Visual voucher communication systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10586409-B2
Application number	US-201615197587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2016
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

Various embodiments each include at least one of systems, devices, methods, and software for visual voucher communication systems and methods. One such embodiment includes receiving an entry request with an account identifier from a requestor and retrieving data of a voucher from a voucher database based on the account identifier and a current voucher requirement. In such embodiments, when voucher data is retrieved, the voucher data is transmitted to the requestor. However, when no voucher data is retrieved and at least one voucher is available, the method includes transmitting a voucher procurement option to the requestor. Otherwise, when no voucher data is retrieved and no voucher is available, data representative thereof is transmitted to the requestor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by an entry point device via a peer-to-peer wireless transceiver device coupled thereto, an entry request with an account identifier from a requestor mobile device;
retrieving, by the entry point device, data of a voucher from a voucher database based on the account identifier and a current voucher requirement, the voucher data including visual voucher data for presentment on a mobile device display at an entry point where the entry point device is located and is human-readable to gain entry and not read by an electronic reading device, and the visual voucher data including a visual element that is variably modified to change how the visual voucher data is presented by the mobile to match a current image that indicates an authorized entry;
when voucher data is retrieved, transmitting the voucher data from the entry point device to the requestor mobile device via the peer-to-peer wireless transceiver device and presenting a view generated based on the retrieved voucher data on a display of an entry point device performing the method;
when no voucher data is retrieved by the entry point device and at least one voucher is available, automatically transmitting a message that no voucher data was retrieved and a voucher procurement option to the requestor mobile device via the peer-to-peer wireless transceiver device and presenting a view on the display of the entry point device indicating no voucher data was retrieved and an option to procure the available voucher;
when no voucher data is retrieved and no voucher is available, transmitting data representative thereof to the requestor mobile device via the peer-to-peer wireless transceiver device and presenting a view on the display of the entry point device indicating no voucher data was retrieved and no voucher is available; and
wherein the peer-to-peer wireless transceiver device allows the mobile device to obtain a voucher through communication enabled by the peer-to-peer wireless transceiver device when other data connectivity of the mobile device is not reliable.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the entry request includes an identifier of the current voucher requirement.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the identifier of the current voucher requirement is a transportation segment identifier for which entry is being sought.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a second request from the requestor for a current visual voucher with the identifier of the current voucher requirement;
retrieving current visual voucher data from the voucher database based on the identifier of the current voucher requirement; and
transmitting the current visual voucher data to the requestor.

5. A method performed by an entry point computing device deployed at a point of entry location where entry requests originate, the method comprising:
requesting, via a network, current visual voucher data with an account identifier and an identifier of current voucher requirement received in an entry request from a requestor mobile device via a peer-to-peer radio transceiver device coupled to the entry point computing device;
retrieving, via the network by the entry point computing device, the requested current visual voucher data from a voucher database based on the received account identifier and current voucher requirement received in the entry request via the peer-to-peer radio transceiver device in the entry request;
when current visual voucher data is retrieved, automatically transmitting the voucher data to the requestor via the peer-to-peer radio transceiver device and presenting, on a display device of the entry point computing device, a view of the current visual voucher based on the received current visual voucher data;
when no current visual voucher data is retrieved, automatically transmitting data representative thereof to the requestor and presenting a view on the display device indicating no visual voucher data was received; and
wherein:
the peer-to-peer radio transceiver device allows the requestor mobile device to obtain a voucher through communication enabled by the peer-to-peer radio transceiver device when other data connectivity of the requestor mobile device is not reliable; and
a visual voucher is human-readable when presented on a mobile device for visual inspection by personnel at the entry point, not read by an electronic reading device, and the visual voucher data including a visual element that is variably modified to change how the visual voucher data is presented by the mobile to match a current image that indicates an authorized entry.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the radio transceiver device is at least one short-range radio device coupled to the computing device deployed at the point of entry location.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one short-range radio device is a beacon device.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the entry request is received from an app that executes on a mobile device.

9. A device, deployed as an entry point device, comprising:
at least one network interface device;
at least one peer-to-peer radio transceiver device included therein or coupled thereto;
at least one display device;
at least one processor and at least one memory device; and
an instruction set accessible in the at least one memory device and executable by the at least one processor to perform data processing activities, the data processing activities comprising:
requesting, via a network with the at least one network interface device, current visual voucher data with an account identifier and an identifier of current voucher requirement received in an entry request from a requestor mobile device via the peer-to-peer radio transceiver device of the entry point device;
retrieving, via the network with the at least one network interface device, the requested current visual voucher data from a voucher database based on the received account identifier and current voucher requirement received in an entry request via the at least one peer-to-peer radio transceiver device;
when the current voucher data is received, automatically transmitting the current voucher data to the requestor via the at least one peer-to-peer radio transceiver device and presenting, on the display device, a view of the current visual voucher based on the received current visual voucher data;
when no the current voucher data is retrieved, automatically transmitting data representative thereof to the requestor via the at least one peer-to-peer radio transceiver device and presenting a view on the display device indicating no visual voucher data was received; and
wherein:
the peer-to-peer radio transceiver device allows the requestor mobile device to obtain a voucher through communication enabled by the peer-to-peer radio transceiver device when other data connectivity of the requestor mobile device is not reliable; and
wherein a visual voucher is human-readable when presented on a mobile device for visual inspection by personnel at the entry point, not read by an electronic reading device, and the visual voucher data including a visual element that is variably modified to change how the visual voucher data is presented by the mobile to match a current image that indicates an authorized entry.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein:
the device is deployed at a point of entry location where the entry request originates.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one radio transceiver device includes at least one short-range radio beacon device deployed at an entry location and coupled to the device that may be located elsewhere.

Assignees

• Ncr Corp

Inventors

• Borucki Robert Thomas

Classifications

• G07C9/27

  with central registration · CPC title

• G06Q10/02 Primary

  Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events · CPC title

• G07C9/20 Primary

  involving the use of a pass · CPC title

• G07B15/00

  Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points (handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00) · CPC title

• G07C9/00007 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic