Electronic receipt issuing method

Abstract

To provide an electronic receipt issuing method that enables a user to easily check an electronic receipt on a smartphone.SOLUTION: A method includes: a step in which an electronic receipt issuing machine receives information about a transaction from a POS terminal, generates an address corresponding to the information, and stores transaction information in a server corresponding to the address; a step in which the generated address is transmitted to a user terminal using short-range radio communication techniques; and a step in which the user terminal displays an electronic receipt via the transmitted address.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for issuing an electronic receipt so that a user can easily check it with a smartphone.

Background Art

[0002] When a consumer completes a transaction by purchasing an item or using a service, the consumer receives a receipt. Generally, a POS terminal issues the details of the transaction as a paper receipt using a receipt printer. However, from the consumer's perspective, paper receipts are difficult to manage efficiently and there is a risk of personal information leakage. Also, from the merchant's perspective, paper receipts have the problem of incurring separate management costs due to output.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention have a technical problem of providing a method for issuing an electronic receipt so that a user can easily check it with a smartphone. The technical problems to be solved by this embodiment are not limited to the above technical problems, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following embodiments.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is disclosed a method for issuing an electronic receipt, including the steps of receiving transaction information related to a transaction, generating an address corresponding to the transaction information, storing the transaction information in a server corresponding to the address, transmitting the generated address to a user terminal by a short-range wireless communication technology, and displaying an electronic receipt generated corresponding to the transaction information via the address transmitted to the user terminal.

[0005] Here, the transaction information is generated after the transaction is completed.

[0006] Here, the transaction information is generated before the transaction is completed.

[0007] Here, after the user terminal receives the address, the user terminal also receives the transaction information generated after the transaction is completed, updates the transaction information generated after the transaction is completed corresponding to the address to the server, and further includes the step of displaying the final electronic receipt generated corresponding to the transaction information generated after the transaction is completed.

[0008] Here, the address is uniquely generated corresponding to the transaction information.

[0009] Here, the address is uniquely generated corresponding to the transaction information by including a unique identifier.

[0010] Here, the address is a URL for accessing a web page.

[0011] Here, the step of transmitting the generated address by near-field wireless communication technology is the step of transmitting the generated address to the user terminal by an NDEF message including the address as a payload.

[0012] Here, the address is a deep link URL for accessing an app page.

[0013] Other aspects, features, and advantages other than the above will become apparent from the accompanying drawings, the claims, and the following detailed description of the invention.

[0014] Such general and specific aspects can be implemented using a system, a method, a computer program, or any combination of a system, a method, and a computer program.

Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the user has the advantage that they can view the electronic receipt via a browser without installing another application on the smartphone.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for issuing an electronic receipt, including the steps of receiving transaction information related to a transaction, generating an address corresponding to the transaction information, storing the transaction information in a server corresponding to the address, transmitting the generated address to a user device by a short-range wireless communication technology, and displaying an electronic receipt generated corresponding to the transaction information via the address transmitted to the user device. The present invention can be subjected to various modifications and has various embodiments. Therefore, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all conversions, equivalents, or alternatives included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, if it is determined that a specific description of related known technologies obscures the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows an electronic receipt issuing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the electronic receipt issuing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a point of sale (POS) terminal 100, an e-receipt generator 200, a server 300, and a user device 400.

[0019] The POS terminal 100 is a device that processes a transaction by purchasing an item or using a service, confirms the result, and manages information related to the transaction.

[0020] The POS terminal 100 includes a card reader, a barcode reader, a paper receipt printer, etc., and can be implemented by various devices other than computers and mobile devices. The POS terminal 100 referred to in the present invention is a general term for devices responsible for information related to transactions, and includes all devices with similar functions such as POP (Point of Purchase) terminals and kiosks.

[0021] The POS terminal 100 and the electronic receipt issuer 200 can send and receive data via a communication system. For example, the communication system may include a wired communication system via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or a wireless communication system such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Although it may be included, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0022] Although FIG. 1 shows that the POS terminal 100 is a single device, the present invention is not limited thereto and may include a plurality of devices connected to the electronic receipt issuer 200.

[0023] The electronic receipt issuer 200 is a medium that enables consumers to view electronic receipts on their smartphones. The electronic receipt issuer 200 uses short-range wireless connectivity technologies to transmit data to or exchange data with the user terminal 400. According to one embodiment, the electronic receipt issuer 200 may include an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag in order to use the NFC (Near Field Communication) standard. However, the electronic receipt issuer 200 is not limited thereto, and methods such as Bluetooth, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification), MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission), Beacon, and ZigBee can be used.

