POS network including printing and highlighting

• US 9,305,438 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Catalina Marketing Corporation
• Inventors: Mount, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghayour, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dhingra, Pawandeep
• Application Number:
  US11/680,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20070206209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,323 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1206 resulting in increased flexibility in input data format or job format or job type
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1243 Variable data printing, e.g. document forms, templates, labels, coupons, advertisements, logos, watermarks, transactional printing, fixed content versioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/56 Processing of colour picture signals H04N1/52 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention provides for optional printing at a pont of sale (POS). The invention provides a system and computer implemented method for printing information at a POS relating to a purchase transaction at the POS, comprising printing a second alternative instead of a default print, or printing both a default and a second print, in both cases dependent upon the second print being timely delivered to the POS printer. Preferably, the second print depends upon processing business rules related to color in the print.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for printing information, the method being implemented by a computer system of a retail store, the computer system having a point-of-sale terminal and a point-of-sale printer, the method comprising:

generating, by the point-of-sale terminal, default print information, which includes individual transaction data to be printed on a sales receipt, for an individual transaction;

receiving, by said point-of-sale printer, said default print information from said point-of-sale terminal;

transmitting, by the point-of-sale terminal, said individual transaction data to said generating computer system to generate said second print information, wherein said generating computer system identifies the at least one incentive based on at least a portion of the individual transaction data;

determining, by said generating computer system, whether a predetermined send time associated with said individual transaction data has passed;

responsive to a determination by said generating computer system that the predetermined send time has passed, not transmitting, by said generating computer system, said second print information to said point-of-sale printer; and

responsive to a determination by said generating computer system that the predetermined send time has not passed, transmitting, by said generating computer system, said second print information to said point-of-sale printer;

determining, by said point-of-sale printer, whether said point-of-sale printer receives, from a generating computer system separate from said point-of-sale terminal and separate from said point-of-sale printer, second print information, which includes said individual transaction data to be printed on the sales receipt and incentive data for at least one incentive to be printed on the sales receipt, prior to expiration of a wait period of time associated with a time of said individual transaction, wherein the incentive data indicates a value of the at least one incentive to be printed on the sales receipt;

printing, by said point-of-sale printer, the sales receipt based on said second print information instead of said default print information responsive to a determination that said point-of-sale printer receives said second print information from said generating computer system prior to expiration of said wait period of time; and

printing, by said point-of-sale printer, said sales receipt based on said default print information responsive to a determination that said point-of-sale printer does not receive said second print information from said generating computer system prior to said expiration of said wait period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating computer system is an incentive computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said point-of-sale printer is a color printer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second print information comprises additional print information not included in the default print information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said default print information comprises a first arrangement of print segments, and said second print information comprises a second arrangement of print segments.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said additional print information comprises at least one of an image, text, color of printed text, color of printed image data, size of printed text, size of printed image data, location of printed text, location of printed image data, color highlighting of a product identification, change in dimension or font type of text associated with a product description, a product logo, order of printing of a product description, a coupon, or a product redemption form.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said additional information comprises data that specifies a watermark to be printed in association with a product identification that is to be printed on the sales receipt.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said additional print information comprises text including a statement about a product.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said generating computer system, from a central computer system business rules for determining additional information to print on said sales receipt.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting to a central computer system transaction data for at least one individual transaction in said retail store.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting said individual transaction data to a point-of-sale controller computer system.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein said business rules are applied to said individual transaction data.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by said generating computer system, whether to transmit to said point-of-sale printer said second print information, which includes said individual transaction data to be printed on the sales receipt and said incentive data for at least one incentive to be printed on the sales receipt.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

formatting, by said point-of-sale printer, said default print information for printing responsive to a determination that said point-of-sale printer does not receive said second print information from said generating computer system prior to said expiration of said wait period of time; and

formatting, by said point-of-sale printer, said second print information for printing instead of said default print information responsive to a determination that said point-of-sale printer receives said second print information from said generating computer system prior to expiration of said wait period of time.

11. A computer implemented system for printing information, comprising:

a point-of-sale terminal programmed to;

generate default print information, which includes individual transaction data to be printed on a sales receipt, for an individual transaction;

transmit said individual transaction data to said generating computer system to generate said second print information, wherein said generating computer system identifies the at least one incentive based on at least a portion of the individual transaction data;

a generating computer system programmed to;

determine whether a predetermined send time associated with said individual transaction data has passed;

responsive to a determination by said generating computer system that the predetermined send time has passed, not transmit said second print information to said point-of-sale printer; and

responsive to a determination by said generating computer system that the predetermined send time has not passed, transmit said second print information to said point-of-sale printer;

a point-of-sale printer programmed to;

receive said default print information from said point-of-sale terminal;

determine whether said point-of-sale printer receives, from a generating computer system separate from said point-of-sale terminal and separate from said point-of-sale printer, second print information, which includes said individual transaction data to be printed on the sales receipt and incentive data for at least one incentive to be printed on the sales receipt, prior to expiration of a wait period of time associated with a time of said individual transaction, wherein the incentive data indicates a value of the at least one incentive to be printed on the sales receipt;

