User identification system for automatic vending machines

• US 20040010340A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jofemar SA (Corporacion Jofemar 1971 SA)
• Original Assignee: Jofemar SA (Corporacion Jofemar 1971 SA)
• Inventors: Guindulain Vidondo, Felix
• Application Number:
  US10/315,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010340A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• 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: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection

Abstract

User identification system for automatic vending machines, being useful in all types of coin-operated automatic vending machines, and especially in cigarette vending machines and slot machines, which are provided with a control and operating system controlled by a microprocessor in such a way that the user identification system comprises the inclusion of a chip-type card (3) reader (2) with electronic memory and a fingerprint detecting device (4) in an automatic vending machine (1). The reader and the device are connected to the electronic control and operating system of the machine itself, whose chip-type cards (3) include, stored in their memory, at least one fingerprint of the holder of the card.

Claims

1. User identification system for automatic vending machines, being useful in all type of coin-operated automatic vending machines, and especially in cigarette vending machines and slot machines, which are provided with a control system controlled by a microprocessor, characterized in that the user identification system comprises the inclusion of a chip-type card (3) reader (2) with electronic memory and a fingerprint detecting device (4) in an automatic vending machine (1), the reader and the device being connected to the electronic control and operating system of the machine itself, whose chip-type cards (3) include, stored in their memory, at least one fingerprint of the holder of the card.

2. User identification system for automatic vending machines, according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage of at least one fingerprint of a holder on the corresponding chip-type card (3) with electronic memory is controlled to store fingerprints only of authorized users.

3. User identification system for automatic vending machines, according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that in order to identify the fingerprint of a user, the user will insert his chip-type card (3), with at least one fingerprint stored in its electronic memory in the reader (2), at the same time that he places the finger corresponding to a fingerprint stored on his card on the fingerprint detecting device (4), which will proceed to read and compare said fingerprint.

4. User identification system for automatic vending machines, according to claims 1 or 3, characterized in that the chip-type cards (3) with at least one fingerprint of the holder of the card stored in its electronic memory, can include other details of the holder of the card.

5. User identification system for automatic vending machines, according to claim 1, characterized in that the fingerprint detecting device (4) itself includes a memory in which at least one fingerprint of all the possible users of the machine have been stored, in such a way that when a user is going to make use of the machine the fingerprint detector will compare the user'"'"'s fingerprint with the fingerprints stored in its memory.

6. User identification system for automatic vending machines, according to claim 1, characterized in that a chip-type card (3) with electronic memory can be shared by several holders of the card, the card (3) including in its electronic memory at least one fingerprint of each one of the holders of the card.