Electronic receipt systems, devices, methods, and programs

Abstract

To provide an electronic receipt system, a device, a method and a program capable of easily selecting a print object from transaction for which an electronic receipt has been already output to print a paper receipt.SOLUTION: An electronic receipt system 10 according to an embodiment comprises: a server 300 which records an electronic receipt being electronic data including contents of transaction; a portable terminal 200 which accepts selection of the electronic receipt to be a print object and acquires selection information related to the selection; and a print terminal 100 which receives the selection information from the portable terminal, acquires data used for printing the print object from the server on the basis of the selection information, and prints a paper receipt which is a printed matter including the contents of transaction on the basis of the data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system, apparatus, method, and program for outputting a paper receipt related to an electronic receipt.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, when trading goods (including services), a system has been developed that outputs a receipt of electronic data (hereinafter referred to as an electronic receipt) instead of or in addition to a receipt on paper media (hereinafter referred to as a paper receipt). Electronic receipts have the advantage of not requiring paper resources and being easily managed and aggregated. Such a system outputs at least one of an electronic receipt and a paper receipt according to the customer's request at the time of accounting.

[0003] Even when a customer wishes to receive an electronic receipt at the time of accounting, the customer may later need a paper receipt. In the system described in Patent Document 1, when a customer needs a paper receipt for a transaction for which an electronic receipt has already been output, the POS terminal reads identification information from the customer's mobile terminal. Next, the POS terminal displays the transaction history on the screen based on the read identification information and accepts a selection by the customer using a touch panel. Then, the POS terminal prints the paper receipt for the transaction selected by the customer. With such a configuration, the system described in Patent Document 1 can print a paper receipt for a transaction for which an electronic receipt has already been output.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the system described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that customers need to find the transactions that require printing a paper receipt on the POS terminal screen, which takes time to select and can disrupt other customers who want to use the POS terminal for payment. In particular, if a customer's transaction history contains a large number of transactions, it is not easy to quickly find the transactions to be printed on the POS terminal screen.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an electronic receipt system, apparatus, method, and program that can easily select a print target from transactions for which an electronic receipt has already been printed and print a paper receipt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a system comprising at least one mobile terminal, a server device, and a printing terminal, wherein the mobile terminal has receiving means for receiving information relating to a plurality of transaction data selected by a user, the server device has generating means for generating identifiers for printing the contents of the plurality of selected transaction data, and output means for outputting the identifiers to the mobile terminal for printing the contents of the selected transaction data, and the printing terminal has printing means for printing the contents of the selected transaction data based on the identifiers, wherein the transaction data includes transaction-related information relating to at least one of store name, product name, price, tax amount, and total amount.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a method comprising at least one mobile terminal, a server device, and a printing terminal, wherein the mobile terminal performs the step of receiving information about a plurality of transaction data selected by a user; the server device performs the step of generating an identifier for printing the contents of the plurality of selected transaction data; and outputs the identifier to the mobile terminal for printing the contents of the selected transaction data; and the printing terminal performs the step of printing the contents of the selected transaction data based on the identifier, wherein the transaction data includes transaction information relating to at least one of store name, product name, price, tax amount, and total amount.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is a program for at least one mobile terminal, a server device and a printing terminal, wherein the mobile terminal performs the step of receiving information about a plurality of transaction data selected by a user; the server device performs the step of generating an identifier for printing the contents of the plurality of selected transaction data; and outputs the identifier to the mobile terminal for printing the contents of the selected transaction data; and the printing terminal performs the step of printing the contents of the selected transaction data based on the identifier, wherein the transaction data includes transaction information relating to at least one of store name, product name, price, tax amount and total amount. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, electronic receipts to be printed can be easily selected and printed as paper receipts. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an electronic receipt system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view of a printing terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of the printing terminal and mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4]It is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic receipt management server and a POS terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing data exchanged for paper receipt printing in an electronic receipt system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a front view of an exemplary electronic receipt. [Figure 7] It is a front view of a printing target selection screen for selecting a printing target. [Figure 8] It is a front view of a selection information display screen for displaying selection information of a printing target. [Figure 9] It is a front view of a message screen for notifying a customer that paper receipt printing will not be performed. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an exemplary table included in a selection content database for recording selection contents. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing a flowchart of receipt printing processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a sequence diagram of receipt printing processing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a mobile terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a schematic diagram showing data exchanged for paper receipt printing in an electronic receipt system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing a flowchart of receipt printing processing according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a sequence diagram of receipt printing processing according to the second embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a front view of an input screen for receiving selection information.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the drawings described below, components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof may be omitted.

[0013] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic receipt system 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, the electronic receipt system 10 is configured as part of a POS (Point Of Sale) system (sales point information management system). The electronic receipt system 10 includes a printing terminal 100 that prints a paper receipt, a mobile terminal 200 that displays an electronic receipt, an electronic receipt management server 300 that manages electronic receipts, and a POS terminal 400 that reads product information and performs accounting. The printing terminal 100, the mobile terminal 200, the electronic receipt management server 300, and the POS terminal 400 are connected by a wired or wireless connection via a network 500 such as the Internet. The electronic receipt system 10 may include other servers, terminals, and other devices.

