Electronic receipt system

• US 9,292,867 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Klarna Glazing II LLC
• Original Assignee: flexReceipts, Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Jay Pravin, Jaitly, Sachin Chand, Diaz, Tomas E
• Primary Examiner(s): COX, NATISHA D
• Application Number:
  US13/251,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• 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 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at a user identification module of an electronic receipt system in electronic communication with a point of sale terminal, a user identifier transmitted from a mobile communication device to a near-field communication enabled communication device associated with the point of sale terminal. The method also includes verifying, by a validation module of the electronic receipt system, an enrollment status of the user identifier; and based on results of the verifying, transmitting, by a transfer module of the electronic receipt system, the user identifier and data characterizing an electronic receipt to a receipt storage module of the electronic receipt system.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic receipt system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server of the electronic receipt system and from a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a user identifier transmitted from a mobile communication device via a near-field communication (NFC) device associated with the POS terminal;

verifying, by a validation module of the server, an enrollment status of the user identifier received;

when the enrollment status of the user identifier is not verified, generating at the server a temporary user identifier to define the user identifier, transmitting the temporary user identifier to the mobile communications device via the NFC device and the POS terminal, and providing a paper receipt with the temporary user identifier therein;

receiving, from the POS terminal, an electronic receipt and passing one of the user identifier and the temporary user identifier, and the electronic receipt to a receipt storage module of the server; and

receiving, from a user and via a user interaction interface of the server, a request including one of the user identifier and the temporary user identifier to access the electronic receipt.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the electronic receipt in association with one of the user identifier and the temporary user identifier in the receipt storage module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the enrollment status of the user identifier includes:

receiving a communication from the user identification module including the user identifier;

determining the enrollment status of the user identifier; and

transmitting a communication to the POS terminal indicative of the enrollment status of the user identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising based on the status of the user identifier, enabling enrollment of the user identifier in the electronic receipt system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the user identifier and the electronic receipt includes:

generating a message including the user identifier and data associated with the electronic receipt; and

transmitting the message to the receipt storage module.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the message is at least one of an XML message, a text format message, or an image.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein data associated with the electronic receipt include at least one of an identifier of a product, an identifier of a merchant, a date, a purchase price, and a receipt number.

8. A method of operating an electronic receipt system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server of the electronic receipt system and from a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a user identifier transmitted from a mobile communication device via a near-field communication (NEC) device associated with the POS terminal;

verifying, by a validation module of the server, an enrollment status of the user identifier received;

when the enrollment status of the user identifier is not verified, generating at the server a temporary user identifier to define the user identifier, transmitting the temporary user identifier to the mobile communications device via the NEC device and the POS terminal, and providing a paper receipt with the temporary user identifier therein;

when the enrollment status of the user identifier is verified, generating at the POS terminal an electronic receipt, and transmitting the electronic receipt to the server;

receiving, from the POS terminal, the electronic receipt and passing one of the user identifier and the temporary user identifier, and the electronic receipt to a receipt storage module of the server;

receiving, from a user and via a user interaction web interface of the server, a request including one of the user identifier and the temporary user identifier to access the electronic receipt;

permitting the user, via the user interaction web interface, to categorize and filter the electronic receipt and a plurality of additional electronic receipts associated with the user identifier;

displaying at least one offer to the user, via the user interaction web interface, and based upon data in the electronic receipt and the plurality of additional electronic receipts; and

permitting a merchant, via a merchant web interface, to access the electronic receipt and the plurality of additional electronic receipts for the user and at least one additional user.