Point of sale virtual customer session

A point of sale terminal for conducting a transaction where items are presented to the terminal by a customer for purchase and a payment is received for the purchased items, the terminal comprising:

• a scanner and scale configured to identify and the items presented for purchase;
• an operator display configured to display operator related information;
• a customer display configured to display standard transaction information to the customer;
• a magnetic stripe reader and PIN pad;
• a cash drawer;
• a network controller;
• a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a portable computing device where the device is operated by a customer conducting the transaction at the point of sale terminal;
• and
• a computer configured to execute code from a non--transitory computer -readable medium to control the point of sale terminal and the components attached to it and where executing the code causes the point to sale terminal to perform a plurality of functions, the functions comprising:
• starting a purchase transaction on the point of sale terminal for the customer where one or more items are presented to the point of sale terminal for identification and purchase;
• determining the presence of a portable computing device;
• establishing wireless communications with the portable computing device, wherein establishing further includes establishing the wireless communications as a customer session for the purchase transaction between the point of sale terminal and the portable computing device;
• receiving from the portable computing device a token that identifies the portable computing device and the customer;
• authenticating the token and the identity of the portable computing device and the customer;
• receiving from the portable computing device a request, initiated by the customer, to transmit transaction information being displayed on a customer display of the point of sale terminal to the portable computing device where the transaction information includes information that identifies each item presented for purchase;
• transferring, by the point of sale terminal, complete control of where and how the transaction information is presented during the customer session to the portable computing device and dynamically switching back and forth between displaying that transaction information on the portable computing device and the point of sale terminal in response to selectable options presented on the portable computing device being activated on the portable computing device during the customer session;
• and
• transmitting, in response to the request, the transaction information being displayed on the customer display and additional information about the transaction that is not part of the transaction information displayed on the customer display where the information is transmitted in real-time as the one or more items arc presented for purchase.

In a point of sale system, a computer implemented method for a point of sale terminal to communicate transaction information to a customer using a portable computing device, the method implemented as executable instructions residing in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for execution on the point of sale terminal, the method comprising:

• starting, on the point of sale terminal, a purchase transaction for the customer where one or more items are presented to the point of sale terminal for identification and purchase;
• determining by the point of sale terminal the presence of the portable computing device;
• establishing, by the point of sale terminal, wireless communications between the point of sale terminal and the portable computing device, wherein establishing further includes establishing the wireless communications as a customer session for the purchase transaction between the point of sale terminal and the portable computing device;
• receiving, by the point of sale terminal and from the portable computing device a token that identifies the portable computing device and the customer;
• authenticating, by the point of sale terminal the token and the identity of the portable computing device and the customer by the point of sale terminal;
• receiving, by the point of sale terminal and from the portable computing device a request, initiated by the customer, to transmit transaction information being displayed on a customer display of the point of sale terminal to the portable computing device where the transaction information includes information that identifies each item presented for purchase;
• transferring, by the point of sale terminal, complete electronic control of where and how the transaction information is presented during the customer session to the portable computing device and dynamically switching back and forth between displaying that transaction information on the portable computing device and the point of sale terminal in response to selectable options presented on the portable computing device being activated on the portable computing device during the customer session;
• and
• transmitting, by the point of sale terminal in response to the request, the transaction information being displayed on the customer display and additional information about the transaction that is not part of the transaction information displayed on the customer display where the information is transmitted in real-time as items are presented for purchase.