[0014] The printing terminal 100 is a terminal having a function of printing a paper receipt based on the content of the electronic receipt acquired from the electronic receipt management server 300. In this specification, a paper receipt refers to a printed matter including the content of a transaction, and includes transaction details, receipts, and the like. The printing terminal 100 may be an independent terminal installed in a store, or may be integrated with another terminal such as the POS terminal 400. Alternatively, the printing terminal 100 may be a computer installed in a customer's home.

[0015] The mobile terminal 200 is a terminal that is carried by a customer and has a function of displaying an electronic receipt acquired from the electronic receipt management server 300. The electronic receipt management server 300 is a server that creates and records an electronic receipt based on the product information transmitted from the POS terminal 400. The POS terminal 400 is a terminal installed in a store that reads product information and performs accounting.

[0016] Figure 2 is a front view of the printing terminal 100 according to this embodiment. The printing terminal 100 includes a display 150 that displays information to the customer, an identifier reading unit 160 which is an acquisition unit that acquires a selection content identifier which is selection information presented from a mobile terminal 200, and a printer 170 which is a printing unit that prints paper receipts.

[0017] The customer selects the electronic receipt (i.e., transaction) to be printed on the mobile terminal 200, and displays a selection identifier (also called a selection ID) associated with the selection on the mobile terminal 200 as selection information. The customer then has the identifier reader 160 of the printing terminal 100 read the selection identifier. Based on the read selection identifier, the printing terminal 100 uses the printer 170 to print a paper receipt for the selected transaction. Details of the receipt printing process will be described later.

[0018] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the printing terminal 100 and the portable terminal 200 according to this embodiment. In addition to the display 150, identifier reader 160, and printer 170 described above, the printing terminal 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 110, memory 120, storage device 130, communication interface 140, and contactless IC (Integrated Circuit) communication unit 180. The printing terminal 100 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 3 and may further include input devices, speakers, etc.

[0019] The communication interface 140 is a communication unit that transmits and receives data and is configured to perform at least one of the communication methods: wired communication and wireless communication. The communication interface 140 includes a processor, electrical circuits, antenna, connection terminals, etc., necessary for the communication method. The communication interface 140 is connected to the network 500 using the communication method according to signals from the CPU 110 and performs communication.

[0020] The storage device 130 stores programs executed by the printing terminal 100, data resulting from program processing, etc. The storage device 130 includes read-only ROM (Read Only Memory), read / write hard disk drives, or flash memory. The storage device 130 may also include computer-readable portable storage media such as CD-ROMs. The memory 120 includes RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data being processed by the CPU 110 and data read from the storage device 130.

[0021] The CPU 110 is a processor that temporarily stores temporary data used for processing in the memory 120, reads a program stored in the storage device 130, and performs various calculations, control, and discrimination operations on the temporary data according to the program. The CPU 110 also records the processing result data in the storage device 130 and transmits the processing result data to an external device via the communication interface 140.

[0022] The display 150 is a display unit that displays information to store staff or customers. Any display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display or a liquid crystal display may be used as the display 150. The display 150 displays predetermined information such as product name and total amount according to the signal from the CPU 110.

[0023] The identifier reader 160 is a reader that reads the selected content identifier displayed as an image on the mobile terminal 200, and includes any imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera. In this embodiment, the selected content identifier does not directly represent the selected content (the transaction selected as the printing target), but is an identifier associated with the selected content registered in the electronic receipt management server 300. In this embodiment, the selected content identifier is represented using a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark). The selected content identifier is not limited to a two-dimensional code, but may be represented using other symbols, characters, or combinations thereof as images.

[0024] The printer 170 prints paper receipts, coupons, etc., according to signals from the CPU 110. Any printing device such as a thermal printer, inkjet printer, or laser printer may be used as the printer 170.

[0025] The contactless IC communication unit 180 is a communication unit for communicating with the mobile terminal 200. In this embodiment, the contactless IC communication unit 180 is configured to communicate using NFC and includes an antenna for sending and receiving signals and power, and an electrical circuit for controlling communication. Any communication method that the printing terminal 100 and the mobile terminal 200 can use may be used as the communication method executed by the contactless IC communication unit 180. For example, instead of contactless IC communication, a short-range wireless communication method such as Bluetooth® may be used.

[0026] The mobile terminal 200 comprises a CPU 210, memory 220, storage device 230, and mobile communication unit 240. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 200 comprises a display 250, input device 260, and contactless IC communication unit 270. The mobile terminal 200 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 3, and may also be equipped with a microphone, speaker, etc.

[0027] The mobile communication unit 240 is a communication unit that transmits and receives data and is configured to perform mobile communication. The mobile communication unit 240 includes a processor, electrical circuits, antenna, etc., necessary for mobile communication. The mobile communication unit 240 connects to the network 500 using mobile communication according to signals from the CPU 210 and performs communication. The mobile terminal 200 may connect to the network 500 and perform communication by any wireless communication such as wireless LAN, instead of or in addition to mobile communication.

[0028] The storage device 230 stores programs executed by the mobile terminal 200, data resulting from program processing, etc. The storage device 230 includes read-only ROM, read / write hard disk drives, or flash memory, etc. The storage device 230 may also include computer-readable portable storage media such as CD-ROMs. The memory 220 includes RAM, etc., for temporarily storing data being processed by the CPU 210 and data read from the storage device 230.

[0029] The CPU 210 is a processor that temporarily stores temporary data used for processing in the memory 220, reads a program stored in the storage device 230, and performs various calculations, control, and discrimination operations on the temporary data according to the program. The CPU 210 also records the processing result data in the storage device 230 and transmits the processing result data to an external device via the mobile communication unit 240.