[0024] The electronic receipt issuer 200 communicates with the server 300 via a communication network (not shown). Here, the communication network may be the Internet, but is not limited thereto, so that the electronic receipt issuer 200 can send and receive data after connecting to the server 300. The electronic receipt issuer 200 can connect to the server 300 by connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi, but is not limited thereto.

[0025] The server 300 may be a dedicated server or a cloud server, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various forms of servers can be applied.

[0026] Server 300 is connected to the electronic receipt issuer 200 via a communication network (not shown), receives data from the electronic receipt issuer 200, and stores the data in a database. Also, server 300 is connected to user terminal 400 via a communication network (not shown) and transmits data to user terminal 400. Here, the communication network may be the Internet, but is not limited thereto. User terminal 400 can be connected to server 300 by connecting to the Internet via Wi-Fi or a mobile network, but is not limited thereto.

[0027] User terminal 400 is a device through which a user who is a subject of a transaction can view an electronic receipt. User terminal 400 includes a smartphone, a smart watch, a smart device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless communication terminal, etc., but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0028] User terminal 400 is a device that supports a short-range wireless connectivity technology so that it can perform wireless communication with the electronic receipt issuer 200 at a short distance. According to one embodiment, user terminal 400 can support the Near Field Communication (NFC) function. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and user terminal 400 can support functions such as Bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), Beacon, and ZigBee.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the electronic receipt issuer 200 shown in FIG. 1.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 2, the electronic receipt issuing machine 200 includes a network interface unit 210, a communication interface unit 220, a memory 230, a program storage unit 240, a control unit 250, an address generation unit 260, an NFC tag control unit 270, and the like.

[0031] The network interface unit 210 provides an interface necessary to transmit an address and corresponding transaction information to the server 300 in conjunction with the communication network.

[0032] The communication interface unit 220 provides an interface necessary to receive transaction information from the POS terminal 100 in conjunction with the communication system.

[0033] The memory 230 performs a function of temporarily storing data processed by the control unit 250, transaction information transmitted to the electronic receipt issuing machine 200, and the like.

[0034] The program storage unit 240 is equipped with control software for performing operations such as transmitting data to the server 300, receiving data from the POS terminal 100, generating an address corresponding to the transaction information, and generating a message corresponding to the address and programming the NFC tag.

[0035] The control unit 250 is a kind of central processing unit that controls the entire process related to the issuance of electronic receipts in the electronic receipt issuing machine 200. That is, the control unit 250 performs various services such as driving the control software installed in the program storage unit 240.

[0036] The address generation unit 260 generates a unique address corresponding to the received transaction information. Here, the address means a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that can access a website or web page on the internet, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0037] The address generation unit 260 generates a unique address by including a unique identifier corresponding to the transaction information in the address. For example, the address may have a form of "web address / identifier". Here, the form of the identifier consists of a combination of letters, numbers, special characters, etc., and may have various lengths, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0038] As one embodiment, the electronic receipt issuer 200 may generate an identifier using the content related to the transaction information. For example, the identifier may be generated based on the information of the electronic receipt issuer 200, the generation date and time of the transaction information. As another embodiment, the electronic receipt issuer 200 may generate an identifier by hash technology. Here, the hash technology refers to a technology of obtaining one result value corresponding to one input value by a hash function. In this case, the identifier may be the result value obtained by hash technology with the transaction information as the input value. However, the method of generating the identifier of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0039] The NFC tag control unit 270 generates a message corresponding to the address, controls the NFC tag, and emits the message as a short-range wireless communication signal. According to one embodiment, the message may be in a specific format used for short-range wireless communication. Here, the specific format means a format that enables the user terminal 400 that has received the corresponding message to immediately perform a predetermined action. For example, the NFC tag control unit 270 generates and emits an NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) message. The NDEF message contains the information to be transmitted to the user terminal 400. Here, the NDEF message contains an address as information (payload). Thereafter, the user terminal 400 performs a preset operation by receiving the NDEF message. Here, the set operation may be to open a web page linked to the address in a browser.

[0040] Two or more functionally connected components described above may be combined to exist as one component, or one component may be separated into multiple components by function. On the other hand, in order for each component to operate efficiently, it may further include other components or exclude existing components. Note that the names of the components are determined for convenience according to their roles, and are not limited thereto, and can be named variously.

[0041] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the server 300 shown in FIG. 1.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 3, the server 300 may include a communication unit 310, a memory 320, a program storage unit 330, a control unit 340, a database 350, and an electronic receipt application programming interface (e-receipt API) 360.

[0043] The communication unit 310 provides an interface necessary to provide the transmission and reception signals between the server 300 and the user terminal 400, and between the server 300 and the electronic receipt issuer 200 in the form of data. Here, the communication unit 310 can be a device including hardware and software necessary to transmit and receive control signals, data signals, etc. to and from other network devices via a wireless connection.

