Method of enhancing point-of-sale systems

Abstract

A method of operating a point-of-sale (POS) system ( 1 ), the POS system comprising a POS terminal ( 3 ) having a software module ( 17, 21 ) thereon for enabling a retailer to process transactions within a transaction environment, and a peripheral device ( 5, 7 ) in communication with the POS terminal ( 3 ), the POS system ( 1 ) further comprising a driver software module ( 40 ) installed between the POS terminal ( 3 ) software module ( 17, 21 ) and the peripheral device ( 5, 7 ), the method comprising: receiving, at the driver software module ( 40 ), data sent between the software module ( 17, 21 ) and the peripheral device ( 5, 7 ) in communication with the POS terminal ( 3 ); communicating with a further device ( 44, 60, 64 ) in dependence on the data received at the driver software module ( 40 ); receiving modified data from the further device ( 44, 60, 64 ); and outputting the modified data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operating a point-of-sale (POS) system, the POS system comprising a POS terminal having a software module for enabling a retailer to process transactions within a transaction environment, and a peripheral device in communication with the POS terminal, the POS system further comprising a driver software module in a data communications path between the software module and the peripheral device, the method comprising:
 intercepting, at the driver software module, data sent between the software module and the peripheral device in communication with the POS terminal, the intercepted data comprising transaction data;   communicating with a further device in dependence on the data received at the driver software module and sending the transaction data to the further device, the transaction data to be modified by the further device;   receiving, at the driver software module, the modified data from the further device; and
 outputting the modified data from the driver software module into the data communications path between the software module and the peripheral device such that the modified data is received at the software module or the peripheral device, wherein the data communications path comprises a software stack within the POS terminal to handle communications between the software module on the POS terminal and the peripheral device, and the driver software module being located within the software stack. 
   
     
     
         2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the POS terminal comprises a point of sale application software module. 
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the point of sale application software module is in communication with a database comprising details of transaction items. 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the POS terminal comprises a payment application software module and the data received at the driver software module comprises payment data related to transactions processed by the POS system. 
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the communicating step comprises the driver software module sending the data received in the first receiving step or a portion thereof to the further device. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the driver software module receives data formatted to the requirements of the peripheral device from the POS terminal. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the modified data received from the further device is formatted to the requirements of the peripheral device. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the modified data is formatted by the driver software module to the requirements of the peripheral device. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the further device is a remotely located server. 
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a scanner. 
     
     
         11 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral device comprises a printer. 
     
     
         12 .- 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A point-of-sale (POS) terminal comprising:
 a computer processor;   a software module for enabling a retailer to process transactions within a transaction environment, the POS terminal being in communication with a peripheral device;   a driver software module installed in a data communications path between the software module and the peripheral device   wherein the driver software module is arranged to:
 intercept data sent between the software module and the peripheral device in communication with the POS terminal, the intercepted data comprising transaction data; 
   communicate with a further device in dependence on the data received at the driver software module and send the transaction data to the further device, the transaction data to be modified by the further device;
 receive the modified data from the further device; and 
   output the modified data from the driver software module into the data communications path between the software module and the peripheral device such that the modified data is received at the software module or the peripheral device, wherein the data communications path comprises a software stack within the POS terminal to handle communications between the software module on the POS terminal and the peripheral device, and the driver software module being located within the software stack.   
     
     
         36 .- 42 . (canceled)