[0030] The display 250 is a display unit that displays information to the user (customer). Any display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) display may be used as the display 250. The display 250 is configured as a touch panel and functions not only as a display unit but also as an input unit. The display 250 displays predetermined information such as an electronic receipt according to signals from the CPU 210. The input device 260 includes buttons, a touch panel, etc., and receives input from the user and transmits the input content as a signal to the CPU 210.

[0031] The contactless IC communication unit 270 is a communication unit for communicating with the printing terminal 100. The contactless IC communication unit 270 is configured to be able to perform the same communication method as the contactless IC communication unit 180 of the printing terminal 100.

[0032] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the electronic receipt management server 300 and POS terminal 400 according to this embodiment. The electronic receipt management server 300 includes a CPU 310, memory 320, storage device 330, and communication interface 340. The electronic receipt management server 300 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 4, and may further include a display, input device, etc. The electronic receipt management server 300 may be an independent server, or it may be configured together with another server such as a POS server.

[0033] The communication interface 340 is a communication unit that transmits and receives data and is configured to perform at least one of the communication methods: wired communication and wireless communication. The communication interface 340 includes a processor, electrical circuits, antenna, connection terminals, etc., necessary for the communication method. The communication interface 340 is connected to the network 500 using the communication method according to signals from the CPU 310 and performs communication.

[0034] The storage device 330 stores programs executed by the electronic receipt management server 300, data resulting from program processing, etc. The storage device 330 includes read-only ROM, read / write hard disk drives, or flash memory, etc. The storage device 330 may also include computer-readable portable storage media such as CD-ROMs. The memory 320 includes RAM, etc., for temporarily storing data being processed by the CPU 310 and data read from the storage device 330.

[0035] The CPU 310 is a processor that temporarily stores temporary data used for processing in the memory 320, reads a program stored in the storage device 330, and performs various calculations, control, and discrimination operations on the temporary data according to the program. The CPU 310 also records the processing result data in the storage device 330 and transmits the processing result data externally via the communication interface 340.

[0036] The POS terminal 400 includes a CPU 410, memory 420, storage device 430, and communication interface 440. Furthermore, the POS terminal 400 includes a display 450, input device 460, product information reading unit 470, and printer 480. The POS terminal 400 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 4, and may further include a cash deposit / withdrawal device for handling deposits and withdrawals during accounting.

[0037] The communication interface 440 is a communication unit that transmits and receives data and is configured to perform at least one of two communication methods: wired communication and wireless communication. The communication interface 440 includes a processor, electrical circuits, antenna, connection terminals, etc., necessary for the communication method. The communication interface 440 is connected to the network 500 using the communication method according to signals from the CPU 410 and performs communication.

[0038] The storage device 430 stores programs executed by the POS terminal 400, data resulting from program processing, etc. The storage device 430 includes read-only ROM, read / write hard disk drives, or flash memory. The storage device 430 may also include computer-readable portable storage media such as CD-ROMs. The memory 420 includes RAM, etc., for temporarily storing data being processed by the CPU 410 and data read from the storage device 430.

[0039] The CPU 410 is a processor that temporarily stores temporary data used for processing in the memory 420, reads a program stored in the storage device 430, and performs various calculations, control, and discrimination operations on the temporary data according to the program. The CPU 410 also records the processing result data in the storage device 430 and transmits the processing result data to an external device via the communication interface 440.

[0040] The display 450 is a display unit that displays information to the store clerk or customer. Any display device such as a CRT display or liquid crystal display may be used as the display 450. The display 450 displays predetermined information such as product name and total amount according to signals from the CPU 410. The input device 460 includes a keyboard or the like that instructs the execution of totals and deposits / withdrawals, receives input from the store clerk, and transmits the input content as a signal to the CPU 410.

[0041] The product information reading unit 470 is a reading unit that reads product information and includes any imaging device such as a CCD camera or a CMOS camera. In this embodiment, the product information includes a product identifier (e.g., JAN code) and is represented using a barcode. The product information reading unit 470 may be provided as a separate terminal from the POS terminal 400. In that case, the separate terminal reads the product information using the product information reading unit 470 and transmits the product information to the POS terminal 400.

[0042] The printer 480 prints paper receipts, invoices, coupons, etc., according to signals from the CPU 410. Any printing device such as a thermal printer, inkjet printer, or laser printer may be used as the printer 480.

[0043] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the data exchanged for printing paper receipts in the electronic receipt system 10 according to this embodiment. In Figure 5, the direction of data exchange is indicated by arrows along with the data being exchanged. First, the mobile terminal 200 receives a selection of transactions to be printed from the user (customer) and sends data including the selection (for example, a list of receipt IDs of the selected transactions) to the electronic receipt management server 300. The electronic receipt management server 300 records the selection received from the mobile terminal 200 in the storage device 330 and sends data including a selection identifier associated with the selection to the mobile terminal 200. In other words, the selection identifier is a second identifier for uniquely identifying the list of first identifiers (receipt IDs) of transactions selected for printing.

[0044] Next, when the mobile terminal 200 performs a paper receipt print, it presents the selection identifier received from the electronic receipt management server 300 to the printing terminal 100 as selection information. The printing terminal 100 transmits data including the selection identifier read from the mobile terminal 200 to the electronic receipt management server 300. The electronic receipt management server 300 reads the selection from the storage device 330 based on the selection identifier received from the printing terminal 100, and then reads the electronic receipt data from the storage device 330 based on the selection. The electronic receipt management server 300 then extracts the data necessary for printing the paper receipt from the electronic receipt data and transmits it to the printing terminal 100 as print data.

[0045] In this embodiment, as selection information related to the selection of electronic receipts (transactions) to be printed, a selection identifier associated with the selection content is exchanged between the printing terminal 100 and the mobile terminal 200. This configuration reduces the data volume compared to exchanging the selection content itself. Therefore, the selection content can be exchanged using low-data-capacity information exchange methods such as barcodes or two-dimensional codes. As selection information, instead of a selection identifier that indirectly indicates the selection content, information that directly indicates the selection content (for example, a list of receipt IDs) may be used, as in the second embodiment described later.

[0046] Figure 6 is a front view of an exemplary electronic receipt A output by the electronic receipt system 10 according to this embodiment. Electronic receipt A is displayed on the display 250 of the mobile terminal 200. The information displayed on electronic receipt A is recorded in the storage device 330 of the electronic receipt management server 300. Each electronic receipt A is associated with an electronic receipt identifier (also called a receipt ID). The electronic receipt management server 300 receives the electronic receipt identifier from the mobile terminal 200, reads the information contained in electronic receipt A from the storage device 330 based on the identifier, and transmits it to the mobile terminal 200.

[0047] Electronic receipt A displays the receipt ID, which is an identifier for the electronic receipt, and whether or not a paper receipt has already been printed. Electronic receipt A also includes any type of information related to the transaction, such as the store name, product name, price, tax amount, and total amount. The type of information included in electronic receipt A may be arbitrarily selected by the user. In that case, the electronic receipt management server 300 receives data from the mobile terminal 200 indicating the type of information desired by the user, and transmits data containing the information of that type necessary for displaying electronic receipt A to the mobile terminal 200.

[0048] Figure 7 is a front view of the print target selection screen B for selecting the items to print. The print target selection screen B is displayed on the display 250 of the mobile terminal 200. The print target selection screen B is activated when the user performs a predetermined operation on the mobile terminal 200. The print target selection screen B includes a transaction summary B1 showing the transaction summary, a check box B2, a confirmation button B3, and a reset button B4. When the user presses the transaction summary B1, the electronic receipt A is displayed. When the user presses the check box B2, the check box B2 alternates between the ON and OFF states. The user checks the details of each transaction and selects the transactions to be printed on a paper receipt by turning the check box B2 ON. After completing the selection, when the user presses the confirmation button B3, the screen transitions to the selection information display screen C in Figure 8. When the user presses the reset button B4, all check boxes B2 are reset to the OFF state.

[0049] Figure 8 is a front view of the selection information display screen C, which displays an identifier for the selected items to be printed. The selection information display screen C is displayed on the display 250 of the mobile terminal 200. The selection information display screen C includes a two-dimensional code C1, which is an image representing the selection item identifier, and a back button C2. In addition, the selection item identifier represented by the two-dimensional code C1 is displayed as a string on the selection information display screen C.

[0050] As described above, the selection identifier does not directly represent the selection content, but is an identifier associated with the selection content registered in the electronic receipt management server 300. Specifically, when the confirmation button B3 on the print target selection screen B is pressed, the mobile terminal 200 sends the transaction selected as the print target (i.e., the selection content) on the print target selection screen B to the electronic receipt management server 300. The electronic receipt management server 300 registers the received selection content along with the selection identifier associated with that selection content. Then, the electronic receipt management server 300 sends the selection identifier to the mobile terminal 200. The mobile terminal 200 converts the received selection identifier into a two-dimensional code C1 and displays it on the selection information display screen C. In other words, the display 250 functions as a presentation unit that passes the selection information to the printing terminal 100. When the user presses the back button C2, the user transitions to the print target selection screen B shown in Figure 7.

[0051] A user requests printing to the printing terminal 100 when they have the identifier reader 160 of the printing terminal 100 read a two-dimensional code C1 displayed on the display 250 of the mobile terminal 200. The printing terminal 100 obtains a selection content identifier from the read two-dimensional code C1, transmits the selection content identifier to the electronic receipt management server 300, and receives print data from the electronic receipt management server 300. In other words, the identifier reader 160 functions as an acquisition unit that obtains selection information presented from the mobile terminal 200. For each transaction included in the received print data, if the total amount of goods (including services) in a single transaction is less than a predetermined value, the printing terminal 100 prints a paper receipt using the printer 170. On the other hand, for each transaction included in the received print data, if the total amount of a single transaction is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the printing terminal 100 does not print a paper receipt, and instead displays a message on the display 150 notifying the user that a paper receipt will not be printed.

[0052] Figure 9 is a front view of message screen F, which notifies the customer that a paper receipt will not be printed. Message screen F is displayed on the display 150 of the printing terminal 100. Message screen F includes a message informing the customer that a paper receipt will not be printed. For example, in the case of transactions with a total amount of a predetermined amount (e.g., 50,000 yen) or more, a revenue stamp must be affixed to the paper receipt. In such cases, it is more convenient for the printing to be done at the counter where a store employee is present, rather than printing the paper receipt at the printing terminal 100. Therefore, if the total amount of the transaction to be printed is a predetermined amount or more, the printing terminal 100 does not print a paper receipt and displays a notification message to guide the customer to the counter where a store employee is present. The notification that a paper receipt will not be printed is not limited to a message display and may be given by any notification method such as voice output or lamp illumination.

