customer identity information; and

a network interface for routing the transaction data and associated identity information from memory over a data communications network.

25. A device according to claim 24, further comprising:

a customer interface for identifying the customer participating in the transaction with the point of sale terminal and communicating customer identity information to the processor.

26. A device according to claim 24, wherein the point of sale terminal input is linked to the peripheral device output in order to facilitate passing transaction data between the input and the output.

27. A device according to claim 26, further comprising:

a splitter coupled between the input and the output for replicating transaction data sent between the input and the output, wherein the splitter is also coupled to the processor so as to transmit the transaction data sent between the input and the output to the processor.

28. A device according to claim 27, wherein the input is a serial input and the output is a serial output.

29. A device according to claim 27, wherein the input is a parallel input and the output is a parallel output.

30. A device according to claim 24, wherein the processor is coupled to the input and is programmed to perform handshaking functions characterizing the peripheral device.

31. A device according to claim 30, wherein the processor is coupled to the output and is programmed to perform handshaking functions characterizing the point of sale terminal.

32. A device according to claim 30, wherein the processor is programmed to duplicate the transaction data sent to the input and transmit at least one copy of the transaction data to the output.

33. A device according to claim 32, wherein the input is a USB input and the output is a USB output.

34. A device according to claim 32, wherein the input is an Ethernet input and the output is an Ethernet output.

35. A device according to claim 24, wherein the device has a plurality of terminal inputs and a plurality of outputs.

36. A device according to claim 24, wherein the point of sale terminal is a cash register.

37. A device according to claim 24, wherein the peripheral device is a receipt printer.

38. A device according to claim 25, wherein the customer interface is at least one of a radio-frequency identifier, a magnetic strip reader, and a bar code reader.

39. A device according to claim 24, wherein the transaction data includes a receipt.

40. A device according to claim 24, wherein the transaction data includes at least one of a warranty, a rebate, an operational report generated by the point of sale terminal, and a financial report generated by the point of sale terminal.

41. A device according to claim 24, wherein the data communications interface is at least one of an internet modem, an Ethernet modem, and a wireless modem.

42. A transaction data capture device, the device comprising:

a first input for receiving transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal to a peripheral device during the course of the transaction with a customer;

a first output for transmitting the transaction data to the peripheral device, wherein the first input is linked to the first output in order to facilitate passing the transaction data between the first input and the first output;

a splitter coupled between the first input and the second output for replicating transaction data sent between the input and the output, wherein the splitter is also coupled to a processor so as to transmit the transaction data sent between the input and the output to the processor;

the processor programmed to detect and save the transaction data and associate the transaction data with customer identity information identifying the customer;

a second input coupled to the processor for receiving transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal to the peripheral device during the course of the transaction with the customer, wherein the processor is programmed to detect and save the transaction data received at the second input;

a second output coupled to the processor for transmitting the transaction data to the peripheral device;

a memory for storing the associated transaction data and associated customer identity; and

a network interface for routing the transaction data and associated identity information from memory over a data communications network.

43. A device according to claim 42, further comprising:

a customer interface for identifying the customer participating in the transaction with the point of sale terminal and communicating customer identity information to the processor.

44. A device according to claim 42, wherein the first input is a serial input and the first output is a serial output.

45. A device according to claim 42, wherein the first input is a parallel input and the first output is a parallel output.

46. A device according to claim 42, wherein the processor is programmed to perform handshaking functions characterizing the point of sale terminal.

47. A device according to claim 42, wherein the processor is programmed to perform handshaking functions characterizing the peripheral device.

48. A device according to claim 42, wherein the processor is programmed to duplicate the transaction data sent to the second input and transmit at least one copy of the transaction data to the second output.

49. A device according to claim 48, wherein the second input is a USB input and the second output is a USB output.

50. A device according to claim 48, wherein the second input is an Ethernet input and the second output is an Ethernet output.

51. A system for collecting and displaying transaction data, the system comprising:

a transaction data capture device, the transaction data capture device including;

an input coupled to the point of sale terminal for receiving transaction data sent from the point of sale terminal to a peripheral device during the course of the transaction with a customer;

an output coupled to the peripheral device for transmitting the transaction data to the peripheral device;

a processor for detecting and saving transaction data received at the point of sale terminal input and associating the transaction data with the accompanying customer identity information identifying the customer;

a memory for storing the associated transaction data and customer identity; and

a network interface for routing the transaction data and associated identity information from memory over a data communications network; and

a server coupled to the data communications network for receiving the transaction data and associated identity information from the data capture device and for providing the transaction data to a requesting end user over the data communications network.

52. A system according to claim 51, wherein the transaction data device further includes:

a customer interface for identifying a customer participating in a transaction with a point of sale terminal and communicating customer identity information to the processor.

53. A system according to claim 51, wherein the system includes a plurality of data capture devices.

54. A system according to claim 53, wherein the data capture devices are coupled to a plurality of point of sale terminals at a plurality of merchant commercial entities.

55. A system according to claim 54, wherein the commercial entities are commercially unrelated entities.

56. A system according to claim 51, wherein the server communicates with a data repository for storing the transaction data and associated identity information.

57. A system according to claim 56, wherein the server supports applications that analyze and retrieve the transaction data stored in the data repository.

58. A system according to claim 51, wherein the server supports a website for displaying the transaction data to end users.

59. A system according to claim 51, further comprising a customer terminal for receiving the transaction data over the communications network and displaying the transaction data.

60. A system according to claim 52, further comprising a customer identifier for interacting with the customer interface and for identifying the customer transacting with the point of sale terminal.