Systems and methods for configuring a point-of-sale system

• US 20030222135A1
• Filed: 04/03/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• 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 7,086,584 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• 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 20/10 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 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• 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

Among other things, the present invention provides a variety of systems and methods for configuring and/or providing a configurable point-of-sale system. Various methods of the present invention include providing a point-of-sale device and coupling it to a communication network. One or more transaction systems are accessible to the point-of-sale device via the transaction network, instructions are loaded to the memory of the point-of-sale device allowing it to access the transaction system. Various systems include a plurality of point-of-sale devices communicably coupled to various transaction systems via a communication network. The point-of-sale devices can be configurable to access one or more of the various transaction systems.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a scalable value transfer system, the method comprising:

providing a point-of-sale device, wherein the point-of-sale device includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface;

communicably coupling the point-of-sale device to a communication network via the communication interface, wherein a transaction system is accessible by the point-of-sale device via the communication network; and

loading a set of instructions to the memory, wherein the set of instructions are executable by the point-of-sale device to facilitate access to the transaction system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading the set of instructions comprises:

receiving at least a portion of the set of instructions from the transaction system via the communication network.

3. The method of claim 2, the method further comprising:

communicating with the transaction system via the communication network, wherein the communication comprises a request for access to the transaction system.

4. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

in response to the request for access, receiving a condition for accessing the transaction system; and

agreeing to the condition, wherein the portion of the set of instructions is provided from the transaction system to the point-of-sale device.

5. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising:

receiving a transaction request via the point-of-sale device;

in response to the transaction request, communicating the request for access to the transaction system; and

fulfilling the transaction request by accessing the transaction system.

6. The method of claim 3, the method further comprising:

receiving a transaction request via the point-of-sale device; and

fulfilling the transaction request by accessing the transaction system.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the transaction system is a first transaction system, wherein a second transaction system is accessible via the communication network, and wherein the set of instructions is a first set of instructions, the method further comprising:

communicating with the second transaction system via the communication network, wherein the communication comprises a request for access to the second transaction system; and

receiving a second set of instructions from the second transaction system, wherein the second set of instructions are executable by the point-of-sale device to facilitate access to the second transaction system.

8. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising:

receiving a transaction request at the point-of-sale device; and

fulfilling the transaction request by accessing both the first and the second transaction systems.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction system is a first transaction system tailored for controlling a plurality of point-of-sale devices, and wherein the loading the set of instructions is done prior to installation of the point-of-sale device at a merchant location.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the set of instructions is a first set of instructions, the method further comprising:

communicating with the first transaction system via the communication network, wherein the communication comprises a request for access to a second transaction system; and

loading a second set of instructions to the memory, wherein the second set of instructions are executable by the point-of-sale device to facilitate access to the second transaction system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction system is a money transfer system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction system is a check acceptance system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction system is a loyalty program system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction system is a fraud detection system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction system is a stored value card system.

16. A method for deploying a dynamic value transfer system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of point-of-sale devices, wherein each of the point-of-sale devices includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface;

loading a set of instructions to the memory, wherein the set of instructions are executable by the each of the plurality of point-of-sale devices to facilitate access to at least a first transaction system; and

communicably coupling the plurality of point-of-sale devices to a communication network via the communication interfaces, wherein the first transaction system and a second transaction system are accessible by each of the plurality of point-of-sale devices via the communication network.

17. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising:

using one of the plurality of point-of-sale devices, communicating with the second transaction system via the communication network, wherein the communication comprises a request for access to the second transaction system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the set of instructions is a first set of instructions, the method further comprising:

receiving a second set of instructions at the one of the plurality of point-of-sale devices from the second transaction system via the communication network, wherein the second set of instructions are executable by the one of the plurality of point-of-sale devices to facilitate access to the second transaction system.

19. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising:

in response to the request for access, receiving a condition for accessing the second transaction system; and

agreeing to the condition, wherein the second set of instructions is provided from the transaction system to the one of the plurality of point-of-sale devices.

20. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising:

receiving a transaction request via the one of the plurality of point-of-sale devices;

in response to the transaction request, communicating the request for access to the second transaction system; and

fulfilling the transaction request by accessing the second transaction system.

21. An extensible transaction system, the system comprising:

a plurality of configurable point-of-sale devices, wherein each of the point-of-sale devices includes a processor, a memory, and a communication interface; and

wherein;

each of the plurality of point-of-sale devices are communicably coupled to a communication network via the communication interface,

a plurality of transaction systems are accessible via the communication network, and

the memory comprises instructions executable by the processor to request access to each of the plurality of transaction systems.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the memory further comprises instructions executable by the processor to receive additional instructions from one or more of the plurality of transaction systems, and wherein the additional instructions enable a receiving point-of-sale device to utilize the one or more transaction systems.