Retail point of sale (RPOS) apparatus for internet merchandising

• US 20170004489A1
• Filed: 07/04/2015
• Published: 01/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James L. Driessen
• Original Assignee: James L. Driessen
• Inventors: Driessen, James Leonard
• Granted Patent: US 10,304,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is an apparatus for the money transactions required in the selling of merchandise or media content on the Internet and uses at least one in-person contact with the buyer. A predefined transaction originating at a real place of business authorizes access to web content or merchandise from a place off the web. Purchasers (end-users) must physically go to a retail location to choose the Internet media or merchandise shopping cart they wish to acquire where age can be verified if necessary and payment can be made with or without a credit card. Content security using a non-audible or invisible code signal sequence(s) can provide traceability as well as absolute anonymity for the purchaser. This apparatus can be used to conduct transactions off the web so that business can be done on the web.

Claims

1. A payment system for preselected and itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects, comprising:

a retail point of sale establishment; and

a physical access CARD for sale in said retail point of sale establishment wherein or whereon the access CARD there is URL information that is an Internet transaction location of said preselected and itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects wherein purchase of the physical access card authorizes an ownership right in the preselected itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects.

2. The payment system of claim 1, wherein the retail point of sale establishment further comprises:

a retail store, convenience store, vending machine, parking lot, hallway, lobby, or other physical place to conduct business.

3. The payment system of claim 1, wherein said ownership rights transaction authorization record further comprises a code.

4. The payment system of claim 3, wherein said code further comprises a scratch off code.

5. The payment system of claim 3, wherein said code further comprises a bar code.

6. The payment system of claim 3, wherein said code further comprises a magnetic strip record.

7. The payment system of claim 1 wherein said for sale in said retail point of sale establishment further comprises a price wherein said price is at least zero comprising a free sample or any positive amount of payment from a customer to said retail point of sale establishment.

8. The payment system of claim 1 wherein said physical access CARD is a paper ticket.

9. The payment system of claim 1 wherein said physical access CARD is a memory storing device.

10. The payment system of claim 1 wherein said physical access CARD is a plastic CARD.

11. The payment system of claim 1 wherein said physical access CARD is a smart CARD.

12. The payment system of claim 1 wherein said physical access CARD is placed inside a package.

13. The payment system of claim 1 wherein said preselected and itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects is content also recorded on physical media.

14. A method of merchandise transfer on a computer network:

creating specific online information that is a transaction location of a product;

specifying a price wherein the price is specific to the product on a selling computer;

receiving payment of the price from a purchaser through a transaction;

recording the payment directly or through other computers on the network;

causing an authorization as a result of the payment; and

causing transfer of ownership rights in the product to the purchaser by granting access or rights to the purchaser on the computer network;

wherein the product comprises itemized networked merchandise or downloadable media material objects;

wherein the transaction comprises an in person transaction at a retail point of sale location;

wherein said payment is associated to the specific online information that is the transaction location of the product.

15. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 14, wherein said specific information that is an online transaction location of said product further comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

16. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 14, wherein said payment amount is a specific price for said product on said selling computer set to at least zero, comprising a price of free or any positive amount.

17. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 14, wherein said in person transaction at a retail point of sale location further comprises selling a prepaid card wherein said prepaid card is also specific to said product.

18. The method of merchandise transfer on a computer network in claim 14, wherein said retail point of sale location further comprises a retail store, convenience store, vending machine, parking lot, hallway, lobby, or other physical place to conduct business.

19. A method for selling itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects, comprising:

placing a physical access CARD for sale in a retail point of sale establishment wherein or whereon the access CARD there is URL information that is an Internet transaction location of said itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects wherein purchase of the physical access CARD authorizes an ownership right in the itemized Internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects.

20. The method for selling itemized internet merchandise or itemized downloadable media material objects in claim 19, wherein or whereon the access CARD is a prepaid voucher which causes the authorization of an ownership right at a time later than the purchase of the physical access CARD.