POS Terminal Electronic Receipt Delivery via Near-Field Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic payment systems in retail settings require customers to manually start an application to review electronic receipts after a transaction, making the payment process more complicated and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A point-of-sale terminal and portable terminal system that uses non-contact communication via a reader/writer device to determine if the portable terminal can receive electronic receipt information, generating and transmitting this information directly to the terminal, thereby simplifying the receipt acquisition process and reducing customer labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If electronic receipt information is sent via Internet from an electronic receipt management server, then the customer can receive the electronic receipt, but the customer has to manually start an application to review the receipt, making the payment procedure more complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a point-of-sale terminal as an intermediary device that receives payment information from the electronic receipt management server via Internet, stores it temporarily, and then transmits it directly to the portable terminal through short-range wireless communication. This mediator approach allows the receipt to be delivered automatically without requiring the customer to manually access an application, thus resolving the contradiction between information delivery and operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The point-of-sale terminal performs preliminary actions by receiving and storing the electronic receipt information from the server before the customer needs to view it. The terminal prepares the receipt data in advance and makes it ready for immediate transmission to the portable terminal, eliminating the need for manual application startup and review steps
2Ease of operation
If electronic receipt information is transmitted directly from the point-of-sale terminal to the portable terminal via reader/writer device, then the receipt acquisition process is simplified, but additional communication infrastructure is required
Solution Approach 1:
The point-of-sale terminal is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a traditional sales transaction device and as a communication relay for electronic receipt delivery. The portable terminal also serves dual purposes: as a payment device and as a receipt receiving device. This universal design allows the system to add receipt delivery functionality without requiring entirely new specialized devices, thus managing complexity while improving ease of operation
3Loss of time
If the portable terminal receives electronic receipt information directly during the transaction, then customer effort is reduced, but the system requires determination of reception capability and coordination between multiple devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the point-of-sale terminal determines whether the portable terminal can receive electronic receipt information before proceeding with transmission. The terminal checks the reception capability and adjusts its behavior accordingly, ensuring smooth operation. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically adapt to the portable terminal's capabilities, reducing customer effort while managing system coordination complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
According to an embodiment, a point-of-sale terminal includes a controller that performs registration processing to register items being purchased by a customer in a sales transaction. The controller also performs payment processing for the sales transaction. The controller determines whether a portable terminal of the customer can receive electronic receipt information that can sent via a near-field communication device or the like. If the portable terminal can receive electronic receipt information sent via near-field communication device or the like, the controller generates electronic receipt information for the sales transaction, then transmit the generated electronic receipt information to the portable terminal using near-field communication or the like.