Point of sale network router

• US 8,548,859 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spendgo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Spendgo, Inc.
• Inventors: Matkovic, Ivan Antony
• Primary Examiner(s): Ade, Garcia
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US12/692,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20110184822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 705/18
• US Class Current: 705/18
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for routing data. A device is provided that includes a first data port configured to be coupled to a printer port of a point of sale system, a second data port configured to be coupled to a remote system, an optional third data port configured to be coupled to a printer, and a computing device configured to receive, via the first data port, printer control codes and receipt data from the point of sale system printer port, transmit at least a portion of the receipt data to the remote system, and optionally transmit at least a portion of the printer control codes and receipt data to the printer.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of processing printer data, comprising:

receiving raw data for generating a receipt, the raw data configured to control a printer to print the receipt using a first format, the receipt corresponding to a purchase made at a seller point of sale system by a purchaser, wherein the raw data for generating the receipt includes;

(a1) printer commands including printer formattin commands; and

(a2) receipt data, the receipt data including;

(a2i) receipt variable data, including at least a currency amount;

(a2ii) receipt label data associated with at least a portion of the receipt variable data;

receiving an identifier and identifying an account associated with the seller and/or identifying an account associated with the purchaser;

parsing, by a computer processing system including at least one processing device, the raw data, including the printer commands, the receipt variable data, and the receipt label data, for generating the receipt, to distinguish receipt variable data from the printer commands included in the raw data;

storing in a non-transitory computer readable medium at least a portion of the receipt variable data, parsed from the raw data, configured to control the printer to print the receipt, in a receipt database in association with;

(b1) the account associated with the seller, and/or

(b2) the account associated with the purchaser; and

providing access over a network to at least a portion of the stored receipt variable data, parsed from the raw data, using a second format different than the first format to a user.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

parsing the raw data to identify receipt label data, including at least a tax-related label and a total-related label, using a regular expression, position information, a printer format specific program, and/or a lookup table; and

providing the purchaser with access to at least a portion of the parsed receipt label data,

wherein the raw data, configured to control the printer, is generated at the point of sale system and at least a portion of the printer information is transmitted over a network to a remote system configured to store at least the portion of the receipt variable data.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising parsing the raw data to identify:

printer control codes; and

receipt label data.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

parsing the raw data to identify receipt label data; and

providing the purchaser with access to at least a portion of the parsed receipt label data.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising parsing the printer information to identify receipt variable data, receipt label data, and/or printer commands using:

a regular expression;

position information;

a printer format specific program; and

/or

a lookup table.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising parsing the raw data to identify receipt variable data, receipt label data, and/or printer commands using character recognition.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising receiving and storing receipt data parsed from raw data from a plurality of point of sale devices of the seller.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of identifying an account associated with the purchaser is performed, at least in part, using data parsed from the printer information raw data.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising intercepting the raw data, configured to control the printer, at a device connected to the point of sale system and to the printer, wherein the point of sale system generates the printer information raw data.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising:

intercepting the raw data, configured to control the printer, at a device connected to the point of sale system and to the printer, wherein the point of sale system generates the raw data;

inserting auxiliary information in the raw data; and

transmitting the raw data, including the auxiliary information, to the printer.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the raw data, configured to control the printer, is generated at the point of sale system and at least a portion of the raw data is transmitted by the point of sale system over a network to a remote system configured to store at least the portion of the receipt variable data.

12. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the raw data is generated at the point of sale system, the method further comprising receiving the raw data from the point of sale system at a remote system, wherein the remote system performs at least a portion of the act of parsing the raw data to identify one or more types of receipt data.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, the method further comprising providing a user interface for display on a first terminal associated with the purchaser, the user interface including a summary of at least a portion of the receipt data included in the raw data.

14. The method as defined claim 1, the method further comprising preventing at least a portion of the receipt data from being received by the printer.

15. The method as defined claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving the identifier, the identifier associated with the purchaser, from the point of sale system, wherein the first identifier is included in or is in association with the printer commands and receipt data, wherein the identifier includes a portion of a purchaser credit card number, a purchaser name, a purchaser phone number, and/or a personal identifier number.

16. The method as defined claim 1, the method further comprising:

receiving the identifier, the identifier associated with the purchaser from a credit card reader in association with at least a portion of the raw data.

17. The method as defined claim 1, wherein the label data includes field names corresponding to at least:

tax,

total,

date,

merchant name;

and the receipt variable data includes at least;

a tax amount,

a total purchase amount,

a purchase date,

a name of the seller.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processing device;

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, that when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving raw data for generating a receipt, the raw data configured to control a printer to print the receipt using a first format, the receipt corresponding to a purchase made at a seller point of sale system by a purchaser, wherein the raw data for generating the receipt includes;

printer commands including printer formatting commands; and

receipt data, the receipt data including;

 

receipt variable data, including at least a currency amount;

 

receipt label data associated with at least a portion of the receipt variable data;

receiving an identifier and identifying an account associated with the seller and/or identifying an account associated with the purchaser;

parsing the raw data, including the printer commands, the receipt variable data, and the receipt label data, for generating the receipt, to distinguish receipt variable data from the printer commands included in the raw data;

storing at least a portion of the receipt variable data, parsed from the raw data, configured to control the printer to print the receipt, in a receipt database in association with;

the account associated with the seller, and/or

the account associated with the purchaser; and

providing access over a network to at least a portion of the stored receipt variable data, parsed from the raw data, using a second format different than the first format.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, that when executed by a processing system including at least one processing device, causes the processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving raw data for generating a receipt, the raw data configured to control a printer to print the receipt using a first format, the receipt corresponding to a purchase made at a seller point of sale system by a purchaser, wherein the raw data for generating the receipt includes;

printer commands including printer formatting commands; and

receipt data, the receipt data including;

receipt variable data, including at least a currency amount;

receipt label data associated with at least a portion of the receipt variable data;

receiving an identifier and identifying an account associated with the seller and/or identifying an account associated with the purchaser;

parsing the raw data, including the printer commands, the receipt variable data, and the receipt label data, for generating the receipt, to distinguish receipt variable data from the printer commands included in the raw data;

storing at least a portion of the receipt variable data, parsed from the raw data, configured to control the printer to print the receipt, in a receipt database in association with;

the account associated with the seller, and/or

the account associated with the purchaser; and

providing access over a network to at least a portion of the stored receipt variable data, parsed from the raw data, using a second format different than the first format to a user.

20. A computer implemented method of processing printer data, comprising:

receiving raw data for generating a receipt, the raw data configured to control a printer to print the receipt using a first format, the receipt corresponding to a purchase made at a seller point of sale system by a purchaser, wherein the raw data includes;

printer commands including printer formatting commands; and

receipt data, the receipt data including;

receipt variable data, including at least a currency amount;

receipt label data associated with at least a portion of the receipt variable data;

receiving an identifier and identifying an account associated with the seller and/or identifying an account associated with the purchaser;

parsing, by a computer processing system including at least one processing device, the raw data, including the printer commands, the receipt variable data, and the receipt label data, for generating the receipt, to distinguish different types of data, including at least receipt variable data, included in the raw data;

storing in a non-transitory computer readable medium at least a portion of the parsed receipt data, parsed from the raw data, configured to control the printer to print the receipt, in a receipt database in association with;

the account associated with the seller, and/or

the account associated with the purchaser; and

providing a user interface for display on at least one terminal providing the seller and/or the purchaser with access over a network to at least a portion of the stored receipt data parsed from the raw data, using a second format different than the first format.