System, method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media related to providing real-time price matching and time synchronization encryption

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10489840-B2
Application number	US-201615004624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Jan 22, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

Techniques related to retail transaction are disclosed. The techniques involve comparing the prices associated with a customer order with the prices being charged by competitors prior to the transaction being completed. The customer is given the opportunity to apply a credit based on the difference in prices being charged by the retailer and competitors, to the transaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a first database configured to store a plurality of goods and a customer account associated with a customer of a retailer, the customer account including a customer identification number and a method of payment; and
a sale computer system located at a delivery vehicle, the sale computer system configured to:
communicate with the first database;
receive a customer order associated with the customer, the customer order including:
a list of goods to be purchased;
the customer identification number; and
a total cost of the customer order;

access the customer account in the first database as a function of the customer identification number; and
process the customer order by:
emitting a beacon signal from a network interface of the sale computer system, the beacon signal configured to pair the sale computer system with a mobile device associated with the customer;
receiving, through the network interface of the sale computer system and from the mobile device associated with the customer, a pairing request comprising an encryption key and a time associated with an internal clock of the mobile device associated with the customer, the encryption key being randomly generated by the mobile device associated with the customer;
storing, in the first database, the encryption key;
determining a difference between the internal clock of the mobile device associated with the customer and an internal clock of the sale computer system using the time associated with the internal clock of the mobile device associated with the customer and a time associated with the internal clock of the sale computer system;
storing the difference between the internal clock of the mobile device associated with the customer and the internal clock of the sale computer system in the first database;
temporarily modifying the internal clock of the sale computer system such that the internal clock of the sale computer system is synchronized with the internal clock of the mobile device associated with the customer using the difference between the internal clock of the mobile device and the internal clock of the sale computer system;
for each good of the list of goods to be purchased, sending a price for each good of the list of goods to be purchased to a price comparison system;
receiving an indication of a credit from the price comparison system through the network interface of the sale computer system, the credit being responsive to a difference between the price of each good of the list of goods to be purchased at the retailer and pricing information of each good of the list of goods to be purchased with at least one other retailer;
aggregating credits associated with each good of the list of goods to be purchased;
encrypting, using one or more processors of the sale computer system and using the encryption key, the credits, as aggregated;
sending, through the network interface of the sale computer system to a customer control device on the mobile device associated with the customer, a request to apply the credits, as aggregated and encrypted, to the customer order;
in response to the customer approving an application of the credits, as aggregated and encrypted, modifying the total cost of the customer order as a function of the credits, as aggregated and encrypted;
receiving, at the network interface of the sale computer system, a predetermined piece of data encrypted using the encryption key and transmitted from the customer control device on the mobile device associated with the customer;
matching, using the one or more processors of the sale computer system, the predetermined piece of data encrypted using the encryption key with an unencrypted piece of predetermined data;
receiving, via a barcode scanner associated with the sale computer system, data from a barcode displayed on the mobile device associated with the customer and scanned by the barcode scanner, the data from the barcode comprising:
the encryption key;
the time of the internal clock of the mobile device associated with the customer; and
the method of payment;

after completing the matching and when the time of the internal clock of the sale computer system, as modified, matches the time of the internal clock of the mobile device associated with the customer, authorizing payment for the customer order using the method of payment; and
after authorizing the payment, reverting the internal clock of the sale computer system to an original time using the difference between the internal clock of the mobile device and the internal clock of the sale computer system, as stored in the first database.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second database configured to store pricing information associated with a plurality of products for a plurality of other retailers, the sale computer system being configured to send a search engine search request to the price comparison system, the search engine search request being a function of the customer order, the price comparison system including:
a search engine module coupled to the second database and being configured to:
receive the search engine search request comprising a price associated with at least one good of the list of goods to be purchased;
perform a search of the second database as a function of the search engine search request; and
return pricing information of at least one product of the plurality of products associated with at least one retailer of the plurality of other retailers; and

a credit determination module coupled to the first database and the search engine module, the credit determination module configured to:
compare the price associated with the at least one good of the list of goods to be purchased and the pricing information of the at least one product of the plurality of products associated with the at least one retailer of the plurality of other retailers; and
establish an amount of the credits associated with the at least one good of the list of goods to be purchased when a comparison of the price associated with the at least one good of the list of goods to be purchased and the pricing information of the at least one product of the plurality of products associated with the at least one retailer of the plurality of other retailers meets predefined criteria.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the customer control device is configured to:
allow the customer to scan each good of the list of goods to be purchased; and
send an identification of each good of the list of goods to be purchased and an associated price of each good of the list of goods to be purchased at the retailer to the price comparison system.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising a sale terminal, the sale terminal configured to:
allow the plurality of goods to be scanned prior to purchase;
scan each good of the list of goods to be purchased; and
send an identification of each good of the list of goods to be purchased and an associated price for each good of the list of goods to be purchased to the price comparison system through the network interface of the sale computer system.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the customer order is received by the sale computer system through the network interface from a website.

6. A method, including the steps of:
storing, in a first database, a plurality of goods and a customer account associated with a customer of a retailer, the customer account including a customer identification number and a method of payment;
receiving, at a sale computer system located at a delivery vehicle, a customer order associated with the customer, the customer order comprising:
a list of goods to be purchased
the customer identification number; and
a total cost of the customer order;

emitting a beaco

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc
• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Nelms David Martin
• Daniyalzade Eytan
• Atikoglu Berk

Classifications

• G06Q20/201

  Price look-up processing, e.g. updating · CPC title

• G06Q20/12

  specially adapted for electronic shopping systems · CPC title

• G06Q20/3223

  Realising banking transactions through M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/3276

  using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device · CPC title

• G07G1/0036

  Checkout procedures · CPC title