HELP SAVE MOBILE PURCHASES - This application from Apple seeks to patent a method for purchasing a product in a store using a smartphone! Help narrow US patent applications before they become patents HERE
QUESTION - Have you seen anything that was published before Nov, 2011 that discusses:
- Using a mobile device to obtain a product identifier of a product in a store (e.g., a UPC code); and
- On a mobile device, receiving the product price from a server; transmitting a purchase request to a server; and receiving a purchase confirmation from a server;
If so, please submit evidence of prior art as an answer to this question. Only one piece of prior art per answer below. We welcome multiple answers from the same individual
EXTRA CREDIT - A reference to anything that meets all of the criteria to the question above AND ALSO uses an image taken by the camera on the device to determine the product identifier (e.g. a UPC code or any other product identifier).
TITLE: PURCHASING A PRODUCT IN A STORE USING A MOBILE DEVICE
Summary: [Translated from Legalese into English] A method for purchasing a product in a store using a mobile phone. The user’s mobile phone sends a product identifier for a product offered for sale in a store to a server somewhere. The mobile phone receives product information including the price of the product from the server. The mobile phone sends a purchase request including digital credentials (of any kind) to identify the user. The mobile device receives a confirmation from the server and presents a confirmation to the user that the product has been purchased.
- Publication Number: US 20130110678 A1
- Application Number: 13/555,753
- Assignee: Apple, Inc
- Prior Art Date: Seeking prior Art predating November, 2011
- Open for Challenge at USPTO: Open through Nov 2, 2013
Claim 1 requires each and every step below:
A method for purchasing a product by a customer operating a customer mobile device, the method comprising:
Obtaining, by the customer mobile device, a product identifier for a product offered for sale in a store;
Transmitting, by the customer mobile device, the product identifier to a store server associated with the store;
Receiving, by the customer mobile device, product information from the store server, the product information including a price of the product;
Presenting to the customer, by the customer mobile device, at least some of the received product information, including the price of the product;
Receiving, by the customer mobile device, customer purchasing input, the customer purchasing input including a digital credential for the customer, the digital credential being usable to access a user account record that stores financial account information for a financial account of the customer, the user account record being maintained at an account data server;
Transmitting, by the customer mobile device, a purchase request to the store server, the purchase request including the digital credential, wherein the store server uses the digital credential to obtain the financial account information and uses the financial account information to charge the price of the product to the financial account of the customer;
Receiving, by the customer mobile device, a purchase confirmation from the store server, the purchase confirmation indicating that the product has been purchased by the customer; and
Presenting to the customer, by the customer mobile device, a confirmation message confirming that the purchase transaction for the product has successfully completed.
In English this means:
- Using a phone to obtain a product identifier (e.g. a UPC code) identifying a product in a store
- Phone sends the product identifier to a server
- Phone receives information about the product identified, including the price
- Phone displays price of product to the user
- Customer indicates intent to purchase and provides user information
- Phone sends the purchase request to the server
- Phone receives confirmation of purchase; and
- Phone confirms product has been purchased with the user.
Good prior art would be evidence of a system that did each and every one of these steps prior to the November, 2011.
You're probably aware of ten pieces of art that meet this criteria already... separately, the applicant is claiming a method using all of the steps above and including camera phone to capture an image of the product identifier (presumably rather than having the user type it in). Extra credit would include systems that do all of the steps above and also involve a cameraphone.
"Welcome to Our Store" screen shots from the Applicant
What is good prior art? Please see our FAQ.
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