Vending access to the internet, business application...

Details Vending access to the internet, business application... Vending access to the internet, business application...

1999-07-14

2003-08-05

Hafiz, Tariq R. (Department: 3623)

Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co

Automated electrical financial or business practice or...

Discount or incentive

C705S026640

Reexamination Certificate

active

06604087

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring, collecting data, selling goods and services, controlling interactive advertising, controlling and effectuating electronic commerce and controlling vending equipment. Vending equipment can include vending access to the Internet, business application software, e-commerce, and e-business in a hotel room. The present invention also relates to physical and virtual networking of vending machines and network hardware, server based network control, and network security. The present invention can be implemented in a manner to allow operational monitoring and control of networks (and network hardware), vending machines, electronic commerce, payment for goods and services, delivery of goods and services, and advertising worldwide.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today, business centers have begun to emerge in hotel lobbies, retail outlets, shopping malls, airports, and other public access areas. A typical business center can offer copying, and faxing, among other types of products and services. Furthermore, some business centers even make a PC available for general computing tasks, printing, or access to online services. Generally, there are two types of business center classifications, the “manned center” and the “unmanned center.”
The “manned center” can include an employee to provide services, collect money, perform tasks and supervise the use of the center. The “unmanned center” typically does not require an employee and can include a copier, a fax and a PC. The “unmanned center” can be coin-cash-card activated, or may be offered as a “free” amenity service to customers.
A drawback of the “manned center” can be the reliance on paid employees. These employees can have a high operating cost. Before a “manned center” becomes profitable, revenues from the business center may have to pay for the cost of the employees required to operate the center. In many business centers, reliance on, and cost of employees can prevent the center from being profitable. Thus, certain “manned centers” may not offer an economically viable, or profitable business model to their owners.
Additionally, another drawback in the “manned center” can be limited hours of access and operation. Most “manned centers” are “open” for business for a finite number of hours during the day, and can be “closed” in the evenings and on the weekends. As a result of the limited “open” hours and reduced accessibility of services to customers, a significant amount of a business center's potential revenue can be lost or otherwise unrealized. Most business travelers are out of the hotel on business calls during the day when the “manned center” is “open”. When the customer returns to the hotel in the evening to use the “manned center,” they may find it closed for the day.
Retail business centers, such as MAIL BOXES ETC. (“MBE”), KINKO'S, SIR SPEEDY, and ALPHA GRAPHICS may operate their businesses in a “manned center” format. This can lead to the inability to meet customer needs after hours, and may result in a loss of business related revenues. For example, when a MBE store is “closed” to the public for full service, a 24 hours access area can remain “open” for MBE member-customers to access their mailboxes. This minority group of business members may have limited access to some business-related services, such a copying. The general public on the other hand, not having a prearranged membership, can not use these services. Business from these potential customers is lost. Subsequently, MBE stores can suffer the same drawbacks as the “manned center.” These retail locations will continue to lose revenue during the times the stores are “open” for access to member-customers but “closed” to the general public.
An “unmanned” business center can be open for business 24-hours a day. This type of center typically relies on coin-cash-card systems to activate the business center's equipment. The type of card accepted is a magnetic card which includes a credit card, a smart card, a debit card, a pre-paid, automated teller machine (“ATM”) or other bank or private issued card. Coin-cash-card systems are well known for copiers, however, for faxing, PC's, and other types of vending equipment and services, reliance on these types of systems alone can be awkward and in certain situations impractical. As a result, certain services such as faxing, and computing may not be available to customers, or offered to customers with limited service functionality.
An “unmanned center” relying on coin activated copiers and fax machines may offer little in the way of security and safety to the equipment. Furthermore, by accumulating money in coin boxes, the risk of break-ins, damage and theft can be increased. A service attendant may be required to remove money from the coin boxes at a periodic interval, adding an additional level of labor, and increasing the potential of theft. Also, customers using a coin or cash operated business center could find themselves without sufficient monetary means to pay for products and services, as coin changers and ATMs, or other cash access means may not be readily available.
Brand standard or loyalty programs (“loyalty programs”) that offer a customer a promotional reward, discount or other incentive for repeated use of a business center or repeated visits to a hotel or store can be difficult to implement at a “manned center,” or in a coin-cash-card based “unmanned center.” A potential limitation of current “manned center” and “unmanned center” business centers, as related to the management of a loyalty program, can be tracking and recording customer usage specific to a group of locations, hotel brand or chain, particular business center, or brand-chain of retail outlet worldwide.
In many hotels and retail outlets, the addition of a business center can represent a new business model, method, or proposition. As such, financial accounting for a business center can be difficult for an owner, or operator unaccustomed to managing this type of business. Furthermore, most businesses having established a method of business operations for their core business and can find business center accounting a new and undesirable burden. For example, in many retail outlets the store is managed from a point of sale terminal (“POS”) system. A business center that can not be integrated into the store's POS system, can add an additional level of accounting burden for the storeowner. Corporate headquarters that remotely manage a population of franchised locations can struggle in managing business centers located in their franchised locations, in combination with business centers located in non-traditional business sites, such as in hotels. A further example can be in a hotel, where the hotel is managed from a system that tracks guests, rooms, and the like. A business center's inability to integrate into a management information system (“MIS”) or the hotel's property management information system (“PMS”) can be burdensome to the hotel, and to the hotel's customer.
A number of reasons support the long felt need of the present invention including the deficiencies and shortcomings of the “manned center” and coin-cash-card based “unmanned center.” The deficiencies and shortcomings of the “manned center” can include limited hours of operation, and a likelihood that employee costs could adversely effect the profitability of the center.
Deficiencies and shortcomings of the cash-coin-card based “unmanned center” can include a lack of security/safety to equipment and money accumulating in coin boxes. Furthermore, inadequate payment systems can result in reduced profits, limited functionality of vending products and services. Cash and coin systems can increase reliance on service attendants required to collect money from the coin boxes.
Deficiencies and shortcomings that are common to both the “manned center” and coin-cash-card based “unmanned center” are numerous. These shortcomings can

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