SELF SERVICE COIN REDEMPTION CARD PRINTER-DISPENSER

• US 20100038419A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Hallowell, Curtis W., Blake, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,042,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/00 Devices accepting coins; Devices accepting, dispensing, sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/60 User-interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/008 Feeding coins from bulk
• 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 9/08 Counting total of coins inserted

Abstract

A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk, includes the acts of receiving funds comprising a batch of loose mixed coins in a coin receiving area of the kiosk, processing the coins in a coin processing module, determining a total value of the funds using a controller, displaying the total value of the funds to a user of the kiosk, and permitting the user to select a desired graphic from amongst a plurality of available graphic selections using via a user input device. The method also includes the acts of printing, using a printing device, the user-selected graphic on a portable storage medium print area, the portable storage medium comprising a storage medium bearing data to which a value relating to the total value is associated and dispensing the portable storage medium bearing the user-selected graphic to the user, the portable storage medium having a first value relating to the total value.

Claims

1. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk, comprising the acts of:

receiving funds comprising a batch of loose mixed coins in a coin receiving area of the kiosk;

processing the coins in a coin processing module;

determining a total value of the funds using a controller;

displaying the total value of the funds to a user of the kiosk;

permitting the user to select a desired graphic from amongst a plurality of available graphic selections using via a user input device;

printing, using a printing device, the user-selected graphic on a portable storage medium print area, the portable storage medium comprising a storage medium bearing data to which a value relating to the total value is associated; and

dispensing the portable storage medium bearing the user-selected graphic to the user, the portable storage medium having a first value relating to the total value.

2. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on the display an option to select one of a plurality of available value cards offered by different value card providers; and

permitting the user to select a desired one of the plurality of available value cards offered by the different value card providers.

3. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising currency bills into a bill processing module.

4. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising an electronic transfer of funds from an account.

5. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising a transfer of funds from another value card.

6. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising a transfer of funds from a card having a value associated therewith.

7. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising a transfer of funds from a device having a value associated therewith.

8. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 7, wherein the device comprises one of a cell phone, electronic wallet, electronic purse, solid state memory device, or fob.

9. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising a document;

processing the document in a document processing device to determine a value of the document.

10. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, wherein the act of processing the document in the document processing device to determine a value of the document comprises reading MICR data, performing OCR, or imaging at least a portion of the document.

11. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising precious metal;

processing the precious metal using a spectroscopic analyzer to determine a weight and composition thereof;

determining a value for the precious metal.

12. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, wherein the act of permitting the user to select a desired graphic from amongst a plurality of available graphic selections using via the user input device comprises receiving an input of user graphics from a digital device or from an internet address.

13. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, wherein the first value relating to the total value is the total value less a transaction fee.

14. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising dispensing currency bills, coins, or currency bills and coins having a second value relating to the total value, wherein the sum of the first value and the second value are equal to or less than the total value.

15. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 14, wherein the difference of the sum of the first value and the second value and the total value is a transaction fee.

16. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising dispensing a document having a third value relating to the total value, wherein the sum of the first value and the third value are equal to or less than the total value.

17. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 14, wherein the difference of the sum of the first value and the third value and the total value is a transaction fee.

18. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 16, wherein the document is a check or a gift certificate.

19. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information to a remote computer, the information comprising transaction related data.

20. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information to a remote computer, the information comprising equipment status information.

21. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium, comprising:

a coin receiving area configured to receive a batch of loose mixed coins;

a coin processing module configured, in combination with a controller, sort the loosed mixed coins to determine a total value thereof;

a user-input device;

a storage device comprising a plurality of articles of a portable storage medium, each portable storage medium comprising a storage medium bearing data to which a value relating to the total value is associated;

a display configured, in combination with the controller and controller-executable instructions, to display to a user a plurality of user-selectable graphic options selectable by the user through the user input device; and

a printing device configured to receive a portable storage medium from the portable storage medium storage device, to print on a print area of the portable storage medium the user-selected graphic, and to dispense the portable storage medium following printing.

22. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 21, wherein the storage device comprises a plurality of articles of a plurality of portable storage mediums, each portable storage medium comprising a storage medium bearing data to which a value relating to the total value is associated.

23. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

a bill processing module configured to receive a currency bill from a user.

24. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

a document processing module configured to receive a document from a user.

25. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 24, wherein the document processing module is configured to read MICR data, perform OCR, or image at least a portion of the document.

26. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

a card processing module configured to receive a card from a user.

27. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

a near field communication device configured to receive from and transmit to a cell phone, electronic wallet, electronic purse, solid state memory device, or fob.

28. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

a spectroscopic analyzer configured to analyze a weight and composition of a precious metal.

29. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

at least one digital media port.

30. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium, comprising:

a value input device configured to value only from a portable electronic storage device;

a user-input device configured to facilitate a transfer of a first value from the portable electronic storage device to the kiosk;

a storage device comprising a plurality of articles of a portable storage medium, each portable storage medium comprising a storage medium bearing data to which a value relating to the first value is associated;

a display configured, in combination with the controller and controller-executable instructions, to display to a user a plurality of user-selectable graphic options selectable by the user through the user input device; and

a printing device configured to receive a portable storage medium from the portable storage medium storage device, to print on a print area of the portable storage medium the user-selected graphic, and to dispense the portable storage medium following printing.

31. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 30, wherein the portable electronic storage device comprises a near field communication device.

32. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 31, wherein the near field communication device comprises a cell phone, an electronic wallet, or an electronic purse.

33. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 30, wherein the portable storage medium comprises a value card bearing a magnetic stripe.

34. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 30, wherein the portable storage medium comprises a smart card.

35. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 30, further comprising:

at least one digital media port.