U.S. patent application number 13/467199 was filed with the patent office on 2013-11-14 for systems, methods and devices for conducting transactions with portable electronic devices using virtual points.
This patent application is currently assigned to CashStar, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Phelps A. Peeler, David D. Stone. Invention is credited to Phelps A. Peeler, David D. Stone.
Application Number | 20130304559 13/467199 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48470728 |
Filed Date | 2013-11-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130304559 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stone; David D. ; et
al. |
November 14, 2013 |
SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CONDUCTING TRANSACTIONS WITH
PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING VIRTUAL POINTS
Abstract
Systems, methods, devices and computer program products are
disclosed for conducting transactions using a portable electronic
device. A method of executing a software application on a portable
electronic device includes: determining, via the portable
electronic device, a location of the device; displaying, via the
portable electronic device's display, a plurality of merchants
within a predetermined proximity of the device's location;
receiving, via a user input device, a selection corresponding to at
least one of the merchants; displaying, via the display device, a
balance of virtual rewards points available for redemption by the
user of the device; displaying, via the display device, an exchange
value of the virtual rewards points for making a purchase
associated with the selected merchant; and, responsive to a
purchase request received via the user input device, authorizing
deduction of the exchange value from the balance of the virtual
rewards points and providing confirmation of the purchase.
Inventors: |
Stone; David D.; (Falmouth,
ME) ; Peeler; Phelps A.; (Portland, ME) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Stone; David D.
Peeler; Phelps A. |
Falmouth
Portland |
ME
ME |
US
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
CashStar, Inc.
South Portland
ME
|
Family ID: |
48470728 |
Appl. No.: |
13/467199 |
Filed: |
May 9, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/0482 20130101;
G06Q 30/0233 20130101; H04W 4/029 20180201; G06Q 20/342 20130101;
G06Q 20/20 20130101; G06Q 30/06 20130101; H04W 4/02 20130101; G06Q
30/0207 20130101; G06Q 20/06 20130101; G06Q 20/3224 20130101; H04L
67/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14.33 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20120101
G06Q030/02 |
Claims
1. A method of executing a software application on a portable
electronic device with a display device and a user input device,
the method comprising: determining, via the portable electronic
device, a location of the portable electronic device; displaying,
via the display device, a plurality of merchants within a
predetermined proximity of the location of the portable electronic
device; displaying, via the display device, a selection
corresponding to at least one of the merchants; displaying, via the
display device, a balance of virtual rewards points available for
redemption by a user; displaying, via the display device, an
exchange value of the virtual rewards points for making a purchase
associated with the selected at least one merchant; and in response
to a purchase request received via the user input device,
authorizing deduction of the exchange value from the balance of the
virtual rewards points and providing confirmation of the purchase
associated with the selected at least one merchant.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase includes a card
value for a gift card associated with the selected at least one
merchant, and wherein the confirmation of the purchase includes
confirmation that the card value is added to an account associated
with the gift card.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the account associated with the
gift card is a preexisting gift card account associated with the
user.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving, via the
user input device, an instruction to deliver the gift card to
someone other than the user.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the gift card is a virtual gift
card, and wherein the confirmation of the purchase includes
displaying, via the display device of the portable electronic
device, a representation of the virtual gift card.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the purchase further is for a
good or a service, or both, from the selected at least one
merchant, and wherein the purchase is completed, at least in part,
with information transferred at a Point-of-Sale system via the
displayed virtual gift card.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase is for a good or a
service, or both, from the selected at least one merchant, and
wherein the purchase is completed, at least in part, via the
software application on the portable electronic device.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the plurality of
merchants includes arranging the merchants in a hierarchy based, at
least in part, on a distance of each of the merchants from the
location of the portable electronic device.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the displayed hierarchy of
merchants is automatically updated in response to a determination
that the portable electronic device moved to a new location
different from the location.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the plurality of
merchants includes displaying on a map a respective location of
each of the merchants and the location of the portable electronic
device relative to the plurality of merchants.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying the plurality of
merchants includes displaying respective distance and location
information corresponding to each of the merchants.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined proximity
within which the merchants are located is selected by the user.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of merchants is a
subset of a group of participating merchants, the method further
comprising: receiving, via the user input device, a selection of
the group of participating merchants; and in response to a request
received via the user input device, converting a selected number of
virtual rewards points into a gift card associated with the
selected participating merchant.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying a
plurality of user-selectable purchases; and receiving, via the user
input device, a selection of one of the user selectable purchases,
wherein the displayed exchange value corresponds to a respective
exchange value of the selected-user selectable purchase.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application is a
dedicated mobile device application downloaded via the user to the
portable electronic device.
16. A computer program product for a portable electronic device,
the computer program product comprising one or more non-transient
computer-readable media including instructions which, when executed
by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to
operate with one or more input devices and one or more display
devices to: display a plurality of merchants within a predetermined
proximity of a predetermined location of the portable electronic
device; display a selection corresponding to at least one of the
merchants; display a balance of virtual rewards points available
for redemption by a user; display an exchange value of the virtual
rewards points for making a purchase associated with the selected
at least one merchant; and in response to receipt of an indication
of a purchase request, authorize a deduction of the exchange value
from the balance of the virtual rewards points and provide
confirmation of the purchase associated with the selected at least
one merchant.
17. A system for conducting a commercial transaction using a
portable electronic device with a display device and a user input
device, the system comprising: one or more processors
communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device; and a
dedicated software application on the portable electronic device,
the dedicated software application being configured to: in
cooperation with the display device, display a plurality of
merchants within a predetermined proximity of a determined location
of the portable electronic device; receive, from the user input
device, an indication of a selection corresponding to at least one
of the merchants; receive, from the one or more processors, data
indicative of a balance of virtual rewards points available for
redemption by a user; in cooperation with the display device,
display the balance, one or more purchases that can be acquired
with the balance of virtual rewards points, and, for each of the
displayed one or more purchases, a corresponding exchange value of
the virtual rewards points for making the purchase from the
selected at least one merchant; receive, from the user input
device, an indication of a purchase request for at least one of the
one or more purchases; and in response to the purchase request,
send a signal to the one or more processors to deduct the exchange
value from the balance of the virtual rewards points and complete
the purchase with the selected at least one merchant.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more purchases
include a card value for a gift card associated with the selected
at least one merchant, and wherein the completing the purchase
includes confirming the card value is added to an account
associated with the gift card.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the account associated with the
gift card is a preexisting gift card account associated with the
user.
20. The system of claim 18, wherein the gift card is a virtual gift
card, and wherein the completing the purchase includes displaying,
via the display device of the portable electronic device, the
virtual gift card.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more purchases is
for a good or a service, or both, from the selected at least one
merchant, and wherein the completing the purchase is based, at
least in part, on information transferred at a Point-of-Sale system
via the displayed virtual gift card.
22. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more purchases is
for a good or a service, or both, from the selected at least one
merchant, and wherein the purchase is completed, at least in part,
via the dedicated software application on the portable electronic
device.
23. The system of claim 17, wherein the displaying the plurality of
merchants includes arranging the merchants in a hierarchy based, at
least in part, on a distance of each of the merchants from the
location of the portable electronic device.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein the displayed hierarchy of
merchants is automatically updated in response to a determination
that the portable electronic device moved to a new location.
25. The system of claim 17, wherein the displaying the plurality of
merchants includes displaying respective distance and location
information corresponding to each of the merchants.
26. A method of automatically converting rewards points to a
virtual prepaid instrument using a portable electronic device
having a display device and a user input device, the method
comprising: receiving over a wireless network at a portable
electronic device a balance of rewards points associated with a
user account stored on a points provider server remote from the
portable electronic device, the rewards points being non-currency
and convertible by a user of the user account to an amount of
currency commensurate with the balance of reward points; responsive
to receiving the balance of the reward points, receiving from the
user input device an indication of a desired amount of currency to
exchange for a corresponding number of the rewards points; the
portable electronic device communicating over the wireless network
the desired amount of currency and a merchant identification
directly or through a host server to a stored value prepaid
instrument provider server, the merchant identification being
associated with a merchant at which a good or a service at a
point-of-sale terminal at a physical location of the merchant is
offered for purchase or exchange, the prepaid instrument provider
server (a) being remote from the points provider server such that
an issuer of the rewards points is a distinct entity from an issuer
of a virtual prepaid instrument, (b) generating a code associated
with the virtual prepaid instrument, and (c) associating with the
code at least the desired amount of currency as a stored value
associated with the virtual prepaid instrument; displaying on the
display device a representation of the code and the stored value
associated with the virtual prepaid instrument; in response to the
representation of the code being presented at the point-of-sale
terminal for purchasing the good or the service for a purchase
price, deducting the purchase price from the stored value to
produce a modified stored value and displaying the modified stored
value on the display device; and the portable electronic device
communicating over the wireless network the purchase price or the
modified stored value directly or through the host server to the
prepaid instrument provider server to cause the prepaid instrument
provider server to modify the stored value to the modified stored
value.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the portable electronic device
communicates directly or through the host server with the prepaid
instrument provider server via an application programming interface
associated with the prepaid instrument provider using a software
application residing on the portable electronic device.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the communicating the desired
amount of currency and the merchant identification includes
requesting an authorization from the points provider server for a
deduction of the corresponding number of the reward points and
receiving from the points provider server an indication as to
whether the requested authorization was approved.
29. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving directly
or through the host server from the prepaid instrument provider
server an indication that the virtual prepaid instrument has been
activated by the prepaid instrument provider server and, responsive
to receiving the indication that the virtual prepaid instrument has
been activated, the portable electronic device communicating to the
points provider server a request to deduct the corresponding number
of the reward points.
30. The method of claim 26, further comprising: determining a
maximum denomination of currency available for conversion from the
balance of the reward points based on a conversion rate between a
reward point and a corresponding amount of currency; and displaying
on the display device a plurality of denominations of currency,
including the maximum denomination, available for selection by the
user, wherein the desired amount of currency corresponds to one of
the denominations of currency or an amount of currency entered by
the user via the user input device that does not exceed a maximum
amount of currency corresponding to the balance of the reward
points based on the conversion rate.
31. The method of claim 26, wherein the code includes a barcode
that is presented on the display device to a barcode scanner at the
point-of-sale terminal.
32. The method of claim 26, wherein the issuer of the rewards
points and the issuer of the virtual prepaid instrument are not
affiliated with one another.
33. A method of automatically exchanging rewards points using a
portable electronic device having a display device and a user input
device, the method comprising: receiving over a wireless network at
a portable electronic device a balance of rewards points associated
with a user account stored on a points provider server remote from
the portable electronic device, the rewards points being
non-currency and convertible by a user of the user account to an
amount of currency commensurate with the balance of reward points;
responsive to receiving the balance of the reward points, receiving
from the user input device an indication of a desired amount of
currency to exchange for a corresponding number of the rewards
points; the portable electronic device communicating to a host
server over the wireless network the desired amount of currency and
a merchant identification, the merchant identification being
associated with a merchant having a point-of-sale terminal at a
physical location of the merchant, the host server being remote
from the points provider server and operated by an entity different
from an entity that operates the points provider server; storing on
the host server the desired amount of currency as a stored value;
displaying on the display device a representation of the code and
the stored value; in response to the representation of the code
being presented at the point-of-sale terminal for an item of value,
deducting the value of the item from the stored value to produce a
modified stored value and displaying the modified stored value on
the display device; and the portable electronic device
communicating to the host server over the wireless network the
modified stored value to cause the host server to modify the stored
value to the modified stored value.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the item of value is a good or
a service offered for purchase at the physical location of the
merchant or a promotional item redeemable at the physical location
of the merchant.
35. The method of claim 33, further comprising communicating with
the point-of-sale terminal via near field communication (NFC) to
complete a subsequent transaction.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to portable
electronic devices and, more particularly, to software applications
for conducting commercial transactions using mobile computing and
cellular devices.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Various forms of electronic payment instruments, such as
credit cards, debit cards, pre-paid value cards, cash cards, gift
cards, gift certificates, and the like, have been used to
facilitate commercial transactions, including web-based (e.g.,
"e-commerce") transactions and brick-and-mortar (e.g., "store
front") transactions. Conventional pre-paid payment mechanisms are
typically acquired by a purchaser for value from a seller. The
seller can take on various known forms, such as banks and other
financial institutions, retailers, online institutions, and other
types of entities. The purchaser typically provides value (e.g.,
currency) to the seller and, in exchange, is issued a pre-paid
payment instrument, e.g., by delivering or otherwise associating
the value with a pre-paid payment instrument. Traditionally, once
the seller completes the initial transaction of selling and
providing the pre-paid payment instrument to the purchaser, the
seller tracks purchases against currency value attributed to the
pre-paid payment instrument.
[0003] In a conventional gift card scenario, the originating
purchaser is required to travel in person to a brick-and-mortar
store and purchase a card that is associated with a certain amount
of stored value. Once acquired, the originating purchaser must then
mail or otherwise deliver the gift card to the intended recipient,
who typically redeems the value of the gift card by traveling to
the store, picking out an item for purchase, and presenting the
gift card at a point-of-sale terminal as a form of payment.
Generally speaking, this scenario is inconvenient for both the
originating purchaser and the recipient because of the additional
personal time and money required to travel to the store for the
original purchase of the gift card as well as subsequent purchases
with the gift card. Even for the merchant, this situation may be
undesirable due to avoidable overhead costs and personnel time
associated with stocking, displaying and selling gift cards.
Moreover, gift card redemption is typically limited to a single
retailer such that the gift card can be redeemed at that retailer's
stores only.
[0004] With the advent of the internet and the World Wide Web,
internet-based "online" systems enable shoppers to purchase items,
such as gift cards or prepaid cards, from home using personal
credit cards and a personal computer. In a typical online gift card
purchase, the purchaser is required to access a specific website
for a desired online retailer, navigate the website to determine
where gift cards are available for purchase, choose a gift card and
associated value, enter personal shipping and billing information,
and, once the transaction is complete, then wait for the gift card
to be delivered. The processes and interfaces for purchasing gift
cards from an online retailer can oftentimes be confusing and time
consuming. Moreover, the originating purchaser or the intended
recipient must wait until the gift card is shipped and received
before they can redeem the value of the card. In addition, a
purchaser is generally required to visit multiple websites and
systematically repeat all of the foregoing steps for each retailer
from which they wish to purchase a gift card. And almost without
exception, gift cards are only available for purchase with credit
cards or other forms electronically transferred currency.
[0005] In addition, some points providers offer a direct exchange
of reward points to prepaid instruments offered by the same points
provider. The points providers therefore control the conditions and
restrictions under which the reward points or gift cards can be
exchanged, and also require a consumer to conduct the transaction
on the point provider's website. What is needed is a way of
converting reward points issued by a points provider to a virtual
gift card issued by a prepaid instrument provider that is not
affiliated with the points provider (e.g., the issuer of rewards
points is a different entity from the issuer of the virtual gift
card), and allowing a consumer to redeem the virtual gift card for
a good or service offered by a merchant, all using a portable
electronic device such as a smartphone. What is needed is a way of
using reward points issued by a points provider at a point-of-sale
terminal of a merchant for a good or service, or of exchanging
reward points directly for a good or service at a merchant or for a
promotional item. What is needed is a way of drawing customers to
brick-and-mortar stores and incentivizing them to make purchases
there by grabbing their attention as they approach the vicinity of
the store's location. These and other needs are fulfilled by
aspects of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a method
of executing a software application on a portable electronic device
with a display device and a user input device. The method includes:
determining, via the portable electronic device, a location of the
portable electronic device; displaying, via the portable electronic
device's display device, a plurality of merchants within a
predetermined proximity of the location of the portable electronic
device; receiving, via the portable electronic device's user input
device, a selection corresponding to at least one of the merchants;
displaying, via the display device, a balance of virtual rewards
points available for redemption by the user of the portable
electronic device; displaying, via the display device, an exchange
value of the virtual rewards points for making a purchase
associated with the selected at least one merchant; and, in
response to a purchase request received via the user input device,
authorizing deduction of the exchange value from the balance of the
virtual rewards points and providing confirmation of the purchase
associated with the selected at least one merchant.
[0007] Additional aspects of the present disclosure are directed to
a computer program product for a portable electronic device. The
computer program product includes one or more non-transient
computer-readable media including instructions which, when executed
by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to
operate with one or more input devices and one or more display
devices to: display a plurality of merchants within a predetermined
proximity of a predetermined location of the portable electronic
device; display a selection corresponding to at least one of the
merchants; display a balance of virtual rewards points available
for redemption by a user of the portable electronic device; display
an exchange value of the virtual rewards points for making a
purchase associated with the selected at least one merchant; and,
in response to receipt of an indication of a purchase request,
authorize deduction of the exchange value from the balance of the
virtual rewards points and provide confirmation of the purchase
associated with the selected at least one merchant.
[0008] According to other aspects of the present disclosure, a
system is presented for conducting a commercial transaction using a
portable electronic device with a display device and a user input
device. The system includes one or more processors communicatively
coupled to the portable electronic device, and a dedicated software
application on the portable electronic device. The dedicated
software application is configured to: in cooperation with the
display device, display a plurality of merchants within a
predetermined proximity of a predetermined location of the portable
electronic device; receive, from the user input device, an
indication of a selection corresponding to at least one of the
merchants; receive, from the one or more processors, data
indicative of a balance of virtual rewards points available for
redemption by a user of the portable electronic device; in
cooperation with the display device, display the balance of virtual
rewards points, one or more purchases which can be acquired with
the balance of virtual rewards points, and, for each of the
displayed one or more purchases, a corresponding exchange value of
the virtual rewards points for making the purchase from the
selected at least one merchant; receive, from the user input
device, an indication of a purchase request for at least one of the
one or more purchases; and, in response to the purchase request,
send a signal to the one or more processors to deduct the exchange
value from the balance of the virtual rewards points and complete
the purchase with the selected at least one merchant.
