Apparatus and method for storing electronic receipts on a unified card

Abstract

A Unified Card system allows customers to store receipts on a Unified Card when making purchases from different retailer merchants. The customer purchases goods or services and the receipt is recorded electronically onto a single Unified Card. This eliminates the need for paper receipts. The user can then use the Unified Card to make returns or exchanges or as proof of purchase. Unified Card readers can be located at Kiosks as part of a home based system that works with the user's home computer.

1 . A system for storing receipts comprising:
 a card having a memory device for storing purchasing data;   a first merchant register coupled to a card reader having a first encryption scheme for writing the purchase data to the memory device of the card and reading the purchasing data having the first encryption scheme;   a second merchant purchasing register coupled to a card reader having a second encryption scheme for writing the purchase data to the memory device of the card and reading the purchasing data having the second encryption scheme;   
       wherein the first merchant register and the first card reader cannot read the purchasing data having the second encryption scheme and the second merchant register and the second card reader cannot read the purchasing data having the first encryption scheme. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a user card reader for reading the purchasing data having the first encryption scheme or the second encryption scheme. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the user card reader cannot write the purchasing data to the memory device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first kiosk card reader located in the proximity of the first merchant for reading the purchasing data having the first encryption scheme, the user card reader cannot write the purchasing data to the memory device in the first encryption scheme or the second encryption scheme. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein the first kiosk card reader cannot read the purchasing data having the second encryption scheme. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a second kiosk card reader located in the proximity of the second merchant for reading the purchasing data having the second encryption scheme, the user card reader cannot write the purchasing data to the memory device in the first encryption scheme or the second encryption scheme. 
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6  wherein the second kiosk card reader cannot read the purchasing data having the first encryption scheme. 
     
     
         8 . A system for storing receipts comprising:
 a card having a memory device for storing purchasing data; and   a first merchant register coupled to a card reader having a first encryption scheme for writing the purchasing data to the memory device of the card and reading the purchasing data having the first encryption scheme;   
       wherein the first merchant register and the first card reader cannot read the purchasing data having an encryption scheme other than the first encryption scheme. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a user card reader for reading the purchasing data having the first encryption scheme; 
 
       wherein the user card reader cannot read the purchasing data having an encryption scheme other than the first encryption scheme. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a kiosk card reader located in the proximity of the first merchant for reading the purchasing data having the first encryption scheme, the user card reader cannot read or write the purchasing data to the memory device. 
 
     
     
         11 . A method for storing receipts comprising:
 generating first receipt data from a first merchant register based upon a first purchase of goods;   encrypting the first receipt data by the first merchant register;   transmitting the first receipt data that has been encrypted to a first card reader;   writing the first receipt data in a first encrypted scheme by the first card reader to a memory device in the unified card.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 inserting the unified card into the first card reader before the first receipt data has been written. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 removing the unified card from the card reader after the first receipt data has been written. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 placing the unified card within a data transmission range of the first card reader before the first return data has been written, wherein the first card reader emits an RF data signal. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 inserting the unified card into a kiosk card reader after the first receipt data has been written; and 
 displaying the first receipt data on a kiosk display. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 inserting the unified card into a home computer card reader after the first receipt data has been written; and 
 displaying the first receipt data on a home computer display. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 generating second receipt data from a second merchant register based upon a second purchase of goods; 
 encrypting the second receipt data by the second merchant register; 
 transmitting the second receipt data that has been encrypted to a second card reader; and 
 writing the second receipt data in a second encrypted scheme by the second card reader to the memory device of the unified card; 
 
       wherein the first card reader cannot read the second receipt data having the second encryption scheme and the second card reader cannot read the first receipt data having the first encryption scheme. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 inserting the unified card into the first card reader before the second receipt data has been written. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 removing the unified card from the card reader after the second receipt data has been written. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising:
 placing the unified card within a data transmission range of the second card reader, wherein the second card reader emits an RF data signal. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 inserting the unified card into the kiosk card reader after the second receipt data has been written; 
 displaying the second receipt data on a kiosk display; and 
 preventing the display of the first receipt data on the kiosk display. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 inserting the unified card into a home computer card reader after the first receipt data has been written; and 
 displaying the first receipt data on a home computer display. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising:
 reading the first receipt data by the first card reader to confirm a purchase of a first purchase of goods; 
 returning the first item to the first merchant register; 
 generating first return data from the first merchant register based upon the return of the first purchase of goods; 
 encrypting the first return data by the first merchant register; 
 transmitting the first return data that has been encrypted to a first card reader; 
 writing the first return data in the first encrypted scheme by the first card reader to the memory device in the unified card. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 inserting the unified card into the first card reader before the first return data has been written. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 removing the unified card from the card reader after the first return data has been written. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 placing the unified card within a data transmission range of the first card reader before the first return data has been written, wherein the first card reader emits an RF data signal.