Method and system for providing point of sale services

Abstract

A system for transmitting information between a seller and a supplier uses a web services application to interface between a seller application and the supplier's server. The web services application uses a proxy to transmit information from the web services application to the supplier's server in a secure and reliable manner. The information is transmitted via HTTP using SOAP messages that conform to WSDL. In such a manner, the web services application can transmit selected information to the supplier's server, without any need to re-key redundant information. The proxy provides various services, such as encryption/decryption, digital signing, non-repudiation services, reporting capabilities, and software updating capabilities.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 populating, by a computer based system for facilitating transmission of messages from a seller application to a supplier application, a message with a subset of end-purchaser information to preserve end-purchaser confidentiality, wherein the message is sent to a supplier application;   accepting, by the computer based system, user input containing one or more portions of the message;   reporting, by the computer based system, to at least one of a supplier application and a seller application, an aggregate of transactions performed by a seller during a specified time period; and   updating, by the computer based system, communication software to communicate between the seller application and the supplier application.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the seller application is a web services application. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting data using simple object access protocol (SOAP) and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) between the seller application and the supplier application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising exchanging information between the seller application and the supplier application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting information using at least one of extensible markup language (XML) and a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message conforming to web services description language (WSDL). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting information related to the sale of travelers checks. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:
 receiving, by the computer based system, end-purchaser prepayment data associated with at least one of a prepaid service and a prepaid good;   translating, by the computer based system, the message from a format used by the seller application to a format used by the supplier application;   ensuring, by the computer based system, that a receiver or a sender of the message cannot dispute having received or sent the message;   authenticating, by the computer based system, that the message was created by a known sender, and that the message was not altered in transit; and   encrypting, decrypting and transmitting, by the computer based system, the message from the seller application to the supplier application.   
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a processor for facilitating transmission of messages from a seller to a supplier;   a memory storing computer-executable applications;   a seller application configured to populate a message with a subset of end-purchaser information to preserve end-purchaser confidentiality, wherein the message is sent to a supplier application;   the supplier application; and   a web application coupled to the supplier application and operable to accept user input containing one or more portions of the message.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the seller application is a web services application. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a proxy application configured to facilitate transmitting the message using simple object access protocol (SOAP) and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) between the seller application and the supplier application. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the supplier application is configured to facilitate exchanging information with the seller application and the supplier application. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a proxy application that facilitates transmitting information using at least one of extensible markup language (XML) and a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message conforming to web services description language (WSDL). 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the system facilitates transmitting information related to the sale of travelers checks. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the system authenticates the message by digitally signing messages. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a proxy application coupled between the seller application and the supplier application. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a proxy application configured to at least one of:
 translate the message from a format used by the seller application to a format used by the supplier application,   ensure that a receiver or a sender of the message cannot dispute having received or sent the message;   authenticate that the message was created by a known sender, and that the message was not altered in transit;   encrypt, decrypt and transmit the message from the seller application to the supplier application,   report, to at least one of the supplier application and the seller application, an aggregate of transactions performed by a seller during a specified time period, and   update communication software to communicate between the seller application and the supplier application.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the seller application is further operable to receive prepayment data associated with at least one of a prepaid service and a prepaid good. 
     
     
         18 . A computer-readable medium having stored thereon non-transitory sequences of instruction, the sequences of instruction which when executed by a computer based system for facilitating transmission of messages from a seller application to a supplier application, performs operations comprising:
 populating, by the computer based system, a message with a subset of end-purchaser information to preserve end-purchaser confidentiality, wherein the message is sent to a supplier application;   accepting, by the computer based system, user input containing one or more portions of the message;   reporting, by the computer based system, to at least one of a supplier application and a seller application, an aggregate of transactions performed by a seller during a specified time period; and   updating, by the computer based system, communication software to communicate between the seller application and the supplier application.   
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 18 , further comprising transmitting data using simple object access protocol (SOAP) and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) between the seller application and the supplier application. 
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 18 , further comprising transmitting information using at least one of extensible markup language (XML) and a simple object access protocol (SOAP) message conforming to web services description language (WSDL).