METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING ELECTRONIC RECEIPTS FROM PRINT DATA

• US 20110307342A1
• Filed: 06/09/2011
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Faizal Haji
• Original Assignee: Faizal Haji
• Inventors: HAJI, Faizal
• Application Number:
  US13/156,599
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307342A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A Green Receipt Dispenser is a transitional technology that allows a merchant to incorporate paperless receipting functionality into an existing POS system without upgrading or modification to existing software, and without security risk to the merchant or customer. Print traffic is parsed by a processor, the print data is intercepted and converted to an electronic form, and an electronic receipt is provided to the user.

Claims

1. An electronic receipt generator comprising:

a processor for installation between a POS system and a paper receipt printer, the processor for intercepting POS print data sent to the paper receipt printer, and converting said print data to an electronic receipt file,

a housing for containing the processor, the housing having an input port through which printer traffic data is received from a POS system and delivered to the processor, and an electronic receipt output port through which an electronic receipt document is subsequently delivered from the processor to a customer.

2. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a traffic parser for parsing printer traffic to identify and intercepting print data from the printer traffic.

3. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 2, wherein the processor comprises a text and image converter for converting intercepted print data to one of, or a combination of, text and images.

4. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 3, wherein the processor comprises a portable document format generator for formatting the intercepted print data to generate a PDF file.

5. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a receipt printer output port through which printer traffic is delivered to the paper receipt printer.

6. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 5, wherein the processor further comprises a bypass for selectively permitting or preventing transmission of printer traffic to the paper receipt printer.

7. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 1, wherein the electronic receipt output port is a USB port.

8. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 1, wherein the electronic receipt output port is a smartphone docking port.

9. An electronic receipt generator comprising:

a processor for conversion of POS print data to an electronic receipt, the processor having an input port configured to receive print traffic from a printer port of a POS system, and an output port in communication with a storage device, the output port for use in the delivery and storage of the electronic receipt to the storage device;

wherein said processor is isolated from the POS system to prevent access to the POS system via the storage device.

10. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 9, wherein said isolation is a physical isolation in which the processor is physically spaced from the POS system and communicates with the POS system only through receipt of POS system print traffic.

11. The electronic receipt generator as in claim 9, wherein said isolation is a virtual isolation in which the processor serves as a firewall to prevent communication from the storage device to the POS system.

12. A method for providing an electronic receipt, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving printer traffic from a POS system, the printer traffic comprising print data corresponding to a paper receipt associated with a POS transaction;

parsing said print traffic at a processor to identify and intercept print data;

converting said intercepted print data to electronic characters to create an electronic receipt file, the electronic receipt file corresponding to said paper receipt; and

sending said electronic receipt file from the processor to a storage device specified by a party to the POS transaction.

13. The method as in claim 12, further comprising the step of delivering said print data to a paper receipt printer.

14. The method as in claim 12, wherein the electronic file is a PDF file.

15. The method as in claim 12, wherein the storage device is inserted within a port of the processor.

16. The method as in claim 12, wherein the storage device is one of a memory stick, smartphone, or personal computer.