Cashless vending system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for vending a product or service comprising:
- an account at a payment processing center;
a cell phone, said cell phone comprising a memory containing account information relating to said account and further comprising a first short range wireless transceiver; and
a vending machine, said vending machine comprising a second short range wireless transceiver for communication with said cell phone, and said vending machine further comprising a vending machine memory;
wherein said cell phone sends said account information to said vending machine, said vending machine receives a product selection, said vending machine records sale transaction information in accordance with said account information and said product selection, said recording being directed to said vending machine memory, and said vending machine delivers said product or service in response to said product selection;
said system further including a storage device for transferring and storing said sale transaction information from said vending machine memory at a time after the delivery of said product;
said sale transaction information further transferred to said payment processing center from said storage device for applying said sale transaction information to said account;
wherein a copy of said sale transaction information is transferred to said cell phone and subsequently transferred to said payment processing center through a cell phone network for comparing with said sale transaction information transferred from said storage device to said payment processing center.
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Abstract
A system and method for activating a vending machine utilizing a wireless link to a cell phone in conjunction with a security feature using a finger print reader or personal identification number (PIN). An account is established with a payment processing center (PPC) who oversees the movement and distribution of payments from a cell phone account to a vending machine account. Account information is maintained in the cell phone and in the vending machine and may be communicated to the PPC at a later time after the transaction. The wireless link may be Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, infrared, or other short range wireless technology.
103 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for vending a product or service comprising:
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an account at a payment processing center; a cell phone, said cell phone comprising a memory containing account information relating to said account and further comprising a first short range wireless transceiver; and a vending machine, said vending machine comprising a second short range wireless transceiver for communication with said cell phone, and said vending machine further comprising a vending machine memory; wherein said cell phone sends said account information to said vending machine, said vending machine receives a product selection, said vending machine records sale transaction information in accordance with said account information and said product selection, said recording being directed to said vending machine memory, and said vending machine delivers said product or service in response to said product selection; said system further including a storage device for transferring and storing said sale transaction information from said vending machine memory at a time after the delivery of said product; said sale transaction information further transferred to said payment processing center from said storage device for applying said sale transaction information to said account; wherein a copy of said sale transaction information is transferred to said cell phone and subsequently transferred to said payment processing center through a cell phone network for comparing with said sale transaction information transferred from said storage device to said payment processing center. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 21, 22)
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2. (canceled)
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14. A method for vending a product or service comprising:
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establishing an account with a payment processing center; storing account information relating to said account on a cell phone; sending said account information from said cell phone to a vending machine over a short range wireless link; generating sale transaction information for said product or service relating to said account information; storing said sale transaction information in said vending machine; delivering said product or service; retrieving said sale transaction information from said vending machine using a memory device; delivering said sale transaction information to said payment processing center for debiting said account, wherein at least one link of said delivering said sale transaction information includes physical transportation of said memory device; delivering a copy of said sale transaction information to said cell phone; and delivering said copy of said sale transaction information from said cell phone to said payment processing center via a cell phone network after said delivering of said product or service. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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15. (canceled)
Specification