Proximity transaction apparatus and methods of use thereof

• US 20050234778A1
• Filed: 04/15/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Havens, William H., Sperduti, David, Gomez, Garrison, Siegler, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices

Abstract

The invention is a transaction terminal configured to perform a financial transaction intermediated by an RFID bearing payment token. The financial transaction is of a general type.

Claims

1. A terminal for conducting an ad libitum financial transaction intermediated by a payment token, comprising:

a radio frequency reader, said reader configured to read a radio frequency payment token presented as a payment medium for said ad libitum financial transaction, said radio frequency reader devoid of a capability to simulate a reader employing reader technology other than radio frequency; and

an output device for confirming that a transaction is being performed

2. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a transaction register.

3. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein said transaction register is operated by a salesperson.

4. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a printer.

5. The terminal according to claim 4, wherein said printer is configured to print a transaction receipt.

6. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging device.

7. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises a bar code reader.

8. A terminal for conducting a financial transaction, comprising:

a radio frequency reader, said reader configured to read a selected one of a plurality of payment tokens employing dissimilar data formats, and to provide data corresponding to an elicited response from said selected one of a plurality of payment tokens employing dissimilar data formats;

a memory for recording data and a machine-readable program, said memory in communication with said radio frequency reader;

a communication module in communication with said radio frequency reader and said memory, said communication module configured to communicate bidirectionally with a remote computer-based apparatus; and

a processor module in communication with said memory and said radio frequency reader, said processor module configured by said machine-readable program to attempt to decode said data corresponding to said elicited response;

wherein, responsive to an indication that said processor module is not configured to perform said decoding correctly, said communication module is configured to request from said remote computer-based apparatus at least one machine-readable instruction for properly configuring said processor module to decode said data.