Multi-purpose kiosk and methods

• US 20040039702A1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thompson, Mark, Algiene, Kenneth, Blair, Paul A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,395,484 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/43
• 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 method of using a kiosk to dispense funds, comprising:

receiving information at the kiosk identifying a source for the funds;

transmitting a request to a host computer to verify the source for the funds;

receiving at the kiosk a verification of the funds;

displaying on a display screen an amount of funds available for payment;

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;

remitting the first portion in the first form;

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; and

receiving a request from the user to remit the second portion of the amount of funds in a second form, wherein the second form is selected from the set of options;

wherein the first form and the second form are different, and wherein the kiosk is configured to dispense money orders upon receipt of a request from the user to remit the first portion as a money order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion is a number of whole dollars of the amount and the second portion is a number of cents of the amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the source for the funds is a wire transfer to the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source for the funds is an account, and further comprising reading account information from a card to identify the source for the funds.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the source for the funds is a check, and the method further comprises receiving the check from the user.

6. A method of using a kiosk to initiate a transaction to send funds along with a greeting, comprising:

receiving information at the kiosk relating to a source for the funds;

receiving at the kiosk from the user information identifying a recipient of the funds;

displaying on a display screen of the kiosk a summary of the transaction; and

receiving at the kiosk information relating to the creation of a message to the recipient of the funds.

7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an amount of funds at the kiosk from a user, wherein the means for receiving the funds is selected from the group consisting of reading information from a card possessed by the user, receiving cash, receiving a check, receiving a wire transfer directed to the user, and receiving a money order.

8. The method as in claim 6, wherein receiving information relating to the creation of a gift message comprises:

receiving information relating to an occasion; and

receiving information relating to a design based on the occasion.

9. The method as in claim 6, wherein receiving information relating to the creation of a gift message comprises recording an audio portion of a greeting.

10. The method as in claim 9, wherein receiving information relating to the creation of a gift message further comprises recording a video portion of the greeting.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein receiving information relating to the creation of a gift message further comprises transmitting a file containing the gift message to a server computer and wherein the gift message includes the audio portion of the greeting, the video portion of the greeting, and data that associates the gift message to the transaction.

12. A method of using a kiosk to exchange value among value accounts, comprising:

receiving information relating to a first value account;

displaying on a display screen of the kiosk an amount of value available for exchange from the first value account;

receiving at the kiosk an amount of value to be transferred;

receiving information relating to a second value account; and

sending a message to a value exchange server to transfer the amount from the first value account to the second value account;

wherein the first value account represents value in a first form and the second value account represents value in a second form, and wherein the first form and the second form are different.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a request to the value exchange server to transmit the exchange rate for value between the first and second value accounts.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving information relating to a first value account includes reading information from a value card while the value card is swiped by a user, wherein the value card represents the first account.

15. A method of using a kiosk to receive funds, comprising:

receiving information from a user identifying a source for the funds;

transmitting a request to a server computer to verify the source for the funds and an amount of funds available; and

presenting a message from the sender of the funds to the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying a set of options from which the user may choose the form in which to receive the funds;

receiving a request from the user to receive the funds in a particular form; and

remitting the funds in the form requested by the user.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the gift card comprises displaying a video portion of the gift card.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the gift card comprises playing an audio portion of the gift card.

19. A multi-purpose kiosk, comprising:

means for providing two-way communication between a customer and a customer service representative;

means for entering account information;

means for remitting value to the customer;

means for displaying account information; and

means for receiving value from the customer.

20. The multi-purpose kiosk of claim 19, wherein value is selected from the group consisting of currency, coinage, money orders, a credit to a value card, and a credit to an account represented by a value card.

21. The multi-purpose kiosk of claim 19, further comprising means for creating a gift message.

22. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 19, further comprising means for appreciating a gift message.

23. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 22, wherein the means for appreciating the gift message is selected from the group consisting of a display screen, a speaker, and a printer.

24. A multi-purpose kiosk, comprising:

a communication arrangement that provides two-way communication between a customer and a customer service representative;

a value dispenser configured to dispense value to the customer; and

a value receiver configured to receive value from the customer.

25. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 24, wherein value is selected from the group consisting of currency, coinage, money orders, a credit to a value card, and a credit to an account represented by a value card.

26. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 24, further comprising an input device that enables the customer to create a gift message.

27. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 24, further comprising a multi-media output device that enables the customer to appreciate a gift message.

28. The multi-purpose kiosk according to claim 27, wherein the means for appreciating the gift message is selected from the group consisting of a display screen, a speaker, and a printer.

29. A system for transferring value, comprising:

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

at least one kiosk configured for communication with a host system, wherein the kiosk comprises a value dispenser configured to dispense value and a value receiver configured to receive value, wherein the kiosk further comprises a communication arrangement that provides two-way communication between a customer and a customer service representative.