Point of sale transaction processing

• US 8,818,872 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Sullivan, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARIKH, HARSHAD R
• Application Number:
  US11/936,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20090119181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,484 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17, 705/39
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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 20/20 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 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A disclosed transaction processing method includes transmitting a request to a credit aggregator in response to a message from a point of sale device to a wireless communication device of a user. Responsive to receiving credit account information from the credit aggregator, a user interface indicative of at least some of the credit account information including account identification information for a plurality of user credit accounts is displayed. Responsive to detecting a user selecting one of the plurality of credit accounts, credit account information is transmitted to the point of sale device. The request may include information identifying the user. The message from the point of sale device may indicate a price associated with the transaction. The credit account information may include available credit information, current balance information, closing date information, payment date information, annual percentage rate information, and so forth.

Claims

1. A transaction processing method, comprising:

receiving, by a wireless communication device associated with a user, a subtotal message, generated by a point of sale device, wherein the subtotal message indicates that a total dollar amount of multiple items included in a purchasing transaction has been recognized by the point of sale device;

responsive to receiving the subtotal message, transmitting a request for credit account information to a credit aggregator;

responsive to receiving the credit account information from the credit aggregator, displaying a user interface indicative of at least some of the credit account information including account identification information for a plurality of user credit accounts; and

responsive to detecting a user selecting a first credit account from the plurality of user credit accounts, transmitting automatically, by the processor of the wireless communication device, account identification information for the first credit account directly to the point of sale device for completion of the purchasing transaction at the time of purchase;

wherein the credit account information includes closing date information, indicative of an ending date of a current billing period, for the plurality of user credit accounts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the credit account information includes interest rate information for the plurality of user credit accounts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the credit account information includes payment date information for the plurality of user credit accounts.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the credit account information includes interest rate information for the plurality of user credit accounts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the credit account information includes current balance information for the plurality of user credit accounts.

6. A transaction processing method, comprising:

responsive to receiving a request from a wireless communication device of a user at a time of a purchase associated with a point of sale device, the request, sent in response to a subtotal message indicating a total dollar amount for multiple items, containing information indicative of the user'"'"'s identity, retrieving credit account information for a plurality of user credit accounts associated with the user, the credit account information including payment due date information for the plurality of user credit accounts, closing date information, indicative of an ending date of a current billing period, and interest rate information for the plurality of user credit accounts; and

transmitting at least some of the credit account information to the wireless communication device at the time of purchase.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the credit account information includes information indicating reward information for the plurality of user credit accounts.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein retrieving the credit account information comprises contacting a credit source associated with a particular credit account to obtain real time credit account information for the particular credit account.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request via a cellular transmission protocol associated with the wireless communication device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the credit account information includes credit balance information, credit available information, and closing date information from each of the plurality of user credit accounts.

11. A wireless communication device suitable for use within a transaction processing system, comprising:

a processor;

computer readable storage accessible to the processor; and

a wireless module enabling wireless communication;

wherein the storage includes processor executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

responsive to receiving, from a point of sale device at a time of purchase, a subtotal message, wherein the subtotal message that indicates a total dollar amount of multiple items included in a purchasing transaction has been recognized by the point of sale device, wirelessly transmitting a request for credit account information to each of a plurality of credit sources available to the user;

responsive to receiving the credit account information from the credit sources, displaying a user interface indicative of at least some of the credit account information including account identification information for a plurality of user credit accounts; and

responsive to the user selecting, from the user interface, a first user credit account, transmitting credit account information associated with the first user credit account directly to the point of sale device;

wherein the credit account information includes closing date information, indicative of an ending date of a current billing period, for the plurality of user credit accounts.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein transmitting the requests for credit account information comprises transmitting the requests in compliance with a cellular transmission protocol.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the credit account information includes available credit information.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein the credit account information includes payment due date information.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 11, wherein displaying the user interface includes a table wherein each row in the table corresponds to one of the plurality of user credit accounts and wherein the table includes a column corresponding to each of a group of parameters wherein the group of parameters includes:

current balance, available credit, closing date, payment due date, and interest rate.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the group of parameters includes a credit reward parameter and the table includes a credit reward column.

17. A credit aggregator, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium, accessible to the processor, including processor—

executable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

responding to receiving, from a wireless communication device associated with a user, a request for credit information wherein the request, sent in response to a subtotal message indicating a total dollar amount for multiple items, includes information indicative of a subtotal for a plurality of items included in a purchasing transaction at a time of purchase by obtaining real time available credit information associated with each of a set of credit accounts associated with the user; and

transmitting the available credit information to the user to facilitate payment for the transaction at the time of purchase, wherein the available credit information includes payment due date information, closing date information, indicative of an ending date of a current billing period, and interest rate information for each of the credit accounts.

18. The credit aggregator of claim 17, wherein the credit aggregator is hosted on a mobile communication switch operably connected to the wireless communication device via a cellular base station and wherein the credit aggregator is connected via a computer network to a credit source associated with at least one of the credit accounts.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the credit account information includes real time information indicative of:

a current balance, available credit, closing date, payment due date, and interest rate associated with each of the plurality of user credit accounts.

20. A wireless communication device suitable for use within a transaction processing system, comprising:

a processor;

computer readable storage accessible to the processor; and

a wireless module enabling wireless communication;

wherein the storage includes processor executable program instructions, that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

responsive to receiving, from a point of sale device at a time of purchase, a subtotal message indicating a dollar amount of multiple items included in a purchasing transaction, wirelessly transmitting, to a credit aggregator, a message including the dollar amount and requesting credit account information;

responsive to receiving, from the credit aggregator, the credit account information for a plurality of user credit accounts, displaying a user interface indicative of at least some of the credit account information including account identification information for a plurality of user credit accounts; and

responsive to detecting user selection, from the user interface, of a first user credit account, transmitting credit account information associated with the first user credit account directly to the point of sale device;

wherein the credit account information includes closing date information, indicative of an ending date of a current billing period, for the plurality of user credit accounts.