Purchasing transaction support system

• US 8,589,259 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kunieda, Shigetoshi, Watanabe, Naoki, Ono, Yasuhiro, Okada, Toru, Tsujimoto, Syuichi, Nambu, Kazuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/074,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20080222001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,086 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A portable communication terminal requests merchandise information from a store management apparatus, by using store identity information about a store where a purchasing transaction is made, and merchandise information about merchandise to be purchased. The store management apparatus has a merchandise information storage configured to store merchandise information including a price of merchandise to be sold in each store. The store management apparatus receives a merchandise information request from a portable communication terminal, retrieves a merchandise information storage, detects merchandise information matching a retrieval condition, and sends the merchandise information to the request source, i.e., the portable communication terminal. The portable communication terminal displays merchandise information sent from the store management apparatus in a display.

Claims

1. A purchasing transaction support system comprising a portable communication terminal, and a store management apparatus to receive and execute a request from the portable communication terminal through a network,

wherein the portable communication terminal comprises a store identity information storage configured to store information to identify each store;

an input unit configured to input merchandise identity information to identify merchandise to be purchased;

a merchandise information request unit configured to request merchandise information from the store management apparatus through the network, by using the merchandise identity information and store identity information as retrieval conditions;

a store information receiving unit configured to receive information sent from the store management apparatus through the network;

a merchandise information display configured to display merchandise information, when the store information receiving unit receives the merchandise information,

the store management apparatus comprises a merchandise information storage configured to store merchandise information including a price of merchandise sold in each store;

a terminal request receiving unit configured to receive a request from the portable communication terminal through the network;

a merchandise information detector configured to retrieve the merchandise information storage, and detect merchandise information about merchandise identified by merchandise identity information included in the merchandise information request, including a price in a store identified by the store identity information included in the request, each time the terminal request receiving unit receives the request;

a merchandise information sending unit configured to send the merchandise information detected by the merchandise information detector, to the portable communication terminal through the network;

wherein the portable communication terminal further comprises a store identity information acquisition unit configured to acquire the store identity information about a store where a purchasing transaction is made, and the store identity information acquired by the store identity information acquisition unit is stored in the store identity information storage;

a store terminal provided in each said store, the store terminal comprises a communication unit configured to communicate with the portable communication terminal;

a store identity information setting unit configured to set the store identity information;

a store identity information sending unit configured to send the store identity information set in the store identity information setting unit, to the portable communication terminal through the communication unit;

the portable communication terminal further comprises a store identity information receiving unit configured to receive store identity information sent from the store terminal;

the store identity information acquisition unit acquires store identity information received by the store identity information receiving unit;

wherein the portable communication terminal is configured to conduct close-range radio communication with the store terminal;

the portable communication terminal possesses a request command sender for sending a request command of store information to the store terminal after the portable communication terminal arrives at the store, radio communication between the portable communication terminal and the store terminal is initiated by the request command, the request command is without merchandise information; and

the store terminal possesses a request command receiver for receiving the request command from the portable communication terminal.

2. The purchasing transaction support system according to claim 1, wherein the portable communication terminal further comprises a present location calculation unit configured to calculate a present location based on a radio wave received from a Global Positioning System satellite;

a store identity information request unit configured to request store identity information from the store management apparatus through the network, by using present location information calculated by the present location calculation unit as a retrieval condition,

the store management apparatus further comprises a store information storage configured to store present location information about a store, corresponding to store identity information about said each store;

a store identity information detector configured to retrieve the store information storage, and detect store identity information about a store whose address is nearest to a present location indicated by present location information included in the store identity information request, each time the terminal request receiving unit receives the request;

a store identity information sending unit configured to send store identity information detected by the store identity information detector, to the request source portable communication terminal through the network, and

the store identity information acquisition unit of the portable communication terminal acquires store identity information received by the store information receiving unit.

3. The purchasing transaction support system according to claim 1, wherein a payment terminal is provided in said each store,

the portable communication terminal further comprises a purchaser identity information storage configured to store information to identify a purchaser;

a merchandise purchase acceptance unit configured to determine whether to accept purchase of merchandise displayed in the merchandise information display; and

a purchase processing request unit configured to request a purchase processing from the store management apparatus through the network, when purchase of merchandise is accepted by the merchandise purchase acceptance unit, by using purchased merchandise information including a price and merchandise information about the merchandise, purchaser identity information stored in the purchaser identity information storage, and store identity information stored in the store identity information storage, as requirements, and

the store management apparatus further comprises a payment request receiving unit configured to receive a request from the payment terminal through the network;

a shopping information storage configured to store purchased merchandise information, purchaser identity information and store identity information included in the purchase processing request, each time the terminal request receiving unit receives the request;

a purchased merchandise information detector configured to retrieve the shopping information storage by using purchaser identity information and store identity information included in a purchased merchandise information request, and detect purchased merchandise information matching the purchaser identity information and store identity information, each time the payment request receiving unit receives the request; and

a purchased merchandise information sending unit configured to send the purchased merchandise information detected by the purchased merchandise information detector, to the payment terminal through the network, and

the payment terminal comprises a store identity information setting unit configured to set the store identity information;

a purchaser identity information take-in unit configured to take in the purchaser identity information from the portable communication terminal;

a purchased merchandise information request unit configured to request purchased merchandise information from the store management apparatus through the network, by using purchaser identity information taken in by the purchaser identity information take-in unit and store identity information set in the store identity information setting unit, as requirements;

a purchased merchandise information receiving unit configured to receive purchased merchandise information sent from the store management apparatus through the network; and

a payment processing unit configured to pay for a purchasing transaction based on purchased merchandise information received by the purchased merchandise information receiving unit.

