Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Credit or identification card systems
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-17
2001-11-27
Lee, Michael G. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Credit or identification card systems
C235S380000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321985
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to automated dispensing equipment which dispenses products or services (hereinafter collectively referred to as vending machines) and more particularly, to the networking of multiple vending machines for operation by credit cards, debit cards, pre-pay cards, cash or coins.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Credit and bank issued debit cards have been in wide spread use for many years. Until recently, the majority of uses of these cards are “attended uses”, requiring personnel of the business establishment, or attendants, to process and complete a sale or transaction using a credit or bank issued debit card.
In the past, credit card transactions were made by imprinting information stamped on a credit card onto a multi part credit card receipt using a forced-contact device. It was a common business practice to contact a credit card company by telephone to verify the availability of credit on the card to ensure that there was sufficient credit to complete the transaction. If sufficient credit was available, the credit card company and or credit card processor company provided an authorization number over the telephone which was manually printed onto the credit card receipt.
Magnetic strip technology has largely made the forced-contact devices unnecessary and has allowed for the expansion of credit card and bank issued debit card transactions. Using magnetic strip technology, information concerning a credit card (or bank issued debit card) an owner's account number is stored as magnetic information on a magnetic strip attached to a credit card or bank issued debit card. By passing the magnetic strip through a magnetic card reader the information about an individual's credit card (or bank issued debit card) account can be read. The information can then be transmitted over telephone lines to the credit card company (or other authorization service) to obtain an authorization for a particular credit card transaction. Imprints of credit card information onto a receipt using a forced-contact device is no longer necessary, as magnetic information is output to a printer which outputs credit card (or bank issued debit card) information (such as the credit card account number or bank issued debit card number) and the transaction information (such as amount, date and store where purchase was made) onto a receipt for the credit card owner.
An alternative to a magnetic strip is an embedded semiconductor device (i.e. memory and/or microprocessor) which can store information for access during a transaction.
Various self-service devices using credit cards and bank issued debit cards have been appearing in the marketplace. Automatic Teller Machines (ATMS) have allowed users to deposit, withdraw and transfer funds to and from bank accounts. Originally ATMs were only used with bank issued debit cards. It is now possible to use credit cards for transactions, such as withdrawals, at ATMs (this may be more accurately described as a loan against an available credit line). Neither credit cards or bank issued debit cards contain information about account content. Account content is stored on the computer of a credit card company or bank. This information is accessed with the credit card or bank issued debit card.
In the vending field, credit cards and bank issued debit cards can be used directly at the pumps at self-service gas stations for dispensing gasoline. Although self-service, this type of vend is still referred to as an attended vend (or attended transaction), as an operator must always be on duty at the gas station. Credit cards can also be used on airplanes for personal telephone calls. This use is also considered an attended transaction as flight attendants are available, as well as a telephone operator for assistance, collect calls, information, etc.
Vending machines, such as copy machines or food machines (e.g. soda machines or candy machines), are often used in a completely unattended state. After normal working hours in libraries, office buildings, post office, court houses or copy facilities, users can still operate a copy machine or food machine using either coins, cash or private debit cards. Private (non-bank issued) debit cards are often referred to as “stored value cards” or “prepaid cards” or “vending cards” . Prepaid cards differ from bank issued debit cards in that prepaid cards have a cash value encoded on the card's magnetic strip (or, alternatively, on an embedded semiconductor device). The prepaid card does not require a connection to a database, as do bank issued debit cards and credit cards, to determine if a transaction is within an available credit limit (for a credit card) or within an available balance (for a bank issued debit card). Prepaid cards have been used to solve some of the problems associated with coin operated vending machines.
Coin operated machines require that a user have sufficient change to purchase the products, make the copies or purchase the services which a user has selected. For example, a user/purchaser may not, before arriving at a vending location, be aware that the selection is available or be aware of the cost of the items in the vending machines. Further, if a user seeks to purchase many items, a large amount of change is necessary. Carrying a sufficient amount of change is burdensome because of the weight and space taken up by the coins, as well as the need to acquire the coins from a bank or other establishment. Carrying large amounts of change may be conspicuous and can pose security problems for a user, particularly late at night in a library, for example.
Although coin changers are often found in the vicinity of coin operated vending machines, coin changers can run out of change or be the targets of vandals, causing problems during unattended use. In addition, there is a lack of accountability, as there is no receipt for transactions. From an operator's perspective, problems with coin operated vending machines include vandalism, theft, inaccurate counting/reporting, collection and depositing.
Prepaid card operated vending machines, such as copy machines, use a magnetic card reader typically located in a central location or attached to the vending machines. To obtain a prepaid card, some present systems allow the purchase of a pre-paid card with a dollar value (or transaction value) already encoded. Other present systems use either an operator to carry out the encoding of the prepaid amount on the magnetic card (sometimes referred to as a “copy card”), or a machine analogous to a change machine for dispensing a new prepaid card and/or encoding a new prepaid amount onto an existing prepaid card.
During unattended use, however, both of these means for obtaining a prepaid card may be inoperable. In the first instance, an attendant is not available during unintended use to encode a purchased amount on an existing prepaid card or issue a new card. In the case of a prepaid card dispensing machine, sufficient change or cash must still be carried by the user to operate such a machine.
Further, generally, both existing coin and prepaid card operated vending machines do not provide transaction information concerning the type of transaction, location, duration, time and other items of marketing and operation information concerning the various transactions. This information can prove useful to the operator of vending machines. The lack of marketing and operation information is compounded if multiple vending machines are located at a particular site or owned by single entity (as is often the case). An operator has to monitor the vending machines by going to the vending location-in order to determine the number of items sold. Operators typically inventory a vending machine, fill the order from a truck or car, and then reload the vending machine. Alternatively and equally inefficient, an operator may carry enough items to refill the entire vending machine each time the vending machine is visited to avoid making multiple trips between a car/truck and the vending machine. Again, the problems
Fureman Jared J.
Lee Michael G.
Ratner & Prestia
USA Technologies Inc.
LandOfFree
System and method for networking and controlling vending... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and method for networking and controlling vending..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method for networking and controlling vending... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2604132