Dual encoding of machine readable code for automatic scan-initiated purchase or uniform resource locator checkout

• US 9,684,920 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2013
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalgi, Avinash, Bailey, Keith, Ward-Steinman, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Palavecino, Kathleen
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, ABBY J
• Application Number:
  US13/770,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems and methods for allowing a single representation of a trigger for payment across different environments using machine readable codes. A machine readable code may be encoded with a URL and information about a product to which the machine readable code is attached. A first electronic device may be able to scan and decode the machine readable code into first recognizable product information using a complaint application. The compliant application may populate a first form on the first electronic device for a first transaction with the recognizable product information without having to access a server. A non-compliant application on a second electronic device will launch a browser using the URL and provide the unrecognizable product information to the server for decoding. The server will decode the unrecognizable product information into a second recognizable product information that may be used to populate a second form for a second transaction.

Claims

1. A central server computer comprising:

a processor;

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor; and

a network interface coupled to the processor, the network interface located at a network interface address,

wherein the network interface is configured to receive a first form comprising first recognizable additional data from a first electronic device that includes a compliant machine readable code reader module, wherein the first recognizable additional data is presented to a user by the first electronic device after a first scanning device in the first electronic device scans a machine readable code associated with a product, the first electronic device identifying at least the network interface address and product information within the scanned machine readable code, the product information being identified by decoding unrecognizable additional data within the scanned machine readable code, wherein the first form is generated from the identified product information, and wherein the first form is received by the network interface at the identified network interface address subsequent to the user of the first electronic device entering a user input associated with the first recognizable additional data,

wherein the network interface is further configured to receive the unrecognizable additional data from a second electronic device that includes a non-compliant machine readable code reader module, wherein the unrecognizable additional data is received by the network interface after a second scanning device in the second electronic device scans the machine readable code associated with the product, the second electronic device identifying the network interface address but being unable to decode the unrecognizable additional data within the scanned machine readable code, the network interface receiving the unrecognizable additional data at the network interface address identified in the machine readable code, the unrecognizable additional data appended to the network interface address in a uniform resource locator,

wherein the computer readable medium comprises a decoding module including code that when executed causes the processor to decode the unrecognizable additional data received via the uniform resource locator to form second recognizable additional data to be presented to the second electronic device,

wherein the first form is generated by the first electronic device to include the first recognizable additional data, and

wherein the central server computer is configured to generate the second form to include the second recognizable additional data in response to receiving an indication from the second electronic device, the second form being generated by auto-filling a network document hosted by the central server with at least a portion of the second recognizable additional data.

2. The central server computer of claim 1 wherein the first recognizable additional data comprises at least one of a product identifier, a product name, a product description, a quantity, a price, an indicator for whether a sale of the product is taxable, a time indicator for when the price is valid and a merchant identifier.

3. The central server computer of claim 1 wherein the network interface is further configured to:

receive location information from the second electronic device, the location information indicating a location at which the second electronic device is located, wherein the computer readable medium further comprises code that when executed causes the processor to;

determine, based at least in part on the received location information, location dependent additional information related to the machine readable code; and

populate at least a portion of the second form with the location dependent additional information.

4. The central server computer of claim 3 wherein the location dependent additional information is a tax rate.

5. The central server computer of claim 1, wherein the first form and the second form each represent purchase orders for the product.

6. The central server computer of claim 1, wherein the first recognizable additional data is presented by the first electronic device without interacting with the central server.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a central server computer located at a network address, a first populated form comprising first recognizable additional data from a first electronic device that includes a compliant machine readable code reader module, wherein the first recognizable additional data is determined after a first scanning device in the first electronic device scans a machine readable code associated with a first product, the first populated form generated by the first electronic device to include the first recognizable additional data;

initiating, by the central server computer, a first transaction using the first populated form;

receiving, by the central server computer, unrecognizable additional data from a second electronic device that includes a non-compliant machine readable code reader module, wherein the unrecognizable additional data is determined after a second scanning device in the second electronic device scans a second machine readable code, the second machine readable code associated with a second product, the second electronic device identifying the network address but being unable to decode the unrecognizable additional data within the second machine readable code, and the central server computer receiving the unrecognizable additional data at the network address identified in the second machine readable code, the unrecognizable additional data being provided within an address field as being appended to the identified network address;

wherein the central server computer comprises a decoding module configured to decode the unrecognizable additional data received in the address field to identify the second product and present second recognizable additional data to the second electronic device;

generating, in response to receiving an indication from the second electronic device, a second form, the second form generated by the central server computer from the second recognizable additional data and being generated by auto-filling a network document hosted by the central server with at least a portion of the second recognizable additional data; and

initiating a second transaction using the second form.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving, by the central server computer, a request for an updated price of the first product from the first electronic device, after the first electronic device determines the first recognizable additional data by scanning the machine readable code associated with the first product; and

sending, by the central server computer, the updated price of the first product to the first electronic device.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

receiving, by the central server computer, a request for updated tax information for the first product from the first electronic device, after the first electronic device determines that the location of the first electronic device is outside a jurisdiction for which a tax indicator in the first recognizable additional data is valid; and

sending, by the central server computer, an updated tax information for the first product to the first electronic device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first populated form includes the updated tax information for the first product.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the first product and the second product are the same type of product.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein a receipt is generated including at least a portion of the first recognizable additional data as a result of the first transaction.