MOBILE POINT-OF-SALE (POS) TECHNIQUES

• US 20140019274A1
• Filed: 07/13/2012
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Hardin, Clay Norris, Blevins, Charles David, Burke, Dustin, Burks, Jamie Grant, Parker, Lawrence David
• Granted Patent: US 10,043,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• 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: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]

Abstract

Mobile POS techniques are presented. A POS interface is configured and distributed to a mobile device over a network connection. The POS interface is a self-contained retail transaction system for a retailer. The mobile device is configured to execute the retail transaction system providing remote network or cloud-based services for data retrieval, and data storage to the retail transaction system on the mobile device. One or more retail transactions are processed on the mobile device via the POS interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a mobile device having memory and one or more processors;

the memory configured with a point-of-sale (POS) interface configured to execute on the one or more processors;

wherein the POS interface is also configured to synchronously and asynchronously communicate with a transaction processing system that is accessible from a cloud environment, and wherein the POS interface is configured to control peripheral devices wirelessly when performing retail transaction via the transaction processing system, the asynchronous communication includes offline transaction processing where offline transactions are recorded and processed when a connection reconnects the mobile device to the cloud environment.

2. A method programmed in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as executable instructions that are executed by a server machine, comprising:

receiving, at the server machine, a request from a retailer for a point-of-sale (POS) interface;

configuring, at the server machine, the POS interface as a self-contained retail transaction system for the retailer, using an identity for the retailer and parameters for services and preferences of the retailer to configure the POS interface, and including different levels of the services that are outsourced retail transaction services being provided to a mobile device pursuant to a license associated with the POS interface; and

delivering, from the server machine, the POS interface to the mobile device for execution on the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving further includes acquiring the request from third-party network-based application store where the POS interface is advertised for distribution.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving further includes obtaining payment for the POS interface with the request.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving further includes registering the retailer for a retailer account.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring further includes establishing backend resources in a cloud environment for the POS interface when the POS interface executes on the mobile device and conducts transactions from the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring further includes providing device driver support in the POS interface for multiple peripheral devices accessible to the mobile device when the POS interface executes on the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring further includes providing multiple sub interfaces within the POS interface to remotely support one or more of:

loyalty processing, credit card processing, inventory management, and reporting when the POS interface executes on the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein configuring further includes configuring the POS interface to process and record transactions when the POS interface executes on the mobile device even when the mobile device lacks network connectivity during those transactions.

10. A method programmed in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as executable instructions that are executed by a mobile device, comprising:

remotely acquiring, at the mobile device, a self-contained retail transaction system as a point-of-sale (POS) interface;

installing, by the mobile device, the POS interface;

initiating, by the mobile device, the POS interface; and

performing, by the mobile device, one or more retail transactions via the POS interface, and wherein the POS interface wirelessly controls peripheral devices when performing the one or more retail transactions and continues to process transactions when the mobile device is offline.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising, controlling, from the mobile device, a cash drawer on direction of the POS interface, the cash drawer wirelessly controlled during the one or more retail transactions.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising, interacting, via the mobile device, with a credit card processing service on direction of the POS interface, the interaction with the credit card processing service performed wirelessly during the one or more retail transactions.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein remotely acquiring further includes obtaining the POS interface from a network-based application store.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein performing further includes interacting with a remote cloud processing environment to obtain details and record other details used with the one or more transactions, the POS interface wirelessly interacts with the remote cloud processing environment during the one or more transactions.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein performing further includes performing at least one transaction via the POS interface after the mobile device has lost network connectivity.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising, updating a remote cloud processing environment with details for the at least one transaction when the mobile device has network connectivity restored.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein performing further includes interacting with one or more of:

a barcode scanner, a camera of the mobile device, a printer, a remote monitor, and a magnetic card reader on direction of the POS interface during the one or more transactions.

18. A system comprising:

a processor of a server machine configured with point-of-sale (POS) distribution service implemented within a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and that executes on the processor; and

a POS interface implemented within a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and that executes on a mobile device;

wherein the POS distribution service is configured to distribute the POS interface to the mobile device as a self-contained retail transaction processing system over a network connection, the POS interface configured to perform retail transactions from the mobile device and interact with a backend cloud-based environment for details used with the retail transactions and to record other details associated with performing the retail transactions, and wherein the POS interface is configured to record specific transactions when the mobile device is offline and automatically process the recorded specific transactions when the mobile device reconnects to the backend cloud-based environment.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the mobile device is one of:

a phone, a laptop, and a tablet.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the POS distribution service is configured to interact with a network-based application store to publish and distribute the POS interface.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the POS interface is configured to wirelessly control peripheral devices when performing the retail transactions.