System and method for facilitating secure self payment transactions of retail goods

• US 9,934,506 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Retail Apps, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digital Retail Apps, Inc.
• Inventors: MacKinnon Keith, Wendy
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/988,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20160132891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26, 235375, 235383
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 5/00 Methods or arrangements for verifying the correctness of markings on a record carrier; Column detection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various embodiments for systems and methods for self-payment and verification of the purchase of retail goods and services. According to an embodiment of the invention, a method for verifying the purchase using a mobile electronic device in wireless communication with a payment verification system and a code generating system is provided, the method comprising the steps of: receiving from a consumer information identifying an item for purchase; receiving from a consumer information identifying payment means for purchasing the item for purchase; processing the information identifying the item for purchase and information identifying payment means and generating a unique QR code indicating a purchase of the item; sending the unique QR code to a mobile device for display by a consumer to the vendor of the item for purchase.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for spot-checking and verifying a consumer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services from a retailer prior to the consumer exiting the store, said retailer having an electronic device capable of communicating with a server and with a consumer'"'"'s mobile device, the method comprising the following steps:

the retailer electronic device receiving from the consumer'"'"'s mobile device prior to the consumer exiting the store a unique token that uniquely corresponds to the consumer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services;

the retailer electronic device transmitting to the server a request to verify the consumer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services, said request including the unique token;

the retailer device receiving from the server a response indicating whether the unique token is valid;

the retailer device displaying an indication of whether the unique token received from the mobile device is valid;

upon receiving an indication from the server indicating that the token is valid, the retailer device prompting a user of the retailer device for a response indicating whether the customer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services have been inspected and approved; and

the retailer device transmitting to the server information indicating that the customer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services has been inspected and approved by the user of the retailer device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the response from the server includes purchase information associated with the unique token, and wherein the method further comprises the step of the retailer device displaying the purchase information.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the purchase information includes the list of goods and services purchased.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the purchase information includes the time and place of the purchase.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the purchase information includes the identity of the consumer who made the purchase.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the unique token is encoded on the mobile device in the form of a code capable of being displayed, and wherein the step of receiving from the mobile device a unique token that uniquely corresponds to the purchase of goods and services comprises the steps of:

the retailer device capturing the code displayed on the mobile device; and

the retailer device retrieving the unique token encoded in the code.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the code is a QR code.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving from the mobile device a unique token that uniquely corresponds to the purchase of goods and services is accomplished via a bi-directional wireless communication protocol, comprising the steps of:

the retailer device wirelessly transmitting to the mobile device a request for the unique token; and

the retailer device wirelessly receiving from the mobile device the unique token.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the bi-directional wireless communication protocol is a near field communications (NFC) protocol.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the response includes information indicating the code has been previously verified.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the response includes information indicating whether the consumer has left the store since the purchase.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the response includes timestamp information indicating approval or receipt of a verification attempt.

13. An electronic device for use by a retailer to spot-check and verify a consumer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services from a retailer prior to the consumer exiting the store based on interactions with a consumer'"'"'s mobile device and using information stored in a remote server, the device comprising:

a display;

a first communication module; and

one or more processors and a non-transitory storage medium in communication with said one or more processors, said non-transitory storage medium having instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute the steps of;

receiving from the consumer'"'"'s mobile device prior to the consumer exiting the store a unique token that uniquely corresponds to the consumer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services;

transmitting via the first communication module a request for the server to verify the consumer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services, said request including the unique token;

receiving via the first communication module a response from the server indicating whether the unique token is valid;

displaying on the display an indication of whether the unique token received from the mobile device is valid;

upon receiving an indication from the server indicating that the token is valid, prompting the user of the retailer device for a response indicating whether the customer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services has been inspected and approved; and

transmitting to the server information indicating that the customer'"'"'s in-store purchase of goods and services has been inspected and approved by the user of the retailer device.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 further comprising a second communication module, and wherein the non-transitory storage medium of the electronic device has further instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one more processors to execute the following steps:

wirelessly transmitting via the second communication module a request to the mobile device for the unique token; and

wirelessly receiving via the second communication module the unique token from the mobile device.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 wherein the second communication module is a bi-directional wireless communications module.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 wherein the second communication module is a near-field communications (NFC) module.

17. The electronic device of claim 13 further comprising a camera, and wherein the non-transitory storage medium of the electronic device has further instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one more processors to execute the following steps:

capturing via the camera a code displayed on the mobile device; and

retrieving from the code the unique token encoded therein.

18. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the non-transitory storage medium of the electronic device has further instructions thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one more processors to execute the following steps:

receiving from the server and via the first communication module purchase information associated with the unique token; and

displaying the purchase information.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 wherein the purchase information includes the list of goods and services.

20. The electronic device of claim 18 wherein the purchase information includes the time and place of the purchase.

21. The electronic device of claim 18 wherein the purchase information includes the identity of the consumer who made the purchase.

22. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the response from the server includes information indicating the code has been previously verified.

23. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the response from the server includes information indicating whether the consumer has left the store since the purchase.

24. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein the response includes timestamp information indicating approval or receipt of a verification attempt.