Apparatus, and associated method, for notifying a user in a radio communication system of a commercially-related transaction

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating notification of a user of a mobile station of a commercially-related transaction associated with the user. When a commercially-related transaction is effectuated, a report or other message indicative thereof, is generated and routed to a message generating center, such as a short message service center. Upon detection of the report, or other message, delivered thereto, a radio communication system message generator generates, and sends, a message to the mobile station. Apparatus at the mobile station detects delivery of the message thereto. And, a notifier notifies the user of the mobile station of indicia associated with the report of the occurrence of the commercially-related transaction.

I claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 a merchant transaction station which generates an electronic receipt evidencing a merchant transaction performed at the merchant transaction station, the electronic receipt to be available at a mobile station operable by a user at least to receive data communicated thereto; 
 a message-center detector coupled to the merchant transaction station, said message-center detector configured to detect a transaction-station-generated message generated by the merchant transaction station regarding a merchant transaction associated with the user, the transaction-station-generated message comprises data indicating a financial cost associated with the merchant transaction which is included in the electronic receipt; and 
 processing circuitry comprising a message-center message generator coupled to said message-center detector, said message-center message generator configured to generate, in response to detection, by the message-center detector of the transaction-station-generated message, a transaction-related message for communication to the mobile station, the transaction-related message, once communicated to the mobile station, available thereat as the electronic receipt to the user. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the mobile station forms part of a radio communication system comprising a cellular radio communication system operable pursuant to a selected operating protocol that defines a messaging service and wherein the transaction-related message generated by said message-center message generator conforms to the messaging service defined by the selected operating protocol. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the messaging service defined by the selected operating protocol comprises a short message service and wherein the transaction-related message generated by said message-center message generator comprises a short message service-formatted message. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the merchant transaction comprises one of a purchase of a good, a purchase of a service, a credit corresponding to a returned good, and a credit corresponding to an un-provided service. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the message generated by the merchant transaction station is generated within a first selected time subsequent to occurrence of the merchant transaction and wherein said message-center message generator generates the transaction-related message within a second selected time period subsequent to detection by said message-center detector of the transaction-station-generated message. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the message-center message generator comprises a push message generator and wherein the transaction-related message comprises a push message. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a transaction-related message detector embodied at the mobile station for detecting reception at the mobile station of the transaction-related message generated by said message-center message generator; and 
 a notifier coupled to said transaction-related message detector, said notifier for generating a notification to notify the user of the transaction-related message, and thereby for notifying the user with the electronic receipt of the merchant transaction. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an authorization station configured to receive indication of the merchant transaction and authorize a payment relating to the merchant transaction. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the authorization of the merchant transaction evidences a future third-party payment transaction made by a third party on behalf of a transaction account of the user. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the authorization station comprises a third-party transaction reporting station, which manages the transaction account. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the merchant transaction station comprises the authorization station. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the merchant transaction station generates the electronic receipt in response to the merchant transaction. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile station is configured to format the electronic receipt according to a predetermined format that conforms to one or more other electronic receipts. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the merchant transaction comprises an exchange of financial resources between the user and the merchant transaction station. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus comprising:
 a merchant transaction station which generates an electronic receipt evidencing an authorization of a merchant transaction performed at the merchant transaction station, the electronic receipt to be available at a mobile station operable by a user at least to receive data communicated thereto; 
 a message-center detector coupled to an authorization station, said message-center detector is configured to detect an authorization-station-generated message generated by the authorization station regarding an authorization of a merchant transaction associated with the user, the authorization-station-generated message comprises data indicating a financial cost associated with the merchant transaction which is also included in the electronic receipt; and 
 processing circuitry comprising a message-center message generator coupled to said message-center detector, said message-center message generator is configured to generate a transaction-related message for communication to the mobile station in response to message-center detector detecting the authorization-station-generated message, the transaction-related message, once communicated to the mobile station, available thereat as the electronic receipt to the user. 
 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the mobile station forms part of a radio communication system comprising a cellular radio communication system operable pursuant to a selected operating protocol that defines a messaging service and wherein the transaction-related message generated by said message-center message generator conforms to the messaging service defined by the selected operating protocol. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the messaging service defined by the selected operating protocol comprises a short message service and wherein the transaction-related message generated by said message-center message generator comprises a short message service-formatted message. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the authorization of the merchant transaction evidences a future third-party payment transaction made by a third party on behalf of a transaction account of the user, wherein the authorization station comprises a third-party transaction reporting station, and wherein the authorization-station-generated message that said message-center detector detects further comprises a message reporting on a transaction associated with the transaction account of the user. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein the transaction account of the user comprises a charge account of the user and wherein the authorization-station-generated message that said message center detector detects further comprises a message reporting on a charge-account transaction associated with the charge account of the user. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the charge account of the user comprises a credit account and wherein the authorization-station-generated message that said message-center detector detects further comprises a message reporting on a credit-account transaction associated with the credit account associated with the user. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the charge account of the user comprises a debit account and wherein the authorization-station-generated message that said message-center detector detects further comprises a message reporting on a debit account transaction associated with the debit account associated with the user. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of  claim 15  further comprising:
 a transaction-related message detector embodied at the mobile station for detecting reception at the mobile station of the transaction-related message generated by said message-center message generator; and 
 a notifier coupled to said transaction-related message detector, said notifier for generating a notification to notify the user of the transaction-related message, and thereby for notifying the user with the electronic receipt of the authorization of the merchant transaction. 
 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the merchant transaction comprises an exchange of financial resources between the user and the merchant transaction station. 
     
     
       24. An apparatus comprising:
 a merchant transaction station which generates an electronic receipt evidencing an authorization of a merchant transaction performed at the merchant transaction station, the electronic receipt available at a mobile station operable by a user at least to receive data communicated thereto; a transaction-related message detector configured to detect reception at the mobile station of a transaction-related message generated at a network part of a radio communication system, the transaction-related message comprises data indicating a financial cost associated with the merchant transaction which is included in the electronic receipt evidencing the authorization of the merchant transaction; 
 processing circuitry comprising a notifier coupled to said transaction-related message detector, said notifier is configured to generate a notification to notify the user of the transaction-related message, and thereby to notify the user of the authorization of the merchant transaction; and 
 wherein the merchant transaction station generates a transaction-station-generated message pertaining to the authorization of the merchant transaction associated with the user which is detected by a message-center detector at the network part, and 
 wherein the transaction-related message detector, is configured to receive a transaction-related message generated by a message-center message generator at the network part, the transaction-related message indicative of the electronic receipt, the transaction-related message is generated in response to detection, by the message-center detector of the transaction-station-generated message. 
 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the merchant transaction comprises an exchange of financial resources between the user and the merchant transaction station. 
     
     
       26. A method comprising facilitating access to at least one interface to allow access to a service center via at least one network, the service center comprising processing circuitry configured to perform at least:
 routing, via the service center, an electronic receipt evidencing a merchant transaction performed at a merchant transaction station, the electronic receipt to be available at a mobile station operable by a user at least to receive data communicated thereto, the routing including;   detecting, at the service center, a transaction-station-generated message generated by the merchant transaction station regarding a merchant transaction associated with the user, the transaction-station-generated message comprising data indicating a financial cost associated with the merchant transaction which is included in the electronic receipt; and   generating, in response to detecting the transaction-station-generated message at the service center, a transaction-related message for communication to a mobile station, the transaction-related message, once communicated to the mobile station, available thereat as the electronic receipt to the user.   
     
     
       27. The method of claim 26, wherein detecting the transaction-station-generated message comprises detecting the transaction-station-generated message at a message-center detector of the service center, and wherein generating the transaction-related message comprises generating the transaction-related message in response to detection of the transaction-station-generated message by the message-center detector. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 26, wherein generating the transaction-related message comprises generating the transaction-related message at a message-center message generator of the service center, the message-center message generator being in communication with a message-center detector to receive an indication of detection of the transaction-station-generated message from the message-center detector in response to detection of the transaction-station-generated message by the message-center detector. 
     
     
       29. A method comprising facilitating access to at least one interface to allow access to a service center via at least one network, the service center comprising processing circuitry configured to perform at least:
 routing, via the service center, an electronic receipt evidencing a merchant transaction performed at a merchant transaction station, the electronic receipt to be available at a mobile station operable by a user at least to receive data communicated thereto, the routing including;   detecting, at the service center, an authorization-station-generated message generated by an authorization station regarding authorization of a merchant transaction associated with the user, the authorization-station-generated message comprising data indicating a financial cost associated with the merchant transaction which is included in the electronic receipt; and   generating, in response to detecting the authorization-station-generated message at the service center, a transaction-related message for communication to a mobile station, the transaction-related message, once communicated to the mobile station, available thereat as the electronic receipt to the user.   
     
     
       30. The method of claim 29, wherein detecting the authorization-station-generated message comprises detecting the authorization-station-generated message at a message-center detector of the service center, and wherein generating the transaction-related message comprises generating the transaction-related message in response to detection of the authorization-station-generated message by the message-center detector. 
     
     
       31. The method of claim 30, wherein generating the transaction-related message comprises generating the transaction-related message at a message-center message generator of the service center, the message-center message generator being in communication with the message-center detector to receive an indication of detection of the authorization-station-generated message from the message-center detector in response to detection of the authorization-station-generated message by the message-center detector. 
     
     
       32. An apparatus comprising processing circuitry for execution of stored instructions, the execution of which causes the apparatus to:
 route an electronic receipt evidencing a merchant transaction performed at a merchant transaction station, the electronic receipt to be available at a mobile station operable by a user at least to receive data communicated thereto;   support routing of the electronic receipt by detecting a transaction-station-generated message generated by the merchant transaction station regarding a merchant transaction associated with the user or an authorization-station-generated message generated by an authorization station regarding an authorization of a merchant transaction associated with the user, the transaction-station-generated message or the authorization-station-generated message comprising data indicating a financial cost associated with the merchant transaction which is included in the electronic receipt; and   support routing of the electronic receipt by generating, in response to detection-of the transaction-station-generated message or the authorization-station-generated message by a message center detector of the apparatus, a transaction-related message for communication to the mobile station, the transaction-related message, once communicated to the mobile station, available thereat as the electronic receipt to the user.   
     
     
       33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the apparatus includes a service station configured to route the electronic receipt, a message-center detector configured to support routing of the electronic receipt by detecting the transaction-station-generated message or the authorization-station-generated message, and a message-center message generator configured to generate the transaction-related message for communication to the mobile station in response to detection by the message-center detector of the transaction-station-generated message or the authorization-station-generated message.