Abstract:
A method and system for providing a transaction using a telephone with a printer, includes: establishing a plurality of communications sessions between a first party and a second party to the transaction, where the first party comprises the telephone with the printer; conducting the transaction over a first communication session; and receiving a note by the first party from the second party over a second communication sessions, wherein the note comprises information about the transaction. In one embodiment, the first and second communication sessions exist simultaneously. In one embodiment, the first communication session is a voice session, and the second communication session is a data session. The note is then printed using the telephone with the printer, and a confirmation is sent from the first party to the second party to confirm the printing of the note.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     This invention relates generally to telecommunications, and more specifically to an apparatus and a method for a telephone with a printer. 
     2. Related Art 
     A user uses a telephone for communication, from causal voice conversation to commercial transactions with a merchant, such as ordering a product, purchasing a ticket for a movie, a concert, or a flight, making a payment, securing a hotel or cruise ship reservation, or making an doctor&#39;s appointment. 
     These commercial transactions are conducted over verbal communications without a printed record during the transaction; and are based on assumptions of trust by the user, by the merchant, or by both. When errors occur, it is extremely difficult to retrace the transaction in order to resolve the discrepancy between the customer and the merchant. 
     In an example, John uses a telephone to order a camera from a consumer electronic company at a 20% discount. During the transaction, he verbally authorizes the company to charge his credit card for the discounted amount. A month later, John finds out from his credit card statement that he has been charged the full price for the camera. Outraged, John calls and complains about the discrepancy, but can provide no proof that the discount is indeed offered during the phone call. 
     There are commercial transactions that require a printed record in order to redeem a product or service. For example, a commercial transaction involves a movie ticket, a concert ticket, a flight boarding pass, or a hotel reservation record. In many instances, the timely possession of the record is important to the commercial value of the goods. 
     In an example, Grace and her friend want to do lunch and see a movie after lunch. Grace calls a box office to purchase several tickets for the movie. After completing the purchase, the box office tells Grace that the electronic tickets will be sent as an email to her email account; and she can bring the printed tickets to the cinema. After waiting for one and half hour, Grace receives the email and prints the tickets. By then she and her friend has already missed the lunch hour. 
     The above discussion illustrates a need for a telephone to print a record for a transaction conducted during a phone call. 
     SUMMARY 
     A method and system for providing a transaction using a telephone with a printer, includes: establishing a plurality of communications sessions between a first party and a second party to the transaction, where the first party comprises the telephone with the printer; conducting the transaction over a first communication session; and receiving a note by the first party from the second party over a second communication sessions, wherein the note comprises information about the transaction. In one embodiment, the first and second communication sessions exist simultaneously. In one embodiment, the first communication session is a voice session, and the second communication session is a data session. The note is then printed using the telephone with the printer, and a confirmation is sent from the first party to the second party to confirm the printing of the note. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a telephone with a printer. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a process for telephone to conduct a commercial transaction call. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a process for telephone to conduct a business-to-business transaction call. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a process for telephone to display a received note prior to printing during a commercial transaction call. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a telephone with a printer. 
     Telephone  150  connects to a call network  170 . Call network  170  includes a public voice network, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, or a public Voice over IP (VoIP) network. In one embodiment, call network  170  includes a private voice network, such as a corporate voice network or a corporate VoIP network. In one embodiment, call network  170  includes a public data network such as the Internet. In one embodiment, call network  170  includes a private data network such as a corporate virtual private network (VPN) or a home network. In one embodiment, call network  170  includes an Instant Messaging based voice network. 
     Customer  110  uses telephone  150  to conduct a call with a merchant  190  over call network  170 . In one embodiment, customer  110  makes the call to merchant  190 . In one embodiment, customer  110  receives the call from merchant  190 . In one embodiment, merchant  190  includes a person. In one embodiment, merchant  190  includes a customer service representative at a call center. In one embodiment, merchant  190  includes a voice application, such as an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) application. 
     During the call, customer  110  and merchant  190  communications over a plurality of communication sessions between telephone  150  and merchant  190 . In one embodiment, a communication session is a voice communication session. In one embodiment, a communication session is a data communication session. 
     Customer  110  and merchant  190  conduct a commercial transaction over the plurality of communication sessions. 
     During the commercial transaction, telephone  151  receives a note  158  from merchant  190  over a communication session. Note  158  records information about the commercial transaction. 
