Use of sound to authenticate and enable a return with an electronic receipt

• US 8,639,577 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): AN, IG TAI
• Application Number:
  US13/563,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/17, 705/30
• US Class Current: 705/16
• 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 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device

Abstract

A method is disclosed for authenticating and enabling returns at a physical store location and based off of an electronic receipt. The electronic receipt may be viewed on a mobile electronic device with electronic receipts software thereon. The electronic receipts software may use sound recordings to verify whether a customer is present at a returns terminal at a physical store location. The electronic receipts software may recode particular sounds or ambient noise at a returns POS terminal and analyze and compare this sound recording against known sounds to determine whether a customer is present at a returns POS terminal. The electronic returns software may prevent the customer from accessing returns features if the customer is not at a returns terminal and allow the customer to access returns features if the customer is at a returns terminal.

Claims

1. At a mobile electronic device, the mobile electronic device including a processor and system memory, a method for returning a purchased item at a store location, the method comprising:

opening electronic receipts software in response to user input, the electronic receipts software including item return functionality for selecting items for return to store locations, the return functionality disabled upon opening the electronic receipts software;

selecting an electronic receipt stored on the mobile electronic device in response to additional user input, the electronic receipt identifying one or more purchased items;

sampling ambient noise;

the processor analyzing the ambient noise at the mobile electronic device to determine that the mobile electronic device is in the vicinity of a returns POS terminal;

enabling the return functionality of the electronic receipts software in response to determining that the mobile electronic device is within the vicinity of the returns POS terminal;

selecting at least one item for return at the store location in response to further user input subsequent to enabling the return functionality, the at least one item selected from among the identified one or more purchased items;

indicating the selected at least one item for entry at the returns POS terminal; and

receiving an updated electronic receipt, the updated electronic receipt representing the status of the at least one item as returned.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising recording the ambient noise.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a fast Fourier transform on the ambient noise to covert the ambient noise sample to frequency domain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the ambient noise to determine that the mobile electronic device is in the vicinity of a returns POS terminal comprises comparing the ambient noise to one or more noise standards to determine whether the ambient noise is indicative of a returns POS terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the ambient noise to determine that the mobile electronic device is in the vicinity of a returns POS terminal comprises analyzing the ambient noise to determine whether sound from a POS terminal is present.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein comparing the ambient noise to one or more noise standards to determine whether the ambient noise is indicative of a returns POS terminal comprises comparing the ambient noise to a predetermined noise for the returns POS terminal to determine whether the predetermined noise is present.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sampling ambient noise comprises sampling a predetermined sound specifically used to identify a returns POS terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, the mobile electronic device further including a microphone and wherein sampling ambient noise comprises using the microphone to sample ambient noise.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein sampling a predetermined sound specifically used to identify a returns POS terminal comprises sampling a predetermined sound that is inaudible to humans.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one item for return at the store location in response to further user input comprises selecting the at least one item for return at the store location in response to user input on a touch screen of the mobile electronic device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to select at least one item for return at the store location in response to further user input comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to select the at least one item for return at the store location in response to user input on a touch screen of the mobile electronic device.

11. A computer program product for use at a mobile electronic device, the computer program product for implementing a method for returning a purchased item at a store location, the computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the mobile electronic device to perform the method, including the following:

open electronic receipts software in response to user input, the electronic receipts software including item return functionality for selecting items for return to store locations, the return functionality disabled upon opening the electronic receipts software;

select an electronic receipt stored on the mobile electronic device in response to additional user input, the electronic receipt identifying one or more purchased items;

sample ambient noise;

analyze the ambient noise at the mobile electronic device to determine that the mobile electronic device is in the vicinity of a returns POS terminal;

enable the return functionality of the electronic receipts software in response to determining that the mobile electronic device is within the vicinity of the returns POS terminal;

select at least one item for return at the store location in response to further user input subsequent to enabling the return functionality, the at least one item selected from among the identified one or more purchased items;

indicate the selected at least one item for entry at the returns POS terminal; and

receive an updated electronic receipt, the updated electronic receipt representing the status of the at least one item as returned.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to record the ambient noise.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to perform a fast Fourier transform on the ambient noise to covert the ambient noise sample to frequency domain.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to analyze the ambient noise to determine that the mobile electronic device is in the vicinity of a returns POS terminal comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to compare the ambient noise to one or more noise standards to determine if the ambient noise is indicative of a returns POS terminal.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to compare the ambient noise to one or more noise standards to determine Whether the ambient noise is indicative of a returns POS terminal comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to comparing the ambient noise to a predetermined noise for the returns POS terminal to determine whether the predetermined noise is present.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to analyze the ambient noise to determine that the mobile electronic device is in the vicinity of a returns POS terminal comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to analyze the ambient noise to determine whether sound from a POS terminal is present.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to sample ambient noise comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to sample a predetermined sound specifically used to identify a returns POS terminal.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to sample a predetermined sound specifically used to identify a returns POS terminal comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to sample a predetermined sound that is inaudible to humans.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, the mobile electronic device further including a microphone and wherein computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to sample ambient noise comprise computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the mobile electronic device to use the microphone to sample ambient noise.