Two part payment terminal

• US 20040167820A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Amy, Tarrant, Gerard J. Jr., Melick, Diana, Roslak, Thomas K., Vollkommer, Richard M., Willins, Bruce A.
• Application Number:
  US10/375,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167820A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

The two part payment terminal system improves communication between a server and one or more customers. The system includes a mobile terminal that can be hand-held and employed by a server for taking orders, such as in a restaurant. The system can also include a plurality of mobile companion devices that can be employed by customers for payment of the ordered items. Customers and/or servers can also utilize the mobile terminal and/or companion devices to provide the customer with menu items, available discounts, nutritional information, etc.

Claims

1. A two part payment terminal system comprising:

a handheld terminal employed to provide customer services; and

a plurality of mobile companions wirelessly associated with the handheld terminal, the mobile companions employed to process customer payments.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld terminal includes a docking station for one or more mobile companions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein when a mobile companion is docked in a handheld terminal, the mobile companion can function as an integral part of the handheld terminal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile companions can extract charge from the handheld terminal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of mobile companions can extract charge using inductive or direct contact based mechanisms.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inductive charging basket to charge a plurality of mobile companions.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile companions includes a scanner to read printed receipts.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile companions employ inertial movement to read printed receipts.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile companions are pen-shaped.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld terminal includes a real time location tracking system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the real time location tracking system is based on triangulation.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the real time location tracking system is based on a IEEE 802.11 WLAN signal.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the real time location tracking system is based on radio frequency identification.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the real time location tracking system is based on reading a bar code having location information encoded therein.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile companions include real time location tracking systems.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the real time location tracking systems are based on triangulation.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the real time location tracking system is based on triangulation.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the real time location tracking systems are based on radio frequency identification.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the real time location tracking systems are based on reading a bar code having location information encoded therein.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile companions are wirelessly associated with the handheld terminal via Bluetooth.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile companions are wirelessly associated with the handheld terminal via IEEE 802.11.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of immobile companions are wirelessly associated with the handheld terminal via RFID.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein a customer can utilize a mobile companion to alert a server.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile terminals include smart card readers.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of mobile terminals include a magnetic stripe reader.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld terminal includes a smart card reader.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld terminal includes a magnetic stripe reader.

28. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external printer.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the handheld terminal includes a printer.

30. The system of claim 1, further comprising a security system to mitigate theft of at least one of the handheld terminal and the plurality of mobile companions.

31. A methodology for fabricating a portable electronic device comprising:

providing a tamper resistant grid; and

providing a general purpose operating system if the portable electronic device will be employed for receiving customer orders and providing a special operating system if the portable electronic device will be employed for processing customer payments.