Systems and methods for performing transactions at a point-of-sale

• US 20020153414A1
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stoutenburg, Earney, Nelson, Eric M., Price, James, Singleton, Jeffrey, Seifert, Dean A., Fillinger, Charles A., Mollett, Cassandra J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only
• 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 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

A point-of-sale device useful in relation to a variety of circumstances and/or utilization methods. Various implementations of such point-of-sale devices are disclosed. For example, one particular point-of-sale device includes a base unit adapted for performing merchant functions and a peripheral unit adapted to perform customer functions. The base unit can include a base unit housing with a processor disposed therein and capable of supporting a variety of transaction types.

Claims

1. A point-of-sale device comprising:

a base unit adapted for performing merchant functions at a point-of-sale, wherein the base unit includes;

a base unit housing; and

a processor disposed within the base unit housing and configured to process a plurality of transaction types, wherein one of the plurality of transaction types is a check acceptance transaction; and

a peripheral unit in communication with the base unit, the peripheral unit including a peripheral unit housing and being adapted to perform customer functions at the point-of-sale.

2. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the base unit housing comprises a document slot adapted for receiving a document.

3. The point-of-sale device of claim 2, wherein the base unit further includes a magnetic-ink character recognition reader positioned with respect to the document slot and adapted to read a string of magnetic-ink characters on the document when the document is inserted within the document slot.

4. The point-of-sale device of claim 2, wherein the base unit further includes a document imager positioned with respect to the document slot and adapted to capture an image of the document when the document is inserted within the document slot.

5. The point-of-sale of claim 2, the point-of-sale device further comprising a printing device configured to print on a document received within the document slot.

6. The point-of-sale device of claim 5, wherein the printing device is a slip printer, the point-of-sale device further comprising:

a roll printer.

7. The point-of-sale device of claim 5, wherein the printing device is a slip printer, the point-of-sale device further comprising:

a document imager configured to image a document received within the document slot; and

wherein the document imager and the slip printer share a common paper transport mechanism.

8. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the point-of-sale device comprises a biometrics device.

9. The point-of-sale device of claim 8, wherein the biometrics device is integral to the peripheral unit.

10. The point of sale device of claim 8, wherein the biometrics device is a finger-print device.

11. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the base unit further includes a display on the base unit housing and in communication with the processor.

12. The point-of-sale device of claim 11, wherein the base unit further comprises a touch-screen.

13. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the base unit further includes a keypad on the base unit housing and in communication with the processor.

14. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the base unit housing further includes a payment-card slot for receiving a payment card and wherein the base unit further includes a magnetic strip reader affixed with the base unit housing at the payment-card slot and in communication with the processor.

15. The point-of-sale device of claim 14, the point-of sale device further comprising a magnetic-strip writer in communication with the base unit.

16. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a card issuer for distributing one or more types of stored value cards.

17. The point-of-sale device of claim 16, wherein the one or more types of stored value cards comprises a phone card.

18. The point-of sale device of claim 16, wherein the one or more types of stored value cards comprise a retail gift card.

19. The point-of-sale device recited in claim 1, the point-of-sale device further comprising a modem located within the base unit housing and in communication with the processor.

20. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, the point-of-sale device further comprising an external communications interface in communication with the processor.

21. The point-of-sale device of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to receive and process Internet communications over the external communications interface.

22. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the base unit housing is shaped to sit on a merchant counter.

23. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the base unit housing is adapted for mounting on a wall.

24. The point-of-sale device of claim 1, wherein the peripheral unit comprises a display on the peripheral unit housing.

25. The point-of-sale device of claim 24 wherein the display is adapted for electronic signature capture.

26. The point-of-sale device of claim 25 wherein the peripheral unit further comprises an electrostatic writing stylus configured for writing on the display.

27. The point-of-sale device of claim 1 wherein the peripheral unit comprises a keypad on the peripheral unit housing.

28. The point-of-sale device of claim 1 wherein the peripheral unit comprises:

a payment-card slot within the peripheral unit housing for receiving a payment card; and

a magnetic stripe card reader affixed with the peripheral unit housing at the payment-card slot.

29. The point-of-sale device of claim 1 wherein the peripheral unit comprises a smart-card reader affixed with the peripheral unit housing.

30. The point-of-sale device of claim 1 wherein the base unit further includes a docking station and the peripheral unit is adapted for docking within the docking station.

31. A point-of-sale device comprising:

a housing;

an external communications interface located on the housing; and

a processor disposed within the housing and in communication with the external communications interface, the processor being configured to;

process a plurality of transaction types at a point-of-sale; and

receive and process Internet communications over the external communications interface.

32. The point-of-sale device of claim 31, the point-of-sale device further comprising:

a display on the housing and in communication with the processor; and

a keypad on the housing and in communication with the processor.

33. The point-of-sale device of claim 31 wherein:

the housing includes a document slot adapted for receiving a document; and

the point-of-sale device further comprises a magnetic-ink character recognition device positioned with respect to the document slot and adapted read a string of magnetic-ink characters on the document when the document is inserted within the document slot.

34. The point-of-sale device of claim 31, the point-of-sale device further comprising a peripheral unit interface located on the housing and in communication with the processor, the peripheral unit interface being configured to provide communication with a peripheral unit adapted to perform customer functions.

36. The point-of-sale device of claim 35, wherein at least one of the base unit and the peripheral unit comprises a magnetic stripe card reader adapted for reading a magnetic stripe from a payment card.

37. The point-of-sale device of claim 35 the point-of-sale device further comprising an external communications interface in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to receive and process Internet communications over the external communications interface.

38. The point-of-sale device of claim 35 wherein the display further comprises a touch-screen and is adapted for electronic signature capture.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein capturing information related to the transaction comprises electronically capturing a signature of a customer via a touch-screen display.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein capturing information related to the transaction comprises capturing numeric data from a keypad comprised by the peripheral unit.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein capturing information related to the transaction comprises reading a magnetic stripe with a magnetic stripe card reader comprised by the peripheral unit.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein capturing information related to the transaction comprises reading a smart card with a smart-card reader comprised by the peripheral unit.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein transmitting the information to the base unit is performed wirelessly.

45. The method of claim 39, the method further comprising collecting additional information related to the transaction with the base unit, wherein the additional information is also requisite for the at least one predefined authorized transaction types.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein collecting additional information related to the transaction comprises reading a string of magnetic-ink characters from a document with a magnetic-ink character recognition reader comprised by the base unit.

48. The point-of-sale device of claim 47, wherein the housing means comprises:

means for receiving a document; and

means for reading a string of magnetic-ink characters on the document when the document is inserted within the means for receiving the document.

49. The point-of-sale device of claim 47, wherein the housing means comprises a first display means, such first display means being configured to support touch operation, and wherein the means for performing customer functions comprises a second display means, such second display means being configured to capture electronic signature information.

50. The point-of-sale device of claim 47, wherein at least one of the means for performing merchant functions and the means for performing customer functions comprises means for reading a magnetic stripe comprised by a payment card.

51. The point-of-sale device of claim 47, wherein the housing means comprises means for docking the means for performing customer functions to the means for performing merchant functions.

52. The point-of-sale device of claim 47, the point-of-sale device further comprising means for performing Internet communications externally from the point-of-sale device to the processor means.

35. A point-of-sale device comprising:

a base unit adapted for performing merchant functions at a point-of-sale, wherein the base unit includes;

a base unit housing having a document slot adapted for receiving a document;

a processor disposed within the base unit housing and configured to process a plurality of transaction types;

a magnetic-ink character recognition device positioned with respect to the document slot and adapted to read a string of magnetic-ink characters on the document when the document is inserted within the document slot; and

a docking station integral with the base unit housing; and

a peripheral unit in communication with the base unit and adapted for docking with the base unit, the peripheral unit including;

a peripheral unit housing; and

a display on the peripheral unit housing.

39. A method for processing a transaction, the method comprising:

capturing information related to the transaction at a point-of-sale with a peripheral unit, wherein the information is requisite for at least one of a plurality of predefined authorized transaction types that includes check processing;

transmitting the information to a base unit positioned locally with respect to the peripheral unit; and

processing the transaction in accordance with the at least one predefined authorized transaction types using the transmitted information.

47. A point-of-sale device comprising:

means for performing merchant functions at a point-of-sale, such means including;

housing means; and

processor means disposed within the first housing means for processing a plurality of payment types that includes check processing; and

means for performing customer functions at the point-of-sale, wherein the means for performing merchant functions and the means for performing customer functions are in communication.