Digital receipt generation from information electronically read from product

• US 7,742,989 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Afterbot Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Afterbot Incorporated
• Inventors: Schultz, Roger Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Havan, Thu Thao
• Application Number:
  US10/153,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20020188561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,953 Days
• Field of Search: 705 39- 40
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0837 Return transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

In connection with a sales transaction, product information is directly collected from the product provided with a label or tag that can be electronically scanned by, for example, optical scanning technology or radio-frequency scanning technology. The product information is electronically provided to the buyer in the form of an electronic receipt.

Claims

1. A system for collecting product information, comprising:

a. a database for storing a plurality of sales transactions between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers, wherein each of the plurality of sales transactions is associated with a product that is purchased by a buyer of the plurality of buyers from a seller of the plurality of sellers, and includes product information associated with the product;

b. a device for collecting selected product information directly from a selected product, wherein the selected product is associated with a selected sales transaction; and

c. a processor for;

i. storing the selected product information and selected sales transaction in the database, as one of the plurality of sales transactions; and

ii. transmitting the selected product information to the seller associated with the selected sales transaction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected product information comprises a unique serial number associated with the selected product.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further performs the step of transmitting the selected product information to the buyer associated with the selected sales transaction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the collecting device comprises a bar code scanner.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the collecting device comprises an optical scanner.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the collecting device comprises a radio frequency receiver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the collecting device comprises an electronic tag reader.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the device collects the selected product information from a packaging associated with the selected product.

9. A method for collecting product information, comprising the steps of:

a. storing a plurality of sales transactions between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers in a database, wherein each of the plurality of sales transactions is associated with a product that is purchased by a buyer of the plurality of buyers from a seller of the plurality of sellers, and includes product information associated with the product;

b. collecting selected product information directly from a selected product, wherein the selected product is associated with a selected sales transaction; and

c. storing the selected product information and selected sales transaction in the database, as one of the plurality of sales transactions; and

d. transmitting the selected product information to the seller associated with the selected sales transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected product information comprises a unique serial number associated with the selected product.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of transmitting the selected product information to the buyer associated with the selected sales transaction.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected product information is collected using a bar code scanner.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected product information is collected using an optical scanner.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected product information comprises a bar code.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected product information comprises an optically-readable code.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected product information is collected using a radio frequency receiver.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected product information is collected using an electronic tag reader.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the selected product information is collected from a packaging associated with the selected product.

19. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for collecting product information, the method comprising the steps of:

a. storing a plurality of sales transactions between a plurality of buyers and a plurality of sellers in a database, wherein each of the plurality of sales transactions is associated with a product that is purchased by a buyer of the plurality of buyers from a seller of the plurality of sellers, and includes product information associated with the product;

b. collecting selected product information directly from a selected product, wherein the selected product is associated with a selected sales transaction; and

c. storing the selected product information and selected sales transaction in the database, as one of the plurality of sales transactions; and

d. transmitting the selected product information to the seller associated with the selected sales transaction.