Apparatus and method for storing electronic receipts on a unified card or smartphone

• US 9,489,662 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Retailgreen, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Retailgreen, Inc.
• Inventors: Al Quaqezeh, Riyadh A, Sulaiman, Ayman
• Primary Examiner(s): Goyea, Olusegun
• Application Number:
  US13/698,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.32, 705/16, 705/17, 705/21, 705/39, 705/14.64, 705/705, 705/41, 705/30, 705/1, 710/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

A receipt system allows customers to store receipts on a Unified Card or smartphone when making purchases from different retailer merchants. The customer purchases goods or services and the receipt is recorded electronically onto a single Unified Card or smartphone. This eliminates the need for paper receipts. The user can then use the Unified Card or smartphone to make returns or exchanges or as proof of purchase. Unified Card readers can be located at Kiosks as part of a home based system that works with the user'"'"'s home computer.

Claims

1. A system for storing receipts comprising:

a cloud server coupled to a network;

a first merchant register coupled to a first reader at a first merchant, the first reader configured for receiving identification information about a user from a smartphone of the user, the first merchant register having a first encryption scheme for encrypting a first receipt from a first purchase transaction by the user, the first merchant register transmitting the encrypted first receipt through the network to the cloud server; and

a second merchant register coupled to a second reader at a second merchant, the second reader configured for receiving the identification information about the user from the user'"'"'s smartphone, the second merchant register having a second encryption scheme, different than the first encryption scheme, for encrypting a second receipt from a second purchase transaction by the user, the second merchant register transmitting the encrypted second receipt through the network to the cloud server;

wherein the cloud server stores the encrypted first receipt and the encrypted second receipt, the cloud server transmits the encrypted first purchase data receipt and the encrypted second receipt to the user'"'"'s smartphone, and wherein the first merchant register and the first reader cannot read the encrypted second receipt and the second merchant register and the second card reader cannot read the encrypted first receipt.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s smartphone displays the encrypted first receipt and the encrypted second receipt.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s smartphone includes a memory device for storing the encrypted first receipt and the encrypted second receipt.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a first kiosk located in the proximity of the first merchant configured for reading the encrypted first receipt, the first kiosk cannot write the encrypted first receipt to a memory device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the identification information is a barcode displayed on the user'"'"'s smartphone.

6. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a second kiosk located in the proximity of the second merchant configured for reading the encrypted second receipt, the second kiosk cannot write the encrypted second receipt to the memory device.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the second kiosk cannot read the encrypted first receipt.

8. A system for storing receipts comprising:

a cloud server coupled to a network; and

a first merchant register coupled to a first reader at a first merchant, the first reader configured for receiving identification information from a smartphone for a first purchase transaction, the first merchant register having a first encryption scheme for encrypting a first receipt and the first merchant register transmitting the encrypted first receipt through the network to the cloud server;

wherein the cloud server stores the encrypted first receipt and other receipts encrypted in other encryption schemes that are different than the first encryption scheme, the cloud server transmits the encrypted first receipt to the smartphone, wherein the first merchant register and the first reader cannot read the other receipts.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the smartphone displays the encrypted first receipt and the encrypted other receipts.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

a kiosk located in the proximity of the first merchant for reading the encrypted first receipt, the kiosk cannot write the encrypted first receipt to a memory device.

11. A method for storing receipts comprising:

inputting by a first merchant register, an identification code from a smartphone of a user;

generating first receipt data from the first merchant register based upon a first purchase of goods by the user;

encrypting the first receipt data by the first merchant register in a first encryption scheme;

transmitting the encrypted first receipt data to a cloud server;

storing the encrypted first receipt data with other receipt data that has been encrypted in other encryption schemes that are different than the first encryption scheme on the cloud server;

transmitting by the cloud server, the encrypted first receipt data and the encrypted other receipt data to the user'"'"'s smartphone; and

storing the encrypted first receipt data and the encrypted other receipt data in a memory device in the user'"'"'s smartphone.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the identification code is a barcode displayed on the user'"'"'s smartphone.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the identification code is an identification signal transmitted by the user'"'"'s smartphone.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

downloading an e-receipt application to the user'"'"'s smartphone; and

running the e-receipt application on the user'"'"'s smartphone.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

displaying the encrypted first receipt data on a kiosk display.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

inputting user identification information into a home computer after the encrypted first receipt data has been stored on the cloud server; and

displaying the first receipt data on a home computer display.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating second receipt data from a second merchant register based upon a second purchase of goods by the user;

encrypting the second receipt data by the second merchant register in a second encryption scheme;

transmitting the encrypted second receipt data to the cloud server;

storing the encrypted second receipt data with other receipt data that has been encrypted in other encryption schemes that are different than the second encryption scheme on the cloud server;

transmitting by the cloud server, the encrypted second receipt data to the user'"'"'s smartphone; and

storing the encrypted second receipt data in the memory device of the user'"'"'s smartphone;

wherein the first merchant register cannot read the encrypted second receipt data and the second merchant register cannot read the encrypted first receipt data.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

inputting user identification information into the second merchant register before the encrypted second receipt data has been transmitted.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

displaying the encrypted second receipt data on the user'"'"'s smartphone.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

inputting by the second merchant register, the identification code from the user'"'"'s smartphone.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

inputting user identification information into the kiosk after the encrypted second receipt data has been written;

displaying the encrypted second receipt data on a kiosk display; and

preventing the display of the encrypted first receipt data on the kiosk display.

22. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

inputting user identification information into a home computer after the encrypted second receipt data has been stored on the cloud server; and

displaying the encrypted second receipt data on a home computer display.

23. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

reading the encrypted first receipt data by the first merchant register to confirm the first purchase of goods;

returning the first purchase of goods to the first merchant register;

generating first return data from the first merchant register based upon the return of the first purchase of goods;

encrypting the first return data by the first merchant register;

transmitting the encrypted first return data to the cloud server;

storing the encrypted first return data on the cloud server;

transmitting by the cloud server, the encrypted first return data to the user'"'"'s smartphone; and

storing the encrypted first return data on the memory device in the user'"'"'s smartphone.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

inputting by the first merchant register, the identification code from the user'"'"'s smartphone with the memory device storing the encrypted first receipt data.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the identification code is an identification signal transmitted by the user'"'"'s smartphone.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

downloading an e-receipt application to the user'"'"'s smartphone; and

running the e-receipt application on the user'"'"'s smartphone.