Apparatus for establishing debit accounts

• US 20010023409A1
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Published: 09/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Airtime Technologies, Inc. (Millennium Prime, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airtime Technologies, Inc. (Millennium Prime, Inc.)
• Inventors: Keil, Dean S.
• Application Number:
  US09/837,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20010023409A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment

Abstract

A system and method for establishing a debit account via a point of sale transaction terminal which is in communication with a secure host server. The transaction terminal includes an operating program for initiating a point of sale transaction to accept funds from a customer to be deposited into a debit account; transmitting the amount of the funds to the secure host server, receiving a debit account number and personal identifier number (PIN) unique to the transaction from the secure host server; and providing a printed receipt to the customer with the debit account number and PIN. The secure host server creates a debit account having a unique debit account number specific to the transaction, stores a electronic representation of currency equivalent to the input value into the debit account; and associates a personal identification number (PIN) with the debit account. The invention further includes a database for storing the debit account number and PIN number which also maintains account balance information associated with the debit account number. The funds can then be withdrawn from the debit account by a customer using the debit account number and PIN. Personal identification data from the customer is not required to establish the account, and the account holder identity can remain anonymous.

Claims

1. An apparatus for establishing a debit account via a point of sale transaction;

comprising;

(a) a transaction terminal, said terminal including input means, display means, and processing means;

(b) printing means operatively coupled to said transaction terminal;

(c) communications means integral to said transaction terminal;

(d) a secure host server in communication with said transaction terminal; and

(e) said transaction terminal further including an operating program for performing a series of steps including;

initiating said point of sale transaction to accept funds from a customer to be deposited into a debit account;

accepting an input value representing funds to be deposited into said debit account;

accessing said secure host server via said communications means;

transmitting said input value to said secure host server;

receiving a debit account number unique to said transaction from said secure host server;

receiving a unique personal identifier number (PIN) corresponding to said debit account number from said secure host server, and providing said debit account number and PIN in readable format to said customer.

2. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein said secure host server is operatively coupled to a processing means;

said processing means including an operating program performing the steps of;

creating a debit account specific to said transaction, assigning a unique debit account number with to said debit account;

storing an electronic representation of currency equivalent to the input value into said debit account; and

associating a personal identification number (PIN) with said debit account number.

3. The apparatus of

claim 1

, further including a database for storing said debit account number and PIN number, said database further including account balance information associated with said debit account number,

wherein said funds can be withdrawn from said debit account by a customer using said debit account number and said PIN.

4. The apparatus of

claim 3

, wherein said debit account is indexed in said database by said debit account number and PIN.

5. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein said printing means generates a printed receipt specific to said transaction, said printed receipt including said debit account number and said PIN number.

6. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein said input means comprises an alphanumeric keyboard.

7. The apparatus of

claim 1

, wherein said input means comprises an alphanumeric keyboard.

8. An apparatus for establishing a debit account via a point of sale transaction;

comprising;

(a) a transaction terminal, said terminal including input means, display means, and processing means;

(b) printing means operatively coupled to said transaction terminal;

(c) communications means integral to said transaction terminal;

(d) a secure host server in communication with said transaction terminal;

(e) said transaction terminal further adapted to include an operating program for performing a series of steps including;

initiating said point of sale transaction to accept funds from a customer to be deposited into a debit account;

accepting an input value representing funds to be deposited into said debit account;

accessing said secure host server via said communications means;

transmitting said input value to said secure host server;

receiving a debit account number unique to said transaction, and providing said debit account number to said customer in readable format.

9. The apparatus of

claim 8

, wherein said secure host server is operatively coupled to a processing means;

said processing means including an operating program performing the steps of;

creating a debit account specific to said transaction, assigning a unique debit account number to said debit account; and

storing an electronic representation of currency equivalent to the input value into said debit account.

10. The apparatus of

claim 8

, further comprising a database for storing said debit account number, said database further including account balance information associated with said debit account number, wherein said funds can be withdrawn from said debit account by a customer using said debit account number.

11. The apparatus of

claim 9

, wherein said debit account is indexed in said database by said debit account number.

12. The apparatus of

claim 8

, wherein said printing means generates a printed receipt specific to said transaction containing said debit account number.

13. The apparatus of

claim 8

, further comprising a means to assign a customer-selected PIN to said debit account number during said transaction.

14. The apparatus of

claim 13

, wherein said means comprises a keypad operatively connected to said transaction terminal.

15. The apparatus of

claim 13

, wherein said means comprises a biometric scanning device.

16. The apparatus of

claim 10

, wherein said database further includes said customer-selected PIN.

17. The apparatus of

claim 9

, wherein said debit account is indexed in said database by said debit account number and customer-selected PIN.