Method and apparatus for receipt printing and information display in a personal identification number delivery system

• US 20060045244A1
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: EWI Holdings Inc. (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EWI Holdings Inc. (Albertsons Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: New, Darren
• Application Number:
  US10/925,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20060045244A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.120
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• 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: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A method of obtaining a personal identification number (PIN) in the form of a receipt printed by a client terminal is disclosed. The method includes storing, at the client terminal, receipt templates received from a server for plural prepaid services. The method further includes receiving, at the client terminal, a request for a PIN associated with a first of the plural prepaid services. A requested PIN and other information associated with the first of the plural prepaid services is then printed, in accordance with a first of the receipt templates associated with the first of the plural prepaid services, upon the receipt and dispensed by the client terminal.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining a personal identification number (PIN) from a client terminal, comprising:

storing, at the client terminal, receipt templates for plural prepaid services wherein the receipt templates are received from a server;

receiving, at the client terminal, a request for a PIN associated with a first of the plural prepaid services; and

printing a requested PIN and other information associated with the first of the plural prepaid services upon a receipt dispensed by the client terminal in accordance with a first of the receipt templates associated with the first of the plural prepaid services.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

sending, from the client terminal, a PIN request to the server in response to the request for a PIN; and

receiving, at the client terminal, the requested PIN.

3. The method of claim 1 further including dispensing an additional requested PIN from the client terminal by printing an additional receipt wherein additional information is printed upon the additional receipt in accordance with a second of the receipt templates associated with a second of the prepaid services.

4. The method of claim 1 further including receiving, at the client terminal, an identifier corresponding to the first of the receipt templates.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least certain of the other information is provided by the server and received by the client terminal.

6. The method of claim 1 further including receiving and storing, at the client terminal, a product catalog containing information identifying the plural prepaid services.

7. The method of claim 6 further including displaying, upon a screen of the client terminal, prompts relating to information required to be provided in connection with purchase of one of the plural prepaid services wherein the prompts are stored within the product catalog.

8. The method of claim 1 further including displaying, upon a screen of the client terminal, at least certain of the other information.

9. The method of claim 1 further including:

storing, at the client terminal, a plurality of report templates; and

printing, at the client terminal and in accordance with one of the report templates, a report pertaining to operation of the client terminal.

10. The method of claim 1 further including:

receiving, at the client terminal, a configuration file downloaded from the server wherein the configuration file includes the receipt templates; and

storing a checksum for the configuration file at the client terminal upon completion of downloading of the configuration file.

11. The method of claim 10 further including:

communicating the checksum to the server;

comparing the checksum to a configuration checksum maintained at the server; and

downloading, from the server to the client terminal, an updated configuration file when the checksum does not match the configuration checksum.

12. The method of claim 1 further including:

downloading, from the server to the client terminal, user interface templates corresponding to a type of the client terminal; and

displaying information on a screen of the client terminal in a manner consistent with one or more of the user interface templates.

13. A client terminal, comprising:

a processor;

memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing receipt templates for plural prepaid services wherein the receipt templates are received from a server;

a user interface through which is received a request for a PIN associated with a first of the plural prepaid services; and

a dispensing mechanism for printing, in accordance with a first of the receipt templates associated with the first of the plural prepaid services, a receipt containing a requested PIN and other information associated with the first of the plural prepaid services.

14. The client terminal of claim 13 further including a network interface through which is transmitted, to the server, a PIN request generated in response to the request for a PIN and through which is received the requested PIN.

15. The client terminal of claim 13 wherein the dispensing mechanism is further configured to print, in accordance with a second of the receipt templates associated with a second of the plural prepaid services, an additional receipt containing an additional requested PIN and other information associated with the second of the plural prepaid services.

16. The client terminal of claim 13 wherein an identifier corresponding to the first of the receipt templates is received from the server through the network interface.

17. The client terminal of claim 13 wherein at least certain of the other information is provided by the server and received by the client terminal through the network interface.

18. The client terminal of claim 13 wherein the memory further stores a product catalog received from the server through the network interface, the product catalog containing information identifying the plural prepaid services.

19. The client terminal of claim 18 wherein the user interface is further operative to display prompts relating to information required to be provided in connection with purchase of one of the plural prepaid services wherein textual information relating to the prompts is stored within the product catalog.

20. The client terminal of claim 13 wherein the memory further includes user interface templates corresponding to a type of the client terminal, said user interface templates being downloaded from the server to the client terminal.

21. The client terminal of claim 20 wherein the user interface is operative to present display information in a manner consistent with one or more of the user interface templates.

22. A PIN delivery system comprising:

a plurality of client terminals wherein at least a first client terminal included within the plurality of client terminals is of a first terminal type and wherein at least a second client terminal included within the plurality of client terminals is of a second terminal type;

a server containing a processor and memory operatively coupled to the processor; and

a database in communication with the server, the database containing;

a plurality of sets of PINs associated with a corresponding plurality of prepaid services;

a first set of receipt templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said first terminal type;

a second set of receipt templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said second terminal type ;

wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory for;

sending, to the first client terminal, the first set of receipt templates and at least a first PIN included within the plurality of sets of PINs; and

sending, to the second client terminal, the second set of receipt templates and at least a second PIN included within the plurality of sets of PINs.

23. The PIN delivery system of claim 22 wherein each receipt template of the first set of receipt templates corresponds to one of said plurality of prepaid services and wherein each receipt template of the second set of receipt templates corresponds to one of said plurality of prepaid services.

24. The PIN delivery system of claim 22 wherein a wherein the first client terminal includes a first dispensing mechanism through which is dispensed a first receipt upon which is printed the first PIN, the receipt further including other information printed in accordance with a first receipt template of the first set of receipt templates wherein the first PIN and the first receipt template are associated with a first of the plurality of prepaid services.

25. The PIN delivery system of claim 24 wherein the second client terminal includes a second dispensing mechanism through which is dispensed a second receipt upon which is printed the second PIN, the receipt further including additional information printed in accordance with a second receipt template of the second set of receipt templates wherein the second PIN and the second receipt template are associated with a second of the plurality of prepaid services.

26. The PIN delivery system of claim 24 wherein the database further contains:

a first set of report templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said first terminal type; and

a second set of report templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said second terminal type.

27. The PIN delivery system of claim 26 wherein the processor executes additional instructions stored in the memory for:

sending, to the first client terminal, the first set of report templates; and

sending, to the second client terminal, the second set of report templates.

28. The PIN delivery system of claim 24 wherein the database further contains:

a first set of user interface templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said first terminal type; and

a second set of user interface templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said second terminal type.

29. The PIN delivery system of claim 28 wherein the processor executes additional instructions stored in the memory for:

sending, to the first client terminal, the first set of user interface templates; and

sending, to the second client terminal, the second set of user interface templates.