METHOD FOR INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY IN TRADE

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for increasing efficiency in trade, wherein a customer, in order to obtain a product, a service, and/or the like, uses his/her own data processor (X) to establish over a communications line a contact (Y) with a server (A) which is at least in data transmitting communication with a service supplier (T), whereafter, as the connection has been established, selects, confirms and/or makes a payment for a desired product, service, and/or the like, whereafter the server (A), after the verification of personal, communications, credit information and/or the like, confirms that the purchase transaction has been conducted correctly and supplies the customer with a substitute verifying at least the authenticity of the purchase transaction. The customer's data processor comprises a portable communicator (X1), which is capable of establishing communication and which is supplied with a substitute (V) produced by the server (A) as the connection (Y) is established and preferably provided with a customer-specific identifier, for storing the substitute in the memory of the customer's communicator (X1) in electronic form.

Description: Method for increasing the efficiency in trade. The invention relates to a method for increasing efficiency in trade, wherein a customer, in order to obtain a product, a service and/or the like, uses his/her own data processing apparatus to establish contact through a communications line with a server which is at least in a data transmitting communication with a service supplier, whereby after the connection is established, chooses, confirms and/or pays a fee for a desired product, service and/or the like, whereafter the server, after verification of personal, communications, credit information and/or the like, confirms the correctness of a trade transaction and transmits to the customer a substitute verifying at least the authenticity of the trade transaction. The type of principle described above is working nowadays in ticket sales e.g. for various traffic companies or e.g. service suppliers organizing entertainment events, whereby the customer may establish contact by his/her personal computer over the internet with the server of a service supplier and reserve, pay and, on the other hand, also receive a receipt giving right to the actual ticket. At present, the exploitation of an actual service being bought, such as a ticket enabling admission to an entertainment event, requires however that the customer go and pick up the reserved ticket in advance. A crucial drawback in this type of activity is the fact that the customer must first of all go and pick up the actual ticket and second of all that the service supplier must alternatively either mail the ticket to a customer or, on the other hand, keep queuing even those customers who have reserved a ticket in advance, which is why the quality of customer service suffers unreasonably merely as a result of two-stage ticket sales. On the other hand, the DE application document 196 34 169 or the US Patent 5,239,480 discloses a system comprising separate self-service terminals which are connected by a closed net (US 5,239,480) or e.g. by a modem (DE 196 34 169) with certain servers, e.g. with organizers of various sporting, theatrical, musical or the like events. Each terminal is first of all provided with equipment required with a purchase transaction, as well as with printers, such that the customer is able to choose and pay for the tickets for a desired event from sources connected to the net and to print the same for himself/herself to gain admission to the event in question. First of all, this solution involves the problem that this type of system, e.g. ATM machines, is very expensive to set up and maintain as it requires a truly massive configuration, in which each terminal is linked to the servers of all event organizers that have joined the system. Thus, first of all, the customer has quite a limited practical possibility of choosing various events, since, in practice, it is not very easy to link a substantial number of sources to a certain closed system, which is why this particular solution is mostly applicable in a comparatively restricted environment. In addition, the customer is of course always forced to use a terminal connected to the system. Hence, if it is desirable to make this type of network as customer friendly as possible, such terminals should be distributed over a very extensive area. Thus, especially people living in sparsely populated areas are in a totally unequal position compared to those living in population centres, in which the system may in fact be implemented with a certain degree of success. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method which offers a decisive improvement regarding the above problems and, thus, to substantially raise the available prior art. In order to achieve this object, a method of the invention is principally characterized in that the data processor of a customer comprises a portable communicator capable of establishing telecommunications, which is supplied with a substitute produced by a server as the connection is established and provided with a customer-specific identifier, for storing the substitute in the memory of the customer's communicator in electronic form. The method of the invention provides an essential benefit in terms of simplicity, operating reliability, and usefulness in most diverse connections and applications. The method of the invention can be applied just as well in connection of actual ticket sales as e.g. in the sales of various products. Another essential benefit offered by the method of the invention is that anyone is able, e.g. by means of a personal GSM telephone or through e.g. a so-called pocket computer equipped with similar data communications, to perform all necessary purchase transactions, i.e. to select, confirm, and preferably also make a payment e.g. for a service or event of interest, whereafter the server produces a substitute, or e.g. a ticket to the selected event, directly into the memory of a customer's GSM telephone or the like. Thus, first of all, it is no longer necessary to have any type of closed currently existing network in communication with certain service suppliers, but in this context it is always possible to utilize the widest available net, or e.g. the internet, as such. Therefore, the customer has also the widest possible range of service suppliers at his/her disposal. As a further preferred application of the method, it is beneficial for a service supplier to check the identifier of a physical substitute produced for a customer by using e.g. an automatic reader which, after verifying the authenticity of a substitute held by the customer, enables the completion of a transaction, or e.g. the admission to a show. The non-independent claims directed to a method disclose preferred embodiments for a method of the invention. The invention will be described in detail the following specification while reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which figs, la-lc show by way of example a few optional solutions for operating principles regarding the supply of a service, and figs. 2a-2c show by way of example a few preferred optional operating principles regarding the use of a service. The invention relates to a method for increasing efficiency in trade, wherein a customer, in order to obtain a product, a service, and/or the like, uses his/her own data processor X to establish over a communications line a contact Y with a server A which is at least in data transmitting communication with a service supplier T, whereafter, as the connection has been established, selects, confirms and/or makes a payment for a desired product, service, and/or the like, whereafter the server A, after the verification of personal, communications, credit information and/or the like, confirms that the purchase transaction has been conducted correctly and supplies the customer with a substitute verifying at least the authenticity of the purchase transaction. The customer's data processor comprises a portable communicator XI, which is capable of establishing communication and which is supplied with a substitute V produced by the server A as the connection Y is established and preferably provided with a customer-specific identi- fier, for storing the substitute in the memory of the customer's communicator XI in electronic form. In a further preferred application of the method, the substitute stored in the customer's communicator XI while making use or the like of the acquisition of a product, a service, and/or the like is checked by means of an automatic reader B, the data transmitting communication between the communicator XI and the reader B at least in a data transmitting contact with the server A and/or the service supplier T being used for verifying authenticity of the substitute V for enabling the completion of a commercial transaction, such as the delivery of a purchased article or admis- sion anywhere the customer is entitled to by the payment . In a preferred embodiment, the portable communicator XI comprises a cellular telephone, such as a GSM- , NMT- , satellite and/or the like telephone, the substitute V transmitted by the server A being stored in a memory included therein. In a preferred embodiment, the substitute V transmitted by the server A is stored in the basic memory of a mobile phone, on a SIM-card, on an add-on memory card, and/or the like. In a further preferred embodiment, the communication link comprises the use of an open communications network, such as the Intranet, Internet, a modem link or the like. In another preferred embodiment, a substitute transmitted by the server A is delivered to and stored in the memory of a customer ' s personal communicator XI in a mode produced by a concealing system, such as in an encrypted or the like mode. In reference to figs, la-lc, which particularly depict by way of example a few optional operating principles regarding the acquisition of a service, fig. la illustrates a solution in which a customer uses his/her mobile or cellular phone XI to establish a contact over the server A with the service supplier T, and possibly also with a financial institution or the like M enabling a payment transaction to proceed. The solution shown in fig. lb differs from the above in the sense that the server A is included in a substantially integrated fashion in the service supplier's T permanent hardware. In the above solutions, it is possible to transmit data e.g. between the mobile telephone XI and the server A by using optionally e.g. infrared, LPRS-, or the like communication C. In this context, the LPRS-communication refers to so-called close-range radio signal technology, currently under intensive development. Furthermore, fig. lc