4. The purchasing transaction support system according to claim 3, wherein the store management apparatus further comprises a purchase history storage configured to stack purchased merchandise information, purchaser identity information, and store identity information stored in the shopping information storage;

a historical store information extraction unit configured to retrieve the purchase history storage, and extract all store identity information stored in being related to purchaser identity information included in a historical store information request, each time the terminal request receiving unit receives the request;

a historical store information sending unit configured to send store identity information extracted by the historical store information extraction unit, to the request source portable communication terminal through the network,

the portable communication terminal further comprises a historical store information request unit configured to request historical store information from the store management apparatus through the network, by using purchaser identity information stored in the purchaser identity information storage, as a retrieval condition;

a list display configured to display a list of stored identity information, when the store identity information is received by the store information receiving unit; and

a store selection unit configured to select any one of the store identity information in the list displayed in the list display, and the store identity information acquisition unit acquires store identity information selected by the store selection unit.

5. A portable communication terminal to perform communication with a server through a network, comprising:

a store identity information acquisition unit configured to acquire store identity information about a store where a purchasing transaction is made;

a store identity information storage configured to store identity information acquired by the store identity information acquisition unit;

an input unit configured to input merchandise identity information about merchandise to be purchased;

a merchandise information request unit configured to request merchandise information from the server through the network, by using the merchandise identity information and store identity information, as retrieval conditions;

an information receiving unit configured to receive information sent from the server through the network;

a merchandise information display configured to display merchandise information, when the information receiving unit receives the merchandise information from the server;

a radio communication unit configured to perform radio communication with a store terminal provided in each of a plurality of stores, radio communication between the portable communication terminal and the store terminal is initiated by transmission of a request command for store information from the portable communication terminal to the store terminal after the portable communication terminal arrives at the store, the request command does not include merchandise information, the store identity information acquisition unit acquires store identity information received by the radio communication unit; and

the portable communication terminal is configured to conduct close-range radio communication with the store terminal, the store terminal possesses a request command receiver for receiving the request command from the portable communication terminal.

6. The portable communication terminal according to claim 5, further comprising:

a purchaser identity information storage configured to store purchaser identity information;

a merchandise purchase acceptance unit configured to determine whether to accept purchase of merchandise displayed in the merchandise information display; and

a purchase processing request unit configured to request a purchase processing from the store management apparatus through the network by using purchased merchandise information including a price and information to identify the merchandise, purchaser identity information stored in the purchaser identity information storage, and store identity information stored in the store identity information storage, as requirements, when the merchandise purchase acceptance unit accepts purchase of merchandise.

7. The portable communication terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

a radio communication unit configured to perform radio communication with a payment terminal provided in each store; and

a purchaser identity information sending unit configured to send purchaser identity information stored in the purchaser identity information storage, to a payment terminal through the radio communication unit.

8. The portable communication terminal according to claim 5, further comprising:

a present location calculation unit configured to calculate a present location based on a radio wave received from a Global Positioning System satellite; and

a store identity information request unit configured to request store identity information from the server through the network, by using present location information calculated by the present location calculation unit, as a retrieval condition,

wherein the store identity information acquisition unit acquires store identity information which the information receiving unit receives from the server.

9. A computer-readable program product, which functions a portable communication terminal to perform communication with a server through a network, as a device for a purchasing transaction, realizing the following functions in the portable communication terminal:

a function to acquire store identity information about a store where a purchasing transaction is made with a radio communication unit configured to perform radio communication with a store terminal provided in each store, the radio communication is initiated by a store information request command sent from the portable communication terminal to the store terminal after the portable communication terminal arrives at the store, the store information request command excludes merchandise information, a store identity information acquisition unit acquires store identity information received by the radio communication unit;

a function to conduct close-range radio communication with the store terminal, the store terminal possesses a request command receiver for receiving the store information request command from the portable communication terminal;

a function to store acquired store identity information in a memory of the terminal;

a function to accept an input of merchandise identity information about merchandise to be purchased, from an input unit of the terminal;

a function to request merchandise information from the server through the network, by using the merchandise identity information and store identity information as retrieval conditions; and

a function to display merchandise information in a display of the terminal, when the merchandise information is received from the server through the network.

10. The program product according to claim 9, further realizing following functions in the portable communication terminal:

a function to store purchaser identity information in the memory;

a function to determine whether to accept purchase of merchandise displayed on the display, and

a function to request a purchase processing from the server through the network by using purchased merchandise information including a price and merchandise information about the merchandise, and purchaser identity information and store identity information stored in the memory, as requirements, when purchase of merchandise is accepted.