print said sales receipt for said individual transaction based on said second print information instead of using said default print information responsive to a determination that said point-of-sale printer receives said second print information from said generating computer system prior to expiration of said wait period of time; and

print said sales receipt using said default print information responsive to a determination that said point-of-sale printer does not receive said second print information prior to said expiration of said wait period of time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said generating computer system is an incentive computer system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said point-of-sale printer is a color printer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said second print information comprises additional print information not included in the default print information.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said default print information comprises a first arrangement of print segments, and said second print information comprises a second arrangement of print segments.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said additional print information comprises at least one of an image, text, color of printed text, color of printed image data, size of printed text, size of printed image data, location of printed text, location of printed image data, color highlighting of a product identification, change in dimension or font type of text associated with a product description, a product logo, order of printing of a product description, a coupon, or a product redemption form.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said additional information comprises data that specifies a watermark to be printed in association with a product identification to be printed on the sales receipt.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said additional print information comprises text including a statement about a product.

21. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a point-of-sale controller computer system.

36. The system of claim 11, wherein said generating computer system is programmed to:

determine whether to transmit to said point-of-sale printer said second print information, which includes said individual transaction data to be printed on the sales receipt and said incentive data for at least one incentive to be printed on the sales receipt.

38. The system of claim 11, wherein said point-of-sale printer is further programmed to:

format said default print information for printing responsive to a determination that said point-of-sale printer does not receive said second print information from said generating computer system prior to said expiration of said wait period of time; and

format said second print information for printing instead of said default print information responsive to a determination that said point-of-sale printer receives said second print information from said generating computer system prior to expiration of said wait period of time.

22. A system of providing incentive information to be printed in association with a sales receipt at a point-of-sale printer that prints either default print information comprising the transaction information or second print information comprising transaction information and incentive data, the system comprising:

a computing system, remote from the point-of-sale printer, comprising one or more physical processors programmed by one or more computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, program the computing system to;

obtain transaction information related to a transaction, wherein the transaction information is to be printed on a sales receipt for the transaction;

identify at least a first incentive wherein the first incentive is based on at least a portion of the transaction information;

determine whether a predetermined send time associated with the transaction information has passed;

cause second print information, which includes the transaction information to be printed on the sales receipt and incentive data for at least the first incentive to be printed on the sales receipt, to be transmitted to the point-of-sale printer remote from the computing system responsive to a determination that the predetermined send time has not passed, wherein the incentive data indicates a value of the at least one incentive to be printed on the sales receipt; and

not cause the second print information to be transmitted responsive to a determination that the predetermined send time has passed.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the transaction information is obtained from a point-of-sale printer at a retail store.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the transaction information is obtained from a point-of-sale terminal at a retail store.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the transaction information is obtained from a central computer at a retail store, wherein the central controller is coupled to at least two point-of-sale terminals at the retail store.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the computing system is further programmed to determine that the predefined wait period has expired based on a time when the transaction information is first received.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the computing system is further programmed to:

obtain an end of transaction signal that indicates the end of the transaction; and

determine that the predefined wait period has expired based on a time after the end of the transaction.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the second print information comprises a second print file or second print data.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the second print information includes the transaction information and replaces default print information that is used to print a first register receipt for the transaction, and wherein the second print information is used to print a second register receipt for the transaction instead of the first register receipt.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the computing system is further programmed to provide additional information on the second register receipt relative to the first register receipt.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the additional information includes highlighting arranged so as to be printed in association with an item on the second register receipt, wherein the item is not highlighted on the first register receipt.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the additional information includes the at least one incentive arranged so as to be printed in association with an item on the second register receipt, wherein the at least one incentive is not arranged so as to be printed in association with the item on the first register receipt.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the additional information includes an image of an item arranged so as to be printed in association with the item on the second register receipt, wherein the image is not arranged so as to be printed in association with the item on the first register receipt.

34. A printer programmed to print incentive information in association with a sales receipt by printing either default print information comprising the transaction information or second print information comprising transaction information and incentive data, the printer comprising:

one or more processors programmed by one or more computer program instructions to;

receive default print information that includes transaction information for a transaction and is used to print a receipt for the transaction;

determine whether second print information is obtained within a predefined wait period from a generating computer system remote from the printer, wherein the generating computer system identifies at least one incentive to be printed on the sales receipt based on at least a portion of the transaction information and provides the second print information to the printer responsive to a determination that a predetermined send time associated with the transaction has not expired and does not provide the second print information to the printer responsive to a determination that the predetermined send time has expired, wherein the second print information includes the transaction information and incentive data for the at least one incentive related to the transaction information, wherein the second print information is used, instead of the default print information, to print the receipt for the transaction, and wherein the incentive data indicates a value of the at least one incentive;

print the receipt based on the default print information responsive to a determination that the second print information is not received before expiration of the predefined wait period; and

print the receipt and the at least one incentive based on the second print information instead of the default print information responsive to a determination that the second print information is received before the expiration of the predefined wait period.

39. The printer of claim 34, wherein the one or more processors are further programmed to:

format the default print information for printing responsive to a determination that the second print information is not received before expiration of the predefined wait period; and

format the second print information for printing instead of the default print information responsive to a determination that the second print information is received before the expiration of the predefined wait period.