Patent Application
20060289633
Transaction receipts have been used to include information in addition to transaction item detail, such as store logos, advertisements, rules and regulations, etc. Preprinted information has been included on the backside of receipt paper while transaction item detail and supplemental information have been printed on the front side of receipts when transactions are consummated. Supplemental information such as coupons has been printed separately from receipts and given to customers at transaction time as well.
Printing at transaction time adds flexibility to the type of supplemental information that might be directly added to paper receipts. However excessive printing on the front sides of receipts can sometimes be wasteful of paper or distracting to recipients.
Traditional receipts for automated financial and retail transactions have generally used low cost printing technologies to conserve ownership costs, thus limiting the types of printing solutions that would be practical to offer. However, dual-sided thermal imaging, e.g., as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,784,906 and 6,759,366, expands the opportunities by which two-sided receipts might reasonably be commercially printed.
Variable information printed on both sides of a paper receipt at transaction time saves materials and provides flexibility in providing information to the recipient. Direct thermal printing on both sides of a paper receipt when issued is described. Using opposed print heads, paper receipts are printed on both sides at transaction time in a single pass.
With transaction item detail printed on the front side of a double-sided thermal paper receipt, different types of information printed on the reverse side are described, including rebate information, contest information, serialized cartoons, conditions of sale, promotional information, coupon information, security features, ticket information and custom information based on recipient identity or transaction data or detail.
Other advantages and features will become apparent based on the further description and appended claims to follow.
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Printing of contest or rebate information on receipts provides simplicity and convenience of benefit to consumer. Printing of such variable information on the reverse side of the receipt, e.g., based on an automated identification of a product being sold, results in more compact, lower paper cost documents for customer use. The transaction detail can be duplicated on the front or back side of a receipt, e.g., to support a rebate or contest application while allowing the customer to sever a printed copy for retention. For example, the transaction detail could be duplicated on the front side of the receipt, with rebate directions printed on the reverse side opposite one of the transaction detail copies. The receipt is then severed into two pieces with one transaction detail copy on one piece, and the other transaction detail copy on the second piece with rebate directions printed on the other side. This second piece of the receipt is then mailed for rebate processing.
Having a serialized cartoon on the reverse of a retail receipt containing product references could stimulate interest in the product or the retailer. Given proper content, the serialization could generate its own following, thus adding a stimulant for further sales. A receipt printed using double-sided thermal paper with receipt transaction detail printed on one side and a cartoon of a serialized nature printed on the other side could be customized on the fly to include product placement text dependent on the purchases made.
Use of two-sided direct thermal paper allows terms and conditions to be printed directly on the back of a receipt at the same time that the receipt is issued. Printing on the spot allows the terms and conditions, such as return policies, to be tailored to the item being sold. For example, the terms and conditions for an appliance may be different than the terms and conditions for electronic equipment. Printing is controlled to ensure that the entire set of appropriate terms and conditions is on the receipt, and is not cut off either at the top or bottom. Use of two-sided thermal media is anticipated to be less expensive than pre-printed paper, and should reduce lead times for the receipt media from suppliers.
Printing of coupons or store promotional information along with a receipt has involved printing the receipt followed by the coupons or promotional information being printed. Alternatively, coupons, advertisements or other promotional information have been pre-printed on the back of receipt paper using a printing press or digital press. One example of such pre-printing is the Catalina coupon printer. Use of two-sided direct thermal paper allows the coupon or promotional information to be printed directly on the back of the receipt at the time that the receipt is being issued. This can save transaction time and reduce paper requirements, compared with printing receipts and promotional information on separate pieces of paper. Again, compared with having supplemental information pre-printed, use of two-sided thermal media should be less expensive and reduce lead time for the receipt media from suppliers. The dual-sided printing also allows variable or custom information to be ascertained and printed at transaction time where information pre-printing does not.
Double-side thermal paper receipts with color on one side and black on the other side, or other different colors of printing on each side, differentiates or accentuates particular text. The technique has use for stressing warranty or guarantee particulars, warnings, or specific conditions or events, etc. Double-sided thermal receipt paper with one or both sides in two or more thermally active colors on a side allows for such accentuation of text where desired.
Tickets for events like concerts, sporting events, traveling shows (such as the circus), etc. have often been either sold on site or by ticket agencies, and must be purchased in advance in order to be mailed. Tickets, a form of receipt, have been pre-printed for particular venues, and often have security features on the ticket to prevent fraudulent duplication. This practice can limit the number of locations where tickets are available, often resulting in long lines or long waits on the telephone when tickets are in demand. In addition, the number of different venues where a vendor can sell tickets can be limited where a separate set of tickets is required to be printed for each venue.
Use of two-sided direct thermal paper allows for flexible printing of tickets for any venue, since the venue specific information could be printed, as well as a security feature such as a specific barcode, ID number, or even color (e.g., using 2 color thermal printing on the one side). If one tried to print all required information on a one-sided thermal ticket, the ticket could be unwieldy in size, or the font size could need to be so small as to affect legibility. Use of two-sided direct thermal paper ticket allows anyone to purchase flexibly printed tickets, e.g., at a self-service kiosk, which could increase availability and potentially result in the sale of more tickets.
Supplemental or customized information can be automatically determined and thermally printed based on customer identifications, product information, transaction detail, historical data or the like data as may be captured, recovered or calculated using information technology systems. For example, supplemental or customized information is based on data provided by a computerized database look-up or transaction data entries, e.g., including transaction data scanned or manually entered by a service agent or customer.
The text above sets forth a number of specific embodiments or examples of a broader invention. The invention is also carried out in a wide variety of other alternative ways which have not been described here. Many other embodiments of the invention are also within the scope of the following claims.