[0053] Figures 10(a) and 10(b) show exemplary tables included in the selection database for recording selections in this embodiment. The selection database is recorded in the storage device 330 of the electronic receipt management server 300. Figure 10(a) shows the selection table D, which records selection IDs and receipt IDs in association. The selection table D includes a selection ID field D1 and a receipt ID field D2. The selection ID field D1 records the selection ID as an identifier (selection identifier) ​​of the transaction selected for printing. A string of a predetermined length or a numerical value may be used as the selection ID. The receipt ID field D2 records the receipt ID as an identifier of the transaction. The receipt ID is uniquely associated with the electronic receipt. A string of a predetermined length or a numerical value may be used as the receipt ID.

[0054] In the selection table D, the selection ID field D1 and the receipt ID field D2 are recorded in relation to each other. Therefore, if the specified selection ID is registered in the selection table D, one or more receipt IDs can be obtained based on that selection ID. Conversely, if the specified selection ID is not registered in the selection table D, it is not possible to obtain a receipt ID based on that selection ID, meaning that no transaction to be printed has been selected. When a transaction to be printed is selected on the mobile terminal 200 and sent to the electronic receipt management server 300, a selection ID is assigned to each selection and recorded in the selection ID field D1, and the receipt IDs included in that selection are recorded in the receipt ID field D2.

[0055] Figure 10(b) shows the print status table E, which records whether each electronic receipt has been printed or not. The print status table E includes a receipt ID column E1 and a print status column E2. The receipt ID column E1 records the receipt ID which is the same as the receipt ID column D2 of the selection table D. The print status column E2 records "Done" if the receipt ID has already been printed, and "Not yet printed" otherwise. In the print status table E, the print status column E2 is associated with the receipt ID column E1 as the key. Therefore, the print status value can be uniquely obtained from the print status table E based on the specified receipt ID. When printing is performed at the printing terminal 100, the print status column E2 is updated to "Done" for the receipt ID to be printed.

[0056] Figures 10(a) and 10(b) show exemplary table structures, but the selection database is not limited to these table structures. For example, the tables in Figures 10(a) and 10(b) may be joined and recorded as a single table. Alternatively, the selection database may be configured as part of another database (for example, a database for recording electronic receipts).

[0057] Figure 11 is a flowchart of the receipt printing process according to this embodiment. Figure 12 is a sequence diagram of the receipt printing process according to this embodiment. The electronic receipt output process is performed collaboratively by the printing terminal 100, the mobile terminal 200, and the electronic receipt management server 300. The electronic receipt output process is started, for example, when a customer performs a start operation on the mobile terminal 200.

[0058] First, the mobile terminal 200 sends a request for a list of electronic receipts to the electronic receipt management server 300 (step S11). The request for a list of electronic receipts includes a user identifier (e.g., email address or membership number) representing the user (customer) of the mobile terminal 200. The electronic receipt management server 300 reads the data of the list of electronic receipts associated with the user identifier received from the mobile terminal 200 from the storage device 330 and sends it to the mobile terminal 200 (step S12). The data of the list of electronic receipts includes information displayed on the print target selection screen B in Figure 7 (e.g., date and time, store name, total amount, etc.).

[0059] Next, the mobile terminal 200 displays the print target selection screen B on the display 250 based on the electronic receipt list received from the electronic receipt management server 300, and accepts the user's selection of print targets (step S13). When one or more electronic receipts are selected and the user presses the confirmation button B3 on the print target selection screen B, the mobile terminal 200 sends the list of electronic receipts selected as print targets (i.e., receipt IDs) to the electronic receipt management server 300 as selection data (step S14). The electronic receipt management server 300 assigns a selection ID as a selection data identifier to the selection data received from the mobile terminal 200, associates the selection ID with the selection data, and registers it in the selection data table D in the storage device 330. Specifically, the electronic receipt management server 300 inserts a row in the selection data table D where the selection ID field D1 is the selection ID and the receipt ID field D2 is the receipt ID included in the selection data. A newly generated selection ID may be used, or one previously assigned to the user may be reused. Then, the electronic receipt management server 300 transmits a selection ID, which serves as a selection content identifier, to the mobile terminal 200 (step S15).

[0060] Next, the mobile terminal 200 presents a selection ID to the printing terminal 100 and requests printing (step S16). Specifically, the mobile terminal 200 generates an image of a two-dimensional code C1 representing the selection content identifier received from the electronic receipt management server 300, and displays a selection information display screen C including the image of the two-dimensional code C1 on the display 250. The user requests printing from the printing terminal 100 and passes the selection content identifier by having the identifier reader 160 of the printing terminal 100 read the two-dimensional code C1.

[0061] Next, the printing terminal 100 requests print data from the electronic receipt management server 300 (step S17). The print data request includes a selection identifier read from the mobile terminal 200. The electronic receipt management server 300 reads the selection associated with the selection identifier received from the printing terminal 100 from the storage device 330, and further reads the electronic receipt data associated with the selection (i.e., the list of receipt IDs selected for printing) from the storage device 330 (step S18). The electronic receipt management server 300 then extracts the data necessary for printing a paper receipt from the electronic receipt data related to the list of receipt IDs and sends it to the printing terminal 100 as print data. The print data includes information to be displayed on the paper receipt (e.g., date and time, store name, product name, price, tax amount, etc.).

