Automatic sharing of a receipt with a place of employment

• US 9,911,145 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal Mart Stores Inc (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Argue, Stuart, Marcar, Anthony Emile
• Primary Examiner(s): Obaid, Fateh M
• Application Number:
  US13/665,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20140122279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,952 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method is disclosed for a customer sharing a receipt with other persons. An electronic receipt may be viewed on a mobile electronic device with electronic receipts software thereon. A customer may select the receipt for sharing as well as selecting modifications to the receipt and persons to share the receipt with. Information may be sent to a server or computer system to request that a receipt be shared. The server may then process the request and transmit receipt information to the contact person requested by the customer. The receipt may be shared via data transfer, facsimile or email, or may be shared through a receipts management software or application.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for sharing an electronic receipt comprising:

providing a receipts management system, with a computer system using one or more processors, in communication via a network with a mobile electronic device of a customer and with a POS sales system, the receipts management system comprising a receipts management server;

providing, with the computer system, an electronic receipts software for installation on the mobile electronic device of the customer, the electronic receipts software connecting with the POS sales system;

receiving, with the computer system, one or more electronic receipts by the mobile electronic device over the network for a first one or more items from the POS sales system in response to the customer purchasing the first one or more items;

initiating the electronic receipts software on the mobile electronic device;

receiving, with the computer system, from the mobile electronic device, a selection of the electronic receipt from the one or more electronic receipts, the electronic receipt being stored on the electronic receipts software on the mobile electronic device;

receiving, with the computer system, from the mobile electronic device, a purpose for submitting a modified version of the electronic receipt;

automatically prompting, with the electronic receipts software, the customer to select an option to share the electronic receipt with one or more contacts in one or more customer sharing profiles stored on the electronic receipts software, the automatic prompting based on a history of the customer having shared with the one or more contacts modified versions of one or more other receipts having similar ones of one or more items on the electronic receipt;

receiving, from the mobile electronic device, a selection of a contact person from the one or more customer sharing profiles on the mobile electronic device, wherein the contact person is an accountant or a co-worker of the customer;

receiving, from the mobile electronic device, an indication to share the modified version of the electronic receipt with the contact person with instructions by the customer to modify an original receipt comprising at least one of;

adding reasons for submission of the electronic receipt next to at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

adding purchase codes next to at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

redacting at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

or

adding a business message for the contact person regarding the electronic receipt;

preparing, with the computer system, the modified version of the electronic receipt in accordance with the instructions from the customer including transforming the electronic receipt into a specified format for the modified version of the electronic receipt, wherein the specified format comprises at least one of an image, a data string, a delimited structured data set, or a spreadsheet; and

sending, with the computer system, the modified version of the electronic receipt by email or facsimile to the contact person, as selected, from the one or more customer sharing profiles over the network.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection of a portion of the one or more items on the electronic receipt and wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt is redacted to show only the portion of the one or more items of the electronic receipt.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a selection of an item from the electronic receipt for sharing with the contact person.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic receipt is printed as a paper receipt in a different format.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending additional information regarding the electronic receipt over the network to the mobile electronic device; and

sending the additional information over the network to the contact person, as selected.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein:

the additional information relates to an item on the electronic receipt; and

the receipts management server modifies the electronic receipt to associate the additional information with the item.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt includes an additional description of an item on the electronic receipt.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt includes additional tax information regarding an item on the electronic receipt.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt is printed as a spreadsheet.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt is presented as delimited data comprising XML or csv data.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt includes work reimbursement codes associated with a workplace of the customer.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt includes contact information for the customer.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile electronic device comprises a receipt sharing profile corresponding to the contact person; and

the modified version of the electronic receipt is modified according to information in the receipt sharing profile.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt includes a message or instruction to the contact person from the customer.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein sending the modified version of the electronic receipt to the contact person comprises the receipts management server sending receipt information over the network to the contact person via a format selected from a group consisting of an electronic facsimile, a computer data storage medium, or email.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the receipts management server sending information from the electronic receipt over the network to the contact person at a workplace of the customer in response to the customer purchasing an item for work and receiving the electronic receipt.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a portion of the one or more items on the electronic receipt, wherein the modified version of the electronic receipt is redacted to show only the portion of the one or more items of the electronic receipt;

receiving a selection of an item from the electronic receipt for sharing with the contact person;

sending additional information regarding the electronic receipt over the network to the mobile electronic device; and

sending the additional information over the network to the contact person, as selected,

wherein;

the additional information relates to an item on the electronic receipt;

the receipts management server modifies the electronic receipt to associate the additional information with the item;

the modified version of the electronic receipt includes an additional description of an item on the electronic receipt;

the modified version of the electronic receipt includes additional tax information regarding an item on the electronic receipt;

the modified version of the electronic receipt is printed as a spreadsheet; and

the modified version of the electronic receipt is presented as delimited data comprising XML or csv data.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the modified version of the electronic receipt includes work reimbursement codes associated with a workplace of the customer;

the modified version of the electronic receipt includes contact information for the customer;

the mobile electronic device comprises a receipt sharing profile corresponding to the contact person;

the modified version of the electronic receipt is modified according to information in the receipt sharing profile;

sending the modified version of the electronic receipt comprises sending a message to the contact person from the customer; and

the receipts management server sending information from the electronic receipt over the network to the contact person at a workplace of the customer in response to the customer purchasing an item for work and receiving the electronic receipt.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the computer system, multiple receipts for sharing within a given time period.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying a version of the electronic receipt transformed in varying formats, wherein;

if the modified version of the electronic receipt is shared as the image, then codes or information associated with a particular item on the electronic receipt are printed on the electronic receipt next to the item;

or

if the modified version of the electronic receipt is shared as the data string, the delimited structured data set, or the spreadsheet, then the codes or the information associated with the particular item are printed in a cell or data value adjacent to the particular item.

17. A computer program product for use at a mobile electronic device of a customer, the mobile electronic device having an electronic receipts software installed on the mobile electronic device, wherein a receipts management module is in communication with one or more mobile electronic devices and a POS sales system via a network for managing electronic receipts of the customer, the one or more mobile electronic devices comprising the mobile electronic device of the customer, the computer program product implementing a method of sharing an electronic receipt of the customer comprising:

receive one or more of the electronic receipts for one or more items from the POS sales system in response to the customer purchasing the one or more items;

initiate the electronic receipts software on the mobile electronic device;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, a selection of the electronic receipt from the one or more of the electronic receipts, the electronic receipt being stored on the electronic receipt software on the mobile electronic device;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, a purpose for submitting a modified version of the electronic receipt;

automatically prompting, with the electronic receipts software, the customer to select an option to share the electronic receipt with one or more contacts in one or more customer sharing profiles stored on the electronic receipts software, the automatic prompting based on a history of the customer having shared with the one or more contacts modified versions of one or more other receipts having similar ones of one or more items on the electronic receipt;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, a selection of a contact person from the one or more customer sharing profiles on the mobile electronic device, wherein the contact person is an accountant or a co-worker of the customer;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, an indication to share the modified version of the electronic receipt with the contact person with instructions by the customer to modify an original receipt comprising at least one of;

adding reasons for submission of the electronic receipt next to at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

adding purchase codes next to at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

redacting at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

or

adding a business message for the contact person regarding the electronic receipt;

preparing the modified version of the electronic receipt or extracting information from the electronic receipt in accordance with the instructions from the customer including transforming the electronic receipt into a specified format for the modified version of the electronic receipt, wherein the specified format comprises at least one of an image, a data string, a delimited structure data set, or a spreadsheet; and

sending the modified version of the electronic receipt or the information, as extracted from the electronic receipt, by email or facsimile to the contact person, as selected, from the one or more customer sharing profiles over the network.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method of sharing the electronic receipt of the customer further comprises:

receiving multiple receipts for sharing within a given time period.

25. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the method of sharing the electronic receipt of the customer further comprises:

modifying a version of the electronic receipt transformed in varying formats, wherein;

if the modified version of the electronic receipt is shared as the image, then codes or information associated with a particular item on the electronic receipt are printed on the electronic receipt next to the particular item;

or

if the modified version of the electronic receipt is shared as the data string, the delimited structured data set, or spreadsheet, then the codes, or the information associated with the particular item are printed in a cell or data value adjacent to the particular item.

18. A computer system comprising:

a POS sales system comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage modules, the POS sales system for producing one or more electronic receipts in response to a customer purchasing one or more items;

a receipt data server comprising one or more processors and one or more non-transitory storage modules, the receipt data server in communication with one or more mobile electronic devices and the POS sales system via a network;

an electronic receipts software for installation on a mobile electronic device of the one or more mobile electronic devices, and

a receipts management module of the receipt data server for managing the one or more electronic receipts of the customer, wherein the receipts management module for the mobile electronic device is configured to;

receive one or more of the one or more electronic receipts for the one or more items of the customer from the POS sales system;

initiate the electronic receipts software on the mobile electronic device;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, a selection of an electronic receipt from the one or more electronic receipts, the electronic receipt being stored on the electronic receipt software on the mobile electronic device;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, a purpose for submitting a modified version of the electronic receipt or information from the electronic receipt;

automatically prompt the customer to select an option to share the electronic receipt with one or more contacts in one or more customer sharing profiles stored on the electronic receipts software, the automatic prompting based on history of the customer having shared with the one or more contacts modified versions of one or more other receipts having similar ones of one or more items on the electronic receipt;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, a selection of a contact person from the one or more customer sharing profiles on the mobile electronic device, wherein the contact person is an accountant or a co-worker of the customer;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, an indication to share the modified version of the electronic receipt or the information from the electronic receipt with the contact person with instructions by the customer to modify an original receipt comprising at least one of;

adding reasons for submission of the electronic receipt next to at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

adding purchase codes next to at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

redacting at least one of the one or more items on the electronic receipt;

or

adding a business message for the contact person regarding the electronic receipt;

prepare the modified version of the electronic receipt or extracting information from the electronic receipt in accordance with the instructions from the customer including transforming the electronic receipt into a specified format for the modified version of the electronic receipt, wherein the specified format comprises at least one of an image, a data string, a delimited structure data set, or a spreadsheet; and

send the modified version of the electronic receipt or the information from the electronic receipt by facsimile or email to the contact person, as selected, from the one or more customer sharing profiles over the network.

23. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the receipts management module for the mobile electronic device is further configured to:

receive multiple receipts for sharing within a given time period.

26. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the receipts management module for the mobile electronic device is further configured to:

the modified version of the electronic receipt transformed in varying formats, wherein;

if the modified version of the electronic receipt is shared as an image, then codes, or information associated with a particular item on the electronic receipt are printed on the electronic receipt next to the particular item;

or

if the modified version of the electronic receipt is shared as the data string, the delimited structured data set, or spreadsheet, then the codes or information associated with the particular item are printed in a cell or data value adjacent to the particular item.