Electronic Transaction Record Distribution System

Abstract

A system includes a computerized appliance at a point-of sale (POS) and a coupled peripheral device. The computerized appliance prepares an enhanced transaction record comprising receipt data and promotional information, and transmits the enhanced transaction record to the peripheral device, or to a third-party Internet connected repository without transmitting to the peripheral device, or transmits the enhanced transaction record to both destinations, enabling the specific consumer to contact either or both of the enterprise or the third-party, Internet-connected repository, and to interact with one or both in regard to the promotional information included in the enhanced transaction record.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a computerized appliance at a point-of sale (POS) executing first software (SW) from a non-transitory physical medium, the computerized appliance having an Internet connection; and   a peripheral device coupled to the computerized appliance, the peripheral device enabled to transmit data wirelessly to a mobile communication device in close proximity to the peripheral device, the mobile communication device associated with a specific consumer;   wherein, upon the specific consumer completing a transaction at the POS, the first SW on POS computerized appliance prepares an enhanced transaction record comprising receipt data including at least identity of the enterprise hosting the POS, web address of the enterprise, items purchased with charges, charge total, and promotional information related to the same or other items offered by the enterprise, and wherein the POS computer transmits the enhanced transaction record to the peripheral device, which transfers the enhanced transaction record to the mobile communication device associated with the specific consumer, or the POS computer transmits the enhanced transaction record separately to a third-party Internet connected repository having an Internet address indicated digitally in the enhanced transaction record, without transmitting to the peripheral device, or transmits the enhanced transaction record to both destinations, enabling the specific consumer to contact either or both of the enterprise or the third-party, Internet-connected repository, and to interact with one or both in regard to the promotional information included in the enhanced transaction record.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is by near-field communication (NFC) enabled in both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is by Bluetooth™ technology enabled in both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the third-party Internet connected repository is enabled by software executing on a server to provide services to the specific consumer, including organizing all transaction records associated with the specific consumer, and providing the transaction records on request to the specific consumer through an Internet-connected computerized device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the third-party Internet-connected repository provides accounting services to the specific consumer, including sorting and organizing the transaction records for tax filing preparation. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the computerized appliance encodes an identifier for the enhanced transaction record, or a portion of the data for the enhanced transaction record, or all of the enhanced transaction record into an image-based code, including the identifier for the transaction record, which code is displayed on a display of the peripheral device, enabling the mobile device associated with the specific consumer to capture the code by a camera, enabling the specific consumer to access the complete transaction record at the third-party Internet-connected repository. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the image-based code is one of a bar code or a QR code. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the promotional information is one of a special offer, a special shopping day, special pricing for specific products, or survey data. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the computerized appliance is enabled to transmit the enhanced transaction record directly to the mobile communication device associated with the specific consumer without the peripheral device. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising the steps:
 (a) composing, by a computerized appliance at a point-of sale (POS) executing first software (SW) from a non-transitory physical medium, enhanced transaction record regarding a completed transaction with a consumer, the enhanced transaction record comprising receipt data including at least identity of the enterprise hosting the POS, web address of the enterprise, items purchased with charges, charge total, and promotional information related to the same or other items offered by the enterprise; and   (b) transmitting the enhanced transaction record to a peripheral device coupled to the computerized appliance, the peripheral device then transmitting the enhanced transaction record wirelessly to a mobile communication device in close proximity to the peripheral device, the mobile device associated with a specific consumer, or transmitting the enhanced transaction record separately to a third-party Internet connected repository having an Internet address indicated digitally in the enhanced transaction record, without transmitting to the peripheral device, or transmitting the enhanced transaction record to both destinations, enabling the specific consumer to contact either or both of the enterprise or the third-party, Internet-connected repository, and to interact with one or both in regard to the promotional information included in the enhanced transaction record.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is by near-field communication (NFC) enabled in both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the wireless communication from the peripheral device to the consumer's portable communication device is by Bluetooth™ technology enabled in both the peripheral device and the consumer's portable communication device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the third-party Internet-connected repository is enabled by software executing on a server to provide services to the specific consumer, including organizing all transaction records associated with the specific consumer, and providing the transaction records on request to the specific consumer through an Internet-connected computerized device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the third-party Internet-connected repository provides accounting services to the specific consumer, including sorting and organizing the transaction records for tax filing preparation. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the computerized appliance encodes an identifier for the enhanced transaction record, or a portion of the data for the enhanced transaction record, or all of the enhanced transaction record into an image-based code, including the identifier for the transaction record, which code is displayed on a display of the peripheral device, enabling the mobile device associated with the specific consumer to capture the code by a camera, enabling the specific consumer to access the complete transaction record at the third-party Internet-connected repository. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the image-based code is one of a bar code or a QR code. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the promotional information is one of a special offer, a special shopping day, special pricing for specific products, or survey data. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the computerized appliance is enabled to transmit the enhanced transaction record directly to the mobile communication device associated with the specific consumer without the peripheral device.