Enhanced mobile application for assisting users at a point of transaction

• US 9,026,461 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Calman, Matthew A., Ross, Erik Stephen, Thomas, Susan Smith, Lee, Jooyong, Fang, Zhenshuo, Mulholland, James, Kiu, Brendan, Tan, Nastasha
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Florian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US13/355,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 705/18
• US Class Current: 705/18
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/001 Teaching or communicating with blind persons G09B21/02 - G09B21/06 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include systems, methods, and computer-program products that provide for an enhanced mobile application for assisting users at a point-of-transaction (POT). In one embodiment of the invention the POT assistance application program may determines that a user is conducting a transaction with a merchant. The user may utilize a user device to assist in the transaction. First, the user device may be paired with a POT system, such as a cash register. Once the devices are paired a communication link is created that allows the user to audibly and/or visually monitor the transaction using the user device. Furthermore, the user may flag an item for review during the transaction, silence the transaction, receive a subtotal for the transaction, select a payment method, or complete the transaction using the POT assistance application program.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a user at a point-of-transaction, the method comprising:

receiving an indication that the user is initiating a transaction at a point-of-transaction device, wherein the indication is received from a mobile device associated with the user;

activating a mobile application that is present on the mobile device prior to initiating the transaction, wherein the mobile application is activated by recognizing that the user is at or near the point-of-transaction device;

providing an authorization request to the mobile device, wherein the authorization request is recognizable by a point-of-transaction device at the point-of-transaction;

confirming authorization based on an indication that the authorization request was presented and recognized by the point-of-transaction device, wherein presenting and recognizing the authorization request includes pairing the mobile device with the point-of-transaction device;

linking the mobile application with the point-of-transaction device, wherein the linking is based at least in part on the confirmed authorization, and wherein the linking of the mobile application with the point-of-transaction further comprises communicably linking the mobile device and the point-of-transaction device;

communicating, via a computing device processor, the transaction to the user, wherein the communication is provided to the user through the mobile application such that the user receives an audio communication of information associated with each product of the transaction in real-time during the transaction, wherein the information associated with each product includes a name of the product and a price of the product, wherein the communication further provides an audible notification of the initiation and completion of the transaction;

allowing communication segments of the audio communication to be flagged for later review by the user via the mobile device wherein each communication segment correlates to the audio communication of information associated with one product of the transaction, wherein allowing communication segments to be flagged further comprises allowing the user to flag segments of the communication of a transaction for further investigation of the product associated with that segment of the communication, wherein the communication segment is flagged to allow the user and merchant to review the one product of the transaction associated with that communication segment to confirm a price and type of product prior to completing the transaction;

providing an audio communication of a subtotal for the transaction at one or more points during the transaction;

providing a plurality of payment options to the user for payment for the transaction, wherein the plurality of payment options are presented to the user via the mobile device;

allowing providing or silencing of the audio communication of information associated with each product of the transaction, allowing flagging of communication segments, and allowing audio communications of subtotals for the transaction at one or more points during the transaction based on a different user gesture to control each function, wherein the user gesture is a directional movement of the mobile device; and

providing an indication that the transaction has been completed using one of the plurality of payment options provided to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication that the user is initiating a transaction using the mobile device further comprises receiving a near-field communication to activate a mobile application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein activating the mobile application via near-field communication is based on a near-field communication access token initiating the activation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the authorization request further comprises providing a barcode to the mobile device, wherein the barcode is scanned at the point-of-transaction to confirm authorization.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a selected payment device from the plurality of payment options to the point-of-transaction to complete the transaction.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the user to navigate the mobile application using command gestures.

7. A system for assisting a user at a point-of-transaction, the system comprising:

a memory device;

a communication device; and

a processing device operatively coupled to the memory device and the communication device, wherein the processing device is configured to execute computer-readable program code to;

receive an indication that the user is initiating a transaction at a point-of-transaction device, wherein the indication is received from a mobile device associated with the user;

activate a mobile application that is present on the mobile device prior to initiating the transaction, wherein the mobile application is activated by recognizing that the user is at or near the point-of-transaction device;

provide an authorization request to the mobile device, wherein the authorization request is recognizable by a point-of-transaction device at the point-of-transaction;

confirming authorization based on the authorization request being presented and recognized by the point-of-transaction device, wherein presenting and recognizing the authorization request includes pairing the mobile device with the point-of-transaction device;

link the mobile application with the point-of-transaction device, wherein the linking is based at least in part on the confirmed authorization, and wherein the linking of the mobile application with the point-of-transaction further comprises communicably linking the mobile device and the point-of-transaction device;

