ELECTRONIC RECEIPT SYSTEM WITH SOCIAL MEDIA LINK AND RELATED SERVERS AND METHODS

• US 20150025986A1
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Klarna Glazing II LLC
• Original Assignee: flexReceipts, Inc.
• Inventors: PATEL, Jay, DIAZ, Tomas, KSHATRIYA, Kiran
• Granted Patent: US 9,799,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

An electronic receipt system may include a point-of-sale (POS) terminal having a near field communication (NFC) device for communicating with a mobile wireless communications device during a transaction for purchasing at least one item, and a server. The server may be for receiving a user identifier transmitted from the mobile communication device via the NFC device, verifying an enrollment status of the user identifier, based upon results of the verifying, generating an electronic receipt associated with the transaction, and generating a social media network link feature in the electronic receipt and associated with the item, the social media network link feature for sharing the purchase of the item on a corresponding social media network.

Claims

1. An electronic receipt system comprising:

a point-of-sale (POS) terminal having a near field communication (NFC) device for communicating with a mobile wireless communications device during a transaction for purchasing at least one item; and

a server communicating with said POS terminal and comprising a processor and memory associated therewith for

receiving a user identifier transmitted from the mobile communication device via said NFC device,

verifying an enrollment status of the user identifier,

based on results of the verifying, generating an electronic receipt associated with the transaction, and

generating at least one social media network link feature in the electronic receipt and associated with the at least one item, the at least one social media network link feature for sharing the purchase of the at least one item on a corresponding at least one social media network.

2. The electronic receipt system of claim 1 wherein said processor and memory are for generating a merchant table associated with a plurality of merchants, the merchant table including a plurality of item entries, each item entry being associated with a respective potential item for purchase.

3. The electronic receipt system of claim 2 wherein each item entry comprises a product identification number for the respective potential item for purchase, a merchant identification number for a merchant selling the respective potential item for purchase, and a uniform resource locater (URL) for accessing the respective potential item for purchase on a website of the merchant selling the respective potential item.

4. The electronic receipt system of claim 2 wherein the generating of the at least one social media network link feature comprises searching the merchant table for at least one item entry associated with the at least one item.

5. The electronic receipt system of claim 2 wherein the generating of the merchant table comprises crawling a plurality of websites associated with a corresponding plurality of merchants and interfacing with a product database for providing item information.

6. The electronic receipt system of claim 1 wherein the at least one social media network link feature comprises a link to a social media page for a merchant associated with the transaction.

7. The electronic receipt system of claim 1 wherein the at least one social media network link feature comprises an image of the at least one item.

8. A server in communication with a point-of-sale (POS) terminal having a near field communication (NFC) device for communicating with a mobile wireless communications device during a transaction for purchasing at least one item, the server comprising:

a processor and memory associated therewith for

receiving a user identifier transmitted from the mobile communication device via the NFC device,

verifying an enrollment status of the user identifier,

based upon results of the verifying, generating an electronic receipt associated with the transaction, and

generating at least one social media network link feature in the electronic receipt and associated with the at least one item, the at least one social media network link feature for sharing the purchase of the at least one item on a corresponding at least one social media network.

9. The server of claim 8 wherein said processor and memory are for generating a merchant table associated with a plurality of merchants, the merchant table including a plurality of item entries, each item entry being associated with a respective potential item for purchase.

10. The server of claim 9 wherein each item entry comprises a product identification number for the respective potential item for purchase, a merchant identification number for a merchant selling the respective potential item for purchase, and a uniform resource locater (URL) for accessing the respective potential item for purchase on a website of the merchant selling the respective potential item.

11. The server of claim 9 wherein the generating of the at least one social media network link feature comprises searching the merchant table for at least one item entry associated with the at least one item.

12. The server of claim 9 wherein the generating of the merchant table comprises crawling a plurality of websites associated with a corresponding plurality of merchants and interfacing with a product database for providing item information.

13. The server of claim 8 wherein the at least one social media network link feature comprises a link to a social media page for a merchant associated with the transaction.

14. The server of claim 8 wherein the at least one social media network link feature comprises an image of the at least one item.

15. A method for operating an electronic receipt system comprising a point-of-sale (POS) terminal having a near field communication (NFC) device for communicating with a mobile wireless communications device during a transaction for purchasing at least one item, and a server communicating with the POS terminal, the method comprising:

using a processor and memory associated therewith for receiving a user identifier transmitted from the mobile communication device via the NFC device;

using the processor and memory associated therewith for verifying an enrollment status of the user identifier;

using the processor and memory associated therewith for based upon results of the verifying, generating an electronic receipt associated with the transaction; and

using the processor and memory associated therewith for generating at least one social media network link feature in the electronic receipt and associated with the at least one item, the at least one social media network link feature for sharing the purchase of the at least one item on a corresponding at least one social media network.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the processor and memory are for generating a merchant table associated with a plurality of merchants, the merchant table including a plurality of item entries, each item entry being associated with a respective potential item for purchase.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein each item entry comprises a product identification number for the respective potential item for purchase, a merchant identification number for a merchant selling the respective potential item for purchase, and a uniform resource locater (URL) for accessing the respective potential item for purchase on a website of the merchant selling the respective potential item.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the generating of the at least one social media network link feature comprises searching the merchant table for at least one item entry associated with the at least one item.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the generating of the merchant table comprises crawling a plurality of websites associated with a corresponding plurality of merchants and interfacing with a product database for providing item information.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one social media network link feature comprises a link to a social media page for a merchant associated with the transaction.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one social media network link feature comprises an image of the at least one item.