[0044] The memory 320 executes a function of temporarily or permanently storing the data processed by the control unit 340. Here, the memory 320 may include a magnetic storage media or a flash storage media, but the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0045] The program storage unit 330 can store a program composed of instructions for instructing all processes executed by the control unit described later.

[0046] The control unit 340 is a kind of central processing unit, which receives data from the electronic receipt issuer 200 and controls all processes related to the issuance of electronic receipts, such as providing an electronic receipt to the user terminal 400. That is, the control unit 340 can drive the control software installed in the program storage unit 330 and execute the function of controlling each component in the server 300 to provide an electronic receipt.

[0047] Here, the control unit 340 can include any type of device capable of processing data, such as a processor. Here, the processor can mean, for example, a data processing device built into hardware having a physically structured circuit for executing the function indicated by the code or instruction included in the program.

[0048] The database 350 stores by linking the entire address, the identifier included in the address, other information meaning the address, or other information meaning the identifier with the transaction information. Thus, the server 300 can easily confirm the transaction information from the information regarding the address.

[0049] The electronic receipt application programming interface 360 provides an interface for converting transaction information into the format of an electronic receipt by various applications. Further, it provides an interface for disclosing the generated electronic receipt in the form of a web page linked to the address.

[0050] These components are exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the server 300 may further include additional components as necessary, and a part of the above-described components may be omitted.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the electronic user terminal 400 shown in FIG. 1.

[0052] Referring to FIG. 4, the user terminal 400 includes a network interface unit 410, a communication interface unit 420, a memory 430, an input / output unit 440, a program storage unit 450, a control unit 460, a display control unit 470, and the like.

[0053] The network interface unit 410 provides an interface necessary for receiving an electronic receipt in conjunction with a communication network.

[0054] The communication interface unit 420 provides an interface necessary for receiving data from the electronic receipt issuer 200 by short-range wireless communication technology.

[0055] The memory 430 functions to temporarily store data processed by the control unit 460, addresses received from the electronic receipt issuer 200, and the like.

[0056] The input / output unit 440 may be composed of a touch recognition display controller or various other input / output controllers. As an example, the touch recognition display controller provides an output interface and an input interface between the device and the user. The touch recognition display controller transmits and receives electrical signals to and from the control unit 460. Also, the touch recognition display controller displays visual output to the user, and the visual output may include text, graphics, images, videos, and combinations thereof. Such an input / output unit 440 may be, for example, a predetermined display member such as an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Display) or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) capable of touch recognition. The input / output unit 440 can display an electronic receipt on a web page accessed based on the received address so that the user can view it.

[0057] The program storage unit 450 is equipped with control software that performs operations such as receiving a message from the electronic receipt issuer 200, checking the format of the received message, and, in the case of an NDEF message, accessing the address included in the NDEF message via a browser as a preset operation.

[0058] The control unit 460 is a type of central processing unit that controls the entire process related to the display of electronic receipts on the user terminal 400. That is, the control unit 460 performs various services such as driving the control software installed in the program storage unit 450.

[0059] FIG. 5 shows an electronic receipt issuance system 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the electronic receipt issuance system 20 according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a POS terminal 100, a server 300, and a user terminal 400 that includes the functions of an electronic receipt issuer.

[0060] The electronic receipt issuing system 20 in FIG. 5 is mostly the same as the electronic receipt issuing system 10 in FIG. 1. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the electronic receipt issuing machine is realized in the form of a program recorded on a recording medium readable by a POS terminal, rather than a separate device. Therefore, the embodiment of FIG. 5 is characterized in that the POS terminal 100 includes the function of the electronic receipt issuing machine.

[0061] FIG. 6 shows an electronic receipt issuing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 6, in step 101, the user completes a transaction.

[0063] Here, completing a transaction means that all the items selected by the user are scanned by the POS terminal 100, discounts and accumulations are performed as necessary, and the corresponding consideration is paid using a payment method.

[0064] By completing the transaction, the POS terminal 100 acquires transaction information. Transaction information is a set of all information related to a transaction for which settlement has been completed. For example, the transaction information may include transaction date and time, name of goods or services, unit price, quantity, settlement amount, additional tax amount, information related to the payment method, accumulated amount, discount amount, final settlement amount reflecting the discount, business name, business operator number, representative name, address, telephone number, etc., but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0065] The transaction information is data in which the above-described information is recorded in the format of a text file. For example, the format of the transaction information can be the format of a TXT (Text) file, an RTF (Rich Text Format) file, an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file, a JSON (Java Script Object Notation) file, a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file, a TSV (Tab-Separated Values) file, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0066] In step 102, the POS terminal 100 transmits the transaction information to the electronic receipt issuer 200.

