Personal Portable Devices
This application provides novel computer systems and method using novel personal portable consumer devices wherein the personal portable devices store, secure, communicate, and with or without an associated personal computer, process transaction data and incentive offers for the consumer.
1 . A personal portable device having a size such that it can be carried by a person in one hand, comprising:
computer memory;
a data structure stored by said memory,
input and output structure for inputting data received by said personal portable device into said data structure and outputting data from said data structure out of said personal portable device;
wherein said data structure includes a retailer identification (RID) field and a first consumer identification (CID) field, and said data structure associates said RID field with said first CID field; and
wherein said data structure comprises a first product code (UPC) field and a quantity (Q) field, and said data structure associates said first UPC field with said Q field.
2 . The device of claim 1 wherein said data structure comprises a second CID field and a first transaction identification (TID) field, and said data structure associates said second CID field with said first TID field.
3 . The device of claim 1 wherein said data structure comprises a second TID field, a price field, and a discount field, and said data structure associates said second TID field, said price field, and said discount field with said first UPC field with said Q field.
4 . The device of claim 2 wherein said data structure associates said first CID field with said second CID field.
5 . The device of claim 3 wherein said data structure associates said first TID field with said second TID field.
6 . The device of claim 1 having RIDs, CIDs, UPCs, and Qs stored in said data structure.
7 . The device of claim 1 wherein said data structure further comprises fields for storing incentive offer data, including at least a third CID field for storing CIDs and a second UPC field for storing UPCs.
8 . The device of claim 1 further comprising code therein for responding to a prompt from a computer system (CS) including an RID, by outputting to said CS transaction data stored in said data structure in association with said RID.
9 . The device of claim 1 further comprising code therein for responding to a prompt from a CS, wherein said prompt includes a RID, by outputting to the prompting CS data identifying incentive offers of which data in said device indicates that terms have been fulfilled and data in said device indicates that no reward has been received.
10 . The device of claim 1 further comprising code therein for responding to a prompt from either a personal CS or a central CS including in the prompt a RID by outputting to the prompting CS all transaction data stored in said data structure in association with said RID.
11 . The device of claim 1 further comprising code for responding to a prompt from either a personal CS or a central CS by outputting indications of rewards for fulfilled incentive offers.
12 . A method for storing data in a PPD, comprising:
prompting of a POS CS, by a PPD, for a RID;
receiving, in said PPD, said RID;
reading, by said POS CS, transaction data for a transaction occurring with said POS CS, said transaction data including UPCs from products being purchased in said transaction; and
transmitting from said POS CS to said PPD said transaction data; and
storing, in said PPD, said transaction data in association with said RID.
13 . A method for reading data from a PPD comprising:
transmitting a RID associated with a CS to said PPD;
receiving, in said PPD, said RID;
transmitting from said PPD to said CS transaction data stored in said PPD in association with said RID.
14 . A method of making a personal portable device having a size such that it can be carried by a person in one hand, comprising:
providing computer memory;
providing a data structure stored by said computer memory,
providing input and output structure for inputting data received by said personal portable device into said data structure and outputting data from said data structure out of said personal portable device;
wherein said data structure includes a retailer identification (RID) field and a first consumer identification (CID) field, and said data structure associates said RID field with said first CID field; and
wherein said data structure comprises a first product code (UPC) field and a quantity (Q) field, and said data structure associates said first UPC field with said Q field.
15 . A network CS comprising said personal portable device of claim 1 , and further comprising a central CS and a POS CS, wherein both said central CS and said POS CS have data structures having the same association as said data structure of said personal portable device.
16 . A method of using a network CS comprising said personal portable device of claim 1 , and further comprising a central CS and a POS CS, wherein both said central CS and said POS CS have data structures having the same association as said data structure of said personal portable device, said method comprising:
storing transaction data in said personal portable device in association with an RID; and
storing said transaction data in said central CS in association with said RID.
17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising storing said transaction data in said POS CS having said RID.
18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting incentive offers from said central CS to said personal portable device.
19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising determining in said personal portable device, or in an associated personal computer, incentive offers for which terms have been satisfied, and determining a currency amount for said incentive offers.
20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising said central CS verifying said currency amount.