Patent Publication Number: US-2003233320-A1

Title: Unified electronic transaction fulfillment

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
     [0001] This application claims benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/388,257 filed Jun. 13, 2002, entitled “Unified Electronic Transaction Fulfillment” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] The present invention relates to the field of electronic payment systems and methods and systems and methods to electronically establish user affinities, and more particularly, to automated transaction solutions that exploit existing legacy electronic transaction systems and methods and that may be used to electronically establish user affinities.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003] Advances in communications and data storage technologies have had an impact on the method and manner of transactions across the board. It is hard to imagine not being able to go to a retail store or a services center and not be able to pull out a credit card or debit card to electronically pay for a desired product and/or service. Electronic payment systems and methods have established themselves as being reliable, secure, and efficient in fulfilling transactions. As such, they have become ingrained in our daily purchasing and transaction practices. However, with technology advances, there is a growing need among consumers for even more efficiency and convenience.  
       [0004] Consumers today are pushing for technological advances and innovations that would allow for a unified transaction system wherein a consumer can purchase products and services across all product and services providers using a single payment solution. This need is apparent as consumers are currently relegated to carrying various payment solutions to accommodate the disparate transaction systems supported by the various retailers. For example, a consumer may have to carry pocket change to pay a parking meter, cash to pay for a soda at a soda machine, and a credit/debit card to pay for a new shirt. A more comprehensive payment solution would allow consumers the ability to transact various purchases with various sources using a unified (or single) payment solution.  
       [0005] With a unified transaction system (solution), a slew of innovative products and services may be leveraged to consumers. For example, if a consumer is given a payment media that is accepted for any transaction requiring a payment, the payment media may inturn act as a customer identifier so that when the consumer is checking out, targeted coupons may be delivered to the consumer. As such, the unified transaction system provides a basis to establish electronically consumer affinities. Another application that might be considered is using the payment media as a storage device to store data about a product to be purchased at a later date and then using the stored data to automatically purchase the desired product and/or service at a subsequent time.  
       [0006] From the foregoing it is appreciated there exists a need for a system and methods that offer a unified transaction system that provides electronic payment solutions as well as other value added transaction features.  
       SUMMARY OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] Electronic payment solutions and associated value added services are provided. In an illustrative implementation, an electronic media capable of cooperating with legacy transaction systems is provided to consumers. In an illustrative implementation, the legacy system friendly electronic media interacts with a receiver to communicate payment, consumer, or other pertinent information. The receiver cooperates with a computing application operating in a computing environment that processes the payment, consumer, and other pertinent information to fulfill transactions.  
       [0008] In a specific implementation, consumers are offered unique UPC bar codes storable in various media ranging from printed cards to FOB wands to RKE devices to wristwatches to mobile computing devices such as pagers, mobile telephones, mobile PDAs, to lighters, and eyeware, jewelry, or currency (e.g. machine readable ink), etc. For example, the unique UPC code may comprise the UPC bar code found on a driver&#39;s license. Moreover, the unique UPC bar code may comprise UPC codes having various shapes and sizes.  
       [0009] In operation, the unique UPC bar code is associated with payment account information or other consumer information. In operation, retailers and service providers, equipped with legacy UPC bar code scanners can accept the unique UPC bard codes as a form of payment. In addition, the unique UPC bar codes can act as consumer identifiers from which consumer behavior may be tracked and wherein products/services affinities may be determined.  
       [0010] In an embodiment described here electronic media are used as storage devices to store data about a desired product or service to be used in the future to fulfill one or more transactions. For example, the electronic media may have the capability to store 10-15 seconds of a song playing on a radio. This information may then be uploaded to a cooperating computing application operating in a computing environment (e.g. a networked computing environment) where it is processed and used to help the consumer to find, download, and/or purchase the song to be stored in specified manner associated with the consumer (e.g. an online personalized locker of products). 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011] The system and methods described herein are further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a system diagram of an exemplary computing environment;  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a system diagram of a an exemplary networked computing environment;  
     [0014]FIG. 3 a block diagram of cooperating components of a unified transaction system;  
     [0015]FIG. 3A is a block diagram of cooperating components of a unified transaction system having security provisions;  
     [0016]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of exemplary unique UPC bar codes for use in an unified transaction system;  
     [0017]FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of processing performed to register a user with a unified transaction system;  
     [0018]FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of processing performed when transacting a transaction with a unified transaction system;  
     [0019]FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of processing performed for customer affinity;  
     [0020]FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of processing performed when engaging in delayed purchasing; and  
     [0021]FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of processing performed when engaging in smart shelf shopping. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE IMPLEMENTATION  
     [0022] Overview:  
     [0023] Transaction fulfillment has offered many challenges. A recent challenge has come to the forefront and is recognized as a need by today&#39;s consumers. This challenge is to provide consumers with a unified transaction fulfillment system that offers a number of value added features including electronic payment solutions and data storage of data indicative of desired products and services that are to be transacted at a later date. Current practices offer these features as part of independent, mutually exclusive systems and methods leaving it to consumers to carry the burden of aggregating these features and integrating them in their daily routines.  
     [0024] With the embodiments described herein, the shortcomings of existing practices are ameliorated through the offering of a comprehensive system and methods that offer customizable, robust, and adaptable transaction fulfillment. The system contemplates the use of a unique UPC bar code identifier that is associated with at least one consumer. The UPC bar code identifier is storable in or on various media ranging from print media (e.g. card, key chain card, RKE, wristwatch, use of a driver&#39;s license UPC code, SIM card, lighter, currency, mobile device housing and/or clip, eyeware, jewelry, etc. to FOB wands to mobile computing devices (e.g. mobile telephone equipped with wireless communication protocols—BlueTooth, WiFI, RFID, etc.). In operation, the unique UPC bar code is associated to consumer information (e.g. payment information—bank account information, credit card information; consumer usage information; etc.) and can be used by the consumers with retailers and service providers on-site (or online). The unified transaction system and methods contemplate the use of various sized and shaped UPC bar codes having varying orientations as a possible identifier that this specific UPC is for use in transaction fulfillment.  
     [0025] Another aspect of the invention contemplates the use of the electronic media used to store the unique UPC bar code for the online service associated with the electronic media, as a storage medium to store data or relay user preferences about desired products and/or services that can be used during transactions or in subsequent transaction fulfillment. As such, the present invention provides consumers with a unified transaction fulfillment system capable of supporting a number of value-added features.  
     [0026] Another aspect of the invention contemplates the use of the electronic media used to store the unique UPC bar code to store information about desired products and services. In operation, the consumer would shop as they would at a retail store for goods and services. The retail store is equipped with smart shelves which communicate information about products on their shelves to various electronic media. In an illustrative implementation, a consumer will pass a smart shelf where a desired product is located. The smart shelf would communicate with the electronic media to notify the consumer that they have just passed the product. In addition to notification information, the smart shelf may also communicate additional information about the product/service and/or product/service discount information.  
     [0027] Illustrative Computing Environment  
     [0028]FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary computing system  100  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. Computing system  100  is capable of executing an exemplary transaction fulfillment computing application  180   a  that allows participating parties (e.g. customers and promoters) to perform and authenticate transactions electronically. Exemplary transaction fulfillment computing system  100  is controlled primarily by computer readable instructions, which may be in the form of software, wherever, or by whatever means such software is stored or accessed. Such software may be executed within central processing unit (CPU)  110  to cause data processing system  100  to do work. In many known workstations and personal computers central processing unit  110  is implemented by a single-chip CPU called a microprocessor. Coprocessor  115  is an optional processor, distinct from main CPU  110 , that performs additional functions or assists CPU  110 . One common type of coprocessor is the floating-point coprocessor, also called a numeric or math coprocessor, that is designed to perform numeric calculations faster and better than general-purpose CPU  110 . Recently, however, the functions of many coprocessors have been incorporated into more powerful single-chip microprocessors.  
     [0029] In operation, CPU  110  fetches, decodes, and executes instructions, and transfers information to and from other resources via the computer&#39;s main data-transfer path, system bus  105 . Such a system bus connects the components in computing system  100  and defines the medium for data exchange. System bus  105  typically includes data lines for sending data, address lines for sending addresses, and control lines for sending interrupts and for operating the system bus. An example of such a system bus  105  is the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus. Some of today&#39;s advanced busses provide a function called bus arbitration that regulates access to the bus by extension cards, controllers, and CPU  110 . Devices that attach to these buses and arbitrate to take over the bus are called bus masters. Bus masters support also allows multiprocessor configurations of the buses to be created by the addition of bus master adapters containing a processor and its support chips.  
     [0030] Memory devices coupled to system bus  105  include random access memory (RAM)  125  and read only memory (ROM)  130 . Such memories include circuitry that allows information to be stored and retrieved. ROMs  130  generally contain stored data that cannot be modified. Data stored in RAM  125  can be read or changed by CPU  110  or other hardware devices. Access to RAM  125  and/or ROM  130  may be controlled by memory controller  120 . Memory controller  120  may provide an address translation function that translates virtual addresses into physical addresses as instructions are executed. Memory controller  120  may also provide a memory protection function that isolates processes within the system and isolates system processes from user processes. Thus, a program running in a first mode can access only memory mapped by its own process virtual address space; it cannot access memory within another process&#39;s virtual address space unless memory sharing between the processes has been set up.  
     [0031] In addition, computing system  100  may contain peripherals controller  135  responsible for communicating instructions from CPU  110  to peripherals, such as, printer  140 , keyboard  145 , mouse  150 , and disk drive  155 .  
     [0032] Display  165 , which is controlled by display controller  163 , is used to display visual output generated by computing system  100 . Such visual output may include text, graphics, animated graphics, and video. Display  165  may be implemented with a CRT-based video display, an LCD-based flat-panel display, gas plasma-based flat-panel display, or a touch-panel. Display controller  163  includes electronic components required to generate a video signal that is sent to display  165 .  
     [0033] Further, computing system  100  may contain network adaptor  170  that may be used to connect computing system  100  to an external communications network  160 . Communications network  160  may provide computer users with means of communicating and transferring software and information electronically. Communications network  160  also may include but is not necessarily limited to fixed-wire local area networks (LANs), wireless LANs, fixed wire wide-area-networks (WANs), wireless WANs, fixed wire extranets, wireless extranets, fixed-wire intranets, wireless intranets, fixed wire and wireless peer-to-peer networks, fixed wire and wireless virtual private networks, the Internet, and the wireless Internet. Additionally, communications network  160  may provide distributed processing, which involves several computers and the sharing of workloads or cooperative efforts in performing a task. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and that other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.  
     [0034] Illustrative Computer Network Environment  
     [0035] As noted above, the computer described with respect to FIG. 1 can be deployed as part of a computer network. In general, the above description applies to both server computers and client computers deployed in a network environment. FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary network environment  200 , with a server computer  10   a ,  10   b  in communication with client computers  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c  via a communications network  160 , in which the present invention may be employed. As shown in FIG. 2, a number of servers  10   a ,  10   b , etc., are interconnected via a communications network  160  (which may be a LAN, WAN, intranet or the Internet) with a number of client computers  20   a ,  20   b ,  20   c , or computing devices, such as, mobile phone  15  and personal digital assistant  17 . In a network environment in which the communications network  160  is the Internet, for example, the servers  10  can be Web servers with which the clients  20  communicate via any of a number of known protocols, such as, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) or wireless application protocol (WAP), as well as other innovative communication protocols. Each client computer  20  can be equipped with computing application  180   a  to gain access to the servers  10 . Similarly, personal digital assistant  17  can be equipped with computing application  180   b  and mobile phone  15  can be equipped with computing application  180   c  to display and receive various data.  
     [0036] Thus, the present invention can be utilized in a computer network environment having client computing devices for accessing and interacting with the network and a server computer for interacting with client computers. However, the systems and methods for providing adaptable rendering of data of the present invention can be implemented with a variety of network-based architectures, and thus should not be limited to the example shown. The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to a presently illustrative implementation.  
     [0037] Electronic Transaction and Affinity Solutions  
     [0038]FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of exemplary components of unified electronic transaction fulfillment system  300  allowing a number of value-added features including unified electronic payment solutions, product/service affinity determination, consumer tracking, targeted marketing, and subsequent transaction fulfillment. As shown, consumer  305  interacts with exemplary computing application  180  operating partially on client computer  20   b  and on server computer  10   b . Consumer  305  provides consumer information to computing application  180  using client computer  20   b . Consumer information may include but is not limited to consumer bank/credit card information, consumer product/services preferences, consumer account information, coupon information, consumer affinity information and the like. In a contemplated implementation, computing application comprises a user interface to accept and display information regarding the customer, and their transactions. Included in such capability is a coupon storage locker. In operation, a consumer cooperates with computing application  180  to create an account. Included in the account is a coupon storage locker. When navigating through the computing application, the consumer is offered various coupons and discounts that can be stored in the storage locker for subsequent use.  
     [0039] The consumer information is processed by computing application  180  and provides the consumer with a unique UPC bar code that is storable by the consumer in a various media including print media, a FOB wand, a SIM card, lighter, currency (e.g. machine readable ink), eyeware, jewelry, on a mobile electronic device (or one of it&#39;s components—housing, case, etc.). In a particular implementation, the mobile electronic device is capable of supporting various wireless communication protocols including but not limited to BlueTooth, WiFi, and RFID.  
     [0040] In the contemplated implementation, the data storage capability may be used as an impulse capture mechanism that allows the consumers to store related data that needs to be matched and identified online through a central server. This process can involve the audio detection as described below or take the form of enabling the consumer to verbally input alpha or numeric (e.g. DTMF tones) information such as bar code numbers, UPC, assigned numbers, or keywords which later once uploaded will be used to direct them to online content related to the stored data.  
     [0041] In operation when a consumer wishes to realize transaction performance, the consumer interacts with the products/service providers  315  in person, or online through communications network  160 . In the instance the consumer is purchasing a product or service immediately the consumer identifies the products/services to the products/services provider and prepares for checkout. At checkout, the consumer offers to the retailer the unique UPC bar code that the retailer processes (e.g. using a bar code scanner or some other receiver to cooperate with the media on which the unique UPC bar code is stored). As part of processing the retailer may interact with computing application  180  operating on server  10   b  using communications network  310 . Computing application  180 , in turn, cooperates with data store  320  to obtain consumer information (e.g. consumer account information, consumer affinity information, consumer usage information, customer coupons, etc.) that is used to realize transaction fulfillment. For example, the user account information may be used by the retailer to indicate payment for the identified products and/or services and to provide discounts to the customers through coupon redemption. In the context of coupon redemption, while the UPC is scanned a check is made against the customer account for payment information and for stored coupons. If the consumer purchased a product/service for which he/she had a stored coupon, the coupon is recognized and redeemed at the retailer point of sale. As a result the consumer is afforded immediate discounts without the need to carry bulky coupons.  
     [0042] In the context of payment processing, computing application  180   a  cooperates with the consumer&#39;s bank and/or credit card company to indicate the purchase of the identified products and/or services.  
     [0043] In another aspect of the invention, the consumer usage information may be used in a targeted marketing effort so that upon checkout, computing application  180  recognizing that a checkout for a particular consumer is taking place, can suggest, generate, and communicate to the retailers targeted coupons that are targeted based upon the consumer&#39;s usage information that are provided to the consumer. With this feature more relevant products and services can be offered to more relevant consumers thereby increasing the likelihood of additional purchases.  
     [0044] Unified electronic transaction fulfillment system  300  is capable of supporting additional features and application. For example, unified electronic transaction fulfillment system  300  is capable of performing voice to text conversion. In this instance, a consumer may store voice data indicative of a desired product/service (e.g. a song on the radio) on an electronic media. The electronic media then cooperates with exemplary computing application  180  which processes the voice data and converts the voice data into text for further processing to obtain information about the desired products/services from a database or the product/service provider themselves to realize transaction fulfillment. Another feature that may be realized is frequency long distance dialing. In this instance a portable electronic media is pre-programmed with frequency tones to engage the services of and provide billing information of the consumer to a pre-selected third party long distance provider. The consumer may use the portable electronic media on any telephone to engage the long distance provider and to place a long distance call. If the electronic media is synced online the encrypted frequency can be utilized to initiate secure online transactions which eliminate the need for the consumer to fill out online forms typically requested in the online transaction process. This feature may be linked to a request for “pin” number to insure an additional layer of security. The present invention also contemplates the use of an encrypted frequency that may be deployed in a computing environment as part of a environment security system capable of preventing access to data stored within the computing environment by anyone not possessing the electronic media containing the encrypted frequency. This “lock-up” feature could be integrated with either the operating system or cooperating computing application.  
     [0045]FIG. 3A shows a slightly different implementation of unified electronic transaction fulfillment system  300 . The distinction being that the consumer  305  is now required to enter a unique personal identification number (PIN) when presenting their Unique UPC to product/service providers  315  to perform a coupon and/or payment transaction. In addition, server computer is now responsible for reconciling payment with the bank/credit card companies  310  over a different communications network  160 A. In this context, server computer acts as the coupon and payment transaction fulfillment gateway.  
     [0046]FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of exemplary universal product codes for use by the herein described systems and methods. As shown, in FIG. 4 UPC code  402  has nine slanted lines arranges such that the slanted line slants from top right to bottom left. Comparatively, UPC code  404  has six squiggly lines. The six squiggly lines are spaced horizontally and appear in a vertical arrangement. UPCs  406  and  408  are offered to demonstrate that the herein described system and methods are not limited in processing what might be considered traditional UPCs. Rather as shown by UPCs  406  and  408 , non-traditional UPCs may be processed by the herein described systems and methods. Specifically, UPC  406  shows a plurality of uniform circles having various line thicknesses arranged in a symmetrical pattern. Similarly, UPC  408  shows a plurality of uniform squares having various line thicknesses also arranged in a symmetrical pattern. It is appreciated that although exemplary UPCs are provided having various configurations, shapes, components, and sizes that such UPCs are merely exemplary as the herein described systems and methods are operable on any UPC having any shape, size, component and/or configuration.  
     [0047] In operation, the UPCs  402 ,  404 ,  406 , and  408  may be deliberately employed to indicate to the legacy systems to engage in transaction fulfillment. Stated differently, current legacy UPC processing systems are configured to process traditional UPCs (not shown) having vertical lines with varying line thickness and varying in number that are horizontally spaced from each other. The herein described systems and methods contemplate the processing of the non-traditional exemplary UPCs,  402 ,  404 ,  406 , and  408  such that the legacy systems are configured to operate in a manner in which if such a non-traditional UPC is encountered then the legacy system is directed to engage in transaction fulfillment as described above.  
     [0048]FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the processing performed to establish a user account for a customer in accordance with the herein described systems and methods. As shown, processing begins at block  505  and proceeds to block  510  where a check is performed to determine if an account has already been established. If an account has been established, processing proceeds to block  520  where a check is performed to determine if the account requires update. If no update is required at block  520 , processing terminates at block  540 . However, if an update is required, processing proceeds to block  530  where the customer information and/or unique UPC associated for the customer is updated. Processing then terminates at block  540 .  
     [0049] If however, at block  510 , it is determined that an account has not been established, processing proceeds to block  515  where customer information is obtained. Included in the customer information may be customer demographic information, customer banking information (or payment information), customer affinity information, and other related information required to effect the fulfillment of a transaction of goods and services by a customer for the purchase of goods and services. From there, processing proceeds to block  525 , where a unique universal product code (UPC) is assigned to the customer. At block  525 , the type of media on which the unique UPC code will be provided to the customer is also determined. In a contemplated implementation, the UPC media may comprise print media (business card, plastic card), electronic media (FOB wand), or electronic devices (cellular phone, wrist watch, mobile phone, PDA, mobile computer, etc). Also, in a contemplated implementation, the herein described systems and methods may offer the customer the option of using a unique UPC that may have already been assigned to the customer. For example, today, most states engage in providing a unique UPC on driver&#39;s licenses. In this context, the herein described systems and methods contemplate the use of the driver&#39;s license UPCs. Other examples of already provided unique UPCs may comprises, health insurance card UPCs, gym membership card UPCs, UPCs found on water meters and gas meters, passport UPC, and/or a car&#39;s vehicle identification number (VIN), or a combination thereof. It is appreciated that any unique UPC will work with the herein described systems and methods. From there processing proceeds to block  535  where the assigned (or provided) unique UPC is stored with the received customer information. Processing then terminates at block  540 .  
     [0050]FIG. 6 shows the processing performed by the herein described systems and methods when performing transaction fulfillment. As shown, processing begins at block  605  and proceeds to block  610  where a check is performed to determine the transaction fulfillment should be performed. If it is not, processing terminates at block  640 . However, if at block  610 , it is determined that transaction fulfillment is to be performed, processing proceeds to block  615  where the customer&#39;s unique UPC is scanned. In operation, this scanning processing may be performed by the legacy UPC scanning systems or by an updated UPC scanning system capable of scanning the unique UPCs provided by the customer residing in the above-described various media. From block  615 , processing then proceeds to block  625  where customer information for payment processing is retrieved. Payment processing is then performed at block  635 .  
     [0051] Payment processing may encompass various methods including but not limited to credit card transactions, debit card transactions, Internet based payment transactions, and store credit payment plans. Specifically, at blocks  615  and  625 , the legacy system (or updated legacy system) scans the unique UPC. Using the unique UPC, the legacy system (or updated legacy system) communicates over a communications network (not shown) to retrieve from a customer database operating on a computing environment payment and other customer information for use in payment processing.  
     [0052] Processing then proceeds from block  635  to block  620  where a check is performed to determine if rewards redemption is to be performed. If rewards redemption is not to be performed, processing proceeds to block  640  and terminates. However, if rewards redemption is to be performed, processing proceeds to block  630  where the relevant rewards redemption are retrieved. Part in parcel of rewards redemption processing is retrieving from the above-described customer database data representative of customer transactions which would qualify the customer for a particular reward. The herein described systems and methods contemplate the association of various rewards to customers based on a various criteria including frequency of purchases, quality of purchases, focus of purchases, and similarity of purchases. For example, a coupon reward offering a fifth bar of soap may be retrieved for a customer purchasing four bars of soap. The steps performed in determining particular rewards for customers is consistent with currently available, adopted, and practiced user affinity determination processes and customer relationship management (CRM) techniques. Processing then terminates at block  640 .  
     [0053]FIG. 7 shows the processing performed by the herein described systems and methods in determining customer affinities. As shown, processing begins at block  705  and proceeds to block  710  where a check is performed to determine if customer affinities are to be processed. If user affinities are not to be processed, processing proceeds to block  720  where a check is performed to determine if customer affinities are to be tracked. If customer affinities are not to be tracked, processing terminates at block  740 . However, if at block  720 , it is determined that user affinities are to be tracked, processing proceeds to block  730  where a history of products and services transacted by the customer is created and stored.  
     [0054] However, if at block  710 , it is determined that affinity processing is to be performed, processing proceeds to block  715  where the history of customer transactions is retrieved. From there, processing proceeds to block  725  where affinities are determined based on the customer transaction history. The herein described systems and methods contemplate the use of currently available, adopted, and deployed affinity algorithms for use in determining affinities between various data such as customer transaction data. Processing then proceeds to block  735  where based on the determined affinities determined at block  725 , similar products and/or services to those previously transacted by the customer are offered to the customer. From there, processing then terminates at block  740 .  
     [0055]FIG. 8 shows the processing performed when storing product information for us in subsequent customer transactions. As shown, processing begins at block  805  and proceeds to block  810  where a check is performed to determine if recording should be initiated. If recording is not be initiated, processing proceeds to block  820  where a check is performed to determine if products/services are to be transacted. If check at block  820  indicates that there are no products for transaction, processing then terminates at block  740 . However, if there are products/services to be transacted, processing proceeds to block  830  where the stored product/service descriptions are retrieved and the products/services transacted as per the processing described in FIG. 6.  
     [0056] If however, at block  810  recording is to be initiated, processing proceeds to block  815  where product/service descriptions are recorded. As described above, the herein described systems and methods contemplate the use of a portable electronic device in cooperation with electronic/product service labels describing various products/services that, in operation, communicate with each other to record descriptions about various products/services. Processing then proceeds to block  820  and proceeds there from.  
     [0057]FIG. 9 shows the processing performed by unified electronic transaction fulfillment system  300  when encountering smart shelves at a point of sale. A smart shelve is store shelf having some intelligence to communicate with various electronic media information about a product/service found on the shelf. This may be realized through the use of a number of wireless communication protocols (as described above in the context of the electronic media). As shown, processing begins at block  905  and proceeds to block  910  where a check is performed to determine if product/service information was loaded onto the electronic device. If there is no product/service information, processing reverts back to block  500 . If, however, product/service information has been loaded processing proceeds to block  915  where the consumer walks through the store. From there processing proceeds to block  925  where the smart shelves identify that the consumer is carrying electronic transaction media. The smart shelf identifies the consumer that there is a desired product/service on the shelf they have just passed or standing near. A check is then made to determine if the consumer is to read/listen to the notice. If the consumer ignores the smart shelf notice, processing proceeds to block  940  and terminates. If, however, the consumer listens to the smart shelf notice and decides to purchase the product/service, processing proceeds to block  930  where the product/service is transacted as per the processing described in FIG. 6. The electronic media is then processed for payment processing and payment processing realized at block  935 . Processing then terminates at block  940 .  
     [0058] The herein described systems and methods provide a unified electronic transaction fulfillment system supporting various applications and features including electronic payment solutions that exploit legacy transaction systems, consumer affinity determination, consumer tracking, targeted marketing, and subsequent transaction fulfillment. It is understood, however, that the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions. There is no intention to limit the invention to the specific constructions described herein. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the scope and spirit of the invention.  
     [0059] It should also be noted that the present invention may be implemented in a variety of computer environments (including both non-wireless and wireless computer environments), partial computing environments, and real world environments. The various techniques described herein may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of both. Preferably, the techniques are implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers that each include a processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device. Program code is applied to data entered using the input device to perform the functions described above and to generate output information. The output information is applied to one or more output devices. Each program is preferably implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented programming language to communicate with a computer system. However, the programs can be implemented in assembly or machine language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language. Each such computer program is preferably stored on a storage medium or device (e.g., ROM or magnetic disk) that is readable by a general or special purpose programmable computer for configuring and operating the computer when the storage medium or device is read by the computer to perform the procedures described above. The system may also be considered to be implemented as a computer-readable storage medium, configured with a computer program, where the storage medium so configured causes a computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner.  
     [0060] Although an exemplary implementation of the invention has been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many additional modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the invention. Accordingly, these and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention. The invention may be better defined by the following exemplary claims.