[0062] The printing terminal 100 prints a paper receipt (step S20) for one transaction in the print data received from the electronic receipt management server 300 if the total amount of the goods included in that transaction is less than a predetermined amount (for example, 50,000 yen) (YES in step S19). On the other hand, if the total amount of a transaction is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount (NO in step S19), the printing terminal 100 does not print a paper receipt and displays message screen F on the display 150 (step S21).

[0063] If the paper receipt printing in step S20 or the message display in step S21 has not been completed for all receipt IDs included in the print data (NO in step S22), then steps S19 to S21 are repeated for the next receipt ID.

[0064] When the paper receipt printing in step S20 or the message display in step S21 is completed for all receipt IDs included in the print data (YES in step S22), the printing terminal 100 sends the print results (i.e., a list of the printed receipt IDs) to the electronic receipt management server 300 (step S23). The electronic receipt management server 300 then updates the print status table E in the storage device 330 based on the print results received from the printing terminal 100. Specifically, in the print status table E, the electronic receipt management server 300 sets "Completed" in the print status column E2 for rows where the receipt IDs included in the print results are set in the receipt ID column E1.

[0065] In this embodiment, the paper receipt is printed in step S20 regardless of whether the transaction for which a paper receipt is to be printed (i.e., receipt ID) has already been printed or not. However, if the receipt ID has already been printed (i.e., "Done" is set in the print status column E2) by referring to the print status table E during printing, the paper receipt printing in step S20 may be skipped. In this case, a message indicating that the receipt has already been printed may be displayed on the display 150 of the printing terminal 100.

[0066] The CPU 110 of the printing terminal 100, the CPU 210 of the mobile terminal 200, and the CPU 310 of the electronic receipt management server 300 are the main components of each step included in the process shown in Figure 11. That is, the CPUs 110, 210, and 310 read programs for executing the process shown in Figure 11 from the storage devices 130, 230, and 330, respectively, and execute the program to control each part and thereby execute the process shown in Figure 11.

[0067] In this embodiment, the electronic receipt system 10 allows users to select the electronic receipt to be printed in advance on the mobile terminal 200 and print a paper receipt simply by presenting the mobile terminal 200 to the printing terminal 100. Therefore, unlike the system described in Patent Document 1, there is no need to select the receipt to be printed in front of the printing terminal, making it easy to print a paper receipt from the selected electronic receipt and reducing the time the printing terminal is occupied.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the identifier of the selected content, rather than the selected content itself, is passed from the mobile terminal 200 to the printing terminal 100, the amount of data exchanged between the mobile terminal 200 and the printing terminal 100 is small. Therefore, the selected information can be passed from the mobile terminal 200 to the printing terminal 100 using a simple method such as reading a two-dimensional code.

[0069] In this embodiment, the selection content identifier is displayed on the mobile terminal 200, but the selection content identifier may also be transmitted to the printing terminal 100 by an identifier such as a barcode or two-dimensional code printed on a membership card separate from the mobile terminal 200. In this case, the electronic receipt management server 300 has the membership card identifier pre-associated with the user information of the mobile terminal 200, and the user information of the mobile terminal 200 is associated with the selection content. The printing terminal 100 reads the identifier of the membership card presented by the customer and transmits the identifier of the membership card to the electronic receipt management server 300. The electronic receipt management server 300 obtains the user information of the mobile terminal 200 associated with the identifier of the membership card received from the printing terminal 100, and further reads the selection content associated with the user information. As a result, the electronic receipt management server 300 can obtain the selection content of the mobile terminal 200 based on the identifier of the membership card.

[0070] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the printing terminal 100. Figure 13 shows an example configuration in which the printing terminal 100 functions as a device that prints paper receipts based on selection information related to the selection of electronic receipts. The printing terminal 100 comprises an identifier reader 160 as an acquisition unit that acquires selection information related to the selection of electronic receipts, which are electronic data containing the details of the transaction to be printed; a communication interface 140 as a communication unit that acquires data used for printing the target item based on the selection information from a server that records electronic receipts; and a printer 170 as a printing unit that prints paper receipts, which are printed materials containing the details of the transaction, based on the data.

[0071] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the mobile terminal 200. Figure 14 shows an example configuration in which the mobile terminal 200 functions as a device that receives and presents selection information related to the selection of an electronic receipt. The mobile terminal 200 includes a display 250 which serves as an input unit for receiving the selection of an electronic receipt to be printed, and as a presentation unit for passing the selection from the input unit to the server as selection information. The presentation unit may also be configured to pass the selection from the input unit to a printing terminal instead of the server. Alternatively, a contactless IC communication unit 270 may be used as the presentation unit instead of the display 250.

