COIN-FREE RETAIL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080004965A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 01/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Byungsun Park
• Original Assignee: Byungsun Park
• Inventors: PARK, Byungsun
• Application Number:
  US11/424,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20080004965A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing 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

Abstract

Disclosed is a coin-free retail business management system and method. The method comprises reading a customer identification into a business management system, retrieving a first value previously saved under the customer identification; comparing the first value to a second value from a present transaction amount, the second value being a non-billable fraction from the present transaction amount, that is less than the face value of a lowest-valued monetary bill; generating a third value that is an addition of the first and second values; and subtracting the addition less a non-billable fraction of the addition from the present transaction amount.

Claims

1. A coin-free retail business management method, comprising the steps of:

reading a customer identification into a business management system;

retrieving a first value previously saved under the customer identification;

comparing the first value to a second value from a present transaction amount, wherein the second value is a non-billable fraction from the present transaction amount, which is less than the face value of a lowest-valued monetary bill;

generating a third value, wherein the third value is an addition of the first and second values; and

subtracting the addition less a non-billable fraction of the addition from the present transaction amount.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first value is less than the face value of the lowest-valued monetary bill.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first value is an amount of coins deposited into the business management system via a coin cashing device by the customer making the present transaction.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the subtracting step, the step of replacing the third value with the first value.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer identification is previously saved in the business management system operable by a predetermined software.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer identification is a numerical ID free from personal information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the customer identification is one selected from a club card, a credit card, a driver license, a student ID, and a cellular phone.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the reading of the customer identification, the step of customer inputting an alphanumerical ID.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the reading of the customer identification, the step of customer voicing a random sound.

10. A coin-free retail business management method, comprising the steps of:

reading a customer identification into a business management system;

retrieving a first value previously saved under the customer identification;

comparing the first value to a second value from a present transaction amount, wherein the second value is a non-billable fraction from the present transaction amount, which is less than the face value of a lowest-valued monetary bill, generating a third value, wherein the third value is an addition of the first and second values;

subtracting the addition less a non-billable fraction of the addition from the present transaction amount; and

increasing the non-billable fraction of the addition to the face value of the lowest-valued monetary bill when a retail customer under the customer identification meets one or more predetermined requirements of the retail business.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first value is less than the face value of the lowest-valued monetary bill.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first value is an amount of coins deposited into the business management system via a coin cashing device by the retail customer making the present transaction.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of replacing the third value with the first value.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the customer identification is previously saved in the business management system operable by a predetermined software.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the customer identification is a numerical ID free from personal information.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the customer identification is one selected from a club card, a credit card, a driver license, a student ID, and a cellular phone.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising, prior to the reading of the customer identification, the step of customer inputting an alphanumerical ID.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising, prior to the reading of the customer identification, the step of customer voicing a random sound.

19. A coin-free retail business management system having a processor, comprising:

a reader to recognize a customer identification into the system;

a comparator to retrieve a first value previously saved under the customer identification and compare the first value to a second value from a present transaction amount, wherein the second value is a non-billable fraction from the present transaction amount, which is less than the face value of a lowest-valued monetary bill;

an analyzer to derive a third value, wherein the third value is an addition of the first and second values; and

a promoter to increase the third value to the face value of the lowest-valued monetary bill when a retail customer under the customer identification meets one or more predetermined requirements of the retail business.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the first value is less than the face value of the lowest-valued monetary bill.

21. The system of claim 19 further comprising a coin cashing device linked to the business management system, wherein the first value is an amount of coins deposited into the business management system via a coin cashing device by the retail customer making the present transaction.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein the reader is a voice-activated apparatus integrated to the system.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the reader cooperates with one or more selected from a club card, a credit card, a driver license, a student ID, and a cellular phone.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the customer identification is previously saved in the business management system operable by a predetermined software.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the customer identification is a numerical ID free from personal information.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the customer identification is an alphanumerical ID free from personal information.