Electronic transactions with mobile communications devices via encoded graphical representations
View Patent ↗Information is exchanged between a mobile communications device and an automated information system. In one embodiment, the mobile communications device is equipped with a video display and a digital camera, and the automated information system is equipped with a video display and a graphical representation receiver. The automated information system displays a first graphical representation encoded with a first dataset. The mobile communications device captures an image of the first graphical representation, decodes the first dataset, processes the first dataset, generates a second dataset, encodes the second dataset in a second graphical representation, and displays the second graphical representation. The automated information system receives the second graphical representation, decodes the second dataset, and processes the second dataset. Examples of graphical representations include barcodes.
1. A method for exchanging information at a mobile communications device, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving at least one first graphical representation comprising a first dataset;
decoding the at least one first graphical representation to regenerate the first dataset, the first dataset comprising billing information;
generating a second dataset based at least in part on the regenerated first dataset, the second dataset comprising payment instructions;
encoding the second dataset in at least one second graphical representation; and
displaying at least one image of the at least one second graphical representation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first graphical representation comprises at least one first barcode.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one second graphical representation comprises at least one second barcode.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
receiving user input based at least in part on the regenerated first dataset.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of generating a second dataset based at least in part on the regenerated first dataset further comprises the step of:
generating the second dataset based at least in part on the regenerated first dataset and based at least in part on the received user input.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
receiving at least one third graphical representation comprising a third dataset, the third dataset based at least in part on the at least one image of the at least one second graphical representation.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one third graphical representation comprises at least one third barcode.
8. A method for exchanging information, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a first dataset comprising billing information;
encoding the first dataset in at least one first graphical representation;
displaying at least one image of the at least one first graphical representation;
receiving at least one second graphical representation comprising a second dataset, the second dataset comprising payment information and based at least in part on the at least one image of the at least one first graphical representation; and
decoding the second graphical representation to regenerate the second dataset.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one first graphical representation comprises at least one first barcode.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one second graphical representation comprises at least one second barcode.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
generating a third dataset based at least in part on the regenerated second dataset;
encoding the third dataset in at least one third graphical representation; and
displaying at least one image of the at least one third graphical representation.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one third graphical representation comprises at least one third barcode.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
receiving user input based at least in part on the regenerated second dataset;
generating a third dataset based at least in part on the regenerated second dataset and based at least in part on the received user input;
encoding the third dataset in at least one third graphical representation; and
displaying at least one image of the at least one third graphical representation.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one third graphical representation comprises at least one third barcode.
15. A mobile communications device comprising:
a radiofrequency transceiver operatively coupled to a computational system;
a digital camera operatively coupled to the computational system;
a video display operatively coupled to the computational system;
wherein the computational system is configured to:
communicate through the radiofrequency transceiver with a mobile telecommunications network;
receive from the digital camera at least one image of at least one first graphical representation comprising a first dataset, the first dataset including billing information;
decode the at least one first graphical representation to regenerate the first dataset;
generate a second dataset based at least in part on the regenerated first dataset, the second dataset including payment information;
encode the second dataset in at least one second graphical representation; and
display on the video display at least one image of the at least one second graphical representation.
16. The mobile communications device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one first graphical representation comprises at least one first barcode.
17. The mobile communications device of claim 15 , wherein the at least one second graphical representation comprises at least one second barcode.
18. The mobile communications device of claim 15 , further comprising a user input device operatively coupled to the computational system.
19. The mobile communications device of claim 18 , wherein the computational system is further configured to:
receive user input from the user input device; and
generate the second dataset based at least in part on the regenerated first dataset and based at least in part on the received user input.
20. The mobile communications device of claim 15 , wherein the computational system is further configured to:
receive from the digital camera at least one image of at least one third graphical representation comprising a third dataset, the third dataset based at least in part on the at least one image of the at least one second graphical representation.
21. The mobile communications device of claim 20 , wherein the at least one third graphical representation comprises at least one third barcode.
22. An automated information system comprising:
a data input device operatively coupled to a computational system;
a video display operatively coupled to the computational system;
a graphical representation receiver operatively coupled to the computational system;
wherein the computational system is configured to:
receive from the data input device a first dataset, the first dataset including billing information;
encode the first dataset in at least one first graphical representation;
display on the video display at least one image of the at least one first graphical representation;
receive from the graphical representation receiver at least one second graphical representation, wherein the at least one second graphical representation comprises a second dataset, the second dataset including payment information and based at least in part on the at least one image of the at least one first graphical representation; and
decode the at least one second graphical representation to regenerate the second dataset.
23. The automated information system of claim 22 , wherein the at least one first graphical representation comprises at least one first barcode.
24. The automated information system of claim 22 , wherein the at least one second graphical representation comprises at least one second barcode.
25. The automated information system of claim 22 , further comprising a radiofrequency transceiver operatively coupled to the computational system.
26. The automated information system of claim 22 , wherein the computational system is further configured to:
generate a third dataset based at least in part on the regenerated second dataset;
encode the third dataset into at least one third graphical representation; and
display on the video display at least one image of the at least one third graphical representation.
27. The automated information system of claim 26 , wherein the at least one third graphical representation comprises at least one third barcode.
28. The automated information system of claim 22 , further comprising a user input device operatively coupled to the computational system.
29. The automated information system of claim 28 , wherein the computational system is further configured to:
receive from the user input device user input based at least in part on the regenerated second dataset;
generate a third dataset based at least in part on the regenerated second dataset and based at least in part on the received user input;
encode the third dataset into at least one third graphical representation; and
display on the video display at least one image of the at least one third graphical representation.
30. The automated information system of claim 29 , wherein the at least one third graphical representation comprises at least one third barcode.