[0067] According to FIG. 1, the POS terminal 100 transmits the transaction information to the electronic receipt issuer 200 by a wired communication method or a wireless communication method. According to FIG. 5, since the POS terminal 100 and the electronic receipt issuer are integrated, the transaction information is transmitted internally.

[0068] In step 103, the electronic receipt issuer 200 generates an address corresponding to the received transaction information.

[0069] Here, the address means a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that can access a website or a web page on the internet, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0070] The electronic receipt issuer 200 is characterized by generating one unique address corresponding to the transaction information. This is because if the same address is generated corresponding to different transaction information, address clashes will occur. The electronic receipt issuer 200 generates a unique address by including a unique identifier corresponding to the transaction information in the address. For example, the address can have the form of "web address / identifier". Here, the form of the identifier consists of a combination of letters, numbers, special characters, etc., and can have various lengths, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0071] As one embodiment, the electronic receipt issuer 200 may generate an identifier using the content related to the transaction information. For example, the identifier may be generated based on the information of the electronic receipt issuer 200, the generation date and time of the transaction information. As another embodiment, the electronic receipt issuer 200 may generate an identifier by means of hash technology. Here, the hash technology refers to a technology of obtaining one result value corresponding to one input value by a hash function. In this case, the identifier can be the result value obtained by the hash technology using the transaction information as the input value.

[0072] According to one embodiment of the present invention, by using an identifier when generating an address (URL) and then transmitting the address to the user terminal 400 by NFC, the following points are guaranteed. First, it is guaranteed that only one electronic receipt is issued to only one user. Also, on the server 300 side, it is guaranteed that the corresponding address (URL) is confirmed only by one user terminal 400, that is, by only one user. Therefore, if another user tries to view the same address, the address will no longer work, so there is an advantage that personal privacy and security are maintained.

[0073] In step 104, the electronic receipt issuer 200 transmits the transaction information and the information of the corresponding address to the server 300.

[0074] The electronic receipt issuer 200 can transmit transaction information, the entire corresponding address, the identifier included in the address, other information meaning the address, or other information meaning the identifier, etc. to the server 300, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0075] In step 105, the server 300 stores the transaction information received from the electronic receipt issuer 200 and the information of the corresponding address.

[0076] According to steps 104 and 105, the electronic receipt issuer 200 transmits the transaction information and the information of the corresponding address to the server 300, and the server 300 stores it, so that later the user can simply confirm, via the link of the address on the web, the electronic receipt in which the transaction information is reflected on the web using the user terminal 400. According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the electronic receipt is confirmed in the form of a web page via a browser, the user does not need to install a specific mobile application on the smartphone to confirm the electronic receipt.

[0077] In step 106, the electronic receipt issuer 200 generates and emits a short-range wireless communication signal corresponding to the address.

[0078] The electronic receipt issuer 200 is characterized by transmitting information to the user terminal 400 by means of near-field wireless communication (NFC). According to one embodiment, the electronic receipt issuer 200 generates and emits a message in a specific format used for near-field wireless communication. Here, the specific format means a format that enables the user terminal 400 that has received the corresponding message to immediately perform a predetermined action. For example, the electronic receipt issuer 200 generates and emits an NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) message. The NDEF message contains the information to be transmitted to the user terminal 400. Here, the NDEF message contains an address as information (payload). Thereafter, the user terminal 400 performs a predetermined action by receiving the NDEF message. Here, the set action may be to open the web page linked to the address in a browser.

[0079] In FIG. 6, it is shown that step 106 is performed after step 105, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and step 105 and step 106 may be performed simultaneously, or step 105 may be performed after step 106.

[0080] In step 107, the user terminal 400 taps the electronic receipt issuer 200 to receive the address.

[0081] The user terminal 400 receives information from the electronic receipt issuer 200 through short-range wireless communication. The user terminal 400 may support an NFC function or include a device, application, or application programming interface that assists in the support. According to one embodiment, the user terminal 400 receives an NDEF message including an address as a payload by approaching within several tens of centimeters (cm) of the electronic receipt issuer 200.

[0082] According to step 107, by the electronic receipt issuer 200 transmitting an address to the user terminal 400 through short-range wireless communication, the user terminal 400 can obtain information regarding the electronic receipt through a simple and quick operation of tapping the electronic receipt issuer 200, and it may not be necessary to input personal information into the POS terminal 100 to obtain the electronic receipt.

[0083] In steps 108 and 109, the user terminal 400 accesses a specified web page based on the received address and displays the electronic receipt.

[0084] The user terminal 400 accesses a web page on the internet linked to the received address. The user terminal 400 receives the transmission of the address through the NDEF message and automatically accesses the web page linked to the address as a preset operation. The server 300 already stores transaction information corresponding to the address. The server 300 converts the transaction information into the format of an electronic receipt through an application described later. The server 300 discloses the generated electronic receipt in the form of a web page linked to the address. Therefore, the user terminal 400 can confirm the electronic receipt by accessing the web page linked to the address.

[0085] An electronic receipt can be generated by various types of applications such as Progressive Web Apps, Responsive Web Apps, Rich Internet Apps, Single Page Apps, or Multi Page Apps, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0086] An electronic receipt is a type of electronic document in which transaction information is displayed according to a series of rules in a format determined by the provider. Here, the provider means the entity responsible for selling goods or providing services in a transaction. For example, the provider can be a merchant or a retailer, but is not limited thereto, and is a concept distinct from the consumer, user, or customer described in the present invention.

[0087] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an electronic receipt according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 7, the electronic receipt may be displayed in the form of a web page via a browser. The electronic receipt may include the transaction date and time, the name of the product or service, the unit price, the quantity, the settlement amount, the additional tax amount, the card name, the receipt approval number, the business name, the business operator number, the representative name, the address, the phone number, and the like. The format of the electronic receipt is determined by the provider and is not limited to that shown.

[0089] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a consumer can check an electronic receipt without installing a specific application on a smartphone. Conventionally, when issuing an electronic receipt by a specific application, there were inconveniences such as the need to install a specific application on the consumer's smartphone and to log in if the application was not installed. However, since the electronic receipt of the present invention can be checked in the form of a web page via a browser, the consumer does not need to install another application, join a website, or log in to receive the electronic receipt.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a consumer has the advantage of being able to check an electronic receipt on their smartphone with only a simple operation of tapping an electronic receipt issuer. Since the present invention transmits a URL to the smartphone by an NDEF message, the smartphone immediately executes the URL according to a command preset in the NDEF message. Therefore, the consumer can check the electronic receipt via a browser with only the tapping operation without performing another action.

[0091] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a consumer can receive an electronic receipt on their smartphone without providing personal information such as an email address or a phone number to a merchant. That is, the present invention has the advantages of preventing unnecessary leakage of personal information during the settlement transaction process, shortening the procedures and time until the issuance of the receipt, and enabling easier checking of the electronic receipt on the consumer's smartphone.

[0092] According to an embodiment of the present invention, regardless of the transaction means, consumers can receive electronic receipts on their smartphones. Conventionally, when a credit card company issues an electronic receipt, the electronic receipt could only be received when paying with the corresponding card. However, in the present invention, in conjunction with the merchant's POS terminal, electronic receipts are issued on the consumer's smartphone, so consumers can receive electronic receipts regardless of the payment means such as cash, debit card, credit card, mobile payment, or simple payment.

[0093] According to an embodiment of the present invention, consumers can receive electronic receipts that contain all the information related to the transaction. Conventionally, when an electronic receipt was issued via a related application or SMS (Short Message Service) after credit card payment, mobile payment, or simple payment, only limited information related to the transaction was displayed on the electronic receipt. In this case, for example, only the total amount of the payment was displayed, and details related to the transaction (contents of the items purchased, quantity, price of each item, tax) were not displayed. However, according to the electronic receipt issuance method of the present invention, consumers can receive electronic receipts that contain all the information related to the transaction.

[0094] FIG. 8 shows an electronic receipt issuance method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 8, in step 201, the user is either before starting the transaction or in a state where at least part of the transaction has been started.

[0096] Unlike FIG. 6, in step 201, the user's transaction has not been completed yet. In step 201, the user has not paid the corresponding consideration for the selected item using the payment means yet. For example, step 201 can be before the user scans the first item at the POS terminal for checkout, when the user scans at least one item at the POS terminal for checkout, or before the user has scanned all items at the POS terminal but has not completed the payment.

[0097] In step 202, the POS terminal 100 sends the intermediate transaction information to the electronic receipt issuer 200.

[0098] According to FIG. 1, the POS terminal 100 sends the intermediate transaction information to the electronic receipt issuer 200 by a wired communication method or a wireless communication method. According to FIG. 5, since the POS terminal 100 and the electronic receipt issuer are integrated, the transaction information is transmitted internally.

[0099] Here, the intermediate transaction information is distinguished from the completed transaction information described later. The intermediate transaction information is a set of all information related to a transaction where the settlement has not been completed. For example, the intermediate transaction information may include the transaction date and time, the name of the product or service, the unit price, the quantity, the subtotal, the business name, the business operator number, the representative's name, the address, the phone number, etc. However, the intermediate transaction information does not include the total amount, information related to the payment means, the accumulated amount, the discount amount, the final settlement amount with the discount reflected, etc.

[0100] The provisional transaction information is data stored in an arbitrary format. For example, the provisional transaction information can be data in which the above-mentioned information is recorded in the format of a text file, but it is not limited to this.

