Cloud Digital Receipt Transmission via Unique Link
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital receipt transmission methods are inefficient, costly, and lack privacy, as they often require additional hardware, registration, and data processing, leading to environmental issues due to paper receipts and limited accessibility.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based digital receipt transmission system that generates and transmits digital receipts using a unique link, integrating with existing payment infrastructure, ensuring anonymity and reducing hardware needs, with features like secure storage and real-time processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If paper receipts are used to fulfill legal requirements, then transaction documentation is ensured, but environmental harm increases due to CO2 emissions and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical paper-based receipt system with a digital electronic receipt system. The cashier system generates digital receipts that are transmitted to users via communication networks, eliminating the need for thermal paper rolls and physical printing mechanisms. This substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable transaction documentation through digital storage while completely eliminating CO2 emissions and waste associated with paper production and disposal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates digital copies of transaction records that serve as valid receipts. Instead of producing physical paper copies, the system generates electronic copies stored in databases and transmitted to users. These digital copies fulfill legal documentation requirements while avoiding the environmental harm of paper-based systems.
2Loss of substance
If digital receipt transmission via QR code is implemented, then paper waste is reduced, but device complexity and cost increase due to additional hardware requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the QR code scanning requirement from the user's device obligations and places it solely on the merchant's side. The system allows users to receive digital receipts through multiple channels (SMS, email, app notifications) without requiring them to scan QR codes. This extraction resolves the contradiction by eliminating paper waste while removing the hardware complexity burden from users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a multi-channel delivery system that provides digital receipts through various methods (SMS, email, mobile app notifications, in-store displays). This universal approach ensures all users can receive receipts regardless of their device capabilities, eliminating the need for QR code scanning hardware while maintaining paperless operation.
3Loss of substance
If loyalty program apps are used for digital receipt transmission, then paper waste is reduced, but privacy protection deteriorates due to data collection and de-anonymization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables users to opt-in to receive digital receipts through their preferred channels (SMS, email, app notifications) without requiring enrollment in loyalty programs. The system automatically delivers receipts to users who have provided their contact information for transaction purposes, allowing them to maintain anonymity while receiving digital receipts. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating paper waste while protecting user privacy through optional, non-mandatory digital delivery.
4Loss of substance
If manual QR code scanning is required for digital receipt access, then paper waste is reduced, but time consumption increases during checkout
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic receipt delivery systems that send digital receipts to users immediately after transaction completion through pre-configured channels (SMS, email, app notifications). Users do not need to manually scan QR codes or take additional actions during checkout. The system performs the receipt delivery action preliminarily and automatically, resolving the contradiction by eliminating paper waste while maintaining fast checkout times.
Data Source
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AI summary
A digital receipt generation and transmission system and method including a cashier system, a receipt cloud application of a receipt cloud application server, a receipt cloud storage, a terminal, and a transaction processing network is shown. The cashier system is configured to generate a digital receipt upon recording transaction-relevant information from selected items of a merchant, establish a connection with the receipt cloud application, and transmit a request for a unique link for the digital receipt. The cashier system then receives the unique link, generates a transaction data set according to a cash register protocol, incorporates the unique link into the transaction data set, and transmits the formatted transaction data set to the terminal. Upon receiving a transaction confirmation from the terminal after successful processing by the transaction processing network, the cashier system transmits the digital receipt to the receipt cloud application. The receipt cloud application is configured to receive the request for the unique link, generate the unique link based on a calculated individual hash value, transmit the unique link to the cashier system, receive the digital receipt if the transaction is successful, and store the digital receipt in the receipt cloud storage. The terminal is configured to transmit the transaction data set to the transaction processing network and transmit the transaction confirmation to the cashier system. The transaction processing network is configured to receive the transaction data set, process it, and make the unique link available to a user, enabling access to the digital receipt stored in the receipt cloud storage via the unique link.