depicts a solution alternative to those described above in the sense that the customer's mobile phone XI is used for a direct communication with e.g. a personal computer PC, which is further linked, e.g. over the Internet, with the actual server A, which is in a further communication over a corresponding net with the service supplier T and/or the financial institution M. Referring further to the exemplary operating principles 2a-2c representing the exploitation of a service, fig. 2a depicts a solution, wherein a customer uses e.g. his/her own cellular telephone XI to establish a communication with the server A either by calling Y or by using the above-mentioned LPRS-communication C, the server checking/receiving the customer's substitute V from the customer's cellular phone. As far as the service supplier T and the financial institution M are concerned, the solution shown in fig. 2a complies with a principle corresponding to the above figure la, and respectively, fig. 2b complies with a principle corresponding to the above figure lb. Respectively, fig. 2c illustrates an alternative solution, wherein the substitute V present in the customer's mobile phone XI is transmitted/checked by the service supp- lier T and/or the server A through the LPRS-, infrared communication C or the like between the above-mentioned devices. It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the examples disclosed or described above, as it can be subjected to a multitude of variations within the basic concept thereof. Naturally, all future portable devices with communication capabilities are relevant within the basic concept of the invention, i.e. when the customer establishes contact with the server or the like of a service provider, which, after the purchase transaction, transmits an identified substitute to the memory of the customer's device, whereby the customer is able to directly exploit the purchased service. On the other hand, by virtue of the invention it is possible to store not only so-called ticket information but also most diversified other documents e.g. on the SIM-card of a mobile or cellular telephone, such as e.g. personal data, authorizations and, in a further developed version, also e.g. ID documents, passports, driver's licenses, etc.

Claims: Claims 1. A method for increasing efficiency in trade, wherein a customer, in order to obtain a product, a service, and/or the like, uses his/her own data processor (X) , comprising a portable communicator (XI) capable of setting up a telecommunication link, to establish over a communications line a contact (Y) with a server (A) which is at least in data transmit - ting communication with a service supplier (T) , whereafter, as the connection has been established, selects, confirms and/or makes a payment for a desired product, service, and/or the like, whereafter the server (A) , after the verification of personal, communications, credit information and/or the like, confirms that the purchase transaction has been conducted correctly and supplies the customer with a confirmation verifying at least the authenticity of the purchase transaction, characterized in that a substitute (V) , such as an admission ticket or the like, produced by the server (A) during the connection and enabling the exploitation of an acquired product, service, and/or the like, is delivered to the customer for storing the same in the memory of the customer's communicator (XI) in electronic form. 2. A method as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the substitute (V) stored in the customer's communicator (XI) while making use or the like of the acquisition of a product, a service, and/or the like is checked preferably by means of an automatic reader (B) , the data transmitting communication between the communicator (XI) and the reader (B) at least in a data transmitting contact with the server (A) and/or the service supplier (T) being used for verifying authenticity of the substitute for completing of a commercial transaction, such as the delivery of a purchased article or admission anywhere the customer is entitled to by the payment. 3. A method as set forth in claim 1 or 2 , wherein the portable communicator (XI) comprises a cellular telephone, such as a GSM- , N T-, satellite and/or the like telephone, the confirmation transmitted by the server (A) being stored in a memory included therein, characterized in that the substitute (V) transmitted by the server (A) is stored in the basic memory of a mobile phone, on a SIM-card, on an add-on memory card, and/or the like. 4. A method as set forth in any of the preceding claims 1-3, characterized in that the data communication link comprises an open communication network, such as the Intranet, Internet, modem connection, or the like. 5. A method as set forth in any of the preceding claims 1-4, characterized in that the substitute (V) transmitted by the server (A) is delivered to and stored in the memory of a customer's personal communicator (XI) , such as a mobile phone or the like, in a mode produced by a concealing system, such as in an encrypted or the like mode. 6. A method as set forth in any of the preceding claims 1-5, characterized in that the substitute (V) transmitted by the server (A) is provided with a customer-specific identifier.

Inventors: VALTANEN JARKKO, VALTANEN, JARKKO
Applicants: VALTANEN JARKKO, VALTANEN, JARKKO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: G07F7
IPC codes: G06Q20