System for voucher or token verification

• US 20060069654A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Beach, Kirk, Pesch, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,055,925 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/65
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/127 in which both online and offline card verification can take place

Abstract

The present invention allows verification of a voucher or token prior to redemption. The voucher or token has a code associated therewith so that a value of the voucher or token may be stored in a database. Later when the voucher or token is presented to a cashier for redemption, the code is submitted to the database in order to retrieve the value associated with that voucher or token. In this way, the voucher or token is verified before redemption. In one embodiment, a verification system includes a voucher or token database, a recognition subsystem and two transceivers. The database knows the code and value associated with the voucher or token. A recognition subsystem reads the code from the voucher or token. The transceivers couple together the database and the recognition subsystem in such a way that the a query can be made by the recognition system to determine the value associated with the code or otherwise verify the validity of the voucher or token.

Claims

1. A method for verifying a voucher or token, comprising:

recording a code associated with the voucher or token;

scanning the voucher or token to retrieve the code at a cashier'"'"'s station;

querying a voucher or token database for information associated with the code; and

determining whether the voucher or token is valid, using the information, wherein the cashier'"'"'s station uses a first communication link coupled to a back room computer, but the querying step uses a second communication link different from the first communication link.

2. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

providing a coin counting mechanism which is configured to receive, all at once, a plurality of randomly oriented coins of multiple denominations and other objects, discriminate the coins and output the voucher or token for an amount related to the value of the coins.

3. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the scanning step is performed with a recognition subsystem.

4. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the recording step includes recording a value associated with the code.

5. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the querying step includes querying a kiosk which includes at least a portion of the voucher or token database.

6. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 5, wherein:

the recording step is performed in a remote location from the kiosk.

7. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the querying step includes querying a control center which includes at least a portion of the voucher or token database.

8. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the querying step is performed by a recognition subsystem.

9. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the voucher or token includes at least one of a magnetic strip, a bar code or a smartcard.

10. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the voucher or token is at least one of a phone card, a gift certificate, a mass transit pass, a travel ticket, a financial instrument and an event ticket.

11. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

printing the voucher or token.

12. A method for verifying a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of:

counting coins with a coin counting mechanism in a kiosk, wherein at least a part of the database is located in the kiosk.

13. A system which verifies a voucher or token, comprising:

a cashier'"'"'s station which uses a first communication link with a back room computer;

a voucher or token database which stores at least one of a code and a value associated with the voucher or token;

a recognition subsystem which reads the code from the voucher or token;

and

first and second transceivers which form a second communication link, different from the first communication link, wherein the second communication link couples together the voucher or token database and the recognition subsystem.

14. A system which verifies a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the code associated with a voucher or token is unique.

15. A system which verifies a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the voucher or token database stores a value associated with the voucher or token.

16. A system which verifies a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the transceivers communicate with at least one of the following techniques;

wireless, carrier current, data over telephone voice systems and direct-wired communication.

17. A system which verifies a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a modem coupled to the recognition subsystem for electronic verification of the voucher or token.

18. A system which verifies a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a kiosk which includes a coin counting mechanism and wherein at least a part of the voucher or token database is located in the kiosk.

19. A system which verifies a voucher or token, as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the system is not coupled to a point of sale system.

20. A system which verifies a voucher or token, comprising:

means for recording a code associated with the voucher or token;

means for scanning the voucher or token to retrieve the code at a cashier'"'"'s station;

means for querying a voucher or token database for information associated with the code; and

means for determining whether the voucher or token is valid, using the information, wherein the cashier'"'"'s station uses a first communication link coupled to a back room computer, but the querying means uses a second communication link different from the first communication link.

21-42. -42. (canceled)