[0072] (Second embodiment) In the first embodiment, the mobile terminal 200 transmits a selection identifier associated with the selection, rather than the selection itself, as selection information to the printing terminal 100. In contrast, in this embodiment, the selection itself is transmitted from the mobile terminal 200 to the printing terminal 100 as selection information. This embodiment uses the same electronic receipt system 10 as in the first embodiment. The differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0073] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing the data exchanged for printing paper receipts in the electronic receipt system 10 according to this embodiment. In Figure 15, the direction of data exchange is indicated by arrows along with the data being exchanged. First, the mobile terminal 200 receives the selection of transactions to be printed from the user (customer) and sends data including the selection (for example, a list of receipt IDs for the selected transactions) to the printing terminal 100. The printing terminal 100 receives the selection received from the mobile terminal 200 and sends data including the selection to the electronic receipt management server 300. The electronic receipt management server 300 reads the electronic receipt data from the storage device 330 based on the selection received from the printing terminal 100. Then, the electronic receipt management server 300 extracts the data necessary for printing paper receipts from the electronic receipt data and sends it to the printing terminal 100 as print data.

[0074] In this embodiment, selection information is transmitted and received between the contactless IC communication unit 180 of the printing terminal 100 and the contactless IC communication unit 270 of the mobile terminal 200 using NFC, which is a type of contactless IC communication. That is, the contactless IC communication unit 180 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires selection information presented from the mobile terminal 200. The contactless IC communication unit 270 functions as a presentation unit that passes the selection information to the printing terminal 100. Instead of contactless IC communication, the selection information may be transmitted and received using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth®.

[0075] Figure 16 is a flowchart of the receipt printing process according to this embodiment. Figure 17 is a sequence diagram of the receipt printing process according to this embodiment. Steps S11 to S13 are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0076] In step S13, after the transaction to be printed is selected on the mobile terminal 200, the mobile terminal 200 presents the selection to the printing terminal 100 and requests printing (step S24). Specifically, the mobile terminal 200 transmits a list of electronic receipts (i.e., receipt IDs) selected as print targets on the print target selection screen B to the printing terminal 100 as selection data using the contactless IC communication unit 270. The printing terminal 100 receives the selection data from the mobile terminal 200 using the contactless IC communication unit 180.

[0077] Next, the printing terminal 100 requests print data from the electronic receipt management server 300 (step S25). The print data request includes the selection received from the mobile terminal 200. The electronic receipt management server 300 reads the electronic receipt data associated with the selection received from the printing terminal 100 (i.e., the list of receipt IDs selected for printing) from the storage device 330 (step S26). The electronic receipt management server 300 then extracts the data necessary for printing a paper receipt from the electronic receipt data related to the list of receipt IDs and sends it to the printing terminal 100 as print data. After that, steps S19 to S23, similar to those in the first embodiment, are performed.

[0078] The electronic receipt system 10 according to this embodiment can directly transfer selected content from the mobile terminal 200 to the printing terminal 100. Furthermore, this embodiment, like the first embodiment, can easily print a paper receipt from the electronic receipt to be printed, thereby reducing the time the printing terminal is occupied.

[0079] (Third embodiment) In the first embodiment, the printing terminal 100 acquires selection information using a two-dimensional code, and in the second embodiment, the printing terminal 100 acquires selection information using contactless IC communication. In contrast, in this embodiment, the printing terminal 100 acquires selection information by accepting input from the customer on the printing terminal 100. This embodiment uses the same electronic receipt system 10 as in the first embodiment. The differences from the first embodiment will be described below.

[0080] Figure 18 is a front view of the input screen G that receives selection information. The input screen G is displayed on the display 150 of the printing terminal 100. The input screen G includes a message G1 prompting the customer to enter a selection ID and a selection ID field G2. In this embodiment, the display 150 is configured as a touch panel which is an input unit, and accepts input from the customer to the selection ID field G2 via a software keyboard G3 displayed on the input screen G. Alternatively, the printing terminal 100 may be provided with a hardware keyboard, and customer input may be accepted via the hardware keyboard.

[0081] The customer, for example, refers to the selection ID displayed on the selection information display screen C in Figure 8, enters the selection ID in the selection ID field G2 using the software keyboard G3, and then presses the confirmation button. The printing terminal 100 acquires the selection ID as a selection content identifier entered in the selection ID field G2. In other words, in this embodiment, the display 150 functions as an acquisition unit for acquiring selection information. After acquiring the selection ID, the printing terminal 100 requests print data from the electronic receipt management server 300, as in the first embodiment, and prints a paper receipt using the received print data.

[0082] In this embodiment, the electronic receipt system 10 allows customers to manually input selection information, so the printing terminal 100 does not need to have a camera for capturing two-dimensional codes or a contactless IC communication unit to acquire the selection information. Furthermore, this embodiment, like the first embodiment, allows for easy printing of paper receipts from the electronic receipt to be printed, thus reducing the time the printing terminal is occupied.

[0083] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0084] The processing method of recording a program that operates the configuration of each embodiment to realize the functions of each embodiment described above (for example, a program that causes the printing terminal 100, the mobile terminal 200, and the electronic receipt management server 300 to execute the processes shown in Figures 11 and 14) on a recording medium, reading the program recorded on the recording medium as code, and executing it at a receiving station which is a computer is also included in the scope of each embodiment. In other words, a computer-readable recording medium is also included in the scope of each embodiment. Furthermore, not only the recording medium on which the above-mentioned computer program is recorded, but also the computer program itself is included in each embodiment.

[0085] Examples of recording media that can be used include floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, and ROMs. Furthermore, the scope of each embodiment is not limited to programs that perform processing on the recording media alone, but also includes programs that operate on the OS and perform processing in cooperation with other software and the functions of expansion boards.

[0086] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited to the following:

[0087] (Note 1) A server that records electronic receipts, which are electronic data containing transaction details, A mobile terminal that accepts the selection of the electronic receipt to be printed and acquires the selection information related to the selection, A printing terminal that receives the selection information from the mobile terminal, obtains data from the server used for printing the print target based on the selection information, and prints a paper receipt which is a printed document containing the details of the transaction based on the data, An electronic receipt system characterized by having the following features.

[0088] (Note 2) The aforementioned selection information is an identifier associated with the selection content of the electronic receipt, The server records the selection and the identifier, The electronic receipt system according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the printing terminal obtains the data from the server by transmitting the identifier received from the mobile terminal to the server.

[0089] (Note 3) The aforementioned selection information is the selection content of the electronic receipt, The electronic receipt system according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the printing terminal obtains the data from the server by transmitting the selection received from the mobile terminal to the server.

[0090] (Note 4) The aforementioned mobile terminal displays an image on its screen indicating the selected information. The electronic receipt system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, characterized in that the printing terminal reads the image from the mobile terminal and obtains the selection information based on the image.

[0091] (Note 5) The electronic receipt system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 4, characterized in that the printing terminal issues a predetermined notification without printing the paper receipt if the total amount of the products included in the electronic receipt to be printed is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount.

[0092] (Note 6) A reading unit receives selection information related to the selection from a mobile terminal that has selected an electronic receipt, which is electronic data containing transaction details, as the printing target. A communication unit that obtains data used for printing the print target based on the selection information from the server that records the electronic receipt, A printing unit that prints a paper receipt, which is a printed document containing the details of the transaction, based on the aforementioned data, A device characterized by comprising:

[0093] (Note 7) An electronic receipt system including a server that records electronic receipts, which are electronic data containing transaction details, and a printing terminal that acquires selection information related to the selection of the electronic receipt to be printed, acquires data used for printing the selected receipt from the server based on the selection information, and prints a paper receipt, which is a printed document containing the transaction details, based on the data, An input unit that accepts the selection of the electronic receipt to be printed, A presentation unit that passes the aforementioned selection as selection information to the server or the printing terminal, A device characterized by comprising:

[0094] (Note 8) A step of receiving selection information related to the selection from a mobile device that has selected an electronic receipt, which is electronic data containing the details of a transaction, as the target for printing, A step of obtaining data used for printing the print target based on the selection information from the server that records the electronic receipt, Based on the aforementioned data, the process involves printing a paper receipt, which is a printed document containing the details of the transaction. A method characterized by comprising:

[0095] (Note 9) On the computer, A step of receiving selection information related to the selection from a mobile device that has selected an electronic receipt, which is electronic data containing the details of a transaction, as the target for printing, A step of obtaining data used for printing the print target based on the selection information from the server that records the electronic receipt, Based on the aforementioned data, the process involves printing a paper receipt, which is a printed document containing the details of the transaction. A program characterized by causing the execution of a specific action. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0096] 10 Electronic receipt system 100 Printing Terminals 160 Identifier reading unit 170 Printers 200 mobile devices 300 Electronic receipt management servers 400 POS terminals

Claims

1. A system comprising at least one mobile terminal, a server device, and a printing terminal, The aforementioned mobile terminal has a selection means that allows the user to select from a list of multiple transaction data to be printed on a screen. The server device is The system includes a generation means for receiving a plurality of selected transaction data from the mobile terminal and generating an identifier for printing the contents of the plurality of selected transaction data, and an output means for outputting the identifier to the mobile terminal for printing the contents of the selected transaction data. The aforementioned printing terminal is The system includes a printing means that obtains the output identifier from the mobile terminal, transmits the identifier to the server device to receive the contents of the transaction data associated with the identifier, and prints the contents of the transaction data based on the output identifier, The system is characterized in that the transaction data includes information relating to a transaction, specifically regarding at least one of the following: store name, product name, price, tax amount, and total amount.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the printing means does not print if the total amount of any of the selected transaction data exceeds a predetermined value.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the printing means prints if the total amount of any of the selected transaction data is less than a predetermined value.

4. A method relating to at least one mobile terminal, a server device, and a printing terminal, The aforementioned mobile terminal performs a step that allows the user to select from a list of transaction data to be printed on the screen. The server device is The process involves receiving a selection of transaction data from the mobile terminal, generating an identifier for printing the contents of the selection of transaction data, and outputting the identifier to the mobile terminal for printing the contents of the selection of transaction data. The aforementioned printing terminal is The process involves obtaining the output identifier from the mobile terminal, transmitting the identifier to the server device to receive the contents of the transaction data associated with the identifier, and printing the contents of the transaction data based on the output identifier. The method is characterized in that the transaction data includes information relating to a transaction, relating to at least one of the following: store name, product name, price, tax amount, and total amount.

5. A program for at least one mobile terminal, server device and printing terminal, The mobile terminal is instructed to perform a process that allows it to select from a list of transaction data to be printed on a screen. The server device, The process involves receiving a selection of transaction data from the mobile terminal, generating an identifier for printing the contents of the selection of transaction data, and outputting the identifier to the mobile terminal for printing the contents of the selection of transaction data. The aforementioned printing terminal, The process involves obtaining the output identifier from the mobile terminal, transmitting the identifier to the server device to receive the contents of the transaction data associated with the identifier, and printing the contents of the transaction data based on the output identifier. The program is characterized in that the transaction data includes information relating to a transaction, relating to at least one of the following: store name, product name, price, tax amount, and total amount.

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