[0101] In step 203, the electronic receipt issuing device 200 generates an address corresponding to the received intermediate transaction information.

[0102] Here, the address means a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that can access a website or web page on the internet, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0103] The electronic receipt issuing device 200 is characterized by generating one unique address corresponding to the intermediate transaction information. This is because if the same address is generated corresponding to different transaction information, address clashes will occur. The electronic receipt issuing device 200 generates a unique address by including a unique identifier corresponding to the intermediate transaction information in the address. For example, the address may have the format of "web address / identifier". Here, the format of the identifier consists of a combination of letters, numbers, special characters, etc. and may have various lengths, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0104] As an embodiment, the electronic receipt issuing device 200 may generate an identifier using the content related to the intermediate transaction information. For example, the identifier may be generated based on the information of the electronic receipt issuing device 200, the generation date and time of the transaction information. As another embodiment, the electronic receipt issuing device 200 may generate an identifier by means of hash technology. Here, the hash technology refers to a technology of obtaining one result value corresponding to one input value by a hash function. In this case, the identifier may be the result value obtained by hash technology using the intermediate transaction information as the input value.

[0105] In step 204, the electronic receipt issuing device 200 transmits the intermediate transaction information and the information of the address corresponding thereto to the server 300.

[0106] The electronic receipt issuer 200 can transmit intermediate transaction information, the entire corresponding address, identifiers included in the address, other information meaning the address, or other information meaning the identifier, etc. to the server 300, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0107] In step 205, the server 300 stores the intermediate transaction information received from the electronic receipt issuer 200 and the information of the corresponding address.

[0108] In step 206, the electronic receipt issuer 200 generates and emits a short-range wireless communication signal corresponding to the address.

[0109] The electronic receipt issuer 200 is characterized by transmitting information to the user terminal 400 by near-field wireless communication (NFC). According to an embodiment, the electronic receipt issuer 200 generates and emits a message in a specific format used for near-field wireless communication. Here, the specific format means a format that enables the user terminal 400 that has received the corresponding message to immediately perform a preset operation. For example, the electronic receipt issuer 200 generates and emits an NDEF (NFC Data Exchange Format) message. The NDEF message contains the information to be transmitted to the user terminal 400. Here, the NDEF message contains an address as information (payload). Thereafter, the user terminal 400 performs a preset operation by receiving the NDEF message.

[0110] In FIG. 8, it is shown that step 206 is performed after step 205, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and step 205 and step 206 may be performed simultaneously, or step 205 may be performed after step 206.

[0111] In step 207, the user terminal 400 taps the electronic receipt issuer 200 to receive an address.

[0112] The user terminal 400 receives information from the electronic receipt issuer 200 via short-range wireless communication. The user terminal 400 may include an NFC function or a device, application, or application programming interface that supports or assists in supporting the NFC function. According to one embodiment, the user terminal 400 receives an NDEF message including an address as a payload by approaching within several tens of centimeters of the electronic receipt issuer 200.

[0113] In steps 208 and 209, the user terminal 400 accesses a specified web page based on the received address and displays a preliminary e-receipt.

[0114] The user terminal 400 accesses a web page on the internet linked to the received address. The server 300 pre-stores intermediate transaction information corresponding to the address. The server 300 converts the intermediate transaction information into the format of a preliminary e-receipt by an application. The server 300 discloses the generated preliminary e-receipt in the form of a web page linked to the address. Thus, the user terminal 400 can confirm the preliminary e-receipt by accessing the web page linked to the address.

[0115] The provisional e-receipt can be generated by various types of applications such as Progressive Web App, Responsive Web App, Rich Internet App, Single Page App, or Multi Page App, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0116] In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, instead of displaying the provisional e-receipt, the user terminal 400 may display a notification indicating that it is "preparing your e-receipt".

[0117] In step 210, the user completes the transaction. By completing the transaction, the POS terminal 100 obtains the completed transaction information. The completed transaction information according to one embodiment is a set of all information regarding the transaction for which the settlement has been completed.

[0118] According to one embodiment, the completed transaction information may include, in addition to the transaction date and time, name of the product or service, unit price, quantity, business name, business operator number, representative name, address, telephone number, the final settlement amount, the final tax amount, information regarding the payment means, etc.

[0119] According to other embodiments, the completed transaction information may include all information regarding the transaction for which the payment has been completed after the membership discount or accumulation benefits are reflected. In this case, the completed transaction information may include, in addition to the information described above, membership information, accumulation information, accumulation amount, discount information, discount amount, the final settlement amount with the discount reflected, etc.

[0120] Similar to the provisional transaction information, the complete transaction information is also data stored in an arbitrary format. For example, the complete transaction information is data in which the above-described information is recorded in the format of a text file.

[0121] In step 211, the POS terminal 100 transmits the complete transaction information to the electronic receipt issuer 200.

[0122] According to FIG. 1, the POS terminal 100 transmits the transaction information to the electronic receipt issuer 200 by a wired communication method or a wireless communication method. According to FIG. 5, since the POS terminal 100 and the electronic receipt issuer are integrated, the transaction information is transmitted internally.

[0123] In step 212, the electronic receipt issuer 200 transmits the complete transaction information and the information of the corresponding address to the server 300.

[0124] The electronic receipt issuer 200 previously holds the intermediate transaction information and the corresponding address. The intermediate transaction information is replaced (replace or update) by the complete transaction information. Therefore, the electronic receipt issuer 200 uses the address corresponding to the intermediate transaction information as the address corresponding to the complete transaction information. Therefore, in this case, there is no risk of address clashes (clashes). The electronic receipt issuer 200 can transmit the complete transaction information, the entire previously held address, the identifier included in the address, other information meaning the address, or other information meaning the identifier, etc. to the server 300, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0125] In step 213, the server 300 updates (update) the intermediate transaction information to the complete transaction information using the address information received from the electronic receipt issuer 200.

[0126] In steps 214 and 215, the user terminal 400 accesses the designated web page based on the received address and displays the updated e-receipt.

[0127] The user terminal 400 accesses a web page on the internet linked to the received address. The server 300 has already updated and stored the complete transaction information corresponding to the address. The server 300 converts the complete transaction information into the format of an e-receipt through an application. The server 300 discloses the generated final e-receipt in the form of a web page linked to the address. Therefore, the user terminal 400 can view the final e-receipt by accessing the web page linked to the address.

[0128] The final e-receipt can be generated by various types of applications such as Progressive Web App, Responsive Web App, Rich Internet App, Single Page App, or Multi Page App, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0129] The e-receipt issuing method shown in FIG. 6 is characterized in that after the transaction is completed, the user can view the e-receipt by tapping the smartphone on the e-receipt issuer. In contrast, the e-receipt issuing method shown in FIG. 8 is characterized in that even before the transaction is completed, the user can tap the smartphone on the e-receipt issuer to receive the address of the related web page, and then when the transaction is completed, the final e-receipt is automatically updated and the user can view it.

[0130] The electronic receipt issuing method according to still another embodiment of the present invention is mostly the same as the methods in FIGS. 6 and 8. Hereinafter, only the different parts will be described.

[0131] In step 103 of FIG. 6 and step 203 of FIG. 8, the electronic receipt issuing machine generates an address corresponding to the received transaction information. Here, the address means a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) that can access a website or web page on the internet.

[0132] However, according to the electronic receipt issuing method according to still another embodiment, here, the address means a deep link URL that can directly access a mobile application page or a web application page.

[0133] The deep link URL may be directly generated corresponding to the transaction information. However, it is not limited thereto, and the electronic receipt issuing machine may first generate a URL corresponding to the transaction information and then derive it into a deep link URL.

[0134] On the other hand, in steps 108 and 109 of FIG. 6, and steps 214 and 215 of FIG. 8, the user terminal 400 accesses a specified web page based on the received address and displays the electronic receipt.

[0135] However, according to the electronic receipt issuing method according to still another embodiment, since the address is a deep link URL, the user terminal 400 directly accesses a specified mobile application page or web application page based on the received address and displays the electronic receipt.

[0136] Specifically, the user terminal 400 accesses a mobile application page or a web application page linked to the address received by executing the application. The user terminal 400 receives the address by means of an NDEF message, and as a preset operation, executes the relevant application and accesses the page linked to the address.

[0137] In an alternative embodiment, if the relevant application is not installed on the user terminal 400, the user terminal 400 installs the required application and then accesses the mobile application page or the web application page linked to the address. Also in this case, the user terminal 400 receives the address by means of an NDEF message, and as a preset operation, executes the operation for installing the required application and accesses the page linked to the address.

[0138] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it means that, unless otherwise stated to the contrary, it does not exclude other components but may further include other components. Also, in this specification, a "section" may be a hardware component such as a processor or a circuit, and / or a software component executed by a hardware component such as a processor.

[0139] On the other hand, in the embodiments of the present invention, each component, functional block or means may be composed of one or more sub-components, and the electrical, electronic and mechanical functions executed by each component may be realized by various known elements such as electronic circuits, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits) or mechanical elements, and may also be realized individually, or two or more may be integrated into one for realization.