[0009] Aspects of the present disclosure are also directed to a
method of automatically converting rewards points to a virtual
prepaid instrument using a portable electronic device having a
display device and a user input device. This method includes:
receiving over a wireless network at a portable electronic device a
balance of rewards points associated with a user account stored on
a points provider server remote from the portable electronic
device, the rewards points being non-currency and convertible by a
user of the user account to an amount of currency commensurate with
the balance of reward points; responsive to receiving the balance
of the reward points, receiving from the user input device an
indication of a desired amount of currency to exchange for a
corresponding number of the rewards points; the portable electronic
device communicating over the wireless network the desired amount
of currency and a merchant identification directly or through a
host server to a stored value prepaid instrument provider server,
the merchant identification being associated with a merchant at
which a good or a service at a point-of-sale terminal at a physical
location of the merchant is offered for purchase or exchange, the
prepaid instrument provider server (a) being remote from the points
provider server such that an issuer of the rewards points is a
distinct entity from an issuer of a virtual prepaid instrument, (b)
generating a code associated with the virtual prepaid instrument,
and (c) associating with the code at least the desired amount of
currency as a stored value associated with the virtual prepaid
instrument; displaying on the display device a representation of
the code and the stored value associated with the virtual prepaid
instrument; in response to the representation of the code being
presented at the point-of-sale terminal for purchasing the good or
the service for a purchase price, deducting the purchase price from
the stored value to produce a modified stored value and displaying
the modified stored value on the display device; and, the portable
electronic device communicating over the wireless network the
purchase price or the modified stored value directly or through the
host server to the prepaid instrument provider server to cause the
prepaid instrument provider server to modify the stored value to
the modified stored value.
[0010] Also disclosed herein is a method of automatically
exchanging rewards points using a portable electronic device having
a display device and a user input device. The method includes
receiving over a wireless network at a portable electronic device a
balance of rewards points associated with a user account stored on
a points provider server remote from the portable electronic
device, the rewards points being non-currency and convertible by a
user of the user account to an amount of currency commensurate with
the balance of reward points; responsive to receiving the balance
of the reward points, receiving from the user input device an
indication of a desired amount of currency to exchange for a
corresponding number of the rewards points; the portable electronic
device communicating to a host server over the wireless network the
desired amount of currency and a merchant identification, the
merchant identification being associated with a merchant having a
point-of-sale terminal at a physical location of the merchant, the
host server being remote from the points provider server and
operated by an entity different from an entity that operates the
points provider server; storing on the host server the desired
amount of currency as a stored value; displaying on the display
device a representation of the code and the stored value; in
response to the representation of the code being presented at the
point-of-sale terminal for an item of value, deducting the value of
the item from the stored value to produce a modified stored value
and displaying the modified stored value on the display device;
and, the portable electronic device communicating to the host
server over the wireless network the modified stored value to cause
the host server to modify the stored value to the modified stored
value.
[0011] The above summary is not intended to represent each
embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the
foregoing summary merely provides an exemplification of some of the
novel aspects and features set forth herein. The above features and
advantages, and other features and advantages of the present
disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed
description of the exemplary embodiments and modes for carrying out
the present invention when taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings and appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a representative
system for conducting a transaction using a portable electronic
device in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a plan-view illustration of an exemplary portable
electronic device with a software application in accordance with
aspects of the present disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 3 is another plan-view illustration of the portable
electronic device of FIG. 2 showing a screen shot of the software
application which is displaying a hierarchy of participating
merchants automatically updating in response to movement of the
portable electronic device.
[0015] FIG. 4 is another plan-view illustration of the portable
electronic device of FIG. 2 showing a screen shot of the software
application which is now displaying the hierarchy of participating
merchants after being automatically updated.
[0016] FIG. 5 is another plan-view illustration of the portable
electronic device of FIG. 2 showing a screen shot of the software
application which is now displaying a balance of available virtual
rewards points and various purchases that can be acquired with the
available balance of virtual rewards points.
[0017] FIG. 6 is another plan-view illustration of the portable
electronic device of FIG. 2 showing a screen shot of the software
application which is now displaying a purchase request.
[0018] FIG. 7 is another plan-view illustration of the portable
electronic device of FIG. 2 showing a screen shot of the software
application which is now displaying the remaining balance of
virtual rewards points after purchase of a representative virtual
gift card.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a flow chart representing an exemplary algorithm
or method for conducting a commercial transaction using a portable
electronic device in accordance with aspects of the present
disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of a system for
requesting and acquiring service provider validation and redemption
of available virtual rewards points in accordance with aspects of
the present disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 10 is a flow chart representing an exemplary system and
method for requesting and acquiring virtual gift card activation
and delivery in accordance with aspects of the present
disclosure.
[0022] While the present disclosure is susceptible to various
modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been
shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in
detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the
disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular forms
disclosed. Rather, the disclosure is to cover all modifications,
equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] While the present disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in
many different forms and aspects, there are shown in the drawings
and will herein be described in detail aspects of the present
disclosure with the understanding that it is to be considered as an
exemplification of the principles of the invention or inventions
disclosed herein and is not intended to limit the broad aspects
illustrated. To that extent, elements and limitations that are
disclosed, for example, in the Abstract, Summary, and Detailed
Description sections, but not explicitly set forth in the claims,
should not be incorporated into the claims, singly or collectively,
by implication, inference or otherwise. For purposes of the present
detailed description, unless specifically disclaimed, the singular
includes the plural and vice versa; the words "and" and "or" shall
be both conjunctive and disjunctive; the word "all" means "any and
all"; the word "any" means "any and all"; and the word "including"
means "including without limitation." Moreover, words of
approximation, such as "about," "almost," "substantially,"
"approximately," and the like, can be used herein in the sense of
"at, near, or nearly at," or "within 3-5% of," or any logical
combination thereof, for example.
[0024] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference
numerals refer to like components throughout the several views,
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communications system and
network, designated generally as 10, for conducting a commercial
transaction using a portable electronic device 12 in accordance
with aspects of the present disclosure. The system 10 includes, but
is not limited to, the portable electronic device 12, which is
operated by a user or client 14, a communications network 16, and
one or more servers 18 and 20, and one or more participating
retailers or merchants 22 and 24. It should be readily understood
that the system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is merely provided as an
exemplary application by which the various inventive aspects and
features of this disclosure can be applied. Moreover, only selected
components of the system 10 have been shown and will be described
in additional detail hereinbelow. Nevertheless, the systems and
devices discussed herein can include numerous additional and
alternative features, and other well-known peripheral components,
for example, for carrying out the various methods and functions
disclosed herein. Those components which are not necessary for
carrying out the aspects of the present disclosure will not be
described in further detail.
[0025] The communications network 16 can be a wired or a wireless
network, or a combination of wired and wireless technology. In at
least some aspects, most if not all of the transaction functions
(e.g., purchasing) described herein by the portable electronic
device 12 can be conducted over a wireless network, such as a WLAN
or cellular data network, to ensure freedom of movement of the user
and device 12. In some implementations, the system 10 can be a
web-based system where users or clients 14 use internet-based
websites and/or web-based applications to access the transaction
features disclosed herein. In various aspects, the portable
electronic device 12 includes a web browser or a dedicated,
standalone application software, or a combination of both. A web
browser typically allows the user 14 to search for and/or request a
web page (e.g., from the server 18) with a web page request. A web
page, in a non-limiting example, is a data file that includes
computer executable or interpretable data, graphics, text, video,
and/or sound, that can be executed, displayed, played, processed,
streamed, and/or stored, and that can contain links to other web
pages. In some embodiments, a user manually requests a web page
from the server 18. Alternatively, the dedicated transaction
software automatically makes requests with the web browser.
Examples of commercially available web browser software include,
but are certainly not limited to, FIREFOX, available from the
Mozilla Corp., of Mountain View, Calif., SAFARI available from
Apple, Inc., and INTERNET EXPLORER, available from Microsoft Corp.,
of Redmond, Wash. In one implementation, the portable electronic
device 12 can connect to the network 16 over a cable, which can
pertain to a peripheral bus such as a USB or Firewire.RTM.
(IEEE-1394) connection.
[0026] The communications network 16 connects the user 14, through
operation of the portable electronic device 12, with one or more
servers 18 and 20. Communication can take place through any
now-known or hereinafter developed media, such as telephone lines
(e.g., Dial-Up), local area network (LAN) or wide area network
(WAN) links (e.g., Ethernet, T(X) lines, X.25, etc.), broadband
connections (e.g., Integrated Service Data Network (ISDN), Frame
Relay, etc.), wireless links (e.g., infrared, Bluetooth.RTM., WiFi
or WLAN), cellular networks, and so on. The network 16, in at least
some embodiments, can typically carry Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol communications, and
HTTP/HTTPS requests made by a web browser and associated responses
and replies, and the connection between client software and a
server can be communicated over such TCP/IP networks. Some
non-limiting examples of networks that can serve as the
communications network 16 include a wireless or wired
Ethernet-based intranet, a local or wide-area network (LAN or WAN),
and/or the global communications network known as the Internet,
which can be configured to accommodate many different
communications media and protocols.
[0027] The dedicated transaction or application software can be
implemented in various forms. For instance, the dedicated
transaction software or application software can be in the form of
a web-based (e.g., Java) applet that is downloaded to the portable
electronic device 12 and runs in conjunction with a web browser on
the portable electronic device 12. Optionally, the dedicated
transaction software can be in the form of a standalone software
application, which can be implemented in a multi-platform language
such as .Net or Java, or in native processor executable code. If
executed on the portable electronic device 12, the dedicated
transaction software can be operable to open a network connection
with the servers 18, 20 over the communications network 16 and,
thus, communicates via that connection with the server servers 18,
20. In some embodiments, the dedicated transaction software of the
portable electronic device 12 communicates with a single "host" or
"client" server 18, which in turn conducts any necessary
communications with one or more "third party" servers 20 to
complete a particular transaction. Optionally, the dedicated
transaction software and web browser can be part of a single
client-server interface, where the software can be implemented as a
"plug-in" to the web browser, for example. Other optional
variations and known alternatives are considered to be within the
scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The host server can
include one or more servers, such as a host server and a prepaid
instrument provider server, such as a server operated by First Data
Corporation's merchant processing service. In some implementations,
the host server can carry out the functions of a prepaid instrument
provider server, or the host server can interface with a remote
prepaid instrument provider server, which manages and stores gift
cards and their associated account information including balances.
An example of a host server is a digital gifting platform operated
by CashStar, Inc., the assignee of the present disclosure. The
third party servers 20 can include more than one third party server
(e.g., a third party relative to the prepaid instrument provider),
such as a points provider server, which is not affiliated with the
host/prepaid instrument provider server 18. In other words, the
issuer of reward points stored on the points provider server 20 is
not the same entity as the issuer of the prepaid instruments stored
on the prepaid instrument provider server 18. The reference numbers
18 and 20 each generally designates one or more servers.
[0028] In the illustrated system, the network 16 is used to
securely communicatively couple the portable electronic device 12
to one or more of the servers 18, 20. Each server 18, 20 can be
implemented on one or more server class computers, which can be
subcomponents of a computer hardware server system, with sufficient
memory, data storage, and processing power and, in some
embodiments, the capabilities to run a server class operating
system (e.g., GNU/Linux, SUN Solaris, Microsoft Windows OS, etc.).
The servers 18, 20 can each be part of a logical group of one or
more servers, such as a server farm or server network. As is
typical in large-scale systems, the application software can be
implemented in components, with different components running on
different server computers, on the same server, or any logical
combination thereof. Although FIG. 1 illustrates a single portable
electronic device 12 communicating with a single host server 18
over a single network 16 to execute a transaction with a single
retailer 22, it should be understood that the system 10 can support
numerous portable electronic devices 12 operating over one or more
networks 16 to conduct transactions with an array of retailers 22
through a variety of host servers 18 and third party servers
20.
[0029] The portable electronic device 12 comprises a housing or
casing 26 and includes one or more input devices 28, which can
include various devices such as a keyboard, buttons on a button
panel, a single- or multi-touch screen, a track ball, a track pad,
a microphone, or voice and/or gesture recognition software and
hardware. For output, the portable electronic device 12 can
include, in a few examples, a display device 30, which can include
a high-resolution liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a plasma
display, or a light emitting diode (LED) or organic LED (OLED)
display, one or more speakers, one or more user-accessible ports
(e.g., an audio output jack for headphones, a video headset jack,
etc.), and other conventional I/O devices and ports. The primary
display device 30 can be configured to display aspects of the
dedicated transaction software, which can take on the form of a
dedicated mobile software application (or "app"), as well as other
tangential features, functions and information, such as text
messaging, emails, alerts and announcements, personal information,
advertisements, and the operating status of the portable electronic
device 12. In some embodiments, the portable electronic device 12
can also include a location tracking device 34, which can include a
global positioning system (GPS) receiver. Examples of some portable
electronic devices include, but are not limited to, cellular phones
and smartphones, laptop computers, tablet computers (e.g., the
Samsung GALAXY TAB tablet device and the Apple IPAD tablet device),
e-readers (e.g., the KINDLE electronic reader device), personal
digital assistants (PDA), etc. By portable, it is meant that the
device can be comfortably held in the hand or hands of an adult
human and weighs a couple to a few pounds.
[0030] In some embodiments, the user-input device(s) 28 accept(s)
user input(s) and transforms the user input(s) to electronic data
signals indicative of input or inputs, which can correspond to an
enabled feature for such input(s) at a time of activation. The
input(s), once transformed into electronic data signals, can be
outputted to a central processing unit (CPU) or controller 32 for
processing. The electronic data signals can correspond to an
electrical current, an electrical voltage, an electrical charge, an
optical signal, or a magnetic signal.
[0031] To enhance security, a transaction with the portable
electronic device 12 can be optionally enabled only by an
authentication process in which a primary or secondary source
confirms the identity of the user 14. Upon entry of user
identification information, for example, such as a password, PIN
number, credit card number, personal information, biometric input,
predefined key sequences, etc., the user can be permitted to access
a user account. Thus, a transaction can be enabled by, for example,
a combination of personal identification input (e.g., mother's
maiden name) with a secret PIN number, or a combination of a
password and a corresponding PIN number, or a combination of a
credit card input with secret PIN number. Other conventional
security or authentication features can be utilized to prevent
unauthorized access to a user's account, for example, to minimize
an impact of any unauthorized access to a user's account, or to
prevent unauthorized access to any personal information or funds
accessible via a user's account.
[0032] The various components of the portable electronic device 12
are controlled by one or more processors (e.g., CPU, distributed
processors, etc.) 32, also referred to herein generally as a
controller (e.g., microcontroller, microprocessor, etc.). The
controller 32 can include any suitable processor(s). By way of
example, the controller 32 can include a plurality of
microprocessors including a master processor, a slave processor,
and a secondary or parallel processor. Controller 32, as used
herein, can comprise any combination of hardware, software, and/or
firmware disposed inside and/or outside of the housing 26 of the
device 12 that is configured to communicate with and/or control the
transfer of data between the portable electronic device 12 and a
bus, another computer, processor, or device and/or a service and/or
a network. The controller 32 is generally operable to execute any
or all of the various computer program products, software,
applications, algorithms, methods and/or other processes disclosed
herein. The controller 32 can include a memory device or can be
coupled to a memory device, which can comprise a volatile memory
(e.g., a random-access memory (RAM) or multiple RAM) and a
non-volatile memory (e.g., an EEPROM).
[0033] Location and movement of the portable electronic device 12
can be tracked via a location tracking device 34, which can reside
in the portable electronic device 12. As indicated above, the
location can be determined through a satellite-based GPS navigation
system. Even without a GPS receiver, the portable electronic device
12 can provide location and movement information through
cooperation with a cellular system through a process known as
"trilateration." A cellular system's towers and base stations
communicate radio signals and are arranged into a network of cells.
A cellular device, such as cellphones, smartphones and
cellular-enabled tablet computers, have low-power transmitters for
communicating with the nearest tower, base station, router, or
access point. As a user moves with the cellular device, e.g., from
one cell to another, the base stations monitor the strength of the
transmitter's signal. When the cellular device moves toward the
edge of one cell, the transmitter signal strength diminishes for a
current tower. At the same time, the base station in the
approaching cell detects a strength increase in the signal. As the
user moves into a new cell, the towers transfer the signal from one
to the next. A computer can determine the location of the device
based on measurements of the transmitter signal, such as the angle
of approach to the cell tower(s), the time it takes the signal to
travel to multiple towers, and the strength of the signal when it
reaches the towers. According to other aspects of at least some
embodiments of the present concepts, a movement sensor can be
provided comprising one or more sensors configured to determine the
movement (e.g., rotation, translation, etc.) of the portable
electronic device 12 with respect to an established datum or
reference (e.g., position, spatial orientation, reaction, force,
velocity, acceleration, electrical contact, etc.) about or along
one or more axes.
[0034] FIG. 2 provides a more specific example of a portable
electronic device, which is illustrated as a WiFi-enabled and
cellular-enabled tablet computer 112 with an LCD display panel 130
and one or more input devices, which in this example includes a
touch screen (or "touchscreen") 128A and a video camera 128B. The
portable electronic device 112 of FIG. 2 can take on any of the
various forms, optional configurations, and functional alternatives
described above with respect to the aspects exemplified in the
portable electronic device 12 of FIG. 1, and thus can include any
of the corresponding options and features. For instance, the
portable electronic device 112 can communicate with one or more
servers (e.g., servers 18 and 20 of FIG. 1) via a wireless network
(e.g., network 16 of FIG. 1) in any of the manners described above.
Likewise, the software application 150 of FIG. 2 can take on any of
the various forms and optional alternatives described above.
[0035] Downloaded to or otherwise available on the portable
electronic device 112 is a software application for conducting
commercial transactions disclosed herein, which is portrayed as a
dedicated mobile software application 150 (more commonly known as a
"mobile application" or just "app"). In the illustrated embodiment,
the software application 150 presents various types of information
to the user, including the time, remaining battery power, and a map
152 with a symbol, avatar or icon 154 representing the location and
movement of the user and portable electronic device 112. Also
displayed is user information 156 (e.g., the user's name) and a
balance of virtual rewards points 158 available for redemption by
the user of the portable electronic device 112. Some embodiments
can allow the user to select from a variety of different rewards
points available for redemption (e.g., DELTA SKYMILES.RTM., HOLIDAY
INN.RTM. PRIORITY CLUB Reward Points, and VISA.RTM. Signature
points). The user links one or more reward points account to the
software application 150, which communicates with a points provider
server, such as the sever 20, to authenticate the user's reward
points account and return a balance of reward points associated
with the user's reward points account.
[0036] Rewards points (also called loyalty points) are typically
issued by an entity as part of a customer loyalty program that is
designed to reward customers for making purchases from the same
merchant or company or for making purchases using the same media.
Loyalty programs can be initiated by businesses to actively
cultivate loyalty amongst customers to ensure they continue
patronizing the business, as well as to acquire information
relating to customer spending habits. Loyalty programs can be
structured marketing efforts that reward, and therefore encourage,
continued and regular buying behavior with a particular business.
In addition to reward points, loyalty programs can offer prizes,
discounts, and other inducements designed to incentivize repeat
business from customers. Loyalty programs span through a broad
spectrum of industries, including, in some non-limiting examples,
frequent-flyer programs for airline customers, gas cards for gas
station patrons, rewards cards that accumulate reward points for
repeated use of a credit or debit card, priority club programs for
hotel reservations and automobile rentals, and customer loyalty
programs for restaurants, hardware stores, grocery stores,
electronic stores, department stores, etc., or for frequent use of
a website or online service.
[0037] Also presented by the software application 150 of FIG. 2,
through cooperation with the display device 130, is a number of
merchants 122A-G (e.g., retailers, wholesalers, dealers,
consignors, vendors, brokers, etc.) that are available for
participation in a Mobile Gift Rewards program, which will be
described in further detail below. Some embodiments also display
the respective location of each merchant 122A-G on the map 152
using a graphic (e.g., using a corresponding graphical pin 162A-G
for each merchant 122A-G, respectively), and the location of the
portable electronic device 112 relative to the merchants 162A-G,
for example, by via placement and movement of the icon 154. In some
embodiments, the displayed merchants 122A-G are those within a
predetermined proximity (e.g., X number of feet, Y number of miles,
Z number of minutes drive, etc.), such as a radius, of the current
location of the portable electronic device 112. Optional
arrangements can limit the displayed merchants 122A-G to those that
are within a user-selected proximity of the current location and/or
within a predetermined proximity of a user-selected future location
of the portable electronic device 112. Some embodiments can require
the individual merchants be registered and/or pay a fee to
participate in the Mobile Gift Rewards program and, thus, be
displayed by the software application 150. As yet another option,
an individual retailer can pay a fee to ensure they are always
shown, prioritized, or both, by the software application 150.
[0038] The merchants 122A-G are shown arranged in a hierarchy or
list 160 that is based, at least in part, on a respective distance
of each merchant 122A-G from the location of the portable
electronic device 112. For example, each merchant 122A-G is
represented in FIG. 2 by a respective merchant tile, which includes
merchant-specific information, such as the merchant's name, logo,
location, and distance from the portable electronic device, for
example. The merchant tiles 122A-G are shown arranged in descending
order on the display panel 130 from top-to-bottom in order of
closest-to-furthest. The first merchant 122A--Books and More--is
located in the Warner Building and is the closest to the determined
location of the portable electronic device 112 (e.g., the distance
D1 of the first merchant 122A is 38 feet away in FIG. 2), and is
therefore shown at the top of the hierarchy 160. According to the
illustrated example, the first merchant 122A is running a
promotional marketing program offering a FREE GIFT TODAY, which is
displayed on the first tile and highlighted by a promotional tag
136. The second merchant 122B--Republic Clothing--is also located
in the Warner Building, but is a distance D2 of 80 ft. away from
the portable electronic device 112, and is therefore positioned as
second from the top of the hierarchy 160 in FIG. 2. In accordance
with this scheme, the third merchant 122C is further from the
portable electronic device 112 than the first and second merchants
122A, 122B, but closer than the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh
merchants 122D, 122E, 122F, and 122G, respectively, and is
therefore shown third from the top of the hierarchy 160. The
remaining four merchants 122D-G are also arranged in descending
order from top-to-bottom in order of closest-to-furthest. The
hierarchy 160 can be an ordered list of merchants, ranked by
proximity to the location of the portable electronic device 112.
Alternately, the hierarchy 160 can have a hierarchical layout
having multiple levels in which multiple merchants can be arranged
on the same level. Merchants can be ranked according to a
characteristic, such as proximity to the portable electronic device
112 or type or category of good or service offered. For example,
during mealtimes, restaurant or food eateries can be organized at
the top of the hierarchy 160 on the same level and displayed left
to right in proximity to the portable electronic device 112.
Clothing merchants can be organized on a lower level of the
hierarchy, but re-ranked to a higher level outside of mealtimes.
Within each level, merchants can be ranked according to their
proximity to the portable electronic device 112. The arrangement of
the merchants varies in real time as a function of the time of day
or the location of the portable electronic device relative to the
merchants or both.
[0039] As described above during the description of the portable
electronic device 12 of FIG. 1, the location and movement of the
portable electronic device 112 of FIGS. 2-7 can be tracked,
monitored, or otherwise determined, for example, via GPS tracking,
cellular trilateration, movement sensors, or through any other
suitable location tracking system. In so doing, the displayed
hierarchy 160 of merchants 122A-G can be automatically updated in
response to a determination that the portable electronic device 112
moved from a first "start" location (e.g., FIG. 2) to a second
"new" location (e.g., FIG. 3) whereby the distances between the
merchants 122A-G and the device 112 change. By way of non-limiting
example, when it is determined that the portable electronic device
112 moves from its initial location in FIG. 2, closest to the store
or kiosk location of the book merchant Books and More 162A, to a
new location in FIG. 3, closest to the store or kiosk location of
the clothing merchant Republic Clothing 162B, the movement can be
shown in real time by repositioned the icon 154 on the map 152 of
the software application 150. Books and More 162A (the first
merchant 122A) is now a new distance D1' of 65 ft. away from the
portable electronic device 112, while Republic Clothing 162B (the
second merchant 122B) is now a new distance D2' of 60 ft. away from
the portable electronic device 112. To reflect this change in
proximity, the second merchant 122B is displayed in real time via
the software application 150 as being moved the top of the
hierarchy 160 while the first merchant 122A is contemporaneously
moved down one spot below the second merchant 122B on the hierarchy
160. At the same time, the distances of the other merchants 122C-G
are also automatically updated in real time to reflect the change
in proximity to the portable electronic device 112. FIG. 4 provides
a screen shot of the software application 150, which is now
displaying the hierarchy 160 of participating merchants 122A-G
after being automatically updated in real time to reflect the new
closest merchant to the portable electronic device 112. As the user
walks toward one of the merchants, a notification from a merchant
can be pushed to the portable electronic device 112 and displayed
on its display device 130, where the notification informs the user
of a deal or special offer or promotion available from the merchant
or at the merchant's nearby store. Merchants can pay to have these
notifications pushed to nearby portable electronic devices 112,
which will cause the notifications to be displayed on the display
device 130, for example, in a pop-up window.
[0040] Turning to FIG. 6, the user decides he/she would like to
make a purchase from the third merchant 122C--Star Coffee--which
has a brick-and-mortar store located in the Warner Building and
displayed on the map 152 (see FIG. 2). At present, Star Coffee 122C
is 75 ft. away from the portable electronic device 112, which is
the third closest merchant to the location of the portable
electronic device 112, and is therefore positioned as third from
the top of the hierarchy 160 in FIG. 5. To initiate a purchase, the
user selects Star Coffee, for example, by touching the
corresponding third merchant tile 122C on the touch screen 128A.
This selection can be displayed by the software application 150,
for example, by highlighting the third tile 122C and
contemporaneously displaying one or more available Star Coffee
purchases on the display device 130. Optionally or additionally,
selection of a particular merchant and/or concomitant display of
various purchase options for that merchant 122A-G can be
automatically initiated in real time by a proximity trigger--e.g.,
when it is determined that the portable electronic device 112 and,
thus, the user, are within a minimum threshold distance or have
entered the store or are standing at a kiosk for that merchant. In
some embodiments, the software application 150 can be operable to
generate a push notification designed to notify the user of their
proximity to a particular merchant and/or highlighting a
promotional activity offered by the merchant and/or requesting
selection of said merchant. The store or kiosk of a merchant
includes a conventional point-of-sale terminal for conducting
purchase and sale transactions between the purchaser and the
merchant for items for sale by the merchant at the store or kiosk.
The point-of-sale terminal can include a barcode scanner for
scanning a barcode or other code displayed on the display device
130 of the portable electronic device 112.
[0041] In the illustrated embodiment, the map 152 shown on the
display device 130 in FIGS. 2-4 is replaced by a design,
advertisement or motif, designated generally in FIG. 6 at 138,
which can be representative of the selected merchant (e.g., the
trade dress of a typical Star Coffee store or a photograph of the
interior of the Star Coffee store or a menu of items available for
purchase at the Star Coffee store). A popup window 164, which can
be generated by the software application 150 overlying a portion of
the motif 138, presents the user with a number of purchase options
166 associated with the selected merchant. As used herein, "a
purchase" can be "one or more purchases" including, for example, a
purchase of a virtual gift card and a subsequent purchase of an
item or service at the merchant's store using the purchased virtual
gift card. As shown, the purchase options 166 include a STAR CARD
gift card 168 associated with the selected Star Coffee merchant
122C. The card value of the gift card 168 can be fixed or can be
chosen from one or more predefined values or "Card Amount" 170
(e.g., $30 in FIG. 5), or can be a user-defined value or "Other
Amount" 172. Selection of the Card Amount 170 button of FIG. 5,
e.g., via the display device 130 touch screen 128A, can trigger a
menu 178 which presents the user with a variety of predefined
user-selectable values for the gift card 168. The user can choose
from the menu 178 one of these user-selectable purchase options.
Additional user-selectable options can include adding the card
value to a preexisting gift card account associated with the user
of the portable electronic device 112 (e.g., via selection of the
"Send to my Account" option 174), or delivering the gift card 168
to someone other than the user of the portable electronic device
(e.g., via selection of the "Send to a Friend" option 176). The
latter option can require the user to enter the intended
recipient's personal information and/or an email address, a mailing
address, or a preexisting account number for purposes of
delivery.
[0042] Alternately, as disclosed above, instead of converting the
reward points to a virtual gift card, the reward points can be
exchanged directly for an item at the merchant, such as a hat, or
for a promotional item, such as buy one get one free, or give one
get one, at the merchant's store. The reward points can be used on
the spot in the merchant's store using the software application
150, without requiring the user to log into any other accounts or
visit any external websites or to leave the store and return later.
All of the aspects herein allow for instant gratification by the
consumer, providing the ability to exchange or convert reward
points for a virtual gift card, directly for a good or a service,
or for a promotional item at a point-of-sale terminal in a
merchant's store or at a merchant's kiosk, such as in a mall.
[0043] As another option, a virtual credit card (e.g., card type,
card number, card expiration, card security code, card billing
information, etc.) can be stored via the software application. That
way, the user could use the stored credit card to purchase a gift
card or goods or services from retailers that are within the
proximity of the portable electronic device 112 directly from the
device 112. In some embodiments, this option would only be
available if the retailer is offering a promotion where it is more
advantageous to buy with the stored credit card instead of buying
with cash or other payment.
[0044] Returning to the illustrated embodiment above in FIG. 6,
prior to, contemporaneous with, or after the card value is set, the
software application 150 presents the user with an exchange value
180 of the virtual rewards points required to make the selected
purchase associated with the merchant 122C. As seen in FIG. 6, for
example, the user is required to convert or redeem 1,500 of 72,000
available VISA.RTM. Rewards Points to purchase a $30 card value for
a STAR CARD gift card 168. Optionally, the user can be provided
with a corresponding virtual-rewards-points exchange value for each
of the available purchases from the selected merchant 122C (e.g.,
via the menu 178) such that the user can make an informed decision
as to which option to choose. Typically, but not necessarily, the
exchange value for each purchase option can established by the
business entity responsible for issuing the rewards points. By way
of non-limiting examples, the business entity can establish a
universal exchange rate for their rewards points (e.g., 50
points/dollar) or can establish a scale of exchange values for
their rewards points (e.g., 100 points/dollar for purchases under
$10, 75 points/dollar for purchases between $10 to $20, and 50
points/dollar for purchases over $20).
[0045] With continuing reference to FIG. 6, the user submits a
final purchase request, for example, by pressing the "Confirm"
button 182 on the touch screen 128A of the portable electronic
device 112. Alternatively, the user can cancel their purchase, for
example, by pressing the "Cancel" button 184, or can alter their
purchase, for example, by pressing the "Modify" button 186. In the
illustrated embodiment, the user has decided to buy a new virtual
gift card 168 with a card value of $30 (a virtual gift card can be
generally referred to herein as a virtual prepaid instrument, which
exists in electronic form but can optionally be embodied on a
physical medium, such as printed on paper or a plastic card). This
purchase can be reflected, in part, by the updated balance of
virtual rewards points 158 shown in FIG. 7, which reflects the
redemption of 1,500 rewards points and a remaining updated balance
158 of 70,500 rewards points. In response to the final purchase
request received via the user input device (e.g., display device
128A), the software application 150 submits an authorization
request, such as to the points provider server 20, to deduct the
exchange value from the balance of the virtual rewards points. Upon
receipt of such confirmation, the software application 150 requests
the addition of funds--such as the card value if the card is a new
card and not an existing card--to the corresponding account. Once
completed, the software application 150 provides confirmation of
the purchase associated with the selected merchant 122C. The
confirmation of the purchase can include displaying a digital
representation of the virtual gift card, a confirmatory email, a
push notification, a popup-window confirmation, etc., that the card
value has been added to the account associated with the gift card.
Alternately, if the user is adding to an existing virtual gift
card, the exchange value is added to whatever balance was present
on the existing virtual gift card. It should be noted that at this
stage, the points provider server 20 receives only an authorization
request, but does not actually deduct the reward points from the
user's reward points account. In some aspects, only after the
virtual gift card is authorized and released to the user does the
points provider server 20 deduct the reward points from the user's
reward points account. The updated balance of reward points 158 as
displayed in FIG. 7 does not necessarily mean that the points
provider server 20 has actually deducted those points, but rather
indicates what the remaining balance would be if the virtual gift
card is approved and released by the prepaid instrument provider
server 18.
[0046] For some preferred embodiments, the gift card 168 is a
"virtual gift card" (generally called a virtual prepaid instrument)
where a physical (e.g., plastic or paper) gift card or gift voucher
is not issued with the purchase. The term "card" includes a
voucher, ticket, coupon, and the like, and is not limited to any
particular tangible form such as paper or plastic. "Virtual" as
used herein means that the prepaid instrument exists
electronically, such as an electronically stored file, that is
stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a
memory device. According to some implementations, a virtual gift
card account is created and a redemption code (e.g., a "Star Card
Number" in FIG. 7) is assigned to that account, such as by the
prepaid instrument provider server 18. Confirmation of the user's
purchase of a virtual gift card can be limited to displaying, via
the display device 130, a digital representation of the virtual
gift card with the characterizing indicia of the gift card. As
seen, for example, in FIG. 7, the characterizing indicia on the
virtual gift card 168 can include a card balance 188, a barcode 190
that can be scanned by the merchant 122A at a point-of-sale
terminal, a logo 192 of the merchant 122A, a redemption code/card
number 194, etc. Optionally, an email can be sent to the user
and/or intended recipient, which includes the redemption code/card
number along with the other pertinent information.
[0047] Virtual gift cards offer many of the conveniences of a
traditional gift card, but are typically available within seconds
or minutes without the extra time and cost associated with shipping
a physical gift card, and are less susceptible to loss and theft.
Gift recipients can receive an email notification with a link to
activate their virtual gift card. In the context of the present
disclosure, virtual gift cards offer the benefit of allowing the
user to instantly redeem a virtual gift card, which was replenished
or funded by reward points converted into a commensurate amount of
currency, at a merchant's store or kiosk without having to leave
the store or kiosk and without having to visit any further websites
or log into additional accounts to authenticate multiple
transactions (such as converting the reward points to a virtual
gift card). The software application 150 is configured to allow a
user, within just a few clicks or touches within the software
application 150 only, to use reward points to buy an item at a
merchant location within a few seconds or minutes at the most. The
user is not required to visit any outside websites or enter any
further authentication information, though in some implementations,
these actions are contemplated in this disclosure. Authentication
can be handled by the host server 18 when it is present as an
interface between the points provider server 20 and the prepaid
instrument provider server 18, or by the points provider server 20
when it interfaces directly with the prepaid instrument provider
server 18.
[0048] Once the rewards points are redeemed or converted, the card
value 170 (e.g., $5) is added to the new or existing account
associated with the gift card 168, and confirmation of the purchase
is received by the user (all of which can occur substantially
simultaneously in real time) on the display device 130, the user
can purchase goods or services, or both, from the selected merchant
122C while present at the merchant's brick-and-mortar store or
kiosk. By using a virtual gift card 168, as exemplified in the
illustrated embodiment of FIG. 7, the purchase can be completed, at
least in part, via the software application 150 on the portable
electronic device 112 with information transferred at a
Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal via the displayed virtual gift card
168. As one option, the user can make a purchase directly from the
portable electronic device 112, for example, via selection of the a
"Make Purchase" button. Pressing the Make Purchase button, e.g.,
using the touch screen 128A, can bring up one or more items or
menu(s) of available purchases, from which the user can choose and
purchase goods/services through operation of the software
application 150. As another option, near field communication (NFC)
can be utilized as a means for the portable electronic device 112
to communicate with a POS terminal.
[0049] Once the user completes the transaction, for example, via
selection of the "Complete Transaction" button 198, the good(s)
and/or service(s) can be transferred at the POS terminal while the
user is onsite at the merchant's store. As an optional alternative,
the user can present the virtual gift card 168 to a cashier or
other employee at the POS terminal, who can confirm the remaining
card balance 188, scan the barcode 190, enter or otherwise record
the redemption code/card number 194, or any logical combination
thereof, to complete the requested purchase. Once the purchase is
complete, the card balance 188 is updated in FIG. 7 from $30 to
$27.50 to reflect the exchange of funds. The software application
150 can communicate the deduction of $2.50 from the virtual gift
card balance to the prepaid instrument provider server 18, which
deducts the transaction amount of $2.50 from the balance associated
with the virtual gift card stored on the prepaid instrument
provider server 18. When the user is finished, the user may then
press the "Close" button 196 to dismiss the popup window.
[0050] In the illustrated embodiment, the displayed merchants
122A-122G can be a subset of a larger group of participating
merchants, where those merchants that are displayed are currently
available for participation in the Mobile Gift Rewards program and
are within a predetermined proximity of the portable electronic
device 112. The software application 150 can provide the user with
a search function (e.g., search box 161 in FIG. 5) with which the
user can search for some or all of the participating merchants.
When the user locates a desired merchant on the portable electronic
device 112, the user can select, e.g., via the user input device
128A, one of the participating merchants. Once selected, the user
can use the balance of virtual rewards points 158 to convert a
selected number of the rewards points into a gift card or other
good or service associated with the selected participating
merchant. When the user selects one of the participating merchants,
a push notification can be sent from the host server 18 to the
portable electronic device 112 with a promotional item or a deal of
the day to entice the user to visit the selected merchant.
[0051] With reference now to the flow chart of FIG. 8, an improved
method for conducting a commercial transaction using a portable
electronic device, such as those devices 12, 112, 122 shown in and
described with reference to FIGS. 1-7, for example, is generally
described as an algorithm 200 in accordance with aspects of the
present disclosure. FIG. 8 can be representative of an algorithm
200 that corresponds to at least some instructions that can be
stored, for example, in a memory device, and executed, for example,
by a CPU to perform any or all of the above and/or below described
functions associated with the disclosed concepts. The method 200
will be described with reference to the various aspects and
features shown in FIGS. 1-7 and 9-11 of the drawings; such
reference is being provided purely by way of explanation and
clarification.
[0052] The method 200 starts at block 201, where the user can be
required to download or otherwise access dedicated transaction
software, which can take the form of or be based on the dedicated
mobile software application (or "app") 150. For instance, a mobile
device software application can be installed on the user's mobile
phone/tablet 122, which facilitates the transfer of loyalty and/or
other rewards points 158 into (electronic or virtual) gift cards
168. Block 203 represents a "Manual Trigger," where the user can
manually open or otherwise access the mobile app 150 and choose to
convert virtual rewards points 158 to make a purchase from a
desired merchant 122A-G. In at least some embodiments, opening a
software application installed on a portable electronic device
automatically initiates the Manual Trigger 203. If the manual
trigger 203 is initiated, the user can select a retailer, at block
205, from a list of participating retailers, such as the hierarchy
160 of FIGS. 2-7. This list or hierarchy 160 can be managed by the
host server 18 or by the prepaid instrument provider 18, for
example, and can be limited, in some embodiments, by location
parameters. If the user selects a particular merchant, such as the
Star Coffee merchant 122C discussed in the above examples (block
205=Yes), the method 200 proceeds to query 209. If no selection is
made at query 205 (block 205=No), the method 200 can terminate.
[0053] Block 207 represents a "Proximity Trigger," where the
portable electronic device 112 supports background location
tracking or fencing (e.g., GPS tracking, cellular trilateration, or
any of the other options discussed hereinabove) such that proximity
alerts (e.g., push notifications, emails, etc.) or the automatic
opening of the app 150 can be triggered when a user nears a
participating retailer's physical location. According to some
aspects of the disclosed concepts, the user can have to change the
device's settings and/or their app preferences to enable the
Proximity Trigger feature 207. The radius or boundaries of the
geo-fence, as well as other merchant-related settings,
restrictions, and preferences, can be configured by the retailer or
the user, or set as default parameters by the provider of the app
150, or any combination thereof. In some instances, the user's
preferences override the retailer's preferences and/or the default
settings. When a proximity alert does occur, the retailer that
triggered the proximity alert can be highlighted to the user and
the user can be prompted, for example, at query 209 to select the
suggested retailer. Optionally, the user can select any of the
displayed merchants, as described above. While the user can change
to a different retailer, a primary use case can be to redeem
virtual rewards points with one or more suggested or "preferred"
retailers.
[0054] Once a retailer is chosen (e.g., at block 205) or suggested
(e.g., at block 209), the user selects a monetary instrument (or
other good or service) they wish to purchase at block 211. As
mentioned above, the user can convert reward points into currency
maintained with a virtual gift card or directly for the purchase of
an item at the merchant's place of business. The user can configure
a denomination, a recipient, a design, and/or a type of the
merchant's "closed-loop" virtual gift card. Once configured, the
system determines, at step 213, if there are sufficient rewards
points available to complete the requested purchase. By way of
example, and not limitation, FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic illustration
of a system 300, which can be an extension or part of the
communications system and network 10 illustrated in FIG. 1, for
requesting and acquiring points provider validation and redemption
of available virtual rewards points. According to this example, a
mobile application 350 on a portable electronic device 312 sends a
verification request via a communications network 316 to the
Application Programming Interface (API) 320 of the reward points
provider server 20 to verify the number of rewards points currently
available for redemption by the user. It can be desirable, in at
least some embodiments, that this request be routed through a host
server (e.g., host server 18 of FIG. 1) of the app provider. When
the request is received by the service provider API 320, the user
account 352 with the service or points provider server 20 is
queried and the available rewards points are made known to the user
(e.g., displayed via the portable electronic device 312). An
exchange rate or an exchange value of the virtual rewards points to
purchase the virtual gift card can also be made known to user. As
indicated above, this rate can be configured by the points provider
server 20 (e.g., via a Points Provider API and Engine 318). In some
embodiments, the user-selected denomination for the virtual gift
card must falls within minimum and maximum denominations set by the
retailer and, in some configurations, must be available through the
gift card service provider 18 and fall under the maximum
denomination available from the available points conversion
rate.
[0055] Once the desired virtual gift card and corresponding
denomination has been established, a final validation of the
available virtual rewards points can be initiated within the reward
points provider's 20 proprietary system and accessed through the
points provider's 20 API 320. If there are sufficient rewards
points available (query 213=Yes) the user's rewards points are
separated and prepared for redemption. Accessed through the points
provider's 20 API 350, this step authorizes the deduction of points
within the points provider's proprietary system. In at least some
embodiments, as mentioned above, this step does not actually deduct
the points, but rather simply authorizes the rewards points for
deduction. Once the virtual gift card has been activated and
released, the application 150, 350 sends a request to the points
provider server 20 a capture or a deduction of the previously
authorized reward points, and the points provider server 20 deducts
the reward points from the associated reward point account.
[0056] Upon successful authorization, the rewards points are
redeemed at block 215 and the stored value (gift) card is activated
at block 217. FIG. 10 illustrates a representative system and
method for requesting and acquiring virtual gift card activation
and delivery. The mobile application 350 issues a request from the
portable electronic device 312, through the network 316 and, in at
least some embodiments, through the host server 18 of the app
provider, to an API 322 of a prepaid instrument provider server 18,
for activation of the specified retailer's closed-loop gift card
and for the given denomination. The activation can be made through
various activation schemes, including real-time activation through
a gift card processor (or stored value card provider engine 324),
such as via the prepaid instrument provider server 18, or through
delivery of inventoried active cards. At block 219, the gift card
provider's proprietary system can deliver an activate gift card
from the prepaid instrument provider server 18 in an assortment of
ways. For instance, a raw card number and access code (if required
by the retailer) can be issued. This option allows the portable
electronic device 312 to display the virtual gift card in a format
tailored specifically for the mobile application 350. Optionally, a
link to a hosted electronic gift card can be issued. In this case,
a web page on a web browser will display the card number, bar code,
and access code to the user.
[0057] Upon successful activation and delivery of the virtual gift
card from the prepaid instrument provider server 18 or from the
host server 18, the portable electronic device 312 can send a final
request to the API 350 of the points provider server 20, requesting
a capture (deduction) of the points previously authorized. If the
activation of the gift card is not successful for reasons of system
error, insufficient remaining inventory, network error, or any
other error, for example, the authorization of points can be voided
through the API 350 of the points provider server 20.
[0058] At step 221, the user can now redeem the value stored on the
virtual gift card. In embodiments where the app offers proximity
alerts as user nears a participating retailer's brick-and-mortar
store or kiosk locations, a common use case will be to have the
user redeem the virtual gift card at approximately the same time as
when it is delivered. This is not a requirement, however, and the
virtual gift card can be stored for future use, such as on the host
server 18 or the prepaid instrument provider server 18. Storage of
the gift card can include a reference being stored on the portable
electronic device 12, 112, 312, while the stored value of the
virtual gift card and associated details are authoritatively stored
and regulated, for example, by the retailer's gift card processor
API 326 and engine 328, as well as the prepaid instrument provider
server 18.
[0059] The method 200 can optionally continue to block 223, where
the user redeems some or all of the stored value (e.g., currency)
of the virtual gift card at a point-of-sale (POS) redemption. POS
redemption typically occurs at one of the retailer's stores or
kiosks and within the retailer's closed-loop card network (e.g.,
FIG. 10). Redemption can occur in many different ways, for example,
according to the technology and protocols the retailer has at a POS
terminal. For example, redemption can occur by scanning a barcode
(such as a QR code) displayed on the portable electronic device
(the barcode can be in any format the retailer supports at their
POS terminal), manually entering/keying the card details into the
POS system, and/or any NFC technologies the retailer has installed.
At block 225, the balance of the virtual gift card is updated and,
in at least some embodiments, the updated value is provided to and
displayed on the user's portable electronic device. Through either
intelligent polling of the potential redemption of the delivered
virtual gift card, or through management of current balance's by a
gift card provider, the available balance can be updated as close
to real time as possible, and concomitantly reflected on the user's
mobile device.
[0060] In some embodiments, the method 200 includes at least those
steps enumerated above. It is also within the scope and spirit of
the present invention to omit steps, include additional steps,
and/or modify the order presented above.
[0061] Methods are also disclosed below of automatically converting
rewards points to a virtual prepaid instrument using a portable
electronic device 12 having a display device 30 and a user input
device 28. Any of these methods described below can be combined or
used in conjunction with any aspects disclosed above. A balance of
rewards points associated with a user account stored on a points
provider server 20 remote from the portable electronic device 12 is
received over a wireless network 16 at a portable electronic device
12. The rewards points are non-currency and convertible by a user
of the user account to an amount of currency commensurate with the
balance of reward points or to a good or a service having a
monetary amount or to a voucher, coupon, or promotional item having
a monetary value. The promotional item can include, for example, a
give one get one item in which the user purchases a virtual gift
card having a predetermined monetary value and receives an
additional item (good or service) of value, such as another virtual
gift card or a discount or a free item. Upon receiving the balance
of the reward points, the portable electronic device 12 receives
from the user input device 28 an indication of a number of the
rewards points to be converted. For example, the user can desire to
convert or exchange a certain number of reward points to a desired
amount of currency.
[0062] In the case where the user elects to convert the reward
points to an amount of currency, the portable electronic device 12
communicates over the wireless network 16 the desired amount of
currency and a merchant identification directly or through a host
server 18 to a stored value prepaid instrument provider server 20.
The merchant identification is associated with a merchant at which
a virtual prepaid instrument is electronically redeemed for a good
or a service at a point-of-sale terminal at a physical location of
the merchant 22, 24. The prepaid instrument provider server 20 (a)
is remote from the points provider server 20 such that an issuer of
the rewards points is a distinct entity from an issuer of the
virtual prepaid instrument, (b) generates a code associated with
the virtual prepaid instrument, and (c) associates with the code at
least the desired amount of currency as a stored value associated
with the virtual prepaid instrument. A virtual prepaid instrument
exists in electronic form, stored on a non-transitory
computer-readable medium, such as an electronic memory device,
though the virtual prepaid instrument can be printed or provided
onto a tangible medium such as paper, but it is not required to
be.
[0063] Instead of converting the reward points to an amount of
currency (e.g., $5), the user can exchange the reward points for a
good or service (such as a free hat valued at $20) at a merchant or
for a promotion such as give one get one in which the user
purchases a gift card having a minimum value (e.g., $50), and
receives another gift card (such as $10) at no additional cost or
requiring no additional reward points to be redeemed or a discount
(such as $1 off a coffee) to be redeemed at that merchant location
within a prescribed period of time. In these examples, the user can
be in a merchant's store, use the portable electronic device 12 to
instantly exchange on the spot in the merchant's store reward
points for the good or service or promotion, without ever leaving
the merchant's store and in one transaction that does not require
the user to first convert the reward points to an exchange value
and use the exchange value to purchase the good or service directly
without any exchange of currency or take advantage of the
promotion. In each of these examples, the merchant's identity is
communicated to the points provider server 20 so that the entity
hosting the points provider server 20 can reconcile the value of
the redeemed points with the merchant's account. In these examples,
the item of value that the user is receiving in exchange for the
reward points is associated with a particular merchant, so the
merchant identification information is communicated to the points
provider server 20 so that authorization can be received for the
user to user the reward points at that merchant for the item of
value (e.g., a free coffee at a coffee merchant or a promotional
item such as buy one get one free or buy a shirt at a clothing
merchant and get a free $10 virtual gift card redeemable at the
clothing merchant).
[0064] Returning to the example above in which the user desires to
convert reward points for a stored value prepaid instrument having
an associated amount of currency, the display device 30 displays a
representation of the code and the stored value associated with the
virtual prepaid instrument. The user presents the code (such as a
barcode) at the point-of-sale terminal for purchasing the good or
the service for a purchase price. For example, the user presents
the barcode displayed on the display device 30 to a cashier, who
scans the barcode at the point-of-sale terminal at the merchant
location. The purchase price of the item scanned is deducted from
the stored value to produce a modified stored value, which is
displayed on the display device 30.
[0065] The portable electronic device 12 communicates over the
wireless network 16 the purchase price (e.g., including applicable
sales taxes) or the modified stored value directly or through the
host server 18 to the prepaid instrument provider server 20 to
cause the prepaid instrument provider server 20 to modify the
stored value to the modified stored value. It should be emphasized
that the host server 18 can be bypassed in these examples.
[0066] The portable electronic device 12 communicates directly or
through the host server 18 with the prepaid instrument provider
server 20 via an application programming interface (API) associated
with the prepaid instrument provider 20 using a software
application residing on the portable electronic device 12. When the
portable electronic device 12 communicates through the host server
18, the host server 18 uses the API associated with the prepaid
instrument provider 20 to communicate information securely between
the host server 18 and the prepaid instrument provider 20.
[0067] The communication of the desired amount of currency and the
merchant identification can include a request for an authorization
from the points provider server 20 for a deduction of the
corresponding number of the reward points. The points provider
server 20 returns an indication as to whether the requested
authorization was approved.
[0068] The portable electronic device 12 can receive, directly or
through the host server 18, from the prepaid instrument provider
server 20 an indication that the virtual prepaid instrument has
been activated by the prepaid instrument provider server and,
responsive to receiving the indication that the virtual prepaid
instrument has been activated, the portable electronic device
communicating to the points provider server a request to deduct the
corresponding number of the reward points.
[0069] Optionally, the portable electronic device 12 can determine
a maximum denomination of currency available for conversion from
the balance of the reward points based on a conversion rate between
a reward point and a corresponding amount of currency. For example,
100 reward points can be exchanged for $1. The display device 30
displays multiple denominations of currency (e.g., $5, $10, $20),
including the maximum denomination, available for selection by the
user. For example, if conversion rate is 100 reward points for $1,
and the user has 2500 reward points, the maximum denomination of
currency in U.S. dollars that can be exchanged is $20. The desired
amount of currency corresponds to one of the denominations of
currency or an amount of currency entered by the user via the user
input device that does not exceed a maximum amount of currency (in
this example, the maximum amount cannot exceed $25 for 2500 reward
points) corresponding to the balance of the reward points based on
the conversion rate.
[0070] Aspects of this disclosure can be implemented, in some
embodiments, through a computer-executable program of instructions,
such as program modules, generally referred to as software
applications or application programs executed by a computer. The
software can include, in non-limiting examples, routines, programs,
objects, components, and data structures that perform particular
tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The software
forms an interface to allow a computer to react according to a
source of input. The software can also cooperate with other code
segments to initiate a variety of tasks in response to data
received in conjunction with the source of the received data. The
software can be stored on any of a variety of memory media, such as
CD-ROM, magnetic disk, bubble memory, and semiconductor memory
(e.g., various types of RAM or ROM).
[0071] Moreover, the numerous aspects of the present disclosure can
be practiced with a variety of computer-system and computer-network
configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor
systems, microprocessor-based or programmable-consumer electronics,
minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. In addition,
aspects of the present disclosure can be practiced in
distributed-computing environments where tasks are performed by
remote-processing devices that are linked through a communications
network. In a distributed-computing environment, program modules
can be located in both local and remote computer-storage media
including memory storage devices. Aspects of the present disclosure
can therefore, be implemented in connection with various hardware,
software or a combination thereof, in a computer system or other
processing system.
[0072] Any of the methods described herein can include machine
readable instructions for execution by: (a) a processor, (b) a
controller, and/or (c) any other suitable processing device. Any
algorithm, software, or method disclosed herein can be embodied in
software stored on a tangible medium such as, for example, a flash
memory, a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a digital versatile
disk (DVD), or other memory devices, but persons of ordinary skill
in the art will readily appreciate that the entire algorithm and/or
parts thereof could alternatively be executed by a device other
than a controller and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware
in a well known manner (e.g., it can be implemented by an
application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable
logic device (PLD), a field programmable logic device (FPLD),
discrete logic, etc.). Also, some or all of the machine readable
instructions represented in any flowchart depicted herein can be
implemented manually. Further, although specific algorithms are
described with reference to flowcharts depicted herein, persons of
ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that many other
methods of implementing the example machine readable instructions
can alternatively be used. For example, the order of execution of
the blocks can be changed, and/or some of the blocks described can
be changed, eliminated, or combined
[0073] While particular embodiments and applications of the present
disclosure have been illustrated and described, it is to be
understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the
precise construction and compositions disclosed herein and that
various modifications, changes, and variations can be apparent from
the foregoing descriptions without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *