Patent ID: 11966902
Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. An information providing apparatus that receives, from a plurality of data management apparatus, each of which manages electronic receipt data obtained by digitizing a receipt related to a transaction of a commodity, the electronic receipt data and provides information for checking a transaction history of the commodity to a user on a basis of the electronic receipt data, the information providing apparatus comprising:
a communication interface that communicates with a first data management apparatus that operates a first electronic receipt service and a second data management apparatus that operates a second electronic receipt service different from the first electronic receipt service, and receives a plurality of pieces of electronic receipt data, each piece of the electronic receipt data containing one or more commodity codes of already traded transaction target commodities in a transaction and transaction data of the already traded transaction target commodities in the transaction, each commodity code being a commodity identifier;
a touch panel;
a storage device;
a code reader that reads a code symbol representing a commodity code and obtains the commodity code represented by the read code symbol; and
a processor that
generates, in the storage device, a management database including a first management data record in which a first user identifier of the user using the first electronic receipt service and a first address of the first data management apparatus operating the first electronic receipt service are set in association with a first service identifier for identifying the first electronic receipt service, and a second management data record in which a second user identifier of the user using the second electronic receipt service and a second address of the second data management apparatus operating the second electronic receipt service are set in association with a second service identifier for identifying the second electronic receipt service,
generates, in the storage device, a transaction history database including one or more history data records,
in a case where the touch panel receive a user instruction for inquiring about transaction history, transmit a first download request for first electronic receipt data including the first user identifier to the first data management apparatus at the first address set in the first management data record and a second download request for second electronic receipt data including the second user identifier to the second data management apparatus at the second address set in the second management data record, and receives the first and second electronic receipt data from the first and second management apparatuses, respectively, via the communication interface,
generates, from the first and second electronic receipt data, a plurality of history data records in the transaction history database, each of the history data records being associated with a unique commodity code and includes one or more transaction histories, each transaction history being associated with a specific store and including transaction details of commodity identified by the associated unique commodity code at the specific store, the plurality of history data records in the transaction history database being searchable by commodity codes,
in a case where the code reader obtains the commodity code, performs a search for a history data record associated with the obtained commodity code in the transaction history database stored in the storage device and obtains the one or more transaction histories from a history data record found through the search, and
generates history data indicating the obtained transaction histories and causes the touch panel to display a transaction history screen according to the generated history data.