[0140] Also, combinations of each block in the attached block diagrams and each step in the flowcharts may be performed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions can be loaded onto the processors of general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, mobile devices such as laptop computers, network computers, smartphones, or other programmable data processing devices, the instructions executed by the processors of the computer device or other programmable data processing devices generate means for performing the functions described in each block of the attached block diagrams or each step of the flowchart. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a memory available to the computer device or a computer-readable memory that is directed to the computer device for realizing functions in a specific manner, so it is also possible to produce a manufactured product including instruction means for performing the functions described in each block of the block diagrams or each step of the flowchart. Since the computer program instructions can also be loaded onto the computer device or other programmable data processing devices, it is also possible to generate a process for causing a series of operation steps to be performed on the computer device or other programmable data processing devices and to provide steps for performing the functions described in each block of the block diagrams and each step of the flowchart.

[0141] Also, each block or each step can represent a part of a module, segment, or code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logical function. Further, it should be noted that in some alternative embodiments, the functions described in the block or step may occur out of order. For example, two consecutively shown blocks or steps can in fact be executed substantially simultaneously, and sometimes the block or step can be executed in reverse order depending on the function.

[0142] The present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, which are merely exemplary, and those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Industrial Applicability

[0143] Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for issuing an electronic receipt so that a business operator can utilize it in a manner that can be easily confirmed by a consumer using a smartphone.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0144] 10 Electronic receipt issuing system 100 POS terminal 200 Electronic receipt issuer 210 Network interface unit [[ID=No.21]] 220 Communication interface unit 230 Memory 240 Program storage unit 250 Control unit 260 Address generation unit 270 NFC tag control unit 300 Server 310 Communication unit 320 Memory 330 Program storage unit 340 Control unit 350 Database 360 Electronic receipt application programming interface 400 User terminal 410 Network interface unit 420 Communication interface unit 430 Memory 440 Input / output unit 450 Program storage unit 460 Control unit 470 Display control unit

Claims

1. A method for issuing electronic receipts generated according to transaction information, which is performed by a computer, A unique identifier is generated based on the transaction date, transaction time, information from the terminal of the electronic receipt provider, and at least one of the aforementioned transaction information. An address containing the unique identifier for displaying the transaction information is generated, The transaction information and the address are transmitted to a server connected to the internet. A method for issuing an electronic receipt, comprising: generating an NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) signal that includes the address as a payload in a format that enables the recipient terminal of the electronic receipt to perform a pre-configured operation after receiving it; generating the NDEF signal via NFC (Near-Field Communication) and transmitting the signal to the recipient terminal; and enabling the recipient terminal to display the electronic receipt via a web page or app page corresponding to the address after receiving the address.

2. Before the completion of the aforementioned transaction, To display intermediate transaction information that shows a portion of the aforementioned transaction information, the address including the unique identifier is generated. The server is sent the intermediate transaction information and the address so that the recipient's terminal can obtain the electronic receipt from the address via the Internet. At the end of the aforementioned transaction, A method for issuing an electronic receipt according to claim 1, wherein complete transaction information showing the complete contents of the transaction information is transmitted to the server, thereby causing the server to update the intermediate transaction information, which is the transaction information obtainable from the address, to the complete transaction information.

3. The method for issuing an electronic receipt according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the unique identifier included in the address is generated using hash technology.

4. An address generation unit generates a unique identifier based on the transaction date and time, information from the terminal of the electronic receipt provider, and at least one of the transaction information, and generates an address including the unique identifier for displaying the transaction information. A transmission unit that transmits the transaction information and the address to a server connected to the Internet, An electronic receipt issuing device comprising: a signal generating unit that generates an NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) signal including the address as a payload in a format that enables the terminal receiving the electronic receipt to perform a pre-configured operation after receiving it; generates the NDEF signal via NFC (Near-Field Communication) and transmits the signal to the terminal receiving the receipt; and enables the terminal receiving the receipt to display the electronic receipt via a web page or app page corresponding to the address after receiving the address.

5. An electronic receipt issuing system comprising: an electronic receipt issuing device that generates electronic receipts in accordance with transaction information that can be connected to the Internet; a server that can be connected to the Internet; and a terminal on the receiving end of the electronic receipt that can be connected to the Internet and can be connected to the issuing device via short-range wireless communication, The issuing device is, Based on the transaction date, transaction time, information from the terminal of the provider of the electronic receipt, and at least one of the transaction information, a unique identifier is generated, and an address containing the unique identifier for displaying the transaction information is generated. The transaction information and the address are transmitted to the server. A signal in NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF) is generated in a format that allows the recipient terminal to perform a pre-configured operation after receiving it, and the NDEF signal is generated via NFC (Near-Field Communication). The aforementioned server, The transaction information and address received from the issuing device are stored in a storage device, and the system is configured to provide the transaction information in response to a request from the recipient's terminal. The terminal on the recipient's side is, An electronic receipt issuing system that, after receiving the signal from the issuing device, displays the electronic receipt obtained from the server via a web page or app page corresponding to the address included in the signal.

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