System and Method for Programming Point of Sale Devices

• US 20090198803A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paymentech LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Paymentech LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Meckenstock, David T., Colon, Gregorio, George, Mark J., Hansen, Robert C., Cooper, Lester L., Lopez, Juan E., Slavik, Diana E., Lawler, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,220,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• 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 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0009 Details of the software in the checkout register, electronic cash register [ECR] or point of sale terminal [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

A system for programming point of sale devices is provided. The system includes a terminal programming system that can program point of sale devices provided by different manufacturers and having different proprietary operating systems. A communications interface is connected to the terminal programming system that receives update requests from the plurality of point of sale devices, such as when the point of sale devices call in to the system or when the point of sale devices respond to a poll.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for programming remote devices comprising:

receiving a programming request for a remote device;

determining which of two or more systems is used by the remote device;

transmitting a response to the programming request to the remote device based on the system used by the remote device;

wherein transmitting the response to the programming request to the remote device based on the system used by the remote device further comprises;

determining that a change has occurred for the remote device;

selecting a template for the remote device; and

determining whether to modify the template for the remote device based on the change.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a device setup command from the remote device.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a device update command from the remote device.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a polling command from a device update controller.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein determining which of two or more systems is used by the remote device comprises retrieving a file associated with the remote device.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein transmitting the response to the programming request to the remote device based on the system comprises transmitting the response to the programming request over a network.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein transmitting the response to the programming request to the remote device based on the system used by the remote device further comprises:

selecting a template for the remote device; and

imposing configuration constraints on the template based upon the remote device.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a device setup command from the remote device.

29. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a device update command from the remote device.

30. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a polling command from a device update controller.

31. A method for managing a plurality of remote devices comprising:

storing a file for each of a plurality of systems, where the systems can be associated with one or more of each remote device, each file containing device operating commands;

retrieving one of the files in response to a programming request for a corresponding device after a system for the corresponding device has been determined; and

transmitting the file to the corresponding device;

wherein storing the file for each of the plurality of systems comprises;

storing two or more classes of files for the remote devices based upon the systems used by the remote devices;

applying at least one class of rules for the remote devices based upon the users of the remote devices;

applying the class of rules to the two or more classes of files; and

storing each file for each remote device.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein retrieving one of the files in response to the programming request for the corresponding device comprises:

extracting a device identifier from the programming request;

locating a data file associated with the device identifier; and

retrieving the data file.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein retrieving one of the files in response to the programming request for the corresponding device further comprises receiving the programming request from the device.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein transmitting the file to the corresponding device comprises transmitting the file over a network.

35. A computing apparatus for programming remote devices comprising:

means for receiving a programming request for a remote device;

means for determining which of two or more systems is used by the remote device;

means for transmitting a response to the programming request to the remote device based on the system used by the remote device;

wherein the means for transmitting the response to the programming request to the remote device based on the system used by the remote device further comprises;

means for determining that a change has occurred for the remote device;

means for selecting a template for the remote device; and

means for determining whether to modify the template for the remote device based on the change.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the means for receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a device setup command from the remote device.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the means for receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a device update command from the remote device.

38. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the means for receiving the programming request for the remote device comprises receiving a polling command from a device update controller.

39. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the means for determining which of two or more systems is used by the remote device comprises retrieving a file associated with the remote device.

40. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the means for transmitting the response to the programming request to the remote device based on the system comprises transmitting the response to the programming request over a network.