System and method to purchase applications by a point of sale terminal

• US 9,135,609 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hypercom Corporation (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hypercom Corporation (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boardman, Gregory, Martin, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US12/885,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• Field of Search: 235380-383, 705/16, 705/64
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems

Abstract

A system and method to allow users to purchase software applications for point of sale (POS) terminals from an application server via a network (e.g., the Internet) utilizing the POS terminal itself. One or more menus providing portals to available applications and their respective demonstration applications are provided to users on POS terminals. The demonstration applications may be directly downloaded from the application server onto the POS terminals. In addition, the user is able to purchase the application via the POS terminal either before or after the user has viewed/downloaded the demonstration application. After purchase, the application may be downloaded directly from the application server onto the POS terminal. Further, information associated with the demonstration applications downloaded to each POS terminal may be reported to a manufacturer of each demonstration application.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a point of sale (POS) terminal having access to at least one server computer via a computer network;

the POS terminal providing a user interface configured to receive a request for a specific demonstration application of an application;

the POS terminal being configured to transmit the request to the at least one server computer;

the at least one server computer being configured to determine access to the specific demonstration application based on a terminal identifier of the POS terminal, wherein access is determined based on a class of POS terminals associated with the terminal identifier, said class of POS terminals being determined by a business operating environment of said POS terminal;

the POS terminal being further configured to download from the at least one server computer the specific demonstration application;

the POS terminal being further configured to store the specific demonstration application on a computer memory;

the at least one server computer being configured to collect information about a type of the specific demonstration application that is downloaded by the POS terminal; and

the at least one server computer being configured to automatically report the information to a manufacturer of the specific demonstration application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the POS terminal is further configured to download from the at least one server computer the application associated with the specific demonstration application.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a first menu, the first menu comprising a first portal to the application.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a second menu, the second menu comprising a plurality of portals to a plurality of applications, wherein one of the plurality of portals is the first portal.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a client computer configured to control the access that the POS terminal is granted to the applications.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the client computer grants the POS terminal access to applications based on a location of the POS terminal.

7. A system, comprising:

a point of sale (POS) terminal having access to at least one server computer via a computer network;

wherein,

the POS terminal provides a user interface that receives a request for a specific demonstration application of an application;

the POS terminal transmits the request to the at least one server computer;

the at least one server computer is configured to determine access to the specific demonstration application based on a terminal identifier of the POS terminal, wherein access is determined based on a class of POS terminals associated with the terminal identifier, said class of POS terminals being determined by a business operating environment of said POS terminal;

the POS terminal downloads from the at least one server computer the specific demonstration application;

the POS terminal stores the specific demonstration application on a computer memory;

the at least one server computer collects information about a type of the specific demonstration application that is downloaded by the POS terminal; and

the at least one server computer automatically reports the information to a manufacturer of the specific demonstration application.

8. A system, comprising:

a point of sale (POS) terminal; and

a server computer;

the POS terminal providing a user interface configured to receive a request for a specific demonstration application of an application;

the POS terminal being configured to transmit the request to the server computer via a computer network;

the server computer being configured to determine access to the specific demonstration application based on a terminal identifier of the POS terminal wherein access is determined based on a class of POS terminals associated with the terminal identifier, said class of POS terminals being determined by a business operating environment of said POS terminal;

the POS terminal being further configured to download from the server computer the specific demonstration application;

the POS terminal being further configured to store the specific demonstration application on a computer memory;

the server computer being configured to collect information about a type of the specific demonstration application that is downloaded by the POS terminal; and

,

the server computer being configured to automatically report the information to a manufacturer of the specific demonstration application.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the POS terminal is further configured to download from the server computer the application associated with the specific demonstration application.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a first menu, the first menu comprising a first portal to the application.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a second menu, the second menu comprising a plurality of portals to a plurality of applications, wherein one of the plurality of portals is the first portal.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a client computer configured to control the access that the POS terminal is granted to the applications.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the client computer grants the POS terminal access to applications based on a location of the POS terminal.

14. A system, comprising:

a point of sale (POS) terminal; and

,

a server computer;

wherein,

the POS terminal provides a user interface that receives a request for a specific demonstration application of an application;

the POS terminal transmits the request to the server computer via a computer network;

the server computer is configured to determine access to the specific demonstration application based on a terminal identifier of the POS terminal, wherein access is determined based on a class of POS terminals associated with the terminal identifier, said class of POS terminals being determined by a business operating environment of said POS terminal;

the POS terminal downloads from the server'"'"' computer the specific demonstration application;

the POS terminal stores the specific demonstration application and the application on a computer memory; and

the server computer collects information about a type of the specific demonstration application that is downloaded by said POS terminal and automatically reports the information to a manufacturer of the specific demonstration application.

15. A method for downloading an application for a point of sale (POS) terminal, the method comprising:

accessing, by the POS terminal, at least one server computer via a computer network;

providing, by the POS terminal, a user interface configured to receive a request for a specific demonstration application of an application;

transmitting, by said POS terminal, the request to the at least one server computer;

determining, by the at least one server computer, access to the specific demonstration application based on a terminal identifier of the POS terminal, wherein access is determined based on a class of POS terminals associated with the terminal identifier, said class of POS terminals being determined by a business operating environment of said POS terminal;

downloading, by the POS terminal, the specific demonstration application;

storing, by the POS terminal, the specific demonstration application on a computer memory;

the at least one server computer being configured to collect information about a type of the specific demonstration application that is downloaded by the POS terminal; and

the at least one server computer being further configured to automatically report the collected information to a manufacturer of the specific demonstration application.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising downloading, by the POS terminal, the application associated with the specific demonstration application.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a first menu, the first menu comprising a first portal to the application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the user interface is further configured to display a second menu, the second menu comprising a plurality of portals to a plurality of applications, wherein one of the plurality of portals is the first portal.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising controlling, by a client computer, the access that the POS terminal is granted to the applications.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the client computer grants the POS terminal access to applications based on a location of the POS terminal.

21. A method for downloading an application for a point of sale (POS) terminal, the method comprising:

accessing a server computer by way of the POS terminal connected to a computer network;

receiving a request for a specific demonstration application of the application by way of a user interface displayed on the POS terminal;

transmitting the request to the server computer;

determining, by the server computer, access to the specific demonstration application based on a terminal identifier of the POS terminal, wherein access is determined based on a class of POS terminals associated with the terminal identifier, said class of POS terminals being determined by a business operating environment of said POS terminal;

downloading the specific demonstration application from the server computer;

storing the specific demonstration application on a computer memory;

collecting information about a type of the specific demonstration application that is downloaded by the POS terminal; and

automatically reporting the information to a manufacturer of the specific demonstration application.