Transferring digital receipt data to mobile devices

• US 8,738,454 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• 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): Gart, Matthew S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US13/556,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 705/21, 705/16
• US Class Current: 705/21
• 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 20/20 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products f0r transferring digital receipt data to mobile devices. A point-of-sale (“POS”) system generates digital receipt data as part of a sales transaction. The point-of-sale (“POS”) system and a mobile device, possibly also along with a receipt data server, interoperate with one another to transfer digital receipt data generated to the mobile device. In some embodiments, the point-of-sale (“POS”) system transfers digital receipt data for a sales transaction to the receipt data server. An identifier, such as, for example, an application identifier or transaction identifier, is stored along with the digital receipt data to match the digital receipt data with the mobile device. The mobile device subsequently uses the identifier to access the digital receipt data from the receipt data server. In other embodiments, the point-of-sale (“POS”) system transfers digital receipt data directly to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for enabling the transfer of digital receipt data from a Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system to a mobile device, the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system including one or more processors and system memory, the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system also including a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, the method comprising:

opening a sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system;

in response to opening the sales transaction, collecting digital receipt data for the sales transaction;

one or more processors of the POS computer system executing the Near Field Communication (NFC) module to receive a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload from the mobile device within range of a generated Radio Frequency (RF) field, the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload encoding an application ID associated with and unique to a receipt management application resident at the mobile device;

closing the sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system; and

employing the application ID associated with the receipt management application to link the digital receipt data to the mobile device, the employing comprising;

using the application ID associated with the receipt management application to mark the digital receipt data for the sales transaction as corresponding to the receipt management application; and

sending the marked digital receipt data for the sales transaction to a receipt data server for subsequent retrieval by the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a push notification to the mobile device, the push notification indicating that digital receipt data for the sales transaction is available for retrieval from the receipt data server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the opening the sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system comprises receiving an indication from an I/O peripheral that the sales transaction is to be opened.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting the digital receipt data for the sales transaction, comprises for each of one or more items included in the sales transaction:

receiving an item identifier from a scanned bar code; and

referring to a product database to access item description data and item cost data for the item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the closing the sales transaction at the Point-Of-Sale (POS) computer system comprises receiving an indication from an I/O peripheral that the sales transaction is to be closed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the marked digital receipt data for the sales transaction to the receipt data server comprises sending the marked detail receipt data to a local server that stores receipt data for the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system along with one or more other Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems co-located with the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the marked digital receipt data for the sales transaction to the receipt data server comprises sending the marked detail receipt data to a supervisory system that stores receipt data for a location of the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system and for one or more other locations of Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems.

8. A method for a mobile device to receive digital receipt data from a Point-Of-Sale (POS) system, the mobile device including one or more processors and system memory, the mobile device also including a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, the method comprising:

one or more processors of the mobile device executing the Near Field Communication (NFC) module to transmit a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload to the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system within a Radio Frequency (RF) field range of the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system, the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system handling a sales transaction associated with the mobile device, the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload encoding an application ID associated with and unique to a receipt management application resident at the mobile device;

receiving a push notification, the push notification notifying the mobile device that digital receipt data for the sales transaction is available at a receipt data server, wherein receipt of the push notification is indicative of the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system having received the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload and accepted the application ID associated with the receipt management application;

requesting digital receipt data corresponding to the application ID associated with the receipt management application from the receipt data server; and

receiving, by the receipt management application, the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the receipt data server in response to the request.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the Near Field Communication (NFC) module accessing the application ID associated with the receipt management application from the receipt management application; and

the Near Field Communication (NFC) module encoding the application ID associated with the receipt management application into the Near Field Communication (NFC) tag payload.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the requesting the digital receipt data from the receipt data server comprises requesting the digital receipt data from a local server that stores receipt data for the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system along with one or more other Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems co-located with the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the receipt data server comprises receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the local server.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the requesting the digital receipt data from the receipt data server comprises requesting the digital receipt data from a supervisory system that stores receipt data for a location of the Point-Of-Sale (POS) system and for one or more other locations of Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the receipt data server comprises receiving the digital receipt data for the sales transaction from the supervisory system.

14. A method for enabling the transfer of receipt data from a computer system corresponding to a retailer to a mobile device corresponding to a customer, the method comprising:

initiating, by a processor of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a sales transaction, the POS terminal being a part of the computer system corresponding to the retailer;

collecting, by the POS terminal, the receipt data for the sales transaction;

receiving, by a near-field-communication (NFC) module of the POS terminal, an NFC payload from the mobile device, the NFC payload encoding an application ID associated with and unique to a receipt management application resident at the mobile device;

completing, by the POS terminal, the sales transaction; and

using, by the computer system corresponding to the retailer, the application ID associated with the receipt management application to send a push notification to the mobile device, the push notification indicating that digital receipt data for the sales transaction is available for retrieval.