System for voucher or token verification

• US 10,055,925 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Beach, Kirk, Pesch, Christopher A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US11/230,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20060069654A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,719 Days
• Field of Search: 705 34- 45, 194210-213
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/127 in which both online and offline card verification can take place

Abstract

The present invention allows verification of a voucher or token prior to redemption. The voucher or token has a code associated therewith so that a value of the voucher or token may be stored in a database. Later when the voucher or token is presented to a cashier for redemption, the code is submitted to the database in order to retrieve the value associated with that voucher or token. In this way, the voucher or token is verified before redemption. In one embodiment, a verification system includes a voucher or token database, a recognition subsystem and two transceivers. The database knows the code and value associated with the voucher or token. A recognition subsystem reads the code from the voucher or token. The transceivers couple together the database and the recognition subsystem in such a way that the a query can be made by the recognition system to determine the value associated with the code or otherwise verify the validity of the voucher or token.

Claims

1. A system for processing coins, the system comprising:

a first coin counting machine;

a second coin counting machine remote from the first coin counting machine, the second coin counting machine having;

a coin input region configured to receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins from a user;

a coin discriminator configured to count the coins to determine a total;

a printer configured to print a machine-readable code and a value on a voucher, wherein the value is related to the total; and

a dispenser configured to dispense the voucher to the user in exchange for at least a portion of the coins;

a database configured to receive information from the second coin counting machine related to the voucher; and

a voucher recognition subsystem remote from the second coin counting machine and the database, wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is configured to read the code off the voucher and send a related query to the first coin counting machine for information related to the voucher, and wherein the first coin counting machine is configured to forward the query to the database for information related to the voucher.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the database is remote from the first and second coin counting machines.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the voucher recognition subsystem includes a wireless transceiver for communicating with the first coin counting machine.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the database receives the voucher code and the voucher value from the second coin counting machine, and wherein the voucher recognition subsystem sends the code to the first coin counting machine as part of the query to verify the voucher value.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine-readable code printed on the voucher includes a bar code, and wherein the voucher recognition subsystem includes a bar code scanner operably coupled to a cashier station in a retail location.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first coin counting machine is positioned in a retail location, and wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is positioned at a cashier station in the retail location.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first coin counting machine is positioned in a retail location, and wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is positioned remote from the first coin counting machine at a cashier station in the retail location.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the database is positioned in the second coin counting machine and the first coin counting machine is positioned in a retail location, wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is positioned at a cashier station in the retail location, and wherein the voucher recognition subsystem includes a first wireless transceiver for communicating with a second wireless transceiver operably coupled to the first coin counting machine.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine-readable code printed on the voucher includes encrypted information.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine-readable code printed on the voucher includes encrypted information, and wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is configured to decrypt the encrypted information before sending the query to the database.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the machine-readable code printed on the voucher includes encrypted information related to the voucher value, and wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is configured to decrypt the encrypted information.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the value printed on the voucher is equal to the total of coins counted.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the value printed on the voucher is less than the total of coins counted.

14. A system for processing coins, the system comprising:

a first coin counting machine positioned in a first retail location, the first coin counting machine having;

a coin input region configured to receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins from a user;

a coin discriminator configured to count the coins to determine a total;

a printer configured to print a machine-readable code and a value on a voucher, wherein the value is related to the total; and

a dispenser configured to dispense the voucher to the user in exchange for at least a portion of the coins;

a database configured to receive information from the first coin counting machine related to the voucher; and

a voucher recognition subsystem configured to read the code off the voucher and send a related query to a second coin counting machine for information related to the voucher, wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is positioned at a cashier station in a second retail location different from the first retail location, wherein the second coin counting machine is positioned in the second retail location, and wherein the second coin counting machine forwards the query to the database for information related to the voucher, wherein the database is positioned in a control center remote from the first and second retail locations.

15. A system for processing coins, the system comprising:

a coin counting machine, the coin counting machine having;

a coin input region configured to receive a first plurality of randomly oriented coins from a first user;

a coin discriminator configured to count the coins to determine a total;

a printer configured to print a machine-readable first code and a value on a first voucher, wherein the value is related to the total; and

a dispenser configured to dispense the first voucher to the first user in exchange for at least a portion of the first plurality of coins, wherein the dispenser is further configured to dispense a second voucher to a second user in exchange for at least a portion of a second plurality of coins;

a database positioned in a control center remote from the coin counting machine, wherein the database is configured to receive information from the coin counting machine related to the first voucher;

a voucher recognition subsystem remote from the coin counting machine and the database, wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is configured to read the first code off the first voucher and send a related query to the database for information related to the first voucher, and wherein the voucher recognition subsystem is further configured to read the second code off the second voucher and send a related query to the coin counting machine for information related to the second voucher; and

a point of sale system, wherein the point of sale system includes a cashier station operably coupled to a back room computer that is remote from the database, wherein the back room computer provides merchandize pricing information to the cashier station, and wherein the voucher recognition system provides voucher verification information to the cashier station.

16. A system for processing coins, the system comprising:

a coin counting machine, the coin counting machine having;

a coin input region configured to receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins from a user;

a coin discriminator configured to count the coins to determine a total; and

a dispenser configured to dispense a financial instrument to the user in exchange for at least a portion of the coins, wherein the financial instrument includes a code;

a database configured to receive information from the coin counting machine related to the financial instrument; and

a recognition subsystem configured to read the code off the financial instrument and send a related query to the database for information related to the financial instrument.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the database receives at least a portion of the code and a value from the coin counting machine, and wherein the value is related to the total.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the database receives at least a portion of the code and a value from the coin counting machine, and wherein the value is added to an account in the database that is associated with the code.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the financial instrument is a card having a magnetic stripe that carries the code, and wherein the recognition subsystem includes a card reader configured to read the code off the magnetic stripe.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the financial instrument is a prepaid credit card having a magnetic stripe that carries the code, and wherein the recognition subsystem includes a card reader configured to read the code off the magnetic stripe.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the financial instrument is a prepaid phone card having a magnetic stripe that carries the code, and wherein the recognition subsystem includes a card reader configured to read the code off the magnetic stripe.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the financial instrument is a gift certificate containing the code in machine-readable form, and wherein the recognition subsystem includes a machine for reading the code off the gift certificate.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the financial instrument is a prepaid credit card having a magnetic stripe that carries the code, wherein the database receives at least a portion of the code and a value from the coin counting machine, and wherein the value is added to an account in the database that is associated with the code, further wherein the recognition subsystem includes a card reader configured to read the code off the magnetic stripe when the user desires to apply at least a portion of the value in the account to a purchase.