TRANSFERRING DIGITAL RECEIPT DATA TO MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20140025516A1
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Published: 01/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Argue, Stuart, Marcar, Anthony Emile
• Granted Patent: US 9,842,333 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 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for transferring digital receipt data to mobile devices. A point-of-sale (“POS”) system generates digital receipt data as part of a sales transaction. The point-of-sale (“POS”) system and a mobile device, possibly also along with a receipt data server, interoperate with one another to transfer digital receipt data generated to the mobile device. In some embodiments, the point-of-sale (“POS”) system transfers digital receipt data for a sales transaction to the receipt data server. An identifier, such as, for example, an application identifier or transaction identifier, is stored along with the digital receipt data to match the digital receipt data with the mobile device. The mobile device subsequently uses the identifier to access the digital receipt data from the receipt data server. In other embodiments, the point-of-sale (“POS”) system transfers digital receipt data directly to the mobile device.

Claims

1. At a Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system, the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system including one or more processors and system memory, the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system also including a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, a method for transferring digital receipt data to a mobile device, the method comprising:

opening a sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system;

in response to opening the sales transaction;

collecting digital receipt data for the sales transaction;

formulating a transaction identifier for the sales transaction; and

the Near Field Communication (NFC) module transmitting a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload within a Radio Frequency (RF) field range of a mobile device, the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload encoding the transaction identifier for the sales transaction, the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload transmitted for receipt by the mobile device to obtain the transaction identifier;

closing the sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system; and

in response to closing the sales transaction;

using the transaction identifier to mark the digital receipt data for the sales transaction; and

sending the marked digital receipt data for the sales transaction to a receipt data server for subsequent retrieval by the mobile device.

2. The method as of claim 1, further comprising sending the mobile device a push notification indicating that digital receipt data for the sales transaction is available for retrieval from the receipt data server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein opening a sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system comprises receiving an indication from an I/O peripheral that a sales transaction is to be opened.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting digital receipt data for the sales transaction, comprises for each of one or more items included in the sales transaction:

receiving an item identifier from a scanned bar code; and

referring to a product database to access item description data and item cost data for the item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein closing the sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system comprises receiving an indication from an I/O peripheral that the sales transaction is to be closed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the marked digital receipt data for the sales transaction to a receipt data server comprises sending the marked detail receipt data to a local server that stores receipt data for the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system along with one or other more Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems co-located with the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the marked digital receipt data for the sales transaction to a receipt data server comprises sending the marked detail receipt data to a supervisory system that stores receipt data for the location of the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system and for one or other locations of Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the Near Field Communication (NFC) module accessing the transaction identifier from the transaction processor; and

the Near Field Communication (NFC) module encoding the transaction identifier into the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload.

9. At a mobile device, the mobile device including one or more processors and system memory, the mobile device also including a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, a method for receiving digital receipt data from a Point-Of-Sale (POS) system, the method comprising:

the Near Field Communication (NFC) module receiving a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload from a Point-Of-Sale (POS) system, the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system handling a sales transaction associated with the mobile device, the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload encoding a transaction identifier for the sales transaction;

receiving a push notification, the push notification notifying the mobile device that digital receipt data for the sales transaction is available at a receipt data server;

requesting digital receipt data corresponding to the transaction identifier from the receipt data server;

receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the receipt data server in response to the request; and

delivering the electronic receipt data for the sales transaction to a receipt management application at the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein requesting digital receipt data from the receipt data server comprises requesting digital receipt data from a local server that stores receipt data for the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system along with one or more other Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems co-located with the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the receipt data server comprises receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the local server.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein requesting digital receipt data from the receipt data server comprises requesting digital receipt data from a supervisory system that stores receipt data for the location of the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system and for one or other locations of Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the receipt data server comprises receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the supervisory system.

14. A system for delivering digital receipt data to a mobile device, the system comprising:

a Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system, the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system comprising;

one or more processors;

system memory;

a network adapter;

a Near Field Communication (NFC) module;

one or more I/O peripherals; and

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system to;

open a sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system;

in response to opening the sales transaction;

collect digital receipt data for the sales transaction;

formulate a transaction identifier for the sales transaction; and

transmit a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload within a Radio Frequency (RF) field range of a mobile device, the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload encoding the transaction identifier for the sales transaction;

close the sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system; and

in response to closing the sales transaction;

use the transaction identifier to mark the digital receipt data for the sales transaction; and

send the marked digital receipt data for the sales transaction to a receipt data server for subsequent retrieval by the mobile device;

a mobile device, the mobile device comprising;

one or more processors;

system memory;

a network adapter;

a Near Field Communication (NFC) module; and

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile device to;

receive a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload from the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system, the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload encoding the transaction identifier for the sales transaction;

receive a push notification, the push notification notifying the mobile device that digital receipt data for the sales transaction is available at a receipt data server;

request digital receipt data corresponding to the transaction identifier from the receipt data server;

receive the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the receipt data server in response to the request; and

deliver the electronic receipt data for the sales transaction to a receipt management application at the mobile device; and

a receipt data server, the receipt data server configured to;

store digital receipt data for the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system;

send a push notification to the mobile device, the push notification indicating that digital receipt data for the sales transaction is available for retrieval from the receipt data server;

receive a request for receipt data corresponding to the transaction identifier from the mobile device; and

send the digital receipt data for the sales transaction to the mobile device in response to the request.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system to open a sales transaction comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system to receive an indication from an I/O peripheral, among the one or more I/O peripherals, that a sales transaction is to be opened.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system to collect digital receipt data for the sales transaction, comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system to:

receive an item identifier from a scanned bar code; and

refer to a product database to access item description data and item cost data for the item.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system to close the sales transaction comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system to receive an indication from an I/O peripheral, among the one or more I/O peripherals, that the sales transaction is to be closed.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising computer-executable instructions at the mobile device that, when executed, cause the Near Field Communication (NFC) module at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) to:

access the transaction identifier from a transaction processor; and

encode the transaction identifier into the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the receipt data server is a local server that stores receipt data for the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system along with one or more other Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems co-located with the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the receipt data server is a supervisory system that stores receipt data for the location of the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system and for one or other locations of Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems