WO2001046913A1

WO2001046913A1 - Package shipment certification terminal for electronic commerce

Info

Publication number: WO2001046913A1
Application number: PCT/FR2000/003514
Authority: WO
Inventors: Azzedine Bahou
Original assignee: Societe Civile Bahou Azzedine Technologie
Priority date: 1999-12-22
Filing date: 2000-12-14
Publication date: 2001-06-28
Also published as: FR2804235B1; FR2804235A1; AU2185301A

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for monitoring bank card payments on sites with electronic commerce, particularly to a device for managing the functionalities of payment and the issuing of the shipping order for the packages associated with an electronic commerce transaction. Said device is provided with a printing module for issuing a transportation label containing the certification and bank card payment information, and consists of a module for managing the tariff charging for shipping packages, a module for certifying a bank card transaction, which enables the package label to be printed, and an electronic module with a remotely loadable memory, a synchronous link, an electronic module for contactlessly reading and writing electronic label and an added section beneath the standard label for integrating the information related to the proof of delivery. The inventive device is particularly suitable for electronic commerce sites.

Description

CERTIFICATION TERMINAL FOR SHIPPING PARCELS FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE

The present invention relates to a device intended for managing the payment and editing functionalities of the packing list for parcels linked to an electronic commerce transaction.

The prospects for opening electronic stores are considerable and this predictable exponential will theoretically tend to make Internet users potential "merchants" such as Internet auctions etc.

It follows that each e-commerce transaction involves the payment of each transactional product considered and is necessarily accompanied by a certificate of authentication of the transaction and the publication of a packing slip used to track the package containing the - or the - product purchased and shipped over the Internet.

As a result, the effective development of electronic commerce is linked to the automation of these two commercial functions, namely payment and parcel shipment management.

To date, these two functions are provided by devices specifically designed for one or the other of the functions mentioned above.

In order to better explain the interest of innovation, the various phases of an e-commerce transaction as it currently exists are described here.

The internet user connects to the merchant site using his microcomputer according to the following modus operandi:

1 - choice of product;

2 - choice of mode of transport;

3 - payment of the transaction amount (product and transport);

4 - issuance of the payment certificate;

5 - edition of the transport slip; 2.- Choice of transport mode.

The second phase of the electronic transaction process is systematically the responsibility of the merchant site, which benefits from a privileged agreement with one or more carriers.

In this specific case, the buyer does not have the possibility or the leisure to choose in real time the carrier best placed in terms of costs, for the desired shipment.

This drawback lies in the fact that the merchant site does not have any means of automatic price calculation for a given carrier and, consequently, no means of comparison of a carrier compared to the others.

It therefore follows that the transport costs are calculated on a lump sum basis.

3.- Payment of the transaction amount

The third phase of the electronic transaction process consists in ensuring the security of payment for the product made by means of a bank card.

Generally, this is done mainly in two ways:

a) - Case of hosted merchants -

When the merchant site is hosted by a service provider, the latter makes available to the merchant a software module for payment by bank card which will put him directly in contact with his bank.

It is noted here that the generation of payment certificate linked to said transaction is not performed in a normative manner. b) - Case of autonomous commercial acts -

In this case, the merchant's bank provides it with an electronic payment terminal which it associates with its Internet server, which allows it to verify the entire payment transaction linked to its electronic commerce activity.

In this specific case, this payment terminal only issues a certificate to the merchant.

The client therefore has no control document linked to this transaction.

4 - Issue of payment certificate -

As previously indicated, the main drawback of the development of electronic commerce is essentially linked to the lack of paper documents certifying the authenticity of the transactions carried out.

5 - Edition of the transport slip.

Any transaction of electronic commerce supposes the edition of a transport document which will be affixed on the parcel and will include the information relating to the delivery.

Two cases are to be distinguished:

a) - for commercial sites with high debits, the slips are printed automatically;

b) - for small merchant sites, it is the merchant himself who manually prepares each of the slips.

The device according to the invention overcomes this drawback.

According to a first characteristic, it indeed comprises a central unit built around a microprocessor as well as a downloadable memory in which the programs will be stored as well as the data for calculating tariffs for the shipment of packages. This electronic architecture will integrate a bank card control module which will check the completeness of the cards as well as the opposition lists of stolen cards.

This same module will be in the form of a computer peripheral and will integrate a thermal print head allowing the printing of all models of self-adhesive barcode and electronic contactless labels simultaneously in force in the transport of packages. .

Thus, the device according to the invention will integrate all the hardware and software means enabling it to control, on the one hand, a payment transaction by bank card and, on the other hand, to calculate the price of a parcel shipment in order ensure the edition of the barcode label that the merchant will affix to the package to be shipped.

The originality of the invention lies in the fact that it makes it possible to print the information of a payment transaction by bank card on the shipping label of the package.

It follows that, by this process, in a single terminal, it will be possible for a merchant site to ensure, by means of the same stand-alone product, the functions of payment by bank card and management of parcel shipping in the field of electronic commerce.

The present invention is in the form of a bar code label printer four inches wide which can, on the one hand, print all the carrier bar code labels thanks to its integrated label composition module and , on the other hand, calculate the cost of shipping.

This same printer incorporates a secure electronic module that will allow it to control a credit card payment transaction.

This same module being intrinsically linked to the functions of editing barcode labels, it follows that any printing of labels of this nature will be certified by it.

Therefore, any label printed by the device will include a unique transaction number which will certify the uniqueness of the transaction and the certification of the published transport document.

The certification operation can be done by printing in the body of the label specific to each of the carriers of a transaction number of a bar code or any other mark judiciously placed in the body of the existing label. Any addition of barcode may be done below the body of the existing label, property of the trasporteur, in a part detachable by the delivery person and serving as proof of delivery.

This second detachable part will include information relating to the order as well as its payment.

The present invention has software and hardware autonomy which will enable it to calculate the price of single or multi-carrier shipping, regardless of the transport plan and the credit card payment control function. as defined in electronic payment terminals.

The device connects by a synchronous link to the merchant server with which it is associated. It also has sufficient autonomy to allow it to send requests and respond to those of the server with which it is associated.

Its basic software allows it to update tariff developments and transport plans that it permanently stores in its local memory.

In addition, the device according to the invention allows the connection of an electronic balance to calculate the exact price of the shipment and has a reader-editor of electronic labels with read-write contactless.

OPERATION

Commercial sites equipped with the device, object of the invention, will have the possibility of issuing a transport document comprising the payment certificate for the benefit of all customers who have made purchases on their site.

The device, during a connection of the client to the server, will carry out in real time, the control of the bank card used by the client after having calculated the best price according to the location of the client and after having chosen the most suitable carrier appropriate to its geographical location, will automatically trigger, on the one hand, a unique barcode label with all the information of certification of peiment and, on the other hand, an inquiry on the server of the carrier to inform him of the updating disposal of the parcel (s) upon collection. This will result for the merchant, an integrated product allowing him on the one hand, to certify the electronic payments of his sales and, on the other hand, to ensure the management of his shipments, regardless of the - or - carrier with which he operates.

Claims

R E V E N D I C A T I O N S

1) • Device intended to manage the functionalities of payments and parcel editions on the Internet, characterized in that it comprises a module for the management of parcel shipping pricing, a module for certification of transaction by bank card, this the latter allowing the printing of a parcel label in accordance with the carrier's standards and containing the transaction certification data.

2) - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an electronic module with a downloadable memory, downloadable with the transport plans and the shipping rates' of the carriers authorized by the merchant site. .

3) - Device according to claim 1 and 2 above, characterized in that it comprises a synchronous link with the WEB site allowing it to perform requests of client-server type.

4) - Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an electronic module allowing it to read and write electronic labels without contact simultaneously with the edition of the self-adhesive barcode label.

5) - Device according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises an addition below the label standardized by the carriers which will integrate the information related to the proof of delivery.