Smart electronic receipt system

Abstract

A smart electronic receipt system that provides intelligent receipts, called Smart Receipts, that electronically document a transaction between two parties and maintains a persistent connection between the two parties following a successful online transaction. A Trusted Agent on the Buyer's client system creates an order record which is stored in a database on a Trusted Agent Server and starts the transaction process with the merchant. A Smart Receipt is delivered by a Smart Receipt Agent over a secure connection from the merchant to the Trusted Agent Server upon successful completion of a purchase and reflects the details of the transaction. It is stored in a secure database on the Trusted Agent Server and is made available to the Buyer (user) through a Trusted Agent located on his machine. The Trusted Agent Server compares the order record Limited Edition Digital Objects (LEDOs) stored in database with the Smart Receipt's LEDO to find the corresponding order record. The Smart Receipt provides the customer with detailed information about an online purchase in a standardized format. Hyperlinks embedded in the Smart Receipt enable the customer to access customer service and order status. The merchant may also embed additional services within the Smart Receipt, including special offers for future purchases. Offers provided in a Smart Receipt can be personalized to a user's preferences which are stored on the Trusted Agent Server. Each Smart Receipt is comprised of a chain of LEDOs with each LEDO object having a unique owner. A Smart Receipt is a dynamic entity and is continuously updated until the Buyer deletes it from the Trusted Agent Server.

1 . A process for creating and maintaining smart electronic receipts that document online transactions, comprising the steps of: 
 creating a smart receipt on a merchant site upon successful completion of a transaction;    sending said smart receipt to a trusted agent server; and    storing said smart receipt on a secure database on said server;    wherein said smart receipt is comprised of a chain of limited edition digital objects (LEDOs).    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 providing a smart receipt agent on a merchant's server; and    said smart receipt agent creating a representation of a purchase transaction in a smart receipt format.    
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the user can sort and browse smart receipts through a trusted agent.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein a trusted agent creates an order record.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 storing said order record on a database on said trusted agent server; and    comparing order record LEDOs in said database with said smart receipt's LEDO to find a matching record pair.    
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said smart receipt is a dynamic entity and is continuously updated until it is deleted it.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein each LEDO has a unique owner.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein any of a merchant and a manufacturer can track whether a user uses an offer provided in a smart receipt.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 sending a merchant a return receipt when a user receives an associated smart receipt.    
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein said smart receipt contains a warranty registration card that is automatically filled out when a buyer indicates that the product has been received.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein any of merchant and a manufacturer updates said smart receipt to notify a customer of new events.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein a merchant provides post-purchase services to a customer by embedding additional information within said smart receipt.  
     
     
         13 . A process for implementing an electronic trusted intermediary between parties in a computer environment, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a trusted agent server to act as an impartial trusted intermediary between said parties;    recording each interaction between said parties as a limited edition digital object (LEDO) in a smart receipt; and    storing said smart receipt on a secure database;    wherein said smart receipt is comprised of a chain of LEDOs.    
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein a party can browse said smart receipt through a trusted agent.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for creating and maintaining smart electronic receipts that document online transactions, comprising: 
 a module for creating a smart receipt upon successful completion of a transaction;    a module for sending said smart receipt to a trusted agent server; and    a module for storing said smart receipt on a secure database on said server;    wherein said smart receipt is comprised of a chain of limited edition digital objects (LEDOs).    
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a smart receipt agent on a merchant's server;    wherein said smart receipt agent creates a representation of a purchase transaction in a smart receipt format.    
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein a user can sort and browse smart receipts through a trusted agent.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein a trusted agent creates an order record.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a module for storing said order record on a database on said trusted agent server; and    a module for comparing order record LEDOs in said database with said smart receipt's LEDO to find a matching record pair.    
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said smart receipt is a dynamic entity and is continuously updated until a buyer deletes it  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein each LEDO has a unique owner.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein any of a merchant and a manufacturer can track whether a user uses an offer provided in a smart receipt.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a module for sending a merchant a return receipt when the user receives the associated smart receipt.    
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said smart receipt contains a warranty registration card that is automatically filled out when a buyer indicates a product has been received.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein any of a merchant and a manufacturer updates said smart receipt to notify a customer of new events.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein a merchant provides post-purchase services to a customer by embedding additional information within said smart receipt.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus for implementing an electronic trusted intermediary between parties in a computer environment, comprising: 
 a trusted agent server that acts as an impartial trusted intermediary between said parties;    a module for recording each interaction between said parties as a limited edition digital object (LEDO) in a smart receipt; and    a module for storing said smart receipt on a secure database;    wherein said smart receipt is comprised of a chain of LEDOs.    
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein a party can browse said smart receipt through a trusted agent.