Electronic receipt management

Abstract

A receipt management system, method and article of manufacture. The article of manufacture can include a storage medium configured to store receipt data from multiple disparate vendors, communications logic for establishing a communicative link between the system and receipt data processing logic disposed within individual ones of the multiple disparate vendors, and a receipt management processor programmed to moderate access to the storage medium. Importantly, the storage medium can be a portable mass storage device. Notably, each of the storage medium, communications logic and receipt management processor can be disposed in a pervasive device, or in a personal article.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . An electronic receipt management article of manufacture comprising:
 a computer storage medium including a data store for storing electronic receipts from multiple disparate vendors;   communications logic for establishing a communicative link between the data store and an individual one of the multiple disparate vendors; and   a receipt management processor programmed to
 authenticate the individual one of the multiple disparate vendors; 
 locate a specific electronic receipt stored within the data store which corresponds to an identifier provided by the individual one of the multiple disparate vendors; and, 
 transmit the located specific electronic receipt to the individual one of the multiple disparate vendors over the established communicative link. 
   
     
     
         18 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein the storage medium comprises a portable mass storage device. 
     
     
         19 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein the communicative link comprises a wireless link. 
     
     
         20 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , further comprising security and authentication logic programmed to secure access to the data store through at least one of encryption, password protection and certificate validation and authentication. 
     
     
         21 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein each of the storage medium, communications logic and receipt management processor is disposed in a pervasive device. 
     
     
         22 . The article of manufacture of  claim 17 , wherein each of the storage medium, communications logic and receipt management processor is disposed in a personal article. 
     
     
         23 . The article of manufacture of  claim 22 , wherein the personal article comprises a key chain fob.