DIGITAL RECEIPT GENERATION APPARATUS, SOFTWARE AND METHOD

• US 20120166298A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Martin, Herwig, Nathaniel Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/977,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166298A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A retail terminal generates a digital receipt in the form of a two-dimensional barcode. The barcode encodes within it transaction details and ancillary information relating to purchases made by a customer in their receipted transaction. The barcode output in a form suitable for capture by a customer operated mobile device.

Claims

1. A transaction terminal comprising:

a processor;

an output device;

the processor being arranged to collate transaction data relevant to a transaction performed at said terminal and to generate receipt data corresponding to an information rich optical code comprising said transaction data; and

the output device being arranged to output the receipt data in the form of said optical code such that the optical code can be captured by a user'"'"'s image capture device, which is separate from the terminal.

2. A terminal according to claim 1 wherein, the optical code comprises a two-dimensional barcode.

3. A terminal according to claim 1 wherein, the output device comprises a display unit arranged to display the optical code wherein, the display unit is selected from the following:

customer display, signature capture unit display, PIN pad display.

4. A terminal according to claim 1 wherein, the output device comprises a printer arranged to print the optical code on a piece of media.

5. A terminal according to claim 1 wherein, the information collated by the processor is selected from the following:

purchased items, store, sales person, cost per item, tax per item, total cost, total tax, digital authentication certificate, a link to a web page, discount coupon, warranty offer.

6. A terminal according to claim 5 wherein, the link to the web page comprises any of the following:

a link to a customer survey, a link for the customer to enroll in the manufacturer'"'"'s warranty program, a link to enroll in relevant subscription services, a link to view the shopper'"'"'s latest loyalty program balance, a link to view offers associated with a loyalty program, a link to information relating to items purchased, a link to a social network service.

7. A terminal according to claim 1 wherein, the transaction terminal comprises any of the following:

an automated teller machine (ATM), an information kiosk, an electronic funds transfer (EFT) terminal, a financial services centre, a bill payment kiosk, a lottery kiosk, a postal services machine, a check-in and/or check-out terminal, a self-checkout point-of-sale (POS) terminal, POS terminal.

8. Software, which when executed on a processor of a transaction terminal causes the processor to:

collate transaction data relevant to a transaction performed at said terminal;

generate receipt data corresponding to an information rich optical code comprising said transaction data; and

drive an output device to output the receipt data in the form of said optical code such that the optical code can be captured by a user'"'"'s image capture device, which is separate from the terminal.

9. The software of claim 8 comprising a dynamic link library (DLL).

10. The software of claim 8 wherein, the transaction data collated by the processor is selected from the following:

purchased items, store, sales person, cost per item, tax per item, total cost, total tax, digital authentication certificate, a link to a web page, discount coupon, warranty offer.

11. The software of claim 8 which, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to generate receipt data corresponding to an optical code in the form of a two-dimensional barcode.

12. The software of claim 8 which, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to drive a display unit to display the optical code wherein, the display unit is selected from the following:

customer display, signature capture unit display, PIN pad display.

13. The software of claim 8 which, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to drive a printer to print the optical code on a piece of media.

14. The software of claim 8 wherein, the transaction terminal comprises any of the following:

an automated teller machine (ATM), an information kiosk, an electronic funds transfer (EFT) terminal, a financial services centre, a bill payment kiosk, a lottery kiosk, a postal services machine, a check-in and/or check-out terminal, a self-checkout point-of-sale (POS) terminal, POS terminal.

15. A method of providing an electronic transaction receipt comprising the steps of:

(i) collating transaction data relevant to a transaction performed at a processor of a transaction terminal;

(ii) generating receipt data corresponding to an information rich optical code comprising said transaction data, at the processor of the transaction terminal; and

(iii) output the receipt data at an output device of the transaction terminal in the form of said optical code.

16. The method of claim 15 comprising generating the optical code in the form of a two-dimensional barcode.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein, the transaction data collated by the processor is selected from the following:

purchased items, store, sales person, cost per item, tax per item, total cost, total tax, digital authentication certificate, a link to a web page, discount coupon, warranty offer.

18. The method of claim 15 comprising outputting the optical code on a display of the transaction terminal

19. The method of claim 15 comprising printing the optical code on a piece of media.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein, the transaction terminal comprises any of the following:

an automated teller machine (ATM), an information kiosk, an electronic funds transfer (EFT) terminal, a financial services centre, a bill payment kiosk, a lottery kiosk, a postal services machine, a check-in and/or check-out terminal, a self-checkout (POS) terminal, POS terminal.