×

Internet of things (IoT) apparatus and method for coin operated devices

  • US 10,362,114 B2
  • Filed: 12/14/2015
  • Issued: 07/23/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A system comprising:

  • one or more Internet of Things (IoT) hubs;

    an IoT service comprising a first encryption engine;

    an IoT device comprising a local wireless communication interface including a Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) link to establish a local wireless communication link with the one or more IoT hubs or client devices and a microcontroller unit (MCU) to execute program code, the IoT device further comprising;

    secure communication circuitry, including a second encryption engine, to establish a secure communication channel between the IoT device and the IoT service over the Internet using the local wireless communication link by connecting to an IoT hub;

    a machine/coin acceptor interface comprising a first connector with a slot to electrically and communicatively couple the IoT device to a cable of a coin acceptor device and a second connector comprising a cable to electrically and communicatively couple the IoT device to a slot of a machine control unit to control operations of a coin operated machine;

    the machine/coin acceptor interface to receive first signals from the coin acceptor device over the first connector when coins are inserted into the coin acceptor device and to reproduce the first signals over the second connector to the machine control unit, the reproduced first signals to cause the machine control unit to enable the coin operated machine to perform the operations when a specified number of coins have been inserted;

    the machine/coin acceptor interface further comprising an input to receive second signals from the MCU including a signal generated by the MCU in response to receiving a command from an IoT service over the secure communication channel, the command received from the IoT service is a result of a unique identification code associated with the coin operated machine sent to the IoT service by a client device, the command includes a number of credits to be applied for use of the coin operated machine, the command encrypted by the first encryption engine using a counter value associated with the IoT service and a secret derived from an elliptic curve encryption, wherein upon receiving the encrypted command, the second encryption engine on the IoT device decrypts the encrypted command using a counter value associated with the IoT device and the secret derived from the elliptic curve encryption, based on the decrypted command, the machine/coin acceptor interface to responsively generate third signals over the second connector indicating to the machine control unit that the number of credits received is equivalent to a specified number of coins have been inserted, the third signals including a number of pulses equal to the specified number of coins required to use the coin operated machine, the third signals to cause the machine control unit to enable the coin operated machine to perform the operations, the third signals further mimic the first signals from the coin acceptor device; and

    the one or more IoT hubs comprising a second secure communication circuitry including connection logic to communicatively couple to the IoT service over the Internet and a wireless networking interface to establish the secure communication channel with the IoT device.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×