System and method for providing consumer access to a stored digital receipt generated as a result of a purchase transaction and to business/consumer applications related to the stored digital receipt

• US 6,543,683 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Hoffman, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US09/781,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20020109007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/385, 235/375, 186/61, 705/16, 705/21, 705/24, 705/26, 705/14, 705/39, 705/40, 705/42
• US Class Current: 235/375
• 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 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus provides a consumer means to access a digital receipt generated as a result of a purchase transaction and stored in a storage device. Additionally, the consumer is provided the means to access various applications, features, and/or functions related to the stored digital receipt. An address of the stored digital receipt is provided to the consumer in machine-readable form, preferably on a paper receipt for the purchase transaction that corresponds to the digital receipt for the particular purchase transaction. The address in machine-readable form allows the consumer to access the stored digital receipt by a machine operable to read the machine-readable form and connectable to the storage device. The address also allows the consumer to access applications, programs, features, and/or functions related to the stored digital receipt. Such applications include, without being exhaustive, verification for purchases, verification for credits (return of merchandise), and frequent shopper points.

Claims

1. A system for allowing a party to a purchase transaction access to a stored digital receipt for the purchase transaction and a retail application relating to the purchase transaction comprising:

a retail terminal in communication with an electronic network;

a printer associated with said retail terminal and operative to print a network address in a machine readable form; and

an addressable storage medium in communication with the electronic network, the addressable storage medium operative to store a digital receipt at a particular storage address corresponding to a particular storage location in said addressable storage medium, and having a plurality of user-operable retail applications relating to the purchase transaction;

the retail terminal operative to;

(i) produce a digital receipt corresponding to a purchase transaction;

(ii) store the produced digital receipt in the addressable storage medium;

(iii) obtain a storage address for the stored digital receipt; and

(iv) print a network address consisting of the storage address of the digital receipt and an access address for the user-operable retail applications in the machine-readable form.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said addressable storage medium comprises a data warehouse.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electronic network comprises the Internet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable form comprises a bar code.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said printer is operable to print the network address in the machine-readable form on a paper receipt corresponding to the purchase transaction.

6. A retail system comprising:

a retail terminal;

a printer in communication with said retail terminal; and

a data warehouse in communication with said retail terminal, the data warehouse operative to store digital receipts received from said retail terminal, and having a plurality of user-operable retail applications pertaining to the stored digital receipts, the data warehouse further in communication with a network and accessible thereby via a remote terminal;

the retail terminal operative to produce a digital receipt upon completion of a purchase transaction, provide the digital receipt to the data warehouse obtain a storage address for the provided digital receipt, and provide the storage address to the printer; and

the printer operative to print, in machine-readable form, a network address consisting of the storage address and an access address for the plurality of user-operable retail applications, the network address providing a user access, over the network via the remote terminal operative to read the network address, the stored digital receipt in the addressable storage medium and the plurality of user-operable retail applications.

7. The retail system of claim 6, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

8. The retail system of claim 6, wherein the machine-readable form comprises a bar code.

9. The retail system of claim 6, wherein the printer is operative to print the network address in the machine-readable form on a paper receipt corresponding to the purchase transaction and the digital receipt.

10. The retail system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of user-operable retail applications comprises a purchase item verification application, a purchase item credit verification application, and a frequent shopping points verification application.

11. A retail method comprising:

providing a retail terminal in communication with an electronic network;

providing a printer associated with the retail terminal and operative to print a network address in a machine readable form;

providing an addressable storage medium in communication with the electronic network, the addressable storage medium operative to store a digital receipt at a particular storage address corresponding to a particular storage location in said addressable storage medium, and having a plurality of user-operable retail applications relating to the purchase transaction;

producing a digital receipt corresponding to a purchase transaction;

storing the produced digital receipt in the addressable storage medium;

obtaining a storage address for the stored digital receipt; and

printing a network address consisting of the storage address of the digital receipt and an access address for the user-operable retail applications in the machine-readable form.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the machine-readable form comprises a bar code.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the printer is operative to print the network address in the machine-readable form on a paper receipt corresponding to the purchase transaction and the digital receipt.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of user-operable retail applications comprises a purchase item verification application, a purchase item credit verification application, and a frequent shopping points verification application.