     Note  158  has a content that fits onto a small size paper. A small size paper is smaller than a normal letter size paper, such as an ISO 216 B6 (125 mm×176 mm) size paper, an ISO 216 A5 (148 mm×210 mm) size paper, an ISO 216 C6 (114 mm×162 mm) size paper, a North American index card (4 inches×6 inches) size paper, a Japan Industrial Standard (JIS) B-6 (128 mm×182 mm) size paper, or a pamphlet size paper. 
     In one embodiment, the commercial transaction is the purchase of a product or a service, such as a movie ticket, a sport ticket, a concert ticket, a subscription, a camera, or a tennis racket. In one embodiment, the commercial transaction is a stock purchase or sale transaction. In one embodiment, the commercial transaction is a service reservation, such as a hotel reservation, a doctor&#39;s appointment, or a cruise ship reservation. In one embodiment, the commercial transaction is a service call, a customer complaint, a medical advice, such as a pre-surgery instruction, or a medication side-effect revelation. 
     In one embodiment, note  158  is a purchase receipt, a shipment tracking number, a bank transaction receipt. In one embodiment, note  158  is a concert ticket, a movie ticket or a sport event ticket in barcode format, such as 2-dimensional Portable Data File 417 (PDF417) matrix code format. In one embodiment, note  158  is a boarding pass, a hotel reservation number or a dental appointment record. In one embodiment, note  158  is a medical disclosure, a service estimate, a price quote, or a product defect disclosure. 
     Telephone  150  includes a printer  151 . Printer  151  prints note  158  onto a small size paper. In one embodiment, after printing note  158 , telephone  150  sends a confirmation  159  to merchant  190 , indicating that note  158  has been printed. 
     In one embodiment, telephone  150  attaches to printer  151  over a universal serial bus (USB) connection, a parallel port connection, or a wireless Bluetooth connection. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a process for telephone to conduct a commercial transaction call. 
     A customer  210  is using telephone  250  to conduct a commercial transaction call with a merchant  290 . In one embodiment, customer  210  and merchant  290  are conducting the commercial transaction over a first communication session  260 . In one embodiment, the first communication session  260  is a voice communication session. 
     Telephone  250  receives a note  258  from merchant  290  over the call. Note  258  records information about the commercial transaction. 
     In one embodiment, telephone  250  receives note  258  over a second communication session  261 . Communication session  261  is a data communication session. 
     In one embodiment, communication session  261  uses Web technologies. In one embodiment, merchant  290  includes a Web server and telephone  250  includes a Web client. Telephone  250  receives a notification from merchant  290  for the retrieval of note  258 . 
     In one embodiment, merchant  290  sends the notification to telephone  250  over the first communication session  260 . In one embodiment, the first communication session  260  includes a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session. Merchant  290  sends the notification to telephone  250  in a SIP INFO message over the first communication session  260 . Telephone  250  extracts the notification from the SIP INFO message. SIP INFO message is described in IETF RFC 3261 “SIP: Session Initiation Protocol”. 
     In a different embodiment, merchant  290  sends the notification to telephone  250  using a messaging method over an additional communication session, such as a short message or an instant messaging session. In one embodiment, the short message is delivered via a Short Message Service (SMS). Telephone  250  extracts the notification from the short message. 
     The notification includes a Web universal resource location (URL) for the retrieval of note  258 . Telephone  250  establishes the second communication session  261  with merchant  290  and sends a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request to merchant  290  over the second communication session  261 , using the information in the notification. Telephone  250  receives an HTTP response from merchant  290  over the second communication session  261 . The HTTP response includes note  258 . Telephone  250  extracts note  258  from the HTTP response. 
     In one embodiment, communication session  261  uses a file transfer technology, such as the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Telephone  250  includes an FTP client and merchant  290  includes an FTP server. Telephone  250  establishes the second communication session  261  with merchant  290  and sends a RETRIEVE (RETR) command to request for note  258  using the information in the notification. Telephone  250  receives note  258  in a response of the RETR command from merchant  290  over the second communication session  261 . FTP is described in IETF RFC 959 “File Transfer Protocol”. 
     In other embodiments, a file transfer session uses Secure Shell File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), Secure Copy Protocol (SCP), or Unix to Unix Copy Protocol (UUCP). 
     Printer  251  prints the received note  258 . In one embodiment, printer  251  prints note  258  after telephone  250  receives note  258  in the entirety. In one embodiment, printer  251  prints a portion of note  258  after telephone  250  receives the portion of note  258 . 
     In one embodiment, after printing note  258 , telephone  250  sends a confirmation  259  to merchant  290 , indicating that note  258  has been printed. In one embodiment, telephone  250  digitally signs confirmation  259  before sending confirmation  259 . In one embodiment, telephone  250  prompts customer  210  before sending confirmation  259 . In one embodiment, telephone  250  sends confirmation  259  in an HTTP POST request to merchant  290 . In one embodiment, the HTTP POST request includes a digital signature. 
     In one embodiment, while telephone  250  is receiving note  258  over the second communication session  261 , customer  210  continues to communicate with merchant  290  over the first communication session  260 . 
     In one embodiment, after printer  251  prints note  258 , customer  210  and merchant  290  continue to communicate over the first communication session  260 . 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a process for telephone to conduct a business-to-business transaction call. 
     A first user  310  is using first telephone  350  to conduct a business-to-business transaction call with a second user  390  using telephone  380 . Telephone  380  includes printer  381 . First user  310  and first telephone  350  play the role of a first merchant. Second user  390  and second telephone  380  play the role of a second merchant. First user  310  and second user  390  are conducting a business-to-business transaction during the call. 
     In one embodiment, first user  310  plays the role of a customer as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Telephone  350  receives a note  358  from telephone  380  and printer  351  prints the received note  358 . In one embodiment, telephone  350  receives note  358  from telephone  380  using Web technologies such as HTTP or FTP as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Note  358  records information about the business-to-business transaction. In one embodiment, telephone  350  sends a confirmation  359  to telephone  380 , indicating that note  358  has been printed. 
     In one embodiment, the second user  390  plays the role of a customer as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Telephone  350  sends a note  368  to telephone  380 . In one embodiment, telephone  350  sends note  368  to telephone  380  using Web technology such as HTTP or FTP as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . Note  368  records information about the business-to-business transaction. In one embodiment, telephone  350  receives a confirmation  369  from telephone  380 , indicating that note  368  has been printed. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a process for telephone to display a received note prior to printing during a commercial transaction call. 
     Customer  410  is using telephone  450  to conduct a commercial transaction call with merchant  490 . 
     During the commercial transaction, telephone  450  receives a note  458  from merchant  490 . 
     In one embodiment, telephone  450  includes a display module  453 . In one embodiment, display module  453  includes a graphical display screen. In one embodiment, the dimension of the graphical display screen is 6 inches horizontal by 4 inches vertical. In one embodiment, the dimension of the graphical display screen is 125 mm horizontal by 88 mm vertical. In one embodiment, the graphical display screen has a diagonal dimension of 2 inches. 
     Telephone  450  displays note  458  on display module  453 . In one embodiment, telephone  450  displays note  458  after telephone  450  receives note  458  in the entirety. In one embodiment, telephone  450  displays a portion of note  458  after telephone  450  receives the portion. In one embodiment, telephone  450  displays a textual or graphical representation of note  458 . 
     In one embodiment, telephone  450  includes an input module  454 . In one embodiment, input module  454  includes a stylus, a pointing device, or navigation keys. Customer  410  uses input module  454  to initiate printing note  458 , such as pressing a navigation key. Printer  451  prints note  458 . 
     In one embodiment, customer  410  uses input module  454  to select a portion of note  458  for printing. Printer  451  prints the selected portion of note  458 . In on embodiment, printer  451  prints the portion of note  458  that is displayed on display module  453 . 
     In one embodiment, a commercial transaction is a business transaction within a corporation. In one embodiment, the business transaction is an inter-departmental transaction. In one embodiment, the business transaction is an internal business service transaction such as human resource service, information technology (IT) service, payroll service, benefit enrollment service, travel arrangement service, or facility request service. 
     In one embodiment, telephone connects to printer over a data network. In one embodiment, the data network is a home data network. In one embodiment, the data network is a corporate data network. In one embodiment, the data network includes a wired network, such as an Ethernet network. In one embodiment, the data network includes a wireless network, such as a WiFi network. 
     In one embodiment, a note includes additional business information, such as a business telephone number, a business address, opening-hours for a business, a business card, a map, a driving direction, a restaurant menu, a product description or picture, a charity pledge, or a discount coupon.