Multi-purpose kiosk and methods

• US 10,395,484 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Blair, Paul A., Algiene, Kenneth, Thompson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Oyebisi, Ojo O
• Application Number:
  US10/225,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 6,216 Days
• Field of Search: 705 38, 705 39, 705 40, 705 43, 705 14, 705408, 235379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/203 Dispensing operations within ATMs dispensing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

A method of using a kiosk to dispense funds, a portion of which has a value less than the value of the lowest form of currency the kiosk dispenses. The method may include receiving information at the kiosk identifying a source for the funds and transmitting a request to a host computer to verify the source for the funds. The method may include receiving at the kiosk a verification of the funds and displaying on a display screen an amount of funds available for payment. The method may include receiving at the kiosk a request from a user to remit a first portion of the amount of funds in a first form, wherein the first form is selected from a group consisting of paper currency, money order, credit to an account, and credit to a stored value card. The method may include remitting the first portion in the first form and displaying a set of options for receiving a second portion of the amount of funds, wherein the set of options is selected from a group consisting of a money order, a donation, a credit to a stored value card, and a credit to an account. The method may include receiving a request from the user to remit the second portion of the amount of funds in a second form selected from the set of options. The first form and the second form may be different, and the kiosk may be configured to dispense money orders upon receipt of a request from the user to remit the first portion as a money order.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose kiosk, comprising:

a first network interface configured to connect to a telephone network;

a second network interface configured to connect to a wide-area network (WAN) computer network;

a communication interface, including at least a display screen, a speaker, and a microphone, configured to provide two-way communication between a customer and a customer service representative, via at least one of the first and second network interface, to thereby allow a customer to participate in such communication in real time while using the multi-purpose kiosk to transfer value;

a paper cash dispenser configured to dispense value to the customer;

a value receiver configured to receive value from the customer;

value dispensing hardware components, comprising at least one of a coin dispenser, a money order printer, and a value card dispenser;

a processing unit comprising one or more processors; and

memory coupled with and readable by the processing unit and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the multi-purpose kiosk to;

(1) receive, via the communication interface, a customer request to receive value transferred from a sender, the value being associated with a transaction file having a unique identifier of an intended recipient and a personal identification number to be provided by the intended recipient to receive the value;

(2) initiate a communication session between the customer and a customer service representative via the communication interface, to thereby receive from the customer service representative the personal identification number upon the customer providing the unique identifier to the customer service representative;

(3) receive, via the communication interface, the personal identification number from the customer;

(4) determine whether the customer has provided the personal identification number;

(5) determine whether the value includes a coinage amount;

(6) in response to determining that the value includes a coinage amount, determine whether the value dispensing hardware components of the multi-purpose kiosk include a coin dispenser;

(7) based on a determination that the multi-purpose kiosk includes a coin dispenser capable of dispensing coinage;

(a) cause the paper cash dispenser of the multi-purpose kiosk to dispense a first portion of the value to the customer in paper currency; and

(b) cause the coin dispenser of the multi-purpose kiosk to dispense a second portion of the value to the customer in coinage; and

(8) based on a determination that the multi-purpose kiosk does not include a coin dispenser capable of dispensing coinage;

(a) cause the paper cash dispenser of the multi-purpose kiosk to dispense the first portion of the value to the customer in paper currency;

(b) cause a plurality of options to be presented to the customer on the display screen of the multi-purpose kiosk, the plurality of options including;

(i) donate the coinage amount to a charity;

(ii) receive a money order for the coinage amount;

(iii) receive a stored value card for the coinage amount;

(c) receive a selection from the customer of one of the plurality of options;

(d) based on a selection of (i) from the customer, present a list of a plurality of charities, receive a selection from the customer of a particular charity, and cause a transfer of the second portion of the value to the particular charity;

(d) based on a selection of (ii) from the customer, cause the money order in an amount of the second portion of the value to be dispensed to the customer via the money order printer of the multi-purpose kiosk; and

(e) based on a selection of (iii) from the customer, cause the stored value card in an amount of the second portion of the value to be dispensed to the customer via the value card dispenser of the multi-purpose kiosk.

2. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising an input device that enables the customer to create a gift message.

3. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 2, further comprising a multi-media output device that enables the customer to appreciate a gift message.

4. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 3, wherein means for appreciating the gift message is selected from the group consisting of a display screen, a speaker, and a printer.

6. The multi-purpose kiosk of claim 2, wherein the communication interface comprises a telephone.

7. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 1, wherein the unique identifier comprises an answer to a unique security question.

5. A computer system for transferring value, comprising:

a host system that receives information relating to value to be transferred; and

at least one multi-purpose kiosk device configured for communication with the host system, wherein the multi-purpose kiosk device comprises one or more network interfaces, a communication interface, a paper cash dispenser configured to dispense value, value dispensing hardware components comprising at least one of a coin dispenser, a money order printer, and a value card dispenser, and a value receiver configured to receive value, wherein the multi-purpose kiosk device further comprises a communication interface that provides two-way communication between a customer and a customer service representative, and;

a central processor configured to;

(1) receive, via the communication interface, a customer request to receive value transferred from a sender, the value being associated with a transaction file having a unique identifier of an intended recipient and a personal identification number to be provided by the intended recipient to receive the value;

(2) initiate a communication session between the customer and a customer service representative via the communication interface, to thereby receive from the customer service representative the personal identification number upon the customer providing the unique identifier to the customer service representative;

(3) receive, via the communication interface, the personal identification number from the customer;

(4) determine whether the customer has provided the personal identification number;

(5) determine whether the value includes a coinage amount;

(6) in response to determining that the value includes a coinage amount, determine whether the value dispensing hardware components of the multi-purpose kiosk device include a coin dispenser;

(7) based on a determination that the multi-purpose kiosk device includes a coin dispenser capable of dispensing coinage;

(a) cause the paper cash dispenser of the multi-purpose kiosk device to dispense a first portion of the value to the customer in paper currency; and

(b) cause the coin dispenser of the multi-purpose kiosk device to dispense a second portion of the value to the customer in coinage; and

(8) based on a determination that the multi-purpose kiosk device does not include a coin dispenser capable of dispensing coinage;

(a) cause the paper cash dispenser of the multi-purpose kiosk device to dispense the first portion of the value to the customer in paper currency;

(b) cause a plurality of options to be presented to the customer on a display screen of the multi-purpose kiosk device, the plurality of options including;

(i) donate the coinage amount to a charity;

(ii) receive a money order for the coinage amount; and

(iii) receive a stored value card for the coinage amount;

(c) receive a selection from the customer of one of the plurality of options; and

(d) cause the second portion of the value to be transferred in accordance with the selection from the customer.

8. The system for transferring value according to claim 5, wherein the unique identifier comprises an answer to a unique security question.