communicate the transaction to the user, wherein the communication is provided to the user through the mobile application such that the user receives an audio communication of information associated with each product of the transaction in real-time during the transaction, wherein the information associated with each product includes a name of the product and a price of the product, wherein the communication further provides an audible notification of the initiation and completion of the transaction;

allow communication segments of the audio communication to be flagged for later review by the user via the mobile device wherein each communication segment correlates to the audio communication of information associated with one product of the transaction, wherein allowing communication segments to be flagged further comprises allowing the user to flag segments of the communication of a transaction for further investigation of the product associated with that segment of the communication, wherein the communication segment is flagged to allow the user and merchant to review the one product of the transaction associated with that communication segment to confirm a price and type of product prior to completing the transaction;

provide an audio communication of a subtotal for the transaction at one or more points during the transaction;

provide a plurality of payment options to the user to select for payment for the transaction via the mobile device;

allow providing or silencing of the audio communication of information associated with each product of the transaction, allowing flagging of communication segments, and allowing audio communications of subtotals for the transaction at one or more points during the transaction based on a different user gesture to control each function, wherein the user gesture is a directional movement of the mobile device; and

provide the user a confirmation that the transaction has been completed using the user selection payment option.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein receiving an indication that the user is initiating a transaction using the mobile device further comprises receiving a near-field communication to activate a mobile application.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein activating the mobile application via near-field communication is based on a near-field communication access token initiating the activation.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein providing the authorization request further comprises providing a barcode to the mobile device, wherein the barcode is scanned at the point-of-transaction to confirm authorization.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing device is further configured to provide a selected payment device from the plurality of payment options to the point-of-transaction to complete the transaction.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing device is further configured to allow the user to navigate the mobile application using command gestures.

13. A computer program product for assisting a user at a point-of-transaction, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code portions embodied therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured for receiving an indication that the user is initiating a transaction at a point-of-transaction device, wherein the indication is received from a mobile device associated with the user;

an executable portion configured for activating a mobile application that is present on the mobile device prior to initiating the transaction, wherein the mobile application is activated by recognizing that the user is at or near the point-of-transaction device;

an executable portion configured for providing an authorization request to the mobile device, wherein the authorization request is recognizable by a point-of-transaction device at the point-of-transaction;

an executable portion configured for confirming authorization based on the authorization request being presented and recognized by the point-of-transaction device, wherein presenting and recognizing the authorization request includes pairing the mobile device with the point-of-transaction device;

an executable portion configured for linking the mobile application with the point-of-transaction device, wherein the linking is based at least in part on the confirmed authorization, and wherein the linking of the mobile application with the point-of-transaction further comprises communicably linking the mobile device and the point-of-transaction device;

an executable portion configured for communicating the transaction to the user, wherein the communication is provided to the user through the mobile application such that the user receives an audio communication of information associated with each product of the transaction in real-time during the transaction, wherein the information associated with each product includes a name of the product and a price of the product, wherein the communication further provides an audible notification of the initiation and completion of the transaction;

an executable portion configured for allowing communication segments of the audio communication to be flagged for later review by the user via the mobile device wherein each communication segment correlates to the audio communication of information associated with one product of the transaction, wherein allowing communication segments to be flagged further comprises allowing the user to flag segments of the communication of a transaction for further investigation of the product associated with that segment of the communication, wherein the communication segment is flagged to allow the user and merchant to review the one product of the transaction associated with that communication segment to confirm a price and type of product prior to completing the transaction;

an executable portion configured for providing an audio communication of a subtotal for the transaction at one or more points during the transaction;

an executable portion configured for providing a plurality of payment options to the user to select for payment for the transaction via the mobile device;

an executable portion configured for allowing providing or silencing of the audio communication of information associated with each product of the transaction, allowing flagging of communication segments, and allowing audio communications of subtotals for the transaction at one or more points during the transaction based on a different user gesture to control each function, wherein the user gesture is a directional movement of the mobile device; and

an executable portion configured for providing the user a confirmation that the transaction has been completed using the user selection payment option.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein receiving an indication that the user is initiating a transaction using the mobile device further comprises receiving a near-field communication to activate a mobile application.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein activating the mobile application via near-field communication is based on a near-field communication access token initiating the activation.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein providing the authorization request further comprises providing a barcode to the mobile device, wherein the barcode is scanned at the point-of-transaction to confirm authorization.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprises an executable portion for providing a selected payment device from the plurality of payment options to the point-of-transaction to complete the transaction.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable program code portions further comprises an executable portion for allowing the user to navigate the mobile application using command gestures.